Will be glad when it's Christmas!!

I am kn*****d. Why do I have these bright ideas?? Having worked all weekend, I spend my two days off making commisions (OK - fine - guaranteed income) and then creating new stuff for the Christmas Fair on the 11th.

80 Christmas Gift Tags later (which have actually turned out much better than I thought they might - and therefore am in a dilemma over how much to charge for them), I have made a start on the bookmarks. These may be quicker to make than I thought. They take the paint really well - and then it's just a case of stamping something creative, and a bit of ink. Oh, and the ribbon - think I'll do that to the lot at the end.

What with the grungeboard being made of recyled paper, and the acrylic paint being "eco-green" (yes that's actually the name - they are produced in a very environmentally friendly way - and also not toxic to the user in any way) -these bookmarks are turning out to be a very environmentally friendly product.

Will have to work on them in the evenings. Still have the fridge magnets to do - but am waiting on some gilding flakes for them - to add a bit of glitz!! And if I get all that done, the paper is cut for some notebooks. Phew.

After the 11th, I'm going to have a break until the New Year. Think the other half will be glad too - I've somewhat taken over the lounge at the moment. There's hardly a spare surface anywhere. The only bonus from his point of view is that there is nowhere for me to put the Christmas tree up!! Mmmm - will have to work on that one. Can't be in December with no Christmas tree up!!!

Here's a peek at couple of the Christmas Tags:

Cxx

.... and finally it's done!!

OK, so after the last post, I decided to go back into the website and perservere with getting the cards on the website. And, by doing one at a time, I have managed to get the rest on.

So, for the time being, the website is complete!! Yay!!

So, if you're looking for a special Christmas Card - go on over to the website and have a look.

Speak soon

Cxx

A Partial Success!!

I have managed to get quite a few Christmas cards onto the website. It has been a battle - but I suppose some is better than none.

The answer to my problem, apparently, is to use Firefox, instead of Internet Explorer. That would solve the problems I've been having. But I really can't imagine using anything other than Internet Explorer, and so I will have to battle on and add the remaining 15 or so when the site is being more co-operative.

Have had a busy couple of days off of work. I've ordered a tablecloth, and managed to get a table runner that was reduced coz it wasn't in its original packaging. I've made a start on the biggest of the commissions, and have plans for a couple of others - should be able to get those done soonish. And have ordered some stuff for another. I'm going to have to watch the spending, as I'm already making good headway through what I put into the account. That said, the money has been going on the table etc, and on a load of new stock for cards to make in the New Year - so they haven't been totally frivolous purchases.

I've also made good headway into my Christmas shopping - mostly on-line. The couple of times I ventured into the shops, it's been hell on wheels!! And it's only November!! As much as I looooovvveeee Christmas, I do struggle with the pushing, shoving and queueing that goes on in shops during the festive season!!

It's back to work tomorrow!! So probably won't get much of anything done for a few days.

Speak soon

Cxx

Easier than easy MY EYE!!!!!

So, if anyone's been onto the website looking for Christmas cards, you probably noticed that they are not there!! It's not for lack of trying believe me - and all I can do is apologise - and post a few more taster piccies!!

My lovely website host claims their software is Easier than Easy!! I think I'd term it Slower than Slow or Cr****r than Cr*p. It's become a daily battle to get the Christmas cards on - I still have 40 odd to go, and with the site freezing every 2 or 3 cards - sometimes crashing and losing the stuff I've just tried to input - I am not a happy bunny!! Grrrr!!!

I have now e-mailed the support desk, and hopefully will have a solution to what going on tomorrow. Then I can get on and get the cards on the website this side of Christmas!!!!!

On a more positive note, I have a table booked at Putlake Farm Christmas Fayre (Langton Matravers) on Saturday 11th December - runs from 4pm to 7pm I think - no idea if there is an admission charge - but I know my table fee is going to charity!! Apparently there were 3000 people through the "door" last year!!

In anticipation that, whilst people will pick up the odd card or two at this type of thing, they may well be looking more for gift ideas - so have plans to make some bookmarks, fridge magnets - and maybe even some notepads. Just depends how much time I have. Meant to start the bookmarks today - but spend it battling with the website.

