tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389114695700320542012-01-31T22:26:40.348ZCaptain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.comBlogger3931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-26374518219067295532012-01-23T22:09:00.001Z2012-01-23T22:09:42.692Z

It seems like I am going to be listing for a while in the Pirate Pixie Crew Shop, because I can't seem to stop coming up with more ideas of goods to make! I hope you like today's offerings. So Who Doesn't love a bit of bunting? Peas Please! These wee amigurumi peas are just the start of a full range of vegetables. And lastly for today, we have Yoga/Dance socks. I wear these

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-39098334069813356142012-01-14T08:16:00.000Z2012-01-14T08:39:12.689Z

Over the last few months I have been experimenting with yarn and coming up with new products using different techniques. Felting is one of the main things I have been trying out. I purchased a pattern for making a felted hat and it all began... After mixing up ideas for what I wanted to create with methods of production and sources of materials, I came up with a range of top hats, from full sized

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-18618081154142714252011-12-16T20:50:00.002Z2011-12-16T21:23:57.662Z

... since I posted here. There are many reasons, for not keeping up the daily blog, too many to go into. I see that people still come here and check out the blog, as people still comment on posts from years ago. I thought I would come and post up a few of the hand made things I have been working on lately. I have gone monster mad! This is Captain Von Strong, or Strongy to his friends. He is

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-51273075417189931572009-12-11T15:32:00.006Z2009-12-11T15:44:28.186Z

Selling baked goods online is almost as challenging as selling art: how do you make a customer fall in love with your cookies when they can’t smell them baking or see their yummy goodness in person? The answer, as always, is in the photography.This was a tough assignment, but someone had to do it! I asked Tracy, the owner of Once Upon a Cookie (who, by the way, bakes the most ridiculously

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-1613295869056448182009-11-27T11:04:00.009Z2009-11-27T11:47:04.643Z

So today is Black Friday and I've noticed lots of handmade sellers are offering special deals. I thought I'd share a few of the ones I've seen. If you have having a sale, please feel free to add it in the comments on this post, if you are shopping for gifts, avoid the shop queues, get all of the goods delivered to your door and get your mouse clicking. Your feet, credit card and arms will thank

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-87760930455274166762009-11-23T10:24:00.007Z2009-11-23T10:43:09.510Z

It's getting cold outside and all the insects that spent the summer rushing about going about their business have disappeared from view. Where do they all go? Where do they hide away until the warmth of spring lets them know it's time to get busy again? Their disappearance is one of the reasons I get down in Winter. A garden full of chirping, buzzing, hopping, leaping insects looks so alive and

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-76169133328713952972009-11-21T19:34:00.007Z2009-11-22T10:27:50.345Z

All this time I've been away sick you lovely people have still been adding photos of your gorgeous handmade goodies to our Flickr group. Thank you so much for doing that. I've picked out a few to share with the other blog readers today. There were so many to choose from that it took me 3 hours to finally pick. Needless to say there are loads more I want to share, but it will have to wait until

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-72162314181829917352009-11-21T15:32:00.011Z2009-11-21T15:52:54.185Z

Just pictures and links today. I love the texture and simplicity of hammered metal, so feast your eyes on these beauties:-Christen LargentNova DesignsStudio 618Sara BukRealisation CreationsKathryn ColeArtigiana JewelleryClicking on the image takes you to the items listing. Clicking on the name takes you to the shop. Check out other items from all these sellers. There is lots of gorgeous stuff you

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-63078282913028630032009-11-20T17:33:00.008Z2009-11-20T18:24:07.100Z

Every year around this time people start to ask that question "What do you want for Christmas?" and to be honest most of me wants to say "Nothing thanks, give what you would have spent on a gift to the charity of your choice", but I'd be lying if some of me didn't want to say "Wooooo I'd love...." Now I'm going to stick with my first statement and tell people to give donations, but just for the

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-76876917071979055552009-11-18T09:12:00.004Z2009-11-18T09:36:29.460Z

After a bit of a chat between fellow artisans that sell their handmade goods online, I've started up a forum, the Handmade Business Forum, that is independent of all the sell through sites, where people can come and chat about being in business, but mostly to discuss promotions and ad campaigns for their shops and websites.We all know how hard it is to get our goods seen and sometimes it's hard

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-48709099272318147582009-11-10T12:52:00.006Z2009-11-10T13:03:54.294Z

Well after taking a lot of time talking to monster he decided he wanted to be called..... *drum roll*Well you can find out by clicking this link.Thank you all for getting involved. I will be in touch with the winner =flashpoint= to get an address to send mini monster to.Yippeee for Monsters!!

