Loving our sponsors

Once again I would like to show our sponsors a bit of love for paying to put their Project Wonderful adverts on our blog. I picked out some pretty coloured goods today as it is so grey a day here I needed a bit of a spectrum injection.

Starpixie's work is always stunningly beautiful and she has yet to find a craft she doesn't excel at. Her choice of fabrics is always sublime and the care and love she puts into her work shines out. This hair clip flower will brighten up every ones day when you wear it.

I'm so glad Teal Stripes advertised on this blog because finding this shop was like a breath of fresh air. There is a great mixture of goods and artworks in the shop and I love the fun slant on many of the pieces. Jellyfish forever!

Ravena Relics recycled and salvaged materials are used to make gorgeous items like this flower corsage brooch. Anyone that takes unused/pre-used materials and creates such beauty is fantastic in my eyes. May your shop flourish!

Lina Fire is a site full of lamp work beads and glass jewellery. The colours and shapes are fun, vibrant and eye catching. It's great to see such passion in peoples work. The new products page on this website is a joy to behold. Check it out!

Big Blue Bed makes so many cute items to sell in her shop. This little flower brooch with it's polka dot button center is great. I was introduced to Dorset buttons in this shop, which I'd never seen before. Take a look at the variety.

All you lovely people that sponsor our blog with your Adverts I'd like to thank you. I hope that our readers click through to your shops as often as I do, because I've found so many beautiful goods in your shops. Thank you!

*Yawn*

I've spent all day yawning. I can't seem to shake the sleepy feeling today. Everything I've tried to do today has been a struggle and not gone quite as planned. I even drank a cup of coffee, which is something I very rarely do, but it made no difference. I'm still yawning wide enough for the world to fall in every 5 minutes.

Pink Panzees little sleeping kitty can sleep anywhere, even on the edge of a log. I feel like I could do that today. Every time I sit down I start to doze off.

Bib Bon eye mask would help aid a deep sleep, and as they have super a hero on the front I'm sure all my dreams would be full of adventures and fun.

Alvin the sleepy mouse has found a little leaf to sleep on. Troll Tracks has perfectly captured that tranquil face all animals have when in a deep sleep.

Always Adorable's princess isn't all she seems to be as she doesn't appear to have noticed the pea under her mattress. I wouldn't notice it either hehehe.

Bibelot Forest has created Chester the sleeping fox, who obviously is just as tired as I am today. I hope he is warm enough under his toadstool. Maybe I should find him a blanket.

I have to wake up and cook some dinner now, but I don't guarantee I won't doze off and burn it. Poor Jon might have a charred dinner tonight.

Twitter friends

Twitter is a strange world of people sharing, laughing, commiserating, and rejoicing what is going on in their lives. I've been on it for a while under the name CapnSkulduggery. A lot of the people I follow and that follow me back are fellow artisans that chat about what they are making and what they have sold etc, so I get to see lots of amazing handmade goods. I thought you might like to see a few of them.

Kitty Ballistic's fun felt fortune cookies are a great present to give a friend. I'm sure if you ask Helen, she will customise the message in the cookie for you. That way it can be a very personal fortune for your friend.

Tomato Tea has had a shop on Coriandr for quite a while, but has only just got her first sale there. I was surprised it took so long as her goods are beautiful. When I have some cash I will most definitely be purchasing some of her hand spun yarn.

Yay for pirate sock kitties from The Other Mousie. This lady is great to follow on Twitter, because she is always up beat, happy and fun to chat to and I love seeing all her new goods as she tells us about listing them in her shop.

Snapdragon Beads is a most talented bead artist. Her jewellery is so stylish and her colour choices are always fabulous. As well as her Etsy shop she has a shop on Coriandr, both are full of fantastic items.

The ever so lovely Swirlyarts is not only a very talented lady, but she is kind and generous with her time and the help she gives to other artisans. As the editor and writer of Cuteable she supports the handmade movement by highlighting the best of the best that you can find for sale online. A more dedicated champion of recycling and handmade goods you won't find.

If you love handmade goods and want to find all the latest listings being put up online you won't go far wrong in logging onto twitter and then do a search for "#handmade". You should bring up lots of posts containing links to new listings.

Well slap my thigh and call me Sheila!

So today I had an urge to find myself some new Pirate boots, so that when I am dressed up as Captain Skulduggery Dug I can really look the part. Of course my first stop was the handmade and vintage sites and so far I haven't ventured past those sites because there are just so many boots to peruse that I haven't needed to. Take a look at some of my finds.

James Roland Shop has these amazing multi coloured long 1980's thigh high suede boots. Sadly they are a size too big for me, but maybe if I wear a few pairs of socks with them...? They are just so fabulous and fun.

I used to own a pair of boots this colour and these ones from Goodeye vintage wearables would also be very tempting to buy if only I had bigger feet. I love the slouchy nature of them and I think they would go really well with a pirate costume.

Addicted to Mermaids' pixie felt boots are fabulous, gorgeous, yummy and scrumtastic. If I could get a pair with a sole for outdoors on them I would consider buying these too. They would fit in perfectly with the Pirate Pixie Crew image.

Now these ones are pretty much the archetypal boot most people imagine when you say Pirate boots. Deer Heart Vintage is selling these vintage over the knee suede black boots and are probably the style I will end up purchasing as they will go with almost any costume colour.

Lastly I had to share this cute boots from Florence in a box. I think they are a fantastic design, easy to wear shape and totally handmade. I'm very tempted to go for a purple pair. They would not only look great with costumes but also jeans and big floaty long skirts. I love them!

I'm off to keep on searching for my perfect pair of boots. Have a fantastic day!