Since I have had a reasonable amount of sales recently (and I have another 5 commissions waiting to be completed), I have invested in a proper table for when I go to crafting events. It's 6ft in length (generally the maximum table length you're allowed at these kind of things - and the average size of your common or garden trestle table), has very sturdy legs witha wipeable, white plastic top. And best of all, as well as the legs folding down, it's foldable in the middle so will fit in my little car. Now, I'm sure many of you out there will think this deathly dull that I am talking about a table - but I am chuffed to pieces with it. Feels like I'm taking the business thing a bit more seriously.

I now need to invest in a decent table covering. I'm thinking a white tablecloth type covering, with a green and/or beige runner down the middle to go with my logo. May need to get the sewing machine out, as it might be cheaper to buy the material and hem it myself. Mmmm - yet another project.

To go with all this, I've been investing in a few other bits and pieces. Alongside the postcards I had printed recently, and the business cards with the new website address on, I have bought a small banner - to put on the wall behind the stall (if there is one), and a couple of more frivolous things - a mug and a keyring - both with my logo on!!

Am now trying to work out how to make best use of the table space. I rescued a leaflet display rack that was going to be thrown out at work a while back, and with the help of my lovely hubby, this is going to be transformed to sit on the floor at the front of the table. I will then have to play around with the stock I've got and see what I can put where. At the moment my lounge has been taken over with the table, all my boxes of stock and the many display racks, baskets, trays and boxes I have acquired.

Hopefully next time I post, it will be to say that the Christmas cards are online!!!! (Just don't hold your breath!!)

Till I post again,

Cxxx

Website in need of friends!!!

Well, after all the fuss and faff of getting the website up and running, the total orders so far amount to a big fat zero. Mainly because I totally omitted to think about advertising the site. Doh!!! Apart from my die-hard blog friends - and others who don't follow the blog, but know about my venture - no-one out there in the big wide, world (UK orders only please!!!) knows about the site - so it's sitting out there in cyberspace feeling very unloved!!

So, after a fairly successful couple of weeks financially, with a few commissions, and a great card party, I had to bite the bullet with the "no pain - no gain" approach.

So in that vein, I have spent my afternoon at a Children in Need event, where I didn't even cover my table cost, (but hey, it's all in a good cause for dear old Pudsey), BUT the big bonus with this event was that they were giving out carrier bags with stuff in, and for a little extra money, I've got my "postcard" into approx 60 odd bags to be taken home. If only a couple of them take any notice, it'll be worth it. I now need to think of other ways to get the message out there too!!

For this event, I was asked to concentrate mainly on bags and boxes, as they already had a card stall, so here's a few of the new boxes that I've made. I'm not selling boxes over the internet at the moment, but let me know if you're at all interested.













Now that's all over, tomorrow afternoon will be spent updating the site - removing any cards that have been bought - and adding on the Christmas cards. There are plenty left, so if you are still looking for that special card, visit the website (probably best to leave it until Tuesday), and hopefully you'll find what you're looking for.

Here's a few of the (very) many Christmas cards I've made:






Until I blog again....

Cxx

Houston, we have lift off!!!!

Yeah!! It's official - Papercraft By Carole is now up and running on the Internet!!

Not really sure what else to say. Please feel free to go and have a look - and pass the word out to friends and family who may be interested.

The website address is www.papercraftbycarole.co.uk
Please do make sure that you read the Terms & Conditions carefully before you start.

You know, it's wierd in a way. This is not so much a jump up and down moment, as a bit of an anti-climax. It's taken so much time, thought and effort in getting this running that I wonder what I shall do now it's out there, and (hopefully) all I need to do is maintain it. I suppose it's back to the day job!!

I am busily making Christmas cards ready for the website - that section is empty at the mo - just waiting for me to get them done and loaded on.

So... there it is. And there you have it.

I will still keep blogging - keep you up to date with the success (or lack of ) of the website. And post photos of cards (and other things) I am working on.

So, till the next time.

Cxxx

Mmmm ... what to do??

So, I was correct in surmising that what I was hoping to do with the website can't actually be done. The guy from the website software that has been dealing with my question, did recommend that I e-mail their developers as what I want to do is fairly reasonable.

Anyway, it now leaves me with a dilemma. Let me explain. The standard version of the software does not provide any stock control options. The pro version does. So having upgraded to the pro version, I set about setting all the stock levels to 1 - since there is only 1 of each card. So that once a card has been paid for, no-one else can order it. This would help if I wasn't able to log on regularly to update the site. Simples!!! Not so!!!

