Sunday 5 August 2012

Black Cat Mug For Handmade Monday


Black Cats

Happy Handmade Monday all :)

Firstly i'd like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all those who left lovely comments on my Hot Air Ballon Mug post last week - you enthusiastic encouragement is so greatly appreciated x

This week, there is a black cat  theme to my post. Do you like black cats? I know that some people believe that it is bad luck if they 'cross your path'. However, of all the items i have listed for sale in my shops, my black cat mug is by far the most popular, so i guess not everyone believes in this superstition!

I have to say that i think that black cats are gorgeous - that's what inspired me to design my original black cat mug (pictured below) in the first place (it retails at £12 and is available here on my website and here in my Etsy shop).

My Original Black Cat Mug Design


New Black Cat Mug

Due the popularity of this mug i've been meaning to expand my black cat range for a while and this week i made a start with a larger mug featuring a black cat with pretty green eyes. You can see it pictured at the top of the post, and here are a couple of images to show you how the design continues on the side and back of the mug.




Like my first black cat mug, it can be personalised with a name or short message. I chose the name of my next door neighbour's cat for the example (he's not black but is gorgeous!)


For any black cat lovers out there, the mug costs £15 (there is no charge for personalisation) and is available here on my website and here in my Etsy shop. A black cat cushion is likely to follow shortly!

Crafty News

Turning a passion for craft into a successful business

In other crafty news, i found a wonderfully inspiring story this week whilst browsing on Etsy of how a lady called Candace (of Paper Polaroid) turned her passion for craft into a successful home business which supports her and her family. Reading it gave me a much needed boost of belief that i too could achieve this level of success and i contacted her about the possibility of sharing her story with more people by publishing it on my blog. She very kindly agreed and several people have let me know that they found it as inspiring as i did - you can find Candace's story here if you fancy a read.


Craftfest 

This week i signed up for the September Craftfest. It is an online craft fair run by the crafter's network Creative Connections - i've been a member there for a while but this is the first time i've joined in with Craftfest and i'm looking forward to it! There is another in November and depending on how the September one goes i may sign up for that too.

It costs £5 to have a 'stall' which is basically an album of your product photos along with descriptions, prices, and links to where you can by them e.g. your website, Etsy shop etc. Here is a link to my stall if anyone fancies a peek (feel free to leave a link to yours if you have one in the comments here - i'd love to have a look round!)

It seems that the success of the event depends on everyone involved contributing to promotion and there is already quite a lot going on on the usual social media networks - for my part i have created a pinterest board, featuring some of my favourite items from other people's stalls - speaking of which, you can 'favourite' and also comment on Craftfest stalls which seems like a fun idea. I will let you know how i get on with it all!


Coloured Cat Mug - A Sneeky Peek!

I will leave you today with a sneeky peek at another cat mug i've been working on - it is finished, but not photographed properly yet due to climatic conditions!


I will show you it in full next time... have a wonderful week! Don't forget to check out the other fabulous craft blogs over at Handmade Harbour :)


44 comments:

  1. I love the Black Cat, especially the little paw prints! You seem to be really busy, I hope all goes well for you x

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  2. A great post and I love your black-cat mug. Hope you have a good week.

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  3. The cat's are purrfffect (well someone had to say it!) Thanks for the info re the virtual craft fair. Def going to research that one a bit :)

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    1. ha! thanks Zoe :)

      i'm glad the link to craftfest is of interest - maybe see you over there! x

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  4. Great mugs I'm sure they will be another winner. Hope you have lots of success at the virtual fair cos you deserve it.

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  5. Love the mugs! Good luck with Craft Fest. I always thought a black cat crossing your path was lucky?!

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    1. thanks Wendy!

      yes i've heard people say that too... i think the bad luck superstition came first - but maybe not... who knows! x

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  6. I love the black cat designs. They are so cheery and cheeky looking no-one could think they would bring them bad luck. (I was always told it was good luck to have a black cat pass in front of you!). Good luck with your fair - not long now :)

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    1. thank you! i'm glad you like them :)

      hopefully they will bring good luck! x

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  7. Love the cat mugs. Very clever how the design has the tail on the back of the mug :-)

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  8. The cat mugs are gorgeous. I love how the cats body curls around the cup and the one with the paws inside is so cute. Good luck with Craftfest and thanks for sharing Candace's story.
    Ali x

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    1. thanks for your lovely thoughtful comments Ali :) x

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  9. Oh how I love these mugs! Good luck with CRAFTfest, I've one a few in the past and they're great fun!

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    1. thank you! :)

      i didn't know craftfest was something you could win... shows how much i know! x

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  10. I thought a black cat crossing your path was considered lucky in England, and unlucky in America.

    I've heard of CraftFest- look forward to hearing how the experience goes for you!

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    1. i've never heard that one before... sound like this superstition has evolved!

      i will be sure to update with craftfesty news :) x

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  11. Love the new mug... just like a black cat to sneak up on you... am sure that they will be really successful :)

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    1. ha! yeah they are pretty stealthy :)

      thank you for your encouragement! x

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  12. I love cats and your mug designs are wonderful and very whimsical :)

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  13. The cats are lovely, I love the green eyes and the wavy tail on the Bertie Mug. Thanks for the link to Candace's story too.

    Jan x

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    1. thanks Jan! :)

      i'm glad you enjoyed Candace's story, its great to hear about a lovely person doing so well isn't it :) x

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  14. U lah! lah! some lovely painting waiting for me to be seen!
    Fabulous design. I'm a cat lover, I love painting, I love glass and porcelain, what else can I see? your creations this week are fantastic!
    love the tiny cat footprints on the edge! so cute!

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    1. thank you Martha! what a wonderful enthusiastic comment!

      i'm really glad you like the mugs, you have made me smile :) x

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  15. I love those cat mugs, very Halloween. Think the one with the paw prints inside is brilliant

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    1. thank you! i hadn't thought of that but i guess they are Halloweeny :) x

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  16. Looks really professional, as well as gorgeous!

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  17. Great mugs. I love the new coloured one. Hope you enjoy CraftFest. I did the last one and it was a great encouragement to join with other crafters.

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    1. thank you! i like the coloured one too, will share more pics soon :)

      yes its nice to connect with fellow crafters - one of the reasons Handmade Monday is so lovely to join in with! x

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  18. Love the cat mug - makes it extra-interesting that the design is all around and not just on the front.

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  19. I'm sure you're cat mugs will be hugely popular. I particularly like the tail feature!

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  20. Awww! So cute, especially the little paw prints!

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  21. Adorable! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Should be a huger seller. And the pawprints on the inside are brilliant. Nicely done.

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    1. awwww thank you Susie! that's really sweet of you to say :) i'm glad you like them! x

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  22. Been on hols. So just catching up with Monday. I thought a black cat crossing your path is lucky. I have one too, so I might be a bit bias.

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    1. i like to think its lucky too :)

      hope you had a good holiday! x

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Your lovely comments are much appreciated x