Maddie Brown

The very lovely Maddie Brown in Wells and Sherborne is having a bit of a *SALE*

It's on now until (and inclusive of) Bank Holiday Monday.

There is 25% off EVERYTHING, 

including Cath Kidston, Emma Bridgewater and possibly a little dots and spots. 

So if you are local to either Wells - Somerset, or Sherborne - Dorset, pop in and have a look.

Giveaway Winners announced!'

This morning I wrapped up the 2 Giveaway Stationery sets - a huge thank you to all of you who left a comment here on the blog or over on facebook. We had in excess of 1500 entries - I have an aching hand now from writing out the names. If you didn't specify a colour, you were put in one of the  two piles.

The Blue Collection was won by Maxine Jones, a Blog follower 

And the Pink Collection by Hayley Sheppard, a facebook follower.

CONGRATULATIONS to you both.

If you email me your address details, I will pop your prizes in the post.

info@dotsandspots.co.uk

Thank you to all of you who took the time to comment and join in.

It's our 5th Birthday in June, so look out for more Giveaway's then.

Photo Shoot

Today was photo shoot day with Owen. 

He takes all our product shots for the website and any PR.

Although only April, Christmas was certainly a big focus, that and the new products we will be launching at Pulse Trade Show in just 2 weeks time.

It went very well but home now and back to reality, with a roast dinner to cook and tomorrow to plan for. Hope you've had a good weekend. The Giveaway to celebrate National Stationery Week is now closed and the winners will be announced tomorrow, when I have a little more time!

Back to normal!

This week is the first week back to normality for a while. Jeff had an extra week of holiday from school compared to the children, so it was back to work for him on Monday and a quiet house for me. 

We've been lucky to see a little sunshine - it caught me by surprise yesterday. So much so, my late lunch in the garden for 50 minutes yesterday now sees me sporting a rather red nose that Rudolf would be proud of!!

Life in the world of dots and spots is busy. I am prepping everything for our upcoming Trade Show at Earls Court in May, we have new products to pack and photograph, a flyer to get printed for the show, orders to pick and pack  and.... well there's always something to do.

I did make time though this morning, to have a coffee and catch up with a friend. A much needed 'putting the world to rights' type of chat!! It's good to take time out every now and again for a catch up. 

Before I go, a little reminder about our GIVEAWAY - I'm shocked by the number of entries which now stands at well over 400 over on facebook and double that when you add in the 'shares' WOW! You still have time to enter *HERE* on the blog or leave a comment *HERE* over on facebook, which ever is easiest for you.

National Stationery Week *GIVEAWAY*

 National Stationery Week commences on Monday and to celebrate the lovely world of stationery, we are having a Giveaway. I have put together 2 collections of fabulous dots and spots stationery for two lucky people to win.

A PINK collection

and a BLUE collection

Each set contains a pack of our *New* Easy Wrap Gift Bags, a roll of bunting tape, a pack of 8 spotty postcards, 3 greetings cards, an A5 and A6 notebook, a pair of magnets, a pack of stickers, a pack of mixed gift tags and a spotty mirror.

  

Each collection is worth £38.31 but if you take the time to leave a comment you could win a set for FREE!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment as to which collection you'd like to win - the PINK Collection or the BLUE Collection - easy peasy! You MUST state only one colour! 

If you'd be happy to share the giveaway on your facebook page or blog and mention it when you leave a comment here, I'll pop your name in the hat twice, as a thank you! 

You have all week to enter - 

Giveaway closes midnight on Saturday the 27th April.

Period Homes and Interiors

Back in June last year the very lovely Jo Sheldrake came around to the house to take some photographs. She works freelance for Interiors magazines and wanted to photograph the house with some publications in mind. One such publication was Period Homes and Interiors but it wasn't until I had a tip off from an Instagramer, that I knew we had been featured.

 It's a lovely feature and the photo's taken by Jo look fantastic. Not all the facts are entirely correct - the lovely bunting on the fireplace is not mine but that of the fabulous Gabriella Buckingham AKA Moobaacluck and I haven't a range of curtains, cushions etc just in case you go searching!! And I'm proud to report I'm now a stone lighter than I was when the photo was taken.

The article is fab though - dead chuffed that my little house is worthy of featuring in magazines such as Ideal Homes, 25 Beautiful Homes, Somerset Life and now Period Homes and Interiors!

I do have one little wish left - to appear in a magazine as a Christmas feature.

 I think it looks lovely at Christmas but I am biased! 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend - it's National Stationery Week next week so look out for some GIVEAWAY news!!

What a difference........

....the weather makes.

The 4 photo's below were all taken around the same time, give or take a day, of our garden in April. We are so far behind this year.

April 2010

A little further on than it is now - there is some green on the tree.

April 2011 

 We made a little mini heatwave in April 2011 - looking back at the blog we even had the paddling pool out and everything looks a lot further on.

April 2012

Last year, after a bit of sunshine in March, it was then wet, wet, wet. Everything looks a lot greener and further on.

April 2013

And so April 2013 - well it's been blumin freezing still and it shows. Nothing has started to grow yet, no greenery to get excited about but the sun is beginning to make an appearance, so here's hoping the leaves will start to burst forth soon.. 

Blue!

I've been busy - my pigeon holes are now blue!

Holiday Blue 2 by Dulux 'Mix Your Own' Satin Wood

2nd coat goes on later 

A little project!

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As Jeff is clearing out his office at work, I have claimed this set of pigeon holes....at last!!

We rescued them off a skip at school 8 years ago and they have been hidden away in his study to this day. I have new plans for them - Jeff sanded them down yesterday and next week I get to do the fun bit - paint them 'Holiday Blue'!!

Finished

Yesterday we continued with our little sewing project.

 I got the good jobs like tacking on the handles!

But we finished! 

We even managed a pocket!

One finished bag and one happy girl.

Holiday at home

  

After watching the Sewing Bee on BBC2  on Tuesday, Sophie and I embarked on a little sewing project. As you know, I can't sew and Sophie is only starting out so she likes me with her to boost her confidence when sewing.

We've had 2 lessons so far - one to learn how to use her machine and sew some bunting and a second learning how to make a cushion. We have practised both so wanted to try something new.

Inspired by the lovely Rebecca of Edamay, her cushion adorns Sophie's bedroom, we cut out our own flower template, had a rummage through Sophie's fabric stash and started sewing!

We ran out of time on Wednesday to finish and I was too busy yesterday but we will finish and reveal our little make!

Poor Sam, on the other hand has had to knuckle down to some homework, lots of it. It's a SATS year for him but in 4 weeks time it will all be over!!

50% Friday gets the *****Star treatment today 

Check it out *HERE*

Have a good weekend - we're forecast for a soggy one here in Somerset but a little warmer I hope!

We have a little problem!

It was brought to my attention this morning by one of our lovely customers that 'some' of our packs of new stickers, only contain 2 sheets of stickers rather than the 6 displayed on the label.

Oh dear! 

I went straight over to the premises and it would seem that one of my little team has only packed 2 sheets of stickers rather than the 6 sheets each pack should have.

I have spent my morning opening up all the stock packs and re-packing them correctly with the 6 sheets they should have. We will contact every trade customer who has ordered from us within the time frame where this little problem has occurred. We will send you replacements for any pack which has been packed incorrectly.

If you have bought from our website and have been affected please do email us and we will send out a replacement. There is only a small window of error so I'm hoping not too many people will have been affected.

Our email address is info@dotsandspots.co.uk please tell us your order number, the colour and quantity of pack you ordered with your address details and we will send out a replacement.

If you have one of the rogue packs, please accept my apologies and I will do my best to sort it out.