Ellie's Treasures Crafts (previous blog)

I've moved!

2011-05-14T17:09:00.000+01:00

Lovely followers and readers of this blog - I've now moved to my original blog (just to confuse you all) and have decided to combine all things crafty with all things that happen in my little corner of the world. Please come and join me (and follow if you so wish) - I'm here:

http://elliestreasures.blogspot.com/

Easter and all things gorgeous (and not a chocolate in sight!)

2011-04-14T13:11:00.000+01:00

Easter is a very important time in the Christian calendar but many others, believers or not, enjoy Easter time too. It is a time of new beginnings - bunnies, chicks, lambs and of course chocolate, whether it's in the form of an egg or not!

The shops are full of Easter eggs and other tempting goodies as are many of the online craft sites. If you're thinking of choosing a gift a little different and special this year there are many to choose from on the Folksy site.

I made some little white bunny brooches last year for my nephews who loved them so much that I decided to make a couple to sell at Ellie's Treasures. There's one left - free P&P too!

Little white bunny brooch at Ellie's Treasures

Here's a few other fabulous Easter goodies all available from Folksy. As always, click on the photo to go straight to the relevant shop.

Patchwork Butterfly

Jings Things

Pink Amaryllis

Mrs Moo Designs

The Cats Whiskers Jewellery

Mini pieces of art

2011-03-31T20:43:00.001+01:00

ACEO (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) or ATC (Artist Trading Card) have become very popular on Folksy lately. An ACEO/ATC can be any form of art (original, photographic or print, 2D or 3D) presented on card/paper strictly 3.5" x 2.5" in size. This website goes into more depth about them.

As there are quite a few for sale on Folksy, as well as very friendly daily forum post, I thought it would be nice to feature some of my favourites. My daughter, Katie, who absolutely loves horses and has been drawing horses for a number of years now, has decided to (once in a while) draw an ACEO to sell through Ellie's Treasures. I have to admit, I find it very difficult to actually put them up for sale as I always want to keep them for myself.

This is the first one she did, which has now been sold:

and this is her current one, which is still for sale:

She also drew a horse for my Mum for Mother's Day (I bought it from her lol) which I've posted snuggled in this little ACEO pouch that I made.

Now for some other beautiful ACEOs from Folksy (I must add it's taken me most of the evening to decide on these six - there's many, many more to choose from so please do have a browse on Folksy). As always, click on the photo to go directly to the relevant shop.

ema hossain design

Gweddus Art

Audrey's Art

pants and paper

Sprinkles

Cherry Tree

Mother's Day specials

2011-03-25T20:33:00.001Z

Mother's Day is fast approaching, but there's still time to find and purchase something a little different from the norm this year. Mum's are special, we all know that, so spending time sourcing that perfect pressie is time well spent.

I've chosen a few pretty things that caught my eye on Folksy for you to see - perhaps something here will help you decide on the perfect Mother's Day gift. The big "Mother's Day" button at the end will whisk you away to the whole Mother's Day collection on Folksy. Happy browsing.

I'll start with something from Ellie's Treasures, just to be cheeky!

A hand-sewn seven pocket fabric keepsake wallet, known as the Patchy Pockets. These wallets make wonderful little gifts. They are so versatile and as each one is entirely different, they're unique too. Ideal for storing small items in your handbag, car glove compartment or special little notes, photos and momentos from a memorable occasion.

Best Wishes Cards - cards are top of the list when looking for Mother's Day and this book style "M.U.M." ticks all the boxes.

Mia Design - a cute litttle lipstick holder - I just love cuppa on the front!

Fresh "n" Funky Cards - isn't this wonderful? Brings back memories of the kinds of notebooks I used to collect as a child.

Aruala - this stunning piece of jewellery would make a wonderful gift at any time of the year. Aruala's shop is full of lovely goodies.

The Cotton Potter - I think this mini vase wrap is brilliant and very pretty. It would really brighten up that little posy of flowers placed on the breakfast tray on Mother's Day morning.

New lovelies at Ellie's Treasures

2011-03-08T18:30:00.001Z

February must have been "Patchy Pockets" month because my stock disappeared to happy homes during the last few weeks! Not to worry though, I've been busy sewing more and have, as always, enjoyed putting combinations of different tactile fabrics together, along with pretty accessories, to make new combinations.

This this my latest one. The fabrics used are a lovely bold patterned blue (which reminds me very much of a dress my Mum once had back in the 50s!), a shiny silver and an embossed cream. Mini buttons sewn onto pale olive ribbon decorate the front. I can't leave out the pretty blue leather flower - it's quite special because it is one from a pack of samples (of many colours together with leather leaves) that were sent to me by Artisan Leather, to use in my projects. Artisan Leather are based in South Devon and also sell on Folksy. If you have a browse through their website/shop page you'll see these little flowers on some of their gorgeous items to purchase, as well as in packs to buy to use yourself. My samples had three mini holes punched through each flower and leaf ready for me to use in sewing, but, as you'll see, you can also purchase them with a central hole which is ideal for jewellery making. I'll be using the mini leather flowers and leaves in some of my other projects too, so do keep an eye out.

This Patchy was one of my originals which, with it's rather plain denim, just wasn't selling. I decided to spruce it up with a front pocket and striking pink and red buttons and mini blue hearts, helping to make it more eye catching and quite wantable!

The Stylish Blogger Award

2011-02-27T21:02:00.002Z

A nice big thank you to Uniquely Yours and Kokokelli blogs for nominating Ellie's Treasures for the Stylish Blogger Award. I've placed it on my Our Day blog, so I can keep them all together.

Now, there's some rules attached to this award which are:

1. Thank the person and include the link for the nomination.

2. Share seven things about yourself.

3.Nominate 15 blogs for the award.

I can do numbers 1 and 2, but not too sure if I can fulfill number 3. Instead I'll nominate 5 fabulous blogs well worthy of the award - please take a mo to visit them, thanks.

Seven things about me:

I've always been a lover of singing and dancing and often sing around the house or make up silly ditties to sing to whoever cares to listen!

I'm a bit of a "builder's tea" lover, with no milk and 1 sugar. I could quite easily drink cup after cup and I think deep down the reason for this is that I feel having a cuppa will put off what I really should be doing.

I teach my two children (14 and 11) myself and have done for a number of years now. It took my a long time to pluck up the courage to do, but as soon as I did it, I knew it was the right thing for my kids. We've learnt an awful lot of wonderful things along the way, and have met alot of wonderful people too.

I'm a published women! When working in childcare, I went on a fascinating course to learn about child schemas and wrote an paper on one of the children in the playgroup where I worked who demonstrated a schema as a way of learning. My paper was chosen, along with a couple of others, to be published by the course leader, the wonderful and very inspiring Professor Tina Bruce, in a book she had written.

So I asked my kids what else I could say about me. This is what they said: "you like to talk about maths all the time", "you're obsessed with horses' feet", "'tidy your room' are your favourite words", "you're cool", "your're fun and different to other mums". Well at least I'm not a complete ogre then!!

I past my driving test first time when I was about 19 but wasn't at all eager to buy or car or drive around once I'd got my driving license. I drove my hubby's car (then my new boyfriend lol) around the town I grew up in, but very quickly lost my confidence as the car was old and kept cutting out when standing in traffic for too long! The only way to get it started again was to hop out and hit the starter motor with a hammer - not a confidence builder at all!

I love property and will always be looking at what's available on the market to buy. I had the opportunity to work in an estate agents when I was in the 6th form, but decided having fun with the lads was a much better education! I often wonder where my path would have taken me should I have taken that lead many moons ago.

For nominations, I've chosen the following blogs:

Angel Eden
Sleeping Cities
Classroom Free
Elibee Gifts
Home Ed Grows Up

Woollie ponies and fairy toadstool brooches

2011-02-19T14:01:00.002Z

The little Woollie "Barry" that I made for my nephew was so well received that his brother decided he'd like one too, this time in pale green and to be named "Tiny". I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to package "Tiny" up in the hard cardboard business box that I'd been using for all my other Woollies. When I bought the batch of boxes from Hobbycraft I took all that were on their shelves (there weren't that many) and when I rang to ask if they had more they told me they no longer sold them. Internet searches didn't lead to much either, so I was extremely pleased to find that there were two of these boxes left at Hobbycraft when I decided to pay a visit, just to see for myself.

Katie makes the Woollie ponies and I put the rest of the package together. I think this one's very sweet, she has such a lovely face. I wonder if I'll get any more requests for Woollies - perhaps their friends will see them and make enquiries!

I recently purchased three packs of tibetan silver charms which I knew immediately could be used to make pretty brooches for the shop. I have fairies, curled up cats and toadstools. I think the toadstools are my favourites (I've always believed in fairies!) and I have loved using them. The first brooch I made I decided to keep, but have since made another which is now for sale in the shop (and pictured below). The blue felt used for the background is a gorgeous colour, very striking against the embroidery silk flowers. I hope I can find more of this colour felt as I only have scraps left which initially came from a recycling store.

Another toadstool brooch I made was for my daughter's friend as part of her birthday present. They are just the right size to accessorise handbags (which is where I've put mine), as well as scarves or clothing. This one has two different mauve hearts, deep purple front and back and lilac sandwiched between.

So, what's next for Ellie's Treasures? Well February has been kind for sales which means my shop is feeling a little low on goodies! I've started cutting out more Patchy Pockets to sew using some fabulous materials. I'm hoping to include a proper little coin purse into some of these new Patchies, just to update them a little. I'll see how I get on! Also, can't wait to use more of my new charms, certainly on brooches but perhaps also to decorate a couple of Patchies too.

Valentine's Day - not long now!

2011-02-09T18:32:00.003Z

It's that time of year folks when the little arrows of love are flying through the air. I'm surprised some health and safety person hasn't put a ban on Valentine's day, it must be pretty hair-raising dodging those cupid arrows on 14th February!

So, what are you going to buy this year for your secret admirer, partner or bestest mate? The supermarkets are full of the usual things - chocs, flowers and some mass-produced pink and red things. Chocs are always welcome I know (can't be doing without a box of chocs at any time), but how about treating your special person to something a little different this year?

