emma lamb

Lobster & Swan : matchbox challenge...

2012-02-01T11:00:00.000Z

Have you been by Lobster and Swan recently to see what the lovely Jeska is up to? If you have then you will be quite keen to pop on over there today to see the start of her lovely new matchbox challenge.

Jeska has confessed to being obsessed with vintage matchboxes and has longed to do a wee project with her collection that contains such treasures as vintage postage stamps and snippets of broken jewellery. So for the month of February she has set herself the challenge of turning 29 of these wee boxes into miniature, and I'm guessing highly collectible, works of art. I say 'highly collectible' as she will be offering each of them up for sale in her Etsy shop and donating the proceeds to her husbands chosen charity as he runs the London marathon!

You can follow Jeska's matchbox challenge on her beautiful blog and see the gorgeous creations she comes up with based on the daily themes she has set herself. Not only that but you can also join in if you wish to as we have all been invited to get creative with any wee matchboxes we might have handy, yay! I know I have one or two boxes lying around that my crafty fingers are keen to get hold of, not quite twenty nine I know but it will be fun to play along just a wee bit!

Do stop by Lobster and Swan to find out all the details and see the first matchbox, that is 'The Airmail One' pictured above. I love it already!

Emma, x

Making everyday beautiful...

2012-01-31T10:30:00.000Z

{ 1. Saídos da Concha, 2. peonyandthistle, 3. nomesthenome, 4. bylina, 5. mialiv }

Hello... hello? Is this thing on... !?
Gah, blimmin' technology! I don't think this PC was too happy with me calling it 'medieval' last week because since then it got very slow and grumpy before offering up the dreaded 'blue screen of death' when I tried to switch it on one morning! Thankfully my Man was able to provide a very handy wee trick which eventually defeated the said offending blue and I have spent much of the last couple of days backing up on all my files and photos. And what I am more thankful for is that after learning the hard way from a previous iffy hard drive episode I am much more disciplined at regularly (monthly at the least!) backing up my files so I only had a few weeks worth of stuff that needed saving. My dears if you don't have an external hard drive or other way of backing up your stuff and keep thinking 'I really must do something about that'... Do it, do it now! After talking to a sweet friend this week who has lost years worth of images of their artwork that can't be replaced I can tell you that it can be heart breaking! Please do heed this warning.

Anyhoo, while I have been catching up with emails and whatnot as possible I have been taking a wander through our lovely Flickr group 'making everyday beautiful' to soothe my soul just a wee bit. Of course I couldn't resist these picks with their understated granny chic charm. I love the layers of soft cream and pretty neutrals that show off the floral details and mialiv's fabulous crocheted throw. Perfect!

Emma, x

Monday afternoon reading...

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000Z

While the beautiful winter sun has been shining today I've spent much of my time photographing a bunch of new lovelies for the shops. I'm hoping, with all my fingers crossed, that they will look just as good up on this screen as they do on they wee one on my camera. Sometimes you can never be too sure and quite often things can go awry between my camera and computer. Some days I am convinced there are wee gremlins in that connecting cable (nope, there's no fancy wee SD card port on my medieval machine!) that play mischievous games with my lovely lighting!

Anyhoo, before I discover if these wee beasties have been to work or not I've treated myself to a lovely spot of reading. Have you seen the new issue of Gatherings Magazine? It is yummy! Miss Heather has outdone herself again with this gorgeous wintry feast for the eyes.

The White Issue is choc full of the usual inspirational articles, recipes and features including a home tour with Tina Fussel, aka Traveling Mama; a lovely wee interview with Kathi Wrensch Mundigler of All things White, a long time favourite Etsy shop of mine; some gorgeous winter table styling inspiration from Iris of Irideeen; and not to mention a beautifully illustrated article to help you choose just the right white paint from Miss Heather herself.

As with all the Gatherings magazines, this issue is overflowing with gorgeous photography. I am completely mesmerised with the layers upon layers of beautiful textures from delicate lace doilies and milk glass to weathered wood grain and chunky sequined throws. With every shade of white you could possibly imagine in there too, what is there not to love!?

