MadeStuff News

For a long time now we’ve been frustrated and, in some cases, downright exasperated at the increasingly poor performance of Etsy.  To start the year we decided to make a few changes and this weekend we’ve started by opening a new shop with Coriandr.

Not only is Coriandr easier to use, more reliable, and nicer to look at than Etsy, but this move means that we can now list our crafts for sale in UK currency, which is a massive bonus for us. Payment is still through Paypal, which is one of the most secure ways to pay on the web and we are now also able to accept personal cheques for those who would prefer not to divulge credit or debit card details to a computer.

To coincide with the move to Coriandr, you might have noticed our new banner and updated colour scheme, well the start of it anyway.

As if that wasn’t enough, Alasdair and I have had a confab and a brainstorm, engaged ourselves in some ‘blue sky thinking’ and a series of other overused business cliches and have decided on a number of intentions for the year that we’ll share in due course…all of which will be worth the wait.

We hope you like these changes but please feel free to comment if there’s anything you’d particularly like to see here.

Etsy Picks: Sunshine

With all the snow that has been bombarding some parts of the world this past couple of weeks you’d be forgiven for forgetting that there is such a thing as sunshine or summer. With that in mind, we thought our readers might like a little reminder:

Bring Your Own Sunshine by DUDADAZE ~ $10

Sensational Stripes Fused Glass Plate by Kirsty Sly ~ $52

Sunshine by shopgimme ~ $150

My Sunshine (personalise) by mishmashmarket ~ $40

Click on the images to go to the shops and see more from these talented artists.

Pricing Review – making madestuff more affordable

Jolene and I have been contemplating our prices for some time now, it’s a difficult thing to price your own creations!  Anyway, we have recently reviewed the prices and these have all been re-marked, in many cases this has meant a drop in price by as much as $20 in some cases!!

We have decided that our FREE shipping should remain, well, FREE!  And not just free to UK customers, but FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING.  It seems like such a fundamental thing,  we don’t like paying postage and I guess that nobody else does either.  We do offer premium shipping options and we charge for these at cost, after all shoppers want to buy lovingly crafted items, not envelopes and stamps!!

Anyway, we’d be delighted to ’see’ you in the shop so why not drop on over for a wee browse.

Shoppers who prefer to shop in sterling should contact us directly via the contact page and we will only be too happy to provide prices in pounds.

Pocket Pillows ~ Something Soft to Hug

These embroidered pillows are made of very soft cotton, backed with offcuts of upholstery fabric of unknown type.  They are perfect for little hands to clutch for comfort.  They could also be ornaments, displayed in a bowl or basket, or used as pin cushions.

Available in the shop

Little felt owl and a few mini plant pot ornaments

The little owl has been floating about for a while and I was surprised he’s not featured in a previous blog entry, he’s made out of ecospun felt, with recycled polyester stuffing, and old buttons.  I think he’s a rather cute wee fellow, especially with the little ‘o’ embroidered on the front.  With luck Jolene will see fit to make some freinds for the fellow, but as things stand he’s a one of a kind!

Available in the shop.

I’ve also been trying to get some decent pictures of the ‘plant pokes’ for the shop, but hell have they been acting up!  I don’t know whether it’s been the poor lighting or just their irregular shapes but it’s been a complete ‘mare trying to get in focus shots!

Available in the shop.
SOLD OUT!  Please contact for custom orders.

motivating feedback

Making stuff can be hard-going at times, it can be difficult to judge just how good your stuff is in any subjective way, and if it’s not any good, well, what’s the point!  Of course family and friends can tell you that what you’ve been making is “super”, “smashing”, or even, “great” yet you’ll always have a nagging doubt that these people simply don’t want to hurt your feelings with a totally honest and critical assessment of your work.

Jolene and I are rather good at giving critical feedback and yet when you see something day-in-day-out even the extraordinary becomes ordinary or unremarkable, perhaps the old adage about familiarity breeding contempt would fit, the very reason why judging your own work can be so difficult.

With our first craft fayre approaching rapidly (one week to go) there is a danger of us suffering a crisis of confidence despite most of our stock being ready and packed.  Aside from our trademark wood carvings, papier mache pieces, felt ornaments, and needlework items we’ve put together a range of mounted prints and photo cards and a few other bits and bobs.

We were rather delighted then that an enthusistic shopper recently purchased two of Jolene’s felt birds and left some rather encouraging feedback:

It is such a treasure to own a pair of your MadeStuff birds. I love every bit of them. Your little birds stoled my heart. As soon as I saw them, I just knew that I had to have them. They are perched on their own shelf in my family room and cheerfully greet all who enter.  Their colors work well with my decor. They chirp happily and love to show off their plumage. They will bring joy to those who visit them and sing in my heart forever. Thank you for your kindness and expedite shipping. I will always be eternally greatful.

Rather positive I’m sure you’ll agree, and certainly welcome in the run-up to the craft fayre!

