Festive Greetings !

Festive Greetings !

I wanted to spread some Christmas cheer and share a few Instagram photo's with you.  I hope you're all ready and enjoying these next few Christmas days. It's no longer just a day anymore is it -- it's an experience, a full season of fun, generosity, partying and let's not forget eating. I'm joining a new gym in the new year that I'm just a little excited about.

So what have I been up too lately?

Well......

I've loved decorating my mantle and tree this year.

As well as making handmade Christmas decorations... 

Who else has enjoyed a glass or two of wine this Christmas already?

My two beautiful trees.

One of my favourite things I've made this year HAS to be my pretty colourful bauble wreath...

I've also redesigned and made my online Etsy shop look a little more festive for Christmas, as well as offering a 15% discount throughout December on all items for sale.

Have you LIKED my 'Little Photo Hut' Facebook page yet? I'd love it if you stopped by to support me on Facebook too. :-)

http://www.facebook.com/LittlePhotoHut?ref=hl

Here's the link to my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittlePhotoHut

OK, I want to leave you with a Christmas gift idea that can be made tomorrow it's THAT simple to make. It's delicious and best of all made with quality chocolate. All kinds of WIN right?
It's a recipe I found a while ago and kept for Christmas, I think it's a Nigella recipe if I'm not mistaken.

Chocolate Pistachio Fudge Xmas Gift

Preparation Time: Less than 30 mins.

Cooking Time: Less than 10 mins.

Makes approx 64 chunks of fudge.

350g/12oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) chopped.

1 x 397g/14oz can condensed milk

30g/1oz Butter

pinch of salt

150g/5 1/4 oz unsalted Pistachio nuts, shells removed.

Method:

Weigh ingredients and put the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, butter and salt in to a heavy based pan over a low heat and stir until melted and well combined.

 Place the Pistachio nuts into a bag and bash them into small pieces... (approx into quarters)

Add the nuts to the melted chocolate mixture and stir in well until well combined.

Pour the mixture into a 9 inch square tin, spread to the edges.

Refrigerate until set -- will take about 6 hours until set.

Cut into slabs and slice into chunks.

Sterilise a jar, or buy fudge boxes and decorate for a perfect gift.

Tadaahhhh!! The perfect gift... rustic and home made.

Simple right?
Let me know if you like it, and even better if you go and make it.

Merry Christmas All.

Jennie. x

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Etsy - Being My Own Boss !

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittlePhotoHut

Hi !

Well, my Etsy shop 'Little Photo Hut' is finally up and running and stocking the shop is well underway. I treated myself to a new Apple Macbook Pro to help give my shop the best possible start. To be honest with you I've spent more time learning how to use my new laptop than anything else! Hahaaaa..  

Anyway, I am loving it.. I know this sounds silly as it's just a tiny new online shop but having to think about advertising and PR, as well as preparing my photo's to ship is wonderful.  I love being my own boss.

It certainly takes motivation and time but hopefully I will soon be rewarded with recognition as my shop grows (and hopefully my sales do too).

It's forcing me to think outside the box a little more and research the work of others. It's all about being competetive with my prices and watching trends... however, it's about being true to myself also and not changing my work to "fit in" too much with current trends.  

I think Etsy shoppers like originality and a personal story behind each item, so I'm choosing my work to sell carefully.

I'd like to share a few *new* photo prints added to my shop recently and give you my personal set up tips for anyone thinking of joining Etsy (or any other online shopping marketplace out there)

Etsy Tips:

1. Choose your BEST photographs that would look good framed and hung in a home.

2. Describe your items accurately, in detail and add as many tags as possible to help in search criteria.

Purple, Daisy, Flower, Nature, Wild, Outdoors, Pretty, Photo Print, etc.

3. Choose items for your shop that will stand out in a crowd... think eye catching colour and shape.

4. Photograph you goods in great light (natural where possible)

5. Offer different sizes / colours in your shop but make sure you have the goods ready to ship when ordered!

6. View other shops on Etsy, read the wording of successful shops and understand the postage and delivery times for international shipping.

7. Design yourself a banner and a thumbnail to show off your shop.

8. Research the 'hidden' costs of Etsy... the price per unit to advertise, the cost of wrapping paper and shipping labels, cost of sacrificing some 'homelife' time - can you spare it?