In order to use the stock control feature, you have to set up Express PayPal checkout. This completely changed the look of the "basket" - showing column titles of Colour, Option, Link Cost, and most alarmingly, the choice of which country you are ordering from. Since none of that applies to what I am doing - particularly as I will not be shipping to any addresses outside of the UK - I contacted the software guy to see if I could block these things from appearing.

Apparently, the international thing is out of their control - it's controlled by PayPal. And to block the other things would also turn off stock control.

So, I have therefore requested to be downgraded to Standard version again, and need to consider what to do. I think what it will have to be a well worded section on the Terms & Conditions along the lines of "the stock shown is unfortunately not in real time, and therefore the card you purchase may very occasionally not be available ...." then a bit about refunds etc.

It's not really ideal - but maybe it won't make any difference as perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself thinking that more than one person may be using the website at a time - and that those "more than one persons" might want the same card.

I suppose the vague vestiges of the systems analyst I was in a former life (and believe me, it was that long ago, it certainly feels like a lifetime ago), just feels that this is a bit of a cop out!! It's an eventuality that could have been provided for, but hasn't been. And so I feel a bit cheated by the software. Trouble is, I'm so out of date with what I know - and website authoring wasn't around in my day - that I'm just going to have to accept it. But will still put my case the sotware developers.

What a pompous sounding paragraph that was. Still, got it out of my system. So, watch this space as I will make a decision within the next week. Meanwhile I have started on making Christmas cards - 18 today!! Not bad for an afternoon!!

Below are a few examples of what will be available on the website when I get it up and running. Just to tease you....








Speak to you soon.

Cxx

A spanner in the works.....

Oh well. Should have known that it was all going too smoothly. Last night's testing has thrown up a few glitches, that I am unsure how to resolve. Have got in touch with the website software people to ask them for some help.

Trouble is, I think that what I am asking for may actually not be possible - and that may set me back a while as I need to find a solution that will work.

So... still watch this space. And in the meantime, while I go and make a few cards to fill the time, here's a recent commission:






Hopefully will have some news very soon.

Cxx

The Time Is Coming ....

..... for me to launch the website!! Yaaay!! Now, I know I haven't given any updates recently, but to be honest, I have been struggling to motivate myself to get moving on it. But, having had a bit of time on my hands recently, I have bitten the bullet, and got on with it. To be fair, some of the time has been spent making a great deal of cards to put on the website - about 175 to be precise (although using the word "about" doesn't really make it precise).

Anyway, the first big move was to set up the bank account. I did that a while ago - all seemed quite straightforward, until a couple of weeks later when I had a letter demanding another piece of paper evidence or they would have to close the account. Needless to say, I wasn't overly impressed and went down to the Bank the same day. I was all set to tell them where to put their Business Account, but was kind of thrown when the guy seemed to know all about me, my business and the letter, before I'd barely spoken a word. Turns out that the person I'd seen when I'd set up the account wasn't the Business Advisor, and consequently she made a couple of mistakes on my application. This caused my business to be flagged as "high risk" - when in fact it isn't. He was most unhappy that I had been sent a letter, as he had literally just e-mailed head office about it, and thought he had sorted it. He felt I should never have been sent the letter, so got straight on the phone. Anyway, upshot is, I still have my account, and two days later, the largest box of chocolates I have ever seen in my life arrived on my doorstep. 3/4kg (yes that's right - 3/4kg) of Thornton's chocolates and a card with an apology for the stress I had been caused!! Mmmm - they have kept me going during the hours sat at the computer setting up the website.

So, bank account sorted, next step was a PayPal account. That was quite straightforward - or at least it has been so far. I suppose time will tell when I get any orders!!

After the mammoth cardmaking sessions (literally days), each card had to photographed, bagged and labelled. It takes a lot longer than you think - well, a lot longer than I thought, anyway. But, hopefully in future I can make a few on a regular basis to put on there. Having said that, I do have a large batch of Christmas cards to make soon.

So, I now had everything ready to start the website. It's taken a while to get used to the website software - but think I have a reasonable handle on it now. Hopefully it will be easy to navigate, and clearly set out. But I suppose you lot will be the judge of that.

So, the shop was set up - but that thorny issue of postage reared it's ugly head again. Another re-think was needed in order to fit in with the options available to me on PayPal, but I am reasonably happy with it now. I wish I could offer free P&P, but I don't think it's financially viable for me!!

