Happy Birthday - happy to give away

This day, six years back, I sat with my laptop next to our kitchen table, and with sweaty hands typed the first information to join the etsy-family. Thinking back I could have spent a minute or two more and been a bit more creative when a shop-name was asked (HandmadebyMia I happily typed), but hey, everything in there is handmade by me, Mia, after all. I have had some great ideas (and some not so great) over the years for a new name, but I think you all already recognize my big eyed birdies and big headed but ever-so cute cats to be HandmadebyMia's and I am proud of it!

So a birthday it is, and me and my shop got a card a few days ago, too! It was a wonderful surprise, and even more special because it was from one fantastic fellow etsyan, Anne, who is one of my first etsy-made-friends! It was literally years ago when etsy got us together, and here we are, after all this time. Here's to you, dear friend, and for many more years to come!

I have had a little sale in my shop for past week, and it's still on for a short while, but I also wanted to give something back to you all wonderful people, who have cheered me up, complimented my work, brought a lot of sunshine to my gray days and just been there for me when needed. So it's time for a giveaway, and I tried to choose things from my HandmadebyMia journey so far:

There's a felted flowered handbag, a little kitty&birdie figurine, some Little My (from the Moomins) napkins and some good Finnish chocolate to be won. I can't promise the chocolate bars are the same than in these pictures *nom nom* but there will definitely be two delicious bars of Fazer chocolate in the parcel.

I decided to make one bigger prize to one winner this time, so all that above will go to one person, who will be picked up randomly in one week's time, July 23rd. And all you need to do is to leave a comment to this, today's post, and you're in! I will ship the prize to anywhere in world, so everyone is so welcome to participate! I only wish you would leave your comment with your name or something recognizable, thank you! Good luck, everyone, and happy Tuesday! 

Yours,

Mia

Almost there

When I joined to Etsy in July 2007 (really, that long ago), very little did I know how it will affect my life. How many things I will make and send all over the world, how many fantastic people I will meet via it - just how much it will open up my world. It really doesn't matter if you're in Norway or in Singapore, you can use it to sell and buy wonderful handmades, and it just makes me so happy have my little shop in there too. 

clicking the image above gets you into my shop

Many things have changed since 2007, and I have learned so much during this journey. One of the most visible skill is how to use camera to get even somewhat decent pictures. It is still a major pain to photograph anything around here between November-March, but with a new camera and a lot of practice I think I've come long way. Oh man, this almost hurts, but please take a look at my first ever felted birdie-bag picture:

...and one quite recent:

...quite a difference not only with the picture but also in the birdies...They've come long way too! And once I am showing those ancient pictures, here's one more to go, my first ever (I mean EVER) made felted bag:

...and I am still proud of it too, it was a first to many to come... And everyone needs to start somewhere, right? And here's the latest I sold quite recently... Flowers still going strong, after all these years!

It actually makes my head spin to think how many things I really have made and sent out from my shop. And how many of my dear customers have visited me more than once, and many of those customers have actually turned into friends. How often does that happen in life - in this age (have you noticed that I updated my 30-something profile recently?) - almost never. I have wonderful friends in UK, Japan, US, Netherlands now - thank you sweeties, you know who you are and how much I love you all. And all of you I've met only thanks to Etsy, I am sure otherwise our paths wouldn't have crossed. I've told in earlier posts here, here and here how fantastic things I have received from you, and oh my: just today I received a beautiful bunch of flowers all the way from Japan, thank you so much M!

With all this said you could say that Etsy has changed my life. It has made possible for me from this tiny corner of world to reach all of you, fantastic people! Thank you so much for your support and kind words and encourage over the years. Here's to next six to come! And oh yes, there's a happy sale in my shop until the actual Birthday, July 16th, and it works with code HAPPY6 and that will give you -30% of the purchase (shipping fees excluded). And here's some more info how to use the discount code in etsy.

Have a wonderful day, everyone, and lovely July! We'll see here again soon!

Yours,

Mia

Tuesday afternoon

Hello everybody,

And some pretty deep apologizes for my absence. It was not my plan to post only three times *ahem* during June, but sometimes life just happens. But now it's July already, oh my, and we still have that beautiful sunshine around here! It's been a bit cooler (rainy&stormy lately too), but wonderful still, and over +20C every day. No complaints. What have I been doing then? The usual knitting, ice-cream eating, biking, knitting, sorting things, knitting... It seems I can't toss my beloved needles no matter how hot it gets. But hey, I have tried some other yarns than felting-wool... Can you believe it?

I have tried cotton, and some hemp, and I also have read and re-read my own (and library's) stash of knitting-books. It's funny how you think you remember how to do things, and then you realize that you just don't. Simple things like knitting stripes on round when you're not tossing the piece to a washer and shrinking it 50% has gotten me pulling my hair out. But I am getting there... And more of these efforts later.