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-43549323850800980122009-11-10T08:17:00.005Z2009-11-10T09:04:07.206Z

Hey all you lovely readers! This is a bit of a request post today.I was linked to a site the other day that stirred my heart. The site is run by a group of people dedicated to an on going quest and they want everyone that can knit and crochet to join in. Basically what they need us to do is knit/crochet 8" squares that will be sewn together to make blankets for children that are made Orphans by

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-41616405943565494622009-11-09T12:02:00.004Z2009-11-09T12:10:52.548Z

This is my knitted monster and I need to name him. Despite giving him a big hug and taking him for a trip into the woods he still hasn't told me his name. Can any of you guess what it is. I'll read out all your suggestions to him and see which one makes him look over at me.The person that gets the right name can claim a mini monster prize knitted from the same yarn. Put your suggestions in the

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-44973998412137283852009-11-08T10:08:00.007Z2009-11-08T10:43:01.889Z

I was determined that today I would start up blogging again, and as I have woken up with a monster headache I thought I'd find some beautiful, but fierce handmade monsters to chase the pain in my head away. Not much typing for each one, but just take it as read I love them all.Photos link to the item and name of the creator below links to their shopTitaniumHipPapaDesignFrom Under My

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-6234263911725414722009-10-23T09:15:00.003+01:002009-10-23T09:18:04.733+01:00

... due to ill health, I have been taking a break from Autonomous Artisans. I hope to be back with lots of great handmade goods really soon. Thanks for still stopping by.

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-77912652385005032132009-09-11T11:49:00.005+01:002009-09-11T12:02:16.755+01:00

Happy September, artisans! This month I’d like to focus a little more on a subject I touched on a few months back: photographing shiny or reflective surfaces. Those of you who work with metals know the challenge they present when it comes to photographing them for your website.My very talented friend Layne of Layne Designs has kindly let me use several of her photographs to illustrate the

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-12765556962512371782009-08-14T10:16:00.008+01:002009-08-14T10:59:51.132+01:00

This weekend we are off camping at the beach. I can't wait to be out in the open with the wind blowing the salty sea air through my hair. Walking on the sand barefoot and feeling the cool water wash over my toes is something I need right now. Things have been driving me a little crazy in the last few weeks, so many projects on the go and so little energy to get any of them properly started let

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-32610486810260894062009-08-11T09:06:00.007+01:002009-08-11T11:03:48.958+01:00

Industrial hemp is one of the fastest growing biomasses known, producing up to 25 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per year, and one of the earliest domesticated plants known. As such it is a fabulously good crop to grow for it's fibre content which can be used to make textiles, biodegradable plastics and construction. Sadly due to the fact industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var.

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-44691847750470256392009-08-09T09:08:00.008+01:002009-11-21T11:57:22.620Z

Morning all! Today I'd like to introduce you all to one of my favourite artisan on the planet. Beth of StarPixie has sold so many varied things in her shop, but every one is made with love, care and most of all talent. This lady seems to have unending talents. Whatever she tries she seems to master. Beth is not only a talented crafts person but she is also a very good hooper and poi spinner. Add

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-39517433677471868902009-08-07T07:09:00.006+01:002009-08-07T07:32:41.517+01:00

I was searching for a new topic for this fab audience (one that hasn’t been covered a million different ways) and at around 2 a.m. I woke up with an inspiration: why not have your photographs tell a story?The inspiration really came from visiting my friend Layne’s workshop last week: she’s a silver artisan and is creating these lovely silver frames to hold my photographs set under glass. It

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-81038812594760076512009-08-06T10:14:00.010+01:002009-08-06T11:08:44.045+01:00

It's been a while since I've featured lots of recycled goods on Autonomous Artisans, which is very bad of me, so today I'm going to show you some of the nicest recycled goods I've seen lately. I am going to quote something I read written by Katwise "there is so much beauty in the world that we ought to enjoy what we already have instead of blindly consuming and wasting." What a wise and talented

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-43152359479513485152009-08-05T11:37:00.009+01:002009-08-05T12:09:10.748+01:00

It's been a while since I showed you any of the items added to our flickr group, so I thought today I better stop slacking and get blogging about a few. As the sun is trying to shine outside I'm going to make this quick, so I can get on with the weeding and painting out there.SeetheWood has knitted this fantastic daisy flower cushion. It's almost 3 ft across so a comfy place to park your behind.