Finally, I have had to consider issues such as privacy of information, returns and refunds - among other little things that I've discovered, regarding Internet and distance selling. Thankfully, a lovely lady who runs a successful website from which I regularly order some of my crafting goodies, kindly allowed me to use the way she has approached these issues as the guideline for mine. She has given me some tips, and shown me where to look. So a big thanks to the lovely lady I know as Winspiration!! Definately an Inspiration!!!

So, I now just need to have a final run through to make sure it's all working - and have today's work proof read by my lovely husband - and then we're all set for launch.

So ...... watch this space!!!

Cxxx

.... and back down south again!!

Just thought I'd update you and let you know I got home OK. The lovely Welshmen fixed my tyre just in time for me to get to my course before it started. I've had a very tiring - but very worthwhile - three days increasing my invertebrate knowledge (and getting very wet and bitten to death in the process), and investigating new and different ways of engaging the kiddies when learning about creepy crawlies!!

And along the way, I have consumed an inordinate amount of food!!! Blimey!! Cooked lunch, homemade cake at afternoon tea, and a three course dinner - and that was just the first day!! Add in a cooked breakfast on the following two days as well, and I have never eaten so much food in such a short space of time!!

So now I arrived back from a very damp Wales to a very warm and dry Dorset !! No mishaps on this journey. But was a much nicer one not just because of that. On the way up, I had taken advice from family about the best way to get there, and so had programmed my sat nav to go via these places - basically motorways for a lot of it. On the way back I decided to just let the sat nav take me where it wanted (I know my lovely sister-in-law has fallen out with her sat nav, but I have a great affection for mine and trust it implicitly - well, most of the time). I don't mind driving long distances, but I don't really like motorways, and the roadworks I went through on the way up looked to have the potential to be worse going home.

As it turned out I've had a lovely trip including a lot of reminiscing. I drove all the way through Wales from North to South, passing through mid Wales (as you obviously would!!) where we spent many childhood holidays with friends of my parents. Passed one of the parks we used to play in and it reminded me of winter snowball fights we had there!! Then further down, I crossed the New Severn Crossing. When I was doing my teacher training in Bristol, it was still being constructed (showing my age now!!) and we did a project looking at bridges and how it could be incorporated into the curriculum through maths and design technology! Yawn!!!!!

Then I picked up the route I used to travel back to Dorset from Bristol when I went home from Uni, remembering the exact point at the side of the road where I threw up on one particular journey! My Mum had come to collect me after I got a really nasty chest infection - and I was feeling very poorly!!

And nearer to home, I passed the little village pub where my husband and I had our first two dates!! It all really helped to pass a very long journey. And hopefully, the Red Bull shot will wear off soon, and I will be able to get the sleep that I know my body is in desperate need of!!

Cxxx

A journey north!!

Well, this post has nothing to do with setting up the website, but just had to let you know about my day. I am currently sat in a very lovely B&B in Criccieth, North Wales, having left home at 10am this morning.

I had done really well, was almost there - just outside of Porthmadog so I discovered later - when disaster struck.

But, let me take you a bit further back up the road, when I first noticed my car acting "funny" - every time I steered left there was a rubbing sound - and I didn't really need to turn the wheel very far left either! Well, with thoughts of all sorts of problems from wheel bearings to suspension (not that I know anything about cars!!) I decided to pull over at the next safe place. I was praying that I would find nothing, and that the car would be OK to get me here and maybe home again of Friday. Having said that, I was already envisaging being towed all the way back to Dorset - how on earth would I be able to hold a conversation with a complete stranger for that long?

Well, that safe place seemed to take ages to appear. So, was sat in a queue just outside of Porthmadog at temporary traffic lights, when a man coming the other way stops to tell me I have a flat tyre!!! Feeling somewhat relieved that the puzzle had been solved, I spied, on the opposite side of the road, the entrance to a derelict building, so pulled over there - the car actually struggling to get moving again.

So, knowing what to do, but not whether I could actually manage to do it, I proceeded to unload the contents of my boot (of course I'd packed EVERYTHING into the boot) onto the side of the road. One lovely lady, sat in the queue in her car, called out to me, asking if I wanted help. How sweet. I politely refused as I was sure I'd manage, and we both commented on the fact that no men had bothered offering to help me!! So, with my wordly possessions strewn around, I managed to get the jack out, but then proceeded to struggle with the tyre itself. I was just about to admit defeat and call the RAC (all the while wondering where the hell I would tell them I was), when one of the workman from the roadworks came over to see if I needed help!! Doh!! Of course I did!! He said his boss had seen me struggling and had sent him over to give me a hand. He kindly put the spare on with no fuss or bother and directed me to the nearest garage - it was at this point that I found I was just outside of Porthmadog (pronounced Portmadoc) and that there was a garage there that would be able to sort my tyre out. And it was on the way to Criccieth (pronounced Crickith) so wouldn't have to go out of my way!!

