News and New Products

Hello to you and Happy New Year! I hope 2018 has got off to a good start for you. Here's how 2018 is developing here so far...

This year I'm really determined to grow my small business and that's why I've chosen "Grow" to be my word for 2018. This is not something I've done before but I was inspired by this Makelight Advent video to choose a word to focus on in 2018. I've actually knitted the word "Grow" and I'm going to frame it to go on my desk and serve as a visual reminder of what I'm striving towards achieving in 2018.

Mr Writer and I are working on organising the craft/work room in the new house- we have shelving units now and I have a desk. We're getting there gradually! I'm looking forward to having a dedicated space to work in again and also to being organised and knowing where everything is!

This is a "before" picture- looking forward to sharing the "after" photo!

I looked at a lot of desks but chose this one in the end as it has a lot of storage space. It's called the South Shore Artwork Craft Table with Storage on Amazon if you are looking for a desk

While I am extra super determined to work hard and really push myself this year, I have also decided that 2018 should be the year when I take more time to rest and do more non-work activities that I enjoy. I feel guilty to admit if I am spending time not working, such as when I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday of me with my feet up enjoying a coffee and sewing up a little jacket I've made for my niece. Life is to be enjoyed and I realised that it's silly for me to feel guilty for doing something I enjoy and taking life a bit slower. So less feeling guilty this year!

I've been making some new Fair Isle jewellery pieces and I had them photographed by the brilliant as always Hammonds Photography Studio. I'm gradually adding them to my Etsy Shop so they should all be up in the next week! 

I'm looking forward to sharing more plans and new work as the year unfolds. What have you been up to in January?

Happy New Year! A Look Back At 2015

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely Christmas and are looking forward to the brand new year ahead. I'm seeing 2016 as a new start- a blank canvas to fill with lovely things, but before I share what I've got planned next for the blog,  I'd like to say a big thank you for reading and supporting my crafty endeavors in 2015 and share a look back at some highlights from 2015...

In early 2015 the blog had a bit of a revamp and I revealed the brand new look! 

I started using Fenella 2ply, a beautiful British yarn in vintage colours, to create new Fair Isle jewellery. I also invested in some Knitter's Graph Paper- I had been previously writing out my Fair Isle designs and as you can imagine, it was a bit experimental, so to be able to plot my designs by colouring in the graph paper has made things so much easier

New Fair Isle jewellery designs

New colours in my Harris Tweed Button Brooch range

I started The Small Project Challenge in January 2015 and my favourite of all the projects I took up was this Fair Isle knitted baby hat. I wanted to challenge my Fair Isle skills on a larger scale and I really enjoyed making it

I continued to publish craft How Tos on the blog in 2015 and here are some of my favourites...

Liberty Fabric Scrap Shoe Clips How To

Napkins made from tea towels with a pom pom trim

This was one of my most popular blog posts in 2015, along with my Pom Pom Present Toppers How To

I've enjoyed taking part in new craft fairs and had a stand at The Sunday Upmarket in London for the first time

I also joined Made In Colchester, which showcases the work of Artists and Makers creating handmade work in the Colchester area. I've loved exhibiting with them and I'm looking forward to further events with Made In Colchester in 2016

One of my goals for 2015 was to hold some craft workshops and the highlight was holding a needle felting and fabric upcycling workshop for the Suffolk East Embroiders Guild.

I hope you all had a fab 2015 and I hope you continue to join me on my crafty adventures in 2016! Happy New Year!

On Instagram in December

Wow, how quickly did December go by? For me it was a whirl wind of work, Christmas dos and tinsel! Unfortunately I wasn't very well over Christmas, but it was still good fun and lovely to catch up with friends and family. In 2015 I aim to be more organised, so I'm hoping next Christmas can be taken a little easier! I hope you all had a great time. Here's what I got up to in December through my Instagram photos...

Every December Mr Writer and I try our hand at making Eggnog. We haven't managed to get it quite right yet, but our December 2014 attempt was a vast improvement on the year before! Still a bit on the thick side but what's not to like about drinking custard?! 

I love all the decorations at Christmas, I always feel sad when they have to come down. I'm thinking of knitting some Fair Isle decorations for next Christmas

I really enjoyed making my DIY Crafted Christmas Tree Jumper for a How To and happily spent the afternoon stitching and munching Toblerone. It was Christmas after all!

For Mr Writer's works Christmas Do I set myself a style challenge. I didn't want to buy anything new from a shop, so my dress and shoes were from Ebay, my bag is vintage, my jacket is my favourite that I already had from People Tree and I made a Swarovski Crystal and Freshwater Pearl necklace. I'm calling these "Half Moon Necklaces" and I'm going to make some to add to my Etsy shop in time for Valentines day

My new lunch boxes from ASOS are just so cute, I had to take a snap! I may be nearly 30 but that doesn't mean lunch times have to be dull..!

Lovely Nelson cat. He's had a cosy Christmas with a new bed and scratching post!

Lunch with Mr Writer at my favourite cafe in town

A friend sent me a Pin for this great Reindeer hair idea, so this is how I wore my hair to work on Christmas Eve!

Catching up with friends at our favourite pub

Mr Writer bought me a new camera for Christmas, which was a lovely surprise. I was planning to buy a new camera in the new year so it was a complete surprise- I nearly cried when I opened it! I'm now learning how to use it so I'll share that with you in the coming weeks

We celebrated new year with a meal at home and I made my first Roulade. My sister has to follow a gluten free diet so it was an ideal dessert as it's flour-less ( but still really yummy!)

What did you get up to in December?

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and looking forward to getting stuck into January!

Thank you and wishing you a very Happy New Year

Wow, Happy New Year! Hands up if 2014 flew by for you too!

What a year it's been...

Exhibiting at The Renegade Craft Fair

My work was featured in Green Craft Magazine

I launched a Fair Isle jewellery collection

I added extra colours to my Harris Tweed collection

How Tos are now a regular blog feature

My big goal for the year was to really develop the Make Do and Mend/Recycling ethos of the blog and I'm now using British made materials alongside too.

I'm so enjoying working on the blog, thank you for reading! I'm having a bit of a blog revamp in early 2015 and I've got lots of craftyness planned to share with you throughout the year, so lots to look forward to coming up!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and crafty 2015, here's to making it a great year!