Twentythreetwo’s First Birthday!

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I started Twentythreetwo!

I’ve always been a creative person. My Mum is a tailoress so we were always sewing and making things as I grew up. I was fascinated by how quickly she could knit!  But as I grew older my creativity wained and was replaced by school and boys and work!

I started screenprinting in February 2011 and had a fantastic time!  That’s when the switch was flicked and the lightbulb went on and I remembered how much I loved making things!

In June last year I plucked up the courage and added my first screenprints to my Etsy shop, Twentythreetwo. I started doing craft fairs and meeting lots of lovely new crafty people!

In May this year I launched Twentythreetwo Whimsy, a shop where I could share my love of vintage and nostalgia, with lots of fun and playful items!

Thank you to all my customers, friends, family, blog readers, followers and likers for your support! I’ve had a brilliant time!

For being so excellent over this last year, I’m giving you all 25% discount of all items in both of my shops! All you need to do is quote code 1YEAR at the checkout and your discount will automatically be applied!

Karen x

Shops I Love: Lil Sonny Sky

I’ve decided to create this new set of blogs for shops I love because I’ve bought lots of lovely things from lots of lovely people and I want to share them with you!

There’s only one place I can start, and that’s with Lil Sonny Sky!

Lisa Stubbs is an freelance illustrator from Yorkshire, England and she’s the reason I got into screen-printing in the first place. I love her work and she’s such an incredible person.

When I bought her “Love Bird” screenprint, which was my first online crafty purchase, I was blown away by the attention she paid to packaging and communicating with me.  It felt like Christmas, opening this parcel and peeling back the layers to unveil my print! I was used to receiving things from eBay in minimal packaging but she made me realise that it all adds to the experience.

I also bought one of her screenprinted “Leo” cards for my friend’s birthday recently and she loved it, it was like a gift in itself!

Unfortunately, Lisa has been battling cancer recently so her Etsy & Folksy shops are currently on hold, but that shouldn’t stop you having a peek! She’s kicking ass and will be back before you know it! You can keep up-to-date with her progress on her blog.

*UPDATE: Both shops are now open again!*

View Lil Sonny Sky on Etsy

View Lil Sonny Sky on Folksy

View Lil Sonny Sky’s blog

Sunday Summary – 7 August 2011

What a great week!

I’ve signed up for my first craft show, added a new item to my Etsy shop, bought an amazing new camera and bought loads and loads of new supplies!

 

What I’ve Made

I made these lovely flower earrings for myself originally, but loved them so much I felt I should share them!  So I made some more and added them to my shop!  I love their vintage look and the flowers can be removed, so they can be worn with anything!

What I’ve Bought

It was one of my best friend’s birthdays this weekend, so what better card to get her than “Leo” by one of my favourite shops, Lil Sonny Sky.  Lisa Stubbs is not only an amazing artist and my screenprinting hero, she’s also a genuinely lovely and wonderful person!  Viewing her work and reading her blog are two things that always bring a smile to my face!

Her “Love Bird” screenprint was one of the first I bought and it was like Christmas! So beautifully packaged and her handwritten messages and extra postcards make me feel like a special customer!

 

I also treated myself to my first DSLR camera! My point and click camera is great, but I needed to get some amazing shots with detail for my shop, so I spoke to a photographer friend and decided on a Nikon D3100.

I’ve been taking pictures of anything and everything and getting used to the huge amount of different settings will take time, but I’m so pleased with the results already!

 

And oh so much shopping!  I got loads of Christmas crafts supplies at Hobbycraft this week, and some more online, and today I bought some fantastic fabrics!

The “shell” print one will be my table cloth for the craft fair as it’s quite close to my company colours but not too bright and distracting to detract from my products.  I have some ideas for the others but I’ll reveal these once I know for sure!

 

Our cinema trip this week was to see Super 8. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I’d seen the adverts and read about it, but it was good. It harks back to films like The Goonies, ET and Stand By Me, and it’s really a film for young teenagers but I enjoyed it! 7/10

How’s your week been?  What have you been making?

Karen x