The Folksy website has a special button to click that'll whizz you straight to all the lovely handmade goodies that have been tagged with the word "valentines". That makes it a lot easier to pick something special doesn't it? You don't even have to go over to the Folksy website, the big red Folksy heart is right here on my blog - look, it's there on the right hand side bar - click and off you go!

Before you leave though, you may want to see a couple of suggestions from Ellie's Treasures.

First, something traditional, unique and beautiful - for the lady. Write little messages to clip inside with the two mini wooden pegs provided, or you could clip something else wonderfully special inside.

Don't want to go over the top with hearts? How about this? A great little gift.

Last posting day 1st class is Friday 11th February or Saturday morning for those in a mega rush but at always, I can't guarantee Royal Mail's delivery schedule so perhaps it's best you order asap!

Custom Woollie - "Master Barry"

2011-02-07T14:52:00.000Z

Here is "Master Barry", a little custom Woollie Pony just finished and mailed to my nephew who asked specifically for a Woollie named "Barry". My nephew has already bought "Icy" through Ellie's Treasures, and my sister had purchased "Raspberry", so I was quite surprised to get another Woollie request from him. Master Barry is particularly handsome I think. My daughter actually makes the ponies, I make all the other little bits and bobs that pop into the box, but it took her a couple of attempts to get Master Barry looking so lovely. As my nephew asked for a yellow Woollie she used a yellow wool which, once completed, made for a rather chuppy stead! She started again with a mix of two thin wools in lemon and beige and has produced, once again, a stunning little horse well deserving of his two rosettes.

Folksy Friday

2011-02-03T19:37:00.000Z

Goodness, it's been a while since I blogged a lovely collection of Folksy goodies. I've found so many inspiring lovelies from fellow sellers this week so I thought I'd show them off for you. Just click on the photo(s) you love to go straight to the relevant shop. Enjoy!

Super cute tilly

LF Studio

The Doll House

JEWEL PALACE

Beeswax and Broomsticks

Helen Hallows

Bundles of gorgeousness

2011-01-26T15:47:00.000Z

I've often bleeted on about my large collection of fabrics which are stored in huge bags, cupboards and under-bed draws. Well, just after Christmas I decided I needed to spice up my collection a little, having looked at the same old materials time and time again. I don't believe I've ever bought any material in my life, although I know I helped my mum choose some once when I was making a skirt at school!

I had a quick scoot around the supply shops on Folksy but didn't really find what I was looking for so headed to ebay and found this:

called "Early Bird Pop Flower" - a bit stunning don't you think? Anyway, I bought it and am extremely pleased with it.

Then ...

over this last weekend, my dear mother-in-law asked if I'd like to take off her hands a huge bundle of mixed fabrics (and wools) - oh boy they are all so gorgeous. Batiks, cottons, chiffons, silks in the most fabulous bright, bold and pretty patterns thinkable.

Here's piccies of some of my favourites; I can't wait to start using them:

The floral one is actually a 1970s child's long party dress - remember owning a few of these for special occasions? It brought back lots of memories.

The diamond cotton fabric is a lovely shade of jade. It's actually a top and it would be fun to try and alter it somehow to become a jockey top for Katie when she does cross-country!!

Being patriotic

2011-01-17T16:54:00.001Z

Remember the little Union Jack key rings I made for family members at Christmas time? Well, comments were very encouraging when I blogged about them, so I've made four to sell in my shop. The first two are already listed, both hand sewn from sturdy denim with a hessian centre and fabric sepia Union Flag. One's stitched with sunny yellow embroidery thread, the other in teal green (or blue, depending on how you see it of course!).

With a Royal Wedding looming this year (two actually I believe), why not celebrate all things Blighty by purchasing one of these to smarten up your bunch of keys?

Take one box ...

2011-01-11T16:09:00.001Z

which my dear sis bought for me as a present when my son Ben was born 11 1/2 years ago. It was a luxury to have such a fabulous box to hold all those wonderful baby bits and bobs in one place. Previously, for my daughter Katie, I'd used a large cardboard box. It was perfectly adequate for the job, but this one was far nicer and probably sturdier too. I told my sis that it wouldn't go to waste, and would always be used for something or other.

Well, that seems to have been the case. In it's 11 year life not only has it been used for storing nappies, but it's been a toy box for the car, an art box for the kids, a storage box for materials (before my collection grew out of hand), a collage bits and bobs box again for the kids, a grooming box for the horse and finally (and I have to add after a triple thorough clean), a box to hold all my sewing paraphernalia.

It was perfect for holding the horses's grooming kit, but after some slightly rough treatment from horse and continuous rough treatment from the resident dogs the lid decided to part company with the box. This was actually quite a sad moment for me as it has stood up to so much until then! Black duct tape did done a fabulous job of holding the two together, but it refused to keep any rain out and any stray dogs hoping for a quick nose inside! At Christmas, I receive a specially designed grooming box which doubles as a mounting block so this box needed a new home and boy did I know what it would be used for.

Now, it proudly holds a shoe box of ribbons, a box of buttons, two tin boxes of brooch catches and keyrings, another box of lovely charm gems and special buttons, a set of drawers containing beads of various sizes, glue, scissors, applicators and an assortment of current sewing makes that require finishing - all in one convenient place. No more hopping back to the work room to fetch this or that, I just lug this box and my actual sewing box to wherever I need to be. It's pretty darn heavy too, so it's also giving my arm muscles a good work out too every day!

I wonder what it'll be used for next?

A cover for my new diary

2011-01-07T11:01:00.000Z

The new diary that my hubby bought for me, is very dear to me. I've had a brief flick through the whole thing and marvelled at some of the drawings that are featured. There's so many wonderful crafters out there, and each day features a shop, website or blog to visit to see more of each crafter's work. The diary came uncovered and although you can download printable paper covers for it, I decided to sew a cover with pockets (naturally) to hold all the papers that usually stick out of the back of my filofax!

I've used a soft cotton blue check fleece as the basic cover. To be honest, if I was doing this again I'd either line it or go for a sturdier material. It's way too flimsy so I've had to link the edges inside to keep it all together! The pockets are from a lovely Christmas Rose patterned fabric, edged in coloured cotton stitching and a mini flower embellishment with little "made with love" heart linked to it. A chocolate brown and sky blue dotty ribbon along the binding finishes it all off.

Here it is:

I can now reveal ...

2011-01-04T15:32:00.001Z

the little hand sewn table pressies I made for my family. We all got together this last weekend for our Christmas celebration and I wrapped these and hid them next to the crackers on the table as an additional surprise!

Keyrings for the gentlemen.

Little brooches for the ladies.

Mini funny "Blobbols" for the children, each with a different name secured to the reverse.

A special two photo holder keyring for my sister as she's photo mad and I knew she'd love it to keep a couple of special photos close to hand!

The photo keyring is a new item that I'd like to sell at Ellie's Treasures but I can't guarantee when! It took me many weeks to get just right, hand cutting and sewing something so small is very fiddly, but very much worth it in the end.

Happy New Year to you all!

Bargains to be had ...

2011-01-01T16:41:00.004Z

We all love a bargain, finding something gorgeous at a reduced price would make anyone happy. So, I thought I'd feature a few Folksy shops having end of year sales. Don't forget to also check out Ellie's Treasures for a few bargains too! Click on the photo to zoom straight to the shop.

Padleigh Corner

Trinket Box

Jings Things

Lynwoodcrafts

SP Jewellery

Arabella's Attic

Wellydog Designs

Lisa-Maries Jewellery

Sale time at Ellie's Treasures

2010-12-30T20:04:00.001Z

It's the end of year sale, so please take a look in the "Sale Items" section of my shop to see which goodies are available at reduced prices.

Mr. Snowman - now £6.00

The two remaining Christmas items are up for grabs, alongside a couple of pretty, summery brooches and the lovely fabric heart keepsake, just perfect for Valentine's Day or perhaps a wedding or special anniversary coming up later in 2011.

Beautiful fabric keepsake heart - now £8.00

I'll be featuring other Folksy shops that also have sales in the next couple of days. Happy shopping!

A little something for Ben

2010-12-26T19:24:00.001Z

who has been asking for a Patchy for a while now.

My daughter has my very first Patchy with all her telephone numbers and mini letters from friends safely stored inside. I have the second Patchy, stuffed full of little items to keep my handbag as tidy as possible. So, it was time to make one for my son Ben.

Naturally it couldn't be too girly! He's very much into war, guns, ammo and camo, so I rummaged through my huge bag of scrap materials and the two underbed storage draws to try and find his old pair of blue camouflage trousers but I guess I must have used them for something else, as I just couldn't find them. As blue camo is his favourite, a quick search on e-bay lead me to a blue camo t-shirt which turned out to be in a very thin chiffon material. Being a bit too flimsy to turn into a pocket of any description, I teamed it up with some green fabric to make it sturdier. I also used green camo from another pair of old trousers, some green/cream and brown camo that I had in the bag and blue/silver leopard spot fabric that he'd mentioned in passing that he liked (it's kind of camo), these all went to make pockets. Velcro fastening from an unwanted camo hat and a picture of an army soldier printed out on fabric were the perfect trimmings for this Patchy.

He's already storing his Club Penguin game cards inside it as well as telephone numbers for his best mates.

Now, just hubby to get sorted with a Patchy ...

We've been counting ...

2010-12-25T19:54:00.001Z

down the last six days with our "Count down to Christmas" Santa. Hope all those who also bought a dolly peg Santa from Ellie's Treasures remembered to count down the days too!

Anyway, we've reached the big day today, so from Santa and from me, wishing you all a...

Stylish...

2010-12-23T12:59:00.000Z

is a good word to describe my latest Patchy Pockets. Each one I make I want to keep myself, I guess lots of crafters have that problem! This new keepsake wallet has again been made using recycled fabrics. Deep chocolate brown corduroy teamed with elegant cream fabric with grey flowers. A stunning dotty lime green ribbon trims the internal pockets and is featured on the cover alongside some pretty little buttons.

