Minifelts

Saturday adventures

2012-02-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Today we took a trip down the road to Wisley Gardens in Surrey. I've been meaning to visit for a while now, I took my parents there last year, but the queue to get in was so long that we only ended up going to the free garden center bit and then gave up and went to Wisley common instead (where we did get to see a deer in the woods so a good day out none the less!)

This time it was much quieter what with it being a rainy Saturday, and I took loads of photos with my new macro lens (a Christmas present from my boyfriend).

One of my favorite things were the giant cacti, when I do eventually get a garden of my own I am going to fill it with nothing but cacti!

One of the main reasons for visiting this weekend was that they were hosting a butterfly event.

One butterfly took a particular liking to my boyfriends leg it sat there for ages and wouldn't let go despite him trying to shake it off!

Hope you're having a great weekend :)

Minifelts are getting bigger...

2012-01-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

I decided to buy my boyfriend a Kindle for Christmas this year which he's really pleased with but has been carrying around in a envelope, so he asked me to make a case for it. Whilst I was at it I thought I'd make a case for mine too!

Can you guess who's is who's?? They have also been added to my Etsy and Folksy shops as custom orders if you'd like one of your own.

Goals for 2012

2012-01-15T07:34:00.000-08:00

* Read 12 Books. I definitely want to do some more reading this year as I never seem to finish a whole book these days, so I’ve set myself the modest task of a book a month. I received a Kindle for Christmas so I’ve got no excuse not to! Let me know if you’ve got any good book suggestions…

* Go to the cinema more often. I love going to the cinema and I used to go every Sunday but I hardly ever go these days, so that’s going to change this year (providing there's actually some films on worth watching!)

* Get back in the driver’s seat. I hate driving and I have to admit I have developed a bit of an irrational phobia of it. Since passing my test I’ve only ever driven once on my own and regularly try to avoid it. Of all my goals this is the hardest but I am going to try my best… Eeep.

* Do more baking and try some new recipes. I love watching cookery programmes and when I was at University I used to bake every weekend, but it’s something I never seem to have time for these days. I also want to try some different evening meals too, as we seem to mainly eat pasta and curry!

* Try some new crafts. I've been meaning to try needle felting and screen printing for ages I even have a needle felting book and a screen printing kit, this year I'm going to give them both a go and maybe some other crafts too, who know's I might even find my new hobby!

* Start saving for a house. I really don’t like renting as it’s so expensive and we will never see that money again. I can’t wait till we have a house of our own that we can decorate and furnish how we want. It’s still a long way off though...

* Take lots of photos! I really want to get good with my SLR camera which involves lots of practice. The problem is I’m really bad at remembering to take it with me and whenever I see something interesting to photograph I never have it! I also want to brush up on my photography skills as although I’ve got pretty good at product photography (it is my day job after all!) I want to be able to take professional photographs outside of the studio.

Minifelts Goals

* Organise some press coverage. Top of my list is getting some much needed coverage for Minifelts in a magazine or even on some more blogs. I really don’t have an excuse for not doing this sooner but it’s definitely time I pushed myself to get a press kit together and start contacting people.

* Keep up to date accounts. I am not a naturally organised person and have worked really hard to be more organised at my day job and now I need to apply that to my own business. I’m going to keep records as I go along rather than struggling to find the right information months later!

* Write some How To’s. I really want to challenge myself to design a couple of simple projects that I can share on my blog for other people to make. I’m just not sure what yet…

* Use social media more often. I love twitter and facebook and spend ages reading other people’s blogs, so I will definitely be keeping Minifelts up to date more often too.

* Organise some more wholesale orders. This is something I’ve only just got into recently but I want to be able to offer bulk orders of Minifelts at a discounted rate for retailers. Which means organising some regular suppliers rather than just buying materials on ebay!

* Keep more stock. No matter how many times I try and stock up on designs I always seem to end up making things to order. Now that things have quietened down after Christmas I’m hoping this will give me a chance to build up some stock again.

How about you, what are your goals for this year?

It's nearly Christmas!

2011-12-22T05:29:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say a very big thank you to everyone for their support and custom over the past year, it's very much appreciated. This has been my busiest Christmas ever but much to my relief I did manage to get everyone's orders out on time. I'm definitely in need of a relaxing break now, balancing the day job with Christmas orders was trickier than I imagined, but well worth it!

I will be keeping both my Folksy and Etsy shops open over Christmas and any new orders will be dispatched as soon as possible. I have also made some changes to my website and instead of Minifelts.com the Minifelts shop can now be found at Minifelts.co.uk

Have a brilliant Christmas everyone, and now I have internet back up and running in my new flat there will be plenty of new blog updates in the New Year. THANK YOU :)

New Additions

2011-11-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

I'd thought I'd share with you what I've been up to recently. I've been meaning to add a cat and pig design to my iPod /Phone range for a while now and after a lot of designing and several different prototypes, I've finally got them to turn out how I wanted.

Both designs are now available to purchase from my Folksy and Etsy shops. I have also been working on mini penguins. They fit the new iPod Nano and are super cute!

Web Wednesday - Halloween

2011-10-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

Some of my favourite Halloween and monster themed finds from the web.

Demetri The Yeti by The Felt Mistress

Pumpkin carving idea via MartaStewart.com

Halloween Cupcake Toppers by Kiwi Tini Creations

Batman Owl by Lauren Alane

Web Wednesday

2011-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a nice camera bag for ages, I really wanted something a bit unique that wasn't plain and boring like the standard ones, and wasn't too bulky. I finally found the perfect bag in Etsy seller Stash's shop, and after saving up some Birthday money treated myself to it!

Check out the other lovely bags she sells

Web Wednesday

2011-10-12T03:02:00.000-07:00

Web Wednesday's are back! In an attempt to get back into a regular blogging routine, I've decided to bring back my Web Wednesday blog post, about anything and everything that catches my eye on the wonderful web.

This week the theme is my new obsession; Washi Tape. For anyone that's never heard of it before, it's brightly coloured and patterned masking tape from Japan.

Image courtesy of Nauli, check out their shop for loads of Washi Tape designs with Worldwide Shipping.

I recently bought some Washi Tape to brighten up my parcels, but there are so many other uses for it, check out some of the creative things people have been doing with it:

How pretty is this keyboard!

You can even use it to create artwork.

Images above courtesy of Poppy Talk Handmade, Heart Handmade UK, Washitape.net

I think I may have to start collecting a lot of this stuff!

Panda Phone / iPod Cases

2011-09-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of new additions to the Minifelts Shop include these cute panda phone / iPod cases. They fit everything from iPhones to Blackberry Phones as well as many other types of smart phone and the iPod touch and iPod Classic.

Octonauts!

2011-06-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd share with you some photos of a special project I've been working on recently. I was asked to make some characters from a children's TV show called The Octonauts.

Normally I wouldn't take on a project like this as I enjoy creating my own characters and designs. However, after watching an episode I though they looked like they'd be fun to make, and with no other Octonauts merchandise out there I thought this would give me the freedom to come up with my own designs for them.

It was quite a challenge trying to work out how to translate the characters into felt as they were very detailed and I wanted to include their little hats and collars to make them immediately recognisable.

Here are the five characters I made: Shellington Sea Otter, Peso Penguin, Dashi Dog, Kwazii Kitten, and Captain Barnacles Bear.

I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out, as they're quite in keeping with the Minifelts style. It was also fun to take a break and work on something a bit different for a change!

Anyway if you haven't heard of The Octonauts here's an episode for you to check out:

Netbook Cases

2011-06-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of regular blog posts of late, but I thought it was about time I gave you a sneak peak of what I've been working on lately.

