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Tuesday 3 September 2013

New collection - Embossed Wedding

I have been so excited about my new collection, I have been working on getting this right for a while and now it is becoming a reality.

A personalised collection made generally from clear glass, simple but extremely effective and elegant.

 
 
 
We also have a  top table range which includes
'Mother of the Bride, Father of the Bride, Bridesmaid, Best Man etc'
 
Contact me by Email or on Facebook
 

Feedback very welcome!

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Prize Give Away

Were having a Give Away WWWHHHOOOOOOOO!!!
 
Facebook has now reached over 300 followers and to celebrate I am offering a 'Heart Trinket Dish' (Colour of your choice) to one lucky winner!
 
 
To Enter click http://tootsieshandmade.wix.com/tootsieshandmade and submit your form.
 
Good Luck
 
 

Friday 31 May 2013

My bank holiday weekend!

I decided to take some time out this bank holiday weekend and spend it wholly with my friends and family.

On Saturday I took my best friend to see Alicia Keys at The NIA in Birmingham City for her birthday,    surprising we got there in one piece and without making any direction mishaps which is good for me as I usually just travel without looking at the map :) and hope for the best! 

She was amazing and I would 100% recommend anyone who is thinking of buying a ticket to go! 

                                       
                               

On Sunday my good friend Trudi had an open day at her lampwork studio, the sun came out in support and we had a fabulous day making beads and chatting about Glass :), I met some new faces and caught up with the usuals it's was a fun day had by all! 

                       


Monday was that extra day we all wish we had every week, myself and Kevin took our niece Kree-Anna out for the day, first stop was east Carlton park to play in the park and build sand castles then a stroll through the woods to see all the wonderful tree sculptures whilst eating ice lollies :D heaven! 

We then took a walk to The boating lake where a fun day was being held for local charities including Windmills Corby, it was full of bouncy castles, stalls, dancing / entertainment and a teddy bears picnic, great fun for the kids! 

We decided it was still early so we jumped in the car and took a trip to Market Harborough to browse the town boutiques, there are so many pretty things to see. The smell of freshly cooked chips passed us by and we couldn't resist a little afternoon snack. 

                                                      Two of my favourite people!
                                      

 
                                               
                                         
                                       


Thursday 16 May 2013

Dreamers?

I sit here most days after the day job waiting to pick up my mum to take her home after a long day (I'm a good daughter like that) and this is my view; a huge complex of unwanted warehouses sitting doing nothing. (It's the same on the opposite side too) 



There is 4 out of 10 occupied; not good right? 

I have a dream of opening a working studio complex and this place or at least one or two of them would do a great job of hosting our creative talents.

Oh well I will keep dreaming and whilst looking at the sheet of grey steel each day I will endeavour to get inspired and write blogs for you all. 

What is your dream? 

Louise 
Www.tootsieshandmade.etsy.com
Www.facebook.com/tootsieshandmade 

Pinterest Inspiration

I love grabbing inspiration from everywhere I can in my day to day life so when I stumbled upon Pinterest I got a little addicted to say the least!

Inspirations for my art and also for general living its amazing; I thought I would share some of my favourites with you. 

                          

                                           

                           
      

What's your opinion on Pinterest? If you haven't yet registered, how can I persuade you to? :D 

Come over and follow me at www.pinterest.com/louisemenzies86 
Link yours below and ill follow you back!

Happy Pinning! 
Louise

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Facebook Schedules

I LOVE schedules :D ... There I said it I confess! 

Ok ok now I know that sounds really ridiculous but I am kind of obsessed (as the other half nods aggressively beside me), I cannot seem to budge this pattern that I guess keeps me on track with my day to day plans as I try to grow my business. 

Although I do agree  it is excessive to some extent but without it I wouldn't know whether I was coming or going. 

I love to interact with my fans and customers but spending all day on facebook is just not good for business as it distracts me from all of the other one man band elements that I have to manage,  but I have now found the schedule posts manager on my facebook page, do you know about this? 

It allows you to pre-set your posts by date and time, although preparation is required; if you already blog or post you normally would already know what you wanted to discuss on a daily basis (well i do anyway, maybe thats just another excessive string to my belt) whether it be new products, discounts, places to visit or general chit chat it can be all there ready to go. 

This way you can pop in and check on updates and interact when time allows you :) .... Great idea huh? 

Give a go if you haven't already; here's a quick how to guide:

ENJOY! Louise x 


                                          

                                          

                                         

Love is all around

.So many shapes and designs to try in glass fusing but I always seem to come back to the heart, they brighten up the day I think, no matter what colour or shape they send me good vibes :)

So here is me sending some good vibes your way :) 

                                         
                               
                

Confession: I Heart <3 Glass 

Louise 
Www.tootsieshandmade.etsy.com
Www.facebook.com/tootsieshandmade 









New look; New Collection

 Tootsies Handmade is undergoing its very own rebrand, we have designed our logo and are awaiting new business cards and packaging it's very exciting.

Here is our new logo... Do you like it, the feedback received seems very positive so that makes me happy. 