Written by Lynne of the Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Artisan of the Week, Helen of The Beading Lady

This weeks Artisan is the lovely Helen of The Beading Lady shops. She has her main shop on Misi and 2 others on Folksy and Etsy. She quite obviously has a love of beads and all things shiny and uses that love to the maximum in her shop. I'll let her tell you a bit more about herself and her work.

1. Could you please introduce us to who you are and what you do?
Hi, I'm Helen ~ The Beading Lady. I make beaded jewellery and accessories. I work mainly with silver plated findings and glass beads but am getting more and more adventurous as time goes by.

I started my jewellery crafting with memory wire bracelets 2 years ago but about 6 months ago I decided to begin combining my lovely memory wire bracelets with a card. My hubby's suggestion at 11pm one night ~ which of course kept me up all night thinking how it could be done. When I started actually selling the Beaded Bracelet Cards I thought perhaps there were other types of jewellery and accessories that I might be able to make and perhaps sell. I started listing on the Misi site in November / December 2008 and haven't looked back since.

2. What led you to take up your craft?
I went to a jewellery making party at a friend's house and really enjoyed making the memory wire beaded bracelet. A few days later I started looking at where I could buy the equipment from and what I would need. To begin with it was relatively simple but as I've become more and more creative, I find myself needing more and more tools and beads. Hubby is not amused but as some of my sales paid for a few of the kiddies Christmas presents, he can't complain too much.

3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
I love to just sit with a pile of beads and see what they become. I can sit down thinking I will make a bracelet with this little pile and suddenly it becomes 2 handbag charms instead. I also love to show my daughter ~ she's my biggest supporter and is always quick to point out any mistakes I may have made in patterned jewellery.

4. Which part do you find hardest?
The hardest part for me is knowing when to stop. I am a Mum to two children and I am also a Virtual Assistant working from home. It's so tempting to sit down with my beads once I've dropped the children at school instead of getting on with some typing work or doing the housework.

5. Where do you hope to be in 1 year’s time?
In one year's time I would love to still be sitting at my crafting table making beaded jewellery but the difference would be that I wouldn't be as worried about money as my jewellery would be selling like hotcakes.

6. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Not to give up. It's so tempting to say "oh that didn't work, I'll not bother" but I've found that whenever I'm tempted to give up, I have a fantastic, supportive hubby who gives me a gentle push. If something doesn't work the first time, try again but in a slightly different way.

7. Could you name artisans sites/shops would you recommend are worth a visit?
I think Misi has the most amazing crafters listed there. Mostly UK based they are all so gifted and also really supportive on the forum too. I'm not actually sure I could name just one.

8. What is your favourite sandwich filling?
My favourite sandwich filling is chicken mayonnaise but not just any chicken mayonnaise. There is this little teashop on the other side of our village run by this tremendously grumpy man but he makes the best chicken mayonnaise sandwiches I have ever tasted. It's a "Mummy" treat to go there with a few friends while the children are at school.

Thank you Helen for taking part in our blog. I hope that you get your wish for a years time and that you have lots of success. I agree with you that there is a lot of talented crafts people selling on Misi. the site is well worth a visit and a search around. Dear readers if you'd like to check out more of The beading Lady's shops and her blog take a visit.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Wedding Celebrations

To celebrate the wedding of Jon's mum and Tony, her lovely Dutch partner this weekend and Mithi and Drew fabulous wedding last weekend, I thought I'd pick out a few hand crafted goods made as weddings in mind.

To start off with traditional weddings need rings. Mithi and Drew made their own rings with the help of Anna Lovell, which gave them that extra special meaning, but if you don't feel so crafty Laurie Sarah has a gorgeous selection of handmade rings.

I have never seen anything like this amazing head piece from Hatastic. This half cut nautilus shell has been reclaimed and used to create this show stopper of a head dress. The iridescence of the shell is stunning. Weddings are one time you can really dress up, so why not go all the way and splash out on this one off piece.

If you'd like a more princess look for your wedding outfit this tiara from Celdesign would be perfect. It's sparkly and showy but in a modest stylish way. It could be used in conjunction with a veil if you like or just weaved into your pinned up hair for a more simple look.

Every little girl going to a wedding likes to getting dressed up as a good luck bringing fairy and this dress from Masamuals will allow them to do that. In Ivory and gold it will go with most colour schemes. Maybe by adding some small little wings will make that little girl feel even more special.

Corsages are also a tradition for weddings and as I'm not a big fan of cut flowers I went on a search for an alternative and this organza flower from Tamsyn Amber fulfils the job perfectly. It is so pretty, stylish and simple and it is something that you can keep forever as a reminder of the big day.

If you are getting married soon I'd like to wish you a happy life with your new life partner. If you are going to someones wedding I hope you have lots of fun and enjoy the day as much as Jon and I enjoyed Mithi and Drew's wedding last weekend. It reflected who they are and what is important in their lives perfectly and we were honored to be able to be part of it all. This weekends wedding is going to be a more formal affair and I'm looking forward to seeing Jon's mun and Tony making their vows, as they make a perfect couple.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

I spy with my little eye

Recently I've been noticing a change in my eye sight. I find when I look up from working for a long time I can't get things into focus very quickly. I'm sure it's just an age thing, but it's bugging me so much I think I better go and get my eyes tested by an optician. The thought of having to wear glasses after having 20/20 vision all my life isn't my idea of fun. I'm the only person in my family that has so far not had to wear glasses, but I think soon that time is going to come and knowing the annoyance glasses have become for my sister, because of the various glasses she has to wear for doing different things, I'm not relishing the though.

Not only is it the wearing of them it's the cost of them that puts me off, but then I found this listing from Patty Mara of some vintage glasses and it gave me the idea of buying gorgeous pre-owned glasses frames and just having lenses made to fit.

Fanciful Devices' spectacle necklace got me thinking about nice ways of wearing glasses for close up work around my neck so I wouldn't keep putting them down and losing them. The only thing is I don't want them to make me look like a maiden aunt.

