What are the actual downsides of being a crafter? As I inadvertently sanded yet another fingernail down to the skin while creating in The Shack over the weekend, I found myself wondering… Because, as much as I love what I do, crafting definitely comes with its fair share of occupational hazards! 😂 The random papercuts that seem to appear from absolutely nowhere, the missing skin from fingertips that you’ve accidentally glued together and then had to prise apart, the inevitable burnt fingers where you once again forgot to put on gloves before taking something out of the heat press,… The eyesight! 🤪 Hours of fussy cutting, focusing on tiny details... Concentrating on something the size of a pinhead can definitely leave you feeling permanently cross-eyed! And clothes… those items that have somehow acquired splodges of resin, paint or glue that you didn’t notice until it was far too late. They’re no longer wearable anywhere other than in The Shack (and you’re not going to throw them away either), so instead, they become your unofficial crafting uniform, with the collection of lumps, splashes and mysterious marks worn proudly like some kind of crafting badges of honour !! Don’t even get me started on glitter .!!!! If you know you know!! 🤣 We all love a bit of sparkle, but the struggle is real !! You can clean your workspace, vacuum the floor, wash your hands, change your clothes… and somehow there will STILL be glitter appearing minutes, hours, days, weeks, months later. 😂 Not forgetting - the constant battle with hair getting in the way, work spaces that somehow become messier the more you tidy them, and that familiar moment when you realise you’ve been holding your breath (probably with your tongue sticking out for good measure) for the last five minutes because you’ve been concentrating so hard on getting something just right ,… But do you know what? Despite the papercuts, burnt fingers, glue-related injuries, ruined clothes, sore eyes and general chaos… I wouldn’t change it for the world . And I suspect I’m not the only one! 😉 Because these aren't really downsides... every little ‘crafting injury’ or element of absolute chaos is just proof that I’ve been doing something I love. ❤️ So, fellow crafters… what are your crafting casualties? Papercuts? Burnt fingers? Glue incidents? Glitter permanently attached to your person? Or perhaps something even more ridiculous? I’d love to know I’m not alone! 😂

Wow… where is this year going?! We’re already steaming through 2026 at quite a pace! As I mentioned in my last post, this year has been a little quieter than usual on the creative front. My creative ‘mojo’ has been a bit elusive, making the occasional brief appearance before disappearing again just as quickly! But things are starting to change… I've recently booked a couple of Craft Fayres for later this year, and having those dates in the diary has given me exactly the motivation I needed. I'm finding myself drawn back to the Shack more and more, with my mind buzzing with new ideas and exciting projects I can't wait to bring to life. It feels wonderful to have that spark returning, and I'm looking forward to sharing plenty of new makes and creations with you over the coming months. Watch this space—I have a feeling the second half of 2026 is going to be a creative one! As I've been happily pottering around in the Shack, I've found myself thinking a lot about waste and how important it is to create as little of it as possible. Like many crafts, mine naturally produces bits and pieces that could easily end up being thrown away. But I'm always looking for ways to give those leftovers a new purpose. I love the challenge of finding creative ways to reuse as much as I can, turning what might otherwise be considered waste into something beautiful and/ or useful. For example, whenever I'm working with resin, Jesmonite, or similar materials, I always keep a selection of small moulds close by. It's surprisingly difficult to mix exactly the right amount, so there's almost always a little left over. Rather than letting it go to waste, I pour those leftovers into the smaller moulds, giving them a whole new lease of life. That's actually how some of my favourite little creations came about, including my Pocket Hugs (Hearts and Bears), and, more recently, my Worry/ Meditation Stones, Page Holders, and Lucky Clover Keychains - which will all be making their debut on the website very soon! It's much the same when I'm decoupaging. Every little offcut of napkin or rice paper is carefully tucked away rather than thrown out. I often find myself rummaging through this colourful collection when I'm starting a new project, and more often than not, it sparks a fresh idea. In fact, my Christmas Hanging Decorations were born entirely from some of these little 'scraps'! The same goes for my cardmaking. I keep every spare piece of paper and card, no matter how small it may seem. Those leftovers are perfect for creating sentiment toppers, making templates, testing out new ideas, or even rescuing a project that hasn't quite gone to plan. After all, card has two sides, so why not make the most of both of them? I've always believed that creativity isn't just about making something beautiful - it's also about seeing the potential in things that others might overlook. Sometimes the smallest offcuts can become the start of something really special. So, the next time you spot one of my Pocket Hugs, a Worry Stone, or one of my Christmas Decorations, you'll know there's a good chance it started life as something that might otherwise have gone to waste. I rather like the idea that every little piece has a purpose, even if it just needed a little imagination to find it. As I continue spending more time in the Shack, I'm looking forward to seeing what other ideas grow from those little leftovers. With the Craft Fayres on the horizon and plenty of new creations in the works, the second half of 2026 is shaping up to be a busy - and hopefully very creative - one. If you're following Mixarray's journey, thank you so much for being part of it! I hope you've enjoyed this little peek behind the scenes and discovering how even the smallest leftovers can inspire something new. I'll be sharing plenty more creations over the coming months, so keep an eye on the Blog, Instagram, & Facebook - or even come and say hello if you spot me at one of this year's Craft Fayres! Until next time... Happy Creating!!