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-54708382342614229042009-08-03T15:03:00.007+01:002009-08-03T15:43:10.410+01:00

I'm a bit of tea-o-holic and drink many varieties of tea. I don't like milk in my tea and I don't take sugar, so I guess you could say I like the pure taste of the tea as the person blending it meant it to taste. Right now I'm drinking some spiced mint Moroccan blend tea. It's beautiful, light and refreshing with a warming after taste. It takes a special skill to blend fabulous flavoured tea, so

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-85581076940977649262009-08-02T10:01:00.009+01:002009-08-02T10:43:16.075+01:00

Morning all! Sunday has come around again and that means I get to show you another amazing artisans work and give them a chance to tell you a little bit about themselves and their work. Today I'm very happy to introduce you to Diane of Cymbarrain. This ladies talents are so apparent when you look at her work. Her colour sense and her obvious delight for fabrics and textures shine out. I was

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-54908440948945109492009-07-31T12:54:00.009+01:002009-07-31T13:21:36.038+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-21096900907517441522009-07-30T16:39:00.003+01:002009-07-30T17:00:47.482+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-18081553658394952812009-07-29T09:26:00.008+01:002009-07-29T09:59:18.241+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-12473253689548653542009-07-28T13:05:00.008+01:002009-07-28T14:52:37.695+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-87966435418031623912009-07-26T07:00:00.000+01:002009-07-26T07:00:01.820+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-57251285844522724262009-07-23T09:39:00.008+01:002009-07-23T10:32:36.168+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-71690457100530817692009-07-22T09:46:00.007+01:002009-07-22T10:12:07.019+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-16406516334026761832009-07-21T15:33:00.006+01:002009-07-21T16:05:52.468+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-59451293020069613312009-07-20T09:39:00.010+01:002009-07-20T10:48:39.948+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-33721988536411602522009-07-19T07:00:00.001+01:002009-07-19T07:00:01.727+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-38518130047721466202009-07-17T11:32:00.008+01:002009-07-17T12:14:34.896+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-23157739865244700222009-07-16T20:27:00.007+01:002009-07-16T20:58:50.964+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-24200477942680478542009-07-14T08:27:00.003+01:002009-07-14T10:17:27.156+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-25888409532680450822009-07-13T08:57:00.006+01:002009-07-13T09:58:00.715+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-26282901055314557242009-07-12T09:01:00.006+01:002009-07-12T09:43:19.842+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-2834861434002496452009-07-11T10:31:00.007+01:002009-07-11T11:28:29.993+01:00

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,

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-85062092597217805582009-07-10T07:00:00.001+01:002009-07-10T07:03:44.040+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-76039459161349486502009-07-09T09:04:00.007+01:002009-07-09T10:51:00.244+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-35349600290017139852009-07-07T14:22:00.007+01:002009-07-07T15:11:55.942+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-66728155835892824782009-07-06T08:44:00.009+01:002009-07-06T09:11:32.796+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-89207060043090618432009-07-05T08:18:00.010+01:002009-07-05T09:02:07.450+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-33400626130918862852009-07-04T09:42:00.007+01:002009-07-04T10:59:07.103+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-73964658276181494272009-07-03T08:54:00.007+01:002009-07-03T09:05:54.439+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-69248714558946512532009-07-02T20:27:00.001+01:002009-07-02T20:29:03.180+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-80751768441153077302009-07-02T09:43:00.009+01:002009-07-02T10:31:56.928+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-8049637239420856152009-07-01T08:57:00.004+01:002009-07-01T10:14:46.255+01:00

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

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-70709829735082161172009-06-30T09:58:00.009+01:002009-06-30T10:40:08.663+01:00

Well after a long weekend away in London I have managed to finally get back onto a computer. The first thing I did when I got back on-line was to go on a quick tour of all my regular sites and groups and when I logged on the the Autonomous Artisans Flickr group, I was so wowed by the items I saw I just knew today on the blog would be a Flickr finds day. We have a very nature inspires collection