Brand new netbook cases -

I've had a few requests in the past for custom made netbook cases so I thought I'd have a go at making a couple in the style of my iPod cases. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out, especially the owl. I'm thinking of working on a smaller range for iPads and Kindles and perhaps adding a strap to make them easier to carry.

They're currently for sale in my new Etsy Shop

Etsy.com

2011-05-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've finally decided to open a shop on Etsy.com - I've heard so many great things about the website so I thought I'd give it a go. It was super easy to list items, and there's so many great features and apps which help make promoting your shop easier. I've still got a lot to figure out but I can tell already it's going to get addictive!

I'm also hoping it'll help me attract some more international buyers as well as it has an automatic currency converter, so you can shop in your own countries currency. Anyway I'm gradually stocking it up and to celebrate the grand opening I am offering a 10% discount to customers over the bank holiday weekend. Simply visit My Etsy Shop and enter "NEWSHOP" at the checkout.

Folksy Friday

2011-05-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a Folksy Friday, but with so many fantastic new shops opening up I thought it was about time! So here's a selection of items I'd love in my home:

1. Vintage 1950's G Plan Wingback Sofa - Hopper and Space
2. Lampshade - Pale Blue Suburban Dream - House of Chintz
3. Reclaimed Pallet Coffee Table - Mobius Living
4. Canter Lever Vase Bookends - MijMoj Contemporary Furniture Design
5. Retro Cassette Tape Felt Cushion - Design by Vickle
6. Chunky Jigsaw Coasters - Square Pear Furniture

Woodworking

2011-05-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

I was clearing out my memory card and came across some photos that I'd taken for a blog post I meant to share a few months back.

It's from a project me and my boyfriend started last Summer. He decided that he wanted to make his Mum a footstool for her Birthday. So we went on a mission to find some big chunky bits of wood with character to make it out of.

After travelling all over the Isle of Wight we finally came across a wood yard and a very helpful bloke who made sculptures out of tree trunks, who agreed to cut up a huge chunk of tree for us with his chainsaw! So we ended up with two pieces of wood like this:

These were perfect for the sides, we just needed to strip off the bark.

After lots of chiselling and sanding the sides were finally complete. I then made a cushion out of some faux leather and some foam. We used some old scaffolding planks to attach the sides together and to create a recess for the cushion to sit in, and it was complete!

What do you think? It weighed an absolute tonne but looked really good in Jo's Mum's house which is full of similar handmade furniture. It was great to try out a new craft especially as it's totally different to the kind of thing I normally make on a daily basis! What crafts have you always wanted to have a go at?

Windowsill Gardening

2011-04-29T05:22:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I am awful at growing plants. Nearly every plant I've ever bought or been given has died, mainly due to neglect and me forgetting to ever water them. Recently I tried really hard to grow a chilli plant but still managed to kill that, this time through over watering... (It was on a high windowsill and I didn't realise it was sat in a pool of water!) So I thought I'd give gardening one last try with something very hard to kill, cactuses!

I've always wanted my own cactus garden full of giant cactuses, so this is a start!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone, I hope you've all had a lovely bank holiday weekend. It's been so nice to have a couple of days off work especially when the weathers been so amazing. My parents popped up to see me for a visit too so we've been out and about around Surrey.

On Saturday we visited Painshill Park in Cobham. Which was only about a fifteen minute drive from where I live but I'd never heard of it before. I love it when you find somewhere new that's right on your doorstep.

I saw lots of wildlife this weekend, including an adder and a roe deer however I was only quick enough with my camera to get photos of ducks and geese! On Sunday we went to visit Winkworth Arboretum which had a massive Lake and even more geese which seemed to take a liking to my Dad...

Tulips in Holland

2011-04-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

How cool are these tulip fields in Holland, such amazing colours.

(Found via http://lemmemakeit.blogspot.com)

My desk

2011-04-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

After having a bit of a tidy of my desk the other day, I thought I'd use my new camera to share some photos of my new craft area before it gets messy again!

I like to keep a couple of Minifelts and Monty the fox on my desk for inspiration!

As well as lots of bright threads and buttons too.

Blue bunny is keeper of my Moo minicards and makes sure that one goes in every parcel.

New Camera!

2011-04-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

I received a very lovely surprise today, my boyfriend went off on a secret mission and returned with a brand new Nikon D3100 SLR camera!

I've never owned an SLR camera before but have been thinking of getting one for a while as my old digital camera isn't great and really struggles to take photos in low light. I've also been getting really into photography recently, which began just as an interest in making my Minifelts product photos better but has more recently led to me becoming a product photographer as my day job, taking photos of clothes and fashion accessories in a little photography studio.

I can tell already that it's going to dramatically improve the quality of my product photos and I hope it'll help me become a much better photographer.

Now I just need to get a good book and figure out what all the buttons do! Luckily it's quite a popular model so there's even a Dummies Guide. Hopefully I'll have lots of photos to show you soon!

Easter Cases

2011-03-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

After spending the past few months working on re-stocking my shop with lots of my most popular designs, it's been nice this week to finally get some time to work on some new cases.

Here they are! Brand new Easter / Spring themed Minifelt Phone / iPod /Gadget Cases.

An Easter Bunny. Available HERE.

A little Sheep. Available HERE.

Graze

2011-02-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

After hearing lots of great things about the healthy eating service Graze I decided to give it a go.

Each Wednesday I receive a Graze box through the post. The idea behind Graze is that instead of snacking on things like biscuits and cakes you snack on the healthier alternatives provided in the box.

I gave it a try as the first one was free and the second one was half price, but I've actually really enjoyed receiving the box each week, and the element of surprise not knowing what foods are inside, so I think I'm going to keep getting it even though at full price it's a bit of a luxury!

You can decide which day (or days) you want to receive it and it's really cleverly packaged in a small cardboard box that fits perfectly through the letterbox.When you sign up you get the chance to rate all the foods that are on offer, such as fruit, nuts, olives, flapjacks, and crackers. You can choose to have certain snacks sent to you regularly, just to try or never at all.

Here's what I received in my box this week:

Delicious apple and cinnamon flapjacks, pistachio nuts (my favourite), olives and a jaffa cake mix (hazelnuts, orange raisins and chocolate buttons). Yum.

If you'd like to try it for free I have a discount code: V74DVZF which gives you your first box free and your second box half price.

Little Big Planet

2011-01-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

I must admit I'm a bit of a computer games geek (I blame this mainly on my boyfriend!) One release that I've been particularly looking forward to this year is a game called Little Big Planet 2.

The first game (Little Big Planet) was extremely fun and having just played the demo I can safely say the sequel looks even better! However, the main reason I'm such a big fan of this game is because of it's distinct handmade feel.

You play as Sackboy a knitted character who you can dress up, sew buttons on, change the material of and decorate however you want by collecting outfits and accessories through out the game. The game world itself also looks handmade from all sorts of different materials such as cardboard, fabric, wool, and wood. It's like one big craft adventure!

Also when you've finished playing through all the pre-made levels that come with the game, you can use your own creativity to design and build your own handmade adventure using the level creator. (I'm thinking of making a Minifelts level, with little felt characters!)

Take a look for yourself! I can highly recommend giving this game a go even if your not normally a computer games fan!

Moo!

2011-01-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

Look what I've just received in the post!

It's my brand new Minicards from Moo! This is my second order from Moo as I was really impressed with the quality of the prints. They cost about £10 for 100 and you can use up to 100 different images!

I think that packaging is really important especially when selling handmade goods as it can really add to the excitement of unwrapping a parcel, and is a great way of making your products and brand more memorable to your customers. Recently I've been putting some thought into my packaging so that I can try and present my products in the best possible way!