Fortunately it’s not just Jolene that’s been getting positive feedback as I discovered when I received feedback for one of my carvings earlier in the month:

very creative piece with abstract yet palpable feeling

Very brief, which is no bad thing, yet I think it suggests a connection with the piece which is all I can really ask.  Out of curiosity I went and checked the feedback the shopper had left for other sellers on Etsy, to say that some it was ‘neutral’ would be over-stating it, the criticism of the finish of a piece of woodwork is no small thing.  I would be devestated if I received feedback saying one of my carvings hadn’t been sanded properly… although at least I would know what I had to do to improve my work!

The feedback that we get as crafters is hugely important and whilst we might not necessarily like what we here, there is no doubt that without critical assessment of our work improvement is made all the more difficult.  Finding such critical feedback is no easy task though and whilst the examples cited above don’t help us develop our craft they do provide a much needed boost in the run up to our inaugural craft event!

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, critical and honest feedback on anything you see on this site is welcome … nay!  It’s needed!

Characters from Dickens Novels – Digital Downloads

I’ve spent a large part of the day scanning and enhancing some cigarette cards that we have and after much to-ing and fro-ing between Picnik and Photoshop I’ve managed to remove most of the signs of age from this set of Dickens Characters.

These cigarette cards were collected, we presume, by Alasdair’s Grandma in 1912 when they were first included in packets of John Player cigarettes.  I have to say I’m very attached to the cards and I’m sure the originals will have a special place in our home just as soon as we have a completed wall to put them on…long, long story that sadly doesn’t ever seem to get much shorter.  Anyway, I digress, the images are now neatly sorted into PNG files and a PDF and are available for purchase from our shop.

Also, just so you don’t think I’ve been completely overcome by capitalist urges…here’s a bit of a freebie.  The image below will be available to download for free until the end of May.  To get the file just right click and choose ’save picture as…’ and if you want the whole set, including some of our favourite characters from Oliver Twist, they are only $1.99 in the shop.

some unrelated updates

Firstly, there are now felt brooches in the shop.  Each one of these is entirely handsewn by me and available for a bargain price of $6.50.

I made my first Inchies this week too and am excited by the results.  The first set is for the A, B, C, D, E, F Inchie swap on ATCsforall and the second set is for the Beginners Inchie Swap on SwapBot.

Both are painted with black acrylic paint before being embellished.  The first set used dictionary pages handcut into letters that were then coloured with crayons and outlined with gold pen.  The second set used the packing tape transfer method again with various backgrounds (vintage book page, painted baby wipe, painting with kids poster paints, newspaper).

etsy showcase ~ OOO

I know, it’s a strange title for a showcase but there’s a very good reason for it.  On Sunday we will be starting our first family holiday and the first holiday Alasdair and I have had together since our honeymoon in 2001.  8 years is far too long to wait for a holiday, wouldn’t you agree?

I hunted high and low for a decent sign for the site just to let you guys know we’re out of office and couldn’t find one.  I could create one but time is not on my side this week so I thought what better way to announce our being Out Of Office than the showcase some wonderful interpretations of the initial letter O.

We will be travelling to view some of the most stunning scenery in the West Highlands of Scotland and we hope to share some amazing photography with you on our return.  Until then please feel free to browse the archives here or purchase from our shop…all orders will be shipped on Monday 20 April 2009.

Top Row (from left)

Alphabet Series – Letter O – 8×8 ~ $25.00 by DripStick
Upcycle Stainless Steel -Letter O ~ $12.00 by purpleartlove
Alphabet Letter O ~ $15.00 by wildrubies

Middle Row (from left)

Bohemian Rhapsody Initial Charm Pendant O ~ $12.00 by TheCuttingEdge
Scout’s ABCs O is for Owl ~ $10.00 by stubborndog
Initials Collection – O Pendant ~ $45.00 by MollyStuff

Bottom Row (from left)

Altered Scrabble Tile Pendant with Chain ~ $7.00 by joyfulgirlcreations
The Letter O ~ $15.00 by kristinemays
Letter O ~ $10.00 by whimsyloo

PS: Many of these sellers do the whole range of letters so if you’re not an O then they may well have an initial to suit you.

Felt Bird Sculpture ~ Featured on Etsy’s Front Page

There was excitement yesterday as we discovered via CraftCult that the little rose pink and cream felt bird sculpture had been featured on the front page of Etsy.  This is a coveted position to hold and we are very grateful to AmandaSainsbury for including us in her treasury.

The items in this treasury are:

(1) Rose Pink and Cream Felt Bird Sculpture by MadeStuffShop
(2) Original Painting – Red Balloon by ArtByJoJo
(3) Ring Ring by aubeebop
(4) Shot Tower Tea Towel by arcticcircles
(5) Handpainted Necklace with Gingham Ribbon by sweetcherrypie
(6) Felt Egg Cosy by feltyfelt
(7) Ice Pink Lips Necklace by alittleoffbeat
(8) Cobalt Blue Canvas of Audrey Hepburn by thecanvashouse
(9) Pink Butterfly by angelacallanan
(10) Marrakesh Necklace by snapdragonbeads
(11) Fashion Victim Original Illustration by metzypants
(12) Florence – Bridal Headpiece by tiedandfeathered

I was so excited about being featured on the front page that I made two more birds yesterday; one pink and floral and one hounds-tooth and cream.  Pictures to come just as soon as we have some decent light around here.