Handmade vs Store bought

What is handmade?

adjective

1. made by hand, not by machine, and typically therefore of superior quality.

What is store bought? 

adjective

NORTH AMERICANinformal

1. bought ready-made from a shop; not home-made.

So the other day we were having a discussion as you do and my Father said the prices in My Etsy Shop are Ridiculous! 

I wasn't surprised he has said this many times in the past. He also said someone could go to the store and get it much cheaper. I said that's fine with me as the things in the shops are usually mass produced. If that's what customers want to by then that's fine. I can't very well stop them and force them to shop online at my store.

My ideas, my creativity, my time...why should any of that be free? Why should my items be sold for less than the minimum wage, when I put my time and effort into making them. If you go into a shop sure of course you can by 10 of the same item, because it's already made readily available. You go to a genuine handmade shop and you can buy 10 unique items that time and love have gone into creating and you can't find them anywhere else.

So why should I drop my prices? Why should I sell myself short? If I do that then does that mean I don't value my time? The creative process that goes into making something to sell it? I buy the materials, I come up with the idea and the idea goes into motion.

If you sell handmade items you know exactly what goes into making it, the time it takes you to source the materials/ingredients, produce the item and package the item. Sure you can go to a shop and probably buy 5 of them for the price of that 1 handmade one. Do you stop and think.....what makes the handmade one special? Different? Unique?
When you got into a store...Do you know WHO made the item? Or simply just where its made?  When you look at the label/tag do you understand half of the jargon on it?

I'm not saying the things sold by retailers isn't made by hand....it could full and well be, but where is the creativity? The USP? What makes it different? You can go into other retailers and see the same product selling maybe for more or for less.... go to several handmade shops and everything is different. The item you buy may be one of a kind. You wont find it online or in a retailer's ever again, only you own it and why? Because you were in the right place at the right time.

If you can spare a moment or two please go to my etsy shop and let me know if you think my prices are too high.

Thanks for reading

IBeCheraldine =]

I have one word for you.......

Contiki!!!!

Please note the following is my own personal review and I have not been paid to review or endorse this company. 

What does it mean you ask. Well pull up a chair and I'll tell you all about it. Way back when i was in my early twenties I saw this website advertised and thought what a cool idea. I then forgot all about it until last year.
Contiki is a travel group that does tours catered to 18-35 year olds. If you fit that age bracket, lover traveling and you're looking for something different then go Contiki!!

I had a look through the site and picked out sooooo many tours to go on. In the end I settled on one close to home and because of my love of Ireland!
Going on this trip was one of the best things I did last year. I met some of thee most amazing people. I went alone and was quite nervous at first, but also filled with excited energy. My roomie and now good friend was one of the first people I met when going to the induction speech! Before you Travel you get sent a cool pack with the tour information

We went from Northern Ireland to Southern Ireland and back again. The trip can be found here - mind you they have altered one of the days as my trip was for 9 days- Ireland Tour 8 Days I went in August when the weather was still nice, but typical- read: mostly sunny with a few showery spells- Travellers from all over the globe were on the trip. There were Americans, Australians, Canadians, South Africans, Koreans, A girl from Germany and another from Switzerland.

We went on a cycling tour around Kilkenny where I may have crashed into metal trashcan, but did end up meeting my Ireland adventure buddy-read: Guy I could hang out with and get out of shopping with the girls and is now my good friend-You know who you be!. To the Jamesons Distillery. A cycle tour around the Aran Islands-That almost killed me-never in my life have I done so much bike riding!-Good thing I had my roomie to cheer me on. Londonderry/Derry walking tour. To the Titanic Experience and the Guinness Storehouse. The Blarney Castle-too think how many people travel across the world to kiss a stone.... The Cliffs of Moher. The Giants Causeway!!!-the whole reason I finally decided to book the trip....

As well as all that me and the amazing group of people I met went on our own walking tours checking out the pubs, the food and the great music Ireland has to offer. Every night was something new and we were never far from entertainment. I love those guys!