Each parcel will come with a Minicard and now a cool little sticker to brighten up the tissue paper that I wrap my products in. I also decided to order myself a Minicard holder to attach to my keys as I'm always forgetting to carry business cards with me.

I chose 10 different designs for the stickers, although for a book for 90 stickers you can use up to 90 different images.

I love how Moo package their products, the Minicards arrive in a lovely little cardboard case and the stickers in a little book with tear off sheets.

My sewing box

2011-01-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

After going home for Christmas my boyfriend returned with some of the things I'd left behind at his house when we moved out. Including my amazing sewing box!

It was made for me by my boyfriend's mum who has always been very encouraging about my new found love of crafts! She was kind enough to let me and Jo stay with her whilst we were job hunting last year, and I came downstairs one morning to discover that she had made me this amazing sewing box to keep all my felt and cottons in. It was such a lovely surprise!

It's made from an old wine crate, with some wheels added to the bottom. The lining is made from some really cool bird fabric and pinned to the top of the box with drawing pins.

Here it is full of all my felt offcuts. It didn't take long to fill it back up again. Every time I cut out a Minifelt I always seem to end up with so many little odd shaped bits of felt leftover that I never know what to do with, so I'm storing them all up in my sewing box and am trying to come up with lots of little projects to use it all up on!

Where do you store your sewing stuff, do you have a sewing box too? Mine now lives down by the side of the sofa so that I can sew whilst watching telly!

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T05:36:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year. I had a very relaxing week off which I spent back home on the Isle of Wight with my family, eating way too much food, drinking lots of mulled wine, playing board games and watching Christmas telly!

Anyway I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to all of you for reading and following my blog, as well as of course my customers and everyone that's supported Minifelts over this past year, it really means a lot to me.

I can't believe that Minifelts is now a year old, and that this time last year I was just starting out, trying to learn as much as I could about selling online, promotion and photography. It's great to be able to look back over old blog posts and see how much my designs have changed. When I first set up my shop on Folksy it was selling small felt toys...

and now my product range has grown so much as I've gradually adapted my original designs to include brooches, purses, iPod cases, keyrings, cards, Nintendo DS cases and laptop cases.

The end of 2010 was so busy with me starting a new job as a product photographer (which never would have happened had I not have started Minifelts and developed such an interest in photography) and making loads of Christmas orders that I haven't had much time to work on new designs, so one of my resolutions for this year is to create a whole new range of Minifelts.

I'm also planning on trying out some new crafts and learning a lot more sewing techniques this year. I was lucky enough to receive some lovely craft books for Christmas which I'm really looking forward to reading and trying out. I also want to get better at using a sewing machine, which is going to take a lot of patience and practise! But I'm hoping it'll mean I can take on bigger more ambitious sewing projects so that I can fill my new flat full of lovely handmade things.

Anyway here's to a very productive and fun filled new year!

Christmas Minifelts

2010-11-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

Okay it may not even be December yet but I am officially feeling Christmassy! I've got my novelty reindeer socks on, I've had my first mince pie, I've started my Christmas shopping and more importantly I've been making Christmas themed Minifelts!

What do you think? They're both available from my Folksy shop and I think they'd make great stocking fillers.

The Folksy Festive Sampler

2010-11-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already seen The Folksy Festive Sampler you should definitely check it out. It's full of fantastic Christmas present ideas and beautiful handmade creations from loads of talented crafters.

So if your stuck for Christmas present ideas or want to buy friends and family a unique and memorable present then look no further! (You might even spot a Minifelt in amongst the gifts for under £10 section!)

The sampler is being distributed across the UK and can also be found in many crafty locations and events such as We Make London and The Make Lounge, so keep your eyes peeled for a copy. Or alternatively flick through the copy above, download it and give it out to all your friends and help spread the word!

Jobs, Flats and Ikea

2010-11-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've last blogged as it's been a mad few weeks...

Finally after months of job hunting me and my boyfriend have both got jobs and more excitingly our own place again. Woo Hoo! It's been a long time coming, but it's so nice to have our own space again.

We had a right nightmare finding a flat though... My boyfriend's new job is in Weybridge so we travelled up from the Isle of Wight for the week and stayed in a hotel whilst we were looking at flats. We found a flat quite quickly that we liked and even though it was at the top of our budget we said we'd take it. We put the deposit down, packed all our stuff and then the day before we were due to move in the landlord unexpectedly cancelled on us... We were really stuck as my boyfriend was due to start his job the following week. Anyway long story short, luckily the estate agent found us a new flat that had just come on the market that we could move into that weekend. It has a pretty uncoordinated colour scheme (yellow, dark blue and toothpaste green walls), a bit of a damp problem and a noisy neighbour, but after a few trips to Ikea (three trips in two days!) to buy furniture it now feels very homely.

I've also just started a new job working for a small fashion company. The main part of my job involves taking product photos and listing them on their website, which is great as I'm learning lots of stuff that I can use for Minifelts too, so hopefully I can get my product photos looking even better!

Anyway as a result Minifelts has been a bit neglected of late as we've only just got internet set up in the flat, and I haven't quite managed to get into a routine with the day job and Minifelts yet, as I'm just too tired when I get home from work to start making things! But that's all going to change this weekend, I've got loads of new ideas to work on and some more Christmas iPod / Phone covers to list. So expect more Minifelts news to follow shortly!

Blackberry Foxes

2010-10-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to share some photos of a custom order I've been working on.

I had a special request for two fox Blackberry phone cases, one in red and one in purple. The customer wanted the cases to match two sets of coloured crutches that they had bought from a website called Chic Aid that offers coloured and designer crutches, for people that want something more exciting than the standard grey NHS style ones.

The other requirement was that the cases needed to be attachable to their crutches and a wheelchair, so I adapted my original design to include two sets of velco strips that joined up in a loop at the back of the case.

After making the cases I did a bit of market research into the sort of accessories that were available for use with crutches and wheelchairs and there doesn't seem to be a great deal of choice. Phone cases seem to be mainly plain black, so if you or anyone you know might be interested in a unique attachable case do let me know, as I'm thinking of making a new range.

Folksy Featured Seller

2010-10-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've got a very big smile across my face right now because I've been selected as a featured seller on Folksy!

It was such a lovely surprise when I logged in to check my shop and discovered I'd been chosen. Ever since joining the website I'd always hoped that one day I might get to be a featured seller, and I've put a lot of time into improving my photos and listings and I'm so glad that it's paid off. Wooooo!

I would also like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all my customers, blog readers and anyone that's taken an interest in my Minifelts, I really appreciate all your support :)

My shop has been selected alongside three other very talented folksy sellers:

Sarah Kerry who makes the most incredible biscuit shaped cushions (I think I'm definitely going to need one of them for my new flat!)

Abstract Cat who makes beautiful hand dyed yarn

La La Loop who makes colourful homeware and accessories from super soft lambswool.

Web Wednesday

2010-10-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

Today's Web Wednesday features the inspirational work of Margaret Oomen, who I discovered whilst browsing through Etsy. Her work is so unique and really captures the beauty of nature. The Knitalatte Shop is full of beautiful still life photographs and crochet covered stones.

Folksy Friday

2010-10-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

This weeks Folksy Friday theme is Wall Art. It may be a bit cold and grey outside, but these cool wall decorations and prints will help brighten up your home:

1. Rainbow Cloud Print - Dig The Earth

2. Sleepy Foxes Gocco Print - Dee Beale

3. In Case of Emergency - Miso Funky

4. Funky Flower 3D Wall Art - 100% Delicate

5. Maze of Sparrows Screen Print - Kate McLelland

6. Birdhouse Wall Stickers - Sally Boyle: Applied Graphics

Web Wednesday

2010-09-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Now I'm not normally a fan of handbags, in fact I only own one and that's just for job interviews. When I go out I tend to just stuff my pockets full of everything I need or sneakily give things to my boyfriend to look after.

