The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Marketplace => Topic started by: HappyHippy on September 13, 2009, 12:16:15 pm
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Hello all,
This is a shameless plug of the signs I make, sorry !
They are handmade from scottish slate, the designs are hand carved, before being painted then varnished to protect them.
The larger signs are approx 14 inches by 8 inches while the smaller ones are 8 inches by 6 inches. I can make house signs, stable signs, garden signs, standing signs, hanging signs etc and have a range of design motifs and text styles - pretty much whatever you want.
I'm looking for feedback (and orders if you want ;))
Do you like them ?
Would you pay £20 for a big one or £10 for a small one ?
Can you suggest signs that would be helpfull for yourself or other smallholders?
Looking forward to your comments ;)
Karen x
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Karen they are very nice indeed. I like the Eggs for sale one! Hope all goes well, I do not think your price os expensive.
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These are lovely. I would buy one - coudl you do one with my horse's name on it to go outside his stable - everyone else has them but I've never seen any I like. Most are pretty naf with clipart horses and poor lettering on wood, but these are lovely.
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they look good, good price too.
linz
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Hi Karen, they look great I would be interested in buying one. I have been looking around for a sign re 'chickens' and 'closing the garden gate' but couldn't find anything suitable. Maybe you could come up with something. I also like the Scottish slate idea. Prices are good too.
JD
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;D ;D ;D Glad you like them ;D ;D ;D
Rosemary & JD - I have pm'd you.
If anyone else is interested I'm always happy to discuss ideas, layout etc - please get in touch.
Karen ;D
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they are very nice, just ordered a cast iron sign for our house and it was a
bit lot more than £20 :love:!!! Due to the style of the house etc we opted for an old style sign anyway!!
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They are lovely
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How good are you at drawing a Ryeland sheep as would be interested in a sign promoting my sheep.
How much do you charge postage etc.
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Kaz,
I've never tried drawing a ryeland - YET ! ;D
Do you want it very detailed or more stylised like the horse/chicken ?
Let me know and leave it with me for a few days and I'll see what I can do, it'd be handy if you pm'd me your email and I can send pictures for approval straight to you.
The signs are £20 for a large(14 x 8 approx) or £10 for the small (6 x 8 approx) postage would be around £3 - £4 depending on the size.
Thanks, Karen x
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I would love a sign for our gate with a gloucester old spot on! is there any chance you could do that? they look lovely and prices are good!!
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I would love a sign for our gate with a gloucester old spot on! is there any chance you could do that? they look lovely and prices are good!!
Me too, this is our Gloucestershire Old Spot Logo - it is a pencil drawing of one
of our pigs
Would it post to Ireland without breaking?
PS You have my permission to use my pig for Dixie as well if she likes it - Julie
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Hi Julie,
Gorgeous drawing ;D
This was what I came up with, but could try to make it more detailed if you want ?
I think it would post okay - I have LOTS of jiffy bags and plastic bags for packing - I'll check out postage costs.
Karen x
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Could you just do the outline and white spots, like the Horses head???
Would it stand out? I have never done engraving so useless at imagining it.
I like the font on the Eggs for Sale one best, and the Slate used for the Horses
Head would look good with the farm name at top, and logo underneath - save
you having to cut an arched top - I want to screw it to the Entrance Gate Pillars.
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Hi Julie,
Here are some rough sketches on paper of other designs, I will engrave the one with the spots and send you an email and photo as soon as I can.
I can do curved slate - I have the technology (and an obliging hubby ;))
I've got a really nice slate with a curved top and straight sides - it lends itself to a piggy in the middle with T******** curved at the top and Farm at the bottom ;) ;D It's not quite as big as 14 x 8 - I don't think, but I'll measure it and send you a photo - lots of choice of texts too, but I'll put that in the email too - give me a couple of days - it's a bit hectic here (as always LOL)
Karen x
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Well I have ordered mine!! after receiving an email with the proofs and font ideas I placed my order, cant wait to get it! Thank you!