April already… how did that happen? The past few months have indeed passed in something of a blur. Just before Christmas, I lost my mom after a long and gradual illness, and since then I think I’ve been moving through life on autopilot. I know that, in time, things will settle and find a new kind of normal. For now, though, I’m taking each day as it comes - working through the memories and emotions whenever they surface. With all that in mind, it’s probably no surprise that things have been fairly quiet in 'The Shack' so far this year. That said, I have slowly started to ease myself back into creating by making birthday cards for friends and family again. To gently reignite my creativity, I’ve set myself a tiny challenge: to use just one stamp set for every single card I make this year. I’ll allow the occasional sentiment or seasonal addition from other sets if absolutely necessary, but otherwise I’m keeping it simple. It’s actually a really refreshing exercise - limitations like this have a way of nudging you to think differently and stretch your creativity in new directions. And right now, that feels like exactly what I need. The arrival of the first long weekend of the year, saw me finally feeling the urge to start on something bigger though. It seemed only fitting that my first real project after such a long pause would be something meaningful - a Memory Box. I wanted to create a special place to keep all the treasured mementos connected to Mom, and to Dad too, who we lost over 18 years ago. Somewhere all those fragments of memory could live together, safely held in one place. As usual, I’ve started simply, taking a plain wooden box, & giving it a coat of primer to prepare my ‘canvas’ for whatever comes next. Sifting through my collection of rice papers, I’ve settled on a couple of designs that complement each other perfectly, and feel right for this piece. And with hardware, & some coordinating fabrics for the interior chosen, the creating has slowly begun! I have to say, the whole process feels incredibly cathartic - perhaps even more so because of what the finished piece will represent. And I’m taking my time with it - something that doesn’t come naturally to me - allowing each step to unfold slowly. There's no rush, no pressure to finish in a specific time-frame... It's all proving to be so unexpectedly calming - something that's been missing for me these past few months. In many ways, it feels less like a project and more like a quiet form of therapy! As I look around 'The Shack' there are so many 'abandoned' projects from the end of last year - plenty to revisit once my Memory Box is completed! Or perhaps I'll start working on something completely new!? Who knows?! Watch this space!! xxx