But these clutch bags are awesome and if I was to own a handbag it would have to be one of these!

They're available from Tsurubride's Etsy Shop

My Weekend

2010-09-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to The Owl and Monkey Haven on the Isle of Wight.

It only opened a few months ago, so this was the first time we'd visited. The Island doesn't really have a big Zoo, instead there are lots of little animal based attractions, which I really like as each place is different and you get to see every animal.

The Owl and Monkey Haven is a family run business and was self-built by the owner, who started off running a joinery business, whilst also rescuing and re-homing endangered birds and monkeys in his back garden. After running out of space, the family set up a dedicated sanctuary for the creatures.

The Red Tailed Geunon (photo above) was probably my favourite of all the monkeys (purely for it's very beaky looking nose), it was a new addition to the Haven and had moved in this weekend. The Haven is well worth a visit if your ever over on the Island.

What have you all been up to this weekend, did you go anywhere exciting?

Web Wednesday

2010-09-22T02:43:00.000-07:00

1. Mini Goals Chalkboard - by Mary Kate McDevitt 2. Bamboo Clock - by Decoylab 3. Record Player Clock - by Pixel This

4. Aspiral Clock 5. RE_VINYL - by Pavel Sidorenko 6. Tube Clock - by Brando

I really like the concepts behind all these clock designs and I think they'd all look really striking up on a wall. I especially like the unusual design of the aspiral clock where the spiral face of the clock turns slowly over 12 hours, moving the small red ball inside it along the ledge to the middle. When it reaches the middle the ball drops through the hole to begin it's journey again.

This knitted clock is pretty cool too. It's made by Andrea Williamson.

Whilst looking at knitted clocks I discovered the '365'. It's a clock that contains a knitting machine with 48 needles, a thread spool and a roll of yarn. It's designed by Siren Elise Wilhelmsen to represent the physical manifestation of time through knitted material. One day leads to a complete round, while one year produces two meters of a complete scarf.

Knitted Lego

2010-09-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

I just spotted this on one of my favourite blogs las Teje y Maneje and had to share it with you!

Genius! I love how it's designed to come apart piece by piece just how Lego does. It's made by Ella Is Lost and you can check out some more photos on Flickr.

Web Wednesday

2010-09-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blog silence last week, I didn't manage to do a Web Wednesday or a Folksy Friday, shame on me! I've been really busy working on some custom orders and doing such fun things as job applications and preparing for interviews. Yawn.

Anyway for this week's Web Wednesday I'd like to share this cool website I've just discovered. Uncommon, let's you take an iPhone or iPod case and customise it with your own design, simply by uploading an image from your computer, or you can choose from loads of existing designs in the artwork collection. Here are some of my favourite designs from the collection.

There are some really nice bird designs too:

Go take a look! I'd really like to get one made with a Minifelt design on. I had a play around with some photos to see what it'd look like, I think it'd look really cool with a repeating pattern...

New Keyrings!

2010-09-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

I just thought I'd share some photos of my new keyring designs.

I've just added them to my Folksy Shop, if you fancy something to keep your keys safe, or to brighten up your bag.

I have loads of ideas for new projects at the moment. I can't decide what to work on next, either animal notepad covers, hairclips, wallets (bigger versions of my Minifelt purses but with a pocket for cards) or some more laptop cases.... hmm. What do you think?

Folksy Friday

2010-09-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

What with it being back to school time about now, I've decided to do a series of different Folksy Friday's each week featuring a different school subject. This weeks it's History (this used to be one of my favourite subjects at school!). I loved learning about the past, and visiting museums and castles and learning about the different stories behind people and places.

1. Ammonite Necklace - Kettle Of Fish
2. Sailing Ship Cameo Necklace - Miss Cherries Boutique
3. Hieroglyphics Cufflinks - Hand Over Your Fairy Cakes
4. T-Rex Silhouette Ring - Lost At Sea
5. Encyclopedia Pouch - Peppermint Twist
6. Postage Stamp Pendant King George VI - Emma Louise Originals

Whilst on the subject of history, I recently discovered a collection of old WWII Photo's that have been Photoshopped over recent photos of the same place as the originals. You can see more HERE they're really interesting but also quite eerie...

Web Wednesday

2010-09-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today's Web Wednesday theme is gig posters. I've always enjoyed collecting posters from various gigs I've been to or performed at, and have even got into designing my own for my bands gigs.

Anyway here is a collection of creative poster designs that have been catching my eye recently:

I'm a big fan of Flight of The Conchords. Recently they ran a competition where people submitted their ideas for a new gig poster and this was the winner (the poster above). You can view more of the entries here

Flight Of The Conchords

All posters are from: www.gigposters.com

What's your favourite gig poster? Have you kept a poster from a special or memorable concert?

Web Wednesday

2010-08-25T05:24:00.000-07:00

Todays Web Wednesday theme is wallpaper. When me and my boyfriend finally have our own place again that we can decorate ourselves, I would definitely like to have some inspirational wallpaper like any of these:

These bold and bright wallpaper prints from Aimee Wilder are very cool. I'd love to have a music room or studio covered in the analog nights print above.

Studio Nommino specialise in bespoke wallpaper, that is easily customised, and you can even create your own designs.

INKE Vintage Wallpaper Kits are made from recycled vintage wallpaper and cut into the shape of wildlife silhouettes, including monkeys, giraffes, ostriches, rhinos and crocodiles.

I love these join the dots and world map wallpaper designs by Cox and Cox.

Folksy Friday

2010-08-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

This weeks Folksy Friday theme is all about the words:

1. Bam Superhero Cushion - Baby Blonde Design
2. Whoosh Necklace - Cherryloco Jewellery
3. Hand Printed English Insults Fabric - Sarah Waterhouse
4. Literary Quote Pinback Brooch Go Away I'm Reading - Bookity
5. Marche Notepad - Tea and Ceremony
6. Edgar Allen Poe Artwork On Vintage Book Page - Wall Envy Art

Web Wednesday

2010-08-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

This weeks Web Wednesday choices are all handmade birthday party decorations chosen from Etsy:

1. Decorative Triangle Bunting Banner - Two String Jane

2. Japanese Paper Balloon - UGUiSU

3. Little Birdie Cupcake Toppers - The Cupcake Girls

4. Woodland Night Time Pinwheel Set - Cupcake Social

5. Felt Party Hat - Stell and Livi

6. Custom Cupcake Topper and Candle Holder - Milk Tea

7. Handmade Party Kit - Hand Me Downs

Cakelicious Cake

2010-08-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

It was my boyfriend Jo's 24th Birthday yesterday, and I made him this cake...

It was really tasty even if I do say so myself! I put fresh cream and jam in the middle, the whiskers are made from mikado and the ears are chocolate orange pieces cut into triangles!

I really wanted to buy him something handmade this year, I spent hours browsing the web and finally decided on this really cool hand printed t-shirt from Slow Loris.

I choose the recording studio design as he has his own home studio and he's a really talented musician.

With his birthday money he has bought us both tickets to watch Liverpool play at Anfield in two weeks time. He's a big Liverpool fan but never gets to watch them play as we don't have Sky TV, and I've never been to a football match before, so hopefully it should be loads of fun and a memorable day out for both of us!

