Monday 28 May 2012

Jubilee Mad!

Hi Everyone,
The sun has sent me into some crazy proud-to-be-British mood as I seem to be going Jubilee crazy!
 I think also after realising I was the same age as my daughter when it was the Silver Jubilee in 1977 it has made me feel very nostalgic. I can remember getting an ice-cream cone and sitting on the banking at school in the sunshine dressed from head to toe in red, white and blue. I still remember that as the most amazing thing that ever happened at school. Then taking home a commemorative silver spoon was almost too much excitement! My daughter is getting a Jubilee lunch at school next week and I really hope they do the whole red, white and blue thing too. I think whatever happens there will be some fun flag waving going on here!

 


Jenna Odie has kindly featured my Jubilee babygro on her lovely blog with lots of other cute stuff. Take a look at buyhandmadebritish.co.uk/jubilympics

© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.


Friday 25 May 2012

Jubilee baby!

Hi, hope you like my new design for a Jubilee baby! I did the design a couple of weeks ago but after hearing lots of people were looking for Jubilee items on Folksy I thought I better get it out there and let people see it!
Now available on etsy and folksy!

I'm still loving this happy sunny sunny weather...days and days of glorious sunshine....aaaah!




© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Wednesday 23 May 2012

Sun, sun, sun continued...

I really can't believe this weather is continuing. Me and A have always dreamt about moving to Lake Como and having an artists studio there...after we win the lottery of course! Or if my etsy sales go through the roof! Today it actually felt like we were there, but in fact we were just in our little sunny garden in Edinburgh. We spent the afternoon out there painting and then J came home from school and joined in. What a life.

This is really good news as well because A has been stuck behind a computer for way too long and needs to get back into his art again and today he really was inspired. It's amazing what years of nagging will do!


© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Sun, sun, sun!

Hi Everyone and hope you are enjoying the sun. I hope you are all getting some sun, we live in Scotland so we are usually the ones under the rain cloud on the weather maps so know how that feels! It's been so lovely for days it's kind of starting to freak me out a bit but I'm loving it. It makes me feel so bright and chirpy and ready for anything!

I'm sorry I haven't been writing much recently but it's been very busy...again! I've had some orders and some visitors staying and was creating my new site and Facebook page. I have also become involved in a couple of other ventures which I'm thrilled to be a part of and have been doing work setting them up. The main one is a new business I mentioned once before, Edinburgh Pop-Up Markets which I'm doing together with my very organised and very pro-active friend Lindsay Blakemore who also makes fantastic jewelery.


We will basically provide a craft-market with a range of stalls anytime, any place, anywhere depending what people would like and how big they would like it to be. I think it's going to be great as it means there will be new customers for stall-holders and new places for people to go and shop, and its all at no cost to the organisation, plus 10% of takings go to their chosen charity so I think it's great for everyone involved. Do look at our new facebook page and let me know what you think, or if you would like to be involved or have a place you would like us to come, do get in touch.

Yes last week was very exciting but I also felt a little bit overwhelmed with how much was going on, it feels weird now as it was a frantic rush and so much was happening all at once but now in the beautiful sunshine and back on top of things I am just happy that things are taking off and feel that this is all working out great!


Just thought I'd show you our family banner we made in the garden. J has taken it for show and tell today, unfortunately she had to carry that and her school bag and did trip on the way in, bless her, but she didn't cry and didn't let go of it!

© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.



Friday 18 May 2012

Website Launch


My new website is ready and is now launched!

Please let me know what you think and to celebrate I am offering a 10% discount in my shop. Just enter the code WEBSITEFUN before midnight on the 20th May to take advantage of this offer.

The first 10 customers will also receive a totally exclusive one-off free gift each.
www.sammiller.org.uk/

www.sammiller.org.uk


I would like to say a big thank you to my technical boy A as I think a few hairs would have been pulled out without his help! Hope you enjoy looking. X


© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Thursday 17 May 2012

Featured here, featured there...

My Princess has made it into 2 lovely treasuries today. Take a look, but be warned they may make you want lots of sweet things!!

See the treasury here by Kartinka
www.etsy.com/shop/KARTINKAshop
http://www.etsy.com/treasury//marshmallow
http://www.etsy.com/treasurypaints-of-summer by Katrine www.etsy.com/people/Gammalea

I have also found one of my images featured on another blog. http://kismamalondon.blogspot.co.uk/
It looks great but I must admit I don't know if it says anything good or bad about my picture, if anyone can translate that would be lovely.



It does feel so special for people to be choosing my work to show on their pages. I feel like my work is slowly spreading around the world and being admired and appreciated, just in a small way but it matters in a big way to me.

I am also really enjoying looking at different blogs and sites and have joined a few new groups. It's all very exciting but is usually all done in quick moments when I can sneak a minute or two to look, but there are a few people I'm starting to follow. I'll add more about them asap. Lots of other exciting news to come too but I'm afraid I do need my bed so it will all have to wait for now. Do please come back soon though ...my website launch is tomorrow and will come with a tiny fanfare and a few special treats!
Night nightX


© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Blog about a blog!

