Exactly the right gift

 Here's one for the tea lover. In this case someone who enjoys her own cup of traditional black tea, rather than fruits and spices. I've created just the right size box with sections for teas from different companies, so she can taste them all and find a favourite. The box is created from card and fabric, glued together to make a strong container. The teas are sourced from eBay mostly, and are all in their own envelopes for a lovely look.

Cartonnage boxes

Love this process of making boxes with various types of cardboard and beautiful fabrics. Everyone in the family has been getting one of these boxes for their birthday this year. They're just the right size for a box of After Eights. I've also filled them with vegan sweets. And I've made an extra-long version for a good bottle of wine.

Original design is from Claudia Squio at Colorways.

 

 Fabric-covered folders

I'm still fascinated by the art of constructing boxes and covering them in fabric. Here's an extension into fabric-covered folders. As much as possible I recycle household card to make these fabulous and very useful A4 and A5 folders. I've been making them with specific people in mind and choosing the fabric to suit them. Sadly I forgot to take pictures before handing them out, but here are a few more I have made from some gorgeous material.

Say hello to the gnomes

It's been a while since my last post (slight understatement!). I've had a bad habit of making and then giving away or selling without taking photos. 

So time for an update.

I've been busy crafting and making fresh acquaintance with my sewing machine since we first went into lockdown and it's been too wet to get out into the garden.

Gnomes have been a very popular Christmas them this year, and I am delighted with the guys I've made. The larger gnomes are made with fat quarters and stuffed with anything I could lay my hands on - toy filling, stuffing from old cushions, fabric offcuts from other projects ...

The smaller gnomes have different bases - some stuffed fabric and others are actually toilet roll middles. And I'm busy knitting hats while watching all the repeats that television currently has to offer!

 

Some of my latest jewellery makes

Fabric and card make fabulous boxes

My latest projects. Cartonnage is the art of making boxes from card and covering them with fabric. Here I've used a mix of poster board and cereal packets, covered in fat quarters from Aldi.

Hersham Handmade spring craft fair 23 March 2019

Here are a few of the hand-painted items that will be available at the Hersham Handmade Craft Fair on Saturday 23 March 2019.

These first two are painted using a flow medium to swirl the paint around on the object. Very messy but good fun!

I have a selection of unicorns in different sizes.

I also have a hanging plate and some other shapes on the way, including a couple of fish.

This rabbit is a first in my new hobby of carbonnage. Mostly that's about creating fabric covered boxes, but I thought I would try out the technique on a wooden shape. The rabbit has a different fabric on the back, and if you can't quite see it, that's a Cadbury's Cream Egg peeping out from its tummy :-)

 Ooh. More cream eggs! And unicorns. What more could you possibly want?

 I'll be taking along some of my fun bracelets too, as pocket money gifts.

And finally, my hand-painted pots. At this fair they'll be filled with gifts and wrapped in cellophane and a ribbon for the perfect Mother's Day present. 

I'll also be offering a couple of Lazy Susans. This one with the penguins, and the ever-popular tweeting birds.



If you see something you like and you can't get to the fair, drop me a line and we can talk about how to get a gift to you.

Pots packed with festive fun

Gift pots. Hand-painted flower pots with Santas and penguins packed with handmade decorations. An ideal gift at £10. Planning similar for the spring and Easter so watch this space!

All wrapped up

Applying a new skill to Christmas wrapping. Brown paper flecked with white paint, tied with multiple ribbons and completed with small brown labels. Went down a treat!

I'm aiming to create bows and ribbons that people can attach to their own parcels for sale in the near future.

At the Hersham Craft Fair