Share your craft projects with the #craftingismytherapy_december community

My blog has been very neglected recently. Just before half term my beloved Paddy went missing. We looked everywhere and put up posters over the following 11 days. Just before the end of half term we had the phone call we were all dreading. Someone had found Paddy near to our house...but he wasn't alive. We bought him home and had a little funeral for him in the back garden. We are all so heartbroken, especially Magoo, who adored Paddy. We are glad that we found out what happened to him though, as the not knowing was horrible...

As you can imagine I've been feeling pretty low and haven't felt like crafting much. But more recently I've picked up my yarn and hooks again and found comfort in the repetition of adding stitches to my granny stripe blanket. It really is true that crafting is one of the best therapies - it has helped take my mind off things recently and gives me something to focus on.

I would love for you to join in with our creative community in December. Simply tag your craft projects with #craftingismytherapy_december over on Instagram and Twitter to take part.

All crafts more than welcome and you can tag as many images as you like.

At the end of the month, I will choose a selection of images that have caught my eye and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here. I also share as many of your images in my Insta stories as I can throughout December.

Would you like to see what everyone was making back in November? Head over to the #craftingismytherapy_november feed to see all the fantastic creative contributions.

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_december feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_december on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Share your craft projects on Instagram with the October hashtag

It's October already and I'm hopping on here to post about this month's Instagram hashtag. Do have any creative projects planned for October? Join our creative community and share your craft projects on Instagram with the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_october

I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month. I'm always happy to see new faces, so if you haven't joined in before...maybe this is the month to start! If you would like to find out more about the hashtag and see the story behind it, please follow this link.

What are your creative plans for October? I am currently obsessed with crochet pumpkins Head over to Instagram to see my first attempt at making one. I love seasonal crafts and there is so much inspiration in Autumn...nature puts on a spectacular colour-show at this time of year.

I would love to see your images added to the feed. Simply add the #craftingismytherapy_october tag over on Instagram to your creative posts. All crafts more than welcome and you can tag as many images as you like.

At the end of the month, I will choose a selection of images that have caught my eye and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here. I also share as many of your images in my Insta stories as I can throughout October.

Would you like to see what everyone was making back in September? Head over to the #craftingismytherapy_september feed to see all the fantastic creative contributions.

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_october feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_october on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Join our creative community on Instagram by using our September hashtag

It's September and I have that back to school feeling. After a glorious Summer, there are hints of Autumn in the air. Perfect for getting cosy and getting your craft on. Do you have any creative projects planned for September? Join our creative community and share your craft projects on Instagram with the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_september

Looking back over the previous month, #craftingismytherapy_august turned out to be a bright and colourful month of crafting. We welcomed a number of new contributors, which is always lovely...the more the merrier. Despite the school holidays being in full swing, we all managed to carve out some time for crafting.

I always enjoy seeing the wide variety of crafts tagged. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month. If you would like to find out more about the hashtag and see the story behind it, please follow this link.

What are your creative plans for September? I am planning to add quite a few more rows to my Rainbow Granny Stripe blanket. It's destined to warm up my daughter's bed, should be nice and cosy once it's finished. I also want to start displaying more on my embroidery pieces around the house.

I would love to see your images added to the feed. Simply add the #craftingismytherapy_september tag over on Instagram to your creative posts. All crafts more than welcome and you can tag as many images as you like.

At the end of the month, I will choose a selection of images that have caught my eye and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here. I also share as many of your images in my Insta stories as I can throughout September.

Please follow this link to see a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout August Aren't they beautiful? There are so many talented makers out there. It gets harder and harder to choose just nine images in my monthly round-up grids. Head over to the #craftingismytherapy_august feed to see all the contributions.

Please feel free to pin the image below and help spread the word about our creative hashtag...

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_september feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_september on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Share your craft projects on Instagram with the August hashtag

The weather has remained scorching hot here in the UK throughout July. We are officially in the midst of a heatwave. I have to admit the hot weather has put me off making my chunky wool crochet blanket, but I'm still stitching. Do you have any creative projects planned for August? Join our creative community and share your craft projects on Instagram with the August hashtag #craftingismytherapy_august

Looking back over the previous month, #craftingismytherapy_july turned out to be our busiest month yet. We welcomed a number of new contributors, which is always nice to see.

