and the WINNER is.........

Here's how it panned out...............

• 2 entered via FB as blogger wouldn't let them leave a comment (Caroline & SJ Cupcakes)
• 44 comments were left on here, but 1 was duplicated so 43 on here
• Thats 45 in total
• I called upon my Muddy Puddle Mini's to choose the winner
• Muddy Puddle Mini Daughter, 'pick a number between 0-4'........ she chose 3
• Muddy Puddle Mini Son, 'pick a number between 0-9'................he chose 1
• Winning comment is no. 31
• The Crafty Trundler YOU ARE MY WINNER
• I do believe thats YOU Sharon!!!!! please get in touch x

A huge thanks to all who entered and to all 1575 facebook fans and 150 blog followers who have decided to follow my progress. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it.......your support, comments, advice & always being there gives me a real buzz & keeps me motivated.

Thank you Jo xxx

Finishing Touches!

We are in the process of putting our house on the market and I am having a ball! I know it wont last for long as soon the stress of viewings & fees & finance will set in but until then I'm having fun. I've put my Kirsty & Phil hat on & mixed in a bit of 'Changing Rooms' and am busy pottering from room to room adding little somethings to catch the eye of a buyer We are nearly there with the boring bits like filling in holes, tidying, de cluttering & re painting & now its finishing touches time. I am loving it, think I could actually do this as a job, maybe I should call up Lawrence and re invent Changing Rooms as Muddy Puddle Makeovers?

The downstairs loo now has a 'garden' theme going on......pretty bunting, a new room spray & tissue box, a new soap dispenser and a heart (courtesy of Oh Sew Lovelys Giveaway). The bathroom gets a Cath bar of soap that I had for Christmas & cant bear to open!

The hall now has a dinky oak table I found in a local junk shop and the plaque I made at ceramics class looks fab by the back door. I have made a feature of one of my hand bags rather than chucking it in the corner of my bedroom and the lounge gets a rug to cover the tired carpet (courtesy of John Lewis vouchers we had as a Christmas gift)

The driveway now has 3 little pots hanging on the garage to greet you, as does the front door. The conservatory has been treated to not only a new plant but a free pot too and the kitchen window sill now has a jasmine hoop which is just showing signs of flowering!

Hope it all helps, just need the fresh flowers on viewing days and hey presto, buyers I'm ready for you!

The Story of my Profile Pic & Giveaway!!

Its been a while since my last post but just when I have 2 things to share with you I discover the timing of this post is mighty strange.....I have achieved 2 things today, 1500+ fans on my facebook page and the comeback of my 'Dotty Chunky Hearts'! I find it a bit weird that just as I share & celebrate a whopping amount of fans I also & write about a bunch of hearts that have played such an important role in growth of the business. And there's more.....this is my 100th post, now thats freaky!

Way back when when I first started Muddy Puddle I came across 11 small & 3 large papier mache hearts stuffed in the back of a box in a craft shop. Having only painted flat things I had to have them! The 3 large ones were painted up straight away and given to 2 friends and my daughter. The other 11 just got painted as and when depending on what colour paint pot I had open. Their colours weren't exactly planned they just happened. Each little one then traveled around with me from crafts fair to craft fair, they brightened up my stall no matter how I displayed them. They hung on branches at Easter time, the red one hung with the Christmas decs, the pastel ones sat with my pink & blue baby products & gradually they sold. I never intended to repeat them but as they summed up all things colourful & dotty I decided to use them as my online identity picture. Frequent comments came along straight away with oohh's and ahh's asking how to buy one. But with no supply of blank ones I turned the custom away.

Then last summer while on holiday in France I came across almost the exact same scenario. In a craft shop at the back of a shelf were 10 random hearts! They were the sameish size but wooden rather than papier mache. I of course bought them and turned them into these above. This picture has now become me! I have opted against using my logo to identify myself as these have served me so well!

