One week to closing - time to grab your place at CRAFTfest!

There's only one week left to book your stall at summer CRAFTfest. Click on the image below to go to the CRAFTfest website.

Just in case you've been hiding for a while and wondering what CRAFTfest is, here's a quick guide:

• CRAFTfest is a virtual craft fair hosted online at Creative Connections
• It's for crafters of all types, making and selling their own handcrafted goods
• The fair is online 24/7 from 29th June until 6th July
• Stalls cost just £5.00 for the whole week if you set up yourself. There are other options available if you would like us to set up for you.
• CRAFTfest is an excellent opportunity to showcase your work, with promotion activities taking place all week
• It's a great place to meet fellow crafters, share experiences and learn new skills.

Why not take the plunge and give it a go? You only need to have four items or more available to sell to take part so it's a great starting point if you've only just been bitten by the crafting bug. If you'd like to find out more visit the CRAFTfest website or pop onto Creative Connections, join the community and meet us in the chat room to say hi. We'd love to see you there!

Collingwood Sofas showroom has arrived!

A shout out today for my partner Peter's business. His company Collingwood Sofas designs and makes fantastic quality sofas, suites and chairs at their factory in Newcastle upon Tyne. And they've just opened their new factory showroom.

There are lots of styles and hundreds of fabrics to choose from. You'll find everything from a tub chair to a sprawling corner group. And as you're buying direct from the manufacturer there are huge savings. You'll be amazed at the prices for handcrafted furniture of such excellent quality. Click here to visit the Collingwood Sofas website.

You'll find Collingwood Sofas at Unit 99/1 North Tyne Industrial Estate, Whitley Road, NE12 9SZ. The industrial estate is opposite the large Asda supermarket on Whitley Road (A191).

Roll up and book your Summer CRAFTfest stall

Here comes summer and here comes summer CRAFTfest!

There's still plenty of time to book a stall, and if you're pressed for time we now have different options available to suit your needs:

Option 1: - £5.00 for a standard stall for the week. You set this all up yourself with the support of your team leader and fellow crafters on the network

Option 2: £10.00 for a Creative Connections account set up and stall for the week. The stall will be set up empty for you to fill yourself with your items

Option 3: £45.00 for a Creative Connections account set up and stall for the week created for you with up to 15 items with full descriptions and links

Visit the CRAFTfest website to book your stall and grab all the info you need to get started.

CRAFTfest is here!

Ready for a whole week of of fantastic handcrafted shopping from the comfort of your sofa?
You'd better be, CRAFTfest is here!

 

Click here to go to CRAFTfest

Happy shopping everyone!

Put a spring in your step with CRAFTfest

Yes CRAFTfest is almost upon us again. With a whole week of stalls online selling everything from patchwork to pet accessories, there's a whole world of fabulous handcrafted goods just waiting for you.

 So pop the dates in your diary to do a spot of sofa shopping. Or, if you're feeling crafty why not grab yourself a stall? With prices starting at just £5.00 for the whole week you'd be mad not to.

For more information on booking a stall visit the CRAFTfest website

Handmade Christmas making progress

How are you all getting on with your handmade Christmas presents? Here is the framed antique housekeeper's key I've made for my sister for her bedroom.

I made this by covering the board with vintage style paper using spraymount for a bubble free finish. The key is attached using galvanised wire fed through tiny holes in the board, tied off at the back and covered with masking tape. Then the passe-partout and board were secured into the frame using the frame's integral clips. 

I have four of these framed keys on my bedroom wall in shades of duck egg - they complement my crochet and ticking cushions perfectly.

Have Yourself a Handmade Little Christmas!

Well we all know money is becoming increasingly tight at the moment, so with this thought in mind I'm going all out for a handmade Christmas. Or at least, as far as is practical. 

For my niece, I'm making a Kindle cover with some gorgeous Victorian fabric. I'll also be giving her a toile de jouy cushion as I know she really likes the fabric.

Toile de Jouy and lace cushion cover - £14.95 each

For my sister, I've made this beautiful jewellery roll in the same fabric

Victorian Gothic Jewellery Roll - available made to order from £20.00 each

  

I'll  her a framed antique French housekeeper's key that will fit her bedroom decor perfectly. For our daughters, I'm making cosmetic bags and over-the-door organisers (having seen their bathrooms and bedroom floors this is a necessity rather than a luxury!)I haven't made these before, but luckily I do have a pattern to follow so at least I'm not starting from scratch.

For my granddaughter Ava, I have knitted a scarf in a lovely soft pastel green wool. I've double knitted it to make the texture extra soft and warm. If course, I'll have to make one for my grandson Cole too; in a nice charcoal grey I think. I'd love to make him a bearded beanie, but I'm not sure my daughter would ever forgive me for that!

And for my mum and in-laws, I'll be putting together food hampers. No, not a collection of random tins or luxury goods that no-one ever wants to eat. I mean a selection of home cooked supper dishes, baked goods and preserves making a practical and tasty gift that's always appreciated.

So with all this in mind, it's time I got myself organised and wrote some shopping lists. And you know how I love a list...

It's those little Folksy things...

...that make me happy. Like when you've just listed a load of items on Folksy and they all appear in the recently listed row on the home page like this:

I have these lovely Nordic hand knitted decorations on my Christmas tree and along the mantlepiece like in the images shown.

Click here to visit my Folksy shop for details.

£3.50 each or £35.00 for a set of 12. Why not have some made up to match your colour scheme? Made to order - please allow one week for delivery.