The Crafty Network ~ 30th May Mini Challenge “A Touch of Royalty “

Hello and Welcome, to the announcement of this weeks Mini Challenge Competition “A Touch of Royalty“.

As it’s the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations this weekend, I couldn’t by-pass the opportunity to have a Royal theme for this week’s challenge, sorry!

This could be anything to do with Royalty, anything typically British or patriotic,  Anniversaries, Diamonds (or anything that sparkles).

Here are just a few interesting facts for you about the Queen:

• Queen Elizabeth II is currently the second longest-serving British monarch.  She came to the throne on 6 February 1952, her coronation took place on the 2^nd June 1953, the first coronation to be broadcast on television.
• The longest-serving is Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years from 1837 – 1901
• The Queen is visited by the Prime Minister every Tuesday.  She has met with 12 Prime Ministers so far during her reign.
• The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have been married for 65 years (they married on the 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey)
• The Queen sends telegrams to people in the UK and Commonwealth who reach the age of 100 and to couples who celebrate their Diamond Wedding Anniversary (60^th).
• The Queen has 2 birthdays, her real birthday is on the 21 April (She was born in 1926) which is a private celebration and her public birthday which is in June.
• Her full name is Elizabeth Alexandra Mary
• The Queen is 5’4” (160cm) tall.

So the theme for this Week is “A Touch of Royalty”  Please interpret this however you wish, just remember it must be handmade.  Please look at what you have already made, as I’m not expecting you to make something specifically for the challenge, unless of course you want to.

Good luck, I’m really looking forward to seeing this weeks entries. (Waves imaginary flag!)

All entries to be emailed to: thecraftynetwork@gmail.com to be received no later than Wednesday the 30th May at 12 midnight (GMT time).  Only one entry per person/business.  For the full rules please visit this link Mini Challenge Rules.

Thanks & Good luck.

Linda x

 

Introducing Creative Events Management, Organisers of Craft & New Goods Stalls around Blackpool & Fylde Coast

This is something I’ve not done before, but this organiser contacted me over the weekend and asked if I would be kind enough to publish their introduction on our Blog.  I am always happy to help anybody who is involved within the Craft Business.

Just so you are aware, The Crafty Network has no connection with this business and all enquiries should be made direct to Creative Events Management, their phone number and email details can be found below.  Thanks.

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Creative Events Management

Hello I would like to introduce ourselves we are Creative Events Management.

Organisers of craft and new goods stalls around Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. We aim to bring customers first class talent of home-made goods to a venue near you.

6 dates and venues now announced !!!! Including our Christmas Craft Event

The door entrance proceeds will go to The Cardiac Unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. We are happy to be supporting such a worthy cause.

We still have availability for Stall Holders at the following Craft fairs:

23rd June – Fylde Coast Church Alive, Raikes Parade
14th July – Highfield Methodist Church South Shore
11th August – St Kentigans Parish Centre, Newton Drive
8th September – St Christophers Hawes Side Lane

6th October – St Pauls Marton, Honister Avenue

1st December – South Shore Tennis Club Midgeland Road

November fair TBC very Shortly.

We would love to hear from you or if you know of anyone who would be interested in booking a stall please get in touch.

We have some wonderful talent already booked in so are looking for more to come join us at our events we would love to have you or them on Board.
Kind regards

Kimberley and Derek

Creative Events Management

Tel: 07815010113

Email: kimstreasures@hotmail.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CreativeEventsManagement?ref=ts

 

Featured Crafter ~ FatBunny Designs

I’d like to introduce Wendy to you, from FatBunny Designs, who kindly agreed via the Folksy Forum to be one of our Featured Crafters.  I am so glad she did as I would never have discovered yet another fantastic crafter who makes such a lovely variety of handmade items (and the bunny is so cute!).

FatBunny Designs

Tell us a bit about your background and your business?

As a child I was always making something, I did some quilling and made polymer clay animals, my grandma taught me to knit and I’d make little animals or characters.  Fast forward a decade or so, I’d come back from living in Poland and wanted something to do with my evenings besides watch TV.  I bought a pack of card blanks and some embellishments and it went from there.  I made cards for 5 or 6 years, then I got married in 2010.  After the wedding (for which I made all my own stationery of course!) I was itching to try something else.  I bought a knitting book and had another go, then I did a cross stitch kit.  One thing led to another and before I knew it I was addicted to sewing, embroidery, crochet and making jewellery, not to mention applique, hardanger, cross stitch, crewel, felting and whatever else takes my creative fancy.  I got married in April and started my blog in August.  I decided to call it The Crafter’s Apprentice as I felt like I was new to all crafts and learning from others around me online – blogs mainly.

The Crafter’s Apprentice

Friends would ask me if they could buy things from me and I decided to have a go at selling online.  I mentioned it to my mum who had recently started knitting and couldn’t stop.  We decided to set up the shop together and FatBunny Designs was born.  I work from home in Nottingham after my full-time job ends each day and at the weekends.  I’m lucky enough to have an entire bedroom as my craft room, but that doesn’t mean a lot of my stash hasn’t migrated downstairs to the living room!

Tell us about what you make and what training and qualifications you have or need and where you sell/exhibit your work?

I make anything and everything.  In my Folksy shop at the moment are home-wares such as coasters, crocheted baby bear hats, jewellery, lavender sachets and small odds and ends.  I haven’t had any formal training, but I’ve been on plenty of one day courses to learn skills such as crochet, nuno felting, bead-weaving and stained glass.  This week I start a 10-week glass course which I’m very excited about.  Back in my card-making days, I did two craft fairs.  Both were badly attended and I sold a total of about 6 cards.  That, along with the terrible attitude of some of the stall holders towards what they saw as a non-craft, has put me off craft fairs.  I wonder if it’s time to give it another shot?

Tell us about some of your favourite or most challenging pieces and what inspired you to make them, is there a story behind each piece?

Crystal flowers – I love this necklace and matching bracelet.  It was the first time I’d tried twisted wire and I enjoyed every single wrist flick.  It’s not my design, it’s from a book but I think the finished pieces are beautiful.

Hardanger – this heart was challenging to make as it was my first time doing Hardanger.  It’s a technique I really love, but the cutting leaves my heart in my mouth.

Owl – I’m particularly proud of this as it’s my first own-design softie.  I’d made some rabbits (as in my blog logo) from a pattern, then my sister-in-law asked me for an owl in the same style.  I made him up myself and think he’s really cute.

Quilt – This is my first ever quilt, made for my brand-new nephew.  I found the pattern on Moda Bake Shop and decided it was perfect for the Sunkissed charm squares I had.  I machine quilted the grey and then hand quilted in each and every square, before sewing the binding on by hand.  Binding is still a massive challenge for me, particularly joining the beginning and end!  I first tried quilting with the rainbow place-mats, they were a real challenge and were my own design.

Phoebe bag – I love to make bags and I think this is my favourite so far.  I haven’t had time for much bag making recently, with other commitments, but I want to get back to it soon and have loads of ideas.