With its six pockets and elastic/button fastening, this wallet is perfect for keeping little things safe in one place. Use it in your handbag as the ideal tidy, or keep it in the car or around the home to store important notes, numbers or treasured keepsakes.

Newly listed, the perfect accessory

2010-12-07T19:29:00.000Z

which is, of course, the Patchy Pockets. This gorgeous and elegant keepsake wallet is just perfect for keeping items in one place, whether in the handbag, around the home or in the car. My latest fabric wallet, still with six handy pockets, has been made from clean recycled materials in silky pink and embossed ivory. A pretty ribbon trim and two pink ribbon ties finish off this unique item.

I've made a couple of Patchies using these combinations of materials before and they've both been very well received.

It's available now at Ellie's Treasures and would make a perfect little present for someone special.

Decorating the Christmas tree

2010-12-05T13:29:00.001Z

So, it's now 5th December and how many readers out there have already put up their tree festooned with Christmas decorations?

With the early snow fall, Christmas appears to have started very early. I know for sure that I'm more prepared and more excited about festivities this year that I have been for many years. Pretty lights and big plastic Santas have been seen around our village from the last week of November, and as the months seem to whizz by so quickly these days why not enjoy the fun of the season for longer than the usual a few short weeks?

I love all the decorations, gorgeous present ideas and stocking fillers online and in the shops (but mainly online for me this year) and I think we too may put up our tree and decorate the home a week or so earlier than we normally do.

With decorations in mind, I thought I'd show you some that are available to buy at Ellie's Treasures. I'll kick start with Mr. Snowman as he is very appropriate for the weather we've all be experiencing. No wet, freezing gloves and mittens needed to make this fella, he's ready to sit happily on the shelf, mantelpiece or windowsill this Christmas.

Now, howabout something cute for the actual tree? I've been making dolly peg ornaments for the winter season for a few years now and each time they sell so well. This year we have dolly peg angels, pixies and Santas. The little Santas have an added bonus of helping you count down those all important last six days to Christmas. All the dolly pegs sit perfectly on the tree, or perhaps on a banner, bunting or thick tinsel. They could even be used to hold Christmas cards in place on a thick piece of string!

Finally, how about a little hand-sewn stocking which comes complete with two mini felt heart brooches - a great gift for brooch lovers everywhere and perhaps ideal to share with a friend? Fill the stocking with lovely goodies and hide it on the tree branches for Christmas morning.

Oooh, Christmas, I'm getting excited now!

Diary 2011 Project

2010-11-25T21:23:00.001Z

The lovely Kelly, who owns the shop Kokokelli on Folksy, tweeted recently about this fabulous 2011 diary. It's a wow factor for me and it shot straight to the top of my Christmas wish list! Hubby's just gone and bought one for me so I'm over the moon. I have a trusy Filofax which has been used year in, year out for many years and although I won't be storing it away just yet (I do love it very much), I am very excited to be using a new, and very different, diary for 2011.

Please take a look at the website for all the information and plenty of lovely photos to feast your eyes on. Each date in the diary has been designed by a creator resulting in a wonderful collection of art work. Kelly is one of the creators featured (for the December 2011 page I see), so it makes it all the more special. The book is printed using recycled paper or it can be ordered in CD format to print out yourself. A link to book covers, that are free to download, is also available.

Stocking fillers

2010-11-20T22:25:00.005Z

These brooches and my (so far) one and only key fob will make perfect stocking fillers this Christmas. Here's my selection, all hand sewn and all with a silver safety bar pin secured firmly to the back. Just click on the photo to go to relevant brooch/key fob in my shop.

Just thought I'd mention (don't scream) - here's a mini countdown to Christmas just to make you panic!

Make your own Countdown Clocks

I've been featured ...

2010-11-15T20:19:00.001Z

This pretty Patchy Pockets got featured recently on the lovely Charlotte Hupfield's blog.

It's always such a great feeling when you're made aware of an item you've worked hard on, and are proud of, being featured elsewhere.

Please do check out Charlotte's blog listings and also let your mouse wander over to her pretty shop Charlotte Hupfield Ceramics. Charlotte also sells her goods at other online shops - these three photos are all from her shop on Folksy. Please click on the photo to go straight to the shop.

Brooches - how to wear them

2010-10-29T20:29:00.000+01:00

There's a new brooch in my collection at Ellie's Treasures. It's another from the "Patch" series - this time he's looking for love with a little purple heart beneath his paws.

Brooches make brilliant accessories. Not only fabulous for dressing up your clothing, but wonderful too for adding style to your hat, scarf and even your handbag.

Here's my Ben modelling my fat cat brooch which has been clipped to the lovely burnt orange hat my hubby purchased from Folksy for me earlier in the year.

and here's Patch again clipped to my handbag looking very smart indeed.

Progress in many ways

2010-10-21T20:30:00.002+01:00

Do you remember my post not so long ago with a list of boring things I should really be doing for Ellie's Treasures? Well, I'm pleased to announce I've ticked two things off my list now. The tax man has been kept happy (actually, I'm being kept happy with a very small rebate) and I've order new business cards from Moo as they have a 50 free card offering at the moment. That's progress!

More progress on the shop front with my own url, http://www.elliestreasures.co.uk/ (which I've had for a few years) now directing straight to my Folksy shop. Hubby bought a couple of stickers announcing this for the Landrover! Hoping soon, probably in the New Year, to set up a Google website under this url showing shop items and links to my blog (which I'll also be streamlining), facebook fan page and twitter too.

With Christmas just around the corner I've started crafting in a big way. My four special peg doll Santas are all done and ready for listing early November and I've just listed something new, a hand-sewn denim key fob featuring a very cute yellow duckling. It's available from Ellie's Treasures now and would make the perfect little stocking filler.

Folksy Friday

2010-10-15T11:54:00.002+01:00

Six more fabulous Folksy shops to feature this week - all have added Ellie's Treasures to their list of favourites, so a huge thank you to you all.

This week we have:

La Maitresse: Jacqui has a selection of personalised patchwork pincushions in her lovely shop, all of which are stunning and would make delightful presents. It was hard to choose which colour to feature, so, after much thought, I went for the blue/green one, but all are equally lovely.

Squintessential: lots of pretty jewellery pieces to choose from here, all with fun names. I went for this colourful bracelet under the title of "Crackle GumDrop Bracelet" - just fabulous.

Bubblegumbod Beads: "Funky, Fun and Fresh" are also in Bubblegumbod Beads' title and I can see why. A shop worth visiting - full of lovely jewellery pieces made using delicate beads.

Lucy Loo's shop is one you can ponder over for quite a while! So many gorgeous handmade lovelies to choose from including bags, purses, pendants, brooches and darling mushroom pillows.

Sugarplum kawaii: pretty pieces of jewellery some inspired by her daughter's love of Japanese things. Perfect as a treat for yourself or as a unique gift for someone you love. I usually pick owl items if they're available, but this time I've chosen the unusual Pegasus wing.

Printed on Ribbon: a much needed supply shop that does just what it says in it's shop title! Satin ribbon printed with your own special message - perfect to finish off your parcels.

Click on the pic to go straight to the shop.

Christmas is coming ...

2010-10-13T20:58:00.001+01:00

Last year, one of my best sellers in and out of my online shop were little dolly peg Santas, Pixies and Angels. This year I've started to make more dolly peg Santas but with a twist. This year's decoration is going to be called "Count down to Christmas" as Santa carries a small sack of notices that can be changed each day as you count down the last few days before Christmas day. Seeing as how children generally break up from school quite late in December, counting down the last six days will be a something the whole family can do without that rush to get out of the house in the morning!

Hand painted and hand sewn, these dolly pegs are taking quite a long time to put together so I'm only making four to start with. This is because I'd also like to build up my selection of other goodies for sale before the Christmas rush. This will include more Patchies, brooches and new key fobs too.

Aiming to put my new Santas in my shop from the beginning of November, so watch out for them.

Folksy Friday

2010-10-07T21:49:00.001+01:00

Hello again! Here's my next set of fabulous Folksy shops to be featured in my Folksy Friday picks this week. Big thanks to you all for adding Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop.

This week we have:

Wooden Wonders: truly stunning pieces crafted from wood to produce wonderful items. Due to its gorgeous colours, I've chosen to feature this bowl made from burr elm.

crafted: a lovely collection of vintage inspired goodies. This pretty checked lavender heart would look brilliant in any home.

jamie cameron-hughes: Wow! What an amazing collection of photographic prints in Jamie's shop. It took me ages to decide which one to feature, they all seem to tell a story perfectly. I finally settled on this photograph of graffeti in London.

Fresh "n" Funky Cards: not just cards though, gorgeous keepsake boxes too and look - I've found this pretty hanging wooden heart. I can't resist hearts!

Slate Sea Studio: anyone who is a lover of beachcombing is my friend. Having grown up near the sea I can understand the love of this past-time. Take a peek at this necklace, made from silver plated findings and a pretty boat charm, it really is quite elegant and unique.

Fairy Foo Foo: is a craft supply shop with some fabulous lovelies to browse through and choose from. I went for the cute cupcake buttons! Well, who wouldn't!?

Click on the pic to get to the shop. See you next week!

Hello!

2010-10-07T20:54:00.003+01:00

to all my new fans who follow Ellie's Treasures blog - lovely to have you here. Can't leave out my "old" fans of course, so big wave to you too!

Folksy Friday is back ...

2010-09-30T20:39:00.003+01:00

after a two week break.

This week's lovely folk are from the following 6 shops on Folksy. My thank you to you for adding Ellie's Treasures to your favourites list.

HJD Crafts - a lovely supplies shop selling so many fabulous and wantable goodies.

Phoebe Bee Bee - really into the Union Jack items that are around at the moment, so this lovely heart really hits the spot.

