tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10789513346872109152012-02-13T12:52:23.127ZRuth Crean is an Irish designer showcasing her business Nice Day Designs. This a personal view into the world of crafts, design, and selling online.nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.comBlogger5841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-82528841698406278982012-02-13T12:52:00.001Z2012-02-13T12:52:23.222Z

Cannellini Beans and Sausages My friends Branden and Mary-Rose have a slow cooker and they are obsessed with it, and kept nagging me to buy one. I really like the idea of bunging all the ingredients in a pot and leaving it for 6 hours, and at the end you have a delicious dinner that didn't really involve any work. I like cooking but like most people I'm pretty strapped for time, so a lot of

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-87760613638702147642012-02-09T13:24:00.001Z2012-02-09T13:24:38.920Z

As you all know I'm addicted to Pinterest, on one of my boards I have a collection of yummy tattoos. I'm hoping to book in for my own tattoo in the next few weeks. I have the voucher already so I don't need to worry about the cost, and I also have the idea all worked out. But I'm just a weakling when it comes to pain so I've been putting it off, pathetic I know!! Here are some of the tats

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-27985070637187674712012-02-08T16:30:00.001Z2012-02-08T16:30:39.428Z

I've been busy with some buttons again. I've have endless boxes, jars, and baskets of odd buttons that don't match, I use them in lots of my projects but unless I intend on living 'til I'm 200 I don't think I'll ever get through them all. So I've decided to package them nicely and sell them. I used to sell odds and ends of buttons in plastic zip lock bags at my stall, but I think it took

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-24358793798843589662012-02-07T12:26:00.000Z2012-02-07T12:26:14.482Z

I've been buried in buttons over the past few days. I'm trying to build up lots of stock for the new co-op craft shop that we will be opening next month. It will a crazy balancing act trying to get things up and running, to get stock made, and to keep my market stall going all at the same time. But I have had to be Superwoman in the past before and I can do it again, I'm too excited about all

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-4493606244602714492012-02-03T12:30:00.000Z2012-02-03T16:31:50.466Z

I've been busy making up a big batch of Valentine's cards this week. I found that lots of people last year asked me for specific cards like wife, girlfriend, or boyfriend. I picked up a great set of stamps earlier this year that has all the relative words on it for both sexes. I paired these with some love themed embellishments and papers to make up my recent set of cards. I also

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-16981404880304610842012-02-02T12:30:00.000Z2012-02-02T12:30:01.342Z

So True!(I found an image like this online, but it was tiny, so I remade it in photoshop, feel free to reuse it yourself) I might start to make my cool Pinterest finds a weekly feature, I find so many great things on this website every day it would be fun to make a highlights post regularly. If you are on Pinterest you can follow me here, or if you would like an invite to join just leave

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-89381643576573569812012-02-01T12:30:00.000Z2012-02-01T12:30:01.158Z

I'm REALLY(insanely) excited to announce that I will be heading a craft co-op pop-up shop in Limerick City Centre. This project is being enabled by Creative Limerick(through the Limerick City Council), a scheme that allowed galleries like Occupy Space Limerick and Raggle Taggle to open. The shop will be run as a collective, with the people who sell their work there taking turns working in the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-16676840388237067012012-01-31T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-31T12:30:01.115Z

I've been rather sick with a horrid stomach bug for about a week, so cabin fever led me to do things like tidy the house, scrub my bathroom, dye my hair and paint my nails...it's amazing what boredom will lead a person to! I've had this dress for over a year and I've never worn it, part of me loved it, but the other half thought it was a bizarre hybrid of something my mother wore in the 80'

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-19978105522037411702012-01-30T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-30T13:10:19.620Z

Can I just preface this how-to by saying I won't be using my retro app again for photographing step by step guides, after uploading them I realised that I got a pretty blurry account of the project, so apologies now for the fuzziness of the pictures.... I saw this cute how-to on button wine glass charms, and thought I would give it a go. It turns out the link isn't a how-to at all, just

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-62117848764755985892012-01-27T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-27T12:30:04.305Z

Some of you may know already that I'm running a second book stall at the moment instead of my craft stall at the Milk Market. Well as a promotional tool I'm now giving out these nifty crosswords that were compilled by the very intelligent John. They will be given away free at the stall from this weekend onwards, and in a selection of old man pubs throughout the city. Or you can click on the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-78455468648622722742012-01-26T12:28:00.000Z2012-01-26T13:49:21.821Z

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by nicedaydesigns featuring canvas boots I'm quite excited by the trailers for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I loved the books and I own all the original Swedish films on DVD, it looks like David Fincher has kept pretty close to the text, but to be honest I don't know if the new Lisbeth Salander can be as good as Noomi Repace(although I'm mightily impressed

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-25682123152260395882012-01-25T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-25T12:40:59.054Z

Yet again I found a great tutorial on Pinterest, this how-to by SEI Lifestyle is for making magnets, which is what I intended to make, but as I started working on the I changed my mind. I made bookmarks instead since I'm now running a second hand book stall, and I thought they would be nice to have if someone was buying a gift.  I ended up not using some of the above items, so here is my

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-87289812839081245452012-01-24T12:59:00.000Z2012-01-30T13:46:16.398Z

