A few regular visitors to my etsy shop will notice new product photographs for my cotton tote bags. With so many different designs, arranging time to photograph them can be somewhat challenging, especially when there is so much sewing to be done! But this month I put aside a whole day for the task and the processing, and I found it much more rewarding than I had initially thought. Although the previous photographs were perfectly suitable, I have been striving for a more uniform look among the photographs. (Plus, the old photos were taken on my old camera, and I wanted to take full advantage of my new SLR.)

Towards the end of the month, I also sent off some tote bags to a lovely new stock list in Edinburgh. Pippin is a gift boutique in the Haymarket area, which features wonderful crafts from British designers and companies. So any Edinburgh-based readers please stop by and have a look around, or head over to their facebook page and give it a ‘like’ to show your support!

I stumbled across this beautiful flower pot during a country walk the other day. I love the floral pattern, the crackled glaze, and the wonderfully rustic charm.

Taking a closer look at the mossy undergrowth.

Tagged: macro, moss, nature, photo, photograph, photography, wild ]]> http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/moss/feed/ 0 ceridwenhazelchild Moss http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/lovely-things-3/ http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/lovely-things-3/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:05:34 +0000 ceridwen http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/?p=1809 ]]>

Nothing like a huge affirmation to cheer your day. We Can Move Mountains screenprint by YOKE.

I know its spring time, but with this British weather I think we may still be in need of some warm woolies. Animal Hats by Vanessa Mooncie.

Beautifully printed cushions by Gwendolen.

Tagged: art, artist, book, craft, design, handmade, illustration, textiles ]]> http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/lovely-things-3/feed/ 0 ceridwenhazelchild http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/feeling-foxy/ http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/feeling-foxy/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:50:57 +0000 ceridwen http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/?p=1790 ]]> As many friends and regular readers of my blog can tell you, I have a great fondness of foxes. Every time I stumble across fox-related crafts I make a mental note to return to them, but when it comes to it I can rarely find my way! So I’ve started making a list of fox crafts on a few pages of my blog, partly for my own records and partly to share some of my favourite foxy things. Enjoy and please let me know of any of your own fox finds!

Plains Fox Pocket Pillow by Coral and Tusk

Winter Wolves by Mister Finch

Magpie Dusk Wildlife Cake Tins designed by Tom Frost

Red Fox Art Toy – Kay Whelan Illustrations

Something pretty for today.

Snuggly knitted blankets by Seven Gauge Studios.

This giant patchwork floor cushion by Big Bird’s Boutique.

Stunning quilts by The Family Love Tree.

Illustrated Linen Lavender Bags by Ceridwen Hazelchild Design.

These charming textile tea sets by Emma Dolan.

These handmade patterned notebooks by Brookfarm.

These illustrative dresses by Poppy Children. (Part of me wishes they came in adult sizes!)

Tagged: art, artist, clothes, colour, craft, cushion, dress, etsy, handmade, quilt, tea, textiles, throw ]]> http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/lovely-colourful-things/feed/ 2 ceridwenhazelchild lavender bag pile http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/happy-easter/ http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/happy-easter/#comments Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:54:20 +0000 ceridwen http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/?p=1834 ]]>

Happy Easter! A mug of tea and some delicious chocolate bunnies and eggs – perfect! We hope everyone is enjoying their Easter Sunday, and remember you still have time to enter our giveaway to win one of our new Hedgehog Tote Bags!

(Also, check out these bunny rolls made by a lovely friend of mine! They were adorable and delicious, with little peppercorn eyes.)

Tagged: bunny, easter, egg, food, fox, ostara, Rabbit, roll ]]> http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/happy-easter/feed/ 0 ceridwenhazelchild Happy Easter Bunny Rolls http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/giveaway-time-new-hedgehog-tote-bag/ http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/giveaway-time-new-hedgehog-tote-bag/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 01:31:19 +0000 ceridwen http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/?p=1826 ]]> This week we introduced our new Hedgehog design to our range of cotton tote bags, and now you have the chance to nab one of these beauties for yourself! To enter the chance to win a lovely Hedgehog Cotton Tote Bag, head over to our facebook page and click the “like” button on the post about the giveaway and “like” our facebook page – the lucky winner will be announced next Monday 1^st April!

