Remembrance



Handmade by Edwina

When I was studying for my degree at college (seems a very long time ago now, even though in was in my 30s when I graduated!) I remember studying Poetry from the First World War.  It was extremely vivid poetry about the sights, sounds, and smells of life on a battle field and in the trenches.  Horrific images of the most senseless and futile of deaths of thousands of young men.

 



NOfkants Curios



It is the kind of imagery that sticks with you for a very long time.  As it is Remembrance Sunday today I thought I would share with you one of the poems that crystallises a moment in our history.

 

In Flanders Fields

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

 John McCrae (1872-1918)

 

 

Nowadays we canot escape the fact that there are young men being killed in wars far far away, but the pain and futility for wasted lives is even more acute.  Today we need to remember and celebrate their bravery and mourn with their families and friends.



MarthaMooBeads



On folksy this month the daily listing club is called November Rockets, I decided it was time to show some of the beautiful handmade goodies that these talented folk have been making.

 



Creative Treasures



Uniquely Yours



Daisy Florence Designs




Melanie’s handmade jewellery



Juniper Spools

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the beautiful handmade items from folksy sellers.  Please click on the photos and it will take you directly to their shop.

 

BFN

 

Edwina







Crafting with Emily

“That is so cool”.  When my niece, Emily says this to me, I feel like I am being paid the highest compliment ever!  Today is Emily’s eleventh birthday.  (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY!)  Last week during half term Emily came to spend a day with me and it was her choice to do some crafting.

First of all she wanted to make a fabric collage.  We found some paper and I pulled out my huge of scraps of fabric – ideal for making collages!  I also found some glue – and I have a small file of images that I have printed on to linen or evolon and she chose this image of penguins.

 

 

I gave her my pinking shears and she set to work selecting her fabrics first and then cutting them up and arranging them on the sheet of paper.  I asked her if she would like to use some blue lace (blue seem to be the colour theme) and then went digging for my bag of blue lace.  She picked out one she liked and then all the glueing started. 

Whilst she seemed quite content and happy to carry on with her project without any further help from Auntie, I cut out some fabric for some purses that I wanted to make.

This is the finished collage:

 

 

After that Emily said she wanted to do some drawing.  “Ice cream” she said, she loves drawing ice cream.  I found my huge box of coloured pencils which she was delighted with, and Emily continued with her second project.

This was her drawing of the ice cream:

 

 



After lunch we discussed what to do next.  Emily liked the idea of making her own notebook which I had suggested we might do.  I offered her a choice of size, A5, (too big) A7, (too small) and A6, just perfect! Choosing the fabric Emily would like on the front and back covers was the next thing to do, so I went and found my children’s fabrics, footballs (she’s a very go footballer) owls – lots of owls (I have two or three different fabrics!) and Handbags, Monkeys and Cupcakes.  What do you think Emily chose?
 

 

Cupcakes.  Rather than turn this into a tutorial on how to make a notebook let’s just say we worked together through each stage, my offering help where needed and showing her how to do things, like stitching the pages together.  Emily was a bit worried about stitching, but when it came to it I think she really enjoyed it.  The needle I use is not sharp but blunt, and I gave her a choice of hemp twine.  (Emily chose purple!)
 

I had already printed on evolon the words “Emily’s Notebook”.  This was really the only thing I had prepared for in advance in the hope Emily would like the idea.  Using my sewing machine, I appliquéd the label to the front cover, whilst Emily was scoring paper. When the notebook was completed I told Emily the glue in the notebook had to be left to dry (at least over night).  Emily seemed to understand the importance of this.
 

Here is the finished notebook:  Aren’t you impressed?

 

Emily is a lovely child, bright, intelligent, and sensitive and she is great company.  We had a lovely day crafting.  I love making notebooks and journals – much more so than bags now. This is how my crafting journey has changed and developed.  I still make the occasional bag.
 

Here are a couple of journals that I have in my Folksy shop at the moment.

 

And here is a preview of two journals that I will be listing this week.