The two lovely Welshmen in there now have my tyre (which they tell me I made a great job of destroying), and will have it ready to refit to my car at 9.15am tomorrow morning!! Bless them!! Expect it will cost me a fortune but never mind!! They were very worried about my spare, and I can understand why. It's one of those small ones designed to take up less room in the boot, and only useful in emergencies. They were telling me to go slowly, particularly on the bends. When you look at the car, I can only describe it as looking like it has a peg leg!!

So, am now in my hotel room, where I'm staying tonight before heading off to the centre where the course is taking place. Have phoned to warn them I will be late. Have just had a very nutritious dinner in my room of pot noodle and jaffa cakes - I'm not one for going out to restaurants on my own anyway. Good job, as I don't want to drive any more than I need to. Hopefully the next three days at the centre, will see me well fed to make up for it.

Hopefully, my car will be sorted tomorrow, and with any luck there isn't any other damage!! The course had better be worth it after all that!! Cxxx

A Weighty Problem!!

Hello All

Another long time since my last post!! Been very busy in my day job, so this has taken a back seat somewhat.

I have however been continuing my progress towards completing the website. This month's project has been to look into how much I would charge for P&P. I want something easy for the customer to understand, and for me to deal with. I don't really want to have to make frequent trips to the post office - I would like to be able to package any orders up, put enough stamps on to cover postage, then put it in the postbox on the way to work.


Have spent many hours weighing loads of my cards to find average weights for each size card. Then seeing how many of each I can get into different size envelopes. Then trying to work out how much postage that would be. Then getting into a right old pickle with which cards fitted into which envelopes - and how many?? And what if there was a mix of sizes?? I'm still in a tangle with it.

Because, although I've got some costings, I now wonder should I charge a fixed amount regardless of how many cards are ordered, or should I go for x amount for up to y cards? And should that be for any size cards. And should there be a sliding scale eg x for y cards, w for z cards, a for b cards (Sorry, I know I'm getting frustrated with things when my logical/maths background kicks in and things start becoming algebraic equations).

And, as a crafter and on-line shopper myself, how much would I be prepared to pay for a similar product?

Although not having sorted charges out, I was pretty confident that there were only three sizes of envelope that would be any good, so I went ahead and ordered some. Well, more than some. Quite a few actually - cheaper to bulk buy. Mmmmmm!! Another large box to find a home for!!

But, having received them, and all set to experiment with sending various combinations through the post to myself, I find that my spacial awareness has sorely let me down. And my plan of being able to post them myself is unlikely to get off the ground. The envelopes are too big for the post box!!! Dohhhhhh!!!! How stupid.

So, am now trying to work out how often I would be able to get to the post office, so I can say "delivery within x-y days" - which could be never, if I don't get these things sorted.

And in amongst all this palaver, I find that, in order to submit tax returns, I need to have much more detailed records - and I need to do a stock take to work out what my crafty stash is currently worth. (Not sure I actually want to know - especially if I have to admit it to the other half)!!!

Oh well, it gives me something to think about.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on commissioned cards, so here's my latest. An 8" boxed Wedding Card.

Enjoy - be in touch again soonish!!!

Cxx

The Card


The top of the lid of the box


Close up of the topper on the lid of the box


Inside of the lid of the box


Inside of the base of the box

Picture .... not so perfect....?

Ok, so while I ponder the more serious questions of money (and another that's cropped up - post and packing), I decided to try to perfect the technique of photographing my cards accurately.

I've always photographed my cards, as a record for myself of all my designs. But now I need to be able to take pictures that accurately represent my cards - and are not just a blurred representation that only I recognise.

It may seem fairly simple to you, and I'm sure my husband would agree (in his spare time he takes wildlife photos - one just recently published in our local paper!!), but I'm more of a snapshot kinda girl! Friends, family, holidays - that sort of stuff. So this is going to be a challenge.

