Wednesday, 11 January 2017

Enchanted Forest Bag by Voyage

Whilst on holiday in Snowdonia in the Autumn I chanced upon the most beautiful bag in a shop - it was made by a company called Voyage and it was absolutely love at first sight. Of course the bag went straight on my Christmas list, so you can imagine how delighted I was when the bag in question fell down my chimney Christmas morning - straight away I thought of you, as I knew many of you would love it as much as I do ...



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Friday, 11 November 2016

Eliza's Book of Whimsy - Q&A with author Elizabeth Henry


It has been a while since I've had a guest on the blog, and I'm super excited to be sharing this with you today. Today's guest is author Elizabeth Henry, who has recently published a book of poetry called 'Eliza's Book of Whimsy' which you may have seen featured in this months edition of Landlove magazine. It is an enchanting book, full to the brim with nature-inspired imagery and charm.  Elizabeth's philosophy on life is 'simple pleasure' and with that in mind she has fashioned a collection of poems to cheer, uplift and satisfy the spirit. With poems such as 'The faerie Glen', 'The Hedgerow' and 'The forsaken Garden' it would be a delightful read (or gift!) for adults and children alike, and the beautiful illustrations by artist Delphine Jones compliment the poems perfectly. Here's a sneak peek into 'Eliza's Book of Whimsy' along with an entertaining Q&A session with the author herself.


Eliza's Book of Whimsy

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Thursday, 18 August 2016

Guest Post - Artisan eco-gifts handmade in Ukraine


I recently stumbled upon a quirky little website called myfancycraft which sells a variety of unusual gifts and handmade crafts, made by craftsmen (and women) from all over Ukraine. Each product is made by hand using eco – friendly materials.




I had a little browse, and came upon this lovely nature-inspired collection on their website which is made from slavic clay. (The wording on the website doesn't translate very well into english but don't let that put you off, their products are lovely and their customer service is great.) I treated myself to a mug and jug (as I do have a bit of a 'Jug' obsession) they also make a teapot in the same range (see below). They arrived slightly more 'glazed' than it shows to the pictures but they are lovely all the same. Would make a lovely christmas gift for a nature-lover don't you think?



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Thursday, 11 August 2016

Canal folk art with Duncan Burrett

This week I had a wonderful afternoon chatting with Canal folk artist Duncan Burrett, who is owner and captain of a delightful narrowboat called 'Zendu' that is moored on the River Stort. Duncan has lived on the boat for 22 years with wife Zena. Ralphy and I often stop to admire Zendu, because not only is she the prettiest boat along the canal, but Duncan also sells a wonderful selection of old antiques and wares on the top of his boat which he paints in the famous 'Canal folk art' style. I have always loved the colourful vibrant style of Canal folk art but I didn't know anything about it until meeting Duncan. So when he invited us aboard to show us his work and give us a demonstration, I jumped at the chance. 




Duncan is a self-taught artist and used to specialised in oil paints and animal portraits. But it wasn't until 20 years ago he turned his hand to creating and selling canal folk art. "It started 20 years ago when I was sat on the boat painting a teapot, a lady stopped by and asked if it was for sale, so I told her to come back in 10 minutes and it would be!" Now he even demonstrates in schools, and is often commissioned by other boat owners. Duncan decorates all sorts with this style, especially old fashioned wares such as old watering cans, tea pots, urns, and even old boots ... and he also encourages people to bring their own objects along for him to paint. I had a lovely afternoon with Duncan, we chatted about his life, about the realities of boat-living, the interesting history behind folk art and how to paint in the folk-art style. He also makes a cracking cuppa tea! Read on to hear all about it ...



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Wednesday, 29 July 2015

A Q&A with Mad Man Knitter - Gregory Patrick


A few months ago I shared a story called A little brown bear saves a mad man knitter - which was about a man called Gregory Patrick; writer of popular blog Mad Man Knitting. Gregory had come upon hard times and was made homeless. With no car, home or money he threw himself into knitting to keep his mind occupied. He then began knitting and selling bears which enabled him to survive, and over time, flourish. Gregory has now published several books, and his little bears and knitting patters are well in demand. As a keen follower of his blog, I was interested to know more about Gregory, so I got in touch to see if he'd be interested in a little Q&A session with me, and as he's such a nice man of course he agreed :-) 


Photograph by Mad Man Knitting.

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Tuesday, 14 July 2015

A day out 'picking your own' at Cammas Hall Fruit Farm


This week I had a wonderful day out at Cammas Hall Fruit Farm. The farm is run by the Lukies family and has been for the last 128 years. I had only intended to pop in and out of Cammas Hall, but having seen the vast amount of goodies on offer, not to mention the lovely cafe full of homegrown produce I ended up staying far longer than I anticipated ...





I wasn't the only one either ... friends, couples and families often spend the whole afternoon here; catching up over lunch while the kids play in the adventure playground, followed by a leisurely stroll around the fruit farm, picking and nibbling as they go (though bear in mind ready-picked is also available if you're in a hurry).  If you fancy a slightly longer amble, Cammas Hall have recently introduced a nature trail through the beautiful surrounding countryside - what a lovely, nature-inspired way to tire out the kiddies during the summer holidays, don't you think?

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Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Ceramics Course at The Little Arts Workshop


This month I took part in a pottery workshop at The Little Arts Workshop in Bishops Stortford ... and I absolutely loved it. I have never dabbled in clay before, but I have been itching to for some time. So when I discovered a pottery course running at The Little Arts Workshop, I jumped at the chance. It's a wonderful creative hub, which hosts a varied selection of crafty workshops seven days a week, during daytime and evenings, for both adults and children. For toddlers and primary school children there are workshops in clay and arts and crafts, and for adults there are life drawing courses, ceramics courses, watercolour painting courses, and photography courses to name a few...


The Little Arts Workshop in Bishops Stortford

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Wednesday, 22 October 2014

The Alexandra Palace knitting & stitching show 2014


ribbons and lace from Namolio


On the 9th October I took the coach with my crafty pals to the knitting and stitching show at Alexandra Palace. This is the third time I've attended the event, and I have to say - it never gets tiring. Every year I am filled to the brim with ideas and inspiration and I leave with bags full of crafty goodies - even though I promise hubby not too (!)  I'd love to introduce you to some of the wonderful artists and makers from the event, and share some of my favourite moments from the day.

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