Emma, x

Making everyday beautiful...

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000Z

{ 1. wondertrading, 2. ted and agnes, 3. nomesthenome, 4. Otomodachi, 5. jenib320 }

Imagine me doing a wee happy dance if you will... because I am very happy indeed thanks to your wonderful response to making everyday beautiful! Since last week the group has almost doubled and the quality of your submissions is just breathtaking, not to mention your level of creativity and dedication to all things beautiful!

I was sure when I first pondered this group that it had potential to be something very special indeed and you lovelies are making it just that! You are inspirational and I do hope that my wee round up collections (which I wish I could curate all day, everyday!) will do you justice?

Oh, and does anyone else have an urge to put their onions in their fruit bowl!?

Emma, x

Spoondiful wee details...

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000Z

Have you seen the new issue of Spoonful magazine? It is quite special and lovely and of course everything you would expect from this yummy wee publication... Miss Thea has created the most perfect little read yet again!

{ available here and here }

Spoonful will always be one of my favourite zines because as well as celebrating the wee things in life amongst it's pretty pages, it itself is one of those wee things that will make your day. It is quite literally 'a spoonful of happiness'. Of course you know I am all over that idea right now, noticing and celebrating the wee things in life and making our days as beautiful as they can be... surely these are great ideas to live you life by?

So it was exceptionally touching for me when Miss Thea asked if I would be official photographer of (not for) this gorgeous wee zine, after seeing my blog pics for Issue 5. Such an honour, thank you Miss Thea!

Emma, x

Frost...

2012-01-17T13:30:00.000Z

Yesterday was the most beautiful frosty day here in Edinburgh. There were wall to wall clear skies with the sun hovering low in that pale blue wintry backdrop... and underfoot were crisp ice crystals that sparkled ever so gently.

It was the coldest day of the winter so far and I found myself loving it... dare I say even wishing it would last and maybe bring a lovely dusting of snow too!?

One of my New Year's resolutions is to take much longer walks with the wee man. Take the time to have a proper break in my day, time to ponder and daydream without thinking of the list of to do's... time just to appreaciate time with my wee man, time with myself and time to notice the wee details... because I do love those wee details very much, they make my day... :)

Emma, x

Open for business...

2012-01-16T14:00:00.000Z

Hello and happy Monday everyone... :)
Just a wee note to let you know that both my Folksy and Etsy shop are open for business again. There are more ladies to be added over the coming week or two (I still need to get some goods pics of some of the newer ones, you know, without that wintry dullness!) but so far there is this new face and I've added a sale section to both shops if you're looking for a wee pick-me-up bargain... :)
As always, keep an eye on my Facebook page for all the newest additions and updates on both my shops.

Stay warm my friends,
Emma, x

making everyday beautiful...

2012-01-11T11:30:00.000Z

I love that the New year always brings a sense of optimism and opportunity with it. It gives you courage for a fresh start and a 'can do' attitude to make changes in your life or your work. I love change. I thrive on it.

That's why I have decided to make a few changes around here, if you've been a long time visitor here you'll know I can never keep things looking the same for very long before I'm itching to do a wee makeover. I love that my blog can be organic and can grow and change with me, not just visually but with the content too.

The boldest (I say bold because it concerns a much loved regular feature) change I am making with the content is to bring to a close my old Flickr groups, including 'all colours in' which means... *large intake of breath* ...that there will be no more 'colour your monday happy' posts! There I said it...

But hold on a minute, before you come after me with flaming torches and pitchforks... I am replacing them with something just as beautiful that I know you will love just as much! Introducing 'making everyday beautiful...'

{ 1. The Colour of Ideas, 2. souvenirscousus, 3. bheuer, 4. tiny happy }

After realising that managing three groups on Flickr was becoming far too time consuming and that generally all three groups included the same images, I decided it was time to start afresh. So I have considered those old groups very carefully to pinpoint the key elements that have made them so successful and use those elements in this fabulous new group.