Mr Frog

2010-08-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

This week we've been finishing off the new pond that we put in the front garden. We installed a pond pump, made a rockery and laid a whole load of crazy paving around it. It was a bit of an epic task having never mixed cement before, and most of my cement seemed to go in the pond rather than on the paving slabs... Anyway I looked out the window a minute ago and spotted this little fellow admiring our handiwork.

I hope he approves of his new home, it's great to see creatures are moving in already!

Web Wednesday

2010-08-11T04:13:00.000-07:00

How cool are these tiny felt musical instruments? The attention to detail is amazing!

They're made by Seja Vogel and are for sale in her Etsy shop. You can also check out other instruments she's made on Flickr, and she takes custom orders so you can get your own guitar or favourite instrument made especially for you. I'd love to get a mini version of my drum kit made in felt!

Minifelts are for sale in a gallery!

2010-08-06T01:24:00.000-07:00

I have some exciting news. A few weeks ago I was contacted by the 20-21 Arts Centre in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire about stocking some of my Minifelts and today I finally finished the order and sent them off!

They requested about twenty items plus a few replacements which is practically all of the stock for my Folksy shop!

So I've been hard at work replacing items and working on some new designs.

Including new animal face purses. So far I've made a bear, owl and cat which will soon be available to buy from the gallery, and hopefully I'll be expanding this range for the website and folksy shop too.

I also made a few keyrings, the Owl Keyring and the Penguin Keyring are for sale on my website.

This is the first time I've supplied a gallery, so it's a really exciting opportunity but scary too as I really hope they sell! It's also given me the confidence to start approaching more shops and galleries, I just need to get much quicker at making things...

Unfortunately Lincolnshire is quite far away from me so I won't be able to go and see them on display but the gallery have kindly agreed to send me some photos, so I will give you all another update when they go on display.

Web Wednesday

2010-08-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do a weekly blog post in the style of the Friday Favourites post that some people do, but called Web Wednesday (mainly so I can still try and squeeze in a few Folksy Friday blog posts too!)

It'll feature some of my favourite finds from the web. I couldn't resist picking owl themed items this week.

1. Owl Bowl - from Pussy Home Boutique 2. Paper Owls - by Mibo

3. Zoo Lunchies - by Skip Hop 4. Owl Cake - from Stellar Sweets

5. Owl Teapot - from Anthropologie 6. Owl Cushion - by Donna Wilson

I really want one of the owl lunch boxes, even if they are meant for kids! Skip Hop make loads of other cool animal designs too.

CentreParcs

2010-08-02T01:12:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a fantastic holiday in Centre Parcs.

I went with my boyfriends family and all his little nieces and nephews. We stayed at Whinfell Forest in Cumbria as it was sort of halfway between where everyone lives. If you've never been to CentreParcs before I can thoroughly recommend it, in fact we liked it so much that this was our second visit staying in exactly the same woodland lodges that we had last time.

There's loads of activities to do whilst your there including tennis, badminton, quad biking, horse riding, a big indoor swimming pool, archery, paintball and loads of other stuff.

Despite not being the most sporty of people, we played a lot of squash and got pretty good at it (in fact most of my holiday photos seem to feature a squash court...) As well as tennis which we weren't so good at, and mainly seemed to involve collecting the balls that we'd hit into bushes.

As well as sports, Centre Parcs is located in the middle of a very manicured looking forest so there's lots of animals to see too. There was constantly a family of ducks wandering through the back garden outside our lodge. There were also pheasants, rabbits, badgers (which you can watch on the TV on the special badger channel!) We even took a trip to the bird hide where there were loads of squirrels and birds.

We also did lots of cycling

Took lots of photos

and made some new friends...

Birthday Goodies

2010-07-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's my Birthday today, woo!

I woke up to discover that my boyfriend had completely covered the kitchen table with balloons (twenty five to be precise, since it's my 25th) and that there were two Birthday cakes in the fridge! No idea how I ended up with two, but I'm certainly not complaining!

I was also lucky enough to receive some lovely presents. My boyfriend bought me a graphics tablet, it's very fancy I have no idea how it works! It's basically a pen and board thing that you plug into your computer that you can draw and write with (well obviously it's far more technical than that, but that's my best description of it!)

It'll be great for drawing templates and playing around with new designs on, as I can just draw them straight onto the computer, instead of having loads of bits of paper that I'm constantly losing. It also apparently makes editing photos loads easier too, I'm going to test it out in Photoshop in a minute.

I also got this really cool T-Shirt from Lazy Oaf. I love all of their stuff, they have such fun colourful designs! Check out this cute fox cushion and these bizarre meat socks!

From my mum I got a ukulele and Monty the fox. He's made by Sara Carr on Folksy. I've had my eye on this cute fox for a while now, so was thrilled when I unwrapped him!

Right I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day. Happy Wednesday everyone :)

Folksy Friday

2010-07-09T03:07:00.000-07:00

Today's Folksy Friday has a woodland theme. I've been going for a lot of long walks whilst back home on the Isle of Wight as there's such a lot of lovely country side to explore. It's great as there's always something new to see, suddenly a whole load of wild poppies seem to have sprung up all over the place and I was even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a hare hiding in a field the other day!

Anyway hopefully these items will get you inspired to take a walk in the woods:

1. Treescape Felt Brooch - Applique Originals
2. Deer Cushion - Bonnie and Jackson
3. Tweet Hoot Little Grey Owl - The Felt Menagerie
4. Natural Leaf Buttons - Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics
5. Portrait Of A Badger - Blackoutwell
6. Felted Wool Acorns - ZM Felt

Minifelt Purses

2010-07-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Firstly apologies for the lack of blogging lately. I blame it all on the fantastic weather we've been having, as it's just too nice to stay indoors on the computer!

Anyway I have been hard at work on these new additions to my shop, felt purses. I've always wanted to have a go at sewing a purse but thought it'd be too complicated as I've never sewn a zip in before...

Here is my first attempt. I started with two layers of felt, cut to about 12 x 8cm. Then I sewed my design onto the front layer first, I choose a fox's face, as I'm quite obsessed with foxes after watching Fantastic Mr Fox on DVD the other day!

Then when it came to sewing in the zip I cheated and cut a gap the size of my zip into two pieces of felt (the inner layer and outer layer). Then I stitched around the outside of the zip to hold it in place, which seems to work perfectly!

I then finished the purse off by sewing the sides together of the inner layer which I made slightly smaller than the outer layer, as I thought that two layers of stitches would make it more sturdy.

Here's the finished purse plus I've made a few more too with some different designs:

Folksy Friday

2010-06-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of travelling up and down the country recently, going to job interviews and visiting family and stuff. So for this weeks Folksy Friday the theme I've chosen is travel.

1. Road Sign Cufflinks - I De Claire
2. Oyster Card Sleeve London Blue - Dee Hewitt
3. Campervan Illustration Cushion - Helena Carrington
4. Traffic Jam Bunting - Nicky Nacky Noo
5. Union Jack Passport Cover - Made With Love X
6. Luggage Tags - She Draws

Chester Zoo

2010-06-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

I have a new favourite animal...

On Tuesday we went to Chester Zoo and saw these seriously cute red pandas. One was curled up asleep at the top of a tree, and one was climbing all over the place!

It was pouring down with rain but we had loads of fun anyway and the rain seemed to keep the crowds away. We even got to see a spectacled bear, which always seem to be hiding every other time I've been to the Zoo.

We also saw the giraffes and penguins being fed

a fluffy monkey

and a flamingo laying an egg

Finally no visit to Chester Zoo is complete without a visit to the bat enclosure and butterfly house. They're the best bits as you get to walk around with bats flying right next to you, and butterfly's landing on your shoulder.