I fell in love with this coat when I first saw it, thankfully I was shopping with my mother at the time and she convinced me to splash out the €100 for it. Normally they cost well over €250, but I got a great bargain in the January sales last year in the Kildare outlet centre. It's a Desigual coat, and I'm obsessed with their clothes, I just can't afford to buy them. Shoes: Doc Martins €110

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-48981157807642778162012-01-21T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-26T13:19:47.137Z

Source I've gotten the New Years bug and I started using my exercise bike again. Let me just preface this post by saying that I am in no way naturally inclined towards exercise, in fact I find it more than a little torturous. I was one of those girls that tried to weasel out of every gym class, and I succeeded most times. But now as I edge ever closer to my 30's I realise that I can't

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-35253277286203958522012-01-20T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-20T12:30:02.832Z

As much as possible I try to make systems for all of my work so that things run smoother. I'm not naturally inclined towards being organised so I've spent years training myself to do this to try to make running a business less stressful. When I first started selling on Etsy getting orders was both very exciting and hugely time consuming. The first few orders I got, I had to walk down town

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-1119529448028395172012-01-19T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-19T12:30:02.568Z

This week has all been about getting my Etsy shops back in ship shop shape again, by rights I should really do this in September each year, but i never seem to find the time. I've been trying to list a lot of my stock since I won't be selling my crafts at the Milk Market for a while. The other day I got up early and painted my nails in preparation for selling my button rings. With

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-29140556689164588292012-01-18T13:09:00.000Z2012-01-18T13:09:12.340Z

StoreyShop Laser Cut Card I had to make a tough decision with my Etsy shops the other day about my shipping prices. On most of my items I had free shipping or very minimal costs, in an effort to encourage more international sales, this was somewhat cost effective until recently. I send out my orders in little brown bubble wrap envelopes, which to my mind are only small. But at the post office

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-47280488928685196372012-01-17T12:58:00.000Z2012-01-17T12:58:06.927Z

I was so excited when I found this fantastic tutorial on Pinterest about making your own Shrinky Dink buttons. I followed her advice and bought this circle punch from Fiskars and these pens which she swears means you can wash the buttons afterwards. I was a happy camper when my punch arrived yesterday and I put everything aside to play with my new toys! What you will need: A heat

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-33102323949697856552012-01-13T13:00:00.000Z2012-01-13T13:00:01.735Z

So I'm probably the only person ever to be delighted when the tv broke, as regular readers will know I don't have a tv in the conventional sense, just a tv set used to watch DVDs on, which in Ireland means you still have to pay for a tv license, even though it's not actually connected to anything that will show tv! I'll explain this for non-Irish readers, in Ireland you have to pay the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-85270541128476708272012-01-12T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-13T15:44:12.219Z

I will be back at the Milk Market tomorrow but I'm gonna to take a little break from selling crafts for the first two months of this year. I learned from my experiences last year that in the first few months people don't spend a penny on crafts, my sales for this period in 2011 were disastrous. So in an effort to evolve with the situation, rather than beating my head against a brick wall and

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-87892247240062665772012-01-11T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-24T13:00:20.378Z

Over this Christmas I went a little mad making peppermint colour themed cards and I totally fell in love with the white,red, and sky blue combination. This outfit is my take on this smashing mix of colours, just minus the white. Last week I went through town looking at what was left in the sales, I got my lovely brown dress and also this cute red skirt. While I was clearing out my wardrobe I

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-72082743640425673482012-01-10T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-10T12:30:01.847Z

My friend went to Lidl recently and picked up a laminator for me for only €15, I've been wanting one for ages but it never quite made it to the top of the list. I can see myself becoming a laminating addict, I'm certainly going to make a whole set of new signs for my stall. I'd also like to make some labels for my storage boxes in my studio. As time goes on I'm sure I'll find lots of useless

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-56323177154581783602012-01-09T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-09T12:30:00.948Z

I tried taking the past couple of weeks off to recover from the madness of Christmas. But I have started to reach the point that boredom has set in and I really want to get back to work. That sounds like such a self indulgent thing to moan about but I find it genuinely hard to sit down and do nothing since 90% of my time I'm making/selling/sorting something. Since I got back to Limerick I've

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-23222933611472113482012-01-07T15:43:00.000Z2012-01-07T15:47:28.604Z

I fell in love with this dress when I saw it in the Awear sale, and I was delighted when I tried it on and it fit perfectly. It's nice to get a Winter dress that's warm but also structured with lining, and also because it has long sleeves I don't need to worry about finding matching layers. When i showed it to a friend of mine aftet I bought it he said 'There's a Ruth dress if ever I saw one',

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-87877884976471507972012-01-06T12:30:00.000Z2012-01-06T12:30:01.448Z

It's the start to a New Year, and there is no better way to begin than to put a fresh new calender on the wall. I got this gorgeous printable PDF from Design Birdie for only €5, it's crafty theme is perfect for my studio. I just printed off the file onto canvas paper that I got in the €2 store,and within a jiffy I had it guillotined. To add a little extra flair I rounded the corners with a

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-15665023212593633962012-01-05T18:16:00.001Z2012-01-05T18:16:34.780Z