Throughout all the amazing submissions to these groups it was abundantly clear that everyone involved takes huge joy in their art and craft. From knitting and crochet to photography and styling, each and every submission celebrates the beauty we find and create for ourselves on a daily basis. Whether you're a hobbyist or professional, you all seem to have the same wonderful goal in mind and that is to make everyday beautiful in one way or another.

So I would like to welcome you all to share and participate in what I hope will be the most wonderfully creative community where everyone is committed to making everyday beautiful... :)

Emma, x

hello 2012... !

2012-01-09T14:30:00.000Z

Hello, hello and happy New Year to you all... :)

As you can probably tell I am not rushing into this New Year, not that I'm not looking forward to it because I am, hugely! I am so excited about all the possibilities it holds. I am excited about the swell of creative ideas in my mind. And as always I am excited about sharing this space with you and continuing to be part of such an amazing creative community! Already today I have been inspired so many times...

♥ First was Miss Leanda's new 2012 printable calendar, which I am completely in love with especially since she has used one of my favourite flowers for my birth month... I love pink Hyacinths!
♥ Just reading about lovely Stepahine's Creative Courage e-course (after seeing this inspiring image on her Flickr pages) has me clutching at my knee socks to make sure they are pulled up firmly around my knees!
♥ Then there is the flurry of exciting activity on Facebook that was me taking part in a 'pay if forward' for 2012. Thanks to the lovely Cindy I have now made a promise of handmade goodness to five sweet friends and am feeling quite inspired about creating just for them... :)

So as you can see there is plenty to be excited about it's just that the holidays were such a welcome break. I needed to unplug big time! The run up to the festive season was fun and hectic and I enjoyed every minute of it, but it was time consuming and tiring. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by to see that I was okay, you guys are too sweet. But while I am reluctant to bring that extended break to an end I am happy to be starting the New Year with a fresh mind and renewed enthusiasm, and am keen to make a start on all those new ideas...

Emma, x

ps - I shall be re-opening my shops soon, that is as soon as I have caught up with a few things I missed over the holidays... :)

The Market, Edinburgh...

2011-11-29T11:30:00.000Z

Ugh, what a miserable day it is here in Edinburgh this morning! Cold and wet, wild and windy and just plain bleh...
But while I am waiting in for a parcel to arrive (and feeling quite grateful that I don't have to go out in said miserable weather just yet!) I just remembered that I promised you lovelies some news of a another wee craft fair I'll be doing this Christmas...

The Market will be held at St.Columba's by the Castle on Saturday 17th December (the last shopping weekend before Christmas), from 12pm til 5pm. Entry is free and I know there are going to be lots of tasty treats to enjoy while you are browsing, you can find all the details of the other exhibitors up on the Facebook events page.

So if you are out and about in the city that day doing a wee spot of last minute shopping or just taking in some of the city's festive atmosphere, I would love for you to pop by and say 'hello'... :) It will be my last work day before taking a much needed break so I am looking forward to having a lot of fun and meeting lots of new folk, can't wait... !

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000Z

Image credits: 1. RosaMaría, 2. greta♥loves, 3. madelinetosh, 4. Candi Mandi, 5. CocoRose1

Happy, happy Monday my lovelies! I do hope you all had a wonderful weekend... !?

Today I'm feeling inspired by these cute collections from our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in'... and must confess to feeling just a wee bit jealous over such a gorgeous collection washi tape, not to mention those beautiful tins! Let's hope Santa is reading this, eh?
Anyhoo, today I need to focus on making my own collections for these Christmas fairs... wee flowers charms, pincushions, garlands, granny cushions and anything else I can hook over the next couple of weeks. Yikes, less than two weeks to Selvedge... eek!

Emma, x

Celebrate Color : all good things...