 

Did you spot my new mug? I know I know I know it seems a bit matchy with the nail polish and the shirt, but that was a pure coincidence. It really was. The pink knitting might be too much there, I admit, but I'm a pink girl (my mom knows that too, she bought me the mug) and proud of it. 

When I was sipping my tea from that pretty mug earlier today, I spotted the calendar on the wall, and realized, that it's my etsy-shop's birthday coming soon! I wish to celebrate that with some sort of sale a bit later (the b-day is July 16th), and I am planning a giveaway too, but for today I just had to add there something from those early years...

... a few Moomins with something little extra:

Moomin-charms!Those early days I used to make keyrings for my shop of these, but the very last ones I found when I sorted my stash(s) just needed to accompany the last Moomins-scraps to make pretty pouches. And as you can see, reused they really all are; that Little My has been played since 1992 or so and her skirt has seen better days, but she matches perfectly to that Little My pouch. Unique that is, for sure! The Moomins can be seen more closely here, and giveaways and all other birthday- festivities will be announced here in  my blog shortly too. So we'll see here soon again, that's a promise!

Happy Tuesday!

Yours,

Mia

The best things in life are free

Midsummer is just around the corner, and June is turning into its last week soon, amazing! The great weather we had in May and beginning of June has disappeared, and rain has been if not constant, a regular visitor at least, but now it is promised just might be getting better. Tomorrow and Saturday are full of the traditional Midsummer celebrations here, and I wish some sunshine for those days as most of the activities are planned to happen outdoors. And just in case sun will not shine, I have stacked some new yarn (in sale, yippee) and great magazines.

Business-wise last weeks have been pretty slow, and Finnish Post is trying to make it even more slower by increasing the shipping fees (which are pretty high already). They actually applied the new rates in beginning of June already, and justified the increase by saying that "everything is more expensive these days" and also "people keep sending less and less mail" - blimey! Do they really think adding the cost of sending increases the volume? I would be stunned (and annoyed, really) by their logic if this wasn't the way everything is reasoned around here these days, and I just can't be bothered anymore. All this said I must say that Finnish Post makes the most wonderful stamps each year, and those Moomins are just too cute. 

Two last pictures: verkkokauppa.posti.fi

And also as I think whining is never not a great option, I am offering the FREE SHIPPING on my etsy shop for ALL ITEMS ANYWHERE 20.6. - 24.6.2013 not only to get my hands on those cute Moomin-stamps but also to create that mail the Finnish Post is so desperately asking us Finns to send! So if there's something you've been eyeing in my shop, now it's time to have it completely shipping-free! Happy browsing!

Lovely Midsummer Eve's Eve!

Yours,

Mia

Flowers are food for the soul

We have the most wonderful summer here still, and some flowers, like the white midsummer-roses, are already blooming. But oh, I'm not complaining, the scent from roses and lilacs is divine. I really think flowers are food for the soul, and have used my days creating some too...

Here are my latest flora-bags, there is a blue...

...one I could call ochre...

...and one pretty green:

All the pretty flowers above can be found in my shop. I wish your days have been as flower-filled and sunny as mine, and your June has started beautifully. We had a first good summer-storm last night, and after it I saw this rare yet amazing double rainbow, and with it I wish you...

... a lovely new week!

Yours,

Mia

Strongly summery

Oh my, oh my, oh my - it's June already, and so so so so wonderful weather! It was almost seven o'clock in the evening when I took this picture, and just take a look at the thermometer:

And just in case you can't see it clearly because of all that dust *ahem* it says inside +26,7C and outside +26,8C! For you, my dear friends, who use the Fahrenheit's this is really, really, really warm. Really. And what have I done to celebrate this wonderfulness? I have parked quite permanently outside, I have my studio in the garden, and under a new, big umbrella it's just a bliss. Nature around me is beautiful and green, and I have had some cute visitors too...

...just take a look at that rabbit (I think it is an European hare, actually), it was clearly too hot for him (he looks like a guy to me), and he rested quite a while almost next to me, and didn't care me poking the wool while he napped. And just what have I been poking?

Pillowcases! Cushion covers! With flowers and strawberries - just perfect for the season, I think.

I found that beautiful blue flowered fabric while thrifting some weeks ago, and it took some courage to cut it as I think it is one of my favorite finds for a long, long time. But now I'm happy I did it, the fabric turned into a a pretty pillow case with some blue needle felted flowers. And soon they were followed by more flowers...

...and a summer wouldn't be summer without strawberries, right?

Happy, happy happy I am, and off to make some more. I wish you all the loveliest first week of June!

Yours,

Mia

P.S. The pillowcases can be seen more closely here.