I bought the Hands Series for John for his Christmas present, most people who don't know him raised an eyebrow when they heard this. People thought this was an exercise in self gifting in disguise, but I swear he really wanted it, probably because he is an historian, it's just an added bonus that I was dying to see it too! The documentary is a detailed look at the traditions of Irish crafts,

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-52965269612311383182012-01-04T16:41:00.001Z2012-01-04T16:41:27.834Z

I did a pretty big clear out of my room today, I spent hours going through clothes and deciding what to keep. Part of me hates doing this kind of thing because I'm highly allergic to dust, and something in the fibers of clothes too, it makes me sneeze, wheeze and the inside of my face drives me insane with itchiness. But it had to be done so I persisted. I separated them into 'keep', charity'

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-27258810144805570122012-01-01T13:11:00.000Z2012-01-01T13:11:20.844Z

Saltlabs-New York Map Pillow $49 Last year I wrote this blog post for the Etsy Ireland Team laying out my resolutions for the 2011: Take a holiday: I failed on that one, but I've heard of a couple of different house sitting opportunities so we might just avail of that instead, which is handy as it won't break the bank. Plant things in the garden: I can't take the credit for this, but I do

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-25091410184336409742011-12-31T16:20:00.000Z2011-12-31T16:20:27.400Z

January I lost my part-time job in the first few day in January, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I started feeling human for the first time in years, now that I had free time again. With all this extra time I was able to make new products, like my now very popular Shrinky Dink earrings. February February was kind of a quiet month, I concentrated on getting more items

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-33613367415279432172011-12-30T14:17:00.000Z2012-01-07T15:24:50.380Z

I've been off the radar for a couple of weeks now,I had said to myself that I would take two weeks off without doing anything work related. But it turns out I don't know how to do that, blogging isn't work anyhow, it's an addiction! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, mine was great I went home and stayed with my parents, which meant I got to see all my nieces and nephews too, they really

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-68734631542248779132011-12-24T10:30:00.000Z2011-12-24T10:30:01.662Z

I've been totally off the radar this week as I've been up the walls trying to make stock for all the extra days I'm doing at the Milk Market. Things have been really busy which is fantastic, now I just need to figure out how to clone myself so I can keep up with stock production! Today is my last day before I take a well earned two week break, after I finish up at the market it will be a

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-22737055487573129612011-12-16T12:06:00.000Z2011-12-16T12:11:35.831Z

I'll be selling my wares this Sunday in the St.John's Square Daghdha Church. I spent many a lovely evening enjoying performances there and i was delighted when the asked me to sell my crafts at their event. It looks like it's going to be an activity packed day for kids with dance,face painting,Santa, Limerick Youth Theatre shows, and music. There will also be a mix of craft stalls there so

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-10773402817650103632011-12-15T14:36:00.000Z2011-12-15T14:39:34.103Z

I've put together a little gift guide put into different price brackets to give you an idea of what you can get at my stall this and next week.

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-39140322745662540062011-12-14T13:47:00.000Z2011-12-14T13:47:23.995Z

Scarlet Tentacle-Get Well Card: $4.50 I seem to have terrible timing with being sick, this week I need to be making a mountain of stock, instead I'm snivelling, sneezing and generally feeling very sorry for myself. Here are some cute get well cards i found on Etsy. Maribelpcard-&up Get Well Soon Card: $3.50 AngusMcPanda-Get well or Die Trying: $4.70 The Vintage

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-15548321803683214902011-12-13T11:05:00.000Z2011-12-13T11:05:18.481Z

I went on a Christmas decoration making blitz yesterday. They have been selling really well at the stall and I want to make sure I have enough for the next two weekends. Yesterday I was making hearts, today I'll be making trees and mini stockings, I'll try to blog about them later in the week. I got the lovely fabric hearts last year in the Limerick Quilt Centre, getting them pre-cut

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-89624298907182279532011-12-10T12:30:00.000Z2011-12-10T12:30:01.356Z

As regular readers will know I'm a new addict of Pinterest...it's a fascinating way to surf fun and pretty things on the internet without having to sift through all the crap. If you want to follow me go here...I like followers, so please do. This weird family portrait is from a series of family Christmas photos...there is just no logical explaination for the nakedness of this man! This is a

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-9274529138763927422011-12-09T12:30:00.000Z2011-12-09T12:30:00.961Z

Here is my newest batch of Christmas cards, I have about 70 new ones for the stall this weekend. I don't think I'll have time to make any more so I hope it's enough to keep me going through the next 2 weeks or so. It turns out I bought way too much Christmas paper and not enough embellishments, I'll just hang onto the paper for next year and try to get some embellishments in the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-27270180591828191432011-12-08T13:00:00.000Z2011-12-30T20:40:55.422Z

Now and then I go back to my old favourite combo red and black, it reminds me of my goth days and it's really easy to accessorise because I have tonnes of red jewellery. You may also notice that my hair is different than previous posts, I chopped it all off the other day. You can't see it very well as this isn't the best photo, my camera died after just one shot. I was brushing my hair the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-80954589267048822152011-12-07T12:30:00.000Z2011-12-07T12:30:25.520Z