JYates mirror stickers reminded me that glasses don't have to be all about getting better vision. They can be about fun and style too. I love the idea of being able to try out a load of frame shapes, to find out which suit you, in one go by sticking them all to a mirror.

I'm also thinking, do I really have to stick with traditional styles of frames. EDM Designs has given me a bit of an idea about having something a bit more exciting and different. Those magnifying lenses could be just what I need for close up work.

The last thing I thought about was, if I have glasses I need a case to keep them safe in when I'm not wearing them. Atelier De Soyun has this pretty hemp textured fabric case, but there are loads of others out there if you want something a bit more off the wall. Maybe I could have various cases to suit my mood of the day.

I guess I better bite the bullet and get down to the opticians and make sure my eyes are ok and check that my problem is nothing more than aging eyes. There are loads of conditions that can be picked up by an optician, so remember to go along and get them to check you out every couple of years. Don't be like me, leaving it until you have a problem.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

Rabbit Dreams

I had a very strange dream last night that involved lots of bright orange rabbit's doing strange dances around other rabbits, that were a rainbow or colours, of in a field full of flowers. The orange rabbits were full of joy and happiness and as they danced their smiles and happiness were passed on through the rest of the rabbits until all of them were grinning ear to ear. As more rabbits smiled more flowers burst open displaying huge vibrant coloured petals and stamen gorged in bright orange and yellow pollen ... I have no idea what it means but it was very pretty.

Tobyboo bunny may not be dancing, but this mint coloured bunny has a very special use. It is a tooth bunny. It keeps any tooth, that has fallen out, safe until the tooth fairy can come and pick it up. It has a pocket inside that is lined in spotty fabric to make sure that tooth stays safe.

This tea cosy from Rosy Tint is just so cute. The flowers, grass, toadstool and bunnies are just so much fun. It can keep your tea warm and give you a giggle first thing in the morning. I love the way the bunnies are burrowing into the grass.

I don't often use photos with water marks on this blog but this plumber bunny from Amigurumi just made me laugh out loud. The thought of a rabbit with a drain plunger turning up when you call the plumber around to unblock the sink just tickled my funny bone.

Sola Sola created this beautiful felt bunny called Fedor and once she had she found out that Fedor liked to be out in the coldest Russian winter. To be kind to his feet Sola Sola made him some boots to wear to keep his toes warm. They'd be a bit hard to dance in though, being as they are, so big.

MouMou rabbit has some flowers in it's ears and seems to be red in the face, so maybe it has been dancing so fast it got a bit flushed and caught up some of the flowers in his giant ears. I think he needs a drink of water and a small cuddle to revive him.

Strange dreams are always coming to me and most of them don't really seem to make all that much sense or have any meaning to them, but I'm glad I have them. It makes sleeping so much more interesting!

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Dragonfly

When we were little children I used to love going up the mountain behind my grandparents house to play on the grass and to the wade in the little streams and rivers that flowed down it. The wildlife the water attracted always excited me, but of all the creatures we found there the shimmering sparkling dragonflies were always my favourite to watch. Their shiny iridescent wings and bodies fascinated me. No matter how I tried I could not capture their beauty with coloured pencils or crayons, and photographs I took didn't sparkle as beautifully as they did, so I decided that they must be magical creatures and that was why I could not replicate them. Funny how a child's mind works. Ever since then I have always loved dragonflies.
Kim Winkeler Photography had no such problems getting her photographs as this one show. A dew covered Dragonfly is an amazing thing to find, let alone capture it with a camera. It's an amazing photograph! I am quite envious of the talent that capturing this picture must have taken.

Ruby Spirit Designs has created this beautiful dragonfly necklace with a large feature pendant. You can't see in this shot of it the small dragonfly details further up the chain (click the photo to go to the listing to see other photos) , all details that show lots of thought went into the making of this piece.

Oh my! I saw this painting by Lancaster Art and immediately I was just drawn in to see how it was painted. It looks like a fossilised dragonfly rather than a painting. Something about the monochrome colours used and the depth of the canvas adds to that feeling. I think it's fantastic!

Bead Art by Houkje must be a very, very patient as well as talented person. All the hundreds of seed beads that went in to the creating of the wings on this dragonfly must have taken many hours to make. They sparkle amazingly and really do have the feel of just how a dragonfly's wings look. Great work!

Rustic Diva Designs painting screamed out at me "Pick me to feature" when I was looking for dragonflies to share. The purples, blues, reds, yellows, turquoise and yellows all work so well together. It's bright, bold and makes me feel happy just by looking at it. Huzzah for colours and painters that know how to use them!

What's a favourite creature from your childhood? Run off now and see what beautiful handmade goods can you find made with that creature in mind. Write a blog about the items you like and come back here and link me to the blog. I'd love to see what you find.

Written my Lynne of Hyperloop Hoops and Pirate Pixie Crew

Artisan of the Week, Ruth of Sumptuosity

Happy Sunday everyone. Today we will be introducing you to the small company Sumptuosity. Ruth, the lead designer from the company, has agreed to tell us a little about herself and and her roll in Sumptuosity. This company consists of 4 people who all work together towards the making and selling of some of the most gorgeous pieces I've seen in a long time. I really am smitten with their designs and workmanship.

1. Could you please introduce us to who you are and what you do?
Hello My name is Ruth and I am one of the founding members of Sumptuosity, I am also the chief embroiderer. At Sumptuosity we design and make small gift items using free hand machine embroidery, silk and lots of vintage fabrics. Our range currently runs from single button brooches to handbag mirrors, bookmarks, notebooks and lavender bags.

2. What led you to take up your craft?
I started to sew again in the Summer of 2000 (the first time since I had been at School due to a horrible sewing teacher!) and as a release from the pressures of writing up my Ph.D thesis. The idea of turning the craft into a business was entirely the influence of my 'go-getting' husband. The second major influence was going to a talk and demonstration of the artist Naseem Darby. Life was never the same again after that.

