Christmas Ideas - part 1

Throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas I will be writing some posts with ideas for Christmas presents.

First on the list is the lovely Rose & co, Rose Apothecary. My Mum and sister discovered this shop when they went to Haworth. It is an old fashioned apothecary, which has been transformed into the most wonderful shop selling beauty products which are very vintage inspired. The products are packaged in old fashioned jars and tins and there is an air of the 1920s in the shop.

I haven't actually been there yet, but I'm thinking of taking a trip to Haworth just for this shop! Although throughout the year there are many events happening in Haworth such as a 1940's weekend, so plenty of reasons to go there. But fear not, if you can't get there, they have a beautiful website for you to browse and buy from www.rose-apothecary.co.uk

I can really recommend their products because my sister bought me some for my birthday. She bought me a slice of soap that looks and smells like a cherry bakewell, and some of the bath fairy cakes as in the picture below.

Their products look to good to use to be honest, but they smell delicious. So whether you use them or display them, I'm sure you or whoever you buy them from will love them.

It has arrived...

Back in September, I wrote a post about my travels to Newcastle and my visit to the the wonderful craft market down by the river. In particular, I loved the stall that was selling handmade mosaic mirrors. This weekend my sister came to visit and she brought something very special with her, all wrapped in bubble wrap...

... a gorgeous butterfly mirror, completely handcrafted.

When we visited the market, they were in the middle of making this mirror, it was the only butterfly shaped one they had, the rest were round or heart shaped. A few weeks later, my sister spotted it ready for sale, sent me a photo and when I showed Andy he said that we just had to buy it, so we did!

We have lots of butterfly things in our house, and it's not just me who likes them, Andy does too! All we need to do now is find somewhere to hang it, and to hang it securely because it is very heavy.

I love the colours of the mirror, they look much brighter on the photographs than they actually are. The people who make the mirrors are called Cotfield Mirrors. They make some using pieces of vintage china teacups too which are beautiful as they have a floral design. Their website is www.cotfield.co.uk but to really see what they do you would have to visit them at one of their craft markets because they don't show many of their designs on their site.

A Family Tradition

For me, Autumn, Halloween and Bonfire night have a smell associated with them, the smell of treacle toffee! Every year, my dad makes his infamous treacle toffee, from a recipe passed down from his mum. This year he decided that it was time to pass it on to his eldest child, so I went round today to help him make it. I've missed the smell of it over the past few years since I permanently moved out, so I was thrilled to be involved this year. The funny thing is that although he had the recipe written out, he didn't stick to the quantities, not even close! A lot of guess work was involved, so really I'm none the wiser as to how it is made, but I do know you need brown sugar, butter, syrup and a bit of vinegar...

... then add the treacle, not too much though...

...keep stirring it on a low heat until it begins to boil then boil it until it reaches 180 degreses and it is clear on the back of a spoon.

Pour it into a tray covered with grease proof paper and leave to set.

Under the watchful eye of blossom the cat...

...break it into pieces...

...then put it into packs ready to give to friends and family.

It wouldn't feel like this time of year without my dad's treacle toffee. Even though he guesses the quantities, it always tastes the same! Hope you all have a great Halloween weekend.

Handmade Presents

I've decided that amongst working full time, making things for my shop and for craft fairs, that I would like to make Christmas presents for people this year. I like to do this because it means that I can try out other people's designs from books, as well as my own. One of my favourite books at the moment is Sew Darn Cute by Jenny Ryan. There are 30 different projects to make, and all are so cute and lovely.

I already made one of these fab square bears for my friend's little girl's birthday. They are relatively simple to make and so much fun. Might make some more for the babies in the family.

The projects in the book vary, from things for the home like this sweet collage picture...

... to tote bags...

... and even things like glasses cases...

I love this necklace. Probably because I have an obession with fabric covered buttons at the moment! What I love most of all about this book is her fabric choices. They are bright, modern and funky, and many are either Japanese or Japanese inspired, another one of my obessions!

Yesterday I added some more clutch bags to my shop. I have one range in funky bright Japanese fabrics, and my other range, which I started yesterday, are all made with fabrics inspired by nature. I will be adding to both ranges in the coming weeks as I still have plenty of fabric left that I haven't used yet!

Where I Live

I have lived in this area for pretty much most of my life, but it's only recently that I have begun to really appreciate how pretty it is. A few days ago, we went for a walk to a local beauty spot, just minutes away from our house. This beacon is one of hundreds across the country which were used as communication years ago. From the top of the hill, the views are fantastic, and on a clear day, you can see the Welsh mountains, the Liverpool docks, Blackpool Tower, the coast between Formby, Southport and Blackpool, and in the other direction you can see Pendle Hill.

This stone has a compass which shows you which direction to look in for the local sights.

My camera couldn't see as far as I could with my own eyes, but you still get the idea of what a spectacular panoramic view there is.

The sky was really beautiful that day. I was blown away by the clouds.

I love coming for walks up here as it is so quiet and peaceful and you rarely bump into other people. Being so high up, watching the world go by, is so relaxing and tranquil.

It was a sunny, crisp autumnal day, so we decided to go for a walk in the surrounding woodland. We could hear birds and other animals in the undergrowth, but we didn't manage to spot any.

Walking through the woods reminded me of when I was a child and my Dad would hide sweets in the woods by our house, and when we found them he'd say the fairies left them for us. We loved that.

Despite the silence and tranquility, there were signs that people had been there before us, very Blair Witch-esque and a bit scary!!

However, the beauty of the canopy distracted from that.

And as the sun began to set, I felt at peace with the world. Better than any form of therapy, when life gets too much, I go for a walk, and soon realise it's not so bad after all.

Blog Awards

I was really thrilled to find I had my first follower last week, and even more thrilled to see that she nominated me for a blog award! So a big thank you to Vanessa at Coco Rose Textiles Please check out her lovely blog where she shares a love of Cath Kidston and all things handmade!

Now, I'm new to this so I hope I get it right, here are the rules:

1. Post the award on your blog
2. Nominate up to 9 blogs
3. Let your nominees know they have won
4. Link back to the person who gave it to you

I've been doing a lot of looking for new blogs lately, and I've found some great ones so please check out the following:

Chameleonite - she makes really beautiful jewellery

Fiona Chapman - a wonderful silversmith, her designs are stunning

Mymiyel - another fab jewellery maker and a really interesting blog

Louise Evans - I love her style, she makes a variety of things, very vintage inspired

Hope you enjoy reading their blogs and admiring their wonderful work.

Up and Coming Craft Fair

Been busy getting things ready for the craft fair I will be showing at on November 7th. It's in Liverpool city centre at Heebie Jeebies and lots of young designers, makers and artists will be selling there. There is also food, music and a great atmosphere. So instead of visiting the usual shops in the city centre, why not spend your Saturday doing something different? You never know, you may find lots of unusual Christmas presnts too!

I will be selling...

and more!!!