2011-11-25T12:00:00.000Z

Yes indeed, as the saying goes 'all good things must come to an end', and so it is true of Celebrate Color... *sigh*

I can't tell you how much I have loved taking part in this wonderful blogging event with dear Rachel, of Stitched in Color, sweet Shannon, of LuvintheMommyhood, and lovely Mollie, of Wild Olive. Not only has it been the most wonderful way to celebrate all things autumnal, it has also been a joy to see a whole crafting community come together to do just that. Every one's enthusiasm and eagerness to participate has been so inspiring and it has been a joy to welcome so many new faces to my wee blog to share in my colour inspiration posts... hello every one!

This is the first time I have taken part in such a blogging event and to tell you the truth I can't wait for the next one! But I am getting ahead of myself just a wee bit here, first lets have a wee re-cap...

Inspiration...

Let's start with a few of my particular favourites from the Inspiration collection including this great interview with Lotta Jandsotta by dear Rachel; these wonderful embroidery floss inspiration palettes put together by lovely Mollie; some great autumn / fall decorating ideas curated by Rachel and another great interview, this time with fabric designer Joel Dewberry, thank you again Rachel!

Image credits: Lotta Jandsotta, Wild Olive, Goodknits, Jackie Rueda

Tutorials...

Alongside all this wonderful inspiration some wonderful ladies have spent many hour dreaming up and creating a collection of inspiring tutorials, thank you so much for all your hard work ladies! My favourites include these pretty and practical insulated crochet hot pads by the talented Penny of Sew Take a Hike; this super quick and easy fabric cardigan tutorial for the wee ones in your life by Anna of Noodlehead, which she temptingly tells us that could easily be up scaled to an adult size; this lovely 'Simple Gathered Stockinette' scarf by Jacey of Jaceycraft and this adorable embroidered table set by lovely Mollie of Wild Olive.

Image credits: Sew Take a Hike, Noodlehead, Jaceycraft, Wild Olive

Your projects...

Oh, and what about all your fabulous projects!? You guys have made it so tough to be a judge in the monthly competitions, your are an incredibly talented and prolific group of crafters... such an inspiration! Here is the smallest handful from all your lovely entries in the different pools, which include Fabric {Home Decor}, Fabric {Wearables}, Yarn and Needlepoint.

Image credits: Maureen Cracknell, Greenleaf Goods, krista stitched, crafting..., Maureen Cracknell, My Sewical Hour, Maureen Cracknell, imagine gnats, knitterlydesigns, unmashin, Ikomi, OCD: obsessive crafting disorder, the knottygnome knits, jenn of all trades, Sunshine, Handmade, The crafting Fiend

Oh, and there are still November's prizes up for grabs and if would like to be in with a chance of winning something you still have today to get your submissions in. Remember that your projects must be new, that is they must have been completed during the Celebrate Color event which is anytime during September, October and November. See all the details here and good luck... :)

Oh my, I think I'm feeling a wee bit of creative inspiration overload here, how about you guys!? I know I desperately want to rush off and make a few insulated hot pads, raid my stash of delicious yarns for a cosy new scarf and my urge to learn to quilt is getting fierce now! I am planning a long holiday break once the Christmas fairs are over but somehow I think I might just be as busy as ever with all these projects I keep adding to my 'Oh, that will be great to do over Christmas!' list... it might even be June before I finish half of them, hehe... ;)

Have a fantastic day everyone,
Emma, x

the best-laid schemes...

2011-11-24T19:30:00.000Z

...o' mice, men an' crafty folk alike
Gang aft agley...

Hehe, so I may have have embellished this quote from Robert Burns poem 'To a Mouse' just a wee bit... but oh, it is so true! Some days everything works out perfectly, just as planned and everything just as you imagined. Then on other days... just when things are ticking along nicely and yes they seem to be turning out as you planned, but somehow they don't look nearly so nice as you imagined... :(

Okay, so I think I am sounding overly dramatic here, but this wee charm display has been a right pain in my butt today... ! My plan was to spend a happy half hour wrapping it's black metal frame with a lovely light fabric to make it all spiffy for displaying my wee flower charms on my upcoming Christmas fair stalls. Which in itself sounds fine and two hours after I started (I'm skipping over the parts where I had masking tape stuck to all my finger tips, not to mention millions of frayed threads everywhere and a whole bunch of fabric strips that kept unwinding themselves when ever my attention slipped!) I had the charm display I had imagined...

