Upcoming craft fairs

It's going to be a busy 'ol couple of months with the craft fair season in full swing, so here is a full list of all the craft fairs where there'll be a Maple Designs stall selling the range of baby bibs, dribble bibs, taggies, Christmas stockings and much more.

Sunday 11th November 2012
Magpie Markets
@ The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, S1 4FW

Thursday 22nd November 2012
Village Made Christmas Fair
@ Wesleyan Reform Chapel, Church Street, Oughtibridge, Sheffield, S35 0JB

Sunday 25th November 2012
Whirlow Hall Christmas Fayre
@ Whirlow Hall Farm, Whirlow Lane, Sheffield, S11 9QF

Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd December 2012
Kelham Island Victorian Christmas Market
@ Kelham Island Museum, Alma Street, Sheffield, S3 8R

Wednesday 5th December 2012
HSBC Craft Stall (Open to HSBC Employees only)
@ HSBC, Block 1, Griffin House, Sheffield

Tuesday 11th December 2012
12 Days of Craftmas
@ Electric Works, Digital Campus, Sheffield, S1 2BJ


I'm waiting for confirmation of a couple more fairs, so will post details on the blog, Facebook and Twitter as soon as I hear anything.

Hope to see you at one or two of the fairs - please stop by and say hello!

Lyndsey x

It's been a while

After a short break, I'm back and Maple Designs HQ is a hive of activity again!!

It's been a hectic few months - I got married last month!  As everyone always says, it really is (was) the best day of my/our lives and was so brilliant to spend the day with our closest friends and families....and do it in our special way.

The wedding...Candadian style

I've just returned from two (yep, two!!) lovely honeymoons.  First up we went on a Scandinavian adventure to Denmark and Sweden (two beautiful countries, but very expensive!).  We also had a week in the Cotswolds which was just amazing - such gorgeous places, little villages, great hotels...and the odd craft shops.  Well, it would have been rude not to have a sneaky look inside.

Coffee time

So, now I'm back, I've got a few orders to finish and then it's a few busy weeks in preparation for the Christmas fair season.  I'm booked in for about seven craft fairs over the next few months and I'll post some more information in the next week or so with deails on where and when you can find the Maple Designs stall.

I'll also provide some additional information on the workshops I blogged about a few months ago.

It's nice to be back!

Lyndsey x

More time please

It's been quite manic over the past few weeks in the Maple Designs studio.  I've had orders to complete and get out of the door, new ideas for the up coming seasons along with a whole list of other things.

And it's got me thinking - how can I spend my time more wisely?  There seems to be an ever increasing amount of non-hands on craft related 'things' to do; e-mails, filing, deliveries, Twitter, Facebook and blogs to name a few.

And that's before I've even switched on the sewing machine, picked up a needle or thread or done any of my crafty goodness.

I guess I'm unsure whether I should be regimented and, say, start with e-mails first thing in the morning followed by updates to these lovely social media areas and then moving onto my orders and creative time.  It sounds simple, but Twitter and Facebook, in particular, aren't something that you can particularly put into a timeslot - conversations and threads can take-off at any point and before you know it an hour or two have slipped away, but it seems strange to put myself in a position where I could miss out on a large chunk of happenings for hours at a time.

So, I guess, the purpose of this blog is to ask you, the wide world, how do you get the most out of your day?

 

Let me know - I am genuinely really interested to hear from you and it doesn't matter whether you're into crafts or not, we are all leading increasingly more hectic lives.

 

Finally, thanks to everyone who stopped by at the Maple Designs stall at Mary's Marvellous Vintage and Craft Fair on Saturday at St Mary's.  It was another great day, lovely to meet so many new people and stall holders, a great day.  Keep a look out for up coming fairs where I'll have a stall.

Craft Workshops

I've been spending some time over the past few months thinking of new and interesting ways to make sure Maple Designs keeps being fresh and exciting.  So...I'm looking into running some workshops and wanted to see what people thought of the idea.

First workshop being planned - learn the art of Applique.

What will be covered on the day...

We'll start by with the design or motif and choose from a selection of fabrics to use for the design, then we will transfer this onto a t-shirt, top or babysuit (which will be provided). Finally we'll use a machine to stitch round the outline before adding any final touches to finish your item off.