So I've cleared an area at the side of my desk to set up as a "photo studio". Sounds grand until you realise it's just my filing cabinet with the curtain pulled over the top of it.

Anyway, have had a go photographing some "quick makes" I did recently. Have gone with a "floral" theme for the "dressing" of the photo (who knows if that's the correct terminology - but is sounds good!!) But that's only really because I have loads of fabric flowers in my crafty stash, and didn't really know what else to do.

So, here they are. Let me know what you think!! Leave a message here on the blog - or alternately in the guestbook on my website.
Look forward to hearing from you.

Cxx

So many questions...?

Having spent the day yesterday taking advantage of the good weather, and painting (some of) the numerous fence panels in the back garden, I feel I should try to make a bit more progress on the website.

But, as I get further into setting up this website, I realise there are soooo many questions to answer before I can take each step.

My thoughts at the moment are on the financial side. I obviously need to set up a paypal account (yes - I still don't have one - have managed to dodge around it all the time) for any payments, which in theory, is simple enough. But then it brings me to where do I put that money? Do I set up a separate account? And if so, should it be a "business" account. And what actually is a "business" account? Is it any different to an ordinary account? Are there some perks or benefits to being a business account? Or just more hoops to jump through?

I really would like to keep any (I'm being optimistic here) money separate from my personal finances, so maybe I just need to find out which account is best for me!

A quick pause there, whilst I e-mailed my financial advisor - he's obviously the man to tell me the definitive answer!! Doh!! Why didn't I think of that before. Although, when I started this blog, I did mention that writing things down helps me to get them sorted - so hey presto!! I've written down the problem, and the solution had presented itself!! If only all of life was so simple!!

Anyway, it's a beautiful day, and I'm going to get out and enjoy the sunshine whilst I wait for a reply to my e-mail.

I am posting piccies of my work in the gallery on my website, but here's a recent make! It's a commissioned 8" card with matching handmade box. Hope you like.

Cxx







EDIT In the time it took to add the photos, I've had an OUT OF OFFICE e-mail from my financial advisor. So this one could take a while to resolve. Oh well, the sunshine beckons!!

Another step in the right direction....

So, if anyone out there is actually following this, you may have realised that there has been rather a long lull since my last post.

I'd like to blame it on being very busy (and that is partly true - May has been one of the busiest months for me at work). But there is also something that has been holding me back.

Maybe it's making that final commitment - I'm going to have to keep the website up to date, check if anyone has ordered anything, get it packaged and posted in good time (that's always presuming anyone finds the site and ever orders anything).

But maybe I just needed some motivation to get cracking again. And that came last night, in the form of my other half deciding he was going to set up a blog of his own to share the footage from the webcams in our garden nestboxes.

Now I have a "slightly" competitive streak in me, and after my initial reaction of throwing the toys out the pram because BLOGGING was MY thing, I calmed down and decided that at least I still had a WEBSITE and he doesn't!! HA!! So maybe it was time to do something TO the website.

To that end, I have been having a play today, and have achieved two things. One, I now have a gallery to show some of my designs. And two, I have a link on there to my blog. I know they seem like small things, but it's a step in the right direction. My next move will be looking at how to set up the shop side of it. That could take a little more time!!

So please now feel free to visit my website at www.papercraftbycarole.co.uk
Hold on - am thinking I might just go back and see if I can set up a guestbook for people to leave comments. Mmmm....

Anyway am looking forward to the other half coming home so I can brag to him about my wonderful website (that he doens't have!!!) that links to my blog!!

Until next time....
Cxx

EDIT: Have put a guestbook on now as well - have to see how that goes though, as I can't see a way to moderate comments before they are published!!

And now it begins.....

Despite a most unsatisfactory e-mail dialogue with the website help desk, I have now managed to activate my website.

Having e-mailed them that I had "misplaced" my activation code, they replied that they did not understand what I meant by "mis-spelling" my activation code. The temptation was there to tell him that he had "mis-read" my e-mail, but I refrained, and explained that I was unable to find the piece of paper with the code on it. Am still waiting on a reply from that.

It did however prompt a frenzy of turning my desk inside out to try to find the blessed thing. And, hey presto, there it was - between the drawer unit and the other half's desk!!!

So I now own the domain name www.papercraftbycarole.co.uk (Don't bother going there yet as there's nothing there).

I was all enthusiastic at this point and raring to go. That was nearly two hours ago. I've now given up, and all I've managed is to get a header sorted out. This could be a long process!!