I was really flattered this morning to get a message from Jenna Odie to let me know she had put my tooth fairy boxes on her blog! The page is at http://blog.buyhandmadebritish.co.uk/2012/05/tooth-fairy.html

It's a really lovely blog so do take a look and I say a big thankyou to Jenna.

I will be blogging myself properly in the next few days but things are going crazy... in a very good way and I feel SamMillerUK really is starting to take over a teeny tiny bit of the world!!




© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Monday 14 May 2012

My New Facebook Page

Hi, I've just created my new Facebook business page. I will be adding special offers, events and new items as well as any lovely things I find so do take a look at http://www.facebook.com/SamMillerUK



© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Friday 11 May 2012

Business booming!

Hi Everyone,
It's been a bit of a crazy week since I got back from our trip. Orders have been rushing in from my etsy shop and I had my first sale on Folksy. I had kind of given up on Folksy as I wasn't sure how it's searches worked and didn't think you would ever actually be seen BUT someone happily found my wee man so I shall keep going with it! I got a lovely email to thank me for it so that was good.

I also had to do a whole set of new tshirts and babygros for the Cove as they only had one left. It feels great to know people are choosing my things and they are selling out! I left a few bags there too so hopefully they will get snapped up too...fingers crossed.

It has been hectic though fitting in all my orders, looking after J and also working elsewhere. I run an art group (which I love) with people with serious mental health issues each week. I have been there for about 12 years and really enjoy it and in an ironic way it keeps me sane as it means I have to step out of my bubble each week. It's also really inspiring as I love all the work that is produced and I really try to encourage people to develop their own styles, it's so great seeing people develop their confidence and individuality. One of the people who has been in my group since it began, said a while ago that I should be doing more of my own work and it really stuck with me and I think about that sometimes when I see how much artwork I am producing now. I really hope my business grows as it makes me so happy making things but it also needs to make us happy financialy. It's definitely going the right way so I will just keep on...& on...


It was the Big Bike Breakfast at J's school today, organised by  Sustrans  J was so excited that she woke us up extra early and she just couldn't wait so we were the first ones there! You got a free breakfast if you cycled to school today. I'm afraid I didn't actually cycle as I don't actually have a bike but I did push J most of the way so I think I did earn my snack. It was great seeing all the kids and the parents and lots of yummy croissants!! I also got a good game of Red Red River and Hide and Seek with J and her friends and everyone was quite hyper by 9 o'clock so I am now fit and ready to go for the rest of the day!

My plan is to sort out my business Facebook page and also get my head around Pinterest today. I did find 10 Top Tips for a perfect Pinterest page on a wonderful blog by Natalie Butterworth so I shall be following her tips wisely!


 © Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.


Tuesday 8 May 2012

Home again...home again...

Hi, hope you had a good weekend. We had a great time and it really felt like we were away for ages. The ETSY sale was on Saturday at Seaham. It was a really nice day and there was some gorgeous work there and lots of friendly people but unfortunately it was not the big event I had been expecting. However it did lead to a great relaxing weekend of dragons, broomsticks and fun on the beach so it was all worth it.

I also came home to new orders too so that was great, got them all made and sent off today and I have been making more stuff for the Cove so it feels like I got some good karma from the trip anyway!



Belly Dancers at the event! It was slightly surreal having them dancing around the stands but really nice and a wonderful lady did some singing and I think she could easily have got a place on the Voice! (Must get her name). More details and other pics can be seen at  keepcalmevents.blogspot.com 



J loving a paddle at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. She had a great time...bless!

 © Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.




Thursday 3 May 2012

See you soon!

I'm almost ready for the big ETSY event this weekend. I've got lots of stuff to sell and I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing lots of lovely things. It feels like a special holiday, party and work all rolled into one! Sadly though I did break my wonderful new laminator in my excitement about getting things done as one of my tiny pendant designs got jammed inside, so that will not be for sale! I haven't dared tell A yet as I know he will say I was rushing...again! I'll tell him while we are relaxing in our hotel room/motorway services!! I will be back after the big event to tell you all about it and maybe see some of you there!
Have a lovely weekend X



For details of the event at Seaham, County Durham, May 5th 2012

 © Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Cute canvases!

Hi, I had a great meeting this morning with my very good friend Julie Read. We have started having monthly business meetings to support each other in our new quests. It's a really good way to judge what we've done each month as it's almost like handing in homework! Julie's really supportive and very good at helping me plan my next move and has come up with lots of suggestions about other places to try and sell my work. Got lots to do in the next month!

Julie's business portfolio-oomph.com is an online advisory service for people hoping to get in to art college and has lots of useful ebooks and stuff. Do take a look, it's a great idea, I would have loved it when I was applying for art college...oh so long ago.See Julie and her site below!



I also found some very cute tiny little canvases while I was out, only 7cm X 7cm. I think they are adorable and have spent the evening painting them, as they are so small it feels really relaxed and I think I might be addicted, I managed to get 7 done between moments of making tea, bathtime and bedtime and plan to buy more! This is one below and this is actually slightly bigger than the actual size. They are my new favourite things.



© Copyright  Sam Miller 2012
All the artwork and text on this blog are original and belong to SamMillerUK. They must not be copied, used or reproduced without the permission of the artist. Thank you.