B is for...........

                                                              BUTTONS......

BUTTONS.........

BAGS...... BABUSHKA.......

and BIRDS

                                                              All new in my folksy shop

Sewing Circles

Craft fairs are looming upon me once again so today I'm sewing circles.

I use many bird motifs in my work and I enjoy incorporating Russian Doll images but I am so incredibly passionate about colour and this is why I have most fun sewing circles. I would have to say that I love colour so much my that all my crafting and textiles projects are based around the relationships of colours. Even down to the smallest item I make I have to use the correct colour combination of fabrics and buttons. I'm perhaps more obsessed with using colours than buttons. Its a wholesome obsession! Right?

I find circles a great way to experiment and combine those tones and shades that you thought might not work well. But what an amazing, zingy feeling you get when it actually does. It sends ripples right through my body sometimes. If it doesn't look so hot there's no need to despair you might just need to cut out one more circle in a different fabric either patterned or textural to bring it altogether. I have a lot of confident using colour but I'm drawn to the brightest oranges, pinks and reds, it's quite a challenge for me to use subtle greens and blues or muted beiges but I get stuck in and give it a go. I also find sewing circles to be very relaxing and therapeutic. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

I've also been experimenting with mushrooms! Well felt ones. I've had so much fun that mushrooms might become the new circles, they're definitely going to 'crop' up in my textile projects!

Even BIGGER Buttons

I've decided to upload a few pictures of my new big and even bigger buttons. It's taking me quite a while to sort out my new Etsy shop mainly because I'm sewing, sewing, sewing for a few Summertime craft fairs, also I'm enjoying these holidays with my girls.

So I thought I would share these big, bright, colourful beauties with you for now.

Yummy, yummy buttons in abundance!

MMMM! Temptation!!

Something Very New!!

Here is my something very new... SUPPLIES!!! YAY! I've thought about this and then thought about it some more, I've even lost sleep over thinking about setting a supplies shop up. One big question haunted me- what if I invest in beautiful buttons and ribbons and nobody wants them? Then where would I store everything because my house isn't huge. But I love colourful buttons and pretty ribbons and beautiful fabrics! Anyway in the end I couldn't resist it and I just decided to go for it. I wanted to take my time over the grand opening but one of my pin cushions was in four different treasuries on Etsy, my green buttons were very popular too. My new shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/onceinthenorth2

So my shop is here to stay and so far so good. Now I just have to find time to stock up my other shops, make my bags and cushions for craft fairs and print customers pictures onto canvas. I crave sleep!

Everything is very yummy!

I'm planning something new....

New...

and new.

Crafty family

I loved doing my competition, it was great fun and also an excellent way of clearing out some of my textile creations. Of course this means I now have room to make and store many more bags, cushions, pin cushions and what ever else I feel the need to create. I have so many products on the go that I feel that I should be more organised and I am even considering opening up another shop, just so I don't start to look random. Of course this all takes time and energy so I intend to get my head down and crack on, I will try and blog updates but to be honest I don't know how some people find the time to do it all.


In the meantime here is my lovely daughter Lily, she also has the textile bug!! She recently sat her SATS- bless her. We were all kind of dreading it but I have to say that her teachers were brilliant, they were calm throughout the week and put no unnecessary stress on the children. Lily came home every evening with so much energy and zest that I actually think she enjoyed the week, so much so that she decided to make brooches for everyone in her class!! Thankfully we live in a village and there are only eight children in her class.

Lily loves donkeys and I found this fun fabric at Fabric Rehab so we snapped it up. She made brooches for the girls, a key ring for the only boy in her class and a lavender bag for her teacher (thats the big donkey in the pic). However she didn't stop there she then went onto make business cards and then sealed them all in their own bags.
Her mates loved them and I was really proud of her.

And the winner is........

               Woo! Hoo! Congrats to CRAFTY HELEN.

Thank you to every one for taking part and being so lovely, I wish I could give you all something but then I really wouldn't have any stock left. I'm going to do another fab comp very soon.

Ok Crafty Helen now you have to get in touch with me so I can forward all your winnings.