3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
The best and most enjoyable part of my work is the embroidery. I absolutely love to do my freehand embroidery and really enjoy that first switch on of the sewing machine in the morning.

4. Which part do you find hardest?
The hardest part for me is definitely delegation, as I hate to tell other people what to do and I am always reluctant to give up any of my designs for others to sew.

5. Where do you hope to be in 1 year’s time?
In a year's time I hope that the business will be preparing for the New York International Gift Fair - fingers crossed.

6. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
The best piece of advice that I ever heard was in the talk that Naseem Darby gave - she said that in regards to free-hand machine embroidery, people should just have a go, enjoy it and not 'worry' about getting it wrong; as there was no such thing as getting it wrong, broken thread, broken needles were all part of the experience. Just go for it.

7. Could you name artisans sites/shops would you recommend are worth a visit?
I would definitely recommend that people look at Naseem Darby's website. Also have a look at Naive Textile Art, a wonderful mother and daughter team that I have met at trade shows and have been very impressed with their work.

8. What is your favourite sandwich filling?
My favourite sandwich filling is Falafal, hummous, sweet chili sauce and lettuce all stuffed into a wholemeal pitta bread. Yum!

Thank you Ruth for sharing a little bit of information about your business and life. I was drawn to your work firstly by the freeform frogs. I have a thing about frogs. I think they are gorgeous, so you drew me in and the more I looked through your website the more I liked. Check out what I mean readers. The site is full of utterly fantastic items.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Rats!

Yes I am totally aware that some people will find my post today vile and repulsive, but I don't see rats as evil, revolting or disgusting creatures. To me, they are just another animal that fits into the grand scheme of things, just like eagles and elephants. Without wild rats lots of waste products would hang around for much longer than they do now. Rats are, for their size fairly clever animals and I for one do not want to exterminate them out of existence. I say live and let live.


Fishcakes flag waving rat is obviously with me on this one. Such a smily little face and cute pink paws. Who could dislike him?

Homegrown Gems pretty little zip purse has a rat silhouette on the front in fabric matching the liner. Great colour choices go towards making this very appealing.

The Little Red Hen sees rats as good dancers obviously as in her shop you can see this happy little ballerina rat. From the tiara to the tutu this little rat is very looks the part.

The rat on this ceramic dish from Suramics Pottery looks like he has his nose twitching, on the look out for something yummy to eat. I'm not sure the Tea bags the tray is for will fit the bill.

Just look at the cute face on this little ratty from Vic's original art shop. I think this must be a portrait of a much loved pet. Yes people do have pet rats and yes they love them just as much as I love my cats. Rats actually do make very good pets.

For those rat lovers I found a perfect gift for your ratty friends.

Pamper those pets with all these very cosy hammocks and sleepingbags from Scrivener's Retreat. Your ratty rat will be happy with a good night... or should I say days sleep.

I don't think I'd ever keep rats as pets myself because of their short life span and the heart break losing them would cause me, but I know lots of people that do.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Heart warming

As I said earlier on this blog, this year really is chock full of friends and family getting married. this means there are lots of hearts and flowers flying around. A quick search on Coriandr brought me a variety of hearts goods.

Fen and Ned has created this pure genius mini memory aid in the form of a heart charm keyring with tiny notepad attached. You can write things that have happened during the day or things you need to remember to do. This is something I, as a very forgetful person, really needs.

This very simple silver heart ring from Silver 1 is adorable. It can be worn by young or old as a symbol of the love they receive and give out. I know many people that deserve this ring as a present.

Tamsyn Amber's felt covered hand bound, pink paged note pad is so very gorgeous. The first leaf of the note pad is beautifully patterned to make it extra special. I think this would make a great journal to write down those special memories in your life, so you can share them for years to come with your loved ones.

Lauren Ceramics's work is always beautiful and her shop is always worth a visit and when I visited it today I found this pretty ceramic heart shaped magnet. Imagine putting one of these on all the fridge doors of all the people you love with a small message to remind them of that love pinned underneath it. Now imagine the smiles that doing that would bring.

How will you keep ring marks off your favourite wooden table when you and your partner are drinking that mug of hot chocolate when you come in from that long windswept walk on the beach hand in hand? Well Bluefairy has a perfect solution, these pretty red heart fused glass coaster.

Show someone you love them with a heart shaped gift that has been lovingly handmade for you by a talented crafts person. Or make a gift yourself. Handmade goods whether made by you ore an artisan really do say "I love you" more than something from a high street shop.

Broken Rainbow

Today I was going to write a thank you post to our sponsors, those people who place ad's in our Project Wonderful Ad boxes on the far right of the blog, but I noticed the ad that was placed there for Broken Rainbow and it gave me a jolt. Broken Rainbow is an organisation that offers help and advice to "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people experiencing domestic violence."

I started this blog as a way of showing my support for artisans that hand craft good and sell them and in the main the ads we get are from artisans, but this ad just reminded me that many people are suffering from domestic violence whatever their sexual orientation is and that we all need to keep our eyes open to that fact and show support and offer escape routes for people in that position.

Domestic violence isn't only about physical violence, it can be about controlling behaviour that causes a person to become isolated from the world, threats and fear causing behaviour, such as verbal abuse or destruction of belongings. It can be very difficult in some circumstances to see that someone is suffering from Domestic abuse, but if a person is being manipulated by a family member/partner to behave in a certain way, their access to friends and family is being controlled or a person shows fear of a member of their household then maybe it's time for you to have a private word with them about it and offer them support, help to get good advice and love.

