***50% off sale!!***

Just a note to my followers....hop on over to my website for my sale!



50% off all Halloween cards featured on Lucky7Designs.ca



Great time to buy for next year!!

If handmade crafts and papercraft get you excited please follow my other blog -

http://lucky7designs.blogspot.com/

Books, Books...and my Reader

As I had mentioned the past few weeks have been pretty chronic. I did find out the source of my pain and am on new antibiotics...happy happy joy joy. I’m just hoping these do not make me so ill this time...I have work I need to do for the Marmee’s Circle Tradeshow so need to be able to do it! Don’t forget to check out my webpage and blog for new products!!

http://lucky7designs.blogspot.com/

http://www.lucky7designs.ca/

So this week I did get a nice surprise...a couple actually (yay!). I came home from work a couple of days ago to find my brand spanking new business cards had arrived...so pretty. I also got my car sticker and my address labels. The cards make me feel a little more official now. I’m not writing my details on a random receipt I turf out of my bottomless handbag...people do not need to see that I bought copious amounts of reduced bread from metro. I LOVE bread...but that’s a different story and also why I’ll never be skinny! I have the website and the business cards now...it feels like a more firm step forward in the right direction. I also got them in lots of time for the tradeshow which is perfect. I just hope everything takes off.

My other nice surprise was that my new Amazon Kindle arrived. Now, I have to admit when digital book readers first made their way onto the market I was kind of a bit meh about them. To my friends and people who know me quite well they’ll know I have a bookshelf in my house overflowing with books. I also have a basket of books waiting to be read beside my bed. To further increase my stock I trade books with my mum. I love to read. I love to escape into a book for a while and have a break from life as I know it. My bookshelf overflows with books from many, many different backgrounds. I’ll admit the heaviest presence on the shelves is that of art books. From books on artists like Toulouse Lautrec and Giotto to books from museums like the Louvre and even an out of print book on the nude I have a lot of art books. The variance on my shelves is quite dramatic. I have recipe books, comic romance novels by Irish writers, biographies, true crime and a whole shelf of children’s books for my monster. (I was reluctant to give up the shelf but I guess I had to at some point). Our house is full of books hidden everywhere.

To me, I love having a book in my hand. A visible feasible work of art that I can flick through the crumpled pages and see the words divided into paragraphs and chapters. I love my bookshelf and all the books contained in it. I keep my books after I read them so I can re read them at a later date. Everything in its place...somewhere and in pristine condition...I’m weird like that. So as you can imagine the idea of not having a paper copy in front of me kind of jarred with my outlook. Until...I got my Kindle. You see, I’m not ready to give up my books and I’ll still buy a book I love. However my kindle enables me to travel without having a massive book in my bag. It’s so simple and I can have all these books loaded onto it and switch at any time. There’s another benefit to this... did you know Amazon has free books for it. You can add so many classics for free! I have some Thomas Hardy, some Beatrix Potter and some Homer all contained within this little piece of technology...and it cost me nothing. Classics at my fingertips. I did however buy a book, one I have been searching for, for quite a while. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote was my first purchased eKindle book. I also have the Bible on it...I can flick between the books and chapters so easily it’s great! ...and it was free! It also has the ability to read to you...although it sounds a little weird..but great when your eyes are tired.

It’s quite nifty I will admit. I do like it and I would encourage other people to get one...however don’t give up your paper copies of your favourites! Sometimes it’s still a lovely feeling to curl up in a seat with a book and feel the pages. I refuse to let my love of books die.

The Busiest Bees Make The Best Honey

I’ve been pretty busy over the past few weeks for a few reasons...
Firstly my little monster started school. Ben being the social butterfly that he is was totally fine with this whole concept of going to school and making new friends. I, on the other hand wanted to cry. It’s suddenly hit me how much he’s grown up *sniff* *sniff* Despite not having been in J.K last year he seems to be doing pretty well...except for one little thing...
We’re rushing out of the house one morning...running a little late (not like me at all...really). Ben’s all sorted...uniform on, breakfast eaten, morning allotment of Handy Manny done and faux-hawk in place...except for his boxers on backwards. After a heated discussion on the topic I decided to choose my battles and let it fly. I however am not quite so organised quelle surprise. I have make up on (might not look up to par but it’s on), hair sorted, I’m wearing clothes (they might not match) and I have shoes...go me! I’m getting into the car and accidentally catch my finger in the door and say ‘crap!’. I’d like to clarify I don’t believe crap is a swear word...words like s**t are. However, my son repeats it and laughs....I’m off to a great start. I don’t want him to repeat this at school just in case someone else would find it offensive. So the conversation ensues....

‘Ben don’t say that. It’s not very nice and could hurt someone’s feelings then you’d end up in the principal’s office’ (and mommy would be getting told off)
‘Mommy you don’t go to the principal’s office. You go to the chair’
‘The chair? Like the naughty chair?’
‘Yep’
‘Ben...how do you know about the chair? Have you been on the chair?’
‘yep’ (oh great)
‘Why were you on the chair?’
‘I was being silly’
‘ok...have other children been on the chair’
‘Yeah...I had to get off to let them on’ (*rolls eyes* oh brother...)


Thankfully it turns out the school doesn’t have a naughty chair after I asked his teacher. When a child gets excited or such like they’re asked to go sit on their chair or to sit on it properly. *phew* No principal’s office yet.

Although, the little monster was on a roll last week... We went to register with a doctor and I got the string of 20 questions...but one in particular struck a cord with Ben...
‘Do you smoke?’
‘No.’
‘Yes she does. Me and Granny and Granda went to our house and it smelt like SMOKE!!’
‘No...I do not smoke.’
‘She does.’
‘No I don’t...honestly.’
THIS is when the doctor gives me a look as if to say ‘sure...and I’m the Queen’.

Secondly, the reason for my MIA status is that I have been busy working on Lucky 7 Designs.



A few months ago a friend of mine approached me regarding a website and group/network that she wanted to launch. Marmee's Circle is a group of women who make amazing crafts. Everything is very different and handmade. Luckily for me she asked me to be involved in her launch by featuring Lucky 7 Designs as one of the designers. This meant I had to do a lot of updating of my blog, facebook and actually get some cards ready since my stock had dwindled. Myrtle has been unbelievable really...she’s pulled together this fantastic group of women and has pushed all of our products to the max....I owe her!




On Monday night she had the official launch party. All her blood, sweat and tears were suddenly starting to pay off. I suddenly realised that my designs are actually popular and people do want to buy them. This part was kind of foreign to me before if I’m honest because to me they’re my designs so I don’t see them in the same way as other people. The night was pretty successful on a few fronts. Myrtle has been fantastically supportive and inspirational. Her ideas are really quite fantastic.



I met another fantastic designer...and I do mean fantastic. CherryApple Art makes these amazing hair pieces and necklaces. The really funny thing is...we’ve been going to the same church for a few years and never knew each other but 4 months ago I saved one of her pieces listed on Etsy (also a very cool website) to my favourites on my computer! She’s one smart cookie and I got some major inspiration from seeing her products. I hope she expands her range because she has so much potential to take it ALOT further.



Since the launch party and talking to Myrtle and Rebecca (CherryApple Art) I decided it was time to either put my all in or stay put. Since Myrtle has sunk her all into pushing Lucky 7 Designs. I felt it was time for me to do the same. I am now the proud owner of a domain name...even though I am website illiterate and have a habit of breaking all technological equipment. I also have a pretty jazzy wee logo. My blog has been overhauled completely with new photos and for the first time I am actually proud of my little venture. I just hope it grows.

I planted the seed...the water has been added...the results will probably vary...