We also have a new collection that is growing each day, a contemporary collection made with clear embossed glass. 

Here are a few of our samples, I really do love this range.

 

Sunday 14 April 2013

Book review - Change you're mind by Rod Judkins


I bought a book from the bookstore at London st Pancras station last week, I'm really into inspirational and motivational speakers and their work so I was automatically drawn to the business shelf. 

I found myself reading through a book called 'Change your mind - 57 ways to unlock your creative self'.



There are some really amazing facts in this book that I personally was unaware of, here are a few that have stood out already! 

'Questions stimulate curiosity'

'Education forces an individual to behave to think in the patterns society has dictated' 

'Thos who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing'

Have you read it? ... What are your thoughts? 

Do you have any other recommendations? 

Happy Reading!!! 
Louise 

Wednesday 3 April 2013

How to promote handmade products

I was searching for that little extra something to make our stylish glass art stand out in the crowd, I came across this article over at 5thjoy, I have already tried a lot of these but after failure you become negative; I have realised that the real gift is perseverance and making yourself stand out.

Get your personality into your product!


HOW TO ACTIVELY PROMOTE YOUR ONLINE HANDMADE PRODUCTS BUSINESS

1. Email Like a Human Being. Send only personal emails. Use the recipient’s name and indicate that you actually read their blog or visit their shop or know what value they offer the world. Emailing 10 well-chosen contacts personally is far more effective than spamming 100. It’s all about exclusivity. If the email isn’t personal, the recipient knows you’re offering everyone else the same content.

2. Be Relevant. Relevance is the most important and effective element of the personal email - and the personal relationship building newsletter email too. If you don’t have a good reason to reach out about which the recipient will care (an announcement, an expertise that could benefit them), wait until you do. You’d only waste your time and theirs.

3. Keep Attachments Simple. Don’t email PDFs or PPT files, which can be hard to open. If you are sending an inquiry about a business partnership (to a shop for example who might be interested in carrying your product line), include 3-4 images of your work in case they don’t have time to link out.

4. Ask Before Adding to Mailing Lists. Never add contacts to a recurring mass email without asking permission.

5. Giveaway Grace-fully. Don't give stuff away all the time. It cheapens your products and lowers perceived value. You also attract a lot of freebie seekers - not the traffic you want! That said, one or two well-chosen, valuable giveaways a year can help your blog, IF you position your site to make the most of them.

6. Embrace Google Apps. When you grow to the point that you can’t respond to every email, use Google Canned Responses. Placeholders remind you where to personalize, while the shell saves you from recreating the wheel.

7. Be persistent. If one idea is rejected, keep submitting new ones. When Emily has rejected a few ideas but loves your latest ine, she’s even happier to give you a shot.

TWITTER + FACEBOOK

8. Rule of Third’s. This is one I'm taking to heart. I really need to start doing more of this, and this is great advice. Follow this rule: on Twitter, make sure your tweets are 1/3 personal, 1/3 business, and 1/3 resource sharing.

9. There’s No Royal We in Tweet. Remember that Twitter and Facebook are SOCIAL venues. Don’t robo-tweet or treat your Twitter feed like a press release. Be informal and personal. People will respond to knowing there’s a human being behind your brand. It’s okay to be a one-woman show.

10. Share the Wealth. Resource sharing builds goodwill and is a great place to pass on finds and tips that don’t merit a whole blog post. Tweet useful links (make sure they don’t drive to your own site) and watch your followers grow.

11. Never Complain. Complaining comes off as ungrateful. Always. So just don’t.

12. 3 Tweets a Day. Minimum.

13. Avoid The Tit-for-Tat Trap. Respond to everyone who engages in a real conversation with you. We’re not beholden to thank everyone for every single Follow Friday mention or RT. But responding to every last person who takes the time to say something specific and thoughtful is a requirement.

14. Know Your Venue. Play to each social network’s strength. Facebook is great for photos and reader contests. It can also be a great place to share your personal life.

PSST! WHISPER EFFECTIVELY: PASSIVE PROMOTION

15. Socialize Outside Your Niche. Make contacts outside your niche. There’s no inherit competition, so it’s easier to discuss challenges freely. Don't spend a lot of your precious time outside your niche though. Do go where your customers are most of the time.

16. Barter. Try bartering for services. How about jewelry repair for photography work? Or babysitting for copywriting?

17. Say Yes to “Great Opportunities.” Yes, that means working for free. When you’re starting out, say yes to everything, even if you shell out some dough. The less glamo. rous projects needn’t go in your portfolio. Investing in the more glamorous projects usually costs less than advertising, and is more effective. When she started, Amy would spend $200 buying flowers just to get her name out there.

18. Share Your Secrets: Barb Blair talked about teaching as way to give back and open doors. When Grace contacted her about writing a DIY column, she was nervous about sharing her secrets. Two months later, magazines and publishers were beating down her door. Now she’s working on a book deal.

BE EXCELLENT. AND DIFFERENT.

