shanna murray

Some ribbon and yarn left after wrapping. They reminded me of fireworks, some fireworks for you on this New Year's Eve! I haven't decided if I'll venture out for the real ones tonight, it's supposed to be 8 degrees...

I hope your n.y.e. is just what you wish it to be! 

I'll have some news to share tomorrow, hope you'll stop by in your pajamas!

Cheers! 

Just home from my Westerly travels. It was so good to see family, so good. Hadn't seen or hugged my dad in four and a half years, it felt amazing to get to do that. I caught my little nephew just in time, still in a state of wonder and utter enthusiasm nearly every waking minute. I am so grateful we could spend time together, just he and I. We made an ice castle out of sugar cubes! 

Also on this trip a gift, a realization that having siblings is the best gift a parent could ever give. After loosing a parent this has become so clear. To have loved ones near that know your history, to know the sum of early moments that shaped a life are understood in a sentence or a look is so comforting, and so much needed after so long away.  

I hope your holidays were warm, joyous and restful!

It feels wonderful, tucking in my cozy home again with my favorite fellas. Better still, snow is in the forecast...all the better for tucking in!

Lots in the works for the New Year to share, but I'll save that for then...hoping you too are tucked in (and not even reading this post!), dreaming of the year to come.

Thank you so much, dear ones, for your friendship, support, encouragement and thoughtfulness this past year. It has been such a joy to share it all with you!

Warmest wishes for the New Year to you and yours!

Shanna

p.s. there's a little flurry of a sale in the paperie!

Well, hello there!

It has been a whirlwind handful of days, the holidays are such a full and busy time! No matter how many years I say I want an easy, simple season the next time round I still end up down to the wire again! Thankfully, this time the wire is today, the 15th, as I type this to you at 3:09 am! And the peaceful, simple joys of the season are just a plane ride and twenty degrees warmer away! I am so looking forward to some down time with family, and to catching up on sleep, long silly games of scrabble and lots of cooking!

In a last little flurry of holiday cheer Betsy and I have listed some downloadable holiday goods in our shop! We are quite smitten with these little treats, the type of projects that are just right for simple holiday crafting with friends, or your wee ones. I had such a fun time putting these together with Betsy and I'm so excited that when I return home after Christmas my little attic studio will already be decorated for New Year! I guess I'm ahead of schedule after all! 

I'll be popping in to say hello here and there while I'm away. I'm looking forward to sharing some thoughts on 2008 and some ideas for 2009 with you!

Till then, joy to you!

Shanna 

Just a little note: The cut off to buy a 2009 Dandelion Calendar, Let It Snow print, or holiday wrapping in time for the holidays is tomorrow, Friday, at 11pm. Our downloadable treats (**launching now on Monday!**) will be available through the holidays. We'll be launching a post holiday sale in our paperie on December 26th!

Cheers!!

Shanna

It's all busy, busy here at our house this morning. Lots of packaging of Two Trees orders, the last bits of work for tomorrow's Hello Handmade surprise, packing up ornament swap ornaments, lighting our tree, and laundry in preparation for a trip out west! Lots of endings and beginnings swirling around!

Stop back by tomorrow, when Betsy and I will launch one last little bit of goodness until the new year! We're so excited! We have some fun things planned, including a sweet thank you to all who've done a bit of shopping at our little paperie in these first weeks.

Hugs all around!

Shanna

I've really been tucking into winter and enjoying all the wintery things there are to do. First off, napping. I feel I've finally caught up on sleep, which I must say is one of the best feelings. Life has at last calmed down a bit for our little family, so after napping the holiday decoration box came up from the basement yesterday. 

There will be bread in the oven today (this tried and true banana bread recipe from Stephanie of Agnes and Hoss). And today I think I'll brave the 13 degree weather to hang the pine garland at the front door, and venture out for our tree! 

Betsy and I have something in the works for your tree, or perhaps for adorning your garlands, as well as a special surprise thank you to all of the wonderful folks who have supported our little paperie this past month and a bit! It's hard to believe Hello Handmade is only one month old, it's been such great fun!

Happy Monday to you, dear ones!

S

a good time had by all

It's been a busy whirlwind of stops and starts since I was last in this space. While preparations were underway for Second Storie, the last big bulk of Hello Handmade orders was being packed up to be shipped off, and Thanksgiving approached I was knocked flat on my back by a brutal case of the flu! 

I suppose a slew of 16 hour work days inevitably catches up with you! The good news was I had made such great headway on all of the lists on my list that when it all caught up with me it was not as stressful as it could have been to throw in the towel for a couple of days and sleep.

Happily, I was well enough in time for Second Storie to enjoy it! What an amazing event we had! Such a great feeling was swirling around the market; supportive and enthusiastic vendors, excited shoppers, and delicious catered food! I made some wonderful new friends, and spent some time catching up with old ones. Our goal of an event that feels like a family gathering of makers and enthusiasts was accomplished beyond even my lofty expectations!

I was proud of myself for taking stock after a rather slow day of sales at my table on Saturday. I came home, and with the encouragement of a wise and experienced new friend and house guest I decided to change my entire table display. I transformed my table from a very full, perhaps over-styled presentation to a bare bones collection of work more approachably displayed in white bowls. I printed up some tags to stick on the table rather than on each individual item and voila! sales abounded. It killed me to tear down a table I was really fond of, but it was a great decision in the end and I learned so much through trying something new.

There's much more to share but I've already bent your ear for too long! More soon!

A little Hello Handmade news: Betsy and I will be sharing some new work and surprises with you early next week! We can't wait!

I didn't get a chance to tell you last week, but I am so grateful for you, dear friends!

Happy, Happy Thursday to you!

S