Etsy Buys And Finds

    I have been clearing out once again. And I have been trapped in a sea of ebay items. I am now up to a total of 81 sold items. I still have plenty of stuff to go but I think it's time for a little break.       
     It's quite strange to have gone from somebody who loved shopping to somebody who loves getting rid of stuff.
    I no longer look at shops in the town centre and I never even look at websites I used to buy from all the time (ASOS, Topshop etc.)  When I decided to go on a shopping ban at the beginning of the year, I didn't think I would manage to stick to it so well and end up wanting to get rid of most of the things I own!
      It hasn't been a complete ban and I have still been buying a few things from Etsy. Most of these things have been gifts. But I have still been adding to my favourite collection (I always will).  
     One of the other things I have bought is a doll from Boopsiedaisy. I have liked a lot of the dolls from this shop but had never bought one. So I decided to make my first purchase a custom order. And I asked for (you guessed it) a black cat doll. I'm so glad I decided to get this doll made (her name is Pawlie), she is so cute. I would recommend this shop if you are looking for something cute and quirky.

Pictures belong to Boopsiedaisy you can find her shop here.

I thought I share a few other cute finds that I love but won't be buying!

I really like these anthropomorphic macarons and cookies from SandraArteagA. You can find her Etsy shop here.

And I have been quite tempted by these gorgeous vintage French knife rests in the form of cute little cats. They are From LaManche and you can find her Etsy shop here.

Exciting News

        I haven't blogged in ages. I have just been so busy. I am still busy clearing out my stuff. I have sold 50 items on Ebay (and counting) and yet more things have been put into a local auction.
   I am still doing well on my shopping ban. Although it is no longer a ban (I am still buying from Etsy) I can't remember the last time I bought something in high street shops or even looked in them. I have been in major clear out mode for a while and I now have even more reason to be ruthless...
       I have lived in Scotland all my life but I don't feel like there is much here for me. And for quite a while now I have wanted to leave Scotland for pastures new. 
      And I am very excited to say that we have made the decision to move out of Scotland and live in England permanently. Although it is not France, we have picked the area we want to live in and I can't imagine anywhere better.
      It may take as long as two to three years to get there but that doesn't bother me because the decision has been made and  I know for 100% that it is going to happen. It's enough to keep me going and I am finding it difficult to stop smiling!
       So I have decided that most of my possessions will have to go (I'm not carting them all down to England!) and in a way I will be glad to see most of the stuff go. But my favourite collection will be going with me and also some of my black cat collection too.
     I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this move, I feel like once we get there my life will just be beginning. And it is highly doubtful that once I have left, I will ever set foot in my hometown again. Most people would probably be quite upset to leave the place they grew up in forever but it just fills me with happiness.
       And with a bit of luck we might get there even sooner...

Halloween Has Come Early

           I know you are probably thinking I must be mad to start talking about Halloween. But for me, it can never come too early. It is without doubt my favourite day of the year.
      And I am glad to say that I have already made my first Halloween purchase of 2012. And what might that purchase be?
    Yet more woolly wonders from my favourite Etsy shop, Miss Bumbles. My collection from Miss Bumbles is steadily growing and I regularly check the shop for new items.
      And to my utter delight, when I checked the shop yesterday there were some Halloween goodies.  
      There were three Halloween decorations to choose from. I just fell in love with this little vampire guinea pig and bought him instantly.

        I also had to have this gorgeous little witch guinea pig. She has a beautifully embroidered cape. But the thing I love most about her is her big black wart with hair coming out of it, that she has on her cheek!

        And the last one on offer was this very cute little superhero guinea pig. I loved him too although I didn't buy him. But he did fly out the door very quickly!

All pictures belong to Miss Bumbles. You can find her Etsy shop here.

       I got so excited when I saw these little cuties, I just can't wait to see them in the flesh (or should that be wool?). They will be arriving with four other items from Miss Bumbles' shop.
        It seems as if Miss Bumbles loves Halloween almost as much as I do. So I am sure there will be many more exciting Halloween creations to come.

My Favourite Collection

     If you read this blog regularly you will know that I am a bit of an Etsy addict. And although I was doing very well on my shopping ban, that has now gone out the window.
     My collection of needle felted items from Miss Bumbles has continued to grow and about a month ago, I decided I needed a cabinet to display them in. I couldn't just display them all out in the open because both of my cats are prone to eating things!
       A couple of weeks ago after what felt like looking round the whole town, the perfect cabinet popped up at a local auction. It had an estimate of £20-£40 but I knew it would go for more than that and I was prepared to go up a bit. In the end it went for a whopping £130! Needless to say I didn't get it.
        The very next day my Mum found one for me at a recycling centre (which we had tried the week before but were out of luck). It was a bargain at £35. This is what it looked like when I first got it home.