In my old house we used to have hedgehogs in the garden, but in the house I live in now we have badgers instead. There is a badger set on the edge of the garden. It sits the other side of a wooden fence in the part we leave to be wild. The ground is sloped and there is a little stream at the bottom, and during the spring bluebells bloom in the shade off the trees; I think all gardens should have a little nature patch, and ours is gradually growing stronger. When we moved in, our lovely neighbours told us about the badgers and we made a hole in the fence for them to come through and explore. It wasn’t long before they started digging little muddy holes in the lawn, but we didn’t mind that because it was lovely to hear them frolicking at night. There have been many times when I’ve been sewing into the early hours, with the patio door open for some fresh air, and I’ve heard the badgers playing in the grass.

Whilst I love the badger family and the midnight entertainment they provide, I do miss the hedgehogs; there is something undeniably adorable about them, and it was not uncommon to see one or two snuffling in the grass in the evening.  Which is why when I was drawing my Badger illustration, I was compelled to also draw a Hedgehog illustration too. I’ve added these designs to my range of tote bags, and I am working on adapting them for pocket mirrors, badges, lavender bags and zipper pouches in my etsy shop too.

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win one of our Hedgehog totes here!

There is nothing like the oncoming spring to inspire redecorating. It goes hand-in-hand with that peculiar desire to purge the home of the dankness and darkness of winter, to clear the dust and evacuate the spiders from the corners of rooms, to bring light and colour and flowers inside. The annual Spring Clean urges us to make a fresh start, to clear our cupboards of the old collections from the last year and make room for new collections.

Whilst I’ve found time to do a little clearing this year, I have mainly been looking at beautiful decor to ring in the season – like the vibrant patterns by MissPrint, which adorn wallpaper, fabric, lampshades and more. I’ve had my eye on some of their beautiful screen printed fabric for some time, but am yet to find the perfect project for these perfect patterns! What I would give to have a house with walls like this!

Take a look at the beautifully colourful world of Chloe Owens, full of 60s flower prints and vibrantly patterned animals. Scrolling through her website is a feast of creativity, and is well worth perusing. But be warned, you’ll come away bursting with inspiration, enthusiasm and oh so many things for your next Christmas present list!

I have utterly fallen in love with the world of Mister Finch, and I am certain you will too.

(I have caught glimpses of his fairytale fabric creations in the past but never knew the maker. I’m sure many readers are familiar with the frustration of finding something wonderful only to be unable to find out more, followed by the delight that comes when you can finally connect the work to the name of a maker, and perhaps even see more of their extraordinary creations.)

Woodland foxes, embroidered moths and elegant beasts lured me into a textile world rich in folklore and storytelling, that oozes fragility, charm and above all, beauty.

Tagged: animal, art, artist, craft, fairytale, folklore, fox, Mister Finch, moth, mustroom, myth, nature, sculpture, story, storytelling, swan, textile, woodland ]]> http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/mister-finch/feed/ 1 ceridwenhazelchild http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/glastonbury/ http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/glastonbury/#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:30:54 +0000 ceridwen http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/?p=1768 ]]>

I took a trip to Glastonbury a few weeks ago, because it’s been a little while since I’ve visited. It’s one of those places that never ceases filling with wonder and beauty. The drive south through Somerset was delightful; I love watching how the landscape changes, passing sunny green fields in which only the remains of the recent  snowfall were the half melted forms of distorted snow men.

With Mothers Day approaching in the UK, I’ve been playing with the idea of updating some of the products in my etsy shop. Lavender bags, pocket mirrors and make up pouches have all had a little spruce up in the last week, with more designs on their way!

I found some super soft natural cotton linen fabric in my local haberdashery last week, and knew it could be used to make something wonderful, so I bought a meter to play with. It wasn’t long before my new range of illustrated square lavender bags were on their way! With a heat pressed image of my illustrations on one side, and filled with aromatic French lavender, these little beauties were finished just in time for Mother’s Day! These lavender bags are perfect keeping drawers and wardrobes smelling sweet, freshening up rooms and tucking beside beds to promote a restful slumber! Lavender has traditionally been used to aid sleep, calm and soothe for centuries, and the French Lavender filling in this bags has a lovely relaxing fragrance.