A finished article...

The workshops are for anyone, from beginner to advanced and will be a relaxed affair.  The date for the first workshop looks like it will be around mid-October.

What will be included:

• All fabrics and materials for your design
• A plain white t-shirt, top or babysuit
• All the tea and cake you can drink and eat!

Duration:     3 hours
Cost:            £25 per person


If you would be interested in joining in a workshop, please drop me an e-mail at lyndsey@mapledesigns.co.uk.

Lyndsey x

Cornwall rocks

Last week I spent a lovely week in Cornwall relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere of this lovely part of the country.

It's the first time back down that way since I was a young 'un and it did not dissapoint.  Our base was a lovely farm cottage (complete with hot tub, oh yes!) and we spent the week travelling around this area taking in some lovely places - Penzance, Mousehole, St Ives, Falmouth, St Mawes and Padstow.

My favourites were St Ives and Padstow, the craft, kiddy and gift shops were simply amazing and hours were spent wandering round the shops, taking in a coffee and people watch and devouring the amazing seafood.  Heaven?  I think so.

Mousehole (pronounced Mousell...I think)

The only dissapointing part of the week was a trip to Lands End - an expensive and tacky tourist trap which felt completely out of place for the area.  With hindsight this probably should have been expected - shame really though.

It's back to it now - the internet in the studio is working again now after a few weeks of, well, not.  I've got some orders to get out this week and preparation for a craft fair in the coming weeks - all go!

Lyndsey,

x

Lights, camera....action!

A couple of weeks ago the first ever Maple Designs photo shoot took place.  It was such a great day - a dream come true to have my very own photo shoot, amazing to have gorgeous models wearing and using my items and brilliant to see the end results.

First up I'd like to say a massive thank you to the Mum's and their little models for giving up their time and taking part, and a BIG thank you to Katie from KTM Photography whose photos are absolutely superb.

It was a really fun day and the kiddies were absolute superstars.  Each one had a goody bag of Maple Designs items for the shoot, including:
- Bibs (fabric fronted, terry towelling backed)
- Dribble Bibs (fabric fronted, fleece backed)
- Taggies (fabric fronted, fleece backed with ribbons)
- Burpee Cloths (fabric fronted, fleece backed), and,
- A range of hand appliqued fabric designs on t-shirts, tops and baby suits.

A few photos were posted on Facebook and more from the day are below for your viewing (and ahhhhhing) pleasure!

Haydn with a fetching 'tash top

No dribbles for Haydn with this dribble bib

Lily wearing an 'L' top and strawberry fabric taggie

Bella, Freya and Jack wearing hand appliqued t-shirts

Freya wears a whale design t-shirt

Jack with his dress down day clothing...t-shirt with tie design

Bunting for Bella

P is for Poppy

Poppy wears a strawberry bib

Lily wears an apple fabric dribble bib

Olive comforted by her spotty taggie

Olive saving mum's clothes with this burpee cloth

All items shown in these pictures are available to order and come in a range of fabrics and designs. 

I can also work on any bespoke or custom items - designs, initials, ages etc - so please just drop me a note to say hello via Facebook or e-mail me at lyndsey@mapledesigns.co.uk.

Lyndsey,

x


 All images used above kindly reproduced courtesty of KTM Photography (c) 2012.

Short but sweet

On Saturday Maple Designs had a stall at the Malin Bridge Primary School Summer Craft Fair which was another exciting event.  The school is only a few minutes away from home/the Maple Designs studio, so I actually managed to have a small lie in!

It was great to be part of a different fair aimed at a different audience than the previous fairs I've been to.  The mix of school children, mums and local people was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

This is only a short post today as I'm really busy getting everything ready for the first ever Maple Designs photo shoot which is taking place this coming Friday.  Fingers crossed the weather holds up, but even it has to be Plan B (i.e. indoors), I'm sure it's going to be a great day.

I'm so, so pleased that seven yummy mummies with their children have signed up for the shoot....it's really exciting and I can't wait to see what happens on the day and the photos that get taken.  There'll be pictures in future blog posts and they'll also be available on the Maple Designs Facebook page.  I'll also be tweeting about it during the day, so make sure you're following on Twitter.