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Hi HappyHippy....Really love your signs. Sorry can't work out how to pm you.
Would really like two signs with GOS on for the entrance to my place. Could you please let me have more details.
Many thanks,
Julie
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Julie, look on the left of Karen's posts - there is a little square with a tale - click on that to send a pm
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Many thanks doganjo.......I should have guessed! :)
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You'd think an accountancy graduate would be able to spell tail wouldn't you!(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Surprise/pumpkin-008.gif)
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:) I knew what you meant :)
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Following on from advertising on ebay (yup, I gave it another go ;)) it was pointed out that these signs also make good pet memorial signs - here's one that was ordered. I never even thought of them before .........
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Hi I would love a sign with a pig, preferably Oxford Sandy and Black if possible with Winsham Rare Breeds on it
many thanks Joy
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Hi Joy,
How's this for an OSB ? It's just a quick sketch, I could paint the pig ginger or leave it as a black and white outline.
If you pm me your email address I'll send you some stuff to look at.
Thanks, Karen
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Must take the camera up tomorrow and get an insitu photo os Smokey's
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Hi I received my sign today, its really lovely, just what I hoped for. Cant wait to get it on the gate now! Can really recomend these, very well packaged, in fact it was like pass the parcel ;D Thanks very much happyhippy and good luck with them!
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I received my signs this morning....They are fantastic!
I highly recommend them.
Many thanks HappyHippy :love:
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Really pleased that this is taking off for you Karen, everyone is so pleased with their
signs. ;D
Just a thought, have you made any for indoors, or for an entrance, we have some lovely wooden signs that I have bought in the past, which I would love to put outside, but because they are wood, and painted, they would not last long, whereas slate would be ideal. :love:
One is the pretty common one " Welcome to the Funny Farm" ;D with animals on it, another is
in the kitchen with a spotty fat pig on, and underneath it just says " Welcome to our Home" :pig:
The other one is Beware of the Dog signs, using engravings of different breeds, or using the breed name, i.e. "Beware of the Rottweiler". These, if you do say six in a mailer, could be sent to breed clubs, animal shelters, put on ebay, and sold at craft markets, but because it is about dogs, and most people have one, it is the largest sector, and easiest to market cheaply, with a few emails and ads placed in the right places.
I was keeping it as a business project for myself in the future, but to be
honest, I take on too many damn small business projects, and just do not have the time.
Hope these ideas might help you expand what seems to be already a thriving business, well done and best wishes for the Christmas market - can you get someone to sell them in the major towns at craft markets for you?
Julie x
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Julie,
Thanks for your suggestions - I've been thinking along the same lines myself.
Welcome signs, Xmas signs the possibilities are endless. Problem is (not that I'm complaining at all ;D) I've been SO busy just keeping up with orders and life in general (and, as always, a few other little projects ;)) that I've not got the time at the minute to get on and make samples ! LOL!
PS I'm still trying to work on a good design for you, I'll email you soon. :-*
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Wow...your signs are fab! We are due to move shortly and I think I will get you to make us a sign for our new place, we have horses, cattle sheep, dogs and cats, so Im not sure what you could come up with? Maybe it should just be fairly plain? :)
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A sunflower maybe - signifying growth - or a phoenix - signifying a new beginning
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Hi Jakebob,
That's no problem - depending on the name of your new place I could come up with something appropriate to that or a general farm type scene. Or anything really so long as it's fairly simple, line drawing style (because I fill in the engraving with paint) I'm thinking garden gate, funky bird box, oh, the list goes on and on..................
If you pm me your email address I'll be in touch.
Thanks
Annie - you're really stretching my artistic abilities here ;) Sunflower, yip - no problem. Phoenix, well I just don't know about that one ! :o
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A phoenix is a mythical bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends). It has a 500 to 1,000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of myrrh twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. In some stories, the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (sun city in Greek).
