Sew Much Fun!

I am quite excited today!

For a while I've been focusing my efforts on starting a craft group in Nottingham, and the first meeting is finally rolling round on Monday!

It's so much fun to get together with a group of people and share what you're passionate about, and this is an opportunity to do just that. It was much easier to organise than I initially thought, and there has been a lot more interest than I expected - there are a lot of enthusiastic crafters out there!

I set up a website for the group through Meetup, a great place for aspiring groups to get themselves seen. If you want to check it out, you can find my web page here. At some point I'd like to design my own website, but that's for another day...

I've been a bit overwhelmed by people's generosity as well; the first session is meeting at my house, as I didn't know of a venue that wouldn't cost a small fortune to hire, but just this week I've heard from the Nottinghack group offering a potential venue! I'm going to check it out next week so fingers crossed...

I'm very excited!

Interview with Haptree

I've finally found my way back online... life has been a bit crazy lately; I've moved house, I'm getting married in 11 days (11 days!) and have got my first round of professional exams in November. Jewellery making has somewhat taken a back seat lately.

But it hasn't taken a back seat for everyone, particularly not for Hilary, the brains behind Haptree on Folksy, as well as her own website, who's shared a bit about her life and craft...

We would like to get to know a bit more about the person behind the craft.

If you were an animal, what would you be? – A horse, possibly with wings.

Cadbury or Galaxy? – Green & Blacks

What film did you last see at the cinema and what did you think of it? – Where the Wild things Are – I thought it was strange, interesting, depressing and yet uplifting.

What is your favourite season? It’s tough as I think I enjoy the beginning of every season and yet I can’t wait for the next.

And now about your work.

What’s the first thing you can remember making?

A green and red stripy knitted rectangle.

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

I like sewing beautiful Japanese cotton best.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

My partner has an amazing attention to detail and I’d like to hope a bit of it has rubbed off on me since we’ve been together.

What’s your best crafty tip?

Measure twice, cut once – it’s boring but saves time and money and four letter words.

What’s your favourite item in your shop? (can you give me a link for it, thanks)

Allways the one I listed most recently!

Also, if you take a trip over to Haptree's blog, you could win yourself a gorgeous selection of items in her competition, including the red purse at the top of the page.

Thanks Hilary!

Interview with Bonnita

It's that time of the week when I talk to another crafter, to find out a bit more about what's out there... This week I'm talking to Bonnita who has a number of shops on Folksy, including Momo made by Moaby, Jucimoon and It's all about the Graphics. So lets talk to this multi talented lady to find out a bit more...

If you were an animal, what would you be?

Any Bird of Prey!

Cadbury or Galaxy?

Galaxy all the way baby!

What film did you last see at the cinema and what did you think of it?

Erm.......Can't remember I rarely go

What is your favourite season?

Autumn, the colours are beautiful

And now about your work.

What’s the first thing you can remember making?

A crochet cupcake that went very wrong lol

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

Wool, u can do so much with it, knit, crochet, pom poms ect.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

Not really who as a person but a country, Japan and china has a huge influence on me I love their style of Amigurumi.

What’s your best crafty tip?

Enjoy yourself! And spray mount can make a fantastic temporary bond

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

I had so much fun making her, she is a lot bigger than picture makes out too.

Thanks Bonnita!

Interview with Careford Creations

Interview time has come around again, and today I'm talking to Victoria from Careford Creations. Specialising in stunning photography, Victoria's shop also contains beautiful polymer clay creations. I'll leave Victoria to do most of the talking:

Tell us a bit more about the person behind the craft...

Well, my name’s Victoria, or Vic. I live with my husband and son and we have another baby due in April. I was working as a primary school teacher but stopped working last summer to be a full-time mum and spend more time on photography and crafty stuff.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

I’d love to know what’s at the bottom of the ocean, so maybe a really peculiar deep-sea creature!

What is your favourite season?

One thing I love about living in the UK are the seasons and I do like all of them for one reason or the other. Sorry, I really can’t choose!

