Photography Shoots And Lots Of Weather

The past month has greeted us with not only April showers, but also snow, hail and bursts of radiant sunshine. With such a variety of weather outside, I have been given an opportunity to both seek refuge in the studio during the cold and explore outside during the spells of sunshine. At one point I even ventured into the garden, armed with a healthy dose of tea and cake, to finish off the final seams of some linen lavender bags.

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!

 

A Finding

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.

Lovely Things I Love Right Now

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.

Feeling Foxy

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

Flowers

Something pretty for today.

Scarecrow Trails

Over the Easter weekend there was a delightful mixture of sunshine and snow. (I have to admit this post was a little slow to be uploaded. I have no excuse other than other events got in the way of blogging, but as they say, better late than never!) Easter Sunday brought icy cold winds and overcast clouds, but by the Monday the skies were a bright blue and the sun brought the temperature to a level where I could happily walk coat-less, although not quite scarf-less. Taking advantage of the sunshine, I spent the afternoon wandering around a scarecrow trail in nearby Chalford. Local residents had made some spectacular creations around the picturesque village.

Lovely Colourful Things

Spring is on the way, and it is time to share some of the bright and colourful things that I love right now:

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!)

Giveaway Time: New Hedgehog Tote Bag!

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!

MissPrint: Wallpaper and Fabric Designs

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!

Chloe Owens

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!