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

I’m a massive fan of the online community, I love to read blogs and I write my own regularly.  Having no crafty “real life” friends at all, I find I get my fix from my online friends.  I’m also more than slightly addicted to Pinterest!  Having said that, most of my inspiration comes from the materials in front of me, I start out by finding something I want to use – a piece of fabric, a bead, and the project develops itself.

What motivates you?

I don’t think it’s a question of motivation, it’s more just something that I have to do.  Each evening I get home late from work and after dinner I flop on the sofa with my husband.  It’s unthinkable to just watch TV, I have to be doing something with my hands.  Weekends are me time and that generally means sewing machine time, sewing up the things I’ve been dreaming of all week.  It’s a compulsion.

What piece of equipment could you not live without or which is your favourite and why?

Without a doubt, my sewing machine.  Although I do a large variety of crafts, I love to sew the most.  Having said that, most weekends there comes a time when I’m about ready to throw it out of the window as it can be very badly behaved!

What are your goals/plans for the future?

My pie-in-the-sky, unobtainable goal is to make money from craft, enough to not have a day job.  As that’s never going to happen, I just want to keep on learning.  I have a page on my blog where I’m trying to make a list of every single craft out there and then I’m attempting to try them all!  It’s a lifelong mission rather than a quick challenge!  I’d appreciate any suggestions for anything I’ve missed: http://thecraftersapprentice.blogspot.co.uk/p/challenges-for-2011.html

When you first started if you could have been given one piece of advice what would it have been and what advice would you pass on?

I don’t know.  There’s not much that I regret, I enjoy the mistakes as much as the successes – OK, so that’s not strictly true, but if I hadn’t made those mistakes, I perhaps wouldn’t have seen how a technique actually works.  My advice?  Try everything once.  Who knows?  It might become your passion, and don’t give in to “I can’t do it!” or “it’s too hard for me”, it’s not!

Where can we find you? (Contact details etc)

I blog over at http://thecraftersapprentice.blogspot.com.  My shop is found at www.folksy.com/shops/fatbunnydesigns.  I tend to keep the two separate and don’t really talk much about my shop on my blog, I can’t stand blogs that are one big advert, though I appreciate that people wish to make use of their blog as a marketing platform.

Wedding Stationery

 

Discussion: What makes a good Craft Fair?

Craft Fairs, Craft & Gifts Fairs, Handmade & Vintage Fairs, Fetes,  Festivals, whatever they are called, they all can offer a great opportunity to get out there and meet the public face to face and show off and sell your crafts.  It is a totally different experience from selling your crafts on-line.

But to sell at fairs, you do have to consider all the costs involved!  First, there can be a charge for a stall, this can be from as little as £5, although the average for a stall from my experience is approximately £25-£35 per day depending on the size of the event. There are some organisers who will ask for a percentage of your takings on the day instead of charging a straight fee, which is OK if you don’t expect to sell much but can be quite expensive if you do.  Lastly, if you are considering selling at a festival over a few days you could be looking at far greater charges, which are usually negotiable depending on the size of your pitch and what you are selling.

Next there is the cost of getting there to consider, petrol/mileage and the possible cost of overnight stays if the event is further away or over a few days?  Then there are the costs involved in just setting up your stall (although some of these may be one-offs); you may have to purchase a table, a strong gazebo (suitable for rain and wind), table covers, display items, lighting, labels, business cards, banner, bags and cash box etc.  Lastly there are the other sundry costs on the day, for instance, drinks, food and not forgetting that there is the temptation to buy from other stalls, especially the cake stall!!.

So a Craft Fair can be an expensive business and can take a lot of planning, time and effort too for both the organiser and stallholder!  The least the stallholder can expect is a well advertised and organised event, lots of people and hopefully they sell enough to make a profit.  And the Organiser hopes the stallholders turn up, enough people visit the event, people are happy with the organisation and they don’t make a loss.

But in reality, many events are poorly attended, stallholders are not happy and sometimes make little or no profit, the Organiser makes no profit and usually the whole blame can rest on their shoulders.  It’s not easy being an Event Organiser!

So why is this?

• Poor or lack of advertising?

Rosewood Crafts commented on the TCN page: “I feel there is a trend of charity events booking craft stalls but not advertising that we are there. The only conciliation being that your stall fee has gone to charity. Anyone else experienced this? I am not suggesting expensive posters etc just a few handmade ones posted around locally would suffice”.

• Poor Location?
• Not enough stalls?
• Not enough variety of stalls?
• Bad organisation?
• Lack of interest?
• Stallholders don’t turn up?
• It’s a new unproven event?
• The organiser has been given misleading information?

To be honest, it could be any of the above or none of them, all I know is I wouldn’t want to be a Craft Fair organiser in this current economic climate!  You will not know this, but last year The Crafty Network did consider organising a craft fair and it is not easy or cheap, believe me!  Our first stumbling block was trying to find that perfect location, a venue big enough and cost-effective enough to make it worthwhile, we didn’t want to start small, we were thinking of at least 50 stalls!!  But after considering all the costs; for the venue, event insurance, table hire, advertising & marketing and the amount of time and effort that would be involved, we decided not to go ahead with it!  We didn’t even look into it to make a profit, we just wanted to break even, but we were not sure we could even achieve this. So if you think Organisers of craft events are in it just for the money, think again!

So what does make a good Craft Fair?

(One, where I have massive crowds around my stall, I sell all my stock, take orders and I make loads of money, but then I wake up!!)

I really don’t know, my personal experiences at selling at Craft Fairs have been mixed, most I’m happy if I break even or make a little profit, although recently I’ve made a few losses.  I’ve never paid more than £35 for a craft stall and the maximum I would pay would be around £50. I’ve also made the decision not to travel too far, for one it’s usually a very early start and the further you go there’s more fuel expenses.

I look forward to every event I do and usually spend the week leading up to it organising my stock, practicing my layout, labelling, photographing and packing everything away and most importantly telling everyone about the event on my FB page etc.  Some of my best events have been the ones I’ve least expected to do well at and the ones I’ve had great expectations for have been a bit of a flop.   I’ve been to some great locations where you would think a craft fair would be perfect but not enough people have showed up and yes they were advertised well, but the one thing you can’t do is force the public to turn up and buy.   This is so disheartening for everyone concerned.   But when you do an event that is busy and you get to talk to people and hand out business cards and they make lovely comments and buy from you, then it makes it all worth while.  You learn something from every event you attend, good or bad.

But, if I am allowed one criticism about some fairs,  I believe it is that some organisers are put under pressure to fill their event and in doing so have booked too many stalls selling similar products.  I believe 2 stalls selling similar items is healthy competition and offers the buyer’s choice but when buyers are faced with 5 or 6 stalls all trying to sell similar items, this can put them off even looking at one and in the end nobody wins, it’s not good for the stallholder or the buying public.  I also feel sometimes there isn’t enough variety of stalls to encourage the public to look around a fair and could be one factor why some regular craft events don’t do that well either.  I say this from a buyers point of view and a sellers!

