Folksy Friday: Winter warmers

This week my Folksy Friday is about being warm. I've been at home all week as it's half term so i've been catching up on my making and spreadsheets and documents and i've gotta say it's been pretty chilly. Now I don't mind that, I love wrapping up in warm clothes and turning the heating on, i especially love buying new knitwear, hats, scarves, gloves, wooly headbands all get thumbs up in my book.

So here is this week's 6 winter warmers...

Big Softie - Chunky Barley Corn Wool Scarf by Miss Frekkles

Lingonberry Mittens by Hattie's Heritage Handknits

Issy Bobble Band in Navy and Cream and The Slipped Pom Pom Hat in Cream by Dolly Knits

Super Chunky Knit Bobble Cowl. By Oh Knit!

Lime Green Cabled Gloves by Moocow

Beautiful Laser Cutting.....

I had to order some more wooden wool badges after sending lots off to stockists and selling a few too. Lucky me! I also needed some for the upcoming I Make Fun Stuff "Saints Festive Street Fair"

I love how they arrive, smelling of burnt wood and all still sitting in the original piece of beech ply. Just like a jigsaw puzzle, i'm loath to pop them out really. So I took lots of photographs instead.

There is only one of these badges left in the shops at the moment so I will relist them soon as that one is sold.

Oh Comely Magazine

Well lookie here! There is my large polka dot bunting in this month's issue of Oh Comely Magazine.

What's that you say? You haven't heard of it? Well you should go find it! It's a magazine that when you read it, is like having a chat with your friends about all the things you love, music, art, literature and lovely handmade things. Which is why i'm lucky enough to have my bunting featured in the "pretty lovely" section.

You can buy it in WHSmith and several independent shops too such as LoveOne in Ipswich and Cherry Cherry in Norwich.

New Stockist! The Spider And The Fly

I wanted to show you these cute little parcels before I send them off to my new stockist up in Edinburgh.

I am very excited to announce that my products will soon be able to buy in The Spider and The Fly. As soon as i've sent these parcels and the other pile of goodies I need to wrap up and drop off at the Post Office that is!

A selection of my totes, badges, necklaces and earrings will be there in an assortment of colours. My newest product, the Wooden Wool Badge will be available to buy there too.

I wish I could visit buy Edinburgh is such a long long way from Suffolk!

Folksy Friday: Flowers

Hi all. I'm sorry it's been a bit quiet here this week. I have been so busy at work but the good news is I have also been busy with orders. It has been very exciting this last few weeks I love getting orders and knowing people love what i'm making.

Luckily for us all it is half term next week and I will be busy making ready for the next I Make Fun Stuff market on Sunday 21st November in Ipswich. So I should have lots of photographs to show you all.

This week's theme is flowers, it's getting very cold and frosty out so I thought I would post some lovely permanent flowers as most of the ones in my garden died back ages ago! Just for the record I am loving the cold weather, I put my favourite Winter coat on for the first time yesterday, it was great!

Here are today's six beauties....

Simply Rosie Necklace by Lonely Hearts

Flowers and Glasses Necklace by Chiyo

Ex Large Standard Lampshade in Candy Flowers Stone by The Old Lamp Shed

Candlesticks - Olive & Folky Flowers by Loglike

Little Purple Flower Tiara by Blue Duck Jewellery

The Spring Festival - Trio of Silver, Burgundy and Green Floral and Rhinestone Bobby Pins by Penny Masquerade

Folksy Friday: Nautical

This week's theme is Nautical! I like a bit of nautical inspired goodness, i've got a large amount of stripy tops and I occassionally have a jaunt around the hornpipe. Only joking! This theme has been in fashion for a few years now and last I saw it wasn't on it's way out yet!

So here are some beautiful products inspired by adventure on the high seas...




























Nautical Brass Marine Lamp Necklace by Sweetest Things

Textile Ship Brooch by Gracie's Garden Bazaar

Anchors Away..He's Off! Nautical New and Vintage Necklace by Emily Loves Vintage

Ahoy! Sailor Set of 10 Notecards & Envelopes by Senor Picklesworth

Seagull Felt Brooch by Kaela Mills

Rustic Hand Printed Anchor and Oars Cushion in New England Blues by Helkat Design

It's National Wool Week!

Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts recently. No Folksy Friday or Showcase Sunday as I had a migraine that lasted for days! Boo! But now lets get onto this post....

Folksy are celebrating National Wool Week by heaving wooly based products as their featured items this week. I am lucky enough to have my Knitter Badge on the front page so I am going to post my four favourite woolly things from Folksy.