Silk & Art - just gorgeous items in this shop and I do believe I've featured the mandala greetings cards before on a Folksy Friday. This time I've chosen the prettiest blue scarf, it would make a great Christmas present.

cheerymishmash - I've chosen this unique little wax painted silk card for my picks - but there's a lovely selection to choose from as well as other goodies including the fun home education items.

Rachael's Special Lil Bits - a collection of really pretty items in Rachael's shop. I chose this fun felted mini bag and coin purse for it's striking colours.

The Cookie Button - OK, so we may have lost the sun, but this adorable little crocheted hat for toddlers would look stunning at any time of the year.

As always, please click on the photo to zoom straight to the relevant shop.

This may be a bit boring ...

2010-09-29T15:46:00.002+01:00

but I thought I'd make a proper list on here of all the things I should, need and will one day do to Ellie's Treasures to make it a better business!

My little scribbled list is getting a bit messy and as I keep adding to it (thanks to tips on the Folksy forum) it's becoming mega out of hand. Well here goes:

New business cards. I really want to get some from Moo, especially now I'm happy with my new logo. Not sure if I want business cards or postcards (or perhaps splash out on both), but I'd also like to get some stickers too.

Tissue paper. Must check out places where I can buy large flat sheets, like you see in florists. Although my sales aren't rushing me off my feet, I really don't like having to iron out creases in my folded tissue paper - picky I know, but that's me!

While I'm at it, better add more packaging to this list too - running out fast of brown tape, cellotape and good old jiffy bags. I remember seeing a forum post once about recycling used jiffy bags. What's your thoughts? I do keep so many jiffy bags that come through my post box, but am a little nervous of re-using them, even if I do put nice white paper over the previous address. Daft isn't it, but you know what some people are like!

Find a new and better way to display my shop goodies on my blog. The Photobucket one is pretty, but a bit "in your face" I think. There are so many others around that are better and clickable too, which is handy.

Categories on Folksy: dodge one for me this. OK, my brooches can easily pop in under Accessories, but the Patchys - not so sure where to put them. I've currently got them scattered around under Accessories, Homeware and Cases, Purses etc. Also, my cute little Woollies. Not strictly a toy so could really do with a Collectables category. I think this item on my list of "to do" will be ongoing and probably never solved!

Keywords on Folksy: wow, picked up a tip today about using keywords as a way to sort your shop. I'd never realised how handy keywords are, I just thought they were to help buyers search for a particular item from the "Buy" or "Home" page, but buyers that have settled on your shop can use the keywords to search for a particular kind of item. Brilliant! I seriously need to sort my keywords out.

Regulations etc.: OK I've browsed them, but not studied them - have you?

Tax man: obviously he comes last, although as October and then January begin to fast disappear I expect he'll pop to the top of the list! It's taken many attempts on the phone to talk to a human at the tax office requesting a tax form. They'd seemed to have forgotten me, but were more than happy to send out a form once I'd got through to them! Sad thing is, they've sent me the wrong form - doh! I think I'll just bite the bullet and do the return on line, shouldn't take me long (she says).

There, actually the list isn't that bad is it? No doubt more things will be added as the days, weeks, months go by.

A real patchy Patchy

2010-09-29T15:24:00.001+01:00

I love making my keepsake wallets. Do you remember the one I made recently for my friend who got married earlier this month - the pretty pink one? We were in sunny Spain so sadly had to miss her wedding (which apparently was beautiful, and she had a fabulous day) - but I caught up with her yesterday and she was over-the-moon with her Patchy (she didn't realise I'd made it)! She told me she's kept some confetti, lucky sixpence and a small piece of her wedding dress fabric inside it, keeping all the little bits and bobs from the day in one safe (and pretty) place.

My new Patchy is made up of a number of different fabrics so it's very patchy indeed! All upcycled materials too, with the cover being a blue soft cotton fleece with cute pink and white cows, butterflies and daisies. Inside there's an assortment of florals in pinks and greens and gentle lilac checks. Finished with a fun felt/button heart on the front, blue ribbon ties and bound in pink thread, this Patchy looks very feminine and would make a perfect gift for girls and ladies. Ideal for Christmas too!

New Woollie hits the shop

2010-09-25T14:34:00.002+01:00

It's been a long time coming, mainly because my dear daughter who makes the cute little Woollie ponies, has had too many other things happening in her life to get little Marble finished. Anyway, she's ready now and has just been listed at Ellie's Treasures.

Just like Icy and Raspberry (who I have to secretly admit is my favourite Woollie of all time), Marble comes nestled in tissue, inside a sturdy box, together with a hand-sewn booklet of "likes" - her favourtie things, two award winning rosettes and a small bag of shavings.

The wonderful Harvey Crafty Cards made the little buttons for the "likes" book - a mint, apple, carrot and heart full of love.

Marble is made from a pipecleaner and blue/grey and beige wool. She has a lovely deep grey mane and tail, black eyes and nostrils. With gentle care she can be posed.

Sadly not suitable to children because of all the buttons, pipecleaner, shavings and other small things, but Marble, Icy and Raspberry would make fabulous collector's items for anyone, but especially for horse and animal lovers.

Folksy Friday

2010-09-10T12:14:00.000+01:00

Six more fabulous Folksy shops featured in my picks this week. A big thank you to you all for adding Ellie's Treasures to your favourites list.

As alway, please click on the picture to zoom straight to the relevant shop.

This week we have:

The Little Bead Box - a button lovers dream! I had to go for this mix of pastel shades, they're so pretty.

Hand Drawn By Laura - stunning animal pictures hand drawn in graphite pencil from photographs - very special.

Owl Loves Panda - I used to love reading the Moomin books when I was a child so seeing these character necklaces put a big smile on my face.

raindrops on roses - I love these bead stitch markers - what a cheerful way to help you out when knitting.

The Enchanted Grove - look at this, what a cute idea - accessorise your puss with this pretty crocheted flower.

LittleBarb - these necklaces are so attractive and all hand made from recycled buttons. Autumn colours are my favourite at the moment, and this necklace really captures the season perfectly.

Things I've made or finished this week:

2010-09-09T20:06:00.000+01:00

I've been busy finishing a beautiful Patchy Pockets for my friend who is getting married on the 18th September. It's a surprise little gift and I hope she will find it perfect for keeping safe all her little momentos from the special day. I've personalised this one too, which makes it extra special, and I'm happy to do something similar for any of my keepsake wallets listed in my shop should buyers request it.

This Patchy is very similar to one I sold quite recently. As I've mentioned before, the materials are gorgeous and very bridal in my opinion!

I've also made a new little pussy cat brooch, as promised. Again, I'd made one like this just a few weeks ago for my sister as a little gift. I thought the colours of the cat on the purple background looked lovely, so I just had to make one for the shop too!

Folksy Friday

2010-09-02T21:38:00.000+01:00

Another huge thank you to the next six super Folksy shops who have added Ellie's Treasures to their favourites list. This week we have:

Passionate About Photography - such a large variety of wonderful photographs available at greetings cards and canvas prints. I admire anyone who has a talent for taking stunning photographs like these.

WellyDog Designs - beautiful one-off pieces of jewellery and darling bags decorated with hand-drawn designs. Who couldn't love this shop?

A Simple Melody - I love the colour of this pretty hand-crocheted flower necklace - just the colours for Autumn.

The Glass Mountain - hand-embroiderd beauties, all of them. Think of the hours that have gone into making these lovely little items.

BaggieAggie Too - I think the idea of a wrist keyfob is brilliant, and they're all so stylish too. It was very hard to decide which is my favourite.

Lemonade and Lamingtons - these crocheted mug cozies are fabulous and just perfect for the cold winter days and nights that will soon be upon us.

As always, click on the photo to be directed to the relevant shop.

No, I'm not on holiday ...

2010-09-02T20:54:00.002+01:00

so I really have no excuse about my lack of blogging and crafting! I've been trying very hard to finish and personalise a pretty Patchy Pockets for a good friend who is getting married in a couple of weeks and I'm very nearly there. I'll pop a couple of pics on here once it's finished but it's very similar in style to this one, (which sold recently). I think the materials are very dainty and quite bridal, don't you think?

Folksy Friday

2010-08-27T10:26:00.001+01:00

Hello lovely readers, I hope you've all had a good week. I wasn't able to do a Folksy Friday last week - things have been hectic (as usual, but this time a little more hectic) with my daughter going off to my mum's for a week's hols and the rest of us driving up and down the length and width of the country hunting for the "perfect" horse trailer! Anyway, here I am and here's my lovely Folksy Friday selection from six lovely sellers who have added Ellie's Treasures as one of the favourite shops - big thank you to you all. As always, click on the photo to go straight to the relevant shop.

D'z Jewells by Donna Marie - darling little phone or zipper decorations, these dragonflys are made from swarovski crystal beads with silver plated wings.

Kath Heywood Designs - you can just feel how soft and cosy this mohair scarf is going to be - perfect for the coming cooler months.

Diggi Woodturning - absolutely gorgeous and lovingly hand crafted wooden gifts.

Socklings - these fun stuffed sock animals would make fabulous gifts - each one certainly is a one of a kind.

Once Upon a Time in the North - with a wonderful shop like this, it's no surprise to find wonderful, individual goodies for sale - take a peek at this bright and cheerful shop.

Heart in a Box - these lovely heart shaped plaques are personalised with announcements and sentiments.

Been busy on the sewing front ...

2010-08-18T20:40:00.001+01:00

and made a cute little pussy cat brooch as a small gift for my sister. It took everything I had not to keep this one, I think the purple is spot on and shows off the ginger furry body just perfectly. I've just bought another couple of cat face buttons so will be making a some for the shop in due course.

I've also had a rummage in my materials bag, buttons and ribbons box and made a new keepsake, Patchy Pockets, fabric wallet. I love making these as each one is unique and the finished product always puts a satisfied smile on my face.

Feedback from recent Patchy sales have been great - it's always lovely to know my items have made someone happy:

"Thank you so much! The item is GORGEOUS and arrived beautifully and safely packaged 2 days after ordering ~ you are fantastic! x"

"So cute, thank you! Perfect for keeping little pictures of my kids and other bits and bobs."