So that’s my experience and opinion.  I’d now love to hear from you and hear about your experiences, I’d also be really interested in gaining your feedback on a number of questions I’ve jotted down for you to consider, I’m hoping to write another post later based on Craft fair good practice for the Seller and Organiser, so your feedback would really help and if you have any other points that could be included please let me know:

1.  Do you think the stall fee should be paid prior to the event or on the day of the event?

[The reason I ask this, I saw a post on a Forum a few days ago about bogus Craft Fairs.  Some stallholders had pre-booked and paid for an event, but when they turned up on the day the venue knew nothing about the event.  The Organiser could not be traced and the stallholders lost their money.

But from the organisers viewpoint, if an Organiser only collects the fee on the day, they risk the stall holders not turning up as they have made no commitment.  The organiser could potentially be out-of-pocket due to paying out for the venue, insurance, advertising and catering and the event looks half empty which is no good for anyone!

I would not want this to put people off booking and paying for an event, just make sure you do some checking first, talk to the venue, other crafters and keep in regular contact with the organiser].

2.  How much would you be willing to pay for a stall, average to the maximum?

3.  Where would be the perfect location?

4.  Thinking from a buyers point of view, how many stalls would you expect to see at a Craft Fair?

5.  What do you think about the variety of stalls and limiting it to one or two selling the same type of products, ie. jewellery, cards, cakes, soaps?

6.  When is a craft fair not a craft fair?

7.  What are your opinions on Craft fairs (Advertised as Craft & Gift Fairs) selling mass-produced (not handmade) gift items?

8.  Do you think the organiser asking for an entry fee is a good idea or do you think this can put the public off?

9.  Many stallholders moan that an event wasn’t advertised well, so what advertising would you do or expect to see?

10.  Lastly, please share with us your experiences of selling at a Craft Fair or organising a craft fair?

To conclude, you must not look at Craft Fairs as a potential to make lots of money, although you could!   Look at them as a great opportunity to meet and network with other like-minded crafters, who can be very supportive and friendly and offer some great advice about other fairs, displays, pricing etc.  But, the most valuable is feedback from the public, take the time to talk to people, ask their opinions, let them touch, try on or taste your products, tell them about how you made the items and you will find most of them will be very interested and honest.  Even if you don’t make many sales, the potential to attract new customers and gain feedback can make the whole experience worthwhile.

For more information, hints & tips on selling at Craft Fairs, see our page http://thecraftynetwork.wordpress.com/craft-fair-tips-advice/craft-fair-tips-advice/

Thanks for reading.

Linda x

(Please note, I am not an expert and these discussion posts are meant to encourage people to share their opinions and experiences and to agree or disagree with me, I don’t mind.  I like to look at everything to do with selling crafts as a learning experience and hopefully we can all learn from this).

 

Featured Crafter ~ Loutul

Hi, I hope you have all had a really good weekend, mine was very enjoyable. 

I thought I would start the week off with a featured crafter as I haven’t done one for over a week and this is one I particularly like. 

I always enjoy reading all the Featured crafter articles,  some have made me cry, some have made me chuckle, I’ve learned things and many have inspired me.   This feature by Louise Tullener is one of those inspirational and very interesting reads which I enjoyed reading and I love her work, I hope you enjoy it too?

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Tell us a bit about your background and your business?

My business name is extremely unimaginative – I may be able to create beautiful embroidered works of art and pewter repousse but I’m absolutely useless at naming things. I always use LouiseT as a username. When I wanted to register for something one day LouiseT was taken so the next best thing I could come up with was LouTul, my name being Louise Tullener, doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination as to where LouTul came from. At one stage I was thinking of having a competition on my blog to get a decent name for my shop but never got round to it. Its pretty difficult coming up with a descriptive name for two such totally different mediums, ie embroidery and pewter repousse.

I am a South African by birth and relocated to the UK a year ago with my English husband. My son lives in Birmingham and has done so for the last 12 years. He is married and has a family. As my daughter and her family emigrated to Australia there was nothing left for us in South Africa so we decided to move here. We’ve bought our own home in Redditch, Worcestershire. Hopefully my last move ever !

Tell us about what you make and what training and qualifications you have or needed?

I have two distinct lines I work in – one is embroidery and the other pewter repousse. I only started these two crafts about 3 years ago when my cousin introduced me to these art forms. I immediately fell in love with both. They are very therapeutic and relax me totally after a heavy work day. I am a business analyst by profession.

I’ll go into a bit of detail about the individual crafts as they are so very different

Embroidered Artwork

This is very different to the traditional embroidery that we all know. Instead of starting with a blank piece of fabric and embroidering the entire design, we start off with a pre-printed image. This can be just about anything your imagination will allow. I’ve done portraits, still life, landscapes etc. Now the exciting part starts, you decide which areas you want to highlight. You can do this with sewing using various kinds of thread and or ribbon. Embellishments are added, for example I’ve used little fish buttons for fish in water, miniature teddy bears, hats, birds anything that the picture calls for. This is a 3-dimensional multi-media form and is very eye-catching. I haven’t had any formal embroidery training but did attend classes at an embroidery school run by a very talented and successful embroiderer for probably 6 to 8 months prior to leaving South Africa for the United Kingdom.

Pewter Repousse

Another art form which is relatively unknown in the UK although it has undergone a major revival in South Africa and Australia. Pewter Repousse is the creation of 3 dimensional designs by embossing, raising or engraving thin sheets of pewter metal. The image is then filled from the back to prevent denting, ”aged” with a patina and finally polished to a rich antique-looking silver. What you can make with pewter is virtually endless – the only thing limiting you is your imagination. I have made framed sculptures, candle sleeves, decorative bottles, plaques, to mention a few. There are several academies and craft clubs in South Africa and I attended these craft clubs bi-monthly for about a year before relocating to the United Kingdom. I now teach pewter repousse to members of the Redditch Craft Club in Redditch.

Where do you sell/exhibit your work?

I have only been in the UK for 1 year now and am still trying to find my feet. I would love to exhibit my embroidered artwork in a gallery or craft studio as I think they are rather difficult to sell on-line as you don’t get the full effect of the 3-D or the workmanship. Prior to relocating to the UK I never thought about selling my artwork – I made them primarily for the love of the craft. I had a huge home and had plenty places to display them. I also did a lot for my children and other family members. At the moment I sell my work through my Folksy and Etsy shops and in a gallery in Worcester.

My immediate goal is to locate appropriate galleries and/or craft centres where I can exhibit and sell my embroidered artwork. The pewter repousse is an easier product to sell on-line as it is not as intricate as the embroidery. As with my embroidery I sell through Folksy, Etsy and the Worcester gallery. I would like to continue selling through the on-line stores but would also like to sell through selective craft shops and/or galleries.

