Friday Folksy Finds - Crafty Kits

Well five Robin dolls later I am just catching my breath and looking forward to getting set for Christmas.  Our Christmas cake is made, cards are bought or made but not written and I nearly have all my presents, apart from two mice by Peach Plot, they will be coming from The Little Northern Contemporary Craft Fair on the 6th of December and a pair of socks I am knitting for David.  My husband has announced that he wants hand knitted socks for every birthday and Christmas for the next ten years, oh joy!

With us all being in the throws of present buying I had a look at kits on Folksy and found some wonderful ideas.  Kits for Christmas are one of my favourite present ideas because I think after Christmas when its too cold for the garden or its dark and a little bleak, a little bit of something different gives you a lift and what better than a new craft project.  So here are five of my favourites.

Lorna Bateman Embroidery

You cannot go wrong with one of these lovely embroidery kits by Lorna Bateman.  They come with everything you need and are very generous with thread, the designs are so pretty and the instructions are good.  Check out her range of patterns in the shop, from samplers to scissor keepers, a very good selection.

Sewgirl

Sewgirl is Fiona Hesford and her shop is a great collections of well designed sewing kits from totes to soft toys all with her good taste and colourful pattern combinations.  She has a blog if you want to follow more of her hand mades.

Mary Janes TEAROOM

This lady's shop is one of my favourite places to look on Folksy, her knitting patterns are some of the best doll designs I have seen anywhere.  She does just patterns as pdf downloads and also doll kits. Her range includes little girl dolls and little boy dolls, a wonderful array of rabbits and much more. Again she has a blog which is well worth having a peek at, to be found at maryjanestearoom.com with the most delicate touch and colours.

The Little Lancashire Smallholding

This is a new shop to me and from my neck of the woods, just loved the little acorn kit, which combines needle felting with crochet.  Rainy Williamson is a craft teacher who runs classes on her smallholding and makes a great range of kits for her shop.  One of my favourite kits is a three hour workshop at her place in Bolton, what a great idea.  Lots of goodies here, check her out.

Evie la Luve DIY

Well what can you say, what could be more British than a make your own knickers kit.  Saw this and it made me smile, its a lovely idea and one of the more unusual kits you find on Folksy.  I'm tempted to try one just for the experience and they would make great gifts for the god daughters.

There are lots of great ideas for kits on Folksy, have a peep also at The Billy Sugar Shop and Katie Essam.

Well on with my Crested Tit Doll, she was put on hold for my flock of  Robins, enjoy the build up to Christmas, it is really getting going now.  I sometimes think this is the best time, before the event.  Its good fun and not as intense as the big day.  Warmest wishes on this grey day.

A Grand Afternoon - The Ceramics Biennial

 First off just let me tell you that I pinched these photos from the site of the wonderful ceramicist Reiko Kaneko, we have just got back from Stoke and I wanted to share straightaway.

If you have any interest at all in ceramics get down to the old Spode factory in Stoke on Trent this weekend as the show closes on Sunday the 8th.  Getting to see a lot of ceramic shows now thanks to Becca but hey, she has seen a lot of textile shows over the years.  I am starting to recognise artists and to develop an appreciation of the pieces and the styles I am drawn to.  There is some wonderful work, from the straight forward but beautifully conceived table pieces to wild bubbling megabowls inspired by Icelandic geysers.

There is a lot to see but take a sweater or even a duvet because it is so cold and very dusty.  The exhibition is housed in a giant brick built warehouse and it is colder inside than out, truly.  Parking is a bit fraught but once inside the exhibition it is worth braving the traffic.  For a more intelligent take on the show by someone far more clued up on the ceramic world have a peep at Reiko Kaneko's webpages www.reikokaneko.co.uk/blog/the-british-ceramics-biennial-2015/, where you can also see her lovely tableware.

My show favourite by Hannah Tounsend

As always  I can recommend the coffee shop, it is a bakery collective with the most amazing apple and cinnamon scones but if you are feeling indulgent and also feeling the cold, which you will!  Have a posh hot chocolate, a little ceremony is involved as you will get a mug with a square of Belgian chocolate on a stick to stir into the hot milk which arrives in a pretty blue ceramic jug accompanied by a bowl of fresh cream with marshmallows - heaven.  It is a charming cafe, they take your order and give you a plastic animal so that they can find your table, we got an orange dinosaur.  But the cafe is just a bonus the show is great and well worth an afternoon - let me know what you thought.