The key was missing and it  had awful mustard fabric on the back. But it had potential.  But since my Mum has worked her magic on it, it looks great. The lock works and I managed to find a replacement key on ebay.

Now that it's pure white and has the vibrant wallpaper on the back (I was going for a retro feel) it looks like a different piece of furniture.

     The collection looks amazing in it. And the best thing is, it is safe from those mischievous little kitties of mine! The way I'm going I will soon need another cabinet to display them all!

        I thought that I had gotten rid of the collecting bug (obviously not!)  What do you collect? I'd love to hear about all your different collections.

Black Cats Galore... But I Still Want More!

        Today I received a very exciting parcel from my favourite Etsy shop, Miss Bumbles.  Included in this parcel were some of the purchases mentioned in my previous post. And also a very special custom order.

     The first thing I asked for in this custom order was a Marie Antoinette black cat. She turned out beautifully, I love her pink powdered wig and she even has her very own pet rat.

      The next thing I asked for was a little black cat clown. He is just so cute, I love his little red nose and his cheery smile.

        Next is this gorgeous baking kitty. She comes with freshly made mouse tarts and a fishy sponge cake. She managed to resist eating them on the journey to my house!

          Last but certainly not least is this stunning French themed garland. It combines my two favourite things, black cats and France. The detail in this garland is just amazing, I love everything about it!
All pictures belong to Miss Bumbles you can find her Etsy shop here.

        I will be posting pictures of the whole collection soon, I have finally found the perfect place for them all. I'm sure I will be adding to the collection soon. I just can't get enough of these pieces from one of the best artists on Etsy!

More Needle Felted Goodies

            My mission to clear stuff out is still going well. I haven't been going shopping but Etsy continues to be my weakness. I have made a number of purchases from my favourite Etsy shop Miss Bumbles.

           A couple of weeks after receiving my custom order. I bought another little seaside donkey. This one is called Brandy (I don't know what it is about these donkeys, I just love them!).

        My next order consisted of a little ships cat with ships rat and a lovely little seaside bunny with an ice lolly.  It doesn't stop there...

       Next I bought the Big Bad Wolf, I thought he would make a good companion for Little Red Kitty Hood. I felt I needed a Halloween fix and I couldn't resist this little zombie mouse.

                  Then I bought this beautiful little house mouse.

                      Lastly, I had to have this gorgeous little pair. I really liked the fact that the baby bunny, Roger, is fondly known as Petit Pois. They are just so sweet!

       Please note all pictures belong to Miss Bumbles you can find her Etsy shop here. (I haven't taken pictures of everything yet but I will soon).

        It is safe to say I am well and truly addicted to Miss Bumbles' creations. In my next post I have another custom order to share with you.

Back In Training For The Shopping Olympics

       I haven't blogged in a while because I have been quite busy. Busy going through what seems to be endless piles of my own stuff! But I am getting through it bit by bit. Bags of stuff have gone to the charity shop, boxes of various bits and pieces have been put into auction and a decent amount of items listed and sold on ebay.
      I had been doing great hardly shopping at all and getting money back in from the things I no longer wanted. But I wasn't on my best behaviour for long...
    Etsy was my downfall. I make no secret of the fact that Etsy is one of my favourite places to shop. And I had a big spending spree in one of my favourite shops, MissBumbles.
    I mentioned in my last post that I already had other items in mind for a custom order. This order consisted of three black cats.

    
      First is this little seaside kitty. She is based on Ruby. Ruby loves to play in the bath with a bit of water in it, so I thought it would be sweet if she donned a swimming costume.

       Next is this dashing little Frenchman. (Anyone who reads this blog knows I love almost all things French. So this one should come as no surprise!) I have named him Oliver after my first black cat but I suppose in this case, it should really be Olivier. He is just so sweet in person!

And last but certainly not least is this gorgeous Little Red Riding Kitty. Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favourite fairy tales and this little cat is just so cute. She even has a treat for Granny in her basket.

      My haul didn't end there...

While browsing one day I spotted this sweet little red vixen. She reminds me of the foxes I see from my bedroom window. Of course I had to have her too (she was too pretty to resist!)

         And my last purchase was this exquisite spring garland. I particularly like the little girl lamb. I have had my eye on this for a while. And since I have done so well selling my old things I took the plunge and bought it. I am so glad I did the detail is amazing.

    All pictures belong to Miss Bumbles you can find her Etsy shop here. I have used them simply because they are better than any of my photography.

     I have had a pretty miserable week, feeling ill for most of it. So when my parcel with all of these goodies in it arrived on Saturday and I unwrapped all of the pretty patterned tissue paper, it cheered me up no end.
    It is pretty safe to say that I am addicted to Miss Bumbles' wonderful creations. And I know I will be buying many more in the future.