 

 

Hope you have enjoyed reading about my crafting day with Emily.

BFN

 

Edwina

 

Lusting and Coveting

I am sure we have all been there when we have seen something in a shop, on line, or elsewhere, and we have just had that overwhelming feeling that you have just got to have it!  Looking at it, we feel this urgent need to possess, own and hug it to ourselves!  I am talking about something that is both attainable and obtainable!  You can’t stop staring at it and your whole body craves for it – You have got to have it!  You have got to have it!

I know regular readers of my blog may think I have lost it, but what I am talking about is not something I feel very often, strangely enough!  But, I was struck with this longing quite suddenly recently and it took me by surprise.  I was weighing up whether I could purchase said object, and there was a fierce debate going on inside my head. “Don’t forget you have got to pay out that £75.00 on the car this month!”  However, all arguments are lost because you know no matter how hard you want to walk away, you can’t!  I was totally consumed with the idea that I had to own it – it had to be mine and I couldn’t bear the idea of it belonging to someone else!

So I purchased it!  The deed was done and soon the item would be winging its way towards me – I felt relief and excitement!  Have you ever felt like this?  How often do we lust after something?  How often do we covet something?  I know when I look at some of the beautiful items on folksy and I can’t help myself “WOW”.  Gorgeous, fabulous, amazing, beautiful etc. etc. and it is the most wonderful place to visit on a daily basis.

Regular readers will be aware of my obsession with fabric, lace and buttons – I have no idea where it came from!  But I just love them – no I don’t just lust after them or covet them.  I LOVE THEM!  Fabric is such an extraordinary thing, so many designs, colours, textures, and all different!  I just don’t know what it is about fabric that intoxicates me – but it would seem I can never get enough of it!

Well, you must all be wondering what I purchased? Yes? No?  But before I tell you I thought I would mention that today I chose to illustrate my blog with bags – lots of wonderful bags from sellers on folksy.  Aren’t they all gorgeous?  Bags are strange things – we can’t live without them – us girls, (women) – can we?  I hope you will take a proper look at them and click on the photos which link directly to the seller’s folksy shop.  I enjoyed making the selection and I hope you enjoy looking at them too!

Finally, what consumed me so much that I had to purchase it?  Would you be surprised to learn that it was a BAG?  I was.  I am a bag maker!  What am I doing buying a bag?!  But, I tell you this is no ordinary bag, it has the most fabulous fabric and it was the fabric that drew me to the bag.  I can’t, won’t show you a picture of it, because I want you to imagine in your head what would be the most fabulous bag in the world – well, I am the proud owner of it!

So, a brief message to all folksy sellers – we need more lusting and coveting of our items for sale – that will tempt the buyers to part with their money!  Don’t you think?

BFN

Edwina

 

PS  The bag has arrived and it is fabulously gorgeous and I love it to bits!!!

 

TOP TO BOTTOM: HandmadebyEdwina, Lynwoodcrafts, Beledien, Crafty Bags, Wild Rose Designs, Gerda Bags, Handbags by Helen

One Year on Folksy: Giveaway time!

I love giveaways as many of you will know!  This one is particularly special because I am celebrating my first complete year of selling on Folksy!  Today, I have chosen to illustrate my post with vintage inspired or vintage items from Folksy sellers and they are all under £20.00!  Don’t forget to click on the photos and they will take you directly to the shop.  Enjoy!

I don’t have any idea how I have arrived at where I am.  I have sold 121 items in my folksy shop! However, I know I aim to do three important things:

First, make high quality handmade items.  This is essential.  I have high standards and I don’t compromise.  I think about what I am making and ask myself “will this fall apart in five minutes time?”  Quality and unusual fabrics are also essential. This also applies even when I am upcycling!  I use strong threads and repeatable stitching in parts that will receive a lot of wear and tear. Interfacing, careful attention to detail and so forth...