So back in France last month I headed straight to the craft shop. They had them in but again had very low stocks. I bought a dozen which today became these 12 above! 7 of them were pre ordered and posted out today so that just leaves these.....

So with a giveaway to sort and a product to keep alive I call on your help. Each time I paint them I try to come up with a few new colour combos, the 5 above are all new.

139 blog followers + 1506 FB fans = 1645 of you.

So my giveaway prize to one of you is £16.45 worth of free Muddy Puddle products!!!

To enter please leave a comment telling me the colour combo you would like to see in the next batch of hearts!

Good luck, the winner will be chosen at random in 1 week x

Studio Space!

There has been much talk lately on facebook about studios space. Fellow crafters have shared with us their 'sewing rooms', 'crafts rooms' & 'studio's'. I've seen converted attics, conservatory's, summer houses, spare rooms, even sheds. The location may vary but each one has had one thing in common....A SOLE PURPOSE, A ROOM ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO CRAFTING!!! As if thats not been enough each little room has then been given a personality to add comfort, inspiration & the wow factor! I've seen cushions, pictures, bunting, comfy chairs, shelves of colour coded fabric, rows of ribbon.....I could go on but it makes me green with envy!

Having moved from the end of my dining table to an actual desk some time ago I thought I had a 'studio'.......me now thinks not.......

I work in my hallway.....its quite a big space but its also a way to the lounge & kitchen, it has the front door & staircase in it & I share it with the dogs & the drying washing!!!

My little Ikea laptop desk is literally 2.5 ft x 1.5 ft but it does extend to kind of double its size!!!

Thats great but when I do that it prevents the door opening!!! The postman truly thinks I'm crazy but gets it now & just signals through the glass that my parcel is on the mat!

.

My tall Ikea drawers contain all my paints, tools, beads, buttons, papers etc & are a life saver.

I'm a bit of a tidy freak & love sorting my jars of beads & buttons!

I love the old chest under my desk that contains all my ribbons.

The final thing I love about it is the company!

I am still dreaming of a devoted room that I can keep messy & just shut the door on when I turn from crafter to mummy but until then at least its a SPACE to call my own x

Last Chance For LOVE xxx

With only 3 days to go thought I'd best share my 2011 Valentines creations with you.

Have you sourced your little something yet to say what you need to say to your loved one on Monday morning?

What sums it for you?..... I love you, for keeps, be mine, we 2 are one, truly madly, kiss me quick, crazy in love ????

Guess tomorrow will be the last guaranteed posting today so why not pop over to Folksy to check out my shop and all the others on there selling that perfect romantic gift?

http://www.folksy.com/shops/MuddyPuddleCrafts

Its all coming together....

In the madness of the Christmas rush I decided when the new year came and it was a little quieter I would.....

1. Get more organised

2. Get more professional

3. Get more consistent

All of these goals related to my look, my brand, my packaging and the overall impression my customer received.

• Having coped with product stickers printed off my own pc using a bit of clip art for over 2 years now enough was enough.
• Having wrapped goods for the last 2 years in random but lovely papers and used whatever enveplope I could find enough was enough.
• Having never really had any business cards properly designed enough was enough.
• Having made my logo some years ago that was now looking tired enough was enough.

So I've been a busy bee & here's why 'Its all coming together'

1. New Logo CHECK!
2. Mini Moo Business Cards CHECK!
3. New Envelopes CHECK!
4. Dots & Spots Packing Tape On Order CHECK!
5. Moo Stickers On Order CHECK!
6. Clear Paint Palette for Customers CHECK!

Think thats all grown up enough????

I have a .com!!!

I was planning on doing a big proper post tonight but I am a little giddy and couldn't wait!!!! Dont worry it will be short & sweet......

This is my new product label, yummy yeah? take a close look at the text, do you see a web address?

I have a WEBSITE!!!!! hope you share my excitement ? ta ta till later Jo x

www.muddypuddlecrafts.com