Yarr It Be Folksy Friday

2010-06-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right this weeks Folksy Friday theme is pirates!

Mainly because I've been reading a series of books called The Pirates in An Adventure With... by Gideon Defoe each book involves a different adventure like The Pirates In An Adventure With Whaling and The Pirates In An Adventure With Communists.

They're very very funny books (I think there's four in total), the characters include the pirate captain with his luxuriant beard and love of honey glazed ham, and his motley crew who all have names like the pirate with a scarf, the albino pirate, the pirate with gout, and the pirate from the Bronx. I highly recommend giving them a read! Anyway here are my piratical choices...

1. Ships Crew Russian Dolls - Hole In My Pocket
2. Sailor Stripe Scarf - WildCat Designs
3. Pirate Eyepatch - Lupin Handmade
4. Black Pirate Bunting - Woolly Lakes
5. Map Coasters - Quirky Cards
6. Working Brass Telescope Pendant Necklace - Zara Taylor

New iPod cases!

2010-05-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some different animal designs for new iPod / Phone cases. I've also slightly expanded the size of them to fit Blackberry phones and other gadgets of a similar size.

Anyway I thought I'd share some photos of the new range, I keep meaning to take some photos of them in progress, but forget until I've sewn them together! I'll definitely take some of the next ones...

Fox iPod / Phone Case

Lion iPod / Phone Case

Bear iPod / Phone Case

Tiger iPod / Phone Case

They're all available from my new website Minifelts.com if you fancy one (or you can just click the link below the photos). Anyway I'd love to know what you think, what animals would you like to see that I haven't made so far?

I won a prize!

2010-05-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Look what I received from the lovely Fritha Moonbeatle. I entered a giveaway on her fantastic blog Tigerlilly Quinn (which you should definitely check out) and she very kindly sent a prize to everyone that entered! How generous is that?!

Anyway here are my fantastic goodies, I love receiving parcels!

Inside the package was a really cute fox print, that I'm going to frame and put on the wall.

Plus some badges, and a temporary tattoo!

Check out Moonbeatle's Shop to see more prints and cool stuff.

Pig on the beach!

2010-05-24T02:15:00.000-07:00

Yes that's right there was actually someone taking a pig for a walk on the beach! It was running around with a dog and playing in the sand. I didn't manage to take any good photos as I only spotted it from the bedroom window and it was quite far away, but here is photographic evidence nonetheless...

Anyway from pigs to erm picnics! Despite having lived on the Wirral for a few months now I haven't done that much exploring as the weather hasn't exactly been brilliant... So me and my boyfriend Jo decided to go somewhere new for a picnic.

We walked all the way from Shore Cottage

Up the public footpath from the beach and then along the cliff top path, which opened up into fields and woodland.

Everywhere was absolutely packed full of people playing football and having BBQ's apart from the Lakes. No-one seems to know about the Lakes as they're very secluded, hidden away surrounded by trees. It took us a while to find them, and they were more like big ponds than lakes.

After all that walking we sat down and had our picnic. I love picnics but haven't had one for ages!

We popped into the visitors centre on the way back to pick up a postcard with a picture of Shore Cottage on it (my boyfriends house) and to have an ice cream.

(Strange bird sculpture outside the Visitor Centre)

Anyway that was my weekend, what did you get up to? Did you see any pigs on the beach!

Minifelts.com

2010-05-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's ready! The new website is up and running, and it's looking great thanks to boyfriend's mad skills. He taught himself web design from scratch!

Minifelts.com even has it's own shop, which is easy to use, payment is done via PayPal and I can ship items worldwide. The best bit is that now all my Minifelts are available from one place, and it's simple for me to update, so I will definitely be constantly listing new items and updating the site.

I'd love if you could spare a minute to take a look and let me know what you think. Any suggestions for improvements, or feedback of any kind would be most appreciated. I've also got some free Minifelts desktop wallpaper that you can download for your computer, as a little thank you for visiting the site.

Please check it out and suggest it to anyone you think would like it!

Minifelt Photoshoot!

2010-05-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of re-doing my website at the moment. I really loved the old version which was made using Dream Weaver and Photoshop and was a bit more "arty" than the new one, but I wasn't able to update it without the help of my boyfriend who built the website for me.

(The old version)

The new website uses Joomla, a content management system, that lets me add things to the shop just like listing items on Folksy and publish articles like on blogger, so it should be really easy to use. It'll be great to have everything I've made for sale in one place too.

I've been busy this weekend taking new product photos. I always seem to take hundreds of photos and completely fill up my memory card, then spend hours sorting through them to find one nice one! Not a very good system... I've been thinking of investing in a light tent for some time, so that I don't have to rely on sunny days to take photos, and then I found this tutorial to make your own.

My attempt went a bit wrong, as the cardboard box I used wasn't exactly structurally sound to start with, and sort of collapsed as soon as I cut the sides out... So I just used three big bits of white card inside to create a white background, and lit it using a lamp from the top of the box. Surprisingly it worked really well!

I also realised that the settings on my camera could help brighten my photos up a lot too. I played around with some different options from the menu and turned up the exposure. Also the level adjust tool on Photoshop is my new favourite thing at the moment, just a small adjustment to the white balance helped me create these crisp white backgrounds.

I'm pretty pleased with the results I've still got a lot to learn, and am definitely going to keep practising and playing around with the settings on my camera.

Can't wait to launch the website, I'll let you know when it's up and running!

Raccoon Netbook Cover

2010-05-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a very special custom order. After purchasing one of my raccoon brooches a customer asked if I could make her a matching raccoon netbook case.

I love a challenge, so I took the template I'd drawn for the badge and enlarged it to make a mahoosive raccoons head! When coming up with designs I always start by sketching a basic shape/outline on paper, then cutting it out and pinning it to the felt.

I started by cutting out the different pieces of the raccoons head from some redy brown, white and black felt and sewing a few white stitches to add detail to the eyes.

(Check out how tiny the original badge is in comparison)

I decided to make the case double layered to make sure the netbook was well protected, and recycled some old material to make the inner and outer layers. I used an old blanket dyed brown, for the cover and some green baize for the inner layer. I stitched the whole thing by hand, not a sewing machine in sight (plus I'm absolutely useless with one!)

Next I sewed along the top and sides of the green inner layer and the brown outer layer, to make a pouch for the netbook, leaving some excess so I could cut it to size later. Then I sewed the raccoon pieces to each other and then down onto the brown cover.

Here it is ready for the opening to be cut to size. After I'd cut the edges to fit the netbook, I sewed the green inner lining to the brown outer lining so that they'd stay together, and added a velcro strap that stretched around the back of the case for extra security.

Here it is finished!

I even scanned in the image to create a matching desktop wallpaper for the customer to use on her netbook!

I'm pretty pleased with the result, since it's probably my biggest project to date. I'm planning on making a whole range of netbook and maybe even laptop covers, as they're a lot more interesting than those boring black ones you can buy in PC World! I've even been on a special visit to the big Abakhan in Wales to stock up on huge rolls of felt, so watch this space for some new designs very soon...

Folksy Friday

2010-04-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Time for another Folksy Friday instalment. The theme I've chosen is.... Rhyming things! A cat, rat, bat, mat, hat, meerkat and a tat (tattoo!) They're all also animal themed coincidentally!