Friday Folksy Finds - Rustic

I keep hearing this word rustic applied to all kinds of craft and to some people it seems to mean rough and badly made.  I don't agree, rustic should have bags of county style with a great worn finish.  I decided to have a look around Folksy to find that country look.

Ditsy Blue

Ditsy Blue is Karen Trezise and she makes all kinds of wonderful little beads and jewellery from polymer clay.  This little owl caught my eye because he looks like he is made of bronze, I don't know how this lady manages it but the finish is great.  There are owls in a range of colours, all looking like bronze and some delightful little houses that are so tiny.
 

Reclaimed Time

I know very little about this maker but love his weathered look.  He uses salvaged and reclaimed materials, hence the name and also drift wood from the east coast beaches.  This piece has that real rustic charm, all country and no messing.

Clark Jewellery

Again I know very little about this maker, who signs herself Wendy.  She is on a journey to find her inner child making very handsome jewellery as she does it.  I love the no nonsense set of this deer antler tip on a leather strip I could see my god sons wearing this or on a silver chain perhaps.  It is so versatile.  Check out the shop for some very interesting pieces, a good place for presents.

Daisy Beth

Not being a great or enthusiastic knitter, I do however appreciate knitting in other people. Daisy Beth is run by two North Yorkshire sisters, Catherine and Jennifer Law.  Their shop is a real find, with lots of styles and designs with lovely colour combinations.  This cushion caught my eye with its warm snuggle feeling and charming rustic buttons.  Lots to see at Daisy Beth and worth a visit. 

Kara Leigh Ford Ceramics

If you are talking rustic there has to be a mug.  Some of the worst excesses of supposed rustic charm come in the form of mugs too heavy to lift but not so Kara Leigh Ford Ceramics.  This is everything you want in a hand made mug.  Wheated colours, soft contours and oodles of personality.  Just think hot chocolate on a wintery evening after a walk in the woods, this would soon become a favourite.

Found lots of lovely rustic items on Folksy, these were just my favourites but check out BitsofTree, Blue Butterfly Crafts and Scruffy Buffalo for other interesting finds.

A Grand Day Out - York and the CoCA at York Art Gallery

The Minster in the Mist

More of a long weekend than a day out but what great weekend we had.  Set off in a little fog, glorious autumn sunshine over Blubberhouses and descended into a Victorian pea souper in York.  So atmospheric, took lots of spooky photos and had a great day of retail therapy for Becca's birthday.

Monday went to the refurbished York City Art Gallery. If over the last few years you visited the gallery it really was the pits, one of the worst galleries I ever visited but what a transformation.  The gallery closed its doors in 2012 for a complete renovation, they did an amazing job.  They now house the most amazing collection of studio pottery in the country and have done a remarkable job of displaying it.  Becca is studying ceramics for her MA and she had a wonderful day seeing exhibits and collecting data for her first essay.  If you have any interest in ceramics or just love good art in a great setting I strongly suggest you visit.  

Clare Twomey's installation Manifest, 10,000 Hours is fascinating and contains ten thousand hand made bowls that represent the hours supposedly needed to master a craft.  It's housed in a great space on a purpose built platform and is surrounded by new ceramic acquisitions, there are several other changing exhibition spaces including an interactive wall of pieces that currently are looking at glaze colours and gives you real range.  There really is too much to mention but we had a wonderful day and I highly recommend a visit.  Just to note, one of my other interests, they have a very good cafe which serves excellent coffee and a very yummy dark chocolate brownie.

Manifest by Clare Twomey

The Wonderful Rosemary Wren

Tuesday Talent - Paulina Bartnik

Bullfinch Brooch

Long Tailed Tit

Swallow

I adore these delicate brooches by the artist Paulina Bartnik.  This lady is from Warsaw in Poland and trades as cOnieco on Etsy.  The handwork is incredible and she completely captures the bird she is portraying.

The brooches are dry felted, felt painted and hand embroidered, I particularly like the birds but there are cats, squirrels and rabbits, all kinds of subjects.  All beautiful and so fine. This lady embroiders, paints and takes photographs.

If you have enjoyed this selection of her embroidery check out her photographs on her new shop, otophoto on Etsy.