As with most crafters/artisans I find it incredibly difficult to sell myself. I recently joined the Redditch Craft Club and one of the ladies is doing a bang-up job on promoting my items! We went shopping for bottles to be pewtered and no trouble to her, decided to approach the store owners with the view of displaying my pewter embossed bottles in their store. They are an up-market farm stall who has a section for crafted items. Well now it’s up to me - when the responsible person returns from vacation in a week’s time I will be contacting her to show her my products.

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Tell us about some of your favourite or most challenging pieces and what inspired you to make them?  

Choosing a favourite piece is rather difficult I’m afraid because each one is a favourite in its own right. I’ll do the embroidery items first.

Marion – Portrait of a beautiful lady.

This definitely numbers as one of my favourites. I fell in love with the photo of this lady the minute I saw it and just knew that I had to embroider her. It was one of those “moments” where I knew immediately how I was going to do her and everything went so smoothly from printing time right through to framing time. It took me a long time to decide to put her up for sale. My embroidered work is all one-of-a-kind and I do not intend redoing any one design so when she’s sold she’s gone. I’m not too sure how I’ll feel when she does go – very happy that someone likes her enough to buy her but also sad to see her go.

Another favourite is the drawing room.

This is truly a multi-media piece. Again the image is pre-printed onto the fabric. This one was far more challenging because of the scene. There is wooden flooring, a beautiful wooden sideboard, lacy curtains, a screen and a number of other challenging items to test your creative skills. I chose this one because it’s a beautiful scene and I wanted to test my abilities. I never tire of looking at it – there is so much going on in this picture that you cannot get bored with it. I mentioned earlier about the embellishments I use to create the 3-dimensional aspect. Well, this picture has it all – a miniature teddy bear sticking out the drawer, miniature hats on the floor, real velvet on the chair, the teapot and cup, the newspaper and reading spectacles on the table. The lead crystal lamp on the table has been done in a metallic thread and has resulted in a lamp that is so realistic. Each flower on the screen has been embroidered by hand (all the embroidery is by hand – no machine embroidery at all) with a very fine silk thread. The patchwork blanket hanging out the drawer was done with a very fine rayon thread and all the crockery in the cupboard was done with metallic thread to give a bit of glamour to the cupboard. Silk ribbon flowers and leaves finish off the scene.

My favourite pewter item has to be this owl for no other reason than I love Owls. They are fascinating birds. In the village we lived in in South Africa had an owl sanctuary. The owls were not kept in captivity but remained within the village. Our home bordered on a nature reserve and the owls always sat on our balcony watching out for field mice. They would swoop down into the garden to catch whatever they saw and many a time our dogs were outside and we were always amazed that the owls and the dogs seemed to get on pretty well.

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

I get my inspiration from everything around me really. I’m always looking at things with a view to either embroidering or pewtering them. I think if something stands still for long enough I’d probably want to pewter it. A pretty picture could be a portrait, a landscape, a still life anything immediately triggers the desire to embroider it. As a matter of fact a fellow on-line seller who is a photographer listed a particularly lovely photo which he sent me electronically. I have since printed it onto fabric and am currently busy embroidering it. Can’t show you yet (lol) as I promised him he would be the first one to see it!

What motivates you?

The answer to this is strangely enough what inspires me – a pretty picture is enough to get me embroidering. Besides I hate sitting idle – I find it such a waste of time. There are so many things on my list that I still want to pewter and embroider that all I have to do is open one of the cupboards in my craft room and there’s something in there begging to come out.

What piece of equipment could you not live without or which is your favourite and why?

This is a hugely difficult question to answer because of there being the two main lines so I guess I’ll have to select something that applies to both which is my computer setup. Without that I wouldn’t be able to set out my embroidery pictures nor do many of my pewter designs. I can’t draw at all so I need my drawing tools!

What are your goals/plans for the future?  

My goals for the future are to sell my embroidered art work through successful galleries in the UK and to make bespoke one of a kind pictures for private customers either through the galleries or on-line. I intend opening my own on-line store during the next month or two where I will offer OOAK embroidered art pieces and exclusive pewter repousse.

When you first started if you could have been given one piece of advice what would it have been and what advice would you pass on?

Start young, learn as much as you can from experts in your field and absorb whatever you can learn and most important of all – practice and don’t give up on yourself.

Where can we find you?  (Contact details etc)

I work from home which is at 50 Caynham Close, Winyates West, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 0JF United Kingdom.

You can find me at my Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Loutul, my Folksy shop http://folksy.com/shops/Loutul,  My Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Loutul/187570711350803 and my blog  http://loutul.wordpress.com/

 

Mini Challenge ~ “Days of Mai” And the Winner is…..

Before announcing the winner I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that entered this challenge, to me you are all winners.  This has been one of our best challenges yet for entries and it has certainly proved to be a very difficult decision for all those who have voted, all entries were exceptional, I’m so glad I didn’t have to choose!

I would also like to thank all those who voted, without you it wouldn’t be much of a competition.  So thank you for your support.

So the votes have been counted and verified and it now gives me great pleasure to announce the WINNER  and RUNNERS UP of this Challenge:

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YOWE  (WINNER)

No. 7 Bluebell inspired Bag (By Yowe)

And the Runners Up are:

STARDUST GLASS FUSING (RUNNER UP)

No. 10 Little Lamb Window Hanging (By Stardust Glass Fusing)

AND

ELLABELLA ALL THINGS CRAFTY  (JOINT 3RD RUNNER UP)

No. 14 Looking forward to Summer Cushion (By: Ellabella All Things Crafty)

HANDCRAFTED BY PICTO (JOINT 3rd RUNNER UP)

 

No. 19 Green Man Canvas (Oak Apple) (By: Handcrafted by Picto)

 

I will be uploading these photos to our Gallery soon and all photos to our Facebook page with their links.

I hope you can join us again for the next Mini Challenge which will be week commencing the 28th May.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

Linda x

 

MINI CHALLENGE ~ Days of Mai Entries ~ Please Vote!

Welcome to The Crafty Network Mini Challenge Voting Post.  We are now asking for people to VOTE for any of the below entries, so we can declare a Winner and 2 Runners Up.

(Not sure what this is all about, then please visit: http://thecraftynetwork.wordpress.com/gallery/wednesday-mini-challenge-rules/ ) and see details about the theme of this challenge in the previous post.

Firstly I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone that has entered, 19 extremely talented people rose to this challenge and sent in a fantastic selection of photos.  I love how you have all interpreted the facts about May I posted, either using them to inspire your item or telling me what inspires you about May and your designs, I am so impressed.

Now the Voting! 

In order to declare a WINNER of this Competition, we need YOU our lovely Followers to comment below this post quoting the No. of the photo you like best.  For those of you who are undecided, you can vote for more than one, but please limit it to choosing just 3.

ie. No. 1 = 3pts (first choice),   No. 2 = 2pts (2nd choice), No. 6 = 1pt (3rd choice).

If you pick just one, this will count as 3 points.

