There's a new Etsy in town and it's called Folksy. This ebay for handmade stuff is based in the UK, so is a bit more European than Etsy, and is a bit closer to home, which means less postage costs.
These websites are great if you know what to buy for someone, but can't find it in quite the right style. Handmade is always cooler in my eyes.
It's only in it's Beta version at the mo, but it looks good. I wonder if it'll be able to compete with Etsy, and how sellers will be able to decide whether to sell on Etsy or Folksy, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Debs
Saturday 27 September 2008
Sunday 21 September 2008
Cake Hole
I spent the first part of the week wandering round the house aimlessly whilst Ben was at work and Hema were out of gloss paint (!), but I soon started feeling better when I finally decided to make a proper go at a cake making venture I've been thinking about for a while, where I'll make birthday cakes to order and deliver them to people in their offices in Amsterdam.
It's nice to have the time to work on projects, and this one is the perfect solution to my cake obsession - I get to make cakes but I don't have to eat them! So, I've decided to call the business 'Cake Hole', and have set up this blog, which I'm quite proud of.
I made an amazing chololate cake, which Ben took into the AKQA office, and they really liked it, so hopefully that'll drum up some business. Next, I need to make a flyer for friends to put up in their offices, and see if anyone'll order any. Hope so.
On the cycle home from our weekly Observer Newspaper run, I found this cup and saucers in the street - I love them, and they were free!
Debs
It's nice to have the time to work on projects, and this one is the perfect solution to my cake obsession - I get to make cakes but I don't have to eat them! So, I've decided to call the business 'Cake Hole', and have set up this blog, which I'm quite proud of.
I made an amazing chololate cake, which Ben took into the AKQA office, and they really liked it, so hopefully that'll drum up some business. Next, I need to make a flyer for friends to put up in their offices, and see if anyone'll order any. Hope so.
On the cycle home from our weekly Observer Newspaper run, I found this cup and saucers in the street - I love them, and they were free!
Debs
Thursday 18 September 2008
Body Image
I've been watching a great four part series of documentaries in which Dawn Porter, an investigative journalist, deals with womens' issues.
So far I've watched her get investigate the myths and stereotypes surrounding lesbianism in Dawn Goes Lesbain, and winced at some of the things people conveniently don't tell you about giving birth in Dawn Gets a Baby (OMG!), then last night I watched Dawn Gets Naked, which dealt with femal body image. What an eye-opener!
It was really interesting to see how much the images of women we see in magazines - and aspire to look like - are Photoshopped. Obviously, I know pictures are photoshopped, but I thought they just removed spots, or evened out skin tone. Oh no. They change everything (shave off some fat, change the shape of a nose, clone an eye!) until they've made a perfect version of the woman, which is impossible to attain in real life and explains why celebrities always look so crap in real life, because that's how they actually look! Anyway, I can relate. I'm pretty thin after the trip (although I'm now about 5 cakes fatter than I was a month ago!), and I know it's vain and shouldn't matter, but being thin does make me feel good. There, I've said it. I'm officially a bad person.
The only episode I haven't seen yet is Dawn Gets Her Man, which airs on Friday at 9pm on BBC3 (sorry Amsterdammers, we have Sky! If you want to watch it, you'll have to come around here). I really hope she gets more work after his show, because she's really funny, and discusses topics that I'm genuinely interested in, in a very hands-on way. She also really reminds me of James Stanworth's lovely girlfriend Clare, so it's like watching your friend on TV :)
Speaking of look-a-likes, I have a doppelganger! There's a girl in Amsterdam that everyone says reminds them of me. I've seen her at a club (before I knew we were doppelgangers so I didn't get a good look) but about 6 people have told me how alike we are now. Very strange. Hope she isn't a complete bitch or anything - that'd be a bit humbling.
Debs, x
So far I've watched her get investigate the myths and stereotypes surrounding lesbianism in Dawn Goes Lesbain, and winced at some of the things people conveniently don't tell you about giving birth in Dawn Gets a Baby (OMG!), then last night I watched Dawn Gets Naked, which dealt with femal body image. What an eye-opener!
It was really interesting to see how much the images of women we see in magazines - and aspire to look like - are Photoshopped. Obviously, I know pictures are photoshopped, but I thought they just removed spots, or evened out skin tone. Oh no. They change everything (shave off some fat, change the shape of a nose, clone an eye!) until they've made a perfect version of the woman, which is impossible to attain in real life and explains why celebrities always look so crap in real life, because that's how they actually look! Anyway, I can relate. I'm pretty thin after the trip (although I'm now about 5 cakes fatter than I was a month ago!), and I know it's vain and shouldn't matter, but being thin does make me feel good. There, I've said it. I'm officially a bad person.
