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