The wedding season is beginning...

I'm having a rush on personalised fairy lights. Tomorrow I have another two pairs of names to make plus an 'eat drink & be merry'. How glowy and lovely!

New Zealand Tree Fern

I have been working on a New Zealand Tree Fern/Black Punga design today. Chrissie next door commissioned it for her New Zealand friends wedding present.

London Town

My lovely friend Natalie has been wanting to take me to Londons Columbia Road for AGES to show me all the many gorgeous and inspirational shops she had discovered. This weekend we finally made it and we've had a great time. We went to the Commercial Tavern on Saturday night. Lovely lively place...check out the amazing decor (photo by Derry N). Natalie got inspired by the patchwork wallpapers...i liked the crazy lighting. Sunday was a perfect, sunny London day. The Columbia Road flower market was in full swing and the shops (there are SIXTY independant shops on this street) were great! It was wonderful to see Rob Ryans shop in real life at last...in fact I saw many things in the flesh that I had only seen in magazines or on the internet so that was nice. As well as Columbia Road we wandered around the Brick Lane area to the Sunday Up Market at The Old Truman Brewery and then pottered around Spittalfields Market too. After we'd done the indie and the arty there was still enough shoe leather left (just) for a bit of big TopShop. Perrrrfect!

Today is ETSY day!

Today is the first Etsy day! It's a day to celebrate this wonderful place. If you haven't already joined (all you need is an email adress), then today would be a good and special day to do so! If you don't know Etsy then let me explain. It is a global marketplace for buying and selling all thing handmade. It is vast and inspiring and the friendliest place I have come across online. Go there....be inspired....buy something! If you do know it already then lets see how many times we can all say the word today. Esty, Etsy, Etsy, Etsy.......

Little Flowers

I have just added my 'Little Flowers' tea light covers to Etsy.

Happy Birthday Mum

We all clubbed together to buy my Mum a laptop for her birthday. We put this on her desktop. She is very happy!

We have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway. The winner is Alisa from Minimosaic. One Dandelion Seed Tea Light coming your way Alisa. Sorry to those of you who didn't win. Keep visiting. I'll do another giveaway soon I'm sure! Have a lovely weekend!

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

There is only a couple of weeks left to apply for this show but it's well worth applying for. I really had a lovely time doing this show last year. Sales were good, the work was of a superb standard, it was well organised, friendly and there were LOTS of visitors so I'm applying again! To find out more visit their website.

Celebratory Giveaway!

My trade fair was good, spring is in the air and all is well! I'm going to giveaway one of my tea light covers. If you'd like a chance to win one just visit my Etsy shop or my own website and let me which is your favourite design by commenting below. I'll give it a week and announce the winner next Friday! Good luck...

Robert's cooking rosemary lentils and chicken. It smells good. Now for a celebratory glass of wine....

British Craft Trade Fair

I'm back from the show and it was most enjoyable as usual. I had a really good show this year and I have found many new stockists which I will introduce as and when I get the orders out. It was a really inspiring few days. It's lovely to be around all the designer/makers, talking shop and admiring all their beautiful work. And I love putting faces to people I have only spoken to by email or on the phone. I met a few people who's work I had seen on Etsy which was nice. All the Hebden Bridge gang (Kate Rhodes, jewellery, Cathy Edwards, leather goods, Catherine Woodall, jewellery, Samantha Peare, embroidered textiles, Sue Candy, ceramics and Fiona Pattison, happy4pr) travel there and back every day so we have three hours travelling time every day to catch up with all the gossip! It's been fun. I'm missing everyone already but it's been nice NOT to be in the car at all today!

I wish I could tell you about all the exhibitors that I love. Have a look at the bctf exhibitor list to find some for yourself! I took a few photos but mst of them weren't great but let me show you Sam Peares gorgeous embroidered magpie. Don't you just love him? ...and Snapdragons lovely herb pillows (i bought some for Radiance).

And of course there was some good work swapping going on! I have come home with some beautiful cascading leaf print earrings by Naomi James from Brighton and an utterly lovely ring by Cindy Ashbridge from Cornwall and a gorgeous fern print by Amanda Ross from Cockpit Arts in London. All yummy stuff!

Hooray!

The candle covers are back in my shops! They are now lined with heat resistant acetate which has done the trick beautifully! Not only does this protect the material from the heat, but it also strengthens the cylinder AND makes them look great. I'm really happy that they can come to bctf with me tomorrow. Now I really must get on with painting my plinths. The day is getting on...

UK Handmade

The Spring issue of this lovely UK Handmade online magazine is out now and I'm lucky enough to have a mention in it twice. Once in an article about 'When we were young' (page 40), sharing our early crafting memories and another called 'In the Studio' (page 44), about studio spaces. Thankyou Uk Handmade!

One day to go...

Just one day to go until b.c.t.f! I'm nearly ready. I just have to paint a few boards tomorrow and make the shop look presentable when I take all my lamps and plinths away (i don't like that bit).

The kids broke up for the Easter holidays yesterday. I was watching my boy kicking around in the sun with his mates today and I felt really nostalgic for that feeling....the holidays stretching out before us....not a care in the world. Ahhhhh how LOVELY! I really love doing this show but I always forget how exhausting it is....and I'm not even there yet! Tomorrow morning I'm going for a swim and jacuzzi before the shop opens. JUST what I need!