Second, I believe my hard work and more hard work have helped!  I like to list daily and that is always a challenge because of the length of time it takes to make an item. Sometimes I give myself a break from the pressure!  I don’t involve myself full- time in the daily listing club on Folksy, but have month long breaks when needed.  I promote my items on Facebook, Flickr, Craftjuice, Stumble Upon, Pinterest and this blog – I am sure there is a lot more I could do, but time is precious so I only do what I can!

Finally, I feel having a variety of items in my Folksy shop is important, and I think this is a key to what I have sold.  I don’t sell just one type of item – I started with bags, but they are not big sellers (any bag maker will tell you) sure, from time to time I do sell them and that is always pleasing.  However, I love making my notebooks and journals and they have been surprisingly successful, also my purses have done quite well too.  Important to me is to make my items different from what else is being sold on Folksy – not always achievable because I don’t spend my time wading though the thousands of listings to see if someone else is making and selling the same item!!!

Is there a secret to my success?  I haven’t a clue.  In these times of austerity, recession and a negative economical climate, I think selling is really difficult.  I wonder what things would have been like for me if it had been a different time?  I am grateful for the friends and support and people I know on Folksy – my virtual family have made selling a pleasure for me – not a chore.  But, finally I am super grateful for my customers – they are fabulous – so wherever you are – a BIG thank you!

GIVEAWAY!

Now to the important bit that you have been waiting for! I am looking for a WINNER and a RUNNER UP for my giveaway.  I suspect you are wondering what I am giving away?  Well, the lucky WINNER can choose anything; I mean anything, from what is currently listed in my Folksy shop.  The RUNNER UP can choose anything up to the value of £15.00.  Unfortunately, each can only choose ONE ITEM.

What do you have to do?  I want you to have a browse in my Folksy shop and choose the item you would like to have if you were the WINNER.   (If the item you choose is £15.00 or under and you are the RUNNER UP you can have that item or choose another.)  However, if you choose the same item as the WINNER then you will need to choose another item.

I would like you to leave a comment on this blog saying which item you would like and why – please copy the item’s URL as it helps me to know exactly which item you are referring to.

PLEASE ENTER.  You never know if you are going to be the winner!

This giveaway will expire on Tuesday evening 23^rd October 2012 at 9pm.  Soon after that I will announce the WINNER and RUNNER UP.  The method will be random and completely fair.  I want everyone to have an equal chance of winning.

Good luck!

Edwina

 

TOP TO BOTTOM: Tinker Prince, Blue Forest Jewellery, sew amy, Natalie Farrell, Adien Crafts, picocrafts, Say it, Handmade by Edwina

THANK YOU all for entering my giveaway to celebrate my first year on Folksy.

The WINNER is Kimberly Rampersad - Congratulations!
The RUNNER UP is Susan from So Choosy - Well done!

 

Highs and Lows

Life is full of highs and lows.  That’s the way it is.  Yesterday at my Drawing Class the tutor said my drawings were full of energy and visceral.  (Now I have to confess here – I had to look the meaning up of visceral – still not absolutely clear what it means!)  But one thing I am sure of the tutor liked my drawings and that is very pleasing.  Today, I learned that one of my beautiful handmade journals purchased by a customer has gone astray in the post, and I was quite upset.  I have heard of it happening to other people, but this was the FIRST time it had happened to me!  Highs and lows.

 

I have rather neglected my blog lately.  No particular reason, I just could pin an idea down!  My head is full of ideas and I am constantly thinking about themes to write about, but it is no good having a theme and nothing to say!  Earlier in the week I had lunch with some friends.  We talked about our lives, about Art, Exhibitions we had visited and shared what we had been creating.  We had a fabulous meal and a very enjoyable time.  These are very special moments in life and cannot be recreated – just like my lost handmade journal that was totally unique.

One thing I have recently become totally obsessed with is creating new Pinterest boards!  It is quite enjoyable and you find things by accident that you probably wouldn’t find otherwise. It isn’t unusual for me to subsequently make a purchase after stumbling across an item!