It just occurred to me that this is the first time in my adult life that I won't be working somewhere over Christmas(well aside from the market that is). I've always had a job in the service industry, be in working in a newsagents in Dublin when I was 18, in a kinda dodgy bar in my early 20's, or the ever charming Tom Collins after college, or most recently in Luigi Malones. I've always had

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-91630840250363637472011-12-06T12:00:00.000Z2011-12-06T12:00:00.696Z

John is graduating today, here are some cool graduate things I found... Graduation Cap sweets from Bakerella One View Finder-Peg Doll Venerate-Congrats Cards Yellow Bug Boutique-Faux Bag Pillow Goddessglass-College Keyring The Carbon Crusader-I Am Made of Win Pencils

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-80767681093935441042011-12-04T13:00:00.000Z2011-12-04T13:00:02.445Z

I had to come up with a list the other day for my Kris Kindle of things I want...but it had to be for €20...so I failed miserably. Instead I thought of lots of things I want for more than €20. Here are some of them. I really want a cute wreath from Robin and Ivy, they are so colourful and crafty, I think it would look lovely in my craft room, I'm tempted by the button one (of course!) as I

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-72393406225775070522011-12-03T12:00:00.000Z2011-12-03T12:00:08.403Z

I started making a whole new range of shrink plastic necklaces. Here are just a selection of some of the images, but if you want to see all 50 designs go to my facebook album here. They come with a ball chain necklace, and they are a perfect stocking filler at only €6 a pop. If anyone has a special request for custom drawn pictures just let me know. I listed a few of them in my etsy shop, and

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-33881271215175855632011-12-02T12:00:00.000Z2011-12-02T12:00:15.902Z

I've been watching CSI Las Vagas recently and I have to admit I've fallen a little in love with Gary Dourdan, you'll have to excuse the fact that I've had no tv for years so I had no idea about the whole drug debacle. But hey, he is still stunning, I don't care. But whenever I look at him he reminds me of Chris Cornell...it this weird, can anyone else see the similarity? Either way I'm just

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-60814291239115302132011-12-01T10:30:00.001Z2011-12-01T10:50:51.353Z

Truly Gifted in a fantastic shop that was set up recently in Mallow by husband and wife team Majella and Bart Spang. Majella has been making beautiful glass work under the name Delicious Art Glass and was frustrated with the set up of selling to shops that take half the sale price as commission, and was also fed up with the attitudes at markets where people expect everything as cheap as chips(

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-52549135491244110682011-11-28T12:30:00.000Z2011-11-28T18:32:32.048Z

Over the past few weeks my stall display has gone through a lot of changes. Mostly this came from a decision not to sell haberdashery supplies a the market anymore. When I looked at it I was allocating 1/5 of my space to selling buttons, and they just weren't making me any money. On top of this I ended up in endless conversations with people about buttons, but then they wouldn't buy anything

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-77872720567383300462011-11-26T11:30:00.000Z2011-11-26T11:30:00.707Z

I impulse bought these boots the other day. I went down town to buy glue and felt and I came home with a pair of red boots, what happened?? Having said that I've needed new boots for ages, but I kept putting it off in favour of paying my ever multiplying bills. But while I was strolling around in the rain and looked down at my pair of fake converse runners that had multiple holes in them

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-30122861006464251532011-11-25T12:30:00.000Z2011-11-25T12:30:02.307Z

I'm working on a new project. I went shopping the other day and picked up all of these treats. I got the cups in a mixture of pound shops and charity shops. I really want to get more short flowery cups, so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled in future. I was delighted with the box of them that I got, and it was only half price too. Keep an eye on the blog next week for the finished product of

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-71478249121941681762011-11-24T12:30:00.000Z2011-11-24T12:30:00.079Z

 I'm in the middle of making up my Christmas cards for this year. Since I started selling As Gaeilge cards earlier in the year, I made sure to make some Nollaig Shona Dhuit cards too. I also had lots of fun making my own cards embellishments in photoshop, like the mittens or the string of lights below.

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-18796088337635627242011-11-23T12:30:00.001Z2011-11-23T12:30:01.708Z

Please excuse the grumpy expression, it was early I was on my way to the market on Sunday when I took this photo, and I was running kind of late. I never used to wear pastels, I either wear really bright colours, or black, nothing in between. But this year I started to get into them a bit when all those lovely greys were in the high street. When I got used to grey, I got to like dusty pink,

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-35962072752793151652011-11-22T12:00:00.000Z2011-11-22T12:00:00.459Z

I'll be selling my wares this Sunday at the new event Pop-Up Super Boutique. I was chatting to the organiser, Siobhan,  the other day and it sounds like a fun event. She has organised vintage styling, a chill out zone, and yummy cupcakes, and even some bubbly-sounds like my kinda event! I'm really looking forward to seeing the other sellers there, and will probably do some of my Christmas

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-24272124197206424012011-11-21T12:30:00.000Z2011-11-21T12:30:00.640Z

I use these little terracotta pots to make cupcake style pincushions. I started making them a few months ago, but I had no idea how well they would sell so I only bought 15 pots. Little did I know they would sell out really quickly of them in the craft shop, or that they would not be able to order more for moths(if ever again). Lots of people were asking for them at the stall so I made it my

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-56529884430624184572011-11-18T13:31:00.000Z2011-11-18T13:31:14.606Z

