wedding gifts

Sunday Sevens #64 1.1.17

~ Making Stitches ~ 4 Comments

Happy New Year! Is it really only a week ago that we were celebrating Christmas? It feels like much longer!

Christmas Day Lunch


Mr Postcard reprised his role as Christmas Day chef and was so proud of his turkey, I was called into the kitchen to take a photo for Sunday Sevens! It was delicious.

We had a lovely day at home, joined by my parents. We were all very lucky and got lots of lovely things. Among my favourites were a new lens for my camera from Mr Postcard – watch out for loads more Postcard from Gibraltar sunsets… and some lovely fluffy yarn and an Amigurumi book from my little brother.

This year’s Christmas makes


I can share a few of my festive makes,  now they have been gifted. I was asked by a friend to make a mermaid blanket for her daughter. I made a couple of ring cushions ahead of two weddings next year and the wreath was a request for my Mum.

Polar bear swim


Boxing Day for us was dominated by turkey leftovers and the Catalan Bay Polar Bear Swim. If you haven’t already, you can read all about it in my post here. I’m so glad I did it – I was wavering until about two hours before hand and I just thought what the heck, life’s short and one day I may look back and regret not doing it.

Crochet, rosé & Dirty Dancing 


So in the space of a few days, we lost two people who played a big part in my formative years (and those of countless others) albeit via the silver screen and the radio airwaves. I think an awful lot of people from my generation really felt the loss of George Michael and Carrie Fisher this week. Sometimes only crochet, wine and Dirty Dancing on the telly will do… Thank you Channel 5 – I really needed that.

Legotastic 


Despite all the new toys which appeared in this house over Christmas, the trusty box of Lego featured heavily over the last week. We have had vehicle races and competitions and all sorts of creative fun. The lounge floor was awash with those sharp little bricks but it was a small price to pay for fraternal harmony (for a few hours) and a break from TV and gadget screens.

Beach walk


We revisited Catalan Bay on Thursday afternoon to stretch our legs. It was somewhat quieter than it had been on Monday… and I resisted the temptation to jump into the crashing waves and stayed on the sand. 😉

Shopping in Spain


On Friday we took a drive up the Costa del Sol coast for a brief shopping trip and lunch. We were away from the Rock for less than 6 hours but we enjoyed our mini-mini break!

New Year’s Eve Med Stepping


Yesterday, I ventured up the Med Steps for the first time in weeks. What a change those weeks have meant for the vegetation and wildlife up there. There were loads of delicate white narcissi lining the paths and on the roof of this old army look out post. There was also a lot of these wild clematis type of plants…


It was so pretty up there. The beautiful flowers took my mind off the fact I was out of breath!

One last sunset of 2016

I know I have gone way over the normal seven photos for a Sunday Sevens post, but there has been such a lot going on this week. As Gibraltar was gearing up for a big night of celebrations (see photo below) we headed home for a quiet celebration. Here’s a couple of shots of the last sunset of 2016 as seen in Gibraltar – can you see a sliver of moon among the clouds?


This photo shows the lights in Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar from here we live. It’s slightly blurry (apologies for that) but it gives you a sense of just how close we are.

I do hope that you have a wonderful new year and that 2017 is a happy and healthy one for you. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for all the lovely comments I’ve received over the past year, it’s so nice to know that there are actually people out there (apart from my Mum and Dad) who want to read what I have to write. Thank you!

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series created by Natalie at Threads & Bobbins blog.

Meeting a kitchen table entrepreneur : How a Facebook post led to a new business opportunity

~ Making Stitches ~ 6 Comments

Having my own little business is something I have long fancied doing. At this point in my life, unless I were to be blessed with an extremely flexible employer, I would struggle to hold down a job while juggling three children and maintaining at least a small degree of sanity. When I first qualified in my profession, I began working as a freelancer, so I have experience of ‘working for myself’ although inevitably it was as tying, if not more so, than a permanent full-time position as I was scared of turning down work in case they didn’t call me again the next time they needed someone.

A good friend of mine, Rachael, recently become one of the kitchen table entrepreneurs we have been hearing a lot about in recent years. A Mum who set herself up in business from home, and so far, has got off to a flying start. I had a chat with her about how it all came about and what exactly it is she does:

First of all, what’s your background before starting DigiDoodleDesigns?

I was in IT and Maketing. I’ve 2 degrees in European Business, one from Manchester and the other I did in Bochum, Germany. Before moving to Gibraltar in 2004 I worked for a large oil company in the IT department as a Situation Manger, which I loved. Now, in Gibraltar I work a few hours a week for a company on Main Street, which leaves me ample time to follow my own interests, taking me initially down the photography path, but more recently down the Word Art path.

Why did you decide to go into business for yourself?

DigiDoodleDesigns was established after designing a selection of prints for myself, putting them on Facebook and friends and family asking if I could do them one too. It’s as simple as that! It also fits in with family, school and like most mums with everything else that needs to be sorted on a daily basis.

green butterfly 1

How long has DigiDoodleDesigns been running now?

I’ve always played with design applications, but I’ve been producing Word Art prints since the Spring of 2015.

What sort of things do you make?

I produce prints which include words – many words. On average, there’s 100 words per print which when they are all joined together, they can take the shape of houses, hearts, the Rock of Gibraltar etc. I have made hens for Brides-to-be, a sun, rainbows, Christmas trees, baubles, presents, a cup of tea. I’ve even made prints using company logos. The list is endless!

I also take quotations, poems, wedding vows or personal prose and turn them into works of art specific to each individual client’s requests. My favourite at the moment are the birth prints! They look beautiful framed in the nursery with either just the baby’s name, or their birthday, weight, hospital etc. They are so cute.

What are your most popular lines?

I must say hearts and houses are the most popular lines, I’ve produced a large number for both corporate and private clients. A great number are A3 framed prints, which Face Frames in Town Range make for me, but I also have an increasing number of clients requesting canvasses, especially for Christmas.

Have you launched any new lines for Christmas?

I have expanded into mugs, keyrings, mobile phone covers and bags for Christmas, but I will try and accommodate whatever a client prefers.

christmas tree tinsel

Have you still got room in your Christmas order book?

I do have a few slots available for Christmas, but I will also try and fit a client in even if it means me working until 2 in the morning, which I’ve done on a few occasions quite happily.

What are your plans for the business as you look ahead to the New Year?

Oh I have many plans for 2016! I am looking to sell my products on the internet for one. I have a good number of customers in the UK and Canada so I am trying to optimise printing and logistics to enable me to offer a uniform high end product where ever the client is in the world.

I am always creating new designs, many of which are waiting to be launched. Spring 2016 is Communion time and I will be making a range of Communion favours and invitations to bring them up to date and colour coordinated with invitations and table decorations etc. This along with the Word Art crosses can make a truly personalised day for any beautiful girl or smart young man.

So Rachael, how can someone contact you if they are interested in using your service?

To contact me, please ring me on +35058009402, email me on DigiDoodleDesigns@gmail.com or contact me through Facebook at DigiDoodleDesigns.

Thank you Rachael for taking the time to tell us all about your cottage industry, we wish you every success for the future!