My Etsy Shop

Wednesday 29 July 2015

New Pattern: Ahenny Celtic Cross

I've just added a new pattern to both my Etsy and Payhip shops.
 
 
Ahenny Celtic Cross is already one of my favourites and was a joy to work on. It is inspired by knotwork carved onto the North Cross, one of the two high crosses at Kilclispeen Cemetery, Ahenny, County Tipperary, Ireland.
 
The two stone crosses are all that remains of a monastery that was on the site and are believed to date from the eighth or ninth century. They are amongst the earliest examples of ringed crosses.
 
 
This pattern is perfect for those of you who love Celtic art or who want to stitch something connected to ancient Ireland.
 
This will be the last Celtic design I release for a while as there are other design projects I'll be concentrating on for the next few months. My main priorities are forthcoming bird collection to compliment my popular bullfinches design and the Leopold alphabet.
 
Unfortunately, the Pentrich revolution embroidery project has been cancelled due to lack of support. This is very disappointing for me and the organisers of the project but they still have plenty of other things planned. I may still be able to donate a contribution to the art exhibition if I can find the time to make something.
 
 
I have also updated my logo and Etsy shop banner to freshen things up a little. I'll be updating all of my pattern cover pages with this new look too.
 
 
To buy the pattern, you can either click on the Etsy listing at the top of the page or click below to go to my Payhip shop.
 

Monday 27 July 2015

Etsy prices - EU VAT update

I wrote in an earlier post how EU VAT is affecting sellers of digital products, no matter how small the business is. To recap, any business, regardless of its size, is now obliged to charge EU VAT to customers that live within the European Union.
 
In January, Etsy announced they would put systems in place to deal with this tax. Last week the system was introduced and so if you live in an EU country, you will see that my prices have increased. The price that you see will have increased by the EU VAT rate in your country. For the UK, this is 20%.
 
The price is calculated and added automatically and Etsy will take care of the tax. Unfortunately, because I'm not selling directly to customers in the UK, the tax still applies to sales to UK customers.
 
This is completely beyond my control and Etsy are only doing what the law requires them to do.
 
If you buy from my Payhip shop, EU VAT is added at the checkout.
 
There is a strong campaign to get the EU to introduce a reasonable threshold that will mean small businesses no longer have to charge this tax. If you would like to know more about how EU VAT will affect you as a business owner or customer click the link below.
 

Thursday 23 July 2015

Making Plans

My floss box
It's that time of year - the Summer Slump, but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of creating heaps of work for myself. I've been really busy making plans for what I want to do over the coming months.
 
You may have seen my Leopold B design. Since I first stitched it, I've been planning to create a whole alphabet but until now I haven't got around to it. I've decided to shrink the letters so they each fit into a 6-inch hoop. It's going to take a while before they're ready to go on sale but I'm very excited about how they're going to look.
 
 
I'm also creating a series of bird designs to go with the bullfinches which are already on sale. Here's a sneak-peek at some of them. There's also a robin which will be ready later this year.
 
 
I'm also giving my Festive Bauble design a makeover: I'm changing the colours and resizing it as I wasn't completely happy with the original. That will also be available later this year.
 

I've been commissioned to make a wedding sampler which I have to keep secret for now but I'll show you how it turns out once it's been delivered to the happy couple. The wedding is in October so you'll have to wait a bit longer to see it!
 
I also have plans to give my online shops a new look. It all needs freshening up a little bit so this is another ongoing project for the next few weeks. I can't wait to put all the pieces together and when it's ready I'll tell you all about it here on Beneath the Hawthorn Tree.
 
As far as the blog itself is concerned, I want to add more tutorials and hints and tips etc so I'll be making a list of ideas for that. I'm also planning on launching a new personal blog for nature notes and musings as I want this blog to be focused on embroidery and crafts.
 
This is only part of my to-do list so as you can see I have plenty to keep myself occupied! I'll keep you posted on everything. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as popping into my Etsy and Payhip shops.
 
Make the most of the long days while they last!
 
Happy crafting! 

Thursday 2 July 2015

New Pattern: Gallia, Goddess of Gaul

We've been enjoying beautiful weather here in the Amber Valley for the last few days so I've been working with the window open. As I write there are swifts, swallows and house martins flying over and the roses are in full bloom.
 
It's that time of year when we can enjoy crafting outside for a change. I have just added my latest pattern to my Etsy and Payhip stores: meet Gallia, Goddess of Gaul.
 
 
This design is based on an image found on a Roman coin dating from the middle of the first century. The region that the Romans called Gaul covered much of central Europe from France to Switzerland and parts of Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. You may also have heard of it as the home of Asterix and his friends!
 
There are a number of variations on this image on different coins. Some are described as being a captive Gaulish woman but others are said to show the land of Gaul represented as a goddess. There is a reference to Gallia in an inscription on the remains of a Roman garrison near Hadrian's Wall called Vindolanda but very little is known about her. It may be that she was more of a symbol, like Britannia or Marianne.
 
Whatever she may have meant to the people of Gaul, she is a strong image of ancient womanhood. Rather than being made to look pretty, she has dishevelled hair and a defiant gaze which speaks to women in the 21st century.
 
You can buy the pattern by clicking on the Etsy listing at the top of the page or by clicking here to go to my Payhip shop.
 
(c) Karen Eley/The Hawthorn Tree