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Update For April 2013

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

Just a quick update.  Our dispatch time has increased from two working days days to seven, but we will be reviewing this all the time depending on how busy we are.   Andrew has been taking a break from the business now since the beggining of last summer due to his M.E/CFS.  Hopefully he will begin to feel better soon, as I have really missed his input and companionship during business hours.

This week has brought with it a bit of a mixed bag really in terms of workload, but it has been enjoyable creating small works of art that make so many people happy.   We have had a large number of  emails this week from customers who have been overjoyed with their orders.  This is wonderful as it helps to keep the creative juices flowing.

It has been all work at this end and not much has been happening, apart from adding a small wildlife pond to the garden.  This has been quite an enjoyable experience and one which will benefit so much wildlife as the weeks and months progress.  Danny and Ben our two cats have also been enjoying the orders coming through as they both like to supervise the working day!

Well, have a great week everyone and keep those orders coming.

 

 

Bigger is not always best!

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

I was thinking this morning about the occasional email that we receive every few months or so from potential customers who contact us regarding wanting even larger cards, than we already offer in our range.

We always respond individually to all emails, but would like to take this opportunity also to thank those people contacting us, as we appreciate you taking the time to do this.  I have to say though, in response to the question above, our designs look beautiful at the size that they are and 150mm x 203mm is more than large enough for any special occasion.

Increasing the size of cards in an attempt to create a larger impression in reality would, in our opinion, turn a stunningly beautiful design into a gaudy creation.   We are not prepared to do this as our cards are beautiful enough as they are.   After all, how can you improve on perfection?

Just because I might chose to send the biggest card possible to someone, it does not mean that I am making more of an impression, I have simply sent a bigger card that I have had to pay more for.

The true art of giving is to give from the heart, something beautiful whether that be a kind word or deed, but if you are to give a physical object, such as a handmade greeting card, then remember that bigger is not always better!

Keep the orders coming everyone and lets all have a fantastic day!

:-)

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Snowy Days Here We Come!

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

March 2012 was the third warmest since records began.  The other two warmest were 1938 and 1957.  We had some really beautiful weather, with blue sky days where we were able to get ahead with all the wonderful gardening tasks that needed to be undertaken.  It was beautiful and yes it would be nice if every year would start this way, but as we all know this is seldom the case.

This year has been very different to March 2012 and has brought, over the past few days heavy snow and floods to parts of the country.  Whilst it is easy to complain about the situation when it causes chaos and inconvenience, it is so easy to turn the situation around.    For instance, our house from the front looks out onto a more modern group of houses.   Yesterday I witnessed many neighbors from the close working together in order to clear their road.  I have seen this many times before during heavy snowfalls and it shows a real sense of community spirit, people working together for the good of everyone.  What amazed me also was that walking past the house were many people who seemed to be really enjoying, just being out there in the snow.  They had happy smiley faces and it was so wonderful to see.

In Britain we tend to complain about the weather quite lot and I can not understand why?  We know where we are living and that the weather here for the most part can be unpredictable.  I always say why not embrace the bad weather just as much as we appreciate the warmth and the sunshine.  If I can do it, anyone can.  I love the sunshine, but I made a promise to myself some time back that I was going to enjoy to the best of my ability the cold, rain and snow also.

Remember when we were younger, the real sense of fun that we would feel when we looked out of the window and saw the snow?  Well, I say why loose that enthusiasm for life?  I see the snow and the first thing that I do is go out and build two snowmen for the cats.  They really do appreciate it too, watching so carefully with wonder as I build these little snow works of art.  The cats are our children, but it makes no difference whether you have children or not.  Get out into the snow, touch it, feel it and have fun.   Enjoy moving the snow from the drive and offer to help others too as that is what we are all hear for after all.

Have a great week everyone and remember to have fun in the snow!

 

 

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New Luxury Gay Wedding Card

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, Civil Partnership Cards, Gay Wedding Cards, General Posts

Our first gay wedding card has been added to the website and we are sure that you will agree with us when we say that it is a masterpiece.

‘Beauty’ uses both silver and grey to the maximum. The best way to describe this  magnificent creation is to say that it is true love in card.  The lucky couple receiving this sophisticated design really will want to treasure it forever.

This wonderful new design is in our luxury range, which means that it comes with a classy gift box that is decorated with the finest satin ribbon available. It is perfect to send to your own partner also on your own wedding day or to a friend or family member entering into the wonderful world of marriage.

