Double Whammy!

"Wow I'm on the front page of Etsy!"

3 hours later

"Double wow I'm on the front page of Etsy again!"

Yes it was a good day yesterday! My 1st front page glory moment was a treasury by mamabetsy full of neckwarmers and my electric blue one was featured.



The second treasury was picked by lusitania and featured one of my brooches.



Thank you for creating these treasuries and picking my items!

It's a Retro World Out There

I adore fabric shops, I adore browsing online fabric stores and I adore my fabric cupboard. I love fabrics of all textures and colours, and sometimes I stumble across one that I really like. I was totally wowed by this retro print fabric when I saw it, with its cirlces and one of my favorite colour combinations, brown and pink. I've made a few bags with the material and this is my latest one:



It's currently for sale in my etsy shop (new in today!) I've also made some brooches and iPod covers with the fabric that look suitably 70ish. I shall photograph them, weather permitting - go away grey skies I need to take photos - and put them in my etsy and folksy shops soon.

Starry Starry Night

I've been a little busy lately with wholesale and custom orders, which has been hectic but enjoyable. I'm working on my 3rd custom order at the moment and it is a great feeling creating something that someone has specifically asked you to conjure up - especially if you've never met that person! It always gives me a glow to open my mailbox and see a message that begins with "would you be able to make...."

However I did get time to photograph this starry clutch bag and list it in my Folksy shop.



It features a handle that I crocheted in a pure Shetland wool, and the fabric is dotted with little black stars. Add a little glamour to a night out! I also pleated the fabric and added a little inner pocket.

Its similar to one I have currently in my Etsy shop too.

Back to the knitting.....

Power Of The Flower

Take one crochet hook, one ball of pure wool, a box of buttons and a little thought of how to add a smidgen of cheer to winter skies - and that's where my wool flower corsages started.







Some I made with pure wool and felted, some I made with a lovely pure cotton that is the softest of softness, some I added a vintage button, some I added one of incywincy's gorgeous handmade buttons. I've put a few for sale in my etsy shop, will be creating and adding more too over the next few weeks.

How We Had Fun at Handmade

So the big day came and went - yes, the Handm@de Craft Fair took place on Sunday at Oxford and I was lucky to be one of the exhibitors.

We set off early, traffic and hassle free journey, until we had to navigate the one-way pedestrian system coupled with road closures. The sight of a row of cars parked on double-yellow lines with a flurry of boxes being unloaded led me to guess that we'd arrived at the Town Hall.

I set up stall in a state of anxiety and probably had a slightly startled look about me to begin with (apologies to anyone who spoke to me at this point if I looked a little odd!). I had remembered everything, stall set up went well, and then the doors were opened. It was a fantastic turn out, goodie-bags were handed out to the 1st wave of people through the doors - well over 1000 came to peruse. It was lovely hearing comments about my stuff, so pleased that people liked it, and I sold quite a few wool hats and corsages. Wool is the way to go this season I think!



I also met some lovely UK craft folks, many who I've chatted to on Etsy and Folksy forums, so nice to put faces to shop names. I also did a little bit of shopping and treated myself to some lovely earrings from Quercus Silver and a super pendant from pennydog.



All in all a great day, a big thank you to the organisers. And yes I would definitely do it again!

P.S There are more images on the handm@de flickr group

The Big Day Approaches

Panic and anxiety have now set in. Yes, in less than 2 days time I will be displaying my wares at the handm@de craft fair in Oxford.







So if you've nothing planned this Sunday pop down and say hello.

And if you've got things planned, cancel them and come to the fair.

*check out the handm@de blog too for a full list of exhibitors and some great gift ideas!*

Keep your iPod Warm This Winter

Our house seems to be accumulating a number of iPods, mp3 players and mobile phones, all of varying shapes and sizes, so finding compatible covers for them is starting to become a challenge. Combining this conundrum with my love of fabrics I have developed a new line in iPod sleeves/socks/cozy's - whatever you wish to call them.



I love this fabric - I've called it a Busy Ant Fabric - and it just seemed to suit the size of this iPod cover. I added a crocheted band in white and a button for the closure.



This one has been listed in my Folksy shop, I shall be displaying more at the Oxford handm@de craft fair on Sunday then adding more to my Folksy and Etsy shops next week.

Front Page Moment

Another pleasing moment - one of my brooches was featured on the Front Page of Etsy today - it was included in a wonderful wintery blue treasury created by TreasuryTown - oh and thank you to the UK Etsy folks for letting me know I was on the front page!





I'm currently working on another range of brooches in wools and cottons, hopefully they shall be in my Etsy and Folksy stores soon.