New stuff!

Enchanted Times #5 is currently in the final stages of preparation, and will be going to the printers in the next couple of weeks.  Pre-order your copy through either the TangleStore or E.T.Printworks Etsy Store & receive 3 FREE E.T.Printworks postcard/notecards with your order!  For further details of contents, see individual listings, or check out the 2 preview issues of Enchanted Times Mini, #4.5: Wolf at the Door & The Beast Within.

E.T.Printworks has a range of additional offers also available, including 3 for 2 on Enchanted Times Mini. The Bumper Bundle of Enchanted Times has also been updated and now includes 10 issues: Omnibus #1, ET #3 & #4, plus all 7 regular editions of Enchanted Times Mini, all for the bargain price of just £13.50 (+ p&p)!  This includes 2 newly released issues of ETMini: #0.5: Reverse, Revise, Recycle & #2.5 vol. ii: The Rat in the Hat Came Back which are also available separately in both of the Etsy stores linked above.

Don’t be behind the times, be behind the Enchanted Times! 

N. B. Goblin Marketeers please note that your latest package is currently in preparation and will be despatched by the end of this week.

Bookalogging (new TangleClub freebie)

In between projects, I’ve been reading a lot, lately.  Despite the fact I lived with my nose in a book when I was younger, it always feels very decadent now to spend a day with a comfortable chair and a good novel – but sometimes it just needs to be done!  Do you ever think back on the books you read years ago and find you only have the sketchiest memories of the details?  I’ve been lucky enough to be selected as a World Book Night ’giver’ this year (one of thousands of people across the country – & I believe in other countries, too, this year – giving away free copies of books in order to ‘spread the joy and love of reading’), and the book I chose to give was Small Island by Andrea Levy.  I read it and really enjoyed it probably 5 or 6 years ago, and of the available titles, it was definitely the one that spoke to me.  But I realised that I only had the vaguest recollection of the actual plot, which isn’t really the best way of convincing somebody else they also want to read that book…  I’m currently re-reading Small Island, and relieved to say I am enjoying it just as much second time around!

With this in mind, I have just added a brand new TangleClub freebie: the Bookalog!  Maybe you have a journal where you keep track of the books you read, maybe a spreadsheet, maybe a blog, or maybe you just rely on your memory (all I will say about that is, I hope your memory is better than mine! ).  Whatever your preference, the Bookalog is designed to supplement rather than replace your preferred method of record-keeping.  Simply print & fold the mini-zine ‘blank’ – maybe use as a makeshift bookmark (I don’t know about you, but I always lose nice bookmarks & end up using business cards or till receipts, instead) or just stuff a couple into your purse or handbag.  Then when you finish a book, wherever you might be, you can jot down a few notes to keep everything fresh in your mind until you have chance to update whatever other system you might use.  You can, of course, use the Bookalogs as a record system in their own right, but if you read a lot, be warned that this may soon become impractical!

The Bookalog includes spaces for:

• your name!
• an index of titles
• dates read
• a log of your thoughts about 3 books
• space to add doodles or pictures or extra notes
• books similar in style/theme
• ratings
• books added to your wishlist

(Please note, if you are not currently a TangleClub member but you wish to partake of the TangleClub freebie goodness, membership is available here, or is FREE with any purchase of £5 or more from the TangleStore!)

In the meantime – have you read any good books lately?  These are my favourite reads from the last month:

Ella Minnow Pea by Matt Dunn
A clever & enjoyable fable set on an island where an overzealous council bans more and more letters from daily usage as a historic monument begins to decay.  If you enjoy word puzzles, this is a really fun read, but more importantly, it’s a good story, too!

The Flying Man by Roopa Farooki
A career conman reflects on his life as old age catches up with him, in this surprisingly touching portrait of a charming egomaniac and the lives he has touched.  This story could easily have produced a caricature but instead revealed a very perceptive look at human nature.

War Crimes for the Home by Liz Jensen
In this sharply witty tale, Gloria looks back on life with her sister during the war, and discovers why certain memories are more reluctant to re-surface than others.  I was relieved that the ‘twist’ (evident that it would be coming from early on in the story) was slightly different than I had imagined.

April Update

Are you a Friend of the Borrowers?  The Society for the Preservation of Borrowers has revised its Membership Packet, which now has transparent cellophane packaging, and a mini magnifying sheet, for ease of reading your copy of Borrowed Time!  Throughout April only, The Membership Packet will be available at the previous selling price – please see Etsy listings for further details & additional pics.  Individual Borrowed badges will also be available soon – watch this space!