Here are a few recent ones:

o   Floral Fantasy

o   The Office

o   Mellow Yellow

Of course, none of them have been chosen for Folksy’s front page, but that is a tough nut to crack and they have so many good ones to choose from.  Not complaining, because I have been VERY fortunate to have had two boards on the front page, so still basking in the glow of that minor achievement!

Of course, the other thing I have been doing, in case you were thinking that all I was doing was having lunch with friends, going to a drawing class and creating Pinterest boards (!) is I have been making some beautiful items to list in my folksy shop.  I have made journal covers, journals and notebooks, a tote, (see below) purses etc. and currently have several projects I am working on (as is nearly always the case!)  I recently rearranged the sections in my shop and I am now much happier with them.  I think they give a browser a much easier task of finding something they may be interested in purchasing.

I am hoping the Christmas shopping season will begin in earnest soon and people will come to my folksy shop looking for gifts.  I don’t have anything Christmassy as such.  Last year, I made some fabric Christmas cards, but I decided this year just to focus on gifts.  Gifts for everyone, children, women and men!

So to sum up – life is full of highs and lows and probably the best thing is to enjoy the highs and not worry or focus too much on the lows – they are just part of life. 

 

Hope you enjoy the selection of goodies I have chosen to illustrate this post.  They are all from the October Optimists Daily Listing Club on folksy and I chosen items that I like. Don’t forget to click on the photo which will take you directly to the sellers shop!  Enjoy!

BFN

Edwina

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Midnight Star Designs, Abyjem handcrafted jewellery, Lynwoodcrafts, Helle Belles Cards, Lampwork beads by Jo, Disco Diva and Handmade by Edwina.

 



 

 

My First Love

Bliss, 2009

 

Now I don’t want you to think that I have gone all gooey and romantic and that I am going to write about my first love i.e. the first boy I kissed or fell in love with – NO!  I have written it often enough about how much I enjoy working with textiles and how much I love fabric, lace and buttons and I am confident that I will continue to enjoy creating beautiful items!  But, I have discovered this week after many years that my first love is... DRAWING!  Not any kind of drawing, but using charcoal (my favourite medium) to draw the human body.  I have started attending a Life Drawing class this week and it was fantastic!

Sapphire, 2009

Lovely venue, lovely people, excellent tutor and I have to say I was in my element using charcoal on paper again!  I was a bit rusty after a few years absence, but I was totally absorbed as I looked and I listened and I let my hand swirl around the paper!  My first effects show that I wasn’t really drawing what I could see, but what my idea of the human body is – so that will have to be knocked out of me soon!

 

With the guidance of an excellent tutor, I hope to gain more confidence and produce drawings that I am happy to show you, but it may take a few weeks!  I am no stranger to drawing the human figure, women particularly, and if you have visited my website you will see drawings and artworks that I have formally created www.artworks-by-edwina.co.uk  To give you a taster I have included two of them above.

Attending the drawing class is great! It is great to take time out from all the creating with fabric and using my sewing machine.  It is perfect to just sit and relax and enjoy drawing without any pressures and to just go with the flow!  I think you may see in time why it is my first love.
 

September has been a fantastic month for sales on Folksy – the BEST month since I joined folksy last year.  I am thrilled with this success and I have certainly complained often enough about the lack of sales or felt quite down about it, so I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all my customers – without them my enjoyment of what I do would be lacking in that thrill of someone liking something enough to spend money purchasing it!

 

I have lots of new things planned for the coming month in the lead up to Christmas – more notebooks & journals, diary covers, bags (they take longer so it is a struggle to make time for them!) purses and further items in my range I am developing for men.  (I do like a challenge!)

 

Finally, I would like to give a huge round of applause to the September Sellers daily listing club on folksy.  The unrelenting support and encouragement is second to none.  We share sadness and joy, have laughs and moans and it is lovely to belong to this virtual family!  Special thanks to Natalie of NOfkants Curios who keeps things running smoothly and is the captain at the helm – what a fabulous job she does!