If you were stuck on a desert island, what one thing would you want to have with you?

I could spend hours reading an atlas! Not necessarily to help me get off the island, but I just find them fascinating.

What’s your favourite colour?

Probably yellow.

And now about your work.

How did you get started?

I’ve been taking photos since I got my first camera for my 9^th birthday. I decided to start selling about 10 years ago, although didn’t do a great deal about it for another few years. As for other crafty things, I’ve always loved making stuff, right from when I was very little.

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

I really love working with Fimo. There’s so much you can do with it. I love experimenting and even when something goes wrong, you often discover something you can use in some way.

Where do you go for inspiration?

Everywhere really! For photos, I may see something on TV or in a book, or just be out and about and the colours, shapes, textures will inspire me to set up a photo. For Fimo, food, animals, travel and fairytales inspire me. So as you see, a bit of everything!

What’s your best crafty tip?

Try out lots of crafts to find one you really enjoy and are good at. When it comes to selling however, I think it’s probably best to stick to one thing...

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

I really like this handbound notebook, with a photo of a pink rose on the cover:

Thanks Victoria!

I love chain :)

I've been making some new necklaces lately, much simpler than my usual fully beaded designs but striking for all that. I'm trying hard not to just steal them myself...

Though to be honest one of the things I love about making jewellery is the ability to always make a piece of jewellery to match an outfit - even if it's only half an hour before I go out (which has been known!).

For the new necklaces I've been using sterling silver chains as a base and making a beaded pendant to go on it. Generally I'll choose a colour to base the necklace around; sometimes based on a particularly lovely bead that I want to include, and then build the pendant around that colour using glass beads, wire and chain.

This is one of my favourites:I love it partly because of the colour - I think the mix of turquoise and blue works really well, but I also love the little heart pendant that I added as a focal point. The chain that this one is on is a spiral chain; it's a bit more interesting that a basic curb chain and looks really pretty.

One of my other favourites is this purple one:My favourite thing about this necklace is the little cream dove pendant. It's so pretty and goes really well with the purple and white beads which made up the main part of the necklace. I hung this one on a snake chain; it gives a really different effect from the spiral chain I used above as it holds its shape more (you can see the way it curves around rather than hanging to a point) and makes the chain more of a feature of the necklace.

What do you think?

Craft Fair!

Yesterday I did my first craft fair in months, at the Oxford Literary festival. Sales weren't great but we had a good time!

My Mum came to help me out (having someone with you is a must so you've got someone to talk to in those quiet patches!), and we had a lovely day and met some great people on the other stalls :)
Working out how to display the jewellery is always the hard bit. We had two tables so there was plenty of space, and put boxes and cushions under the tablecloths to give some height. I also took the mirror off my dressing table - a nice big mirror for people to admire themselves in and a good place to drape jewellery.

Interview with Midsummer Stitches

Fabric craft this week, and for that we're heading to Midsummer Stitches. Staying true to its name, this shop is full of bright, happy and summery products; pinks, yellows, blues and greens all help to lift your mood and make you feel just a little bit happier for visiting.

Let's have a chat with Julia, the creative mind behind the shop...

If you were an animal, what would you be?

A cat, sleeping in the sunshine on my favourite cushion!

What is your favourite season?

Spring: weather changing, fresh smells and the promise of the summer ahead.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what one thing would you want to have with you?

My partner and two girls, home is where they are....

What’s your favourite colour?

Hmmm, pink no red no both! Can I have both?

And now about your work.

How did you get started?

Making everything as a child with glue cardboard etc (I must have drivin my parents crazy).

Then onto making my own clothes at about 13, feeling the need to stand out (I am sure I did).

Full time student at 25 studying design, soft furnishings and upholstery for three years with two toddlers(interesting).

Taught this for five years, then decided to go it alone I now have a great business making handsewn curtains and creative textile gifts I work full time and I love my job! This morning I have delivered an antique clown costume to a client, posted a vintage fabric cupcake and am about to start a lovely set of velvet Roman blinds for a different client....perfect.