Keep an eye on some more of our new gay wedding cards coming to the website soon.

Have a great day everyone!

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Try Our Easter Challenge 2013

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

Back in 2012 we wrote a special Easter Challenge Blog to help everyone to share a really happy and productive Easter and so we could not let Easter 2013 go by without sharing our special Easter Challenge with all our readers.

The concept of creating an Easter with a difference is such an interesting one as we both agree that we do not celebrate Easter in the ways that we could, if we opened our minds.  We are all too busy sometimes rushing through life that we forget to appreciate our own life and the world in which we live.

When was the last time that you did something thoughtful for your partner, a family member or even a stranger?  Come to think of it, when was the last time that you did something thoughtful for yourself?

We know that we really have to pull ourselves up about this sometimes because it can be so easy to get wrapped up everyday things, forgetting what really matters.

What about fun? When was the last time that you set aside time to have fun? We all deserve some time out to do the things that we enjoy, but so often we put our own enjoyment to one side in an attempt to please others, or in order to do everyday tasks.

Life is about loving yourself enough to take time out do all the important things that we enjoy, as when we are happy, we are better equipped to enrich the life of others.  Be that family, friends, work colleagues or total strangers, we all have the right to be happy and to enjoy life.

We were thinking back in 2012 about how nowadays we seem to take so much for granted, our loved ones, our work and our homes and how sad this is when there is so much to be thankful for and so much fun to be had.  We were pondering about what this blog was going to be about, when all of a sudden it came to us.  What if we were to turn Easter into the most fun time yet that we have had this year, creating a truly Happy Easter?

Our philosophy in life is that we should live every second enjoying what we do and what we have, from our chosen career, to our home and our relationships.  Every day of our life can be about making a real difference to our own life and the life of all those we come into contact with.

Now the big moment!  What exactly goes into creating this Easter Challenge?  Well that is pretty simple really, we are proposing that we all use the Easter period to reflect upon all the wonderful things that are already part of our life, who we are and where we are heading.

The challenge this Easter for everyone reading this blog is to make Easter 2013 the most enjoyable Easter you have ever had.  A truly Happy Easter Challenge!

It really is so simple and all you need to do is…

  1. Take a small piece of paper and list each of the four days from Good Friday to Easter Monday and then write next to each day three things that you would really like to do that you think would be fun.  It can be anything from skydiving to going out for a relaxing drive.
  2. Next to the list of fun things to do, list four things that you could do that would help another person.  This can be anything that you know someone would be grateful for.  It does not have to be anything big! Getting up and making a special breakfast for a partner is something that another person would be grateful for.  Do something that helps a friend or neighbor.
  3. Now at the bottom of the paper, draw a smiley face.  Make it the most smiley face you have ever seen.

Now during the Easter period, make sure that each day you are getting through your list of fun things to do for yourself as well as those that include others.  The end result is that you will be having a happy Easter yourself, as well as encouraging others to be having a happy Easter period too.

Try our Happy Easter Challenge 2013 and make this Easter the most happy and enjoyable yet.  It is so simple and you deserve it!

By the way, the smiley face at the bottom of the page………..That is you! :-)

The smile that you give out to all those you come into contact with during the Easter period and then beyond will be returned to you more times that you could ever imagine.

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Same Sex Marriage…..About Time!

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

The fantastic news that same sex couples will be able to marry for the first time and those who are already in civil partnerships will be able to have their civil partnership title transferred to marriage for a small fee, is something both beautiful and magnificent during troubled times in this seemingly unsettled world.

It is of course rightly so that same sex couples should have the right to marry, because everyone deserves to love and be loved.   Civil partnerships were most definitely a compromise on the part of the government of the time, as granting same sex couples rights was a relatively new area.

Compromise or not, it was still the most wonderful thing to occur until the wonderful news that same sex marriages were to be given the go ahead by the current Conservative government, thus in doing so promoting true equality and embracing the love people share for one another.

To those in same sex relationships, civil partnerships were the dawning of a new era.   It was a time where one could now pledge their love for their partner by making an official commitment.  The added bonus was that the partnership was recognised in terms of the law and this encouraged a long overdue change within society.

Discrimination however was a major factor that most homosexual people whether in a relationship or not faced and in some ways still continue to face, although not to the same degree.  Listening to others talking about how being homosexual is wrong from an early age is not going to make for a confident start in life.  The old adage, if only I knew then what I know now rings true.  It is now so easy to see as an adult that this type of negative view comes from only very insecure and frightened people.