So today I'm dedicating this blog to people that are in dangerous/abusive situations in their own home. If you are in that position I wish you a safe day and the strength to seek the help you need to change the situation you are in. There are organisations you can get that help from who will be non judgemental and will only ever intervene as much as you feel able to cope with. You also have a friend in me. I may not be able to change your situation, but I am here to listen if you need an ear and I can remind you that you are a fabulous person that deserves to feel safe in your own home and that the feeling of safety is your right to claim. Remember you are NOT alone. There are many people here that want to help you, take courage and ask for that help. It won't be an easy path, but it has to be better than the path you are on now.

Below I am going to put some links and phone numbers to help groups within the UK. If you are a reader of this blog and know of links and phone numbers I've missed or you are a non UK reader and have links for organisations in your country please add them to the comments section of this post and I will add them to the list.

National Center for Domestic Violence - Tel:0844 8044 999
Broken Rainbow - Tel:0300 999 5428
Woman's aid - Tel:o8o8 2000 247 This site has a list of regional help
Citizens Advice Bureau Domestic Violence - Organisations that give confidential information CAB has local phone numbers and you can find yours here
Refuge - Tel:0808 2000247 (this is the same as woman's aid as the phone line is run by both organisations)

If you are being physically attacked, or you are frightened for you're life or the life of anyone else please telephone 999 immediately.

Everyone has the right to feel safe in their own home. If you don't, seek help to change that situation.

Nesting

So many people I know are getting married soon. It's like there has been an out break of nesting disease hehehe. I'm glad to see that romance and love isn't dead, but I have to admit that it baffles me a little. Marriage is something I've never hankered after. If I have love and trust in someone that's enough for me. I don't need to pledge that love for them in front of other people and I equally don't need my partner to do make that pledge either, because if he has told me he want to be with me forever then that's enough for me. That's not so say I'm against marriage, I'm not. If people want to celebrate their joy of being in love and make a public commitment, announcing they have found their life partner then I'm very happy to go along and wish them well and celebrate their happiness. I just don't feel the need to do that myself.

Everyone that's nesting needs a warm safe place to be. This woolly nest from Cozy Cabin Creations would be prefect to keep all your little important items safe in.

Tzaddi Shop's decoupage stacking hand blown glass plates are gorgeous. They would look fabulous on a dining room table as the centre piece for a dinner party.

Reeneegurumi's pattern for cute little nest sitting birds is great... and there is a space inside them to hide a special surprise for the one you love. Get creative and make some.

Now you can take your nesting spirit everywhere with you with Sweet Treat's beautiful earrings. Wearing your nesting feelings on your sleeve... or should I say ears hehehe.

KotiBeth's photo of a nest ready for occupancy shows how much weaving and work relationships take to thrive. Marriage is not just about that one day of joy and celebration. It's about loving, caring and working with that partner to build a fantastic life together.

The couples I know that are getting married this year are so suited to their partners that I am certain that through good and bad times they will be there for each other and I couldn't imagine one without the other in any of the cases, so to me the act of getting married in each case is just a formality they have chosen to do, as I believe that with or without those promises made and contracts signed they will be with each other 'til their dying days. The fact they have invited me along to witness them making those vows and sign those contracts makes me very happy. All I wish for them all is that their path together is long and it has few boggy or rocky patches for them to get over.

Artisan of the Week, Irena of Ginger's Garden

I don't know about you, but for me this week has been a bit of a hard slog and I could do with a bit of pampering and a soak in a hot bath, so I went in search of some handmade bath and beauty products and came across a wonderful site. You can pretty much get all you need in toiletries from it, so lets all get cleaned up this Sunday with Irena of Ginger's Garden.


1. Could you please introduce us to who you are and what you do?
I am Irena and I own a business called Ginger's Garden. I was born in the Czech Republic and came to the US as a teen in 1969. I am an Aromatherapist and a third generation Herbalist, Soap maker and Skin Care Manufacturer. I am also a Licensed Esthetician. I make handmade artisan soaps, lotions, creams, lip care and body care. I also sell gift baskets, custom Aromatherapy Blends, Perfumes and Sculpted Soap Flowers.

2. What led you to take up your craft?
My mother and grandmother made soaps, herbal potions, balms and salves. I am following in their footsteps. As a child I remember grandma making soap outside in a big kettle over an open fire. The lye was made by pouring ashes over rain water which my grandma collected during the rainy season. When she had enough lye, she would suspend an egg to see if the lye was strong enough. If the egg sank, the lye was too strong. If the egg just barely floated on the top of the water, the lye wasn't strong enough. But, if the egg submerged just half way, the lye was just right. She collected grease drippings in the kitchen in an empty coffee can. This soap was mostly used to wash laundry and dirty dishes. Our clothes were washed in a tin tub with a wooden washboard.


3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
I enjoy the formulating of recipes and making the actual products. I get a lot of ideas from nature; the bark of a tree, the color of a flower, the blue of the ocean, the sky at sunset.

4. Which part do you find hardest?
All the paperwork that this business entails.

5. Where do you hope to be in 1 year’s time?
I hope to enlighten more people that handmade soap is better for you and properly made handcrafted lotions have therapeutic ingredients and many skin care benefits. I hope to convert more people to buy my quality products.

6. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Don't skimp on quality ingredients. Have the best products and best customer service.

7. Could you name artisans sites/shops would you recommend are worth a visit?
WAHDesign on Etsy.

8. What is your favourite sandwich filling?
Turkey with cranberry jelly.

Thank you Irena for taking part in our blog. I agree with the advice "Don't skimp on quality ingredients. Have the best products and best customer service." Although I work in yarn and make hula hoops this advice still holds true. Quality is what keeps bringing people back, but even if you have the best quality, bad customer service will drive people away. I'm hankering for some quality pampering so I'm off to look through your site for the perfect product. Dear readers I would urge you all to do the same. Pamper yourselves!