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

I think it has to be silk, from a corsage to a huge pair of curtains it looks and feels wonderful, its crisp texture and range of colours is unbeatable

Where do you go for inspiration?

Well, some days a blowy walk with the dogs can fire me up, tomorrow im off to London looking around the markets and the vibe of that is always good, but for me a lazy day wandering around Stratford is great sitting by the water....hmmm roll on sunshine?

What's your best crafty tip?
Take a notepad, Im always scribbling ideas, sometimes I find pictures I don’t even remember doing and you cant always find a napkin when you need one!

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

I think this decorative blooms bag

I love the colour combination and really enjoyed making it, im working on some more bags at the minute with a similar theme but a variety of colour and sizes...after all you can never have too many bags right?

Too right you can never have too many bags... :D Thanks Julia!

Interview with Sugar & Rhubarb

My interview for this week is with Gemma who runs a shop I just can't get enough of. Just when you think it's all calm and pretty textiles - door stops, tea cosies and brooches, WHAM! there is a ninja kitty! So here we go chatting to the owner of Sugar & Rhubarb.

If you were a colour, what would you be?

Pink with blue polka dots, I’d be lying to myself if I said something plain!

Cadbury or Galaxy?

Oooh this is hard.... Cadburys crème egg, but galaxy chocolate bar- one of those embarrassingly huge ones, that you should never eat alone, but you do.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what one thing would you want to have with you?

Yumyums... but only if I could take more than one – it would be too cruel if there was just one.

Who would you want to play you in the film of your life?

Obviously someone as stunning as myself... Scarlett Johanson might be a good match ;)

And now about your work.

What’s the first thing you can remember making?

It was a lavender bot... a little lavender filled sphere with a face on. I hadn’t mastered sewing very well and it was a bit wonky... slightly

embarrassing really. I made loads and tried to sell them at a vintage fair with my friend who was selling off most of her wardrobe. The price progressively went down from £3 to 90p during the day. It caught the eye of a few kiddies, so that was nice to see their little faces light up when they paid for one. It wasn’t really my target market but it gave me a warm glow nonetheless!

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

Any pretty cotton fabric. I love anything by Heather Ross, Kokka, Amy Butler, Liberty and Cath Kidston. I could spend hours in places like Ditto in Brighton just ooh-ing and ahh-ing at prints.

Who has been your biggest inspiration?

My cat... no must be serious for these interviews ... think business head. People like Poppy Treffry and Anna from Widget the Sock Bunny – they show that your once small ideas can turn into a worldwide phenomenon,

What’s your best crafty tip?

Have faith in your skills and never price too low! It takes a lot to have confidence in yourself and your creations, and too many people suffer from self doubt and price too low. Woody had a wonderful blog entry on pricing your stuff so that you can make a profit, and it’s surprising how much better I feel about listing my items on folksy and etsy now that I know I’m making a small profit from each sale I make.

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

It has to be Ninja Kitty. He took a lot of failed attempts and learning to get where he is now. He’s even got his own blog which makes me giggle whenever I write entries – I am of the LolCatz generation and having his blog lets me write those silly thoughts I have about cats without looking too strange because I can say an inanimate object wrote them!!

Interview with Rose Lullaby Dolls

For my interview this week I'm talking to Robyn, who has a really unique range of products. Robyn's shop, Rose Lullaby Dolls, is stocked with lovely handmade dolls each with a their own name and a real character of their own. If dolls aren't your thing, then make sure you check out the beautiful cards also on offer.

Let's hear from Robyn:

If you were a flower, what would you be?

I’ve always loved daisies - I had them painted on my DM’s as a teenager and our wedding colours were white yellow and green like a daisy too. I love how clean and bright, but not garish they are.

What is your favourite meal?

Lasagne, preferably cooked by my mum.

Cadbury’s or Galaxy?

Cadbury’s every time, though these days I’m a bit addicted to my 85% cocoa dark choc...

What’s your favourite colour?

I think green, it can be deep and jewel coloured, or light and springy, its a versatile colour!