1. Bat! Kooky Bat Fabric Applique Brooch - Tailor Made
2. Cat! Cat Paper Weight - Millicent
3. Hat! Frog Animal Hat - Doodles In The Margin
4. Mat! Mat Bag Birdies - Devon Red
5. Rat! Roderick Rat - Ukke-Puk Crafts and Toys
6. Tat! Temporary Tattoos - Lou Peajeux
7. Meerkat! Big Meerkat - NiftyKnits

Badgeorama

2010-04-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

I've managed to get a lot of sewing done this week. I've been making the most of this amazing weather by doing my sewing outside in the garden. Lots of felt did keep blowing away in the breeze, but I managed to design and make quite a few new badges/brooches. There was even enough sunshine for some nice photos. Take a look...

Dog

Little White Kitten

Black Pig

Bear

Lion

Raccoon

Mouse

Tiger or stripey cat!

All these brooches are available from my brand new Zibbet Shop, which I've just launched, please pop over and take a look. It's a great site as it's easy to sign up for (as a buyer or seller) and doesn't charge listing fees or take commission on sales.

Does anyone else sell on there? If you do please leave your shop link below, I'd be interested in checking out some other peoples shops, as I don't know many people that sell on there yet.

Anyway here's hoping this lovely hot sunny weather continues!

Creature Swap

2010-04-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone. Hope you all had a great egg day, and got suitably sick on chocolate. I had a fun but quiet day and went out for roast dinner at a little restaurant with a beautiful view of the sea. My sister had also come down to visit which was lovely as I haven't seen her in a while.

Anyway I've been meaning to share some photos of the Creature Swap I took part in a while ago on Folksy, organised by Giraffe Craft. My swap partner was Sugar and Rhubarb who creates very cute little Ninja Kitties! Here's what I sent...

Who's in the box? Little Grey is very inquisitive and is checking so see which lucky little Minifelt is off to a new home...

Boo!

It's a little black kitty to keep Ninja Kitty company!

I turned my back for a minute and some friends had jumped in the box to come along for the journey...

Once I'd convinced them to leave I finally had a chance to package up the box ready to be posted.

I added one of these monkey brooches for the Ninja Kitty maker. Then off it went... Take a look at Sugar and Rhubarbs blog Itty Bitty Ninja Kitty to find out about their adventures and to find out the names they've been given!

and here's what I got in return from Sharne Mainia

It's a cute little frog called Freddy! Thanks so much Sharne he's awesome, I love him!

This was the first swap I'd ever done and I really enjoyed it. In fact I've already signed up for another swap that I saw on the Stuffed Nonsense Blog and I need to find 6 other crafty folks that'd like to get involved.

The details are: "it is an international swap, and all you have to do is make one lovely hand made piece (be it a picture, a card, a purse, something beady, something sparkly...anything goes!) In return you get 36 pieces sent to you from all over the world. It works on a sort of chain type system..." Please let me know if you'd like to get involved and help carry on the chain of craftiness, and I'll send you more details!

Folksy Friday

2010-04-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

This weeks Folksy Friday theme is Retro. For no specific reason, apart from there's lots of cool retro themed stuff on Folksy that's been catching my eye recently!

1. Photojournalist Dark Grey - Ann Moore

2. Gameboy iPod/iPhone Case - Egoor England

3. Recycled Keyring Partypack - Sisily Love

4. Polaroid Art Vintage Camera Wall Art - Cut Copy Create

5. Radio Days 8x8 Print - Lola's Room

6. Retro Typewriter Key-Magnets - No Fen Just Ned

New brooches

2010-03-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

I've been busy making badges...

There's monkeys

and foxes

and pigs

and sheep!

They're all available from my Folksy Shop if you'd like one, and also available as a custom order of any animal you'd like in any colour you'd like!

I won!

2010-03-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

I few weeks ago I entered a fantastic giveaway on Titchables blog and I won! This is the first giveaway I've ever won and I was thrilled as the prize consisted of all these lovely goodies:

I love it all and it arrived so beautifully packaged. The covered buttons are so cute and the red ribbon was perfect for finishing off this hanging bunny. It has a secret pocket/pouch sewn onto the back for storing notes, money, keys or anything you like in!

Part of the prize was also free shipping on my next order so I treated myself to a few other supplies from Titchables Shop

I just love the bright polka dot ribbon, I'll definitely be using that for some of the keyrings I'm making at the moment. I also bought some more brooch pins to make another batch of badges with and some zips, despite having never sewn a zip in before I thought I'd have a go at using these to make some little purses/pouches in the shape of some of my Minifelt designs. I'll let you know how that goes!

Anyway a big thank you to Titchabes for the giveaway, I'd definitely recommend checking out their Shop and fantastic blog.

Red Squirrels

2010-03-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share some photos I took on a recent trip to Alverstone Mead nature reserve on the Isle of Wight. As well as it being the perfect place to see lots of birds, it's great for seeing and feeding some very friendly red squirrels. I would definitely recommend paying it a visit if your ever over on the Island.

They're so cute, and certainly aren't afraid of people, they'll come and sit right next to you and even eat out of your hand, especially if you bring them some hazelnuts (which they seem to go crazy for!)

My mum's a big fan of red squirrels so I made her a red squirrel brooch for Mothers day, I'm also working on a whole range of Minifelt brooches at the moment which I'll be posting some photos of soon.

Folksy Friday

2010-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

It's Folksy Friday time again, this week the theme I've chosen is the garden. Since we've had such lovely Spring weather recently I've been out in the garden a lot and helped my dad plant his allotment yesterday. Which was actually really fun and I'm looking forward to seeing the vegetables we planted come to life. What are you growing in your garden at the moment?

1. Insect Brooches - Julia Smith Ceramics
2. Mini Museum - Come Day Go Day
3. Porcelain Watering Can - Caroline Nash Crafts
4. Mosaic Bird House - Mosaics@Dawn
5. Beetle Tags - The Butterflyfish
6. Botanical Gift Tags - The Botanical Concept

Easter Bunnies

2010-03-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

With Easter fast approaching I thought I'd offer FREE UK SHIPPING on all the bunnies in my Folksy Shop to celebrate, so make sure you get your Easter bunnies quick!

There are more bunnies available from my Website. I am also happy to custom make you a Minifelt Bunny in any colour you'd like, so please feel free to drop me an email.

Musical fabric!

2010-03-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

Remake It: Home is a fantastic DIY design book all about being resourceful, it's got loads of great examples of how you can re-use and recycle old materials and put them to new uses around the home. This book permanently lives on the coffee table at the moment, and I can't stop picking it up and flicking through as it's got so many cool ideas and designs. There's also lots of step by step projects, but unfortunately I haven't had much of a chance to try any of them out yet as me and my boyfriend are still looking for our own place at the moment, and even then we'll probably be renting... so it'll be a little while before I get creative control over a house but I can't wait! Anyway as I didn't get a chance to do a Folksy Friday this week , I thought I'd share some of my favourite design ideas from the book:

I especially love the tree truck bowls made by Loyal Loot and the Transglass vases made from recycled bottles by Tordboontje

I also found an interesting section in the book about Alyce Santoro a Texas-based artist who discovered a new way to make fabric from audiotape. I found this concept especially appealing as a musician myself, so I visited the Sonic Fabric website to find out more about it...

Sonic fabric sounds amazing, as not only is it a brand new type of environmentally friendly material it's also playable! The artist has made recordings that can be heard by running the tape head of a Walkman over the fabric. Santoro's recordings include busking musicians, conversations and the city streets. How cool is that?!

Meet Marcus Woofington and Wendy

2010-03-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

This is the first blog post of two about some fantastic books that I've been reading recently. I've never really owned any craft books before but I am definitely going to start amassing a collection now, even if it's just to look at the pictures in them for inspiration! I got the book Sock and Glove for Christmas and it's ace, I've never made any sock animals before but have always wanted to have a go.