I did a blitz on my Christmas badge designs, to get them made an listed in time for (hopeful) international orders on Etsy. In the end I went with 4 different sets, with each set containing 8 badges for €10. I used the designs I made for my Halloween badges and tweaked the colours and changed to spooky phrases to festive ones now the set looks retro and cheery. I got a really nice

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-83473730082601411822011-11-17T13:00:00.000Z2011-11-17T13:00:14.492Z

For years I've been giving away free little 1" badges with all my online sales; ones I ordered well before I bought my own badge maker. I was parceling up an order yesterday and I noticed that the website address on the badges was out of date, and had been for ages. Rather than put it on the long finger(as so many things seem to be residing at the moment!), I sat down and reworked one of my

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-76990986734235642472011-11-15T12:00:00.000Z2011-11-15T12:00:05.187Z

I revealed my super nerd status last week with my Star Trek Halloween costume post, and I'll expand the further reaches of my geekdom today. I'm a recent fan of Battlestar Galactica, I rented all of the new series in Moviedrome a while back(you can get a dvd series box set for a tenner for a week), and blasted through them at an unnatural speed. I would hear the closing credits music, and then

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-74918397738692246642011-11-14T12:30:00.000Z2011-11-15T16:36:25.374Z

I genuinely cannot ever remember wearing shorts, there is a photo of me around aged 3 sporting a pair, but that's it, up ntil now that is. I've been eyeing up the culottes version I've been seeing over the Summer, but I didn't even feel brave enough to seriously entertain the idea. My recent weight loss (due to the never ending life altering detox) mixed with them being on sale meant that I

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-38820354646296226292011-11-11T14:13:00.001Z2011-11-11T14:42:00.193Z

'Tis the Season! I don't know whether it's because I'm making my Christmas stock, or that it's dark and blustery in the evenings but I'm feeling very festive at the moment. I'm getting very excited about the Christmas jumpers I'm seeing everywhere at the moment. I'll probably buy mine in The Edge at the Milk Market, but if you are handy with a pair of needles you can knit the one above, you

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-32348029457733693312011-11-10T10:46:00.001Z2011-11-10T10:59:18.749Z

Yesterday I was working on some more felt Christmas decorations. I finished my Christmas trees, and I made some mittens which I'll show you next week. I also tried my hand at making a tree garland. I had seen felt light decorations before but it made far more sense to put them on a ribbon, just like a string of lights. There are 10 rainbow 'lights' on a string, each piece is hand

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-88645586016447024062011-11-09T12:50:00.000Z2011-11-09T20:54:30.344Z

What I'm wearing...or rather what I was wearing the other day until I got distracted by falling off a bike and forgot to put this on my blog. I figured it was one of the last days I would get away with wearing a short dress before the freezing weather set in. I was right, it's bloody cold now! Dress: Topshop on sale for about €14(it has pockets, I love it!) Jacket: Friday Flea Market €3(

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-40594009882139742922011-11-08T12:36:00.000Z2011-11-08T12:36:49.374Z

After my tumble off a bike on Thursday I decided to go to A&E yesterday, at least now I can say with confidence that it's not broken (rather than blindly hoping). It was a 5 hour wait in the hospital, but at least I can put my mind at rest. I thought it was weird that I was the only person with a book, surely it's the ideal way to pass the time? Thankfully I can move the lower part of my arm

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-17200157236797711312011-11-05T11:30:00.000Z2011-11-05T16:04:54.974Z

I had an unfortunate incident on a bike, or rather dismounting a bike at speed, which has rendered me a little useless. I seem to have pulled every muscle possible in my left shoulder, and sadly I'm left handed. I really hope it heals quickly as this is my busiest time of year and I need to make lots of stock. One thing I was able to make with my right hand were these lovely button

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-50923462921381103492011-11-03T13:31:00.000Z2011-11-03T13:34:24.945Z

Phot by Neville Gawley As regular readers will know I'm a massive fan of Halloween(see last year and the year before), I think I even prefer it to Christmas. I get so excited about making my costume, I usually plan it months in advance(in my head), then leave it to the last minute to actually make it. Well last minute to me is only having three days of blood sweat and tears to make it,

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-34979975561687822822011-11-02T12:09:00.001Z2011-11-02T12:09:21.474Z

I'm doing my most hated thing at the moment; my accounts. It's pretty much the definition of hell for me, and as I gather from other crafts blogs, hell on earth for all crafters. I'm hideously disorganised; lots or receipts and scraps of paper with no rhyme or reason to them. I'm reminded of the scene in Dodgeball when Vince Vaughns character shows the tax inspector a closet that looks like

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-17951107351841473232011-11-01T12:42:00.001Z2011-11-01T17:57:24.166Z

I'm loving Kirstie Allsopp's  new series 'Kirstie's Handmade Britain', where she travels around the UK trying out newly learned craft techniques at country shows. It's lovely to see how involved she gets in each of the competitions, there is quite a sweet moment at the end of episode 1. Allsopp had previously made the fab series Kirstie's Handmade Home where she learned lots of crafty skills

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-50506883652836107102011-10-27T14:40:00.000+01:002011-10-27T14:41:00.787+01:00