These little wallets are fabulous for keeping so many small things in one place. Photos, notes, plasters, headache tablets, phone numbers, sewing items, memories from special occasions - the list is endless.

Here's my latest one, now available to buy at Ellie's Treasures:

Folksy Friday

2010-08-13T10:41:00.001+01:00

Six more fabulous shops from Folksy. Big thanks to you all for adding Ellie's Treasures to your favourites. This week we have:

Jings Things - I love this "London Town" bangle made from ribbon and resin. Brilliant idea.

Cat on a Bead Mat Handmade Jewellery - as I love animals I picked this beautiful hand drawn cat keyring - he's got the perfect pussy cat look!

Nanny May Jewellery - I like things that are a little bit different and quirky so this brooch really caught my eye.

Pipistrelle - crocheted using 100% natural fibre, this handbag is my current favourite in it's pretty shades of pink and green.

Eleganza - a stunning hand-crafted necklace made with turquoise, brown obsidian, blue tiger eye and swarovski crystals.

Paulaz Jewelz - these memory wire and bead rings are gorgeous.

A new look for Ellie's Treasures

2010-08-12T19:28:00.000+01:00

I have been talking about getting a new look for my shop for quite some time and finally it's here. Actually, you may well have noticed the new look on here and my shop from a couple of weeks, but I'm writing about it now because all my communication links, Facebook, Twitter, blog and of course Ellie's Treasures at Folksy have finally be updated.

My original look was smart, but dark and I was amazed at how fresh paler colours seem, giving my shop a totally different appearance. With it's creamy background, hand-drawn and painted little cottage scene (I love hearts, so the pic had to be nestled inside one) - the new look is simple and very personal.

With the help from the two children, I gingerly worked my way around Paint Shop Pro to trim and neaten up my picture, use colour, choose a font and add writing. I'm getting there, just a bit slowly!

My grab button to the side of my blog post has now been updated if anyone would like to update a previous Ellie's Treasures button they have on their blogs or websites. Other readers - please feel free to grab the new button!

Folksy Friday

2010-08-06T20:28:00.000+01:00

This week's Folksy Friday picks are chosen from my next set of lovely shops who have added Ellie's Treasures to their favourites list. I've chosen 8 this week .... As always, click on the photo to go directly to the shop.

Celtic Angel - a very pretty necklace with jade green chips, flowers, beads, a unicorn and heart.

gemmipop designs - this hand-knitted orange and pink flower brooch would look very summery on accessories and clothing.

Polka Dots and Posies - personalised PE/drawstring bag made from cheerful Cath Kidson material - ideal for school.

Tiny Gems Jewellery - pretty necklace made with a selection of beads in natural colours - great for Autumn.

Made With Love X - who wouldn't want one of these fabulous flower keyrings.

Buttons and Beads Gifts - made from varnished Polymer Clay, this dragonfly keyring has a cut out heart and is simple, but beautiful.

Silk and Art - these calming, mandala greetings cards are all original paintings by Fiona Stolze.

Miss Match - handmade from Polymer clay, this kokeshi doll necklace is really cute.

I've been featured ...

2010-08-05T19:02:00.000+01:00

The lovely Dawn has very kindly featured Ellie's Treasures on The Crafty Blog. Go take a peek as there's blog posts from many other folk who enjoy making wonderful goodies for themselves, others or to sell.

It seems Dawn's favourite item available to buy from my shop is the little curled up pussy cat brooch - good choice I think! I've just started making one for my sister as a little extra gift for her birthday next week.

Folksy Friday

2010-07-30T18:14:00.000+01:00

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you like my collection of goodies from six Folksy shops, all of which have added Ellie's Treasures as one of their favourites. Big thank you to you all.

Dottie Cards - I love this beautifully decorated cards which can show any greeting or simply be left blank.

Northfield Primitives - I'm a bit of a sucker for toys! This darling terrier with his vintage look is so cute and "house trained" too apparently!

Driftwood Boat Builders - I just love these driftwood boats, they looks so stylish and would look brilliant in any room of the house.

Glamourpuss Jewellery - Isn't this a stunning colour? Stand-out in the crowd with this fabulous pink daisy necklace.

Snowdon - Mmm, cupcakes. You know by now that cakes are my thing - these handy and delicious cupcake magnets are perfect for the home.

Mary Elliott Jewellery - a beautiful and dainty necklace with it's gentle pink colour, blue flowers and white glass beads - very elegant indeed.

Patch plays ball ...

2010-07-26T16:48:00.002+01:00

My new little collection of cute dog face buttons arrived and, being a little smaller than my last ones, sent me back to the drawing board.

With Katie's help I bought a wad of gingerish coloured furry fabric which we both thought would make a fabulous dog body for the new button faces. Not only does it moult terribly, leaving ginger fluff absolutely everywhere, but, once cut into a small body shape, looked just a little ridiculous!

After much cutting out of our various shapes and positions of doggy bodies to fit the doggy heads, I settled on good old felt and added a couple of brown patches which seem to turn my newly formed hound into an adorable little pooch.

My dog, Poppy, loves playing ball. As you can see from Poppy's blog post, she has a small collection of tennis balls. Most are split, chewed or dented (and many, many more are strewn around the garden and probably in the house too), but she loves them all! With this in mind, and knowing how dogs do like to play fetch, I added a little yellow ball to the brooch too.

"Patch plays ball" a new brooch is born and looking for a new home.

Folksy Friday

2010-07-22T20:43:00.000+01:00

Is it that time again? Where did the last 7 days go? This weeks big thank you goes to the following six lovely Folksy shops - thanks for adding Ellie's Treasures to your favourites list.

Vintage Inspired Accessories - as soon as I saw this shop this brooch jumped out at me and Autumn thoughts came to my mind.

SockPals - these fun little sock creatures are brilliant, all have wonderful expressions but, as you must know by know, I'm a sucker for pussy cats!

minifelts - these lovely hand-sewn felt animal and bird brooches, purses and cases are beautifully made. I just love the little sheep's face on my Folksy Friday pick.

GingerbreadGems - this very pretty, dainty bracelet is perfect for summer - the bead colours are just gorgeous.

Corrina2Designs - something for my wish list I think - once again this lampwork bead, pearl and sterling silver bracelet has all the colours of Autumn, including two silver leaves.

Jessie Stacey - a collection of great things from which I chose this lovely purse. The vintage 70s fabric really brought back childhood memories for me.

Hope you enjoyed seeing my picks this week.

Folksy Friday

2010-07-15T20:08:00.001+01:00

Here's my next six wonderful shops from Folksy. Once again a big thank you to you all for adding Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop of yours.

This week we have:

LondonFogg - there's always going to be a heart featured somewhere in my picks, I just love them. This gorgeous Steampunk black metal heart has tiny watch cogs attached to it.

KittyCat - this cheerful crocheted brooch with it's vintage buttons would brighten anyone's day.

D's Cardz - yummy cupcakes, ooooh another favourite of mine. This card is so pretty and comes with a matching tag.

GlitterRT - this is a stunning bracelet made up of Freshwater Pearls and Rose Quartz on three coils of memory wire so it will fit any size of wrist. Would make a beautiful gift for a bride.

Lynwoodcrafts - isn't this cute? A little pin cushion perfect for sitting on the work table and so very pretty too with its ring of white daisys and tiny ladybird.

Sweet'art Stout - this landscape painting is right up my street. I could sit and look it for hours with it's deep, calming colours - reminds me of our visit to Skye last year.

Pussy cat brooches ...

2010-07-13T14:08:00.003+01:00

seem to be quite popular at Ellie's Treasures. My last cat brooch went to a fellow Folksy seller, Paulaz Jewellz. I think she was very happy with it - in fact she even blogged about her new brooch (see her review here).

I have to say I love making these little felt brooches. Each one is unique - no two could ever be the same as, apart from the actual button cat head or cat, all pieces are hand cut and hand sewn. Each brooch slightly padded and stiffened, and each one has a sturdy catch bar pin secured to the back.

Brilliant for cat lovers and equally wonderful for the fashion conscious who are looking for something just that little bit different.

I have two little heart brooches available at Ellie's Treasures at the moment. My first is similar to the one sold to Paulaz Jewelz - a darling little cat with its button face, fluffy curled up body and woollen tail. I love the way it watches the butterfly!

My sister bought me a pack of ceramic pussy cat buttons (and a mouse) which inspired my second brooch. "Cat peeking through the long grass" comes to mind when looking at this. It has a lovely smiley face - perhaps seeing the pretty flower and tiny hearts puts it in a wonderfully happy mood.

Perfect for your wedding day ...

2010-07-05T16:48:00.001+01:00

or for any other occasion of course!

Here's my latest hand-sewn Patchy Pockets keepsake wallet and, if you don't mind me saying, I think it's very dainty and just perfect as a gift for the bride on her wedding day. It's equally lovely as a gift for any other special occasion of course, but I'm so happy with it that I'll be making one in the same materials for a friend getting married in September.

As usual, photographs really don't do these wallets justice. The two materials I've chosen are both from the recycling centre and both tactile. The two-tone, very delicate pink fabric is like silk to the touch and the contrasting fabric has an embossed dotty pattern in cream. The ribbon trim, with its tiny purple and lilac flowers, finishes off this Patchy just perfectly.

So, for a wedding, what could you keep inside this pretty cloth wallet? A personal message for the bridge and groom? A "good luck" charm for their special day? A tissue or two for those expected tears (of joy I hasten to add)? Notes for the important reception speeches? The key to the honeymoon suite afterwards!? Oh the list is endless! After the big day, it could be used to store wedding memorabilia and photographs all safely in one place.

Available now at Ellie's Treasures.

Folksy Friday

2010-07-02T11:16:00.000+01:00

It's Friday again and time for my next six wonderful Folksy shops to feature in this week's Folksy Friday.