 

Please also note that Royal Mail postage prices are due to increase at the end of April, and so TangleCrafts shipping costs will have to increase accordingly (this will vary according to weight/bulk etc).  I will try to keep increases to a minimum, but thought it only fair to warn you!

Limited edition!

In addition to the regular issues of Enchanted Times, I have just finished compiling a Special Edition, which is the result of a project I hosted over at Art 42.

Only 20 copies of this issue will be printed, each one signed, numbered & dated (#1-#6 have already gone).

Unlike previous issues of Enchanted Times, it features full colour original artwork throughout, from 4 different guest artists.  To do better justice to the artwork, I have printed this issue on super-thick (170gsm) creamy-with-flecks recycled paper.
As well as a new editorial, and a preview of a story from forthcoming ET#5, the Special Edition includes interpretations of Snow White, Red Riding Hood,
the Frog Prince, and the Little Match Girl.

Take a look at the listings for extra preview pics.

CLEARANCE SALE – last chance for notecards!

Stock is running low on the current batch of Enchanted Times/Goblin Market faux ad notecards, so I am running a clearance sale on what I have left.  These designs will not be available again – I am going for a complete re-design, but the new cards will not be available for another few months, so it’s time to stock up while you can!  Of the original 5 designs, you can still choose from: WeaveWorld, Pre-Enchanted Princes & Truth-Be-Told Mirrors.

 Listed as single cards only, if you would rather have a mixed set, convo me through Etsy & I will see what I can do (but I will be away until the weekend & so unable to respond to enquiries until then).

TangleClub March Update

All change!

The TangleClub has undergone another minor makeover, with a new design for membership cards.  Existing members will receive an updated card with any order placed; but the club discount code is the same, so you won’t miss out, if you don’t place a new order straight away!  The biggest change is that freebies will no longer be issued on a strictly monthly basis, BUT TangleClub Members will still have access to all the freebies in the TangleClub Archive, and new freebies WILL still be added, just at slightly more irregular intervals.  This is mostly to ensure that the free stuff shared is good stuff, and not just random stuff I have scrabbled to put together with a monthly deadline looming!

If you are not currently a member of the TangleClub but want to join us,  click here for all current membership options, and remember, if you spend £5 or more in the TangleStore or TangleStore UK you will qualify for TangleClub Basic membership absolutely free!

So, what else is new?

We also have a brand new Offer of the Month: for March only you will receive a set of 3 Behind the Times badges when you place an order for the latest issue of the Enchanted Times (#4).  (But if you were quick off the mark & pre-ordered your copy of ET4, don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out!  The Behind the Times badge set is also available separately. )

Anything else?

 There’s definitely still much more to come this month, so please check back for updates!

More treasure!

I’ve just created a new Etsy Treasury to celebrate the release of Enchanted Times #4.  The treasury is made up of items by other makers, re-interpreting the same tales as appear in this issue of Enchanted Times: the Nightingale, the Emperor’s New Clothes, Rumpelstiltskin and Cinderella.

As always the bird imagery has sucked me in, so a slightly disproportionate number of items represent the Nightingale fairy tale – such as the beautiful Hanafuda card design of Nightingale and plum blossom by alterna180, and the equally stunning (but somewhat more steampunk-ish!) custom-made mechanical birds by Kimberley Hart of Monster Kookies.  Both are sadly far beyond the reaches of my empty pockets, but I can still admire from afar!

I was powerless to resist a bobbin of ‘gold’ spun by Rumpelstiltskin himself, in this original necklace from the Crafty Confessional (M3 Boutique).  And I absolutely adore the handpainted fairytale in a matchbox, including an artistamp from the Far, Far Away Post.  It is such a unique approach to presenting artwork – please check out lindasarah’s Etsy store for more wonderful & fun examples!

However, these are but a few of the cool things I discovered – please take a look at the full Enchanted Times treasury to find your own favourites!

And if you are in the mood for further Etsy browsing, here are some more treasuries which have very kindly featured TangleCrafts stuff, since the New Year, linking into all kinds of original themes!

• Too fond of books - surely there’s no such thing?
• Enchanted and sweet – bedtime stories
• Mon petit Valentin... – romantic pinks & reds
• Every month something NEW - original subscriptions (not strictly monthly!)
• Birds, flowers and postal stamps - does what it says on the tin!
• gossip MONKEYS! Heard it thru the grapevine – gossip, lies, and the truth you’d rather not hear!
• Mauve is one of those colours men just don’t understand – in my personal experience, this is oh so true!
• Jack and the Beanstalk – it’s panto time!