The only episode I haven't seen yet is Dawn Gets Her Man, which airs on Friday at 9pm on BBC3 (sorry Amsterdammers, we have Sky! If you want to watch it, you'll have to come around here). I really hope she gets more work after his show, because she's really funny, and discusses topics that I'm genuinely interested in, in a very hands-on way. She also really reminds me of James Stanworth's lovely girlfriend Clare, so it's like watching your friend on TV :)
Speaking of look-a-likes, I have a doppelganger! There's a girl in Amsterdam that everyone says reminds them of me. I've seen her at a club (before I knew we were doppelgangers so I didn't get a good look) but about 6 people have told me how alike we are now. Very strange. Hope she isn't a complete bitch or anything - that'd be a bit humbling.
Debs, x
Monday 8 September 2008
Jobless no-hoper
It's nice to have time off, but it's also a bit depressing being jobless. It's really amazing seeing what happens in the neighbourhood when I'm usually at work - there's a whole diferent world out there full of smelly people who wander round aimlessly, smelling bad, making me want to get back into the rat race, quickly, so I don't end up like them. Ppfh. I even watched some of This Morning today. What's next, The Jeremy Kyle show (watching, not participating, hopefully...!)? Shudder!
Anwyay. I'm feeling restless today, going a bit stir crazy, but looking forward to seeing Ilsa for lunch tomorrow then going for a swim.
Ben just showed me this 'What crafts are we making' Statshot from The Onion website - the dream-crusher column really made me laugh.
Debs
Anwyay. I'm feeling restless today, going a bit stir crazy, but looking forward to seeing Ilsa for lunch tomorrow then going for a swim.
Ben just showed me this 'What crafts are we making' Statshot from The Onion website - the dream-crusher column really made me laugh.
Debs
Saturday 6 September 2008
Love is in the air
Ben and I have been married for 5 years today - horray!
Here's the card I made for Ben, and a little box of sweet nothings:
And here's the card he sent me:
We always celebrate by buying ourselves (or each other) something from the list of modern or traditional gifts for the year in question. This year the modern gift is silverware, and the traditional gift is wood, so we chose silverware and bought these beautiful little teaspoons, which were made in the 1890s. I love the way they're so delicate, and will last us a lifetime:
Some of them even have little initials carved into them - wonder if they were a wedding or anniversary gift for someone else in the past.
Debs
Here's the card I made for Ben, and a little box of sweet nothings:
And here's the card he sent me:
We always celebrate by buying ourselves (or each other) something from the list of modern or traditional gifts for the year in question. This year the modern gift is silverware, and the traditional gift is wood, so we chose silverware and bought these beautiful little teaspoons, which were made in the 1890s. I love the way they're so delicate, and will last us a lifetime:
Some of them even have little initials carved into them - wonder if they were a wedding or anniversary gift for someone else in the past.Debs
Friday 5 September 2008
I finally made something
Phew, it's been a busy week. I've trawled though millions of jobsites (and applied for a few jobs), baked gingerbread, made samosas, and, finally, after weeks of feeling guilty about taking time to craft, I made a pin cushion!
There's a great shop called Handmade Heaven about 2 minutes away from my house, so I cycled off there in the hope of being inspired, and I was. I bought a little make your own pin cushion set for EUR 10, took about an hour to translate the instructions, then ignored them all and did my own thing. Perfect!
Here's the finished item:
And with sparkly pins:
The cross stitch pattern I bought in Thailand was the inspiration for the bird, and I think it's worked really well.
Next I plan to make a stuffed owl. Hoot!
Debs
There's a great shop called Handmade Heaven about 2 minutes away from my house, so I cycled off there in the hope of being inspired, and I was. I bought a little make your own pin cushion set for EUR 10, took about an hour to translate the instructions, then ignored them all and did my own thing. Perfect!
Here's the finished item:
And with sparkly pins:
The cross stitch pattern I bought in Thailand was the inspiration for the bird, and I think it's worked really well.Next I plan to make a stuffed owl. Hoot!
Debs
Tuesday 2 September 2008
Monday 1 September 2008
Skyper!
Check me out. I'm not taking part in an interview, or singing karaoke - I'm Skyping!
(Friends) if you want to Skype me, my username is benandebsblench.
Debs
I'll make something soon BTW. I promise.
(Friends) if you want to Skype me, my username is benandebsblench.Debs
I'll make something soon BTW. I promise.
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