Upgraded Web Site

Our new upgraded website is now operational.  You will not see many differences until you come to order, so you do not have to find your way around a totally new design.  However when you order you will find it much quicker and easier.  For example if you are ordering Friendly Plastic you will remain on the list of Friendly Plastic colours and the shopping basket comes to you on that page.  This is much quicker than going to the shopping basket and then finding where you were!  I hope you will find it a big improvement.

I still have to do some work myself, such as adding the photos to the category headings.  Unfortunately some things did not transfer over to the new system.  The other thing which did not transfer are the links on the product description.  I am going to have to work through and change them manually so that they work.  Please bear with me on this as I will have to fit it inbetween exhibitions.

Another new feature is the ability to leave testimonials.  This is on the right hand side of the front page and I believe this is a good feature for anybody new coming to the site as they can check that we do post promptly and do our level best to give a good service.  If you are having a look at the web-site perhaps you could put a testimonial on for me - if you can a big thanks from me.  (There is also a product review facility but I don't think this is possible until you have ordered on the new site - still getting to grips with this).
http://www.theframeworkshop.co.uk/

Cuff Bracelet in Friendly Plastic

Whilst I was in Manchester Christel was working on another Jewellery piece.  This is a cuff bracelet she has made using 2 strips of African Violet.  She joined the 2 together and used a rubber stamp at random to achieve texture.  She wrapped it around a bottle (of the correct size) on the Teflon Sheet whilst it was still warm and did not remove it until it was totally cold.  Christel then used the Copper Multi-Surface Paint, allowing the paint to fill the indentations made by the rubber stamp, but then rubbing it off the surface before it dried so it did not remain on the unstamped African Violet.  I wonder if she will notice if I pinch it off her!

Customer's Pendant seen at Event City

I saw this pendant on a customer at Event City, Manchester.  I originally spotted it at a distance and thought it quite stunning and a perfect example that Friendly Plastic does not have to be complicated.  Whilst she did say she had been somewhat over enthusiastic with heating the bottom green colour we both felt the black showing through did actually add to the piece.

Event City Manchester

It was a little worrying that the exhibition was moving from G-Mex to Event City at Trafford Park, as it had been established at G-Mex for many years.  However what a good move it was.  Event City was a very spacious venue, with loads of seating room, and NO parking charges for exhibitors or public.  I met a lot of new people who were visiting an exhibition for the first time, as well as many existing customers.  Thanks to you all for supporting this new venue. 

One of my best friends at the exhibitions, Alison, did her first show with Zentangle.  Alison has been at the exhibitions  before and most recently has been seen helping me at Exeter, Dublin & Harrogate.  She is now introducing Zentangle to the UK at the exhibitions and can be seen at Exeter, Alexandra Palace, NEC, Glasgow & Harrogate.  As she has worked with Friendly Plastic when she has been helping me she has used Friendly Plastic as a base for Zentangle, as well as producing many other ideas.  Here are the images of a display she produced for my stand,  it could quite easily be framed as a piece of wall-art in its own right, or used for jewellery ideas.  If anybody needs any details of Alison and where to contact her I can pass on her details (she has a big range of books and the special pens).

                      

Special Bank Holiday Promotion

I have a special August Bank Holiday promotion running on the web-site until Monday 29th.  It will finish on Monday night (albeit in reality I will not be able to change it until I come in on Tuesday morning).  I've got Monday off next week!!  You will see discounts across many of the ranges, including Friendly Plastic and Greeting Cards, together with many of the mixed media items.

Now to let you know a little of what I think is good news.  Whilst I have had many appreciative comments about our web-site I am aware that now the ordering system is rather outdated and can be labourious.  I am now having the web-site updated and the whole ordering system will be much quicker and slicker.  They anticipate it will take them 2-3 weeks, but I will have to be careful not to clash with an exhibition when it goes live.  However it should be up and running by mid-late October.  I dare not leave the husband 'home alone' with a new web-site launch!!!

Hope everybody is well and enjoying Friendly Plastic.  My next exhibition is next week when it is Manchester - now at Event City, Trafford Park instead of G-Mex.  I will of course have the Friendly Plastic strips and pellets there, together with the new multi-surface paints and the Kunin felt.  Come and see me!

Kunin Felt

I have now loaded the Kunin Felt on the web-site.  There are 22 different plain colours together + glitter felt, embossed felt and an Alligator finish in Black.  Kunin Felt is the one that as well as being stitched into can also be burnt with a heat gun so that it forms holes, this makes it ideal for Mixed Media work.  I had this on the stand at Festival of Quilts the other week-end and it was extremely popular.

Crafts 4 All - Bristol - 8th-9th Sept

I have noticed that I am listed on the exhibitors list for the show at Bristol in a couple of weeks time.  Sorry, but I am not doing that particular exhibition.  My listing as an exhibitor has been a genuine error and the fact that I will not be there is no reflection on the Show.  I have had to leave that weekend free for other committments (I am currently working with our web-people on a web-site upgrade which will make the ordering process much quicker and easier).  Apologies to anybody who thought I would be there - the next closest I am will be Cardiff on 29th Sept - 1st Oct.

NEC Quilt

This beautiful book was created by Lisa Millward, a Textile Artist and she kindly brought it as a gift to me at the Quilt Exhibition.  It really is gorgeous, with loads of different techniques, and too nice to use!  Not only that she also brought me a cup of tea to the stand - it can't get better than that!

Lisa does undertake commissions so if you need something special I can always put you in contact with her.

Quilt Show at the NEC

A thank you to all my customers who visited me at The Festival of Quilts.  I met some lovely people - and an extra thanks to the many who travelled from abroad to visit the show.  What a fabulous show it is.  For those of you who were not able to visit the Show here are some photos of just a few of the things which took my eye + a photo of my stand of course!

Obviously my Stand on the left.  We did have some confusion with my Stand No, but by the 2nd day the people on my original stand were very good at sending people round to me.

The ammonite quilt on the right was about 4-5' tall.

Above obviously one of the winners on the left and on the right just a section of a quilt - I saw this just as I was ready for a cup of tea myself!

I love the quilt on the left for its colour mix, and well what can I say about the Sinatra Quilt.  How talented somebody is to create this in fabric - and this was actually 1 of a set of 3 (I have posted another photo on facebook of the other 2).

Well back to getting for the next exhibition - 1st-3rd September at Trafford Park (this is the replacement for G-Mex in Manchester so it will be a new venue for us all).

Friendly Plastic 101 Project Book

The goods news is that The Friendly Plastic 101 Project Book has arrived.  Whilst it has been reprinted with a new cover the book has the same projects as previously.  This book is brilliant for ideas and it is very easy to follow because it has so many photographs, including work in progress photos.  Even better news is that the price has been reduced from £14.50 and it is now £12.  I will have stocks with me at the Quilt Show next week.

                         Some of the ideas which
                         are illustrated in the book