Happy crafting,

x

Summertime Fun

I've just realised it's been a month since I've last wrote a blog post.  That's poor, so I'm making amends for it now.  I'm sure there's lots to update on, so here goes.

On Saturday 2 June, I had the pleasure of attending a jubilee workshop at The Button Tin which was just simply amazing.  I'd recently been to another workshop there which I mentioned in a previous post, and this time didn't dissapoint either.  Gemma was the perfect host and the jubilee celebrations in The Imperial Buildings, where The Button Tin is based, was decorated to celebrate the best of British (along with the rest of Rotherham centre).

I hand embroided another piece for the wedding - will be sure to post pictures in the coming months.  And, the tea, cake and embroidering colleagues were lovely again too.

At home we cranked up the celebrations for Liz and decked out the house and garden with bunting, union flags and put the Pimms on ice.  We had a lovely time with friends and family and the weather was thankfully much nicer than the river paegant experienced.

This last Saturday was the third outing at the Mary's Marvellous Vintage and Craft Fair and it was another great day for Maple Designs.  I was selling some products which went down really well, along with some existing products in different fabrics.

The 'Lion' fabric went down a storm

New addition to the range: Burpee Cloths

Another new addition: Cross stitched hoops

The stall - ready and raring to go

It was a great day and was lovely to meet both old and new crafty friends - make sure you check out Plain Jane Dawson, Red Apple Tree Crafts, Made in the Cellar, Little Denim, Mrs Hotchpotch and Leaf City Press.

The next Mary's Marvellous Craft Fair is in August, fingers crossed I'm successful again in getting a place - you'll here it here or on my Facebook page first!


What's happening next?

I picked up some orders from the craft fair and will be shipping these in the next few days.  I also picked up an order after posting the above pictures on Facebook - I'm amazed how sharing a few words and pictures really can help a small business.  Thank you all for your support - it's really boosting my confidence.

Following this, I've been learning some project management skills from my other half (who's a project manager) and I'm now using a job board for my orders.  I'm amazed how a sheet of A3, a marker pen and some post-it notes has made keeping track of what orders I have on so much easier!

This coming Saturday, 23 June, I've got a stall at the Malin Bridge Primary School Summer Fair - if you're in the area pop along and say hello.  Hopefully there'll be more interest in Maple Designs, my products and some more orders.

Happy crafting,

x

The Button Tin

Last Saturday I was taken away to another era, when I was lucky enough to go to a crafting workshop at The Button Tin, a gem of a place I’ve found out about via Facebook.

For those of you who may not have heard about it, The Button Tin is the work of local crafter, artist and all round lovely person Gemma Nemer, an inspired person with a passion for all things vintage and whose workshops and workplace can only be described as inspirational.

The day began with a quick 15 minute drive over to Rotherham, where The Button Tin is based, for the 11am start. Gemma introduced herself, her background and what the day would entail. I had booked onto an ‘embroidered hoops’ session which was also attended by seven other lovely ladies, one of whom had travelled from London especially for the session (that’s how good this place is!).

I’m getting married in a few months, so with Gemma’s help I quickly decided on a project for the day which can be used for the wedding (sorry, no pictures of the result…it’s secret!). I spent a considerable amount of time perusing the vast amount of vintage fabrics from the treasure chest and settled on a lovely piece to work with. As the saying goes, you learn something new every day…and on this day I learnt a new stitch (chain stitch) and spent the main part of the session stitching away.  All the fabric, threads, hoops, lace, hanging cords, tea, cake were all in and at £30 for five hours, it's great value.

Over the course of the next few hours I was transported into a 40's/50’s style wonderland – Vera Lynne records were playing on a gramophone, proper china crockery were used to serve the tea and cake, doilies were aplenty and the kiosk which houses The Button Tin could not have been any more pleasurable.

I’ve read a number blog posts which say things along the lines of ‘a visit to The Button Tin is like being transported back in time’. I want to say something different, something new…but I can’t. It's really (I’d guess) like being back in the 1940/50’s – Gemma, her style, the venue, the kiosk, the workshops, the fabrics, the accessories, they’re all a present day version of the past. And I, for one, could not have been happier.