I have also been expanding on my range of pocket mirrors. As regular readers may be aware, I recently started making these with lovely fabric illustrations instead of the old paper and cello designs; they have been very well received and are flying off the shelves! The pocket mirrors come complete with a lovely blue or pink hand stitched felt pouch with delicate off-white lace detail. Now my teacups and saucers illustration and eagle owl illustration have been added to the designs available!

And finally, the makeup bags are somewhat of a work in progress, something I have been playing with for the last few months. Having finalised my designs, sewn my prototypes and ordered my fabric, all that’s left to do is wait for the supplies to arrive and sew! I have a feeling that due to various time constraints, they may not be ready for Mother’s Day in the UK this year, but they should be available towards the end of March!

A new customer favourite this week is our Breakfast in Bed IOU Coupons. I guess some lovely mums are getting a breakfast-y treat very soon!

A beautifully mysterious ivy covered workshop that joins onto the graveyard. Just oozes olde time charm.

(I would also like to state that I really don’t hang out in graveyards as much as this blog suggests. It’s just that every time I pass graveyards I seem to have a camera with me, and there just happens to be some great photo opportunities. Honestly.)

It’s been snowing recently.

When it was fresh it made an already beautiful landscape look quite picturesque. I get the feeling that as it begins to melt, as it begins to mix with mud and slushy footprints, it will become less so.

What with transportation somewhat delayed during the last couple of days, I have spent a lot of time watching snow fall and huddling in sheltered doorways. It is particularly beautiful at night, as snowflakes dance in the street lights like fireflies, drifting embers in the orange light. That oddly calming sense that overcomes you when you watch air currents billow is ever familiar.

 A Canadian friend I met at university commented on how we British always seem ill equipped to deal with snow, year on year, and I am inclined to agree with her. Whereas countries that have a lot of snow face the weather donned with chains, ploughs and incredibly warm coats, we grind to a halt. Trains cancelled, schools closed, stocking up on tinned foods in a panic, and all at only a few inches of snow on the ground. My only guess is that we are unused to it, and don’t have the infrastructure in place to continue with our lives as normal.

For now, I am enjoying the delayed start to my days. Snow brings out the child in me, as it does most people. Snow angels, snow men, snow ball fights, and the steam of a hot cup of tea as you defrost in front of a fire.

I’ve been remaking my website over the holiday break. I’ve had the domain name for many years, and it used to feature some of my installation work, but nowadays it combines both my work for Ceridwen Hazelchild Design, and a project archive of past works. (I find something very therapeutic about tweaking html and moving things around on the screen. It makes me feel like I’m redecorating without the dust sheets and spilt paint, in much the same way that deleting files on my computer makes me feel like I’m tidying up.)

The main reason for changing the website was the change in the new business name. I wanted to keep it in much the same style of the last website, to reassure continuity, but I took the opportunity to make some improvements. I still have hopeful plans to make an online shop on there, but this may have to wait for a while until my website skills are up to scratch!

Until then, you can buy Ceridwen Hazelchild Design products in my etsy shop and my folksy shop!

Tagged: accessory, catherine hicks, frinn, jewellery, jewelry, silver ]]> http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/frinn-jewellery-by-catherine-hicks/feed/ 0 ceridwenhazelchild Crow Earning, Frinn Jewellery Earrings by Catherine Hicks http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/fabric-pocket-mirrors/ http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/fabric-pocket-mirrors/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:30:26 +0000 ceridwen http://ceridwendesign.wordpress.com/?p=1740 ]]>

One of the improvements I’ve made in the New Year is a little redesign of the pocket mirrors I make to sell in my etsy shop. The mirrors are hand pressed in my studio, with a glass mirror and metal body. Until recently the metal body was covered in a sheet of illustrated paper and a protective sheet of mylar, but now they are covered with fabric illustrations. I transfer the image onto the fabric using a heat press, in the same way I transfer images onto my tote bags, which gives a beautifully bright and crisp image on un-dyed natural cotton. These fabric images are cut out and the mirror is constructed and sealed. The pocket mirrors comes complete with a lovely blue or pink hand stitched felt pouch with delicate off-white lace detail.

The new fabric illustrations have a wonderful texture and give a much craftier feel to the pocket mirrors. Let me know what you think!