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Puppy Love

After witnessing our cat, Weapon X, try to take on 2 boxer dogs that dared to walk past his house (yes I know he needs an ASBO) I thought I'd find some dogs X wouldn't want to leap out at and wave his front paws wildly at whilst hissing and fluffing his fur up to make him look twice as big as he really is... Even twice his real size he was only about 1/10 of the size of one of these dogs. Yes ok, our wee boy isn't all that bright.

Now no one could want to do anything other than cuddle this cute little dog from LeahKL. Rita the retro green vintage Scottie dog is to adorable to fight with. Even X would snuggle up to this puppy.

HA! Now these naughty Dachshunds from Rubenaker would be just up Weapon X's street. If they would be willing to break into the cat food cupboard for him (he hasn't figured out door handles yet) I'm sure he would be willing to be friends with them.

Little Red Designs' bag looks about the right size to get lots of bickietastics in and for X that is more important than the picture of the dog on the front. Maybe we could desensitise him to dogs this way.

This black Scottie dog keyring from littlesparrow would guard your keys from getting stolen! Putting my keys on this might stop X from playing with mine., alternatively it might make him attack them... who knows with our loony kitty.

Finally, and probably the most cute item in today's cavalcade of goods is this inspiring fusion of Chihuahua and tea mug. Jaravee has a pattern for you to follow to make these. My personal favourite part of this pattern is the cheek colour on the teacup. Maybe I should make one of these as a pet dog for Weapon X, after all he X does like sneaking a drink out of my cup.

Crazy as our cat is we can't help but love him to bits. Thankfully our other cat is much more laid back and less inclined to go freaky. I really do need to stop Weapon X trying to take on giant dogs though or else one day he might end up getting munched, and that would never do.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Glass

After dropping a wine glass in the sink and seeing it shatter into hundreds of little shards and having to clean it up I started to wonder if there was anything I could do with the larger pieces rather than putting them into the recycling bin and that led me to searching on the handmade shops for inspiration... I got very side tracked and never really came up with any plans, but I did find so many beautiful and varied pieces all made out of various kinds of glass.

Nonnie's Treasures' stain glass panel is so detailed I just had to feature it on the blog I love the colour pallet of the glasses used and think the subject matter is just divine.

eclecticmoi use of glass in this unusual necklace is great. I like the sparkle and the round shape. It reminds me of wearing a ring, from my boyfriend, on a chain around my neck when I was a teenager as I didn't want my brothers to see it as they didn't like the boy I was dating.

Purple Princess created this gorgeous crown from hundreds of tiny glass beads. It's fabulous and fun, elegant and exciting. Just putting on your head will make you feel special. I think we should all own one!

Robin's simple, yet sweet, glass heart brooch is fantastic. I think it would make a perfect gift for someone you love. Every time they wear it they can remember just how loved they are.

Now this last item made me laugh as soon as I saw it, CT Studios' male torso sculpture is called "Daniel, Teachers Pet" and it just reminded me of a boy at school that was always given A grades whatever work he turned in to one of our female English teachers.. coincidentally he was the best swimmer in the school... I'll leave you to add up why he always go A grades.

So as you can see, glass can be used in so many ways. I'm sure to be able to find something to do with my smashed wine glass pieces. Thanks for the inspiration all you people that work with glass!

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Mini works of art

Works of art come in many shapes and sizes, but I am fascinated by the tiny ones. Giant wall filling artworks certainly are imposing and make a huge statement, but tiny, mini little artworks fill me with more delight than most of the grandiose ones that can sometimes be a bit over powering. Below are 5 little pieces that fill me heart with joy.

Tiny Pretty Things is a shop full of tiny beautiful artworks. Molly's work has a huge sense of fun and joy. This pink elephant with miniature wings just makes me giggle, as there is no way those wings will get this rolypoly giant up into the sky.

Rollo the bear from Little Scruffs is as much a work of art as any oil painting or stone sculpture. From the materials chosen to make him to the carefully chosen stuffing and the added black stitching to add to the look of age this bear is a miniature work of art.

Picciolo's work always wows me. The colour choices always work so well together and the fabrics are used just like paint and I always feel the pieces made deserve to be hung on the wall or stood on a plinth. This print is one in a series of prints of original sewn work by the lady called "leaf".

Unique Items 4 U little picture of robots was sure to catch my eye. I'm an utter robot lover. This mini picture is charming. I hope the lady robot shows him lots of love and accepts and cares for his heart.

Pippin Designs is another artist working in fabric and thread. Many may as that this isn't art, but I just see it as painting or sculpting in fabric. It takes just as much skill to make art pieces like these as it takes to paint or sculpt in more traditional media.

Yay, for mini art. Not only is it beautiful, but because of it's size you can fit more of it into your home! I'm planning on dedicating a whole wall in my hallway to mini art when we build our new house and I will have wall to wall, ceiling to floor works of art.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Art Dolls

A couple of days ago I saw the work of a very talented artisans on the front page of Coriandr and it made me instantly want to feature some of her work. So today's selection is from hand crafted art dolls, just so I could put one of this ladies items up on the blog... and here it is.

Just take a look what Jenny Made! Isn't she stunning? From the pretty little ceramic face, torso and arms, to the gorgeous felt dress and cats cradle of this little doll, I'm utterly in love with Jenny's work. The facial expression and the tiny little button details, everything is just perfect!

As a person that has an alter ego that goes by the name of Captain Skulduggery Dug, I have to tell you, this felt Skelly art doll from Paper Moon Gallery just has me grinning from ear to ear. This guy is way to adorable to be scary, even with his oogally boogally eye.

Northfields Primitives has a shop full of beautiful primitive art dolls in the shape of bears, chickens, dogs, bunnies and humans... they are all just as fabulous as Milli (above). Milli has hair like me, wild and un-tame-able!