We have:

forestpoppy - what a darling little mat/pot stand - love the chicken!
fatcat felt - this felt making kit is a great idea - just add water and a bit of elbow grease.
Dottie Designs - what a personal gift this would make for a newly married couple; a honeymoon record book.
AnnieFloribunda - I love the beautiful colours on this flower brooch and the little butterfly just adds that personal touch.
Quernus Crafts - I just adore all of the little creatures Quernus Crafts produces. Go and check out the blog too for some fabulous little doggies.
Jude Allman Ceramics - very hard to choose out of all the lovely ceramics in this shop, but settled for this pretty pot.

A big thank you to you all for adding Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop. As always, click on the photo to go directly to the shop.

Folksy Friday

2010-06-17T17:23:00.000+01:00

This week's six shops chosen from those that have added Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop on Folksy are:

Three Witches - this bracelet has a beautiful selection of colourful beads and chips.
Careford Creations - handbound notebook using traditional Japanese style stitching.
The Windy Willows Gallery - gorgeous colourful cushion with a hand-stitched bold flower.
Bella Rose Jewellery - wow, look at that Jade gemstone, how pretty is this necklace?
The Scarlett Butterfly Company - stunning sterling and lampwork bracelet. I have to add that this shop, for me, has the prettiest banner I've seen on Folksy so far, I just love it.
Snap Scot - photographed on the Scottish borders, this pair of greetings cards are delightful.

Just click on the photo to go straight to the relevant shop.

Wedding gift idea

2010-06-17T11:51:00.001+01:00

I made a couple of these little heart shaped note wallets to sell for Valentine's Day and sadly, they are still in my Folksy shop! Hand-sewn from the most gorgeous fabric remnant in a jacquard style - burgundy, gold and sand colours, trimmed with champagne silky ribbon and two thin tie ribbons. Inside two little ribbon hemmed slits hold mini red pegs ready to attach special messages or other small items specially for the recipient.

A fellow Folksy seller friend is getting married this weekend. It was her that introduced me to Folksy and subsequent online selling facilities like Zibbet and Dreamaid so I wanted to send her a special thank you present for her and her fiance's wedding.

A "messages from the heart" seemed the perfect gift. Inside I attached mini hearts with their names and wedding date and then hand drew and wrote on cards three special messages, "happiness", "forever" and "good luck".

I'm updating my "messages from the heart" item in my shops on Folksy and Dreamaid to show these new photos. Anyone wishing to buy the heart can choose a simple message for me to print out on fabric to attach to a clip or to write on white card (or they can have blank cards to write their own special message).

Wishing my fellow Folksy friend a fabulous day on Saturday and happiness together for the years ahead.

Folksy Friday

2010-06-11T20:24:00.000+01:00

This week's big thank you (for adding Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop) goes to the following wonderful Folksy people:

Pavlova's Art Loft - fabulous acrylic poppy painting.
Pussy Galore Sock Cats and Kittens - adorable Olivia the proud and smiley sock cat.
Zennith Zark - summery necklace (currently in a sale - grab a bargain).
noodleBubble - pretty hand-embroidered egg cosy.
Chakra-Shack - lovely Haematite necklace.
teasemade - seriously cute owl brooch.

As always, click on the picture to go directly to the relevant shop.

Brooches and hairslides

2010-06-10T14:24:00.001+01:00

Continuing with my brooch making enjoyment and having run out of cat and dog face buttons for the time being, I found a flower shaped template just begging to be used. Using felt, home tie-dyed t-shirt fabric, a flower shaped button and a selection of seed beads I came up with this pretty little flower brooch. It's the perfect size for wearing on clothes this summer, or even to brighten up your accessories like your handbag or perhaps a belt. It's available in my shop at Folksy and Dreamaid.

I made another just for my daughter Katie, and she found a new use for it - a fashionable flower hair decoration (although you'd have to be careful with not to hurt yourself with the pin). Used with a hairgrip to keep it securely in place, I think it looks really attractive.

Folksy Friday

2010-06-04T20:50:00.001+01:00

Following on from last week, my next six Folksy shops to feature in my Folksy Friday picks are:

Sue Wright Handknits - pretty flower cushion
Claire Rose Designs - gorgeous pink tote bag
Glitterysah - lugs warmer
Harvey Crafty Cards - "Love is in the air" card
Creative Knits - little knitted cat family
Wood Jewellery - delightful swift necklace

Thanks to you all for adding Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop.

New shop on Dreamaid

2010-06-01T18:01:00.001+01:00

I recently opened a shop on Dreamaid having heard about it through fellow sellers on Folksy. By buying through Dreamaid, 5% of the purchase price from each of my items is donated to those in poorer countries who need help selling their crafts locally.

Dreamaid started in May, 2009 and has recently become a better known name through it's television documentaries broadcast to show people exactly how they operate to help others.

The buying and selling site has products "from 23 countries, Dreamers from 55 countries and visitors from 125 countries" (source: Dreamaid). How fabulous that we have a fast growing community of sellers of hand crafted goods willing to sell on-line and help others at the same time.

Since joining Dreamaid I have listed a few of my items picked from my Folksy shop. This gives the buyer the choice of where to purchase and whether they'd like a percentage of the purchase price to be donated to a worthy cause.

Two items in particular seem to be catching people's eye over at Dreamaid:

My pretty floral Patchy Pockets has appeared on Dreamaid's front page and has also been tweeted by Dreamaid as "so cute (that) we just had to show everyone".

My cute pussy cat heart brooch has been nominated for the jewellery top ten picks.

Folksy Friday

2010-05-27T19:18:00.000+01:00

I'm back and have certainly missed taking part in the last couple of Folksy Fridays.

I've decided, as a thank you to those fellow Folksters that have added Ellie's Treasures as a favourite shop, to pick a selection of gorgeous items from their shops. I'll continue to do this each week until I've run out of shops!

This week I'm chosen goodies from Pants and Paper, Stitcher Scribbler, Molly Moo, Handmade - from the heart, Helen Jane's Designs and Niche Handmade.

An oven pad for my Mum

2010-05-14T20:41:00.000+01:00

A little while ago, when visiting my parents, my Mum mentioned that she'd like a new oven pad for the kitchen - her only other request being that it was mint in colour.

I went away mentally picking through my huge bag (and now under-bed drawers) of materials and could only come up with one lot of mint green in all that fabulous collection! When I got home and had a rummage I was proved right, I did only possess one pastel green piece of material and I'd used some for a Patchy Pockets. Luckily I had enough left to make the oven pad, with scraps of other pastel materials, buttons and little hearts and beads to make up a teapot on one side and a cupcake on the other.

I gave her the finished pad this week and she was thrilled with it. Here's some piccies for you:

I've had a two week break from making goodies for my shops as I was concentrating on making this for my Mum. The break has done me good actually, and I'm feeling ready to get sewing and making once again. It was lovely to find the "sales fairy" drop by my way a few times in April - gave me a really boost I must say. Watch out, new items will be listed on Folksy, Zibbet and in my Facebook Shop very, very soon!

Lovely birthday goodies ...

2010-05-08T18:18:00.001+01:00

I celebrated my birthday on Friday and I was a very, very lucky lady receiving some fabulous presents (and I have more to come over the weekend too). Some of them came from the wonderful sellers at Folksy - chosen from my ever growing "favourites" list. Take a peek:

This gorgeous doggy handbag caught my eye recently when I was looking for dog items for my Folksy Friday picks. I promptly added it to my list of favourites and was chuffed to bits to have it as a present from my in-laws.

This photo really doesn't do this stunning picture justice. It's been put together beautifully with its different textures, felt hearts, silk background and darling little house. There's several to choose from and I found it very difficult to choose just one!

Never used to go for orange, not sure why (I think it reminded me of the family kitchen when I was growing up LOL!!). This chunky hat is the most gorgeous burnt orange colour and is sooooo warm. I can say this in all honesty as the weather has turned extremely cold (and very wet) and this hat has kept my head warm and dry far better than my old fleece one (and it's far more stylish too).

Isn't this just lovely? The moongazing hare pendant - what more can I say. I saw it, again when adding items for a Folksy Friday, and fell in love with it; it has a magical feel to it and it's really "me".

Folksy Friday ...

2010-04-29T20:00:00.000+01:00

has to be on the subject of dogs this week. Poppy, our new rescue dog, has slotted into our family without any hitches. When she looks up at you, cocks her head sideways and silently requests just the tiniest piece of cake, how can anyone resist!

Woof and miaow

2010-04-26T17:47:00.000+01:00

Still on my brooch roll and seeing as how my little puss brooch sold so quickly I took another trip to Hobbycraft to buy a couple more gorgeous cat face buttons to make some more. Whilst there I spotted cute dog face buttons too; they were so appealing I just had to get them. So, there's a couple of new brooches just listed at Ellie's Treasures, hope you like them.

"Bread and Butter" by Bev Jennings

2010-04-25T18:02:00.001+01:00

Look what I treated myself to last week. This gorgeous little heart has been on my favourites list since I came across it not so long ago whilst compiling a Folksy Friday. I threaded it onto a leather thong to make the perfect necklace. Check out Bev's shop on Folksy to see all her lovely items for sale.

Folksy Friday

2010-04-23T11:18:00.000+01:00

What would we do without clocks? I seem to constantly be watching the time, not because I'm fed up or bored (like when I used to watch the clock at school - and I'm sure it used to go backwards sometimes), but because life seems to run at such a fast pace these days and I'm constantly on the go. So it seemed fitting to have clocks and time as my theme for this week's Folksy Friday.

Swirly Wirly heart brooches

2010-04-19T12:58:00.000+01:00

Still into making fun brooches at the mo but do feel another Patchy Pockets is on the cards very soon!

The idea for these "swirly wirly" hearts actually came from Katie, my daughter. Before Ellie's Treasures was on the scene and even before we'd move to our current house, I remember commenting on how pretty the wound up pieces of felt looked that she and her friends had made one afternoon. The idea stuck in my mind and last week I had a few scraps of felt left over just perfect to winding up to make these little swirly spirals.

I think these little heart brooches are really cute and ideal for sharing with your bezza (sorry, I love that word, Katie's friends use it all the time!).