It was another amazing day, and I signed up there and then for the next workshop, a ‘Jubilee Special’ being held on 2 June 2012 - hope to see you there.

Happy crafting,

x

New products. I call them goodies.

Just wanted to do a quick post to show off a couple of new items that can now be ordered.

Dribble Bibs

These little beauties have a fabric front and are backed with white nylon making them pretty dribble resistant and saving clothes getting wet. They are in a bandana/neckerchief shape with press-stud fastening and will fit a neck size up to 31cm.

They are priced at £4.00 each and can be made in a range of fabrics....for boys, girls or unisex, your choice.

Dribble away!

Taggies

These are the newest items in the Maple Designs range...welcome to the Taggies. These cute little items are for the little ones when they're teething and just in need of something to cling onto...and to put in their mouths!!

They measure approx 24cm by 24 cm, with fabric on the front and thick, soft felt on the rear. They have a number of different coloured and sized 'taggies' round the edges, made of different shaped ribbon pieces, each resembling a tag. The 'taggies' are double-stitched for additional security and can be made in a range of colours and fabrics.

Currently I have a stock of the 'Strawberry' (however, they may be actually be Apples!) and 'Red Spotty' fabrics, both with red felt backing. These size taggies are priced at £7.00 each.


Strawberries or Apples, you decide!

Red Dotties


To place an order, please get in touch - my e-mail address is lyndsey@mapledesigns.co.uk

Happy crafting,

x

Good news (whoop whoop)

I am the bearer of good news...

First up, I'm very pleased to announce that Maple Designs is now stocked in a local gift shop - The Ice House on Campo Lane, Sheffield.  The Ice House are working with a number of local crafts people and artists to promote local talent and it's been an absolute pleasure working with them.  A range of Maple Designs bibs are now available to purchase both in the shop and also on their online store.

In the coming weeks I'll be updating this with a new range of fabric bibs and some new completed items from the prototypes I've been working on over the past few weeks.

If you get the chance to pop into the shop, let me know if you spot my bibs - I really am chuffed to bits to be in stocked in my first shop, it's a great feeling :o)


Secondly, I've been accepted back to the next Vintage and Craft Market at St Mary's Church, Sheffield, being held on Saturday 5 May 2012 between 10am and 5pm.

I'll be back with my stall selling a range of baby clothes and accessories - more bibs, baby grows and some new additions for this market.

Is anyone else attending the market either as a stall holder or just coming down to have a look round?

I had such a great time at the last market that I'm eager to spread the work of Maple Designs!


The only sad news is to report the sale of my original craft cupboard, sold on ebay this week for a meager £22.00 (someone has got a bargain).  Whilst the cupboard was never officially named, it will forever hold a special place in my heart.  Hand crafted by my other half as a Christmas present a few years ago, it was the starting point for Maple Designs when we lived in a flat and space was tight.  The shelves had all the room for my craft books, the pull out shelf was great for the sewing machine...even the pinboards were full up.

But, unfortunately, after moving home last year to a house with an attic studio, the cupboard was made redundant and was just sitting in a corner collecting dust.  I hope the new owners take good care....or else there'll be trouble.

Goodbye sweet craft cupboard...

...you'll be missed

Happy crafting,

x

Oh sweet St Mary's

Last Saturday was the St Mary's Vintage Market & Craft Fair and the first ever craft fair for Maple Designs.  Here's a diary of the day:

06:30 - Alarm goes off, an early start for the day (after a late night babysitting!).  Nerves are kicking in.

07:30 - Arrive at St Mary's, car parked up and greeted cheerily by team and shown to the pitch

07:31 - Handed a voucher for a free coffee - result as it still feels early

08:00 - Putting the finishing touches to the stall....I think it's looking good even by my standards, I'm a happy girl!

Setting up the stall...

09:30 - Get chatting to my lovely stall neighbour for the day, the incredibly talented Plain Jane Dawson.  Amazing to have such a great companion for the day, also attending their first craft fair (check out her blog)

10:00 - Doors open, Maple Designs is open for business...I'm a little nervous, but so proud of what's been achieved over the past few months.