Imagine visiting your partner in hospital and being told that you do not have any rights to know of their condition because you are not family, even though you are closer to that person then their own mother.  Try to imagine going for a walk and being stared at and laughed at by others, simply because it is two men or two women walking together .   Think about how it would feel going to a restaurant for an anniversary meal, only to be looked at all evening as if you were from another planet.   These are really only some of the minor issues that were faced by people in same sex relationships. This is and always has been unacceptable behavior, but things have improved so much in recent years thanks to people opening up their hearts and their minds.

We are all here together in this world, black or white, heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual, rich or poor or whatever the so called difference may be.   We have a duty to work together in love for the benefit of each other, creating a better world for ourselves and for future generations.   A new world that is filled with love and not hatred, where each and every person has a tone in their voice that is filled with empowerment and respect for other people.   Whilst we might not forget the bigoted and ignorant people who have at times during yesteryear attempted to make life an ugly place, we embrace in our memory those people who have shown love, kindness, compassion and respect.   Same sex marriage is here to stay and this momentous change benefits every citizen of not only this country, but the world too.

Not only is same sex marriage a shining example of forward and intelligent thinking, it proves that love knows no bounds. Love is universal; it sometimes touches us in ways that we can not quantify, touch or see.

Lets all give love a chance and see where it takes us, we can safely guarantee that it will get us a lot further than some of the worlds past way of thinking has done, just look at the world around us.   We have the opportunity to all move forward together, lets do so!

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Lets Celebrate Christmas!

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

Christmas is well and truly here – the streets are lit with dazzling colours, the shops are bustling with busy shoppers and bits of tinsel can be found in every room of the house dispite every effort to remove it!

As you might already know, Christmas is very special to us and we are even more thankful this year because we thought Danny would be in cat heaven, but he is still with us sharing his fourth Christmas with his dads.  We are very fortunate to have this time with him and we intend to enjoy every second.

We hope that your Christmas plans are going well and that you too are excited about what’s ahead over the comming weeks.

Best wishes from us both :)

 

Christmas 2012

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts, Handmade Christmas Cards

With Christmas 2012 being just around the corner, why not send a loved one or someone you know one of our amazing Christmas cards.

We have so many cards to choose from, which means not only are you spoilt for choice, but there is also something for every taste too. Christmas is such a magical time of year, it’s the time when we can reach out and make a difference to people that perhaps we have not seen for some time or simply to let those that we are in contact with know that we care.  Why not send a card to a neighbour that you have not spoken much to lately or supprise an aquaintance with an extra special greeting card.

Christmas is such a special time and with all the difficulties that have been occuring in the world, sending love out to those we know and those we do not know so well is becoming more important than ever.  Good wishes are like an infectious smile, they spread from person to person, so start a chain of love this year by performing a simple act, sending a Christmas card.

 

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Thornberry Animal Sanctuary Urgent Appeal For Donations

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

Thornberry Animal Sanctuary is an independent sanctuary in South Yorkshire, which takes in, cares for and rehomes so many cats, dogs, horses, rabbits and other animals each year that have been ill treated or abandoned.

Due to the recent economic situation, the sanctuary which has provided a loving, safe home for many animals that are not able to fend for themselves is now under threat through financial difficulty.  This is such a distressing time for Thornberry because if urgent funding is not found, then the sanctuary may be forced to turn animals away that are in desperate need of a home, or soon might simply have to close all together.

A long time ago, we rescued a collared dove in our garden which had been attacked by a neighbour’s cat.  We brought him in and gave him a home using a cat basket that belongs to one of our indoor cats.  We kept him safe and warm, we even took him to the vets who suggested putting him to sleep.  I suggested that this would not be happening and so we brought Little Bertie, as we named him, back home to rest and recuperate in his little basket.  All life is precious!  We changed his blanket in the cat basket every day and fed him lots of seed, providing him with fresh water and over a period of a few weeks, he eventually recovered.

The vet had suggested putting him to sleep, because his foot had been severely damaged by the cat, and he would not be able to perch and so would not survive in the wild.  Whilst we understood this, there is answer to every situation that we face in life and for Little Bertie, the answer turned out to be Thornberry Animal Sanctuary.  We did some time later rescue another bird, who we found in the road.  On the same day that the sanctuary got back to say that they were unable to take him in, he died.  He seemed like a very old bird and so it was probably his time to move on.