Check me not giving a bigger mention to the food! Which lead way to the most hilarious conversations....
Waiter "So which one of you is the vegetarian and which is lactose intolerant?"
My Roomie "I'm Vegetarian"
Waiter "Ok cool so you can have the fish"
My Roomie "No I don't eat any animals"
Waiter-looks puzzled "But you can still eat the fish"
My Roomie "No I don't eat any kind of animals, including fish"
Waiter "Yes but we have fish"
Me "Omg fish is an animal, she doesn't eat meat or fish. Fish is not a vegetable"
Waiter-looking more puzzled..... "Oh....I'll come back"
One day....one day......waiters will learn not all vegetarians eat fish

So almost every night was mash potato! Unless we went out ourselves and got something different. There was also some really good soup! And the largest picture is of the most amazing apple pie I have ever eaten in my life! -unless you want to send me some pie and prove me wrong!-

I would recommend this trip to anyone -providing you fit the age bracket- even if you're going alone you're bound to meet new people and make some friends for life!

As they say in Contiki #NoRegrets!!!

IBeCheraldine =]

p.s My resolution this year is to blog at least once a week and go on more crazy adventures!

Watch this space

Catching the Travel Bug- Dingle-Ireland

Things have been crazy busy the last few months which is why this entry is sooo late....
So last October I went to Dingle with my best friend. We stayed at Fiona's B+B  The room reminded me of an old boarding school, but it was clean and comfortable. There was a lock on the door and the owner told us the hotel was actually run by her daughter! Our journey to the hotel was longer than the actual plane ride. There is one airport in the area and everywhere else is out in the sticks!
Dingle is in one big circle and is often referred to as the Dingle Peninsula   We walked around town as we arrived in the afternoon and found most shops were actually closed and no real music starts until after 10pm!! We found an amazing Chinese restaurant to eat in.... Disclaimer- *We must have been tired as the second time we went there the food wasn't as amazing*

We found the coolest music shop that held concerts on most evenings so planned to go there the tickets were 15Euros They played traditional Irish songs and did one in Gaelic as well The shop is called Siopa Ceoil An Daingin They even had Cooney and Begley playing one night which we went to see. My phone was being poo so the pictures didn't come out too well :( . We went back in the day and the shop has the cutest assortment of trinkets and gifts all around it. Some you could by and others weren't for sale...

We met a solo traveller who took us around Dingle and we all had a fun day out checking out the Peninsular. We saw the Beehive Huts, Went to the beach... Found some hidden coves as we explored the mountains.

You know how I love my food and in Ireland they sure do make sure you get your money's worth! The portions were huge, but we found ourselves finishing the meal...One day we had 5 meals.... We had no idea how or why we ended up eating so much.... The cup featured in the larger picture. I ended up buying two as the cafe was also a pottery shop.... 

Dingle is a very peaceful little town and is out in the countryside if you enjoy long walks and beautiful scenery. I would definately go again to check out more concerts and enjoy some good food! 

Another holiday down and another great place to go back and visit even if just for a long weekend. 

Watch this space for the next installment....this one won't take 4 months to add...(she says)

IBeCheraldine =]

Catching the Travel Bug-Scotland-Edinburgh!

Hello it's me again with another instalment to the travel bug adventures!
This holiday was to Edinburgh, I went with Mother dearest as a treat for her Birthday and Mother's day present rolled into one. September 2015

We stayed in the Holiday Inn-Waterfront hotel, which the bus ride there was actually longer than the plane journey! It was a good thing there was a lot of nice scenery on the way. There was another couple on the bus going to our hotel as well. The room was spacious the beds were comfortable. The breakfast was complimentary which is one thing I always look out for when booking a hotel as it saves time in the morning having to look for a cafe. The hotel was in a very peaceful part of the town with a good parade of restaurants a stone's throw away from us.

On our first day we discovered we were right by a shopping mall! We went around it and found there were some restaurants on the top floor of which we obtained some menus to take back to the hotel and a few late open shops we mooched around. After going through the menus we decided to go back out and eat at WagaMama  The food was a little disappointing as I was expecting it to have a little more flavour.

We had already booked tickets for the bus tours which was handy as the queue was quite long to buy them! It enabled us to go on 3 different buses which took you to different sites and attractions. All tours began at Waverley Bridge which reminded us of Piccadilly Square in london as it is full of high street shops, restaurants and there was a large park as well.