As lots of you who regularly read this blog will know I'm an avid audio book listener. I spend very long days in the studio by myself making my work and I found that listening to a book while I sew/draw/paper craft makes the time go a lot easier, sometimes it even makes me work longer as I want to hear what happens in the next chapter. Over the past while I've been listening to a lot of Stephen

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-9331453397610355282011-10-26T14:23:00.000+01:002011-10-26T14:27:49.983+01:00

I eventually got around to making some new Halloween badges, they are incredibly late for online sales, but at least I'll have them make in time for next year! I will have them with me this weekend at the Milk Market though. I made up four different sets of 10 Party Packs, with the idea that people could give them as party favours or give them out to kids who call to the door(instead of sweets

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-4776040027334086382011-10-25T13:00:00.000+01:002011-10-25T13:00:03.530+01:00

I mentioned last week on my post about Pinterest that I was going to make some button hair clips inspired by this great blog post. I went through my HUGE collection of buttons and made about 30 pairs of hair clips. The problem is finding matching buttons, so I might make some pairs of odd clips in complimentary colours. The simple clips are €3 for a pair and the ornate vintage button clips are

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-31217677061607858552011-10-24T14:01:00.000+01:002011-10-24T14:01:50.299+01:00

 Last week I mentioned that I was going to do a stamp making post inspired that this blog that I found on Pinterest. I actually did Printmaking in college for my degree, so I'm pretty used to doing this kind of thing. I'm far more familiar with using lino for block printing, but lately I've started hearing about this carving rubber which is lots easier to use. I ordered some online, but funnily

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-79216074367683823542011-10-20T14:04:00.002+01:002011-10-20T14:04:48.637+01:00

I love a good pound shop shopping spree. Look at the haul I got in town yesterday. I got: Pink box for my shelves in my studio: €4.50 3 rolls of gaffer tape for my Halloween costume(I'll be blogging about that next week): €2 each Two 4 packs of double sided tape for card making: €2 per pack 12 sheets of photo paper which I use for card making: €2 12 sheets of printable canvas paper(no idea

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-70295192492919441122011-10-19T15:39:00.005+01:002011-10-19T15:40:45.123+01:00

I'm off to my friends wedding this weekend. even though I had told myself I was going to wear a dress I already owned I couldn't resist when I saw this dress in Awear. It's part of their Closet selection, and is a little pricier that their normal line, but I got it on sale for €50. It's got an unusual cut to it, it's high at the front and low at the back. I have a black netting underskirt

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-63118773013678797812011-10-18T11:43:00.000+01:002012-01-25T12:45:35.766Z

I've been making shrink plastic earrings for several months now, they've been really popular at the stall You can read here about my first adventures in shrink plastic, but since then I think I've moved in a bit. I've been meaning to expand my range for a while now, and when I discovered this white shrink plastic it meant that I could make brooches and necklaces. Because of the nature of

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-74762212382126469142011-10-13T14:01:00.001+01:002011-10-13T14:01:41.326+01:00

It seems like I've become completely addicted to Pinterest(an online pinboard for endless pretty thing,ideas, and craft projects). It has been a really great research tool, but the last thing I need in my life right now is another online distraction! On the upside though I've found loads of new craft blogs, sometimes I feel the internet is this amazing party, but I'm lost and I can't find the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-57369254488300462782011-10-09T12:37:00.001+01:002011-10-09T12:37:40.628+01:00

Man Vs George- Get well Nurse Card Sarah Allegra-Between Awake and Asleep Doodle and Hoob- Sick Day Printerettepress-Letter Press Feel Better Card Dellnico-Vintage Ad

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-33601525539579958042011-10-07T13:00:00.000+01:002011-10-07T13:00:17.831+01:00

Over the past year I've started to use Photoshop Brushes a lot more. I remember my friend Ken Coleman trying to convince me to use them years ago,I wish I had listened to him sooner, they are a total Godsend. Basically they are premade images that you can use in photoshop with just one click, a lot of the time they are an outline,which you can use in any colour, and resize to suit your

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-53317698875189438752011-10-06T12:30:00.000+01:002011-10-06T14:42:22.018+01:00

It's crazy the amount of supplies I've had to order over the past couple of weeks. If I had any sense at all I would have been building up stock all year so I could deal with the Christmas rush, instead(as always) I left it to the last minute.I ordered the obvious things like Christmas stamps, paper and embellishments for cards. Loads of felt to make my brooches, and I've tried out a new

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-46219675531354249472011-10-05T12:53:00.000+01:002011-10-09T12:42:45.784+01:00

I include thank you notes with all of my online orders. I always make them in bulk though so I have them ready to hand when I get my orders. It's a nice little touch that makes my work stand out from the crowd and makes it more personal. People shop on etsy for these little extra handmade touches, it's part of what sets it apart from buying from faceless multinationals. In an effort to

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-42196445660088463142011-10-04T12:38:00.000+01:002011-10-04T15:09:55.412+01:00

I've never done an outfit of the day post, but I thought I would give it a shot today. I must say I've developed a whole new respect for those girls who do them all the time. How on earth to they get such lovely flattering photos,in good light, while looking stylish and nonchalant?? I had a ungainly dash to get on front of the camera on time, thankfully the tiles helped me figure out where I