I always enjoy seeing the wide variety of crafts tagged. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month. If you would like to find out more about the hashtag and see the story behind it, please follow this link.

What are your creative plans for August? I would love to see your images added to the feed. Simply add the #craftingismytherapy_august tag over on Instagram to your creative posts. All crafts more than welcome and you can tag as many images as you like.

At the end of the month, I will choose a selection of images that have caught my eye and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here. I also share as many of your images in my Insta stories as I can throughout August.

Last month we welcomed Lucy from @lucyludreams as guest co-host. She did a fantastic job and I loved seeing her favourite makes popping up in her stories. Lucy has kindly written a #craftingismytherapy_july round-up post over on her blog, click here to head over and have a read....

Above is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout July. Aren't they beautiful? There are so many talented makers out there. It gets harder and harder to choose just nine images in my monthly round-up grids. This image represents a small snapshot of the creative projects shared, please visit the July feed to see everyone’s contributions to the hashtag.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_august feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_august on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Vintage fabric for sale in my Etsy online store

I have recently added a number of vintage fabric listings to my Etsy store.
Follow this link to grab yourself some fab retro textiles...

Retro, tablecloth, 1970s, Vintage, Flower Power, Jonelle, linen, Psychedelic, Daisy, Daisy Chain

Made in the 60s or 70s, it is covered in pretty daisy flowers - perfect for retro fans. It features a bold pattern in shades of pure white and zesty orange on a chocolate brown background. £15.50 plus p&p

Vintage 60s 70s flower power spring garden fabric in lilac, blue and olive green 85cm wide
It features a bold floral pattern in shades of lilac, pale blue, plum purple and olive green on a pure white background.
This fabric is in great condition, no fading, the colours really pop. £8.50 plus p&p

Vintage 60s 70s flower power fabric in mustard yellow and chocolate brown large piece
A beautiful vintage fabric featuring a bold floral pattern in shades of mustard yellow, zesty orange on a chocolate brown background.
No fading, the colours remain bright.
You will receive a large piece measuring 168cm long and 116cm wide - £16.50 plus p£p

Purple daisy floral vintage retro fabric in purple, lilac and pure white 88cm wide

This fabric features a floral pattern in shades of purple, lilac and pure white. It is in great condition, no fading, the colours really shine out at you.
This is a medium weight, cotton fabric. Perfect for all manner of sewing projects such as cushion covers, lampshades or clothing.
You will receive 1 piece of fabric measuring 88 centimetres wide by 100 centimetres long. £14.50 plus p&p

This is just a small selection of vintage fabric on offer. Head over to the Pouch Vintage online shop to see the full range plus fabric trims and handmade homewares. If you have any questions, please contact me, I'm always happy to help.

I would love to connect with you via my other social media channels, fine me here: Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest

Win an ecofriendly, handmade, vintage fabric market tote in my giveaway

I'm celebrating the start of another sun-filled week with a giveaway over on my Instagram feed. You have the chance to win an ecofriendly, handmade, vintage fabric market tote...

This market tote is handmade using vintage fabric. Fully lined with robust, oatmeal cotton. Perfect for taking to the shops or local market to stock up on provisions. Wide straps make this bag comfortable to carry. It would also be great for stashing yarn, carrying craft projects or as a book or beach bag... You can cram virtually anything into this handy tote...

To enter, head over to my Instagram account to see the full details. Good luck!

This giveaway is in no way associated with Instagram.

Open to worldwide entries.

Closes on Monday July 16th 2018.

Share your craft projects on Instagram with the July hashtag

The weather has been glorious in June here in the UK. We have basked in lots of sunshine, eaten our evening meals outside most nights and enjoyed late evening trips to the allotment to water the veggies. The days seem so long and there's lots of time for crafting. Do you have any creative projects planned for July? Join our creative community and share your craft projects on Instagram with the July hashtag #craftingismytherapy_july

Looking back over the previous month, #craftingismytherapy_june turned out to be super busy. Those long Summer days obviously make you all very creative.