On our trip we went to

The Scott Monument-All 287 steps up the monument and 287 steps back down! We don't know what inspired us to go up it, but hey You Only Live Once right?! Our legs felt like jelly after we came out and we made the mistake of sitting down! If you can walk it off people! Walk it off!!

The Museum of Childhood-We were both quite disappointed with this museum as we were expecting perhaps a few more toys and games and even some interactive things, but alas it was not to be. Most items were behind glass cases and there was a rather scary room filled with Porcelain dolls!

Our Dynamic Earth- This had a tour of the past present and possible future of the earth in different interactive levels the tour lasted a little under an hour then there was a show on space and possible alien life on planets yet to be discovered.

The Botanical Gardens- Not the best idea when you suffer from hayfever, but it's worth a wander round if you love plants and flowers. They had some beautiful sculptures in hidden places around the garden.

The Royal Yacht Britannia-  We purchased the tickets before the trip as they were at a discounted price and Mother had been raving about it for ages! This was a rather interesting tour where you had a giant mobile phone to listen to the different points of interest around the Yacht

The Leith Mill/James Pringle Shopping Outlet

-Rather Underwhelming unless you want to purchase various pieces of Scottish clothing, food or souvenirs. We were not here for long...

The Royal Mile-Central hub of most of the souvenir shops hiding a few attractions and museums along the way. We went here a few times through the trip to pick up souvenirs, we also go to watch fudge being made

Other than the breakfast in the mornings we didn't really get to sample any proper Scottish food. Mother and I weren't too keen on trying Haggis! We did get our Chinese Takeaway which delivered to the hotel! We ate out at an Italian Restaurant Giuliano's!

We missed out on going to a few museums, which we said when we go back we would visit as they did look rather interesting and it is a lovely place to visit. Where we stayed was perfect as a bus tour when by our hotel so we could catch it into town!

So that was Edinburgh keep watching out for the next holiday breakdown.

IBeCheraldine =]

Catching the Travel Bug!-Rome

I was always interested in travelling and seeing the world. I mean why live in it if you're not going to explore it. Why not venture further than your doorstep and go out and see other countries and cultures. Last year I was fortunate enough (read could afford to) go on a few holidays with Friends and Family.
I went to Malaga. Rome. Dingle. Edinburgh. Munich.

Let's start with Rome as I didn't take many pictures in Malaga or see many places as this was a family holiday.

I went to Rome with the Older Giant. In July 2015. We did a lot of research into free museums to go into, good places to eat, free things to see and what was good value for money. I don't know about you, but I love a good bargain! Before we went we found out about the Roma pass which is 36 Euros. We purchased this in Rome once we had gotten off the plane and we going to get a taxi to the hotel. We got a shuttle bus which had several other people on. but the price was rather quite reasonable! We stayed at the Hotel Argentina which was 5-10 minutes away from the Termini train station and the Bus station depending on how fast you were walking.
It was a nice quiet hotel the room was a decent size and the beds were comfortable. They had air conditioning which helped after a morning out in the dry humid heat! However not suitable to put on through the night as it was quite loud. Our stay included breakfast which was a cold buffet and a hot and cold beverage machine. There was also a regular vending machine with Spanish snacks.

Whilst there and equipped with our Roma Pass we did our research into attractions it could be used for that weren't free and anything else we could benefit from. One thing I will mention about the pass is a lot of things in it were outdated! We found some shops had closed down, some tours were no longer running and some of the discounts were no longer available! Look into this before buying as we were a little surprised when we went to the information centre and the woman tried to tell us that we were lying!

We managed to see

The Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain-although this was boarded up due to reconstruction works! Disappointed much!

St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican City-be wary of the "guides" trying to sell you cut the line tickets. Going into the Basilica is actually free and the Vatican is 16 Euros! They were trying to charge 45 Euros! for a "private guided tour"  The queue is in a very awkward system be prepared to stand in it for up to 2 hours so go early and carry an umbrella as there is next to no shade when waiting in line. Also to go in your shoulders must be covered and your bottoms must be at least knee length.

