#SilentSunday

And the winner is....!

My competition to win a custom-made limited edition pink fluoro dice ended last night. I know there were a few problems with people wanting to leave comments on the blog but not being able to without having a blog themselves, so I opened it up to anyone who tweeted me too.

It took me ages to fold all the names of those who entered (!) and put them into a hat to randomly draw the winner....

Congratulations Suki! I'll send you a message to get your details and find out what you'd like sewn on your dice. And I'd like to offer the other 3 entries 10% off anything in my shop to say thanks for entering. Stacie, Emma and Elin that's you!!!

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I really appreciate you all reading my blog, entering the competition and all the lovely comments regarding the Mollie Makes piece. It's been wonderful to have such a positive response, and it's great to be part of a really encouraging community. I hope all the new visitors will pop back to see what else is going on at This is Wiss in the future, and thank you to my regular readers too!

#SilentSunday

The Great This is Wiss Give-away!

Look what I have finally got my hands on! I have been desperate to see my little piece in a real copy of Mollie Makes, but problems with the subscription mail outs, problems with the Royal Mail and then problems with our postman meant it only arrived this morning.

It doesn't matter though it's here, and that can only mean one thing: a give-away!

The Fluoro Dice as featured in this month's Mollie Makes is strictly limited edition but you can win a custom made dice before they disappear! You can see the article and my post here.

If you would like to enter my give-away to win a Dice all you need to do is leave me a comment below; you can say anything you like or even not much at all! I will pick a winner at random next week and will make up a special Pink Fluoro Dice to your specifications - I can spell out names up to 6 letters maximum, have a wide range of symbols and shapes and of course numbers.

I look forward to hearing from you and good luck!

The small print: Only one entry per person please. The competition will close at 7pm on Monday 23 July. The winner will be picked at random and announced on Tuesday 24 July on Twitter (@thisiswiss) and here on my blog. Open to everyone worldwide!

#SilentSunday

Handmade Toys and Other Essentials....in Balham!

Next Sunday I will be taking part in another Balham Craft Fair at the fantastic Balham Bowls Club. I blogged about the first fair back in March here and I am really pleased that it looks like this will be a regular feature on the craft calendar.

The Balham Bowls Club (BBC) really is a gem of a pub - just look at their website to see the whole range of gloriously quirky events they hold. It has a great 'local' feel and I love the casual and original decor - this is definitely not a run-of-the-mill establishment. The craft fair will be in the upstairs room as before - it has great light and room to sit and enjoy a drink and cake as well as perusing the handmade goods on offer.

Image from the BBC website

For those of you planning to attend with babies in buggies, there is a flight of stairs but a member of staff will be happy to help you and your little one up. There are comfy seats a plenty and space for you to move around in comfort - I know how difficult it can be to visit fairs and markets with a child.

I will be selling all the usual This is Wiss products - including waterproof bags and changing mats sets, bobby horses, flannel monsters - but also I will be showcasing some new products. Continuing from my brush with fame this month (did I mention I was in Mollie Makes?!) I will be selling my soft squishy dice in three fab new colours. These can be custom ordered to spell out a name (as long as it's 6 letters or less!)

I wanted to have some more products suitable for toddlers rather than just babies. I have had many favorable comments about the moustache t-shirt I made for Wiss back in October and been asked to make more for other children, so I will be bringing a range of these in various colours with me to the BBC on Sunday. I don't really like making things that are obviously gender-specific so it will be moustaches for the girls too!

I've also been experimenting with upcycling t-shirts and making them into bandanna-style dribble bibs. These reversible neckerchiefs have jersey on one side and thin soft terry on the other for extra absorbency. They have adjustable popper fastenings and will be made in the characteristic This is Wiss style (think bright colours!)

I am really looking forward to this event and would love to see some of you on Sunday - fingers crossed for some good weather!

#SilentSunday

Mollie Makes...This is Wiss!

Following on from my earlier post about taking This is Wiss to the next step, I had some fantastic news this week. I have been wanting to share it for some time as I was so excited but I wanted to wait until I saw it with my own eyes. And here it is!

This is a page from the July edition of Mollie Makes magazine, and look! there is my fluorescent dice....in print!


Mollie Makes is a great crafting magazine, launched in May 2011 and features anything and everything handmade. It's a modern take on many old-fashioned crafts: it's a great source of inspiration and has lots of tutorials so you can try new things. I treated myself to a subscription this Christmas! If you want to have a look for yourself you can pick up a copy in the UK from WHSmiths, Sainsburys, and independent craft shops such as Ray Stitch, or check out the Mollie Makes website for international outlets or a web copy.


Enough of the sales pitch!


Now I know that this is just a tiny piece but I am so chuffed and it couldn't have come at a  better time: just as I was thinking of ways to reach a wider audience. Exposure (however big or small) is great and I plan to build upon it (etsy shop coming soon, I promise!) But there was just one small problem issue: the fabulous fluorescent pink material I use for these dice is strictly limited edition. So limited in fact, that there is precious little left. I have enough to complete some custom orders, and I have some dice made up in stock but once they are gone...it's all gone! Forever.


This situation is far from ideal, especially as I hope to be growing my business but I have finally been able to source some lovely replacement fabric and in some great new colours too. I will now be making my dice in cobalt blue, fuchsia pink, and mustard yellow...

These dice are just some of the new products I will be selling this year - I'll keep you informed of all the developments as they happen. Until then, you can get your hands on a squishy dice (as featured in Mollie Makes!) via my website www.thisiswiss.co.uk or if you're a Londoner, come and see me at the Balham Craft Fair on the 22 July. I can also custom-make dice with names (up to a maximum of six letters).

Thanks for reading as always, and watch this space!

#SilentSunday