Only it wasn't quite right and I couldn't help thinking that it didn't look great at all once one of my wee charms was dangled on it... it was blending into the background and lacking some oopmh! Once I had realised that I just couldn't leave it alone (despite my best efforts to ignore it while getting on with the more important crocheting to do list) and after a fidgety few minutes I picked up my scissors to unwind and unwrap all my work before trying to decide what colour it should be wrapped in... I was almost tempted by one of those lovely shades of green there, that was until I imagined it looking like the most pathetic twig of a green Christmas tree it is possible to imagine!

Eventually I settled on this lovely charcoal grey floral fabric in the hope that this dark neutral would be the perfect backdrop to show off the cream crochet and snippets of colour that make up my wee flower charms. Which thankfully it is and, to my satisfaction, now looks quite spiffy indeed... :)

I guess some of you might be wondering why I'm having a wee rant about something so unimportant on a day like today, that is Thanksgiving. Well, while I am not an American and it is not my birthright to celebrate this day, it is a tradition that I wish we had here in the UK. I think many people here could benefit from being reminded what they have to be grateful for.
There are many things I am grateful for including all the obvious ones of course like family and health. There is the good fortune I have had this year thanks to so many kind people including all you lovely folk who stop by to read my blog and continue to support my work, I thank you all very much for that. There are other things too that I am grateful for, but those I do not wish to talk about here. So I guess that what I want to say is that today I am thankful that the only iffy part of my day has been a silly charm display... :)

Now I am off to welcome Mr Lurgy, who has been knocking at my door for a day or two, in the hope that the sooner he arrives the sooner he will leave!
Emma, x

things that are just peachy...

2011-11-23T12:30:00.000Z

One: the last of a delicious homemade bread and butter pudding (made with sultana scones instead of bread) that I have just scoffed for my lunch.

Two: all you fabulous advice about dear old Bertha, you guys have so many great ideas that I shall definitely be filing away for any future furniture refurbishment projects too. As for Bertha, I'm thinking there may be some glossy cream paint involved and a wee bit of wax... oh, and I'm thinking of these knobs as suggested by dear Miss Tif.

Three: This perfect peachy pink Gladioli stem which sprouted up in our garden this November... I then took upon myself to rescue from said garden after the wind damaged it's delicate stem, leaving it's pretty blooms teetering dangerously above the muddy ground...

Four: another fabulous thrifty find that had me giddy and almost breathless at the mere sight of them... I can only compare the moment to something like finding myself in a chocolate shop on a day of free tasting and being told there was an infinite supply of fresh mint tea! Thankfully I was able to keep control of myself long enough to grab them, gesture manically at my Man through the shop window and rush to the till to pay for the two most beautiful Arcopal bowls I have ever seen... ! Yes, I have seen many a pretty Arcopal bowl online but they were not nearly as lovely as these two, simply because I knew these two would be coming home with me... :)

Five: Last but not least and maybe not quite so peachy as Arcopal but still very peachy indeed... We have five lovely ladies in line for five complimentary tickets for the Selvedge Christmas Fair (all the fives, very peachy indeed how that one turned out!). Diana, Francesca, Dawn, Emma and Concetta, my Mam and I have a lovely ticket for the each of you, yay! If you lovely ladies could email me at 'emmalamb[at]easy[dot]com' with your addresses that would help me out hugely (I'm so very busy crocheting as you know) and I shall pop your tickets in the post asap!

Wising you all the most peachy day... :)
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-11-21T10:30:00.000Z

Image credits: 1. jasna.janekovic, 2. citrusandorange, 3. wood & wool stool, 4. Gail Griggs, 5. One Little Bird Studio

Good morning... !