After the recent days of intermittent rain, incredible thunder storms, and dull skies, the sun is back in business!! (I'm sure I'll be moaning about the heat again before too long, but for now there's a beautiful cool breeze, so I can't complain - its perfect!!) So what's been happening in the 'Shack'.... Well, just recently I started another one of those projects that evolves over weeks, rather than a few hours/ days. (There aren't enough crafting hours in a day as I have a 'proper job' too, and life in general tends to get busy all too often!) I love these kind of projects though as they have many stages, and many points of transformation. They usually involve a variety of crafting techniques, and a lot of patience. (It's so hard not to rush sometimes - I have a vision of the finished item and I just want to get to that point when I can share it/ display it!!) Anyway, having lots of time in between stages of said project I thought I might try my hand at something different! There's a huge resin crafting community out there which has recently piqued my curiosity - I've found myself mesmerized by all the videos and reels demonstrating the techniques, colour pours, demolding, tips & tricks, etc.... So I thought to myself this would be a perfect time to 'dip my toes' into a new crafting adventure!! I'd hardly call it a 'cautious, tentative step' though - in typical 'me' style I've gone all in, making sure I have all the kit to get me started (resin, molds, pigments, tools, glitters, more molds, mica powders, ... even some Jesmonite!). So now I'm committed!! Lol!! I had some old resin, so I poured a couple of 'test' pieces just to get me off the starters block - a pretty little peacock blue trinket pot, and a bubblegum pink rose-topped heart-shaped box. They're by no means perfect, but considering I'm just starting out they didn't come out too bad! New crafts require a lot of patience (bit of a tricky for me!), and a lot of practice (bring it on!), so watch this space - at this rate there may well be some pretty little resin pieces heading onto the website very soon!! Enjoy that sunshine!! xxx

I think I mentioned in a previous post that Ray bought me a heat press for Christmas ... Well, up until about a week ago it was still sitting quietly in the shack, patiently awaiting it's 'debut'! Ray of course is way ahead of me on this new 'toy'- already thinking up all manner of wild & wonderful things we could print on with it... but me? Well I thought I'd start small -something nice & simple - like coasters! As I already have several Doodles & Cute Fun Faces designs layouts prepared for our mugs , it's been relatively easy to come up with some coaster designs just by adapting those! Don't get me wrong though, there has still been a lot of 'trial & error' with placement, spacing, etc... so a fair bit of back & forth before I was finally happy with what I was seeing! The plan is to develop a range of printed coasters that match/ co-ordinate with our printed mug ranges . But hey! Maybe you don't want a mug!? Maybe you just want a coaster (or two)!? No problem - we'll be offering printed coasters as singles, and in sets! There are loads of designs already planned, with many more in the pipeline, so keep checking back as we gradually upload them to the website over the next few weeks! This printing lark is seriously addictive, but I am planning to get back into full on creative mode very soon, as I continue to have lots of ideas swirling around in my head for new bags , boxes , caddies , trays , etc... it's been far too long since I did any of those (I'm getting withdrawal symptoms! Lol!) Before I sign off, it seems an opportune moment to remind you that we do offer custom makes, so if you see any item in our store that you like but would prefer with a different pattern/ theme/ wording, then get in touch with us via our Contact Page. Also, a reminder that as well as delivery we do offer collection in person, so if you are local to Kenilworth and would prefer to arrange to collect your items, just select that option at checkout. Here's to a fabulous June!! Mickie x

With Mothers' Day on the horizon, I think we have to say that Spring is finally here, - it's just that the weather doesn't seem to have cottoned on yet!!!! We were all excitedly out in our short sleeves a couple of weekends ago, but clearly that was just a sneak preview of better and brighter days to come, as the woollens are definitely back on again for now!! We'll continue to wait .... I still haven't managed to do a lot of creating so far this year - unusual for me! Life has just been a little on the hectic side, and all I've really been managing to achieve is a very 'here & there' (as Ray would describe it) kind of sort out in the 'Shack'! There is still lots to do .... I did set myself a personal creative goal this year though - to make sure I remembered everyone's birthdays, and made and sent cards (on time!) to all of them! The last couple of years have been a bit 'hit & miss' on the 'friends & family' card front (more missed than hit!) so I was determined to get back on track! And so far I've stuck to it! All the cards are made up until the end of June so far, and I already have ideas for the remainder of the year! So what little creating I have managed so far has been handmade cards! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the process - and I'm hoping that this renewed energy into cardmaking will spill into our Handmade Cards offering on the website as I look to refresh the ranges! The joy in making cards for friends & family is that you have a specific person in mind as you create - which I love! So it seems appropriate to remind you that we offer Custom Makes if you need a card that's a little different/ more suitable to a particular person or theme - something 'not off the shelf'! Just get in touch via our Contact Form ! Don't forget to check out our current ranges before you leave - Mothers' Day & Easter are fast approaching!! Hoping that the Spring sunshine will have arrived by then too .... Mickie x