Moniee's art doll mermaid is a little more fantasy than primitive. The little mermaids glassy silver eyes are haunting and her realistic skin tones make you feel she could move any moment. The more I stare at her the more I expect her to blink at any moment.

I could have featured this art doll brooch, Simplicity, yesterday as she carries with her a rain cloud. Holli, who made Simplicity, says she is a nod in the direction of the dolls Matryoskas, and I can see what she means. She has that shape, but she most definitely has a very different feel to her than the Matryoskas do. She is stunning.

I used to hate traditional plastic dolls when I was a child. They used to freak me out, but these art dolls really appeal to me. I hope you like my selection. There are many other artisans out the making art dolls and it was hard to whittle the selection down to 5. I strongly advise you to have a look around on the handmade sites to see more of them.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

It's raining, it's poring...

Oh my, is it raining here today! The road outside the house has just turned into a river, it's raining so heavily. Thankfully we live at the top of the hill so we won't flood out, but it's still washing away the soil from our newly planted slopping flower bed and flooding the trench we have dug for a path going down the garden. Eeeek! So much water in so little time is not good.

This card from Steppie represents perfectly what I looked like when I dashed outside with a brolly to clean our drain cover in the yard to make sure the water ran down the drain. Cute card!

I'm hoping sometime today the sun will come out and give us a rainbow like this rainbow necklace Cecilia. The sky is too grey and I want some bright vibrant colours and what better to do that than a rainbow?

This beautiful oil painting of a night time city street in the rain is stunning. Sasik's work is so evocative, you can almost smell the dampness and hear the rain hitting the leaves on the trees.

This cloud pendant from Popnicute is nothing like the dark angry clouds we have today. It looks like a fluffy summer cloud with a tiny gentle raindrops that give the lawn a welcome drink of water. Not the torrent we have that's washing away all the soil!

I really wasn't expecting this amount of rain today. If I was I could have got as ready as the people in this photo from Rainwolf have. I don't think I've ever seen so many umbrellas as these in one place before.

We are having a new chicken coop delivered today. I don't think I'll be setting it up today unless this rain stops.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Artisan of the Week, Diana of Frolic n' Fibers

It's Sunday again! Where did this week go? I Swear it should only be Thursday... Anyway, I'm happy to say that this weeks Artisan of the Week's craft is one that I totally adore... Yes you guessed it, Diana is a Fibre artist. No only does she dye and spin her own yarn, she farms the llamas and angora goats that the fibres in her yarn come from. She sells the resultant yarn and goods made from the fibres both on Etsy and Artfire under the name of Frolic 'n Fibers. I found her shop, by chance in a search for goats on Google (long story not worth telling) and fell in love with one of her goats.

Mr T the goat is a hansom dude!

1. Could you please introduce us to who you are and what you do?
My name is Diana Rasmusson and I own Frolic ‘n Fibers, a home based fiber arts business. We have a small farm in Sams Valley, Oregon where we have 5 llamas, 3 angora goats, 7 chickens, 2 dogs and a cat. I raise the animals, shear them, process the fiber, spin and hand dye the yarn. It pays for the hay.

2. What led you to take up your craft?
We had owned the llamas for a couple of years, and I had always meant to learn how to spin their fiber. Our neighbors were moving back into “town” and asked if we would adopt their angora goats. My husband said, “No more animals unless you quit your job”…so I did. Boy was he surprised! Anyway, I still had to pay for the hay, hence the fiber arts business.

3. Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
I sell at the local Growers and Crafters Markets, and I think that is my favorite part of the business. I take my equipment with me and get to share all the details of my craft, from carding to spinning. The children like to come and watch also. The girls love to see pictures of my animals, and the boys always want to know how the wheel works!

4. Which part do you find hardest?
Shearing llamas, hands down.

5. Where do you hope to be in 1 year’s time?
I’m hoping to be giving farm tours and fiber arts lessons from our home.

6. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Two things. First “Do what you love” and second, “Every fiber has something that it wants to be…don’t try to make it into something it isn’t”.

7. Could you name artisans sites/shops would you recommend are worth a visit?
Steel My Art, Wood I Kid You? and Threads of Magique, all are on Etsy and Artfire

8. What is your favourite sandwich filling?
Peanut Butter, straight up…no jelly, just the good stuff.

Thank you Diana for letting us know a little bit more about yourself and your work. I delight in the colours of the yarns you make and the very special texture you spin into them. I also love the way your listings introduce us to the source of some of those fibres. I think your llamas and goats are great! My dream is to join you in the world of small hold farming and spinning, but for me it would be Bluefaced Leicester sheep and maybe a few goats... because they are adorable! If you are a knitter, crocheter or weaver check out Diana's shops and blog regularly to get your hands on some beautiful yarn.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops

Handmade Supplies

All of us crafters need supplies. Without them we have nothing to be crafty with. I love to find new handmade suppliers to purchase goods from. Mostly I buy hand dyed and spun yarn, but I also use handmade buttons and beads in my work. After a quick search on Artfire and Coriandr I found some beautiful handmade supplies.

I'm loving this fabric designed by Morag Lloyds. The seaside theme and colours are gorgeous. I can imagine this fabric made into a summer skirt for a little girl or a pair of beach shorts to wear when playing in the sand.

There were so many hand spun yarns I could have chosen to share with you, but this one from Marikio just caught my eye this morning. Such pretty colours and I love thick/thin yarns because when they knit up they give such great texture to the piece.

Llynfi is selling natural organic dye for you to dye your own fabric or yarn with. These dyes give such beautiful subtle shades and with a little experimenting and the use of different mordants you can get yourself a whole range of stunning colours.

These beautiful spotty beads from Wild Sage Lampwork just made me think of giraffes when I saw them and I knew I had to share them with you on the blog. There are so many things you could do with these fantastic focal beads. Let your imagination run wild.