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-54637725652367393482009-06-28T07:00:00.000+01:002009-06-28T07:00:14.451+01:00

I'm so excited to share the work of our artisan of the week with you. I loved so many pieces in Peter of Celtsmith Artfire, Dawanda and Etsy shops that it took me an age to whittle it down to five, so be sure to visit all his shops to see much more of Peters work. His work is truly beautiful. Now whilst you read this I'll be figuring out which one piece I'd like to give a home to, as I'm pretty

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-37713472927626265962009-06-26T07:37:00.009+01:002009-06-26T08:49:19.736+01:00

Googly eyed monsters have always thrilled me. I think it stems from my love of Jim Henson and his work. I think Jim was a genius. Some just saw him as an entertainer but I think he was much deeper than that. He took the normal and mundane and turned that on it's head. Today I thought I'd go and search out some googly eyed handmade goodies to share with you, so you can see why I love them so.This

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-863409320535562122009-06-25T09:20:00.010+01:002009-06-25T17:05:48.645+01:00

So I've been out and watered the veg this morning and the space for our chicken coop next to them is still empty. Why? Because I can't decide what style of chicken house to use. Do I want to build one for myself, to a design of my own, or would it be better to start out with a hen house someone else, who has kept chickens for ages, has designed and built? I want any chickens we re-home to be as

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-13441045800555976312009-06-24T08:43:00.009+01:002009-06-25T11:52:59.476+01:00

For breakfast this morning I had gluten free toast and some delicious raspberry jam whilst sitting on the low wall around the edge of our lawn in the garden. As I was sipping my cup of Ceylon tea a wasp came a sniffing around. It's the first one I have seen this year. They are amazing creatures, but I really don't want them on my toast, so I encouraged it to go about it's life somewhere else by

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-13964912609485533532009-06-23T11:45:00.005+01:002009-06-23T11:55:23.798+01:00

For 6 weeks now I have been the driver of the Coriandr Express train, a group promotion by 20 sellers from the Coriandr market place site. We are hoping our little train will increase peoples awareness of the Coriandr site and of each of our shops on the site. To spread the word about the train I thought today I'd pick out some items from our Jewellers riding on the Coriandr Express to share with

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-35416361078882847592009-06-22T09:24:00.009+01:002009-06-22T10:05:19.647+01:00

As promised, in the first Hug Me article, I bring you more beautiful handmade cuddly toys. All of the below plushies just make me go into snuggle mode. As the summer is here we will have to hang up our Mexican hammock in the garden so I can spend a happy afternoon curled up in it, with a good book and one, or all of these scrummy handmade soft toys.Charlie the super hero looks to me like he can

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-31517716480053820032009-06-21T07:00:00.000+01:002009-06-21T07:00:13.326+01:00

Yippee it's Sunday and I get to introduce you to another fabulous artisan of the week. This week we are going all book worm on you with Leslie of Comfortable Shoes. This lady has been creating handmade books and journals for over 10 years and really knows what she is doing. Her Artfire and Etsy shops are full of fantastic goods and I wanted to find out a bit more about the lady that created them

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-36311259957834871902009-06-20T10:07:00.007+01:002009-06-20T11:28:45.477+01:00

This Saturday is the start of a new feature here on Autonomous Artisans. I have offered to write critiques for peoples handmade shops. These will not be scathing nit picking reviews, more just picking out the things people do very well and a gentle nudge to let them know the things that they aren't yet getting quite right. Please go to the persons shop that is being critiqued in the article and

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-20917287588627054892009-06-19T07:00:00.000+01:002009-06-19T07:01:04.958+01:00

Over on the right of our box we have some Project Wonderful advertising boxes and to say a big thank you to the people that place ad's there I like to feature some of the goods in those peoples shops on our blog. It's a really easy thing to do because so many talented artisans place adverts there.I utterly adore this quilt from Kims Crafty Apple. The design is stunning and the fabrics used are

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-24977441667353858882009-06-18T08:48:00.002+01:002009-06-18T09:25:52.922+01:00

Last week I found out I had won some wool from the lovely Tomato Tea. She was running a blog give away for some stunningly beautiful hand dyed wool, so I commented on the blog post and the random number generator picked me. How fabulous is that!?The yarn is gorgeous as you can see from the photo above. It has such a beautiful mix of colours.I decided as soon as I found out I'd won that I would