There's so many cute animals to make, including a dog, a cat, a monkey, a rabbit, a pig, and a bird and the best bit is the instructions are really simple to follow and are mainly just pictures.

I went straight out and bought some socks and a pair of gloves, and made the dog from the front cover of the book and the elephant.

Meet Wendy and Marcus Woofington. They didn't turn out quite like the ones in the book, as I decided to erm 'customise' them... I gave Marcus a sort of collar/polo neck jumper as I had lots of glove left after I'd stuffed it, and Wendy ended up with an extra long and very thin truck! Still I'm pleased with how they turned out for my first attempt, think I'll have a go at the pig next.

You can check out other peoples sock creations from the book on Flickr and I also found this group with lots of cute sock creatures in.

Go go gadget

2010-02-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

I must admit I love gadgets so I was really thrilled when I got an iPod touch for Christmas this year. It's so cool and very useful, great for just quickly checking my email and twitter on when I don't want to wait ages for my laptop to start up. Keep forgetting to actually use it to play music on though! It's also good because the fan in my laptop is broken and sounds like a wind turbine.

Anyway I've been trying to come up with some new designs for more 'practical' minifelts. I've made a few badges and so I thought I'd have a go at making an iPod case. Here are the results...

A cheeky monkey! He's my second attempt as it took a while to get the size right, and to get the hang of sewing on velcro. Which was really hard going, kept accidentally getting the thread caught in the velcro and repeatedly stabbing myself in the thumb. Think I might need a more heavy duty needle or maybe a new thumb...

I also made an owl. Both designs have a flap that fastens at the back with velcro and a different coloured inner lining. I've listed them in my Folksy shop

Folksy Friday

2010-02-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Time for another Folksy Friday. The theme I've chosen this week is notebooks/journals, as I noticed some lovely ones on Folksy whilst looking for one the other day to use to scribble ideas down in. I hate it when I get a good idea for a project then forget it the next day, so hopefully by writing stuff down I can plan things out a bit better and un-jumble the mess of ideas I have in my head! Anyway these are some of my personal favourites:

1. Lovely Stella Journal - My Pip Squeak
2. 'Nature Notes' Red Squirrel - The Copper Swallow
3. Alice In Wonderland Moleskine Cashier - Champignon

4. Butterfly Fabric Coptic Bound Journal - Niche
5. 5" Floppy Notebook - ReturnVoid: Geekware
6. Upcycled Map Hand Bound Notebook - Toggle

New stuff

2010-02-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

I've just finished making these two octopus pin cushions. I'd been meaning to find a project I could use the handmade felt I bought ages ago from the Knitting & Stitching show for, and this was the perfect excuse. I've still got some more left over so I might make some more sea creatures with it.

I've also been busy sewing butterflies. I bought a load of deep picture frames from my local charity shop and had the idea of using them like scientific specimen display cases, but with felt butterflies inside.

This was my first attempt and I'm still playing around with some different ideas. Next I'm going to try lots of different shaped butterflies, maybe pinned to the background and with little labels below with made up butterfly names, just to make it look even more like a display case. If you have any ideas about how I could improve the design I'd love to hear them as it's still very much a work in progress :)

Sunshine Blog Award

2010-02-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

I'd like to say a very big thank you to Nattie Noodle Black Cats Whiskers and Bird Cage Creative for nominating me for the Sunshine blog award. Thank you all so much, it really means a lot to me. The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity & creativity inspires others in the blog world.

The rules for accepting the Sunshine award are:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post
Pass the award onto 12 bloggers
Link the nominees within your post

Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Mine are:
arkdesigns castonandcastoff createdandfelted wellydog lobsterlove
harveycraftycards elliestreasures idealgifts dottiedesigns fatcatfelt
gooseberrymoon monstermagic

Surprise holidays are the best

2010-01-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

Last week my lovely boyfriend whisked me away on a surprise trip to Oxford, as a late Christmas present. I had no idea about it what so ever, I thought we were heading up to stay with his mum on the Wirral. I didn't even suspect anything when we were driving down country lanes past fields of sheep, instead of speeding along the motorway!

Anyway we were driving through this little village called Stanton St John just outside Oxford, with me saying "wouldn't it be nice to live somewhere like this?" He then pulls into the pub carpark and says "well let's stay here for a few days!" He'd arranged for us to stay in a lovely little cottage just down the road. It was really quirky, had loads of antique ornaments and furniture, plus a jacuzzi and a really good curry house near by! Although the "period" style decoration wasn't all to our taste (especially the very scary giant baby painting in the bedroom), it was so much more fun than staying in a boring hotel! Oxford was also lovely and definitely worth a visit if you haven't been there before.

I managed to take a few photos of the cottage before my camera battery died...

I really liked this piece of furniture in the kitchen, it had loads of little draws each with various useful items in, such as knives and forks, thought it'd be really good for storing sewing stuff in, you could have a draw for buttons and one for fabric etc... Definitely need something like this to help me be more organised!

Here's the Minifelts filling out their postcards that they got on a visit to the fantastic Ashmolean museum. No idea how they managed to gatecrash our holiday, those Minifelts are very sneaky...

They were especially excited when they heard the cottage was called the Burrows, and was sort of underground, they also approved greatly of the number of rabbit themed ornaments they discovered.

Folksy Friday

2010-01-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd have a go at my own Folksy Friday this week, as it sounds like a good excuse to browse all the lovely things on Folksy! The theme I have chosen is.... BUTTONS. Quite an easy decision, as they've become my latest obsession.

Projects galore

2010-01-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

For the past week or so, I've been waking up most mornings with a head full of ideas for new projects. Unfortunately this just seems to mean I have tons of unfinished projects on the go at once, as every time I go to finish something I get a different idea, or it doesn't quite turn out how I'd planned and that leads to a whole new idea... Need to keep away from the internet there's far too many inspiring things on there!

Here are some projects I did manage to finish. Firstly with Valentine's day approaching I thought I'd have a go at making some cards. Here are my first attempts, I've listed them over on Folksy if you fancy buying one. Would love to hear any thoughts/suggestions for future cards.

I also got some new fabric for Christmas this year, so thought I'd put it to good use. I've made a load of Minifelt badges, as I'm thinking of doing my first ever craft fair and thought it'd be good to have a few small things to fill up the stall with.

I also made these lavender smelephants, from the same fabric. I made the template myself, and kept them a simple shape, think I need to add some tails to these though.

and finally an idea that still needs a bit of work, my cardboard cuckoo clock. This didn't go quite to plan as I wanted to make a net out of one piece of card then fold up the sides, but I didn't have a piece of card big enough, so I improvised! I made it out of several small bits of card and attempted to glue them together. However, this was a big mistake, as the glue didn't stick well enough. I tried to rescue it using good old double sided sellotape, but that also didn't quite stick right... So it needs a bit of a re-think. Here it is anyway.

Hope I continue to have many more successful (well at least easier to make) ideas over the next few weeks. Must make the rule of not starting something new till I've finished the last thing!

Snow adventures

2010-01-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Finally there's snow on the Isle of Wight, and lots of it. The minifelts were very excited as they have never seen snow before. My boyfriend, my dad and I decided to build a snowman, and a couple of other little helpers managed to sneak along too...

A good hour later we had removed most of the snow from the drive, and the road and pavement outside the house. We'd also fallen over several times, "accidently" tipped snow over each others heads and ruined several pairs of gloves but we did produce this in the process...

Not exactly a classic snowman, for some reason his head started to look like it had a parka hood on, so we made him a little fishing rod and turned him into an eskimo!

After all that we needed to go inside for a nice cup of tea and a lie down.

Well some of us did...