Monday 28 December 2009

The Big Fat Blog Of The Year


It's been a big old year for me over at the Felt Menagerie both professionally and personally so, as is traditional this time of year, I decided it would be a good thing to reflect on all the things I have achieved this year.

January
Was mostly filled with being loved up in a new relationship and recovering from Christmas!
Celebrating my first 100 sales

February
Saw the first felt giveaway and the Menagerie's first birthday, the first of the real bird tweets, the Cardinal was created and the great escape from the world's coldest flat was planned!

March
A time for mad Hare's and moving house, the great bunny giveaway, John's bringing creative input to the menagerie by demanding Feltathulhu's and the invention of the emo tweet. Not to mention a wedding cake topper frenzy where I felted my fingers to the bone with custom orders!


April
April saw our most ambitious giveaway/ competition, the Have It Your Way Giveaway where I asked you to design your own tweet... this was the most fun and the most hard work. Big Blue Bed's canary design won the day!

May
I opened my 3rd shop the Feltanomicon... mostly to play with crazy characters and have a bit of fun. Mythosian designs, aliens and dead bunnies followed. Just wait till you see what the Feltanomicon has in store for 2010


June
Feltmeupdesigns wedding cake topper came 2nd in the etsy voter poll and another birthday giveaway of teeny tweets.
July
I turned 30... eep.... don't tell anyone and turned down a fulltime job because I prefer the felt to the bookshop!
August
UK retreat... amazing fun! Met the most amazing people, Learned to gocc from Fabricnation, marvelled at Alibali's capacity for wine (kidding) admired Debsmuddle's tweet making skills and tasted Marmalady's nommy marmalade! Split my jeans (whoops!) and modelled T'shirts for the lovely tinyisland aka Debbie in unsplit jeans thanks to Debbie for the lift to tescos on an emergency jeans run!
September
Hit 300 sales and bought a gocco and opened Inkmeup... that's shop number 4 if you are counting!


October
Introduced the real bird tweets to the menagerie and gocco'd till the cows came home!

November
Made Tweets for South Street Gallery, held a twitter competiton which nearly drove me mad! Crowned John postmaster general and wrapped many dozens of parcels.

December
Featured in christmas voter and the etsy finds email, plus a cheeky bonus in the form of a Christmas day front page feature. Which about brings us up to date...

So often when you work for yourself you forget to look back and reflect on your own achievements and give yourself a big old pat on the back. Instead of making resolutions I am writing a business plan... watch out 2010 the Felt Empire is on the march!

Happy new year peeps, don't forget to give yourself a big old pat on the back from me and celebrate your achievements. And if you do make resolutions try and keep them achievable... and as I have done, throw out the size 10's and be happy with your big bum!

xx

8 comments:

Lorrie said...

Well done Mel. A lot to be proud of. Hope 2010 is as creatively filled for you.

Lorrie
xx

Anonymous said...

what a wonderful year you've had mel - many congrats! you've worked so hard, you should be very proud of yourself. here's looking forward to a fantastic 2010! xx

Lizzie said...

Wow, you have had such a good year! You are right, it's important to reflect on the successes - it is so easy to get bogged down by the bad things, or the here-and-now and forget past causes for celebration.

Four shops now - how do you do it? I hope you feel very proud - I would!

Best Wishes for another great year in 2010. Happy New Year to you and John!

Steffi said...

Oh wow. That sounds like a really successfull year!! All the best for 2010!! :)

Steffi

Tina Mammoser said...

hooorah! That's a big year. :) :) :)

Two things.
1st. What's that tree like thing with the feltathulhus? 'Cause it reminds me a bit of my healer druid tree form on World of Warcraft and I might neeeed one! heehee.
2nd. YOU! That's a picture of YOU! I don't think I've ever seen you. It's... odd. (not you that is, just seeing you) I imagined you more...er, felty. And bird shaped I guess. ;)

Clare Beeson said...

Wow you've had a good year. Welldone, I hope you have as good a year in 2010. I feel inspired and hopeful after reading your post :)

CreatiKnit said...

These are so amazingly adorable! Great work!

CraftBritannia said...

I love all of your tweet birds but my favourite is the lilac and pink one, I love the colours so pretty