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-69151388406148272542011-10-03T11:47:00.003+01:002011-10-03T11:47:41.425+01:00

For years I worked as a waitress, and as my regular readers will know the restaurant I worked in closed down in January of this year. When I was signing into yahoo today I noticed a fun article on things your waitress is actually thinking, you can see it here. It reminded me of all the crazy people I dealt with in the few years that I worked there. Their10 tips are: 1. No finger clicking:

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-1023907517898560392011-10-01T12:30:00.000+01:002011-10-01T12:30:00.893+01:00

Are you planning a wedding or event? I'll be selling at the Vintage Fayres wedding fair tomorrow at the Milk Market. There is a large selection of wedding and vintage specialists selling there. There will be photographers, artisan cake makers, handmade card sellers, antiques sellers, musicians, basically everything you would want for a wedding...with a difference. II'll be there as one of the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-31569771610255721052011-09-29T11:10:00.001+01:002011-09-29T11:10:12.683+01:00

I've been working on some new cards this week, I really do love making them. It's so relaxing, I just turn on my audiobook, switch off my brain, and start cutting and sticking to my hearts content.

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-60211203808822008162011-09-28T11:13:00.000+01:002011-09-28T11:25:35.788+01:00

I don't know about you but I was glued to the outcome of Senator David Norris bid to get on the ballot paper. I was sitting here looking at his facebook page clicking refresh every few minutes. Thankfully Dublin gave us the result the nation wanted and the upcoming Presidential election will be a proper democratic one. I was gutted when Senator David Norris initially stepped down from the

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-2929938284331284732011-09-22T12:19:00.021+01:002011-09-22T12:19:00.253+01:00

As some of you may know already I let kids draw and make their own badges at the market, it's proved really popular as it's not only a fun activity but the kids get something cool at the end of it. I approached The Hunt Museum about doing some badge making with them for Culture Night. They loved the idea, so this Friday I will be at The Hunt with my trusty badge maker. We thought it would be a

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-22981530805862855202011-09-21T17:31:00.000+01:002011-09-21T17:31:39.816+01:00

I came to the daunting realisation yesterday that Christmas is soon approaching, and as usual I'm not properly prepared. So in an effort to tackle this problem I went supplies shopping yesterday online.  At Christmas cards are obviously a bit seller for me, by rights I should have started making them already...but sadly I'm not that organised. I popped over to the Cork Art Supplies website to

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-732539489801376792011-09-20T11:26:00.000+01:002011-09-20T11:26:00.149+01:00

I've been doing lots of brooch sewing lately, one of the nice things about this is that once they're prepped and cut/co-ordinated I can sit down on front of a movie and sew to my hearts content. That way I get to catch up on my brooches and have some chill out time too. My local rental shop Moviedrome does a great deal that you get 6 old movies for €10 for a week. If you're from Limerick and

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-17061463560259456802011-09-19T10:31:00.001+01:002011-09-19T10:31:36.332+01:00

It's coming into Halloween season soon and for once I want to be prepared. While waiting on John yesterday in the lovely Tom Collins' I sat down and did a little brain storming session. I came up with a few ideas: Bats Spiders Vampires Ghosts Zombies Headless Horseman The Thing type crawling hand Cannibal Gravestone Spooky castle Pumpkins Clowns I know I'm missing loads of stuff so I'm asking

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-89154316687198068842011-09-13T12:30:00.000+01:002011-10-24T13:14:14.840+01:00

As a lot of my regular readers will know I've changed my eating habits a lot over the past few months. .I've been refining this concoction over the fast few weeks but I think I hit the perfect balance at last. Spicy Bean and Sausage Casserole: You will need the following: 1 Tin of Tomatoes 1 Tin of Mixed Beans( I use the organic ones from Eats of Eden) 4 Cloves of Garlic 1 Red Onion 1 Red/

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-16032517472550450712011-09-11T11:00:00.000+01:002011-09-11T11:00:03.130+01:00

Myself and John are trying our hand today at selling second hand book at the Milk Market. At last count we have 350-odd for sale and we plan to add lots more. More news on this later in the week. Today will be our first day, so wish us luck! We're open 11-4pm if you are about and fancy a browse, prices start at €1, but the average paperback is €3-€4, bargaintastic! Also

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-54033934576659201042011-09-10T11:30:00.000+01:002011-09-10T11:30:00.749+01:00

It's Limerick Pride this week so to help celebrate this fabulous event I've designed some pride badges. As usual they are for sale at my stall for €3 each or 3 for €6. I will be listing them on etsy over the coming week but I'm a bit up to my eyes at the minute.