Red Robin Designs buttons are adorable! Based on viola and pansy flowers they are just stunning. I'm picturing a pretty floral pinafore dress with 2 of these buttons used to hold the straps in place. Fantastic work!

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Photography Tutorial: Photographing Intricate Textiles

I was searching for a topic for this month when my good friend Colleen asked for my help with her cross stitch samples: she’s a designer and told me she can never seem to capture the true colors of her work when photographing the finished product. I decided to tackle the challenge...and indeed, it was a challenge!

Here are four of my images:









Rule #1: Never, ever use a flash when photographing textiles. It will change the color of your fabric, thread, etc. and will also wash out the details in your image.

Rule #2: Unless you have a light box (see my previous month’s tutorial re: building your own), always use diffused natural light from a window (photographing outside on an overcast day will work as well, but avoid bright sunlight: it will create too many shadows when dealing with intricate, raised stitches as in the designs above).

Rule #3: Use the macro setting on your camera (or borrow a camera with that function). The intricate stitches deserve a detailed look, so don’t be afraid to get in close to highlight unique stitches, beading, etc.

Rule #4: If you have more than one photo spot, shoot one image straight-on, and one from an angle: this will help customers see both the overall design, as well as the details.

I will say the major challenge with natural light photography is shooting on a day with fast-moving clouds in the sky: they constantly change the light source. You'll possibly need to put down your camera until the next day, but don't be discouraged: using natural light is one of the best ways to ensure that your colors stay true!

Written by Michelle of MKC Photography

Oh I forgot to mention...

.... I'm the artisan featured on "Artfire Artisan Spotlight" today. Yippeeee!

Colourful Delights!

As you can see by visiting my Hyperloop Hoops site and Artfire or Coriandr shops I'm a lover of colours. Bright, bold colours delight me and soft pastel colours calm me, so I love them all. I've had a quick look through my favourite list on Etsy this morning to pick out some colourful items to share with you.

I picked this pretty turquoise beaded wire wrapped pendant from StarPixie as the first item because not only do I love the bright colour of the beads but the squiggly shape really appealed to me a lot. Now I just have to convince Beth to make me one in silver and purple and Ill be as happy as a pig in muck!

Many of you will already know I'm a fibre freak and love hand spun & hand dyed yarn and this gorgeous yarn from hobbledehoy has me yearning to crochet. The natural tones of brown and tan are set off beautifully with the soft pinks and bright cerulean blue. I love it!

ChopstixWaits makes so many beautiful goods, it's hard to pick out just one item to show you. Her clothes are so beautiful as are her handspun yarns and crochet goods. The reason I picked this apron skirt to share is the pixie nature and purple colouring, both things close to my heart. The silk batik materials used are scrummy!

Oh how I love the teapots and cups of natalyasots. I love their Burtonesque style and quirky colours. Every cup of tea poured from this pot would taste extra special just because of the joy the eye this tea service gives. The hours and hours of work that must go into each piece are so worth the results.

Now this yarn from Sharing is just a riot of colour. Doesn't it lift your spirits just to see it? It made me just gasp with delight when I saw it. Whether it be knitted up into socks or crochet into a halterneck sun top matters not, because whatever is created with it the owner is going to be utterly delighted. It's just plain happiness represented in yarn.

So off you go dear reader and find yourself some colourful handmade goods to buy to brighten up your life. Let the colours fill your heart with joy.

Written by Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew and Hyperloop Hoops

Hello Kitty

Be warned the first part of this blog post is a bit of a rant, so skip the first paragraph if you aren't in the mood to listen to me venting.

I am soooooooo sick of seeing handmade sites smothered in Sanrio's "Hello Kitty" goods. Firstly Sanrio is very protective of their rights to these images and have threatened to sue people in the past for using Hello Kitty images in their works without first obtaining rights from Sanrio to do that. Secondly isn't there enough of these goods out there in the market place without them having to show up all over the handmade sites, which are places I go to find unique handmade pieces, not replicas of goods I can find on the majority of high street in the world. I cannot understand why the handmade market place sites don't weed out these goods. My feeling is that having these goods on the site water down the handmade message. The argument that usually gets put forwards is that it is up to the person selling the goods to protect themselves against being sued by getting rights to sell the images and that it is not up to them to do anything until the person owning the rights to the image complain to them before they can do anything. Legally this maybe so, but there is nothing stopping them from asking the seller to show they have rights to sell these goods and if they can't remove them from the site. It's not just Hello Kitty... but that is the one that is bugging me today. There are so many others as well, like Disney images and the Twilight series... the list is long.

Anyway, less of my moaning. I will show you the Kitties I go to handmade websites to find as an alternative to the mass produced Hello Kitty items.

The Other Mousie has created this super cute kitty who most definitely wears her heart on her sleeve. All she needs is love, could you be the one to give her that?

Nesting kitty crayons from Kitty Baby Love are adorable. The rainbow of colours and their little pointy ears just made me smile. How much more fun would colouring be with these kittens rather than your average crayon sticks?

Do you need a colourful cuddle? Well this vintage 1960's fabric kitty cat would love to give you a snuggle. Fabric Nation's love of Love of 50's and 60's designs is very evident in all her work and this little kitten is a perfect example of that.

Wow! These kitties are not only beautiful, but I am very impressed with how they are made. Origami is something I and not very good at, unlike Windtwirler who is obviously VERY skilled in the art. Hello little shiny eyed, whiskered beauties!

Now if there ever was a cat that wants a giant squeezable hug it is this hansom kitty from Sockem. Jasper is made from socks, gloves, felt and love and that love is what you get when buying handmade goods. Mass produced high street goods just don't have that at all. I know which I'd rather purchase.

Written by Lynne of PiratePixieCrew and Hyperloop Hoops