You can also send in your votes via email if you wish to:  thecraftynetwork@gmail.com

(Please Note:  The Crafty Network, will not use or retain your email addresses for any marketing purposes and once the vote has been counted, your emails will be deleted).

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The voting will close at 7PM on FRIDAY and the winner with the most points will be announced at 8.00PM, along with the 2 runners-up.

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Thank you & Good luck with your choices, I know this a really hard decision.

Please click on the first photo and this will take you to a bigger view of the photos.  (Sometimes this can take a little while to load, sorry!)

No. 1. Hey Diddle Diddle Canvas (Cow inspiration) (Submitted by Dorothy & Theodore)

No. 2 Lovely & Bright Handmade Birthday Card (By Say It)

No. 3 “April Showers Bring May Flowers” Crystal Flower Necklace (By Fat Bunny Designs)

No. 4 Flower Clutch Bag (It’s also Mothers Day in Spain in May) (By The Old School Club)

No. 5 Unakite Pendant “A Garden in Bloom” (By Quirky Quartz)

No. 6 Blossom Jewellery Set (By Made by Melissa)

No. 7 Bluebell inspired Bag (By Yowe)

No. 8 Apple for the Teacher Purses (By Peartree Boutique)

No. 9 Lily of The Valley Soap (By Somerset Garden)

No. 10 Little Lamb Window hanger, inspired by Spring (By Stardust Glass Fusing)

No. 11 Ladybird Cuddle Cape & Hat (By Lisa Janes Cards & Crafts)

No. 12 Daisy, Daisy Pendant (By Inside The Jewellery Box)

No. 13 Book Apple (By: Made By Adele)

No. 14 Looking forward to Summer Cushion (By: Ellabella All Things Crafty)

No. 15 Dragonfly Vases (By: Rosewood Crafts)

No. 16 Upcycled Blue Jeans Bag, Levi connection (By: Bags By Louise)

No. 17 Cowparsley Ladybird Photograph (By: Susan Guy Photography)

No. 18 Lily of the Valley Inspired Earrings (By: Ring O Roses Jewellery)

No. 19 Green Man Canvas (Oak Apple) (By: Handcrafted by Picto)

LINKS TO ALL THE ENTRIES:

No.1     Submitted by Dorothy & Theodore (Hey Diddle Diddle Canvas) www.dorothyandtheodore.com  Item location: http://www.dorothyandtheodore.com/art-and-photographs/hey-diddle-diddle-nursery-rhyme-canvas.html

No. 2    SAY IT (Lovely & Bright Handmade Birthday Card)  Item location: http://folksy.com/items/3136790-Baku-birthday-card

No. 3    FAT BUNNY DESIGNS (April Showers, bring May Flowers Crystal Flower Necklace) http://www.facebook.com/FatBunnyDesigns  http://www.folksy.com/shops/FatBunnyDesigns

No. 4    THE OLD SCHOOL CLUB (Flower Clutch Bag – inspired by Spanish Mothers Day) website: www.theoldschoolclub.co.uk   blog: www.theoldschoolclub.blogspot.co.uk
fb: The Old School Club  (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Old-School-Club/206731352694030)

No. 5    QUIRKY QUARTZ (Unakite Pendant ~ A Garden in Bloom) www.quirkyquartz.com/unakite-pendant.html  www.facebook.com/QuirkyQuartz

No. 6    MADE BY MELISSA (Blossom Jewellery Set) Www.madedbymeissa.co.uk

No. 7    YOWE (Bluebell Inspired Bag) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yowe/135502869895054?ref=ts

No. 8    THE PEARTREE BOUTIQUE (Apple for the teacher purses) https://www.facebook.com/ThePeartreeBoutique?ref=ts  Website: http://www.thepeartreeboutique.com/ Folksy: http://folksy.com/shops/ThePeartreeBoutique

No. 9    SOMERSET GARDEN (Lily of the Valley Soap) www.facebook.com/somersetgarden Item location: http://www.somersetgarden.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1874955-Lily-Soap.html

No. 10  STARDUST GLASS FUSING (Little Lamb Window Hanger) www.stardustglassfusing.co.uk

No. 11  LISA JANES CARDS & CRAFTS (Ladybird Cuddle Cape & Hat) https://www.facebook.com/lisajanescardsandcrafts Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lisajanes

No. 12  INSIDE THE JEWELLERY BOX (Daisy Daisy Pendant) www.facebook.com/insidethejewellerybox  http://insidethejewellerybox.blogspot.co.uk/
www.inside-the-jewellery-box.co.uk

No. 13  MADE BY ADELE (Book Apple) Folksy: www.folksy.com/MadebyAdele

No. 14  ELLABELLA ALL THINGS CRAFTY (Looking forward to Summer Cushion) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellabella-all-things-crafty/199880876751311?ref=ts

No. 15  ROSEWOOD CRAFTS (Dragonfly Vases) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosewood-Crafts/204064066273259?ref=ts

No. 16  BAGS BY LOUISE (Upcycled Blue Jeans Bag) http://www.etsy.com/shop/BagsbyLouise  http://www.facebook.com/handmadelouise

No. 17  SUSAN GUY PHOTOGRAPHY (Cow parsley Ladybird) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Guy-Photography/257394887632685
http://susanguyphotography.zenfolio.com

No. 18 RING O ROSES JEWELLERY (Lily of The Valley Vintage Wedding Inspired Earrings) www.ringorosesjewellery.co.uk  www.facebook.com/ringoroses  http://www.etsy.com/shop/RingORosesJewellery  www.ringorosesjewellery.blogspot.com

No. 19  HANDCRAFTED BY PICTO (Green Man Canvas)  https://www.facebook.com/HandcraftedbyPicto  http://handcraftedbypicto.blogspot.co.uk/

 

The Crafty Network ~ 16th May Mini Challenge “Days of Mai”

Hello and Welcome, to the announcement of this weeks Mini Challenge Competition.

It is a bit of an unusual one this week as I was struggling to come up with a good theme.  But after seeking some inspiration from the internet, I came across some interesting and unusual facts about the Month of May.

Did you know?