I always enjoy seeing the wide variety of crafts tagged. Up to now, over 4000 images have been added to our monthly feeds. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month. If you would like to find out more about the hashtag and see the story behind it, please follow this link.

What are your creative plans for July? I would love to see your images added to the feed. Simple add the #craftingismytherapy_july tag over on Instagram. All crafts more than welcome. At the end of the month, I will choose a selection of images that have caught my eye and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here. I also share as many of your images in my Insta stories as I can throughout July.

This month we welcome Lucy as guest co-host throughout July. She describes her creative life like this: “I reside in and explore my city and dream of living and spending more time in the countryside. I write blog posts, stories and poems and dream of becoming a published writer and author. I love creating things with my hands and dream of designing my own range of products.”. I love seeing Lucy’s beautiful images pop up in my Instagram feed, her account is well worth checking out. You can read her blog here and head over to Lucy’s Instagram to see more of her crafty makes and much more besides.

Above is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout June. It gets harder and harder to choose just nine images in my monthly round-up grids. This image represents a snapshot of the creative projects shared, please visit the June feed to see everyone’s contributions to the hashtag.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_july feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_july on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Celebrate creativity with Just a Card Week 18 - 22 JUNE

I first heard about the 'Just a Card' campaign via Twitter about two years ago. The campaign came about when Artist & Designer Sarah Hamilton saw the quote "If everyone who'd complimented our beautiful gallery had bought 'just a card' we'd still be open" by store keepers who'd recently closed their gallery.

This prompted a call to action! Designer/Makers and independent shops and galleries need a voice. People seldom realise the considerable costs involved in exhibiting at design shows or keeping a shop open. Stand fees, power, materials, wages etc need to be met before even a penny of profit can be realised. Running a shop is often a labour of love. Without dedication and passion, and crucially sales, it would be another boarded up eyesore.

The 'Just a Card' campaign has gone from strength to strength. It brings designers, artists, shop owners and the wider public together to create a truly thriving creative community. Despite the name, the campaign is about more than buying just cards. Every single mug, pin, cushion, print or book you buy from an independent shop or designer makes a huge difference.

To celebrate and build on this success, Just a Card is inviting everyone to participate in JUST A CARD week on 18 - 22 JUNE!

JUST A CARD week will include an Instagram challenge, business advice, giveaways and much, much more...

Head over to their website to find out all the details

Everyone passionate about creativity and independents is invited to share their stories on Social Media, and their work places too. People are asked to celebrate the contribution independent shops and creatives make, plus post images of the hundreds of JUST A CARD stickers, encouraging people to support independents, which are popping up in shop windows all around the country.

I used to be a Features Writer for UK Handmade Magazine and have interviewed a number of designer makers. I know how much dedication and hard work goes into running an independent business. We need to celebrate all the people who put so much effort into keeping their creative dreams alive.

I think the JUST A CARD initiative is wonderful and I urge you to join in and spread the word.

Keep up to date with all the latest JUST A CARD news on their Twitter and Instagram

Share your craft projects on Instagram with the June hashtag

Half Term is over and it's back to school and work. The weather has kept us on our toes, beautiful sunshine one minute and torrential downpours the next. I hope you've all had a creative May. Do you have a craft project or two planned for June? If you enjoy sharing your creative life on Instagram, then please feel free to tag as many crafty images with #craftingismytherapy_june throughout the month.

All crafts more than welcome. At the end of the month, I will choose some of the images that have caught my eye and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here. I also share as many of your images in my Insta stories as I can throughout June.

Looking back over the previous few weeks, #craftingismytherapy_may turned out to be a busy month, we had a number of new contributors, which is always lovely to see. I always enjoy seeing the wide variety of crafts tagged. Up to now, nearly 4000 images have been added to our monthly feeds. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month.

