I remember when I first started painting the brooches many years ago, I had a painting friend who could not paint small pieces and she just loved my brooches ( or so I thought!). Every time I painted a new design, I gave her one. After about the 10th design, she looked at me and said, "I think I have run out of space on my chest and I cannot possibly wear another one!" Oops!
Someone suggested I contact some patchwork shops and see if they would have some. For years, I have supplied a few shops in Australia and that kept me painting and having an outlet for the painted pieces. Over the years most of these shops have changed hands and often the new owners are keen to have something different. I am grateful to 2 shops that have stocked my things for many years. Thank you to Marilyn from the Patchwork Teahouse, and Lynette Anderson from The Little Quilt Store for having my painted work in their shops.
I have been painting buttons as well as brooches all these years, but find that I tend to paint more buttons these days, (they are smaller-- you must have gathered by now that I like small things).
2 fellow bloggers have suggested an Etsy shop. One suggested it last year, and I could not get my head around it. Then recently, another fellow blogger, Margaret from Spain, (solstitches) suggested the same thing. I went to the library that day and what would I see there?-- A book called "The Complete Idiot's Guide to selling your crafts on Etsy". I came home with it and have now managed to open my own Etsy shop. Hooray. Next job was to put a button on the side bar to say that I have one. My son came home today and helped me with that. Well it is now there officially.
I have not put the patterns on the site as yet and of course there are heaps of other Brooch and button designs too-- but I thought I would just start with these and see if it works in the first place. Please do visit the site and I am open to suggestions.
Another exciting thing that has happened is that a fellow blogger has had her first child in June, a baby girl. I made this for her and hope that she will stay nice and warm after her bath in it. A big Welcome to our first Blogger Baby!
An elephant in a shower of pink flowers
Thank you for taking the time to visit the blog. Enjoy the rest of this glorious weekend.
Yvonne.