Folksy Friday

2010-04-15T19:03:00.000+01:00

I've decided for this week's picks to choose some special items that I've saved in my favourites on Folksy. These five are no more special than all the other gorgeous crafts that I have saved, and it's been very difficult to choose which ones to list. If only I had pots loads of money, I'd buy them all.

If only I had the spare cash, this would certainly be winging its way to me. My dream little cottage, all in miniature, with its whitewashed walls and little lights too - from Teapot Cottages.

Isn't this a clever idea? A unique necklace made from an upcycled bottle cap with crocheted surrounding - from A Simple Melody.

I just love hats and certainly don't have enough of them. This one is right up my street, such a stunning colour too - from iLEAiYE.

This is just so cute, all packaged up and ready for her new home. What a lot of thought has been put into this little piece - from Green Glamour.

Isn't this the most delicate little pendant? Handcrafted in Cornwall, this moon-gazing hare is just adorable - from Firwel Crafts.

Another pretty brooch

2010-04-14T14:46:00.000+01:00

I really enjoy making brooches at the mo. This little heart one was a "thank you" sent to my hubby's aunt who very, very kindly knitted him a fabulous Aran jumper.

Take a cute cat face ...

2010-04-11T19:15:00.000+01:00

and turn it into a sweetie of a brooch.

Saw these little cat face buttons in Hobbycraft on my last visit and couldn't resist them (although they were a bit expensive). I wasn't too sure what to make with them to start with and then I remembered some fluffy furry material in my big bag of scraps and decided to use that as a puss-cat body and turn everything into a brooch.

I think my little cat is carefully watching the butterflies while he doses! Have started making another to see in my shop.

Ideas for a phone charm

2010-04-08T21:39:00.000+01:00

I was a little puzzled when my mum asked for a custom order of four phone charms from my shop, mainly because she hasn't got a phone! OK, I know charms look great on handbags, cameras and ipods too, but four, all the same? I went to see her over Easter and asked what she'd done with the four pretty charms she'd bought.

Well, this is what she used them for:

Now isn't that a great idea - tie-back attachments - and they look so dainty.

Scooby the mini Woollie pony

2010-04-06T14:59:00.000+01:00

Katie's horsey friend was celebrating her 11th birthday last week so it seemed the perfect opportunity to make her a little Woollie pony just like the one she helps look after - Scooby.

Scooby was made from white cotton yarn and I pencilled in her little pink nose! I packed her up inside a blue box, with her care booklet, bag of shavings and two rosettes (as she's such a star) and finished it all off with a pretty baby blue ribbon. Katie made a special friendship bracelet too with a heart charm attached, which we popped inside.

Her friend was very happy to receive a Woollie Scooby and I think Scooby was pretty happy to have found her new home too.

Bunny faces

2010-03-26T14:33:00.000Z

I wanted to make my nephews a little extra something to package up with their Easter eggs this year and seeing as how I'm quite into making brooches at the mo, decided to make them each a little white bunny face brooch. Cute don't you think?

Folksy Friday

2010-03-26T11:59:00.001Z

This week's picks are all cute things made from socks. No particular reason for choosing socks this week although perhaps the word is ingrained on my brain at the mo as I seem to be forever picking up socks from Katie's bedroom floor!

Good news ...

2010-03-22T13:07:00.002Z

I've found Chips! It suddenly came to me in the middle of night (as many thoughts often do) - he could quite easily have found himself wrapped up in the big black bag of rubbish after my big clear out yesterday. Being a good sort that I am, I untied it all and sifted through (luckily he was quite near the top) and found him nestled inside a box - still clean but rather angry. I do apologise Chips - try not to let it happen again!

Meet Raspberry - she's so cute!

2010-03-21T19:46:00.000Z

Raspberry and her little package have been in the pipeline for a couple of months now, but finally it all came together and she's now for sale at Ellie's Treasures.

Raspberry has been hanging around for a new home for some time. First of all I made a little box stable (modelled here by Chips who seems to have gone off in a huff somewhere, he's totally disappeared - and I miss him, he was my wollie buddy!) which, although pretty, wasn't really sturdy enough to survive a trip in the mail.

Katie and I hunted around Hobbycraft and managed to source the last business card size box available - just perfect for my needs. I also bought lengths of thin red and blue ribbon to make rosettes (these took forever, I was all fingers and thumbs) and pretty country green check ribbon to tie around the box.

So now I had a pony, two award winning rosettes and a box - not nearly enough to keep a woollie happy. Little bag of shavings to keep her cosy at night and perhaps a book of favourites would go down well so her new owner would know exactly how to look after her. Hunting on e-bay for special buttons - carrots, apples, mints and hearts was interesting but not really what I was after (and I couldn't find any mints anway). Wonderful Natalie at Harveycraftycards stepped in and rescued me by making some fabulous buttons from polymer clay.

I was getting there, but painfully slowly. Buttons - brilliant, I could make up a little felt book for them, but I needed to sew in some writing too, just to explain everything! I'm not particularly good at sewing letters, especially in miniature so help from the Folksy forum lead me to purchase some printable fabric which took just over a week to arrive and a few dodge attempts to print out on the printer. But ... I got there in the end and am absolutely chuffed at the result. Pop over here to see for yourself. I promise I'll add more woollies to the collection - they'll make fabulous collector's items for horsey-mad people or anyone who likes miniature things.

Easter Giveway at Sparrow Primitives

2010-03-19T18:50:00.001Z

Folksy Friday

2010-03-19T12:11:00.000Z

I went shopping yesterday and bought all the family's Easter eggs. I love choosing them and thinking of all that yummy chocolate! The pretty pastel colours of Spring on the packaging and other little Easter goodies is so uplifting.

You've guessed it, my choices for this week's Folksy Friday is "eggs".

Parcels - the best kind of mail

2010-03-16T19:33:00.001Z

Two things arrived today to put a huge smile on my face. First package I picked up off the lobby floor was my printable fabric. I've been waiting a week for this and now, finally, I can crack on and finish my latest Woollie pony project.

My second package was even more exciting. It was my gift from the springtime Folksy swap that Zoe had arranged - my package was from Alison of Love Hector.

Wrapped in pretty pink tissue, I received a "pillowcase apron" with stunning pink ribbon ties to keep it in place around my waist. The various pockets perfect for holding whatever I fancy so as not to mis-place anything. Paul and Katie immediately thought it would make a good sewing apron and I think I have to agree with them. Carefully re-wrapping the gift to look at later (as I had a house full of guests today), it was only when I returned that I found, hidden in one of the pockets, a delightful little brooch - very spring-like with it's green fields and little woolly sheep. All very much a big hit for me.

Huge thank you to Alison for making my day (and future days) very happy, and to Zoe for arranging the swap.

Go and check out Alison's website for details of her lovely range of "vintage, up-cycled, unique" goodies on Folksy and Misi and keep up-to-date with Alison through her blog. She has a good range of bags, brooches and other fabulous handmade items.

Springtime Folksy swap

2010-03-13T19:30:00.000Z

Having taken part in the Folksy Valentine swap last month and loving making something special for another seller and of course receiving something special too, I thought I'd take part in a Springtime swap organised by Zoe at jewelbox. I haven't as yet received my exciting package, but I thought I'd pop up some piccies of what I made for Carole who has three shops on Folksy: BeadShack and Chakra Shack and createdbycarole.

Having made a couple of tiny heart badges as part of my Valentine's swap, I thought I'd make something with a spring time favourite, flowers and bunnies. The running rabbit couldn't have been any smaller - very fiddly to cut out, so my badge is larger than the tiny hearts I had previously made. However, it's not so large to look silly, as shown by Katie, my model for the evening! Looks pretty good on my bag too I thought.

I was so pleased with how Carole's badge turned out I've decided to make some to sell - perhaps ones for each season.

Folksy Friday

2010-03-12T10:49:00.000Z

Katie chose the topic this week - food. I could have found many more than 5 items, all those scrummy felted cakes and polymer clay yummies! I never cease to be amazed at how beautiful felted, clay and knitted mini items are - the patience you crafters need to make these items looks so life-like is admirable.

Blog button ...

2010-03-10T21:21:00.000Z

grab it if you want it!

I've been meaning to do this ever since I started the Ellie's Treasures blog about my shop. Huge thank you to Haptree for telling me exactly how to do it.

Folksy Friday

2010-03-05T18:11:00.000Z

It's that time again folks - I have decided on florals for my picks this week.

Mother's Day

2010-03-04T20:08:00.001Z

Taking my inspiration from Katie with her lovely little dolly-peg lady (seen here), I thought I'd make something similar for my Mum for Mother's Day.

Found a good sized box, made up a pretty dolly-peg with polymer-clay heart and added it to the box with some pretty red sprinkly sparkles and tissue paper. Topped it all off with a felt heart mini book displaying some words that describe my Mum perfectly: "caring and loving ... thoughtful and kind".

Folksy Friday

2010-02-26T17:28:00.000Z

I loved searching for items to appear in this week's Folksy Friday picks as I'd chosen "buttons". Hope you like them:

Invisible thread

2010-02-22T14:01:00.000Z

On my last trip to Hobbycraft Katie pointed out some invisible thread. It was about £2.70 for the reel which I thought was quite expensive and wasn't going to buy it, but then I thought of all the finishing off I have to do when hand-sewing my Patchies and decided perhaps invisible thread would make it look far neater and more professional. I ended up buying some. I see it is far, far cheaper to purchase on E-bay and probably elsewhere!

Used it last night and had to turn the lights up really high in order to actually see what I was doing! It really is invisible, and can get you into trouble if you're not careful! My first attempt at sewing in an Ellie's Treasures tag wasn't exactly brilliant - I'd left loops of the thread protruding for some strange reason. Second attempt was perfect, but I had to constantly feel where the thread was. The end recently was lovely, just as I'd hoped and I can thoroughly recommend it, as long as your eyes can stand working close to your sewing with bright lights blazing!!

