Fabietta Designs | What's New

If you saw this post then you'll know that not too long ago I finally got around to opening a shop on Etsy. I'd had this on the cards for a while but life kept running away from me and I never had time to actually make it happen, until now that is. 

I've always been quite a creative person and really enjoyed making beautiful things from scratch both for myself and others so it made sense to take this one step further and start selling. 

I'm still very much in the early developmental stages of putting my store together but when I've made something new I get so excited to share it with people that I can't stand the idea of waiting until I have a lot of stock until I share it with you all. I've never been the most patient of people what can I say! 

So far the majority of my shop, Fabietta Designs, is made up of a range of cosmetic/wash bags which come in a range of beautiful cotton fabrics and each has 3 different sizing options, or of course you can pick up the whole set. These are my favourite things to make and so the range will definitely continue to expand with more fabrics so just check back regularly if there isn't one that takes your fancy at the moment! 

I've also started to add some cushions that I've made out of a beautifully soft high quality cotton fabric. Soon I'm planning on picking up some other fabrics for putting together some more cushions so if your in need of something particular please let me know and I would be happy to custom make something! 

I can't even begin to tell you how much I am enjoying the creative process involved in developing Fabietta Designs. My intention is to spend the rest of the year building up my stock and refining the range so that come November/December I can start selling at some markets in and around London. 

Have you had a browse of Fabietta Designs yet? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Got your eye on something but not quite got round to clicking the purchase button yet? Use the code 'Spring15' for 15% off your next order, valid until 31st May! 

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Craft Projects I Can't Wait To Try

There's something incredibly therapeutic and satisfying about spending a Sunday afternoon surrounded by craft supplies and creating something beautiful and unique. Admittedly in recent months I seem to be spending more time browsing Pinterest for craft ideas than actually making anything. So I decided to narrow down my list of things I want to make and finally pick up all of the necessary supplies and sit down to make them! 

Here are my top picks... 

1. I can't wait to spruce up some of my old cushions using fabric paint as seen here on The Lovely Drawer. I also love the pop of colour by adding the pom poms to the corners! 

2. There's nothing more frustrating than not having somewhere to put your drink when your sitting on the sofa so I can't wait to knock up a couple of these drinks perches.

3. Cacti are such an easy way to add a pop of colour to your home and they're also super easy to keep alive which is always a bonus. I love the contrast of the vivid green against the white of these adorable pots!

4. I've had a basket of leather scraps sitting on my shelf for goodness knows how long and not known what to do with it! Now all I need to do is pick up some screw on button-studs and I should be able to knock up some of these leather pouches in no time! 

5. These wooden trivets would add a unique personal touch to my kitchen and have the added benefit of being beautiful as well as practical! 

Do you enjoy crafting as much as me? 

What are you favourite DIYs that you've come across or made yourself? 

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eBay Selling Tips & Tricks

I've been using eBay on and off for a few years now and it's one of my favourite ways to get rid of unwanted clutter that I inevitably collect around my house, what can I say I'm a little bit of a hoarder... 

It's a super easy system to use and a great way to make a little bit of money, and the best bit? You don't have to stand outside in the cold at a car boot sale trying to flog your wares! Here are some tips and tricks that I've learnt from my experience. 

Pictures

• Always take pictures in natural light
• Take close ups of fabric, textures etc
• Try and take some of someone wearing the item if it's clothing
• Take photos of any faults, defects, labels etc
• Use a clean bright background

Description

• Use keywords in the description - don't forget this is how your item will be found!
• Make as detailed as possible
• Include full measurements of any clothes as well as the size
• Put brands in capital letters
• Give as many item specifics as possible

General

• Take advantage of the 20 free listings a month
• Look out for free listing weekends - usually once every couple of months
• Auctions are more popular than Buy It Now - start low - it will attract more views
• Answer all queries as quickly as possible and post them on the listing so others can see
• When wrapping the item up to post make sure to wrap in tissue paper as well as packing paper
• Put a little note in the package when posting to say 'Thank you for buying, I hope you enjoy it' - good for feedback. 
• Give feedback on all buyers as it encourages them to do the same for you
• Short on time? Use Turbo Lister to draft listings in advance 

eBay can be very time consuming at first but once you get used to it it'll be much quicker, especially if you take advantage of Turbo Lister. You'll be amazed at just what you can sell on here and how it all adds up. If it doesn't sell you can always just take it down to the local charity shop. 

Have you ever sold anything on eBay? What was your experience like? 

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10 Things I Want to Learn

I've been out of education for coming up to 3 years now and I really can't believe how the time has flown by. I never thought I'd say this but I genuinely miss the process and satisfaction of learning something new. It can be so easy to sit back on your laurels once you've finished school/university and forget the need to learn anything new. Not only that but as soon as you get a job the easiest excuse is that you're just too busy! However, my aim for 2015 is to correct this and finally get around to learning some new skills and keep developing myself. 

Here are some of the things I want to learn: 

1. Spanish - stereotypical I know but I was pretty good at it at school and a language is so useful. 

2. Photography - I have 2 (yes 2) really good cameras but in all honesty I have no idea how they work beyond the Auto settings...this needs to be sorted out! 

3. Yoga - fitness is far from my favourite thing but if I could work out at home that would be a big step towards encouraging me to do exercise more often. 

4. To do a smokey eye - no matter how many YouTube videos I watch I can't get the hang of it so I'm going to practice until I have nailed it. 

5. To use Adobe Photoshop - I'm ok with the basics but I know there are so many other things I could be doing with it and it's about time I learnt - if you know of any good tutorials let me know. 

6. To be a more confident cook - I'm competent, but only if I have a recipe... 

7. To use a sewing machine - my sewing skills are fairly basic so I'm going to get myself along to some classes until I'm a sewing whizzkid! 

8. More about world affairs and politics - I'm pretty ignorant as it stands and at 24 that needs sorting out, I can only live in my little bubble for so long. 

9. To chop like a professional - this goes along with no. 6 but I want to perfect 'finely chopped'.

10. To parallel park - I've avoided this since the day I passed my driving test and in London it's kind of a necessary skill. 

Is there anything that you want to learn to do? Have you started any good classes lately? 

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Whilst I Was Gone...

I read all the time how people hate when bloggers apologise for not posting consistently but I feel incredibly guilty for neglecting my little corner of the internet over the past few weeks and so I am sorry. 

As you know I was made redundant a little while ago and unsurprisingly I could only put a brave face on it for so long before I cracked under the pressure. Living in London with a drastically reduced income (eBay can only get you so far!) is incredibly stressful an the pressure of it  hit me all of a sudden and I somewhat retreated into myself, hence my disappearance over here! 

I've been ploughing pretty much all my time and energy into job applications (more than I care to count), eBaying and Etsy just to try and keep myself going. It seems that I forgot how making a little bit of time every few days to update you guys or just distract myself with the things I love can make me feel  sooo much better! 

I'm going to do my best to get back into the swing of things over here but I still don't know if I'll be able to get my usual schedule back up and running so I'm hoping that you can forgive me for this an stick with me. The comments from all of you are what cheer me up when I'm down so fingers crossed I can keep you interested! 

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Sunday Saying {10}

This is my favourite place in the world, literally! I've been going to this quiet little village multiple times a year for my entire life and it's very much my home away from home. Look how beautiful it is - how could I not love it here! Whenever I'm having a bad day or just feeling  a bit down, imagining myself here always makes the biggest difference to my mood. So, whether it's a place, person or memory, think about something positive and see what a difference it makes! 

One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.

Previous Sunday Sayings: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

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