Shop of The Week, Bebby Jumpers

Its nearly the end of her week but this week was the turn of Bebby Jumpers to be our Craftbritannia shop of the week.  I am sure you do not need me to explain, but Bebby makes exquisite knitwear for babies and children. My own children are so grown up now, I cant even remember the last baby item I made but I adored doing them as I adore Bebby`s work. Here are a few of my picks and you can see more in here in her etsy shop. Bebby loves to make custom items so do drop her a line if you need some gorgeous baby clothes.
Also, lots of interesting stuff to read about her over on the CraftBritannia blog

Yippee, The Summer Has Arrived

Its the 23rd of July and the great British summer was delayed until 2 days ago!  I frankly had lost hope.
There has been optimistic planting.

I have planted quick stuff. Cauliflowers, spring onions, radishes and beetroot and I have another of those planters to do some more in in a few weeks time. The egg shells work to some extent but I find searching the slugs out after dark the best defence. I need therapy I gotten rid of so many!  I hate doing it but they were rapidly destroying everything I put out. I wish I had room for hens.

There has been more flower arranging

Today, on my first official holiday, having waded through lots of laundry and some accounts (yuck to both), there has been some sitting outside with the little miss

I have lots of things to get on with in the craft department and it is Christmas in July tomorrow you know!

So, I am going to show off my little plot as its looking kinda ok right now. Yes I could tidy a bit more but life is too short I think. Its really not very big but it is my little slice of paradise. This record is very much for me too so I can look back in the winter and remember what was there when its all dormant, cold and grey. I often go putting things in an apparently empty spot and then find sleepy roots of something else. Hopefully this and the little plan I shall sketch will stop that from happening. So please allow me to indulge myself a bit here. xx

It has really evolved from when we first moved here and set it out. If you want to compare, I did a photo journey about it on my flickr page when I started. Much has been lost and/or changed with rubbish winters and other gardening pitfalls, but it feels really mature now. My OH would rather there were less plants out there I think, but I cant help it, I love plants!

Shop of The Week

This weeks craftbritannia shop of the week is one of our team leaders. The lovely Erika Price of the aptly named Erika Price Designs.  She makes the most beautiful jewellery and, IMO, one of our best photographers. Please check her beautiful shop out here, and nip on over to the CB blog to read an interview with the lady herself.
As always, here are my picks. Tough call as everything is just gorgeous!

Floral Decor

I do love flowers but I think they look best in the garden really.  I did pick these partially from the garden and partially from the hedgerow. They do not last long though do they?

I do however still like to have flowers in the house, so I collected these white jugs which almost match and then ordered some silk ones. This is how I did have them but the pink lisianthus were a bit brighter that I thought and jarred a bit with the raspberry tones in some of my accessories. So, after living with them for a few weeks, 

I splashed out on what I should have got in the first place, some ivory roses. So pleased I got these!  I love roses but they fade so quickly. These are quite believably realistic and I get to keep the natural ones where they belong - outside. Now contemplating one of those scents for faux flowers to really fool people.

On the subject of outside. Am I the only one to be really disappointed with the fact that it is mid July and all I have to show produce wise is this pitiful harvest?  This time last year, I had less raspberry plants and had picked oodles by now. All this rain and those pesky slugs! Euwww!

Shop of The Week

This week the CraftBritannia shop of the week is my good etsy/twitter buddy Carrie of Phoenvix Designs. She is a cat lady like me and makes mostly yummy beady jewellery and accessories but also some artwork too. Her interview is on the CraftBritannia Blog so pop along and have a read. I will show some picks from her shop but do go and look at the rest here.

Dont Faint, I finished something!

I do have some beautiful bunnies to share but I want to wait until I have enough to open the new shop. They are coming on so well I cant wait to show you guys!
So this weekend, I decided to actually finish this zig zag quilt that I must have started this time last year. I did the machine quilting a month or 2 ago and just had the binding to do. So i stayed up last night and finished it finally.  The quilting is a bit puckery still. I need more practise. Also the band on the backing ended up a bit wonky but nonetheless I rather love it. I have to trim some threads and spotted a few pins I missed last night. But here it is whilst the sun makes a brief appearance. It was of those not really planned quilts. The majority of the fabric, was one of those 'oh i love that, I will buy it' moments and stashed away. I then saw how to make it on another blog (I cant remember who's and will add it if I do - yell if its yours!) and thought this would be the time to get out that impetuous fat quarter purchase. Its just because I wanted to make it so it doesn't matter that its a bit off perfect does it?

Shop (s) of The Week

What happened to last week?  Wheres it gone?  I swear I never saw it flash by!  So this week I shall do the current CraftBritannia shop of the Week and follow it up with the previous weeks which I had not covered thus far.

This weeks is Nadine who runs Muntjac Vintage.  Think the name speaks for itself and anyone that knows me will agree that it may be a dangerous shop for me. She has another shop also which is called Imynda. Muntjac Vintage stocks vintage housewares and collectable and Imynda has lovely crochet accesories. I am going to feature some items from both. Please do go visit the shops, they are great. There is an interview with Natalie on the CraftBritannia Blog, which are always insightful.

Eeeek!  I distinctly remember this  pattern being on our family table when I was very small. How nostalgic.

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Ok, so last weeks shop of the week was Reds Ribbons. Sarah makes hats, fascinators, headbands and some slightly more racey accesories. Ha! I just know you will go look at her delightful shop now! Her interview on the CB blog can be found here, and here are my picks from her shop. Apologies Sarah for my tardiness. xx