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-5120374057610938232009-06-17T10:48:00.007+01:002009-06-17T11:23:21.792+01:00

In this world of direct messaging, emails and texts, how often do you send someone a hand written message via snail mail? I'm guessing not that often, maybe birthdays and Christmas? Well I'm here today to urge you to do it more often. I have a friend called Jo and she sends loads of notes and cards via snail mail and everyone I have ever received I have cherished. They are so much more personal

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-26477604308433095012009-06-16T08:17:00.007+01:002009-06-16T08:46:22.816+01:00

Today the sun is shining and calling me to go outside to hula hoop, so I thought I would bring my laptop out into the garden and show you a pick of the last crop of photos added to our Flickr group. I'm so glad I started the group as it never ceases to amaze me the standard of the items I find posted there. It makes my day seeing so many talented people work all in one spot.Just how cute is that

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-20277145816258360432009-06-14T07:00:00.000+01:002009-06-14T07:00:00.055+01:00

It's Sunday again and time to meet another fabulous artisan of the week. This week's is April of Bijoux Designs for You. As you will see later April doesn't work alone, but I'll let her tell you about that. They run shops on Artfire and Etsy and they also have supply shops on both Artfire and Etsy too. Take a look through all the shops, you're sure to find something that takes your fancy.1. Could

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-87683768417326068902009-06-13T07:00:00.001+01:002009-06-13T07:00:00.325+01:00

So now that summer is here and the days are longer my thoughts turn to trips out in the countryside, festivals and hula hooping in the park. What goes with all those things? Fabulous fun filled picnics! There is nothing nicer than sitting outside with the sun shining down on you whilst you eat a meal with friends. Now if you aren't able to go anywhere special but you have a park near by or even

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-92164604608126993052009-06-12T07:00:00.001+01:002009-06-12T07:00:00.349+01:00

I feel the need for a hug today, so I thought I'd go in search of creations I'd like to snuggle up with on the sofa whilst watching a feel good film. There were so many to choose from I might have to do a part 2, 3, 4, 5, and maybe even 6. Today's choices are in no particular order. I'd like to hug them all equally.From PinkCheeksStudios this is Abby in her bear costume. Isn't she just adorable.

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-2731124967027523272009-06-11T07:00:00.001+01:002009-06-11T07:00:01.054+01:00

For the last few weeks I've been feeling utterly fatigued, with no energy and an aching body. It's been a huge struggle just to get out of bed and get dressed. I know my tiredness is due to having M.E. but I know lots of other people are feeling some what worn out too. Some because of having exams to prepare for, some because of work pressures and others due to making wedding plans. Well I think

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-6052479322782337292009-06-09T21:01:00.007+01:002009-06-10T08:07:00.305+01:00

I love Fruit! I eat tonnes of it every week. Thank god it's good for you or I'd have to ration myself and that would be horrible. From Plums to Pears and Apricots to apples I love them all. If and when I have a big enough plot of land I will be growing every fruit that's possible to grow in the UK. Yummmmm!Soapsmith has combined the great smell of apples with the spice scent of cinnamon in this

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-40191744070801327152009-06-09T07:00:00.000+01:002009-06-09T07:00:00.899+01:00

I live with a man that love nothing much better than taking his computer to bits and re-building it to make it work faster or make less noise, or generally just because he can and a lot of people would say that makes him a geek. The say the word 'geek' like it's an insult, but to me my man has geeky goodness and I'm proud of him for that. I love that he is able to take computer components and put

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-23068366252141147842009-06-08T09:57:00.011+01:002009-06-08T11:55:05.021+01:00

Knitting is becoming very fashionable right now. Everywhere you go you hear about one celeb or other taking up the craft and this makes me so happy. The more people that learn to create their own fabulous knitted creations the less mass made goods will be sold and the more people that will appreciate the value of handmade goods. Now if you are taking up knitting yippee for you. You're fantastic.