Maple Designs....open for business!

The stall, stocked and ready to go

10:00 - Doors open, we're off...

10:45 - After a quiet start I sell my first items....a bib and a babysuit!!  A very, very happy moment....the relief is pretty immense (to be honest!)

11:00 - 17:00 - Things are a blur to be honest, there were busy times and quiet times....lots of cups of tea and lots of chatting to lovely customers and equally lovely people just perusing.  Lots of friends and family made the effort to come down which was just amazing and so appreciated.

17:00 - All over, I'm absolutely shattered but so pleased with how the day has gone.  Next please!!

19:00 - Mmmmm, wine!!


It was a brilliant day, I learnt so much and gained inspiration from the day - I've got lots of ideas for new products to take to  my next fair....bring it on.

A big thank you to everyone who purchased something, St Mary's, friends and family for their support and to Plain Jane Dawson for making it such an amazing day.

Happy crafting,

Lyndsey x

Craft Fair reminder (this coming Saturday)

Sorry for the lack of blogs over the past couple of weeks, it’s been a busy old time in the studio and also being out and about.

I'm just putting the finishing touches to another blog entry, but I wanted to post a quick reminder of the Vintage Market and Craft Fair being held at St Mary's Church, Sheffield, this coming Saturday, 31 March 2012.

I've got a stall where I'll be selling a selection of the items I make including, baby bibs, baby grow, greeting cards, tags and some easter goodies.

Really hope to see you down there - make sure you pop into say hello!

Happy crafting,

Lyndsey x

My time at The Makery

A couple of weeks ago I was down in Bath for a long weekend with a special purpose.....attending a crafty workshop at one of my favourite places, The Makery (somewhere I had wanted to go for a very long time!).

I travelled down from Sheffield on the Saturday and spent the day and evening catching up with a friend in Bristol (another great city that I will be returning back to), before moving on to Bath on the Sunday.  A leisurely and relaxing day was spent perusing this beautiful city - I was in shock at how achingly beautiful the buildings, parks and city is....a real feast for the eyes.

I spent a lengthy time browsing - in great detail I might add - The Makery Emporium, which can only be described as my (or any other crafter's) paradise.  An idlyic shop which can be found by meandering down one of the main cobbled streets in the centre of Bath.  The shop/emporium stocks a wide range of ribbons, buttons, thread, wool, craft magazines, scissors, needles and a whole range of crafty tools that I didnt even know existed.  I cannot underestimate how good this place is...heavenly.  My bank did not like me visiting.




The Makery Emporium, Bath (aka Heaven)



That evening was spent relaxing and, if I'm perfectly honest, whiling away the hours until the next morning.  After a few hours of sleep mixed with giddy anticipation, the morning arrived.  Breakfast was quickly demolished before the 15 minute stroll into the centre of Bath, stopping for an excellent coffee at one of the great independent coffee bars along the way.  And then it was just before 10am and 'time'.

I'd made my way to The Makery on Walcot Street and took my place in the lovely workshop-cum-workplace.  Katie and her colleauge took excellent care of the eight of us in the group, expertly telling us what we were going to be doing on the freehand embroidery course.  Tea was served (on tap) and expert tips, advice and tuition was provided without ever appearing pushy and always with a smile.

After a bit of practice I soon got the hand of things and started working on my project for the morning.  An hour or so later and, I have to say, I was pretty chuffed with the result. Picture (proof!) below...




My station at The Makery Workshop

 



The Makery Workshop (aka, erm, Heaven II?)



The end result...happy times

 A massive thank you to Katie and everyone at The Makery for making it an amazingly perfect weekend and helping me realise one of my many crafty ambitions.  And, to be tagged in one of The Makery's Facebook pictures and followed on Twitter?  This is one very happy crafter!

I loved every second and recommend you go and visit and attend one of their workshops.

Happy crafting,

Lyndsey x

Going global (well nearly)

CHAPTER 1 - And then there were readers...

It's a Sunday morning and I'm sat typing away listening to the simply beautiful Agnes Obel album 'Philarmonics'.  Not a bad start to a morning. Whilst having a browse on here, I thought I'd look at the stats for the blog over the past few weeks, and came across a lovley suprise - people are reading the blog!

