UK Handmade Spring edition is out now!

The latest edition the UK Handmade magazine is out now! Packed with tutorials, interviews, lifestyle articles and stunning photography.

To read it online, please visit the UK Handmade website

Also, if you turn to page 50, you will see an article about eco-friendly gardening written by me!

Earth Day 2010

Earth Day takes place on April 22nd 2010 and I just wanted to give a heads up on a couple of events I am involved with.



2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, so the Eco Etsy Team are pulling out all the stops to mark the day. You can read more about the fantastic Green Share scheme and the proposed 'silent auction' on the team blog.



I am also taking part in the Cosa Verde Earth Day giveaway in association with Modish. I will blog further details nearer the time!




To keep up to date with these Earth Day events, you can follow Pouch, Cose Verde and the Eco Etsy Team on Twitter
Pouch
Cosa Verde
Eco Etsy

New Listing: peppermint and charcoal mini messenger purse

I've just listed a new mini-messenger in Pouch's Etsy store


The outside is made from repurposed black denim. It is fully lined with vintage fabric which features a striking criss cross pattern in shades of mint green, lime green and pure white.



This is a robust, eco-friendly mini-purse
Pretty and stylish, great for year-round use





To see the full listing, click here

Don't forget, free worldwide shipping on all bags, totes and clutch purses in March!

Spring!

Spring is definitely on the way in the UK and it is such a fantastic time of the year. My thoughts always turn to gardening and veg growing, but now I am a new mum it's hard to know if I will have the time! I'm hoping once our baby is old enough I will get her interested in gardening, but at a few months old, I think that would be a bit ambitious for the 2010 growing season!



I have started chitting some potatoes and hopefully I will be able to grow some tomatoes. I need my annual homegrown tomato fix every year, the ones in the shops just aren't the same. I'm also planning on growing lots of herbs and salad leaves, possibly some beetroot and maybe some spinach. As our baby will be starting on solid foods soon, it would be fantastic to give her some homegrown produce. I'll see how it goes.


I spotted my first bee of the season yesterday. I'm not very good at identifying them, but it was very fat, so maybe a bumble bee? I know that honey bees are endangered, so I have started following "Help Save Bees" on Twitter, they also have a website. You can find out how to make a home for bees and help with the dwindling population by building a Bee Hotel over on the RHS website.



I have recently discovered the new Royal Horticultural Society gardening forum, it's called "My Garden". It's a great place to find gardening advice from other gardeners. There's lots of photos and tips and plenty of information for anyone stuck with a gardening query.

If you want to see some beautiful RHS gardens, take a look at the garden finder. The RHS are also on Twitter, you can find them here.

New Listings: vintage fabric belts

I have recently added a number of handmade belts crafted from stunning vintage fabrics.

The first is a Scarlet and chocolate brown vintage linen belt. It is made from a floral Irish linen in shades of tangerine orange, lemon yellow, crimson red, bright green and pure white on a rich chocolate background



The second is a Orange zest vintage fabric belt



It is crafted from vintage fabric featuring a retro pattern of circles in shades of tangerine orange and mocha brown on a pure white background



The third is Vintage orange blossom fabric belt



It is handmade from vintage Tokyo Crepe and it features a gorgeous oriental pattern of flowers, trees and blossom on an orange background.



I am also offering free worldwide shipping on all bags, totes and clutch purses throughout March, please see my Etsy store for full range of handmade items.

Handmade Gifts

I am lucky enough to come from a crafty family of knitters and seamstresses!

My Mum can sew almost anything she turns her hand too, my Mother-in-law can crochet amazing blankets, my Auntie can knit fantastic characters and my cousin's wife can follow the most complicated knitting patterns I have ever seen!

They are all happy to make a handmade gift for special occasions and their creations are all so beautiful I wanted to share them here

My baby daughter has received some gorgeous handmade gifts including a group of knitted animals from my Auntie, made up of a koala, a bunny, a pig and a panda. I think the koala is my favourite as I love the ears!



The same Auntie also knitted us a lovely bride and groom when we got married last year, they are so cute!



My cousin's wife knitted our baby the most beautiful blanket, it's really hard to capture the 3-D detail in a photo, but it really is stunning







She also knitted a pretty little mauve cardigan



And, she also knitted us a wedding cake as a gift last year, and yes, I did say wedding cake...



My Mother-in-law made three crochet blankets, this one if my favourite:





My Mum made some Paddinton bear curtains for the nursery, which I blogged about here



And finally, I was delighted to receive this gorgeous wall plaque for my baby from Lisa of Seaurchin. I am lucky enough to have met her via Etsy.



I love each and every handmade gift that has been made for me, my husband and our baby daughter. There is something very special about they fact someone has taken the time to make a gift for you and I will treasure all of them for a long, long time.