 Well Hello all!! & 'Hello 2025!!' Apologies for my lateness in welcoming the New Year in - I've spent much of the first few weeks of the year feeling very sorry for myself, having succumbed to a nasty flu thing that long outstayed it's welcome!! But thankfully, I'm feeling a lot better now! So I've managed to skip all the Resolution-making - no biggie really, as I never seem to stick to any of them long - but I have started thinking about what new things the New Year will see at Mixarray!! Following on from our 'toe-dip' into sublimation late last year with our printed mugs , Ray bought me a heat press for Christmas so that we can look to expand on our offering of printed goods & gifts! It's very early days (the machine isn't even out of the box yet!), but I can't wait to start experimenting with some 'trial' projects (and yes, I have already got some blanks ready for doing just that!) My head is bursting with new ideas for Bags & Cases which I can't wait to start working on, along with more designs for Coasters , Caddys , Trays, etc..., and I am keen to refresh our Handmade Cards ranges this year - so watch this space!! First things first though - the Shack! I think the last few weeks has been the longest period where I haven't even stepped foot in the Shack! So, I know that I'm going to have a fair amount of sorting/ organising to do before I can make a start on anything new (even if its just to find a space for the new heat press!!) Seems I may have 'dodged' the New Year's Resolution-making, but there's no escaping the annual 'Spring' Clean! It's a chance to clear down, refresh, restart,... So - albeit nearly a month in already! - here's looking forward to a fabulous 2025!! I hope the New Year has started off well for everyone!! Mickie x

As I sit here, it's reading zero degrees on my Alexa screen, and there's snow on the ground still from yesterday's (rather premature to my mind) 'flurry'!! It's only November!!!! All that said though, the sun is shining - it's a beautiful (if not chilly) day!! :) I thought I'd give you a little background to my doodles, following the launch of our 'Doodle' Mugs earlier this month! It all started back when I was journalling regularly. Each month various Instagram accounts would post themed doodle challenges - one little doodle a day, approx 3cm square - and so I started doing some just to 'pretty up' my journals! I even got mom involved for a little while - it was great sharing our daily doodles with each other, and seeing the different takes on the various prompts... One month - the first one I did if I remember correctly - was The Sea, another was Ancient Egypt, and there were lots more: Nature, Christmas, School, Movies, Holidays, Kids' Characters, Halloween, .... some months I finished, many I didn't, but it was great when you could see a whole grid of your own doodles filling a page or two in your journal!! I had liked Art at school, but never pursued it, so when I started doing these I rekindled a long forgotten love of drawing!! As you can no doubt imagine then, I accumulated quite a number of these little doodles over a number of months - but what to do with them?? I'd already used some of the images on a range of notecards , but Ray is always trying to encourage me to use them in my crafty creations, and so we recently came up with an idea to print them onto mugs ! The range at launch comprises several ' Doodle ' designs, along with some ' Cute Fun Faces ', & some ' Christmas Doodles ' designs, but there are lots more to come - so watch this space!!

Hey! How're you all liking the chilly wet days we've been 'blessed' with lately? If you're anything like me, you're cold all of the time, and constantly grumbling - LOL! I don't know why, as complaining about it changes nothing (just makes us feel 'better' I guess!), and there are so many worse things .... Anyway, this time of year the temperature down in the shack is a little 'unwelcoming', so I find myself doing more of the creating that can be done in the house (in the warm!). So I've been playing around with my 'cute fun faces' - I've been doodling/ drawing these for a few years now! It was something I started doing quite absent-mindedly - I've always loved drawing eyes (you may have seen some of those on my IG account mixarraymetime !?), and I guess it was kinda natural to progress to full faces! As with everything, its a constant learning-curve, but I love drawing these little faces, and I have quite a few of them now! Recently I have been taking a look at them in mono - they are all nice & bright & cheery in full colour, but the different colourisation really changes the look! We've already used some of my 'cute fun faces' on some of our handmade greeting cards, and you can find these in our online store ! There are some more things in the works though, so - as they say - 'watch this space'!!