The Colosseum-which was actually down the road from where we were staying albeit a 30min walk! With our Roma pass we got to skip the queue and go in for freeeeeee.
The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum-This was cool as it had a lot of his different inventions and sketches this cost us 8 Euros. We found this after getting lost leaving the Villa Borghese

The Pantheon-We got there and it was closed :(

Villa Borghese- We got the train here and walked to the park....Omg was it a long walk across some random field! We did discover a nearer train station after leaving. Whilst there we hopped on one of those park trains for just 3 Euros which took around the attractions in the Villa Borghese, we were so glad as it saved us walking around in the heat!

Galleria Nazionale D'arte Moderna-This was also free with the Roma Pass, we stumbled across this when going around the Villa Borghese in the other direction....

We went to a flea market that had maybe 5 "unique stalls" that was huge, but weird that every 1 in 5 stalls had the same things being sold!

We also went on a tour bus which cost 18 Euros tour which took you round the sites, the ticket covered us for 2 different buses which took you round a few different areas. We went on the tour bus at various points hopping on and off the bus at places of interest.  There was another which was 10 Euros-The Roma Cristiana which took you around the more historical sites and Cathedrals.

And we can't forget about the food! I know it may sound weird, but every time we go on holiday we look for a Chinese restaurant.... We managed to find one in Rome!

If I was going again which I one day plan to. I would not go in July-The heat is dry with little to no breeze.....and even on the day it randomly rained it was still so hot you could see steam! When you go indoors be warned it does not cool you down in any way shape or form....in fact you actually sweat more going indoors! My advice is carry an umbrella. Also food is fairly expensive, if you plan to get a starter, main and desert be prepared with at least 30+ Euros!

Whilst you can wing it when going we are glad we planned ahead and looked up places to go. Pinterest was really informative with different pins on places to go, things to do, where to eat etc. The tour buses are a great way to get around if you want to see the sites without navigating the trains or buses.

Well that's my trip broken down and the shortened version. I hope this helps if you're planning a trip to Rome...be sure to check that the Trevi fountain isn't still under construction and most attractions have websites so you can check opening times.

Watch this space for the next holiday breakdown.

IBeCheraldine =]

Keeping things Chilled

So lately I've been feeling really tired and like I have no energy what so ever. I'm already anaemic, but thought I should maybe do something do give myself a boost. Mother Dearest got her blender out of the cupboard, so I thought making some smoothies would add a bit more fruit to my diet and get me away from snacking on rubbish. Father then went out and brought a Nutri Ninja!

So far so good this month in the smoothie world

Day 1.Berry Vanilla Smoothie- Nice, but I think I may sieve it next time as it was very seedy.....

Day 2&3. Pear, apple and Banana Smoothie (as I made toooo much) - may try without the banana next time round as although there is only 1 it overpowers the taste
Day 4.Apricot Smoothie -I used tinned apricots, but it doesn't have much flavour...tastes a little like ice cream....maybe next time I should use fresh ones?

So far I don't feel much difference, but the month is young and it is only week one!

I have also been using my colour therapy book I got for Christmas.

I do enjoy me some colouring.

Do you have any smoothie recipes that you love ?

Watch this space

IBeCheraldine =]

Fresh Starts

Hello fellow bloggers It's still me IBeCheraldine! Hope you all had a wonderful new year.

This year I made a vow to myself that I would make more time for both my family and my sewing. It has been going well so far actually! I've been spending more time in the evening with the family whether watching rubbish TV or throwing in a movie. I realise they are important people and spending time laughing and joking with them isn't so bad!

Sewing wise I've been working away like crazy making new items to list in my Etsy store Quilty Little Secrets I still have to take pictures, but the progress has been great! Going back to The Colour Scheme Project  I have given myself a kick up the backside and have started quilting them ready to be photographed and listed in the not too distant future (or when the weather gets nicer again....)

I realised quilting doesn't have to be complicated at all. When I stopped overthinking ideas came to me and it was easier than I thought. I still love sewing and will continue to keep up the momentum to make more items especially quilts.

So watch this space and also check out my Shop Blog for even more behind the scenes goodies..

IBeCheraldine =]

Losing...

Do you ever feel a little lost sometimes? You're sat trying to remember what it was you were doing or maybe why you started something in the first place?