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-10075724572086830582011-09-08T00:30:00.000+01:002011-09-08T00:30:00.918+01:00

Beatriz Martin Vidal I joined Pinterest last week and have become completely addicted! I had stumbled upon it a few months ago, thought it was pretty but quickly moved on, but once I actually joined then it got it's well groomed claws into me. For those of you who haven't heard of it it's like creating an online mood board, with sections and categories. There is a handy toolbar button

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-4776784319500786922011-09-07T01:00:00.000+01:002011-09-07T21:17:39.301+01:00

I spent most of Monday sorting through my blog, it was a really painful process but I think I've made some real improvements. I had wanted to get a complete website overhaul and move to wordpress, but it was a little beyond my current budget. So instead I spent many hours slogging though the new options on blogger trying to make it do what I want it to. Last week I made some changes to my

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-83669887750674733712011-09-06T00:00:00.000+01:002011-09-06T11:51:55.785+01:00

I've been meaning to make As Gaeilge cards for forever and an age and i finally got around to it the other day. A lot of people have asked me for them over the years as they find it hard to get Irish language cards that aren't twee and 'Oirish'. I made my  cards as normal in my usual style and I made up some As Gaeilge greetings on photoshop and printed them out on

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-4013594023965123002011-09-05T12:02:00.031+01:002011-09-05T14:51:56.686+01:00

Last Saturday I went to the  Barbootsale (which I blogged about here), and I picked up a selection of treats for myself and bargaintastic prices. I've been meaning to buy some art from Dish Pig for ages, I missed his last exhibition so when I heard he would be selling at this I put some money aside. Although I hadn't intended on buying 4 pieces!! At €10 a pop though I couldn't really resist

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-54011310619354664212011-09-02T12:21:00.001+01:002011-09-05T14:51:57.071+01:00

I did pretty well selling badges to the kids at the Limerick Show at the weekend so I decided to spoil myself to a little gift from a fellow seller. I've been eyeing up these necklaces from Bettyoctopus for ages. I love them and knew I would buy one eventually, and what better time than after a long days work. Jess Byrne is actually a neighbour of mine, I met her originally through John as he

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-27860108529787461472011-09-01T12:21:00.004+01:002011-09-05T12:40:39.150+01:00

On Sunday just gone I was out at The Limerick Show selling my crafts with Fondelifair. Michelle and Alice asked me to make a crafty banner for them. They arrived with letter patterns from Hickeys and lots of lovely quilting fabric. Firstly I cut out all the letters I needed, then pinned them to the fabric, deciding carefully what fabric would sit well against each other, clashing and

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-57224814533210039962011-08-31T12:09:00.029+01:002011-09-05T14:18:44.224+01:00

People always ask me for tips when they are starting out their craft business, and a few times I've met people for coffee to give them a detailed idea of what I do and to  how about going about it. A lot of the time people find the social networking  and branding side very difficult as it's not something they are used to. Many crafters that I know want to make pretty things all day long, but

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-15347950007770614232011-08-30T13:00:00.025+01:002011-09-05T15:20:27.318+01:00

I love taking a wander through the pound shops( I still can't make myself call them eurostores!!), and seeing the array of weird and wonderful tat that is for sale. Sadly the glory days of Mary's of Limerick are gone, but we have the €2 Store, and a few other cheap as chips household shops on William St. The other day I stumbled upon this great magnetic paper. You get 2 sheets for €2,

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-78413251474966929872011-08-29T13:00:00.003+01:002011-09-05T14:51:57.607+01:00

A bit of scruffy romance by nicedaydesigns featuring hair clip accessories Polka dot top $35 - modcloth.com Flower jewelry $9.99 - modcloth.com Plastic Bat heart shaped jewelry £6 - hannahzakari.co.uk Polka dot umbrella $130 - barneys.com Leather glove €65 - zenggi.com Silk shawl £30 - bruunsbazaar.com Tasha hair clip accessory $38 - nordstrom.com Hair accessory camomilla.it stila cosmetics -

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-39791306800759302482011-08-26T13:00:00.000+01:002011-09-05T10:49:19.338+01:00

I love being friends with proactive people who do something positive rather than moaning about how crap/boring their life/city is. My friend Nora is one such person, she is always busy organising something or other. One of her more recent projects is the Bar-Bootsale, a carbootsale without the cars and with a bar instead. Where poor cool people go to sell their stuff to other poor people who

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-79125680269739575382011-08-25T12:47:00.034+01:002011-08-25T12:47:00.243+01:00

I've been doing a few custom orders recently for badges and mirrors. Mandi Cromer from Design Birdie used her wonderful illustrations for some mirrors which she now sells in her etsy shop. I've been a fan of her work for ages, and it was really nice to eventually meet her at the Horse Show in the RDS. Artist Harriet Myfanwy Nia Tahany is preparing for her upcoming exhibition in Belfast, and

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-84341763904110150602011-08-24T12:02:00.002+01:002011-10-04T18:28:07.232+01:00

Mad Men by nicedaydesigns     I went to a Mad Men themed party at the weekend to celebrate a joint 30th Birthday of some friends of mine.  I seen a few episodes of the show and love it, but I haven't watched it from the start, in one of those series I'll be treating myself to soon. I love the clothes of coarse, and the women look amazingly glamorous without having to look stick thin

nicedaydesignshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12294500593836144560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1078951334687210915.post-16720017649313645472011-08-23T12:47:00.002+01:002011-09-05T15:20:27.393+01:00

In my mad busy stage that I just went through I didn't get to show and tell all the lovely supplies that I bought in the Limerick Quilting Centre. I've known about this place for a few years but I've always avoided going knowing that I would spend a fortune the day I warily put my foot inside the door. I meant it to be a flying visit to pick up some horse fabric that my friend Toni had told me

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