• May is named after the Greek God Maia. the goddess of fertility
• It was first called May in about 1430, until then it was known as Maius, Mayes or Mai.
• The Gemstone for May is an Emerald
• The Flower for May is the Lily of the Valley
• The first day of May is known as May Day and it’s supposed to be the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom.  People celebrate this by dancing around May Poles, Morris Dancing and crowning a May Queen.
• The Anglo Saxons called May ‘Tri-Milchi, as at this time of year cows could be milked 3 times a day.
• According to the early Roman calendar, May was the third month of the year until the Romans used January 1st as the beginning of the year.
• Getting married in May was believed to be unlucky? “Marry in May and you will rue the day”
• Being born in May was thought to produce a sickly child
• Never buy a broom in May or wash blankets: “Wash a blanket in May, Wash a dear one away”.
• The Romans believed the 15^th May was the birthday of Mercury, the messenger and son of Zeus who could travel with speed of thought.  His festival, celebrated on this day, was called Mercuralia and was a time for merchants to sprinkle their goods and their heads with water from a well dedicated to Mercury.
• Mercury is a source of many words, especially market, merchandise, merchant and merciful.
• Wednesday is Mercury’s day.  (French for Wednesday is Mercredi, see the likeness?)
• Oak Apple Day (Pinch-Bum Day) is celebrated on the 29^th May, on this day it is a tradition to wear oak apples or oak leaves pinned to you to celebrate the return of King Charles II to London after he is said to have hidden inside an Oak Tree from Cromwell’s Soldiers.  Until well into the 20^th century anyone caught not wearing an oak leaf or oak apple could be pinched, kicked or otherwise abused.  Whipping with nettles was a favourite punishment, hence in some places it was also called Nettle Day.
• In the USA, they celebrate Mothers Day on the second Sunday in May.
• On the 20th May 1873 Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received the patent for blue jeans.
• On the 15^th May, L Frank Baum the author of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ was born.
• It’s Scout Community Week this week, (this used to be known as Bob a Job week!)
• Monday 14th May was World Fair Trade Day.
• The Crafty Network Facebook Page was one year old on the 13th May.
• The Olympic Torch Relay starts this week on the 18th May.
• And, lastly on a personal note, it’s my Birthday in May, on the 20th!

So the theme for this Week is “Days of Mai”  I would like you to take inspiration from any of the facts mentioned above.  Or it can be whatever May means to you? Please interpret this however you wish, remember it must be handmade.  I really can’t wait to see what you all come up with, I just hope it’s not too much of a challenge!

All entries to be emailed to: thecraftynetwork@gmail.com to be received no later than Wednesday the 16th May at 12 midnight (GMT time).  Only one entry per person/business.  For the full rules please visit this link Mini Challenge Rules.

Thanks & Good luck.

Linda x

 

Featured Crafter ~ Yowe

Welcome to our Featured crafter article on Yowe, our recent winner of the ‘Make Me Smile’ Mini Challenge.  Alison was thrilled to be voted as the winner. I love this article as Alison, rather than just tell us about what inspires some of her creations she has shown us and they are truly incredible, I love her bags and a girl can never have too many bags!

Tell us a bit about your background and your business?

Although I’ve dabbled in many crafts purely as a hobby throughout my life, it was only when I was made redundant from my job in 2011 that, thanks to the support of my husband, I went into crafting full-time. I had just recently been bitten by the felt making bug and although I was pretty sure this would form a major part of my product range, I was a reluctant to paint myself into a corner by using the actual word “felt” in my business name. That’s when I decided on the term wool creations. That gave me scope to include knitting, crocheting etc as long as I used wool based yarn.

As I am based in the beautiful city of Stirling in Scotland, I hoped that I would be able to tap into the tourist market. For that reason I decided I’d like the business name to reflect my Scottish heritage. I began searching a dictionary of old Scots words and when I came across the term “yowe” (rhymes with now) which is an old Scottish word for a ewe, I thought it sounded perfect. One of my daughters is a graphic designer and came up with the fabulous logo for me. I love it!

Tell us about what training and qualifications you have or needed?

I don’t have any formal training in arts and crafts, just a lifelong passion for it. Until last year I spent my working life as a scientist. But you know, in some ways crafting isn’t so very different from science. As crafters, aren’t we also fascinated in the outcome of trying new things? Aren’t we always striving for improvement?  It’s that drive to create something even better that keeps me motivated.

Tell us about what you make and where you sell/exhibit your work?

I make a range of unique hand crafted gift and accessories e.g. bags, scarves, jewellery etc. all of which are all wool based. I use a lot of different techniques such as wet felting, needle felting, nuno felting, knitting/crochet then fulling, machine stitching wool, etc. I still have a lot of new areas I’d like explore in using wool.

I was fortunate last year to be offered a small exhibition of my work in the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. I was very grateful for this opportunity, especially as it came so early on in my crafting career.  At the moment I have a selection of my work featured in display cases at a couple of nearby venues, Linlithgow Burgh Halls, and the Howden Park Art Centre, Livingston. I also sell at local craft fairs and that is something I particularly enjoy. It’s great having a chance to interact with customers and take on board all of their comments. I also sell via an online store on my website www.yowe.co.uk

Where do you find your creative inspiration?

Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint where my ideas come from. I realise that something must initially spark off the thought process but it often feels like it happens subconsciously. When an idea hits me I’ll scribble down some notes on paper, or ideally, I’ll actually make a start on it. The fun part of the process is seeing how it develops as I go along. Invariably the finished product bears little resemblance to my initial idea!

A selection of little memo pads (strands of wool machine stitched on to a felt background)

I love working with bold colours and I also like to introduce textural effects into my work.

A couple of needle felted brooches

I also pick up a lot of inspiration from my travels. I have just recently returned from a trip to Guatemala which was absolutely fantastic. What an array of wonderful colours and textiles there was everywhere. My head is crammed full of new ideas!

Tell us about some of your favourite or most challenging pieces and what inspired you to make them, is there a story behind them?  

I think my favourite items are the handbags. Every Yowe bag is different. I hand knit or crochet them using mostly pure wool but I add a few choice synthetic yarns for texture. Next, I felt the bags to give extra body and durability. Finally, I put a lot of care into choosing a complementary fabric to line them. The overall creation is a one of a kind fashion statement!

I have two different ranges of bags, standard and “Chit Chat”. Sometimes the yarns are simply chosen based on colour and texture combinations I enjoy and I knit away as the mood takes me. By the time I have finished the bag a name has usually popped into my head!

My “Chit Chat” range is a bit more exclusive, as each bag comes with its own little story. Using photographs I have taken on my travels as inspiration, I choose an appropriate colour scheme and attempt to convey the overall feeling of the photo into the design of the bag. It occurred to me that if I printed a copy of my actual photograph on the bag label, people might enjoy seeing how the bag had been developed. Here are a few of examples showing bags and the front of their labels (the reverse of the label contains aftercare instructions).

I have also made a few bespoke items for customers. This can be quite challenging but it is also very satisfying.

What piece of equipment could you not live without or which is your favourite and why?

I don’t actually use a lot of equipment in my crafting. I appreciate my sewing machine for making the linings of my bags, though I then sew them in by hand. However, my sewing machine might feature a bit more prominently in future work, if I can bring to fruition all the ideas that are buzzing about my head! Of course, crochet hooks, knitting needles and bubble wrap (for the felting) are all fairly essential to my work.

What are your goals/plans for the future?

I’m very happy with my new lifestyle. I enjoy all the different aspects of it… the crafting, the marketing and also selling at craft fairs. One area I would like to improve upon, however, is channelling more traffic to my website. I hope that might result in a boost to my online sales. It’s my fairly modest goal that one day I’ll be able to surprise my husband with a holiday completely funded by my crafting!