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My God Annie - is there no end to your talents and knowledge ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for the education - love that kinda stuff ::)
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Hi,
How are my signs coming I am really excited about getting them
regards Joy
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Hi Joy,
They're all shaped and engraved - just got the painting to do now, should be leaving here by Friday at the latest - but I'll email you a photo before they leave ;D
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My God Annie - is there no end to your talents and knowledge ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for the education - love that kinda stuff ::)
Now I have to own up - Wikipedia is the clever clogs, not Annie bannie. Annie is just a thief! ;D ;D ;D
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Hi Karen, many thanks for the sign it is brill.
JD
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Dear Karen,
Received my signs today, they are brilliant many thanks for that
kind regards Joy
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JD, so glad you're happy I hope it helps keep your chooks safe ;)
Joy, royal mail were super speedy (for a change) with that delivery ! So pleased you like them, you'll have to post a photo once they're up ;D
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Hi,
I've recently moved to a new smallholding with OSB pigs and Dexter cattle (for now!). I was wondering, do you do any signs on stands? Or that could be hung from a stand if I could buy/make one? My house goes out to the roadside you see, with a house name sign already on a stand there and it's a useful road to pick up customers for eggs and pork and such like.
It would be nice to have a sign with 'Bancyboblen Herd' written on it, with a picture of an OSB and perhaps a (non-short) Dexter.
Also, I now your signs are permanent, weatherproof signs but I've been looking for a sign that I could alter myself so that I can advertise pork, weaners, cattle and eggs, as and when they are ready? Any ideas, or if you can't do it, any way I could fashion something myself?
I love the signs that I've seen by the way, and the ones for other people.
Keep up the good work :D
Bethan
Carmarthen
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Hi Bethan,
It should be quite easy to fix the sign onto some chain to hang from a post, or even below your existing sign.
I can do OSB no problem, never tried a Dexter yet, but I'll try anything once ;) My gut feeling is that they look more effective with just one design - it means you can get it bigger and have more impact, but I can have a play about with layouts and see what I can come up with.
For your selling I could do a "For Sale" or "Currently Available" sign to hang below your name sign and you could write whatever you were selling onto it - I think the pens you get to write on chalkboards would work (like pubs use) but I've not tried it myself.
If you pm me your email address or send an email to me at kkjmckay@aol.com I can send you some stuff to look at.
Many thanks,
Karen
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Thank you very much for your reply, I look forward to sorting something out, it's going to be brilliant, I'm sure :)
I have emailed you.
Bethan
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Hi, could u do a large one with a zwartbles sheep on and my prefix which is the acorns flock? email acorncattery@aol.com
thanks laura
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Hi Laura,
Thanks for your enquiry, I'll get some stuff emailed to you in the next few days (still got in-laws from hell here at the moment & can't get much work done ! ::))
Thanks, Karen
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Hi, That will be great. acorncattery@aol.com
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Just received our sign for the farm gate - what a surprise, I
need you to send me an invoice Karen ;D ;D
The packaging was excellent it arrived safe and well and in one piece,
and it looks lovely - thank you so much.
Julie and Joe
Highly Recommeded - would definately purchase again - excellent TASser XX++++
::) :D ;)
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I'm so glad you both like it - I was worried because I was replicating your art work :o
Totally forgot about the invoice - blame the in-laws ! But they're gone now ;D so normal service resumes ;)
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Just showing off my latest commision ;D
What do you think ?
(I've got to try and make lots of these or similar for the xmas fairs I'm going too - only 4 weeks to go eeeeeeek :o)
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want one, want lots, for xmas pressies. will think of what i want and then get in touch
Emma T
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Well.....I just want one of every single one you've done so far...... :-\ I love 'em all......the writing is beautiful, but the pictures are just fantastic. I'd like one to hang on every gate which would mean one for each of the following: horses, Gos pigs, Berkshire Pigs, Kune Kune pigs, Anglo Nubian Goats, Ryeland Sheep, Lleyn Sheep, Chooks, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, ...oh and "Beware of the Border Collie" !!!
HOWEVER :-[.... will have to think of which one is the most important.......for starters ;)
Lots of luck and continued success with your venture H-H.
Mx