Enchanted Times update

I know I’ve been quiet around here of late, but that’s because I’ve been working on lots of new things.  I’m just in the processes of putting the final touches to the next full-size issue of Enchanted Times (#4!), which will be going to print next week.  It features a brand new and original illustration by Holly Mitchell, plus a story by guest writer Anne E. Johnson, alongside more stories from me (this time based on the Emperor’s New Clothes, the Nightingale, and Rumpelstiltskin), a cross stitch pattern, a weaving tutorial from one of the ET sponsors, WeaveWorld, The Mirror book reviews, and for the first time, a puzzle page!  I’ve enjoyed putting wordsearches together since I was at school, but who new it was so hard work to create a crossword grid?!  To be fair, I made it harder for myself as I only had a set amount of space left for it to fill, but wow, yeah – that took me a lot longer than I anticipated!

Anyway, I have added a pre-order option for Enchanted Times #4 in both Etsy and Folksy, to guarantee your copy as soon as it arrives back to me from the printers.  The first 5 pre-orders will also receive a set of mini correspondence cards, featuring ads from various ET sponsors. And don’t forget, TangleClub members can also claim 10% discount simply by entering the coupon code (on your membership card) when checking out via Etsy.

The next small thing!

We all know that often the best things come in small packages, so to celebrate the long-awaited launch of the Society for the Preservation of Borrowers, I have created an Etsy Treasury of all things Tiny!  There are some exceedingly cool (& tiny) things included (such as the wonderful miniature message embroideries from Of Little Consequence (right), so please take a look!

This month’s TangleClub freebie continues the Borrowers theme but moving away from miniatures and toward recycling,  with a set of printable envelope re-use labels & seals featuring the Borrowers Recycle! logo.  If you want to share the TangleClub freebie goodness, all you need to do is spend £5 or more in the TangleStore – Etsy, Folksy or Storenvy – and you will receive a free membership card plus password to access the TangleClub Archive of FREE projects & printables.

And on the subject of clubs, you are all hereby invited to join the Society for the Preservation of Borrowers!   Membership packets are now available from the TangleStores.  Each miniature manila envelope includes:

* a copy of the micro-zine Borrowed Time (you will need a magnifier to read this!)

* a membership card cut from discarded packaging

* and an upcycled pinback badge made using pages from a vintage copy of Mary Norton’s original ‘Borrowers’ book.  

The first 10 Membership Packets will be signed, numbered & dated.

Everyone knows that the Borrowers were the true pioneers of the upcycling movement, so SPoB is the ideal cause for crafters & literature lovers to support!

More news for the New Year

What’s new?

First, we have the release of a brand new issue of Enchanted Times Mini (Goblin Market subscribers, your copies will be in the post after the weekend).  Issue #3.5 vol. v: Upon Reflection explores the phenomena of Truth-Be-Told Mirrors, and a series of reported malfunctions (Snow Queen, Snow White, Emperor’s New Clothes).  Also available is a Truth-Be-Told Gift Set, currently in a limited edition of one (I had problems with image transfer on the 2nd couple of attempts, but hopefully a couple more will be available, if I can resolve that little issue!).  The gift set includes a Truth-Be-Told printed pouch, your choice of Truth-Be-Told pocket mirror, a copy of Enchanted Times Mini: Upon Reflection, and a Truth-Be-Told business card/mini notecard.

Latest offers

• Until the end of January, the No New News Notebook/Zine/Any Year Diary is on offer at HALF PRICE – that’s only £1.75!
• When you place an order for any item/s within the month of January, remember to add the word STAMPED! in the ‘message to seller’ box, and I will throw in a FREE mini-sheet of Fast-As-You-Can CoCo stamps (/envelope seals).

Coming soon

I’m afraid the launch of Society for the Preservation of Borrowers has been further delayed, but will hopefully be ready around Feb/March.  Further updates to come on that.  In the meantime, Enchanted Times #4 is in preparation, and due for release around end Jan or February…

Currently in progress is the construction of a brand new TangleStore!   This will not replace either Etsy or Folksy, but will enable me to offer better deals & discounts on various TangleStuff.  You can shop there already (although the full range is not yet available), and TangleClub members can still claim 10% discount on purchases, using the usual coupon code.  Official launch will be in a couple of weeks time – watch this space!