Where can we find you? (Contact details etc)

You can find my website at www.yowe.co.uk  I also have a business Facebook page simply called Yowe.  So, if you’re looking for a special gift for someone, or would simply like to treat yourself, why not have a browse through my unique wool creations.

Thanks for reading.

 

May 2012 Craft Magazine Reviews

Welcome to our new regular monthly post on this months Craft Magazines. 

I hope you will understand it is not possible for us to write a review of every Craft/ Jewellery / Card Magazine available each month as there are a lot of Craft magazines out there!  But we will try to write about the magazines we usually buy as well as review mags that look interesting that month.  This also could be a very expensive task for just me if I had to buy every magazine available, so I am asking for some help please?

If you regularly buy or subscribe to a craft magazine and would be interested in writing a short or long review of it each month then I would love to hear from you.  I have already recruited the help of Diane, who you might know from the ‘Crafters Journey’ posts and together in our own individual styles (ie. Diane writes loads and I keep it brief, sometimes!) we will review the magazines that we regularly buy.

So this month we will be reviewing:

• Issue 41 Making Jewellery  (Linda)
• Issue 4 Creative Stamping  (Linda)
• Issue 105 Card Making & Papercrafts (Diane)
• Issue 11 Craft Seller (Diane)
• Spring 2012 Wirework (Linda)

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Issue 41 ~ June 2012 ~  MAKING JEWELLERY (Price £4.99) Out Monthly

I know there are quite a few Jewellery magazines to choose from, but I do tend to buy this one every month.  One of the main reasons is that it’s available in my local supermarket, so I usually just add it to my shopping basket.  But I also really like it, as it has a good variety of projects for all skill levels, including wirework, beading, polymer clay, silver clay, silversmithing, glass lampwork and it also looks at the current trends, colours and styles on the high street, which I find very useful when making jewellery.  It has give aways, product reviews and very useful tips and technique guides. There is also an additional supplement this month which includes 18 stylish earring projects.

Favourite Projects:  (It is very hard to choose as there are 35 to choose from!)

1.  Spring Daisy (pg 6):  Wirework & bead necklace (easy)

Those that know me, will know I like making flowers and designing them into my jewellery so this is right up my street.  Doesn’t look like a daisy though!  I like the twisted wirework with the beads and I will definitely be having a go at this.

2.  Pretty Buds (pg 26):  Another Wirework & Bead necklace (Intermediate)

I thought this one looked interesting to have a go at, also I have a thing-a-ma-jig that I’ve hardly used which I might be able to use for something like this!

3. Wrap Bracelets (pg 28):  Cord, bead/button wrap bracelets

As I quite like macrame work in jewellery, I thought this might be something a bit different to have a go at and you can use up some spare beads in the process.

4. Statement Style (pg 48): Polymer Clay & Gold leaf earrings (intermediate)

I do like working with Polymer Clay, so I thought combining this with gold leaf would be an interesting project to try, although I don’t actually like these earrings I thought the technique is worth a try.

5.  Rainbow Pendant (pg 50): Sterling Silver sheet and semi precious gemstones (advanced)

I keep saying I would love to be able to work with silver, but at the moment it is something I aspire to, so I chose this project just because I like the look of the pendant and the design idea.

Favourite Features:

1.  10 Questions (pg 24):  Elaine Cox, richly textured and sculptural jewellery maker

2.  Be Elegant (pg 44):  How four designers came up with individual designs using The Beadsmiths new Elegant Elements clasps range.  It just goes to show how different some jewellery makers can be.

Favourite Regulars:

1. Colour & Style (pg 20):  Looks at this months hottest trends. (very bright and colourful!)

2.  Business Matters (pg 34):  Where to start if you want to write a book on your jewellery skills.  Interesting if you ever fancied writing your own book about your crafts.

3.  Best of the Web (pg 40):  Includes one my favourite on-line stores Beads Direct.

Conclusion:

I always feel inspired by this magazine, it’s always bright and colourful and not too cluttered with adds, but the ‘adds’ that are there I find are a good source of inspiration too.  I see this magazine as being more than just a jewellery mag, which is what I think makes it stand out a bit from some of the others. The way they look at fashion for inspiration and offer a good variety of step by step projects, makes you want to have a go.  The regular features are interesting and informative and there are always a couple of pages of fabulous giveaways to try and win.  This month there is also a feature on A Cubelite Kit (pg 81), a perfect set up for taking great photos of your jewellery (something I am very interested in).  In next months issue they will be giving one away! (I want it, so please don’t enter!)

Next issue on Sale 31 May.

SCORE:  9/10

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ISSUE 4:  CREATIVE STAMPING MAGAZINE (£5.99) (Issued every 3 months)

This is the second time I have bought this magazine, for those of you who remember I did a review on Issue 3 and I was really happy with the free gift of a stamp set worth £20.  This issue is no different and includes another free stamp set for HIM this time.  All the stamps are male biased, just perfect for fathers day or if you have to make something for a dad, brother or son. I love them!  The magazine is worth buying just for the stamps alone, but it also includes some fabulous projects using the free stamps for inspiration.

Favourite Projects:

1.  No. 1 Bunting Frame (pg 16)  A decorated and distressed photo frame for him.

I thought this looked like a fab project to have a go at and it is so unusual to find things that are suitable for men.  I love the bunting effect and the use of the free stamps.  I’ve already used the stamps to make a box (I’m in to making boxes at the moment!).

2. Terrific Toppers (pg 34): 

Although I’m not a card maker I do feel inspired to have a go at making one of these cards for my Dad.  I especially like the Dad card, bottom left.

3. Distressed Effects (pg 36)

I’m always up for a bit of distressing and I do feel inspired to try these effects out on my mixed media course, but I don’t think I will make it into a card, I might try using the effect on a gift tag or on a canvas.

4. Digital Decoupage (pg 45) Birthday wishes. 

I do like how this card has been put together and how it has been layered.  I can definitely see me having a play with this technique.

Conclusion:

It feels like a lot slimmer magazine than Making Jewellery, but it is crammed with projects and features, enough to probably keep you busy until the next issue.  I still find most of the projects are for card makers, which is a good thing if you like making cards, (It should be renamed Creative ‘Card’ Stamping), this was one of my criticisms in my last review, but I am glad to see in this issue there are 3 projects for using your stamps on 3 different gift ideas, I would still like to see more.  Now that I appreciate distressing, embossing, die cutting a bit more due to the mixed media course I am taking, I am finding I am intrigued with some of the techniques and will certainly give them a go.

Next Issue on Sale 13th July 2012.

SCORE: As a non card maker 6/10 - but for the free gift 10/10

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 ISSUE 105 CARDMAKING & PAPERCRAFTS ~June 2012 (£4.99) Out monthly

Ok, so I’ve entered the competition to win £1000 worth of Fancy Pants designs goodies; I’ve entered a card for the milestone card challenge and I really do want to enter the Big Shot machine competition but I really should get on with this article.

