asking for trouble

11 Years of Blogging: March

Continuing the series, let’s see what I was blogging about every March since 2008!

Etsy 2008

2008

March 2008 is when I opened my Etsy shop with some doubts but here I am 11 years and 4500+ sales later! How rubbish does the 2008 site design look now? I was in my first days of self-employment so obviously made a dress out of a pillowcase and then wrote a tutorial. I also made some keyrings with webbing I bought in Japan (I still use mine) and found some incredible charity shop bargains up north.

felt flower brooches

2009

March 2009 is a very quiet one. I made lots of new brooches and some vintage button fabric purses and did some gocco printing. More excitingly, I was part of a Craft Mafias exhibition in Manchester.

vintage button shoes

2010

March 2010 had the big announcement that I was designing some rain boots for Plueys and I continued the shoe news with my vintage button Keds from Zazzle (both of which I still wear). I designed a new badge set with the first Bumblebee & Tulip and some new fabric patterns. And I just re-read this post about creating a special Illustrator palette and matching fabric swatch for safe colours to use for Spoonflower design and thank goodness it’s all so much easier now. Also I still sell a lot of that polka dot palette pattern – I guess people like the randomness.

5 a day badges

2011

March 2011 has me celebrating my 3 year freelanciversary and, less enjoyably, cutting my hand open. I designed more badge sets, got some great birthday presents and showed you what’s in my bag (I still have the same keyring and hat). I also shared some good advice blog posts and most of them are still online and extremely relevant so go and have a read.

kawaii writing paper

2012

March 2012 was a big month for travel blogging – I have a series of 5 posts from a trip up north and to Edinburgh. My only new product seems to be these Pancake & Egg notepads but I shared some cute makes from people who bought my Spoonflower fabric. I drew my birthday outfit and who remembers the Draw Something app? They should bring that back now that many of us have iPads and Apple Pencils.

IKEA expedit with map decals

2013

March 2013 has 2 of my all-time favourite DIYS, adding vintage map decals to my IKEA unit and my type drawer of tiny things. I also launched my Meal Planner notepads, little knowing they’d still be a best seller 6 years later, and shared some super cute doll clothes made with my fabric.

2014

March 2014 is mostly taken up with moving to Helensburgh. I designed a fun new address card for friends & family, bought a Pancake clock and shared a few corners of my new home.

kawaii sunflower paper craft

2015

March 2015 has some house stuff too as I set up a sewing area (and I’m now feeling very motivated to reclaim that part of the room from all the empty boxes and charity shop donations currently cluttering it up) and I also had a fun birthday. I shared an introductory guide to selling on-demand + a comparison guide to all the different sites – this whole series is still worth a read. New designs included my updated Busy Bee Organisers, a free printable Easter garland and a paper cut Sunflower card for my mum.

glow in the dark ghost brooch

2016

March 2016 was 2 months before my big Japan holiday so I was busy planning my trip and writing a new guide book. I also launched my Glow in the Dark Ghost brooches – a bit surprises as I would have sworn they were much older! Also new – and now gone – Afternoon Tea coin purses.

lucky clover paper cut tutorial copyright marceline smith

2017

March 2017 is full of springtime cuteness: a Lucky Clover paper craft tutorial, two Easter patterns and my new mantelpiece display. I also took part in March Meet The Maker for the first time and sewed up a daffodil brooch, plus a birthday trip to Edinburgh (staying in a book-themed hotel).

Kawaii Skies Gift Wrap - gift tags

2018

March 2018 was my second year of March Meet The Maker and I expanded some of the prompts to share how I make my Little Ghost brooches and my favourite blogs. I also previewed my new Kawaii Skies gift wrap and got the first mail deliveries for the Surprise Mail Swap. Most excitingly, I booked the flights for our next Japan trip.

If you’re reading this in the future, you can also check out all my posts for March 2019.

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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