Folksy Friday

2010-02-19T19:21:00.000Z

Decided on games for this week's theme - hope you enjoy my picks:

Folksy Friday

2010-02-12T20:07:00.000Z

Roll up, roll up, it's another load of lovely picks for the Folksy Friday. This week, feeling alittle skint thanks to my two trips to Hobbycraft, I decided this week the topic is "pocket money finds" - all these lovely items are for sale at under £2!

70 followers ...

2010-02-12T20:03:00.000Z

thank you all so much for following my blog - it's lovely to have you all here.

Which aisle would be your favourite?

2010-02-10T19:46:00.000Z

When I first saw the big notice board on the road out of Peterborough a month ago that read "opening soon ... Hobbycraft" - I whooped with joy and longed to find out exactly when it was going to open. I'd visited the Milton Keynes store many moons ago and had thoroughly enjoyed the event, although I wasn't so into crafts then and came away with nout LOL! I knew this time, it would be a different story.

Opening day was last weekend, 6th Feb. Unfortunately other commitments stopped me from going (which was probably a good thing as I found out the queues were unbelieveable and police had to be pulled in to get things sorted!!). Paul needed to go to Peterborough on Tuesday afternoon so it was the perfect opportunity to pack everyone into the car and head that way too. He didn't mind being dragged around a craft store before his appointment, as long a there was a cuppa at the end of it!

Actually he enjoyed looking in all the other shops at the centre. We all liked the big garden centre, Van Hage, full of fabulous wantables (as I call them) and a lovely cafe too with yummy cakes and moreish tea and coffee.

Anyway, getting back to the point. Hobbycraft. Which aisle?

Well, Paul wasn't keen on anything really, but he was very good and didn't try and hurry us up at all.

Ben had to be dragged away from the Hornby section announcing that he'd be saving his miniscule monthly pocket money to build a huge Hornby train set which, apparently, wouldn't take long as the trains are really cheap "only £199" for one of them!!

Katie headed off to the ribbon area. I admit, this was fabulous. Every colour, size and pattern one could wish for and some good deals too I thought on complete reels. She got 3m ribbon reels, one in baby blue with white decoration and another in white with purple hearts, each for 99p, but she didn't stop there! She also bought some lovely patterned ribbon in various colours off the reel - all to make mini headcollars for her model horses.

And me, well let me think (could quite easily say all of it!). Ribbons were good, but I find when faced with too much of something I can't actually decide on anything! The beads, charms and buttons aisle was probably my fav (and certainly the busiest). The array was vast and unique - I could have spent an absolute fortune.

The whole shop was brilliant to wander around and ponder.

Have you got a Hobbycraft near you? Check out their website; if you've no local store you can order online and if that's not your cup-of-tea, you can pick up some great crafting ideas instead.

Camera case for Katie

2010-02-08T14:39:00.000Z

Katie got a new camera for her 13th birthday in January but it didn't come with a case so she asked if I could make one for her following the black and silver theme. Had a mega dig through my bag of materials and sourced three fabrics, each with a different texture, that fitted the brief. It's lined too so no excuses for scratches now!

Valentine Heart Swap - meet Minnie

2010-02-06T19:24:00.002Z

Owner of noodleBubble on Folksy very kindly set up a Valentine Swap between Folksy folk which must have been quite a challenge seeing as how so many people took part. The brief was simple "hand made heart" which had to be ready to dispatch to your designated swap person by 5th February.

I'll post piccies of the heart I made closer to the date just incase my swap decides to keep it wrapped until Valentine's Day.

However, I can share the swap that I received - the fabulous Minnie HooterNinnie that I from Oddsox. The postie delivered it a couple of days ago and I was initially going to put it aside for the 14th but Katie and Ben insisted I open it! Secretly, I'm glad they made me, I was desperate to rip open the envelope!

Inside was a lovely note telling me that Minnie HooterNinnie was my Valentine Heart Swap - I couldn't believe my luck, Oddsox's mini hedgehogs are the best and now I was a proud owner of one!

Here's Minnie HooterNinnie meeting Chips, the little Woollie Pony, for the first time. Minnie and Chips watch over my craft making and I think they're becoming firm friends.

They meet ...

they greet!

Folksy Friday

2010-02-05T20:57:00.000Z

Last night I spent quite some time thinking of a theme for this week's picks. It was going to be dogs but as last week was animal based that soon went out the window. Then I thought rain, as it's been pretty wet here this week, that moved to weather and then I caught sight of a beautiful bright tile on Folksy and thought TILES - so that's my theme for this week. Here they are:

News to put a smile on my face

2010-02-04T19:34:00.000Z

I had an email from Cuteable this evening to say I'd been featured! How exciting! Check out the entry here.

Not just that, but earlier in the week Ellie's Treasures was accepted to be listed in the Shop Handmade UK directory which is here.

Yippee!

Who was St. Valentine and where did the heart shape come from?

2010-02-03T13:18:00.000Z

Perhaps this post should be under "education" on my Our Day blog but to be honest, I wanted to put in a little bump for my Valentine "messages from the heart" that I lovingly hand-made for my shop ready for that special day. So, with just a week left of free UK postage on an item that is just perfect for the 14th February (or any other special event for loved ones), I thought I'd try and find out the answers to these questions.

So, as we all know, modern day drawings of the heart resemble love and romance and as a heart is usually coloured red, it resembles passion. The shape that we all associate as a heart was believed to have been modelled on a human heart as many ancients, including Aristole, felt all human passions came from the heart. As we know, the human heart is not shaped like this at all - it has four chambers whereas the heart of a frog, with its three chambers, looks alittle more like it! This and two other possible heart shape theories can be found on this site.

St. Valentine then, who was he? According to one of our well used sites, Woodlands Junior School, there have been, as shown in the Catholic Encyclopaedia, mentions of three St. Valentines who have had something to do with 14th February. However, most experts suggest that the actual Valentine that we associate with St. Valentine's Day was a Roman who was martyred because he refused to give up Christianity. You can read more on the traditions of Valentine's Day on the Woodlands site here.

I remember giving and receiving my first Valentine's Day card when I was about 15 when boys suddenly played a huge part in my life! I've still got the card in my special box as well as many others after that. This year I'm making up a small box of goodies for hubby Paul for this special day. The first thing I've put in is a colourful drawn heart card, getting my inspiration from the artist Jim Dine.

Folksy Friday

2010-01-29T18:24:00.001Z

Don't the weeks just fly by? This week has been very horse orientated with Katie doing her first dressage test of the year. We've done shows before, but this time we're the ones taking the horse and the trailer which is very new (and alittle scary)! So, this week's picks all have an equine theme.

Here's my work space ...

2010-01-27T20:02:00.000Z

Ben (with some small additional pointers from Katie) gave me a quick Paint Shop Pro tutorial today to help me add labels to my work space photo. My "space" is in the utility room, one of the only rooms to have no heating, so to be truthful I usually grab any bits and pieces I need, cut out any materials and then head for a cosier room to do my sewing and be creative! Hope you can read it OK now I've had to make it smaller to fit the page!

Anyway, I was pleased to have my tutorial, which was painless, and he went on to show me loads more things PSP can do for me. Will dabble at a later date as I think as it looks good fun.

What's in your wallet?

2010-01-23T14:16:00.000Z

Or to be more specific, a Patchy Pockets wallet? I thought I'd do a short feature on one of my favourite makes - the handy, ever so useful, Patchy Pockets.

The idea of a handy little keepsake item came to be a few years ago and with my growing bag of fabric remnants collected from many different places and from kind people, I thought I could put my idea into fruition.

My first Patchy was for my daughter, Katie. She had some really good friends but was hopeless at keeping track of their phone numbers or addresses for when she wanted to contact them. I made her a Patchy and typed up her friends' details onto little slips of card to slot into each pocket. That was the initial good use of a Patchy Pockets - an address book!

As time went on, address and phone numbers grew and the wallet became a home to scraps of paper with email and MSN addresses hastily written down - all stored in one safe place. She now adds membership cards and little friendship notes aswell.

So, one successful Patchy happily being used, I decided to make one for myself too as there are always little bits and bobs that I can never find in my handbag. Therefore, my Patchy contains and tab of headache tablets, mini notebook and pen (I can always find it now when people went to give me their phone number), one of those tiny screwdriver sets from a Christmas cracker (never used it, but hey, you never know!), a selection of plasters and my blood type card. Usually I'll add a shopping list and any money-off vouchers when I'm heading for the stores.

Just over a year ago I made a Patchy Pockets for my friend's second child. I used soft fleece fabric in a bright dotty design with blue fleece pockets and stitched a little white felt bunny with a fluffy woollen tail to the front. I embroidered baby's name onto a felt heart to slot into the first pocket. My friend sent me a letter to thank me and to tell me that she would put her son's first lock of hair, tooth, hostpital band and photo inside as a keepsake. What a gorgeous idea. Sadly, I didn't take a photo of this one but have often thought of making something similar to sell.

So you can see, the versatile Patchy Pockets can be home to many things. I have two available in my shop at the mo, and there'll certainly be more to come in lots of different fabrics.

Folksy Friday

2010-01-21T21:05:00.000Z

My children had a go at playing indoor bowls this week so I thought my Folksy Friday theme should be anything round. Here's my picks:

Welcome to my new followers ...

2010-01-21T21:02:00.000Z

thanks so much for joining me!

Elaine

Blue Box Studio - fabulous giveaway

2010-01-18T19:58:00.001Z

Click along to Blue Box Studio's blog here and then take a peek (if you haven't already done so) at her lovely shop on Folksy here to see all the pretty items available to buy.

Blue Box Studio is having a mega clear-out at her home in order to do some exciting decorating in her work room. If you'd like to have a chance to be lucky in her daily giveaway of clear-out goodies (which include, at present, " beads, pretty papers, earrings, badges, necklaces, notelets, ribbons, peel-offs") have a read of her blog post and enter the giveaway. She's after comments on her shop goodies or how your day has been. Extra chances to win for those that promote the giveaway and extra, extra chances if you purchase from her online shops.

Good luck readers!