19. Do Your Thing Really Well. The best promotion is doing something really well that no one else around you is doing. Emily Newman talked about how Amy Osaba’s fluid, organic approach to floral design sets her work apart from the traditional arrangements, especially in the South.

20. Invent, don’t Copy. Amy stressed being unique is not about following trends. Don’t copy what’s already going on; take inspiration from what you see and give it your own twist.

21. Give Yourself a Good Shake. Grace chimed in that the cutting edge isn’t one thing. Define your own cutting edge. Being in the same place all the time digs creative ruts. Put yourself in situations that shake you to your core. Take a horse-race themed trip to Italy. Come home from Mexico with a color palette no one else is using. (My own tip would be make time for art of all kinds. An afternoon at a museum disturbs your worldview when travel isn’t an option.)

22. Do Fail. Don’t Wallow. Ashley talked about making a really ugly piece of art (“If my mom thinks it’s pretty than it must be horrible!”). Because she was on a project deadline, she had to completely rethink it and make something else on the spot. The whole exercise pushed her to new, fertile ground. So go ahead and suck, but don’t wallow. Just get on with trying something new.

Thursday 28 March 2013

Prize give away

Good morning :) the sun is shining today... Happy me!

We're trying to reach 300 likes over on our Facebook page... Can you help?

I am a glass artist from midlands, UK and I love what I can do with glass :)

Please take a look at our Facebook page and if you like what you see please 'like' our page and celebrate with us.

If we manage to reach 300 fans by midnight 30th March I will be having a prize giveaway :)

Here's a sneak preview of the colours ill be making the prize with...... Will you come join us?

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Monday 11 March 2013

My Mother's Day treat!

Mothers day treats.... As we were away for Mother's Day this year I decided to get everything ready for visiting last Friday, I love treating all the mothers in my life so I tend to send some love to my nearest and dearest.... Including mother, step mums, sisters, in laws... You get it they all got a piece of Louise's treats :) feedback is great so higher expectations for next year I suspect!

These are what I made... Homemade chocolate fudge (milk chocolate with marshmallows and white chocolate with homemade honey comb topping! Delicious!!!!


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Winters back!!!!

Good morning all, what's the weather like near you?

Can you imagine my surprise when I woke up to a freezing snowy blizzard this morning, it being 11th March I thought we got over this stage...... There was me thinking I could start getting inspired by the sun and warmer weather... Might just have to stick to the winter theme for a while longer hehe.


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Friday 1 March 2013

Fused Scottish Thistle

I bought a big kiln and glass tools to start fusing just before Christmas last year, I have been playing with lots of different ideas.

I had a request from a lady called Lisa who I have been working with for the windmill charity in Corby, she wanted a Scottish theme gift her her mothers birthday, as I am new to fusing I told her I would have a play and see what I could come up with.

I finally finished it today and i am so proud of how it has turned out, I have surrounded it with a white shadow frame and if I do say so myself I think its brilliant!

What do you think? :)

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Sunday 24 February 2013

Time to relax

This afternoon is relaxation time... Kids are playing in their den, we have the fire on with a nice cup of tea, I'm in heaven.

Will last for an hour before its time to work in the studio and make dinner :)


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Thursday 14 February 2013

Exciting news from TH HQ

Good evening fellow bloggers, it's been extremely busy here at Tootsies Handmade HQ; my biggest and proudest moment this year that i had to share with you is that i have been issued in the latest Making Jewellery magazine @http://www.craftsinstitute.com/making-jewellery with my new
 sandblasted lampwork beads!



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We will be celebrating this weekend .... But this hopefully is only the beginning :)

Here are some more photos of my sandblasted range...... You can find them in my etsy shop!


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What do you think... Feedback great fully received ? X

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Wanna see me knobs?!?

Hello welcome back... Seems I have spits and spurts at blogging I'm not very good at keeping on top I hope you don't mind :)

I have been working on a new project 'project knobs' ... No no no I'm not being rude honestly..... I mean these knobs




There fabulous new glass handles/knobs for draws and small units, I'm in love and so many quirky ideas I have too.

I found a UK supplier for the sleeves and rods at the average size M4 and once I was hooked I thought I'd let everyone else in on cheap supplies too, if you like the look and fancy a shot check out my Etsy shop here.




Are you doing a revamp in your home, these knobs are a simple yet effective way to change your look ..... They will be also be available here

They are also available at The Gift Box which I mentioned in my last post :)

Thanks for reading and I hope you like my new designs

Louise x

Exciting news about The gift box

It's official we have a new handmade gift shop and its open to the public whoooooooooo I'm so excited I don't know if you can tell :D


It's called The Gift Box and it is in the village of warkton near kettering, the owners are Deanne and Rona and what a fabulous pair they are too, they definatly make the shop with their wonderful bubbly personalites.

If you would like to visit this gorgeous quirky and personalised gift shop please see details below or visit the facebook page TheGiftbox


 

Moorfield Courtyard
Warkton
NN16 9XJ
Kettering
Northamptonshire
United Kingdom

I had my official launch of the knobs here too which makes it extra special for me... Take a look at what's on offer;





Thanks for reading, catch up again soon

Louise x