Below is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout May.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_june feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_june on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Share your craft projects on Instagram with our May hashtag

It's the first of May and the sun is out...for now! I hope you've all had a creative April. Do you have a craft project of two planned for May? If you enjoy sharing your creative life on Instagram, then please feel free to tag as many crafty images with #craftingismytherapy_may throughout the month. All crafts more than welcome. At the end of the month, I will choose some of my favourite images and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here

Looking back over the previous few weeks, #craftingismytherapy_april turned out to be another busy month. So many beautiful craft projects in our feed, I really enjoy seeing the wide variety of crafts tagged. Up to now, nearly 4000 images have been added to our monthly feeds. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month.

Below is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout #craftingismytherapy_april.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

This month I would like to welcome @sunna_crochet as our guest co-host for May. Check out her Instagram feed to see her pretty crochet projects and her new obsession - embroidery stitches.

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_may feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_may on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Join our creative instagram community in April

I'm a little late posting my March round-up. We've been busy enjoying ourselves over the Easter holidays. The Spring Term started yesterday, so I'm catching up with my blog.

Have you any crafty plans for April? If you share your creative projects over on Instagram, simple add the #craftingismytherapy_april hashtag to join our creative community. All crafts welcome.

Looking back over the previous few weeks, #craftingismytherapy_march turned out to be one of our busiest months. So many beautiful craft projects in our feed, it is always a real struggle to narrow it down to nine images for the grid. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month.

Below is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout March.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

If you enjoy sharing creative images on Instagram, then please feel free to tag as many crafty images with #craftingismytherapy_april throughout the month. At the end of the month, I will choose some of my favourite images and put together a round-up post over on Instagram and here on my blog. You can find my Instagram here

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_april feed.
– If you tag your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_april on any social media channels that would be great. This will help me to grow the community. I will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention me @pouchvintage
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Join our creative instagram community in March

It's the first of March and I'm sat here writing this and watching the snow whirl down outside. All the local schools are shut and we have a red weather warning in place for the South West. It's all a bit of a shock to the system as we're usually starting to feel some Spring warmth creeping in at this time of year. Can't complain though, it all looks very pretty from the comfort of a warm home...

The cold weather means I can stay indoors and get some crafting done. Although I suspect many of you don't need the excuse of a cold-snap to get creative.

February was a busy month for our Instagram hashtag. So many beautiful craft projects in our feed, it is always a real struggle to narrow it down to nine images for the grid. I love being part of this creative community and thank you to everyone who joins in each month.

Below is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout February.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

This month we welcome Jenny as guest co-host throughout March. She is a a doctor by profession, but when she has some free time, she loves nothing more than making things with her hands. You can read her blog here and head over to Jenny's @forthejoyofcraft Instagram feed to see more of her crafty makes.

If you enjoy sharing creative images on Instagram, then please feel free to tag as many crafty images with #craftingismytherapy_march throughout the month. At the end of the month, my co-hosts Jennifer Jain, Jenny and I will choose our favourite images and put together a round-up post over on Instagram. You can find my Instagram here

– Please share the love and comment on images added to the #craftingismytherapy_march feed.
– If you share your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_march on any social media channels that would be great. This will help us to grow the community. We will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention us (@pouchvintage/@JenniferJain)
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome!

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...

Join our creative instagram community in February

My poor neglected blog! I haven't posted here for over two months. Having taken on more hours in my job, it is increasingly difficult for me to find time to post here. I am going to try and blog more frequently, over the coming months...

Having said that, I'm still active on Instagram. I love being part of the creative community over there and our monthly hashtag is still going strong.

There are heaps of beautiful projects to look at and crafty accounts for you to follow...

Below is a small selection of the creative images tagged throughout January.

You can find out who the makers are behind the images by following this link

If you enjoy sharing creative images on Instagram, then please feel free to tag as many crafty images with #craftingismytherapy_february throughout the month. At the end of the month, Jennifer and I will choose our favourite images and put together a round-up post over on Instagram. You can find my Instagram here

– Please share the love and comment on other people’s images added to the gallery.
– If you share your images and use the hashtag #craftingismytherapy_february on any social media channels that would be great. This will help us to grow the community. We will retweet all your posts via Twitter if you mention us (@pouchvintage/@JenniferJain )
– And finally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram, you’re more than welcome! Jennifer Jain’s links are here too: Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

Follow me on Pinterest to see blog posts, tutorials and much more...