Pink Knitted Bow by The Funky Beau
Fairisle Red Long Winter Socks by Legyviel in Rivendell
Fairisle Double Wrap Cowl by Miss Frekkles
Fairisle Knit Cushion by Handmaid

Makers Online

You can now buy my products on the wonderful website Makers Online. I was honoured to be asked to stock this excellent website promoting craft makers and artists making things that are new and original. Something I think is very important, especially these days when the high street is flooded with goods made cheaply and sold cheaply too.

Buying handmade is so exciting as you know who made it and that they have an extraordinary passion for what they do. And as a buyer you end up with something entirely unique as most of the time each item is made by hand. That is the epitomy of cool to me!

Showcase Sunday: Print For Love of Wood

Back to the Showcase Sunday after a short break due to excessive busyness (is that a word?!) This week my Showcase Sunday featured shop is Print For Love of Wood

I bought a print off them last Christmas for my partner and I and really loved their work. Now I see that their shop is full of new and different things and so I had to wave my flag for them.

Look at this wonderful Owl print, made from a vintage linocut found in an antiques shop. I love the almost recycled nature of this and the fact it is still being used decades on. Printmaking is a technique I fell in love with years ago when I was a student and I think that's why I love this shop so much. The shop profile describes how all the work is printed using an antique printing press and using inks often bought from printers that are closing down and is if that wasn't eco enough, everything is printed on recycled paper stock.How's that for sustainable huh?

Print For Love of Wood is stocked with a great range of beautiful letterpress and linocut products but by far my favourite is the print that led me to finding the shop last Christmas.

I used the picture of the print in my previous post so here is a close up picture of the linocut used for printing the image.

My print hangs in my workroom where I do most of my printing and other work. It completely sums up how I feel when things are going well and i'm bursting with ideas, desperate to print something.

NEW! Wooden Knitting Badges

The latest edition to my Folksy and Etsy shops is these laser cut ball of wool brooches.

Laser cut from 3mm Beech Ply with a copper brooch pin on the reverse. Available for £4

Things that have happened....

The above image is from the wonderful people Print For Love Of Wood. They have a great shop on Folksy, i bought the above print for Chris and I last Christmas and it really sums up my feelings when I'm experiencing a purple patch. It is also a taster of my Showcase Sunday.

I have decided I'd like to do a little summary of my week because I do such a wide variety of things and because we are slowly building up to the next street market and the launch of the new I Make Fun Stuff website.

On Monday I answered the beckon call of many of my 60 students, they have a variety of requests from moving groups to missing ID cards. The notes page of my diary is not big enough! And i was given some lovely Cath Kidston mugs (I actually need more mugs. Yes. I do)

On Tuesday I taught my little rapscallions all morning and then had a meeting with Cathy from Loveone to finalize the plans for the Saints Festive Street Fair. Very exciting! It is great to have emerged from the piles of red tape and be ready to accept applications. Email imakefunstuff@googlemail.com if you want to apply for a stall.

Wednesday was a ridiculously long day which started with an absent lecturer and a task which involved lots of materials we need to hunt and gather. After long explanations the students understood their task and noisily and messily got on with it. By the time i got home at 6:00 I was wrecked and had to miss knitting club :(

Yesterday was a day filled with maths and english and a whole after noon of rowdy and self involved performing arts students constantly talking and not paying attention. I was appalled at their bad manners but luckily they calmed down eventually. We then turned our brains on and headed out to The Brewery Tap's Quiz Night. 107 questions on a variety of topics and a really tough Extreme Trivia round. We've come second twice but didn't manage to place this time after a ridiculously hard quiz! Great company and good fun though.

Milly seems to have made two kitty friends whilst playing in the garden for the first time this week. One black and white cat and one grey and white cat who's very fluffy with big furry trousers. She wouldn't come in she was having so much fun!

More videos of her soon. And some doodles too.

Folksy Friday: Pattern

This week my Folksy Friday is about pattern. I've been creating patterns this morning whilst at work and pouring over my pattern books for inspiration. I've found it on Folksy too... and here is where....































Leather iphone/itouch case by Beautiful Skin

Teal Owl Pattern scarf by Bonbi Forest

Tea Towel - Cornish Ware / Whisk and Spoon – Blue by Linen Prints

Biscuits - Hand Printed Greetings Cards by Lovelittle

Long Above The Knee Socks by Legyviel In Rivendell

Fantail Bird Brooch by Lovely Pigeon