I was told that I don’t need to write too much but that is going to be difficult for me. The June issue arrived on my doorstep this morning whilst I was vacuuming the kitchen floor. Now there’s a dilemma; do I stop to read the magazine or continue cleaning? Unfortunately ‘him indoors’ is working from home, so I have to look efficient and continue the cleaning. I’ve just had half an hour sitting and looking through it. I was trying to think of an adequate way of describing the magazine for you all and I’m failing badly other than it’s BRILLIANT! Jam packed with information, helpful hints, competitions and guess what; not full of ‘in your face’ adverts. There are adverts in it but I find them quite useful and that’s quite a statement from me as I really cannot tolerate any form of advertising, anywhere.

This is a good month to review for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that it has yet another free paper collection. Last month we got a gorgeous 6x6in Pink Paislee Spring Jubilee paper pack with embellishments which I loved. This month Raspberry Road Designs by Susan Darter have included 48 designs in an A4 booklet. It’s really practical as even the front and the back covers of the booklet have design papers on the back so can be used. Not only are the papers included but inside the magazine you will find instructions by Dawn Phillips on how to make some cards with them.

There are also four ‘basic’ papers inside the magazine too and some ideas on how to use those.

They have a brilliant website too which allows you to download more pdf copies of the papers. So if you particularly like one, you can print it onto your favourite cardstock and make as many things as you like with it. Result!

Leonie Pujol (a presenter on Create and Craft t.v channel) does an article every month which is very interesting about her crafty life and she also does instructions for a project in the article.

You want hints and tips? Help from experts? Templates, freebies; find out what’s new in the crafting world? This mag has it all. Do you want to share your story or learn how to recycle with lollipop sticks or….. Oh dear, I’d better stop there or Linda will be editing this piece in half! (No Diane you have put me to shame and made me think I need to go and re-write mine, but it’s now too late!)

I really hope that I have inspired you and helped you to realise what great value this magazine is for £4.99 or better still go and order a subscription and get a FREE gift – the one ending today (sorry to torment you) is a Wild Rose Studio set ‘Bella’ of papers and stamps. It all depends on when you subscribe as to what gift you receive.

If I never receive another magazine again (which I most definitely will do as I have a subscription) I would still have masses of inspiration at my fingertips for years to come.

Score = 11/10  – sorry, couldn’t possibly give lower score than that.

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ISSUE 11: CRAFT SELLER ~ June 2012 (£4.99)  Issued monthly

Where to start? How to end? Considering that this is a new magazine on the market; this is only it’s eleventh edition, this magazine has a really professional feel to it. There were a few reasons why I subscribed to it. The first reason is because I’m seriously considering starting up a new craft business and I want to be around as many inspirational people as possible in both the crafty world and the business world. This magazine provides that in an instant. I also wanted a broader range of crafts rather than purely paper crafts, of which I get in abundance thankfully in the Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. I love to make a range of projects and this magazine ranges from a crown tea cosy pattern; a Mr & Mrs tapestry design; a recipe for Bakewell tarts and full photo instructions on how to make a bezel ring.

My favourite crafty article this month is the felt bouquet – one day I WILL get time to make one at least of those – thanks so much to Jess from bettyoctopus.

Some of the business related articles this month are about how to use Pinterest to assist your business and ‘Fair Game’ which provides some top tips for successful trading at craft fairs. A regular article is called ‘Diary of a Craft Seller’ which is very interesting; this month’s is about Laura who runs a shop and does workshops there too as well as keeping her family together amongst it all. They are about real people doing real things, which is very inspiring for me. I love reading about how people manage things to make everything work. There is another article about three crafters and how ‘”they’ve gone from the kitchen table to carving a successful business in the wedding market”.  (Diane,! You forgot to mention The Crafty Network Blog was recommended in this mag, on page 11, yes I know I’ve already told everyone, but just in case anyone missed it!  Also, Diane, I saw your name on that page too?)

There is also a gift every month; this month’s is a little brooch making kit. You also get free papers inside the magazine. None of those are brilliant in my opinion but it all adds to the feel good value.

The magazine costs £4.99 in the shops but please subscribe, even if only for three months, as that will get you the magazine at almost half the cost and direct to your letter box.

Score = 9/10 – that’s purely because I don’t think the monthly gifts are great, which is rather harsh of me I know but it’s my honest opinion. I definitely loved the tote bag I got when I subscribed; that’s a Godsend (there are constantly different gifts offered for subscriptions- please see the latest online or magazine offers to see which suits you best).

(I thought I’d add a little comment on this mag too, as I bought it for the first time this week.  I particularly liked the variety of crafts coverd in the mag and agree with Diane that for a relatively new magazine it is very well put together and I will definitely be buying it again.)

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SPRING 2012 ~ WIREWORK  (£3.95) Issued twice yearly

I discovered Wirework magazine last year, it was on its own amongst other jewellery and craft magazines and as the front cover caught my attention, I bought it.  I loved it so much it inspired me to go out and buy a chasing hammer and steel bench block as I wanted to try so many of the projects and I have since used the magazine on many occasions to refer back to some of the wirework techniques.

When I looked to buy it again, I then discovered it was an American publication that only came out twice a year, I was gutted!  The worst was I discovered they were on Facebook and over the last month or so they have been showing sneek peaks of their latest spring 2012 edition, it was so frustrating!  So you can appreciate my joy when I was browsing through my local WH Smiths and discovered the latest edition on the shelf.

This issue has not disappointed, it is full of inspirational projects and new techniques.  If you love making wirework, chain mail, coiling and wrapping jewellery this is a must buy.  I also like the fact that it’s not all about working with silver, they work a lot with copper and brass and even the most complex of designs with a bit of practice look possible even if you are a beginner, the step by step instructions are so good. Like the first issue I bought I can see myself referring back to this magazine on a regular basis, even if it is just to make a toggle clasp and it is great for inspiring new ideas.

So these are some of my favourite projects in this issue:

1.  Wild Heart Necklace (page 18) (also cover photo)

This really does show the beauty of working with copper.  Although I might not make this with the copper discs I will definitely be having a go at the focal wire element.

2. Freeform woven spirals pendant (page 37)

This is something I have not really tried before working wire around cabochon, but I really like how this looks and will definitely be marking this as one to come back to and try.

3.  Loopy Copper Cuff (page 44)

I think this is one of my favourite looking projects in this issue, although I have not had chance to try it yet, I really can’t wait to give it a go.  I think I might start with the simpler version first of working with just one level of loops, but there is just one problem with this project, I will need to buy some bail making pliers!

4.  Brilliant bracelet (page 48)

Not something I had considered trying before, setting stones, but now that I’ve seen this, I really want to give it a go.  They make is look really easy.

5.  Wire-woven toggle (pag 68)

A lovely toggle clasp to make and would look just as nice in any colour metal.

SCORE:  9/10

So there you have it, our reviews for this month, we hope you enjoyed them and found them useful.  All feedback is gratefully received and like I said at the beginning of the article, if you are interested in joining Diane and I and helping write a magazine review, I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks

Linda & Diane