We go to visit Little Bertie whenever we have time at Thornberry as they have a charity shop as well as a cafe where you can have a bite to eat after visiting the animals.  It can be a really nice trip out if you are in the area and love being around animals.  All donations are gratefully received too.

Thornberry also need support in rehoming animals to suitable homes and so needs support in that way too.  Some animals of course are unable to be rehomed and can you imagine what they will have to go through if Thornberry does not attract long standing financial support?  We believe that everything will work out for Thornberry and with sustainable financial support, animals will continue to have a safe place to live.  The volunteers there do a wonderful job taking care of the animals; they are passionate and care about what they do.

We have supported Thornberry since they took in Little Bertie and the most fantastic feeling is when we go to visit and see him in the aviary playing with birds that in the wild, he would never have got to see.  He also has been taken under the wing by the other collared doves.  Little Bertie is the collared dove with the foot that turns inward, in case you ever go to visit.

If you can help Thornberry Animal Sanctuary at all by making a regular donations or by helping out in any way possible, then you will be making a real difference to the lives of all of the animals who live there.

You can make a donation by following this link to Thornberry Animal Sanctuary.

Thornberry also has a Facebook page, Thornberry Animal Sanctuary on Facebook where you can make a difference by sending your friends and family the link, letting them know about Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and their desperate need for long term support.   Also if you are a business owner and are able to offer a service for free to Thornberry or financial support, this would make a huge difference to the animals there.

As animal lovers, we wanted to write this blog to simply increase awareness and to signpost people to help to support animals that need us.  We can each make a difference by making regular donations to help the sanctuary meet is financial needs.

Thank you for taking the time to read all about Thornberry and don’t forget to make a real difference today by helping in any way possible.

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Our Easter Challenge 2012

By Monkey Nuts Designs | Filed in All Posts, General Posts

This year Easter falls on the 8th April and over the last couple of days we have been thinking of writing a blog especially for Easter, but a blog that is uplifting and different.

Apart from mentioning the obvious, that we have a perfect selection of exquisite handmade Easter cards, we want to write about the possibility of creating an Easter weekend with a difference.

We are all too busy sometimes rushing through life that we forget to appreciate our own life and the world in which we live.  When was the last time that you did something thoughtful for your partner, a family member or even a stranger?  Come to think of it, when was the last time that you did something thoughtful for yourself?  We know that we really have to pull ourselves up about this sometimes because it can be so easy to get wrapped up everyday things, forgetting what really matters.

What about fun?  When was the last time that you set aside time to have fun?  We all deserve some time out to do the things that we enjoy, but so often we put our own enjoyment to one side in an attempt to please others, or in order to do those so called ‘chores’.  Life is about loving yourself enough to take time out do all the important things that we enjoy, as when we are happy, we are better equipped to enrich the life of others.  Be that family, friends, work colleagues or total strangers, we all have the right to be happy and to enjoy life.

We have been thinking about how nowadays we seem to take so much for granted, our loved ones, our work and our homes and how sad this is when there is so much to be thankful for and so much fun to be had.  We were pondering about what this blog was going to be about, when all of a sudden it came to us.  What if we were to turn Easter 2012 into the most fun time yet that we have had this year, creating a truly Happy Easter?

Our philosophy in life is that we should live every second enjoying what we do and what we have, from our chosen career, to our home and our relationships.  Every day of our life can be about making a real difference to our own life and the life of all those we come into contact with.  Having almost completed a book on the subject, we felt compelled to share our Happy Easter idea with the world via our blog.

Now the big moment, what exactly is it that we are thinking?  Well that is pretty simple really, we are proposing that we all use the Easter period to reflect upon all the wonderful things that are already part of our life, who we are and where we are heading.

The challenge this Easter for everyone reading this blog is to make Easter 2012 the most enjoyable Easter you have ever had.  A Happy Easter Challenge!

To do this all you need to do is……….

Take a small piece of paper and list each of the four days from Good Friday to Easter Monday and then write next to each day three things that you would really like to do that you think would be fun.

Then next to the list of fun things to do, list three things that you could do that would help another person.

Now during the Easter period, make sure that each day you are getting through your list and the end result is that you will be having a happy Easter yourself, as well as encouraging others to be having a happy Easter period too.

Try our Happy Easter Challenge 2012 and make this Easter the most happy and enjoyable yet.  You deserve it!

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