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-7450876414638747352009-06-07T08:35:00.009+01:002009-06-07T09:23:05.597+01:00

Today has turned out to be another rainy Sunday here in Wales, but fear not, we have an Artisan to share with you today that makes such beautiful pieces from lampwork beads that it will brighten up your day. Veryan of Beady Pool is passionate about her work and you can see it in each piece she creates. Lets hear what Veryan has to say about her craft.1. Could you please introduce us to who

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-15779856486577088622009-06-06T00:00:00.000+01:002009-06-06T00:00:00.856+01:00

Branding your shop should be a main focus when photographing your inventory: finding your unique signature is the best way to make your work memorable. Perhaps it is the model you use (Lynne’s adorable lamb, anyone?)or, as in the case of Ruth from Allover Art, it is the prop she uses to display her jewelry. Ruth’s signature photos always feature a book:(I also have to add that her photography

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-57590729710775169662009-06-05T14:39:00.014+01:002009-06-05T21:58:37.198+01:00

Today I found out I had been tagged in the 8 things challenge by CeeGee Jewellery, so I thought I better get on with it or I would forget and not do it. My memory is rubbish!So what is this 8 things tag all about? Well these are the rules:-1. Mention the name of the person who tagged you. (Done)2. Do the lists of 8. (see below)3. Tag 8 bloggers of your choice. (Hmmm thinking about that)4. Let

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-55751073264806682412009-06-04T12:27:00.003+01:002009-06-04T13:34:10.606+01:00

So summer looks like it is here and I've decided that this summer I'm going to try and look a bit less scruffy and get dressed up a bit more often. So today I went looking for handmade summer dresses to help me spruce up my wardrobe. I found so many gorgeous frocks I just had to share a few with you.This cute little dress for all you people with lovely long legs is from 3 am Poems. It's just so

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-53486605269648317062009-06-03T10:46:00.007+01:002009-06-03T11:58:54.642+01:00

I love our Flickr Group! So many talented people post pictures of the things they have made to it and it's great, because I have a one stop place to go to fulfil my need to see beautiful handmade items. Today's selection is just a tiny glimpse of the many beautiful things posted to the pool. If you want to see more, head on over to Flickr and join the group. We'd love to see you there.Vagabond

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-73944315165745452352009-06-02T09:43:00.010+01:002009-06-02T11:18:05.016+01:00

I have been researching keeping chickens for a while now and have decided that when I have the coop and hen house ready I will be re-homing some ex-battery hens. The problem is, right now, I'm not ready to home any chickens and I have just heard about a bit of a crisis on the chicken re-homing front in the UK. The Little Hen Rescue group have managed to get a farmer to agree to allow them to take

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-70445171141308668762009-06-01T16:01:00.002+01:002009-06-01T16:14:46.174+01:00

I've picked 3 of the people that commented on my post about my dad to be the ones to receive the PIF parcels. Thank you all for commenting on the post. I hope some of you take the PIF idea and run with it anyway, because it's been great fun making up items for the parcels knowing they will brighten someone's day the way Molly brightened mine with her lovely gifts.The 3 people chosen are:-Ruby

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-68231801158835486372009-06-01T11:14:00.010+01:002009-06-01T11:46:40.958+01:00

Today I'm the VIP on the Coriandr Express. Woo Hoo! I hope it brings lots more traffic to my Coriandr Shop and ups the visibility of the Pirate Pixie Crew. To celebrate the fact I'm offering a discount on goods for the readers of the Coriandr Express blog.Today should be the start of a new Monthly Creative Challenge, but I've decided that it's time for a summer break. There is so much to do

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-82194974389280651592009-05-31T07:00:00.000+01:002009-05-31T07:00:00.970+01:00

Morning all, Sunday has arrived and this week I have a fabulous artisan to share with you. She goes by the name Random Granny and she makes fabric dolls. They are not your regular Pollyanna rag doll. They are fantastically alternative. Random Granny's Hitcher doll (sadly now sold) was the first of her dolls I saw and as a huge fan of The Mighty Boosh I just had to invite this talented lady to be

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-36958261431007254932009-05-30T09:11:00.009+01:002009-05-30T10:25:32.196+01:00

Morning all.With the latest Star Trek movie released less than a month ago, what better time to have a feature on Star Trek for the bloggie! Here is a collection of my favourite items that I found this morning.First item to beam down today is this cool Sulu 2gb Usb stick and its' matching Pez dispenser from dhhdesigns. Incorporating two of my favourite things (computers and sweets), this would be

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-53227310187390864862009-05-29T09:19:00.009+01:002009-05-29T10:54:32.754+01:00