I started this blog years ago intending to have something to add perhaps everyday. Everyday became every week, then every month then in some cases not at all. Real life seemed to catch up big time and before I knew it the years had whizzed by and I had no idea what I'd been doing. This year was the holiday year. I wanted to travel this year. See what was further than my doorstep. I've been away with family. I've gone away with friends, but I've never really gone anywhere alone. I did feel like booking a random hotel and just escaping for a few days to clear my thoughts. Regroup remember why I started things.

My Etsy shop for example. That was finally opened at the start of the year. I didn't think I would get any sales but eventually they came in. Then nothing. I guess it's all about patience, waiting and waiting then perhaps a little more waiting. I did ponder for a long time before opening the shop thinking "Is this a good idea?" "Will anyone want to buy what I've made?" "Am I selling the right things" "Are my prices too high....too low?" I've tried many things looking through the forums, joining a few teams. Promoting isn't that big a help I've discovered. Maybe I'm giving up too easily, but after a few months of trying I think "What's the point?"

I wish I had more to say, more to add, but I don't nothing groundbreaking has happened and it's nearly the end of the year. Still here's to hoping

IBeCheraldine =?

Quilty Little Secrets!

Check out my latest post on the Quilty little secrets blog. To see some behind the scenes products as well as some newly listed. 

http://quiltylittlesecrets.blogspot.com/2015/11/behind-scenes-and-some-new-products.html

Watch this space

IBeCheraldine =]

Shop Early This Christmas

Christmas time will soon be here and now is the perfect time to be looking around for unique gifts. Don't buy what everyone's already buying get something different. My Etsy store Quilty Little Secrets offers some one of a kind handmade gifts.
From pouches for the travellers, crafters and festival goers
Handmade cushion covers and stuffed cushions, perhaps for someone looking to redecorate or a gift for new home owners..

Treat yourself or someone special and beat the crazy Christmas rush

Watch this space

IbeCheraldine =]

Nearly Sold Out

Head over quickly to my Quilty Little Secrets Shop.  The Zakka Style Sewing Kits are nearly gone with just 3 left. If you want one now is the time to grab one.

Also leave a comment on The Post  if there is anything you're looking for that isn't in my store.

Watch This Space

IBeCheraldine =]

Here Comes the Bride.....

This wedding was of my cousin. My Father and I made the cake. The theme was Red, Grey and white. The Bride had a cake in mind and Father and I made it to our own style...(I do not unfortunately have a picture of the cake she wanted....)

It was a rich Caribbean fruit cake 3 tiers weighed a ton, but was fun to decorate.

Hope they have a lovely long lasting marriage!

Watch this space

IBeCheraldine =]

At the sewing table

Hi All

I've been working on some new quilts behind the scenes. Cutting fabrics getting layouts sorted. Hopefully before summer fully hits I should have them finished and ready to list. 

Some sneak peaks.

Just got to sew these together and I'll have 2 quilt tops. There are 4 other quilts in the mix. Which are two large Granny Square quilts and 2 Star flower quilts. So yeah not working on much ;-)

Watch this space

IBeCheraldine

New Month New Shop Section!

Newly added to the shop a Destash section. Grab yourself a pretty little bargain!
Sometimes fabric is just too lovely for me to bring myself to cut into. So I figured why keep it? Someone else may want to use it for a project they've been working on or to add to a collection that isn't quite complete.

Watch this space as more things are soon to be added. 

IBeCheraldine =]

UKMiniSwap!!!

So as I mentioned in my last post I had entered into two swaps. The second being the #UKminiswap. Both swaps had the same shipping deadlines which was pretty crazy, but manageable.

My partner for this swap was @corriehandy who has her own blog Corriehandy crafter oddly enough I was also her partner too!!!
The mini I made for her was a disappearing 9 patch design in bright colours. I don't usually bind, but did this time round too as it was just as small mini and I even quilted!!

I love the way it turned out and may look into making some more 9 patch items for my shop...

The mini she made for me was a fun chopped Dresden plate design using Denyse Schmidt fabrics. As well as including some awesome goodies!

So another fun swap done! Now I'm in the process of editing pictures for some upcoming additions to the Quilty Little Secrets Shop

Watch this space!

IbeCheraldine =]