And now about your work.

How did you get started?

I’m a set and costume designer for theatre who’s always loved puppets so I started making them for shows Then I started making them as art objects. Now they no longer have rods or strings but they are made in the same way as I make puppets.

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

Fabric. you can do anything with it, sew it, cover it in glue and sculpt it, weave it, shread it, paint it, dye it you name it I’ve done it!

When you need some inspiration, where do you go?

To the park.

What’s the first thing you remember making?

My mum was in charge of the arts and crafts at our playgroup so we usd to try out everything she’d devised first, lots of loo roll and sugar paper creations!

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

My custom puppet dolls, working from photographs I make people into dolls! It’s so much fun and always challenging, i love it!

Thank you Robyn!

Mini Scarf

I've been an on-off knitter for years; I've only ever started two big projects, a poncho which took me about 2 years to make, and a long cardigan which I've been working on for the last 18 months (currently on the sleeves so getting there, albeit slowly!). The trouble is, I have a week or so where I knit every evening and then I get sidetracked by my beads again.

However, recently I stumbled across Creative Open Workshops which are evening craft courses run at the Custard Factory in Birmingham and I've been learning to crochet. The beauty is they're all quick projects than can be completed in one or two evenings, perfect for me!

Doing the courses (I now have a room full of crocheted hats because they're so fun to make!) has got me investigating other quick crochet and knitting projects, and last night I found the quickest of all... In less than an hour I made a mini scarf!


It was so simple to do, and knitting on 12 mm needles meant it grew incredibly fast. I finished it off with a wooden toggle button I found in one of my craft boxes, and I love it! The wool is awesome too, it's made from Rowan Big Wool Tuft which has fluffy bits of wool sticking out all over. Unfortunately I think this wool is discontinued now but I found some on ebay.

Making them is so addictive and so quick though that I got most of the way through a second on the train this morning.... Not sure what I'm going to do with all the spares I can see I'm going to make!

Wedding Invitations :)

I'm currently in the middle of planning my wedding - and boy I never realised quite how much work it was! And it's so easy to get caught up in the little details that you forget what the important things are.

My fiance and I have gone on and off the idea of making our own invitations over the last few months; I love making cards (I love any craft in fact!) so liked the idea of doing it, but thought the work involved might be a bit too much. Though seeing how much we were likely to spend getting all our wedding stationary done professionally did make it seem a more attractive prospect!

Today we decided to have a go at producing some prototypes. We went out to a craft shop and bought a selection of card, a heart shaped cutter and some ribbon and set to work. After playing around with a few ideas, lots of double sided sticky tape and giggles and a lot of fun, we produced four lovely designs we couldn't separate...


Having seen the fun involved we're now going to round up our friends and have a weekend invitation making :) A lot more fun than going to a shop to order invites and a chance to get all our friends involved in our wedding, something we would love to do.

And as for the four designs, we couldn't decide between them so we're not going to, we're going to use them all :)

Interview with Evie George

The time has come for another Folksy interview! This time I'm talking to Anna who is the creative genius behind the shop Evie George, a little haven of papercraft. In addition to running her Folksy shop, Anna is also the brains behind Folksy Weddings, a complete guide to where to find handmade items for your wedding!

We would like to get to know a bit more about the person behind Evie George.

If you were a flower, what would you be?

I’d probably be one of the little purple flowers on Lavender.

What is your favourite meal?

Beer Butt Chicken!! It’s so good- you put a delicious rub over the chicken then you put an open can of beer (or coke) up the chickens *ahem* butt and cook it standing up and it all the flavour steams the meat. I love comfort food and big English meals.

Cadbury’s or Galaxy?

Cadburys every time- I really hope Kraft don’t change the recipe!

What’s your favourite colour?

Blue

And now about your work.

How did you get started?

I have always made all the cards I send and presents for friends and family, they kept telling me I should sell the things I make so I thought I’d give it a go!

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

I love paper. All types of paper- I love old books and the smell of brand new paper in it’s box. My favourite month always used to be September when you would get to buy new stationery ready for school- I still treat myself to a lovely new journal or notepad in September!