9. Have another way to promote your new Etsy shop... have business cards printed (just a few dozen initially), tell your friends and family on Facebook... or like I have done - set up your own FACEBOOK page to advertise your goodies.

http://www.facebook.com/LittlePhotoHut

Please visit my Facebook page and Like / Subscribe for daily photo tips, link ups to competitions and photographs from around the world. 

***

Let me know your thoughts... feel free to add your own tips in the comments box below. It's still quite new to me too, so I would be interested to hear your thoughts on my shop or Facebook page! 

Keep smiling - it will soon be Christmas.

Jennie. x

My Little Photo Hut

Hi there! 

I've taken a break from blogging for a while so I feel like I've neglected you all for a little while... apologies, but just to let you know that I've been busy.

Finally I set my very own shop up. An online shop with Etsy You may have heard of the beautiful creative, handmade resource of goodies that is called Etsy. Wow what talent lies undiscovered on this site.... it's one of my favourite online shopping sites.

A little dream of mine was to open up a shop on Etsy of my very own. I was undecided what I was going to sell but I guess the natural choice for me was always going to be prints and photo's. I decided to give it a go... with limited stock and a basic knowledge of how to set up a little enterprise I decided to do it! It took me a while to think of a name... and even now it's nothing elaborate, just simple and straight to the point.

Fine Art Photographs and Creation by 'Little Photo Hut'

I hope you like it. (cause I've paid and I'm stuck with it ! heeehee ) 

I'm busy stocking my shop and working out the finer details and small print, postage policies etc but I'd LOVE it if you would take a look... browse at your leisure, add me to your circles and let me know what you think?

Here are a few of my recently added items for sale.

A mixture of pretty and whimsical to the bold and beautiful !  

If you have your own shop Etsy or otherwise and can offer a newby like me any advice I'd be most grateful.

Jennie. x

When Your heart Is In The Country...

Sometimes when I need to clear my head and get some exercise, I like to wander up to a reservoir nearby. It's secluded, pretty and can work wonders for your soul.

Nobody here but the dragonflies and butterflies to hear my deepest thoughts or (occasionally) see my tears .... it's a place I love to come and spend time with my camera. We all need our hideaways at times right?  

Not to mention it's beautiful and teeming with wildlife - my kinda place!

After a hectic, busy trip into London recently for the Olympics I grabbed the opportunity to take some time for myself whilst the pleasant weather lasted.

Ooops watch that barbed wire!

That's where I'm headed... destination High Rid Reservoir, Bolton. 

High Rid Reservoir is used by Bolton Council to stage activities for young people such as canoeing, kayaking, raft building and sailing. 

It's kinda lovely the way a stone wall surrounds it... decorated with pink flowers. Many different bird species, including the Little Grebe, the Tufted Duck and the Golden Eye Duck can all be found here.

Oooooh hello blue skies as I sit down to take in the views for a while. 

So, lately I have found a wonderful small group of wildlife enthusiasts and photographers on Twitter who are inspiring me to want to do more with my camera and really make my spare time count. As a novice Butterfly watcher I have lots to learn but I'm started to build up my portfolio of Butterflies. I hoping one of these Twitter friends will identify this one for me who came to sit next to me for a while.

Check out the texture and colour on this wall... too pretty.

Growing Yellow Lichen.

Coming up are a few of my favourite shots of a blue coloured Dragonfly... or a Damselfly (to my untrained eye I'm not completely sure to be honest) I need @GGwildlife or @Goldenorfephoto to help me out with this one! ;-)

I've been invited out with @Goldenorfephoto on an Autumn photo shoot at a local beauty spot - hopefully I can learn some of his shooting techniques and pick his wild life brain for knowledge. Thanks again Phil !

All I would love now is a Macro lens for my camera...  it's on my wish list but I really can't afford one yet. It would be a special one off purchase for me... a real treat if I could get one. Maybe in time for next Spring.  

Let's just stand and enjoy the view for a moment. That's Winter Hill in the background.

 So when the parties, nights out, trips away, a demanding child and my gruelling weekend overtime at work gets a bit too much... I know where to come to chill and enjoy some fresh air.  

Have you found your sanctuary yet?

Jennie. x

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