The helpful stats guide tells me that I'm getting people reading if from afar too (Country and number of views this week are below):

United Kingdom (76)
Italy (11)
United States (6)
Hong Kong (4)
Singapore (2)
Costa Rica (2)
Czech Repulic (2)
Russia (2)
Germany (1)

If you're one of these lovely people, firstly, thank you.  It's one of the nicest feelings knowing that people are taking an interest.  It would be great - and I mean really great - to hear from you and which country you're reading from.  Please, please feel free to post a little comment below, even if it's just to say hello.


CHAPTER 2 - And then there was a Craft Fair...

I received one of the best e-mails ever this week advising I've been accepted into my first ever craft fair.  I can't explain how happy this made me, I was literally dancing round the room with the biggest smile (it meant a lot if that's not clear!).

It's the Vintage and Craft Market at St Mary's Church in Sheffield and being held on Saturday 31 March 2012.  If you're in the area, please come down and say hello.  I went down to the last one, which I mentioned in previous blog post, and it was a great event and sounds like well over a thousand people turned up for that one.

I've got lots of great ideas for a couple of new items for my first range, so lots of work to do over the next couple of weeks.  It's really exciting - and nerve racking at the sametime - to be working towards my first craft fair...but this has been what it's all about...getting my work out there and hoping you love it as much as I do.

I'll keep you posted with progress, both before and after the event, on here in upcoming posts.  In the meantime here are a few shots from this week.

I've also been getting myself organised and received my first lovely pack of business cards. I can highly recommend the team at Moo (easy to use website, very reasonable prices and quickly despatched. Also great to be able to purchase cards that are 100% recycled card and are made in a factory using wind-power, amazing to do my little bit).

The next few weeks are going to be very busy and very very exciting...and I cannot wait!!

Happy crafting,

x

A + E

And so the first hour or so of my Sunday morning was spent making these lovely 'A' and 'E' tops for some very lucky girls (Abigal and Eleanor).  I hope they have as much fun wearing them as I had making them - I think the green spotty material really stands out on the white tops.  I'm really pleased with how they've turned out - let me know what you think.  The lovely letters B-D and F-Z are, of course, available for ordering!!

I've also been making a lovely little gift set order....a handmade bib, applique design on a baby suit, handmade 'it's a girl' greeting card and fabric gift tag...all for £15.00 (which I think is a pretty good value!).

In preparation for Mother's Day, I'm busy prepping and planning for this lovliest of days.  So, if you'd like any handmade goodies - from your child, grandchild etc to their Mummy - please get in touch.

I've also been having a good tidy in the studio - I amaze myself with how many piles of 'stuff' and 'things' appear, it genuinely does impress me.  So, as I type, the craft table is tidy, the sewing machine in its place, all fabric is boxed up and in order, threads in their place and I even gave things a good dusting and hoover.  How long will things stay like this for, I'm not sure.  I give it a few days.

I've also enquired about some more craft fairs in the local (Yorkshire) area, so hope to hear back from them over the next few days.  Will keep you posted over the next week or so with any news of where you can find Maple Designs on the road!

Happy crafting,

x

Hear the drummer (get wicked)

Last weekend was spent in the studio with Clockwork Owls as we recorded our EP 'Spirograph'. It was my first time recording and any pre-game nerves were quickly displaced as we were expertly looked after by Dave at 2Fly Studios, who's also done an amazing job with production. I can't wait to share the tracks we've done, I'm really proud and think my drumming, tambourine and backing vocals were ok! Photo's below from the weekend...

It's been a fairly quiet week back at Maple Designs HQ.  I've spent time completing a couple of orders, including a lovley applique top with a cute car design, and I've spent time working on a prototype of a kiddies beanie hat. I'm pretty happy with how it's looking...but it's not quite yet reached my pefection level just yet.

I'm also planning on applying for some more craft fairs in the surrounding area after hearing that I'd not been successful getting into the Reet Sweet fair in April in Leeds. If anyone knows of any craft fairs that might be suitable, I'd love to hear from you, so please drop me a message either on the blog, via e-mail or Twitter.

