Stepping out of my crafting comfort zone

I've just spent the past hour or so playing with clay and attempting to make beads and buttons! Lisa from Seaurchin kindly sent me a chunk of porcelain clay to play with a few weeks ago and I finally found the time to sit down and try my hand at making something.



I was really keen to make buttons, but I found them quite hard to make. Getting the surface flat, making a round shape and putting a pattern onto the clay was pretty tricky and obviously takes alot of skill and practice. I also made seven beads which I enjoyed making. I think I will attempt to make some more with different textures when I get the chance.




I already had alot of respect for Lisa's work, but I have even more respect now. I found it very hard to make the clay do what I wanted, plus I kept leaving finger prints, nail marks and fluff all over the place!



Having said that, I did enjoy stepping out of my crafting comfort zone and it was nice to attempt to make something in a new medium. I'm hoping Lisa can improve my feeble efforts with some glaze at the firing stage!

If you want to see how it's done properly, please check out Lisa's store Seaurchin on Etsy

New Listing: Peppermint and sage vintage fabric peg/clothespin bag

This is the newest addition to the Pouch range of peg bags. Made with repurposed, vintage fabric & a vintage wooden coat hanger. It features a pretty floral pattern in shades of peppermint, lime and sage green.



There’s no better way to dry your washing, than to peg it out and let it dry in the breeze. The tumble drier is one of the most energy-hungry appliances in the house. By reducing the number of times you use a tumble drier by just one load per week, you will reduce your carbon emissions by approximately 60kg a year. And reduce your electricity bill!



Full details here:
Peppermint and sage vintage fabric clothespin bag

A day out at the Vintage & Handmade Fair

I spent May Day engaged in one of my favourite pastimes, browsing vintage goodies at the Vintage & Handmade Fair in Chipping Sodbury.

I went along to meet Liz aka The Washerwoman who had kindly contact me via my blog about some vintage fabric I had been trying to get hold of for ages.

Sadly, I couldn't get a decent photo of Liz's stall. She was so popular I couldn't see through all the people around her lovely selection of vintage textiles and clothes. I hope she achieved her aim of leaving with less in the car than she arrived with!

I did manage to take a few photos of some of the other stalls



This stall's wares looked fantastic against the backdrop of the old fireplace in Chipping Sodbury's Town Hall



There were lots of Union Jacks on display amongst the shabby chic textiles and homewares from the aptly named 'Shabby Chick', I don't think she has a website, but she has a stall at Totnes Friday Fleamarket





One stall had a cornucopia of vintage trinkets, from Coronation hairclips to yogi bear transfers all priced at £1!



It was worth making the trip to the fair just for the tea stall which was heaving with homemade cakes, flapjack and oh so fashionable macaroons. All the tea and cakes were served on vintage bone china plates and cups, very civilised



And finally, my purchases! A selection of bold, vintage fabrics in just the shades I most fond of. Destined to be made into lavender rabbits and owls and maybe a couple of small totes.

New listing: Reversible lavender and lilac vintage fabric tote

I have just listed this lavender and lilac vintage fabric tote in Pouch's Etsy store

This tote makes a great beach bag, knitting bag, book bag or gym bag. It's also perfect for taking to the shops or farmers market to stock up on provisions.

This tote has no visible seams, so it is reversible – making this two bags in one!

Made with upcycled, vintage fabric featuring a floral pattern in shades of pale lilac, rich purple and soft lavender. It is fully lined with repurposed, damson purple corduroy fabric.



It has a total of 5 pockets, 3 on the vintage fabric side and 2 on the corduroy side. The handles are made from strong white webbing and covered on one side with the same lavender and lilac fabric.

Fun, stylish and eco-friendly.

Full listing details with measurements here:
Reversible lavender and lilac vintage fabric tote

A pre-baby indulgence

I made this wave pintuck cushion cover way back in January 2009, but with pregnancy and becoming a mum, this is the first chance I've had to blog about it.



I am really proud of the way it turned out, I have no plans to make more to sell in my etsy store, it was purely a pre-baby indulgence and I want to show it off!!



It's made with fairtrade, oragnic Chandni Chowk fabric in a lovely shade of indigo blue.



It took me about six weeks to make, but that was due to fitting it in around work, it wouldn't have taken that long if I'd concentrated on it fully for a couple of days! I normally like to have pairs of cushion covers, but the chances of me having the time to sit down and make another one look pretty unlikely at the moment! The most important thing is that I enjoyed making it, we use it everyday and it's holding up well to daily use. So all the effort of sewing over 30 pintucks was worthwhile and maybe one day I will make another one to go with it...

UK Handmade Writing Competition

Are you a keen writer living in the UK? Are you passionate about handmade? Then why not get your creative juices flowing and enter the UK Handmade writing competition!

This is a chance to have your say on a topic that really matters to you - write up to 500 words on any topic which relates to the creative world, include some nice pictures and email it to editor@ukhandmade.co.uk at any time up to Friday 28th May 2010.

The winning article will be published in the Autumn issue of UK Handmade Magazine (due out 1 September 2010), and there will also be an in depth interview with the winner published on the UK Handmade blog. The winner will also receive a free advertising spot in the magazine.

The competition is open to everyone within the UK, so feel free to tell your friends about it - this is a great opportunity to get an article published in one of the fastest growing and widely read online magazines in the handmade community!

Competition Rules:
* Entries can be on any subject as long as they are related in some way to the creative industries.
* Articles should be no longer than 500 words with 2-3 accompanying photos.
* The deadline for submissions is midnight (GMT) on Friday 28th May 2010
* Email submissions only to editor@ukhandmade.co.uk.
* One entry per person.
* Entrants must be resident in the UK.
* The winner will be announced on the blog on Thursday 1st July 2010.

New listing: Green leaves oversized tote

This latest listing is made with recycled, vintage fabric featuring a pattern of leaves in shades of forest green and pure white. Fully lined with moss green corduroy fabric. It has 2 internal pockets. The handles are made from robust green and white webbing.



This tote makes a great beach bag, knitting bag, book bag or gym bag. It's also perfect for taking to the shops or farmers market to stock up on provisions. You can cram virtually anything into this handy tote.



Free shipping on all bags, totes and clutch purses throughout April 2010!
Green leaves oversized tote