When you need some inspiration, where do you go?

I like to go to my local knitting shop- I can’t knit but they have a whole wall of ribbons and buttons and the ladies in there are so lovely!

I also find lots of inspiration on lots of blogs- there are so many creative people out there in blog-land.

What’s the first thing you remember making?

I vividly remember making daffodils out of egg cups at primary school and being covered in yellow poster paint. I am still a very messy maker!!!

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

My favourite items are my prayer frames. I sell lots of these in church shops and local cafes but they don’t sell so well on Folksy. I really enjoy making these.

Thanks Anna!

Interview with Silky Prudence

This week I've interviewed Sara, the brains and fingers behind Silky Prudence. This is a gorgeous shop, full of knitted items; ranging from evening shawls to cosy neckwarmers, you're sure to find something here.

Let's get started... we'd like to get to know a bit more about the person behind Silky Prudence.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

A bit unoriginal but I'd have to be a cat – I have two and would to swap lives with them for a day. I watch them when I'm working and they're either sleeping, eating or playing – three of my favourite things!

What is your favourite time of day?

Early mornings when no one else is around. I love getting up and standing at the back door with a mug of tea, listening to the birds singing and smelling the wafts of lavender coming from my little herb patch. It sets me up for a few hours designing and making before everyone else gets up to shatter my peace and quiet.

Cadbury’s or Galaxy?

Galaxy for me please!

What’s your favourite colour?

Green. Especially deep forest and emerald green.

And now about your work.

How did you get started?

I come from a very crafty family; my mum is a whizz with a sewing machine and a pair of knitting needles so all my clothes were handmade, right down to my school uniform. She taught me to sew and bought me my own little Sindy dress-making patterns – I distinctly remember making a kimono for one of my Sindy's and being very pleased with myself! Her mum, my Mama, taught me to knit when I was 5 and I taught myself to crochet when I was at university and sat at the back of extremely dull English lectures.

What’s your favourite material to work with and why?

Kid mohair-silk blend. It feels so ephemeral that it's like working with cobwebs and when I'm making a piece with it I can imagine its new owner feeling like a fairytale princess when she wears it.

When you need some inspiration, where do you go?

Into my garden to look at the different colours and textures of the plants and flowers - I love the way Nature doesn't care about colour coordination and just throws things together that look stunning. And I adore Haberdashers - there are three that I go to in London just to gaze upon the rows and rows of ribbons, buttons and pretty, pretty things; VV Rouloux, The Button Queen and Barnet Lawson. It makes me so happy!

What’s the first thing you remember making?

Apart from the Sindy kimono I think it was probably a very wonky dishcloth from the times spent sitting on Mama's knee as she taught me to knit. My first 'proper' thing was a Breton jumper when I was about 15 and it was huge!

What’s your favourite item in your shop?

It would have to be my lime Grace Scarf:

I love the combination of the soft fluffy mohair with the zingy lime colour.

My Folksy Favourites

It's Tuesday again, and time for more of my favourite items from Folksy. With over 500 sellers on Folksy now, there are a lot of items to choose from!

For those of you out there who like to make your own items Folksy is also a treasure trove of crafty supplies, many of them unique. Abstract Cat Crafts is a lovely shop selling skeins of hand dyed wool in fantastic colours. Just take a look at this one, if ever there were colours to lift you out of the winter blues then these are they!

Another fantastic place to go for your crafting supplies is The Bead Shack. This is a real treasure trove of beads and findings; cute, glamorous, practical and pretty, it's all here. Some of my favourites are these absolutely adorable frogs! They'd be perfect on a bracelet, climbing round your wrist!My final choice for this week comes from Mollimoo, a fantastic first port of call for funky buttons. With buttons in every colour and design imaginable, they're perfect for finishing off that bag, cardigan, or just for sewing all over your jeans :) My current favourites are these stripy ones, the colours are so bright and clear and the stripes are lovely and bold.

I hope you like this week's picks!