I'm really hoping that The Chimney House has a fair in the next few months, as I'd love (LOVE!) to show my wares in this amazing and inspiring venue...fingers crossed!!

This coming Saturday I'll be attending the brilliant Bradfield Farmers Market - and hopefully picking-up some lovely Our Cow Molly goodies amongst other things!

And, in appreciation of this week's blog title....



Happy crafting x

A winter's tale

After a mild winter it has finally felt like the cold spell has landed over the past week. On Saturday I got wrapped up and stolled over to the St Mary's Vintage & Craft Market where there were some great stalls and lovely crafts on display. I was so impressed and motivated that I've already applied for a stall at the next craft fair in March - fingers crossed that they let me in! I've also submitted to have a stall at the Reet Sweet craft fair in April in Leeds...so I'll cross my toes for that one too as I'd love to get in both!

The snow last Saturday afternoon made for a near-perfect day at Maple Designs HQ...the woodburning stove was on, giving out a hearty glow and I spent time in the kitchen baking a lovely banana loaf thanks to an amazing recipe from Kirstie Allsopp (thanks Kirstie!).



The rest of the day was spent working on a couple of prototypes and I'm really happy with how they've turned out. I've been working on some lovely felt heart-shaped bags of lavender loveliness - a little accessory to hang in full view or to keep tucked away in a clothes drawer to keep your thing smelling fresh. I've also seen a great idea of stringing up multiple love hearts, turning it into a 'mobile'...perfect for the upcoming valentine's day.

I've also been working on updating this blog and I'm pleased with how it's turned out. However, it's no use if it's just me that thinks it looks/reads better, so please let me know what your thoughts are!! I hope that it's easier to find further information on little t'old me, what items I make and how to order etc.

To complete a lovely weekend, Sunday was spent catching up on the amazing 'Hugh's Three Hungry Boys', which has been quite simply brilliant. It's a programme following Tim, Thom and Trevor, three lovely lads who travel in Daisy, their trusty converted milk float, bartering and badgering their way from River Cottage to Land's End. If you haven't seen it, you can watch it on Channel 4 OD.


Whilst mentioning River Cottage, I was sad to see that they'd had a fire on Tuesday - glad to hear that no-one was injured or hurt, hope they get back up and running as soon as possible.

On Thurdsay I popped into the Craft Club at Museum Sheffield - a great place to meet with new friends and where I continued my quest to conquer the art of crocheting (I will not be defeated!!).

I also dropped into the Electric Works to handover a gift voucher for a charity cake sale they're organising tomorrow - good luck guys, hope it's a great day for a great charity.

This coming weekend I'm indulging in one of my other hobbies...drumming!! I'll be in the studio with my band called Clockwork Owls where we are recording a three-track EP. I am equally excited and nervous and can't wait for my first recording session - I'll provide an update in next weeks' blog.

Happy crafting x

Bath is a'calling

Is it wrong that one of the highlights of my week has been hearing that the latest edition of Mollie Makes is on its way to the magical world of fairies for printing? No, I didn’t think so either.

To summarise; I love Mollie Makes. It makes me very happy. So thank you Jane Toft and the team.

This week has felt like winter - it’s been freezing up t’north and I’ve had to turn the heating up in the studio just to keep the circulation going. A few orders have gone out of the door, including another dinosaur top, which is great!!

It’s also been a bit of a new (and daunting) week for me as I’ve been looking into all things HMRC-related as I attended the second (of three) workshops run by Sheffield Enterprise Network Agency (SENTA). The rather exciting outcome is that I’m now officially a sole trader [insert whooping and cheering here].

I’d love to say that the experience with HMRC has been simple and easy...but it actually felt more confusing and difficult than it should have been. The main reason for this is the HMRC website just isn’t a great at providing clear, simple, easy-to-understand information.

If anyone else has had similar experiences, or has any hints, tips or advice, it would be great to hear from you, so please post a comment!!


I also had a lovely suprise this week from my other half who has booked me onto an embroidery workshop at The Makery in Bath. I've been a big fan of The Makery for a long time and love their style, background and approach to all things craft-related...their website makes me smile every time I go on it. I'm so excited to go on the workshop, but also to finally have time to visit their lovely shop. I've never been to Bath before, so if anyone has recommendations for other places that shouldn't be missed, please let me know!