I have given you a taste of the beautiful creations that these lovely creative folk produce with photographs to illustrate my blog post today.  Enjoy!  Don’t forget to click on the photos and it will take you directly to the shop – do stop and have a browse – you never know what you might find!

BFN

Edwina

TOP TO BOTTOM: Clare Sherwen, Gimme That Thing, Leanne Woods Designs, Red Devil Crafts, Leanne Woods Designs, CeeCee Gem Designs, Paper Chains & Beads - Jewellery, Cards & More with Vintage Style.

My Favourite Blog



 

Creative Treasures



How often do you have time to read other people’s blogs?  Are you a faithful follower and read every post?  Or do you only occasionally “pop in” for a read?  Perhaps, you only read a blog post when the author is featuring one of your items, or giving you some other kind mention in the post?

 

NOfkantsCurios

 

Well, I’m not going to say which one I am guilty of, but I do like the phrase “time poor”.  Yes, we all fight the battle of time.  We need time to spend with our families, our friends, do our day job, and cook. We need to make sure the house is kept in running order, shop, and a million other tasks that need to be done on a regular basis.  Then of course, if you are an artist or a crafter, you need that all important time for doing what you love.  So, who makes it a priority to not only write your own blog, but read others?

Spiral Fountain Jewellery

I have set myself the task of attempting to blog once a week, but even then it is a struggle.  But, I know lots of folk who blog every day or more frequently because they use it like a diary, or virtual journal, sharing everyday events, or what they are currently making.

UniquelyYours

My favourite blogger is Linda of Uniquely Yours who blogs every day.

http://myblogfinallymadeit.blogspot.co.uk/

Linda’s blog is a great read, because Linda is a writer and a poet, and you always have the addition of a poem or ditty everyday on her blog posts (a real treat!)  But not only that, Linda is a yarn crafter, a wife, mother, grandmother, good cook and also has a part-time day job!  However, Linda’s love of words is obviously key to who she is, so it is very important for her to write every day.  However, Linda is also a champion.  She constantly features other people’s crafted items on her blog and a great job she does as well!  I am a great admirer of Linda’s blog and only wish I had the time to read it more often.

 

Dottery Pottery

Other folk love to share by offering tutorials or practical advice in their blog.  Some run competitions or swaps. Others share recipes, holiday snaps, Wedding snaps and so on.  Compared to my simple blog, these seem a lot more exciting – who can resist drooling over photos of a delicious food? Or laughing at the antics or household pets?  Or admiring the bride’s dress and being in awe of the lovely wedding location?  Stunning holiday snaps? And so forth.

JellyGiraffe

I am more of a reflective and questioning writer.  I don’t have any answers, but I have lots of questions.  I am passionate about what I do and being creative is central to who I am as a person.  But, I am full of admiration for artists and crafters who excel at what they do and it shows in all sorts of ways.  I don’t count myself as one of them!!



Whimsy Woo Designs



 

Finally, and to wrap this up I want to say how gobsmacked I have been this week to discover that folksy have featured not one, but two of my Pinterest boards on the front page of folksy.

http://pinterest.com/craftedwina/what-s-your-number-folksy-finds/

My first one was called “What’s your number?” at the beginning of the week, and the second (current) one was called “Harvest Gold”.

http://pinterest.com/craftedwina/harvest-gold-on-folksy/

Oakapple & Rose

For a long time I kept creating Pinterest boards for folksy’s front page and getting despondent when they weren’t chosen. I have no idea why it was so important to me, but I am the kind of person who says “I can do this.”  And I want to succeed!  Well, I did it!  It is only a small thing, but achievement is not measure by how great is the achievement, but by having a go and being successful at whatever it is!

HandmadebyEdwina

Enjoy the selection of lovely items from the September Sellers daily listing club which I have chosen for this blog post.  Don’t forget to click on the photos and have a browse in these wonderful seller’s shops!

BFN

 

Edwina

PS What I have forgotten to mention is that the selection of lovely items are all ones that I love, so that is why I have chosen them!