We have a new VIP rider on the Coriandr Express, Kitty Ballistic and her goods are gorgeous as you will see, but before we get onto that I thought I would share with you a picture of our naughty cat.This is Weapon X and he refuses to drink water from a bowl, he will only drink from a running tap. Yes, he is a pain in the butt, but we love him dearly.Lets start in Kitty Ballistics' shop with her

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-60262736187231242252009-05-28T07:00:00.001+01:002009-05-28T07:00:01.130+01:00

Yesterday I got a parcel through the post from Molly of Blackberry Crafts. A couple of weeks ago she ran a pay it forward feature on her blog after receiving some gorgeous hand painted yarn from Katrina of TomatoTea. I happened to comment on just how lovely handmade yarn is and Molly kindly picked me to receive a parcel. It lifted my spirits so much to just receive the parcel let alone to

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-52923115730596941992009-05-27T05:00:00.002+01:002009-05-27T08:49:11.303+01:00

The VIP on the Coriandr Express today is Julie Mills of Handmaid, a creator of scarves, purses & knitted goods. It is clear that Julie loves fabrics and takes time in searching for, or creating fabrics to use in her work. There is a strong Bird theme running through her shop at the moment. As you can see from the pretty pieces below.This unique flying bird purse is hand printed and

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-2962196796345830392009-05-26T00:00:00.001+01:002009-05-26T00:00:00.763+01:00

We have people that kindly sponsor us by advertising in the Project Wonderful ad boxes on the right hand side of this blog. To show them our gratitude we like to showcase items from their stores. So that's what I'll be doing today.Baghy makes these stunningly beautiful hand bound & designed journals& note pads. They are exquisitely made and I am sure they would delight anyone lucky enough to own

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-55325832318521488152009-05-25T10:22:00.003+01:002009-05-25T11:30:11.063+01:00

That is the question I got asked this weekend by someone that makes the most beautiful items that I would love to feature if only the photographs of them weren't so awful. Don't worry the person in question won't be reading this and saying "Well bloody cheek why didn't she tell me that instead of making up excuses?" because I did tell them that. You see, I don't see the point in making excuses if

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-28891475235057819852009-05-24T09:18:00.010+01:002009-05-24T10:27:46.633+01:00

Today I have the great delight of introducing you to the wonderful Kristina of Flutterby Creations and Eco Products 4U. This lovely lady does something that I so much long to learn to do. She is a spinner and dyer of fibres and creates some of the most gorgeous looking yarns that I have seen. Not only does she spin, but she knits, sews and creates beautiful jewellery, so she abounds with many

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-11563744506396743992009-05-23T09:25:00.004+01:002009-05-23T09:40:13.727+01:00

This week was the first of 10 weeks of the Coriandr Express Promotions train. The aim of this train is to showcase the beautiful work of people that sell through the Coriandr handmade market place. Each member of the train will have 3 days of being the VIP on the Coriandr Express and on those days all the other passengers on the train will spread the word and show off the work of that VIP.This

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-1272582039760211082009-05-22T06:50:00.009+01:002009-05-22T07:52:53.020+01:00

I was introduced to a new website the other day by Helen of Kitty Ballistic called CraftGawker. If you have never seen the site I'd advise you to take a look. The site allows you to submit photos and stories about hand crafted items. They have strict submission policies and the site is juried. Your submission will not immediately appear. It will have to be approved first. They judge by clearness

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-58903052737570424872009-05-21T09:25:00.013+01:002009-05-21T14:08:02.495+01:00

Today is the first day of Izabela of Bluefish Handmade's VIP days on the Coriandr Express, so I thought I'd pick out my favourite item from her shop to share with you.These beautiful crochet flower corsages are a perfect alternative to fresh flower corsages for someone like me who dislikes cutting flowers from plants. They are also perfect for those with hay-fever. They are gorgeous! Check out

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-60580952714802998662009-05-20T09:17:00.009+01:002009-05-20T09:59:11.130+01:00

Morning all. I'm running a bit late today and my body is in slow motion too, so to cheer myself up I thought I'd look through the entries we have for this months Creative Challenge. We already had some beautiful entries this month and there is still time if you want to get involved. I love the different ways each person interprets the topic. May's topic is 'children'.The first person to add items