And, as if by magic, I came across the video below. I can't believe that I've never seen this video before...I was so giddy watching it a small yelp came out....



Finally, I've spent a lot of time this week looking at the beautiful fabrics available at Backstitch who happened to follow me on the land of Twitter - amazing, expect an order shortly!

Happy crafting x

I *heart* Sheffield

This week didn’t start out too great with the bad news that Museums Sheffield was unsuccessful in its funding application to the Arts Council England. Museums Sheffield has amazing venues, places that I am both proud and privileged to visit regularly. We can all do our bit to help Museums Sheffield – I already have, will you?

I was also sad to read that the independent Sheffield-based online marketplace Frooly has ceased trading after what sounds to have been both difficulties with funding coupled with the challenging economic times. Sad times and I wish the Frooly team all the very best.

And, as they say that things come in three’s, I was saddened to hear that Picnik, the brilliant photo editing site, is closing at the end of April.

Onto happier climbs…I had a great time last weekend at Bradfield Farmers Market, a place to indulge in all things food and drink related with great stalls selling their wares. I can’t lie – the selection of tea from Tea Box Online was simply amazing! See you all down there for the next one.

Once the weekend was over I got back down to craft business. I’ve had orders this week to make another Dinosaur applique top as shown for the first time in my previous blog, along with some lovely initialled tops and babygrows. These will be delivered over the weekend – hope they owners are as happy as I am with them :o)


I’ve also worked on a couple of new-for-Maple-Designs ideas over the past couple of days. First up was a hand made card which is one of many I have lined up. I also made the first item in a little range I’m pulling together for Valentine’s Day – I think you might like this one ...


I have been working on updating my blog this week as I want to include some information on me and Maple Designs, along with details on how you can order any items which I are featured. I hope this will be ready to share with you next week...so be sure to check back and let me know your thoughts.

Oh and for the first time in my life, I won something!! It was great to hear that I was PJ Taste’s 1,000th follower on Twitter – my prize was an amazing jar of Sheffield Honey...result!!


Happy crafting x

Order(s), order(s)

In my blog last week I mentioned that I was attending a crochet class. Well I did, I saw....but I haven't quite conquered it yet - there's certainly an art to this craft! I am sure with plenty more practice (and more patience if I'm being perfectly honest) there will be more to show in the future. At the minute all I could share would be something possibly resembling a coaster....but you have to squint!


In the land of orders, it has been another amazing week and I am so happy with how things are going. The picture on the right is my first order which I mentioned in a previous blog post. I absolutely love this fabric and hope you agree that the matching bib and bodysuit are just so cute and gorgeous! I am obviously a little biased here, but I think they make great presents for newborns - something a little different than what you get in the shops...which is what Maple Designs is all about. All my bibs, bodysuits and tops can be made using a range of fabrics and below is a selection of the girly fabrics that I have to hand at the minute. I'll be adding more to fabric pile in coming weeks, so will make sure they are added to future blogs (so keep checking back...).


I've also had time to carry on with my knitting and this week have made the first knitted jam jar cover which is now taking pride of place in the spare room. It's an idea that I've seen in a few places and is a nice, simple way to add (and reuse) something to a room. Who'd have thought empty jam jars could have so many uses?!

On Wednesday morning I made another couple of orders. First up was a beautiful applique dinosaur fabric for a longsleeved t-shirt (thanks to Angela for that order....and the subequent ones!).

I also hand-crafted a matching whale fabric bib and babysuit combo (thanks to Lou for that order).




In the afternoon I attended the first in a set of three workshops run by SENTA (Sheffield Enterprise Network Agency) aimed at helping new businesses, which was excellent. Great to chat to likeminded individuals and lots of things to think about and follow up on before the next workshop in February.

I have also spent a lot (A LOT!) of time reading the amazing Sheffield food related tweets and blogs from Missie Cindz (aka Cindy Cheung) - go check her out!

Whilst catching up with a friend over coffee today I happened to get another couple of orders - this time lettering/initials/applique....all to be revealed (ok, show off) in future blogs.

Happy crafting x