Still, the sun's been shining and I've had a good week so far, otherwise, so I'll come back to it all when I have time to play.

Cxxx

Oops!!

Just a quick one!! Finally decided to start the process of the setting up the website, but can't find the piece of paper that came with the little blue book. Quite a problem, cause it has the password on it that's needed to activate the account. So, will let you know when I finally resolve this one.

In the meantime, went on a great workshop last weekend with Sheena Douglass - a lovely lady who demonstrates on Create and Craft TV. She's totally inspirational - only problem was I then spent a fortune on buying all the things we'd used during the day. Oh well!!

Cxx

A Different Journey!!

No, I haven't changed my mind about the website - far from it. Hopefully in the next few days I'll start to get to grips with the little blue book that tells me everything I need to know, and get started.

No, I haven't done anything in the last couple of days because I took a different kind of journey - in an ambulance!!

Started on Sunday morning - beautiful day, heading for a day out with the family, when I suddenly had horrendous pains in my chest and left shoulder. Having stopped in the first convenient place (a pub car park), I proceeded to fall out of the car and spent a considerable time writhing in agony on the tarmac!!

My other half called an ambulance, and the wonderful paramedics having got me inside their vehicle, still in a lot of pain, they in turn called the air ambulance. What a kafuffle!! In the end I missed out on my helicopter ride. They were struggling to arrange for a ambulance to pick me up from the landing site the other end, and because my pain had been brought under control with a big shot of morphine, they decided to take me by road.

So, blues and two's it was - all the way to the hospital. On route my heart rate jumped all over the place from 60 up to 184 - and the paramedic was trying to get me to breathe slowly to keep it under control. At the same time I was trying very hard not to throw up.

Thanks to the crews of both the land and air ambulances for their care and consideration in looking after me.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was seen fairly quickly in A&E, followed by a further 5 hour wait in an observation ward before I saw another doctor (not great for my other half, but time was eased for me by further drugs - one of which gave me a combination of hysterical laughing and the inablility to remember what I'd just been talking about), then a further 3 hours before I was taken to a ward. After an overnight stay and a whole plethora of drugs and blood tests, the conclusion was that there was nothing wrong with my heart (thankfully), but was given no firm reason for the cause - one doctor said it could have been my gullet (ie indigestion!!) - another said it was a pulled muscle!! So who knows?

They couldn't get me out quick enough on Monday. The unit had been closed overnight - not long after I'd arrived - as one of the patients was throwing up etc. Made for a very difficult night of sleep. Hopefully I haven't come home with that little bug!!

So, with any luck my life will be less eventful, and my next post will be about my website adventures only.

Cxx

The Beginning

The purpose of this blog is to help me make sense of all the mysteries and vagaries of setting up a website. I always find writing things down helps me to think.

I currently make greetings cards as a bit of a side line - most unprofitable as I can never quite resist all the latest bits and bobs that come out. I have an almighty stash - both of stuff and cards I have made.

My lovely friends think I'm quite good at it - they're my best customers - and I have been encouraged to try to sell to a wider audience. As I work full time - and some quite odd hours, getting out and about to the craft fairs etc is not really feasible, and so I have embarked on this (ad)venture to try selling my wares on the Internet.

I have to say that I have been prevaricating over this for quite some time. It's quite something to put your creations out there - if people don't like them it feels like a personal rejection. But, now I have decided to take the plunge, I have found myself pondering on something much more complex. What do I call the website?

Having already got a logo (the one at the top of the page) that I use on my "Handmade" stickers, I wanted something either to link with it - or that wouldn't fight with it. I've been through all the obvious names, but pretty much anything with "craft" in it is already taken. I even tried some really left field ideas - "quercus" means oak (like my leaves) but variations of that have been done.

Another of my interests is researching my family tree, and I have one distant relative whose name was Aquila. Looking it up on the Internet it linked to the Bible and a lovely quote "bloom where you are planted". Great, I thought. Surely no-one would be using aquila as a website name. No such luck - 8 different websites on the first google page!! So I have decided to be completely unoriginal and stick to what I started with on my original "Handmade" stickers - Papercraft By Carole. Hopefully, it'll "do what it says on the tin"!.

Having made that momentous decisions (which also has also allowed me to finally set up my blog), I'm going to go outside and enjoy this lovely sunshine in the garden. Hopefully everything I put in will "bloom where it was planted"..

Cx