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-60233529265322443742009-05-19T09:15:00.007+01:002009-05-19T09:59:42.899+01:00

I saw so many lovely newly listed goods on the front pages of the handmade sites today that I picked out the ones I liked most and gathered them together here to share with you. Three of the sellers are people I've not seen before so not only new goods, new shops to view too. Bliss!This is one of the sellers I've not seen before. This "Sun burn big ears rabbit cell phone pouch" is from Lily

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-44006435549093253822009-05-18T08:10:00.002+01:002009-05-18T08:24:47.209+01:00

Today is the first day of the Coriandr Express. This is a virtual express train showing off the best of handmade goods on Coriandr, an online handmade marketplace. On the Blog you will see lots of peoples work being featured and introductions to the individual artisans behind the work. Many of the sellers will be running discount offers along side their introductions, so keep checking back on the

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-83669114973216025542009-05-17T11:16:00.009+01:002009-05-17T12:09:24.818+01:00

Happy Sunday everyone! Today's Artisan of the week is the oh so talented and oh so hard working Lynsey of Swirlyarts. How this lady keeps up with all she has to do amazes me. Lyndsey had a shop on Etsy and one on Folksy. She also has a personal swirlyarts blog and she runs the divine Cuteable blog. She must be more organised than I am, for sure. All the things she squeezes into each day would

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-88598213047086794352009-05-16T00:00:00.001+01:002009-05-16T00:00:00.741+01:00

As a human that is owned by two cats (yes I did say owned, my cats definitely think they are in charge) I was nagged by Weapon X and Widget into finding new gifts for them. They would only stop pestering me after I had fed them biccytastics and catty-num-nums, opened the back door for them to have a quick run around and plumped up their pillows and fed them cream cheese from a silver spoon...

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-22783953373654626162009-05-14T19:43:00.008+01:002009-05-15T10:03:55.701+01:00

As this months Creative Challenge topic is 'Children' I thought it would be fun to take a look at some handmade children's toys. With all the problems that have happened in the last few years with mass produced kids toys I think a lot more people feel happier buying toys from people they know have lovingly handmade the toys themselves from safe materials than from the large companies that only

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-24461539109641836332009-05-14T08:00:00.000+01:002009-05-14T08:00:00.981+01:00

Do you have a jacket or sweater that looks a bit dull? Do you wish you could jazz it up quickly and with no effort? Well we have the answer for you today. With one simple action you can transform plain into eye catching. We have some fabric brooches to show you. Some are fun, some are stylish, all of them are beautiful.Little Miss Crafty created this adorable heart for you to wear on your sleeve.

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-79560355419319318722009-05-13T08:09:00.001+01:002009-05-13T09:04:44.994+01:00

My favourite mode of transport has to be trains. Cars, plains and boats are all well and good, but trains are just my all time favourite. I'll be honest, I get travel sick very easily on all modes of transport other than trains. If I don't constantly watch the horizon in a car or boat I feel nauseous and we won't even go into my fear of being locked in an aircraft. One day I think I will take a

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-1523508798128314122009-05-12T09:08:00.000+01:002009-05-12T09:33:19.063+01:00

Today I'm feeling a bit wordless, and as I have lots of new listings to put in my Coriandr and Artfire shops, I'm going to just share some fabulous Flickr finds with you all and save what words I have for descriptions in those listings. If you click on the image it will take you to the owners Flickr account. The top image is our first entry in the monthly creative challenge from

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-80131859211247525212009-05-11T11:47:00.000+01:002009-05-11T15:31:41.780+01:00

Warning, you might want to make a cup of tea before starting reading today's blog.I've been on Coriandr for a while and I'm just about getting settled in. It is a beautiful, fresh, uncluttered looking site, which makes it easy to navigate and use as both a buyer and a seller. I like it a lot. Many people have been asking me about the site and asking about selling there, so I thought I'd write up

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-238911469570032054.post-60818165161163224762009-05-10T13:31:00.000+01:002009-05-10T14:05:08.979+01:00

Hi all! It's Sunday again and we have another artisan to share with you. This week we go into the world of beading with Suzanne from Jewelry to Keep. Suzanne uses a variety of beads and gem stones in her work and is inspired by many things. 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?I am a retired paediatric nurse

Captain Skulduggery Dughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09006783819138495126noreply@blogger.com2