Oh, it really feels like the countdown is on now... it's less than three weeks to the Selvedge Christmas Fair and not much longer to the festive break itself! I'm starting to feel all sparkly and fizzy just thinking about it... ! I'm also going to be doing another wee festive fair right here in Edinburgh, but I'll tell you all about that one later in the week... Until then I need to keep my nimble fingers hooking along making lots of lovely ladies to fill my stalls... :)

Before I nip off to do just that, I do hope you are loving today's wee collection from our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in'... I know I can't get enough of these hot neon pinks, scarlet reds and festive gold, an absolutely delicious combination! Oh, and Miss Leanda, of One Little Bird, is generously offering her welsh blanket inspired design (last picture) as free desktop download (also available in blue and green here if you're not partial to pink!).

Emma, x

a cosy nook...

2011-11-17T16:30:00.000Z

During my impromptu break last weekend I took it upon myself to shuffle a few things around my wee studio to create a cosy wee nook for lots of winter crafting. As well as wanting to move my desk away from the cold window (I love our old wooden sash and case windows but the can be a wee bit draughty at times) I also wanted a change from my mood board shelves as lovely as they are... so I trundled my desk (dragged more like, that thing is heavy!) into the perfect position with a lovely blank wall / brand new mood board to play with... my meagre washi tape collection is giddy at the prospect of lots of sticking!

I also decided to take the casters off my low shelves to upend them for some neater storage, you wouldn't believe how much more shelving space this seemed to create! They now work so much better for holding all my files, my most favourite books and lots of my pretty clutter that was residing on my desk. Now as well as having more space to work it feels like I have more space to breathe... it's very invigorating and the only place I want to be at the moment is there working, hence the late in the day post but kinda useful with Christmas Fairs looming... :)

Oh, and now the lovely Bertha here (my fabby dresser rescued from the street back in the spring) is living quite contently and patiently under my wall shelves while I try to decide what to do with her. She is destined to be honoured with storing my yarn but it is her outer that I can't decide how to finish.
After stripping back her nasty varnish to reveal the beauty in her wood veneer (I love her flames!) I just can't decide what to do with her... a glossy coat of creamy white is one possibility but that would mean hiding that gorgeous wood. I'm not sure if a clear coat of varnish would work, oil is definitely not an option as it soaks into everything else too, but maybe a wax seal is the way to go...
Any suggestions would be most welcome... !?

Emma, x

Selvedge Christmas Fair...

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000Z

Hip, hip, hooray!!!

At last some exciting news about this year's Selvedge Christmas Fair... that is my lovely Mam and me will be sharing a wee stall at this fabulous festive event which is just under a month away now, yay!!! I'm so, so excited about this and not just because it will be my second appearance at Selvedge but because I am going with my Mam and her gorgeous knitted lovelies... :)

Images: A Crooked Sixpence

All the details:

~ The fair is on Saturday 10th December at St.Augustine's church hall which is opposite the Selvedge shop on Archway Road, London... more details can be found here.

~ Doors open at 10am and close at 5pm, tickets are £2.50 (redeemable if you spend over £20 in the Selvedge shop) on the door and again there will be lovely goody bags for those who get there early enough (I think for the spring fair they were all gone by lunchtime because there were so many visitors and I can only imagine the Christmas fair will be even busier!)

~ There will be some amazing exhibitors that should not be missed, alongside my Mam and me you will get to see the gorgeous wares of such lovely ladies as Emma Cassi, Julie Arkell, Emma Mitchell (silverpebble), Rachel Eardley, Catherine Ball, Charlotte Macey and some gorgeous boutiques including Tok's Originals, The Great English Outdoors and The Black Rabbit.

~ Oh, and there will be tea and delicious cakes provided by High Tea of Highgate and there will be a wee bookbinding workshop held in the Selvedge shop.

Images: A Crooked Sixpence

What is more exciting is that my Mam and me have five complimentary tickets that we would like to give away to you, yay! So if you are going to be able to get to London on Saturday 10th December, or will already be there, and would like to come and say 'Hello!' to us...

Leave us a wee comment on this post telling us that you are able to make it to the fair and please do leave a way for us to contact you otherwise you will not be eligible to win this wee giveaway.

So exciting, we can't wait to be there and are so looking forward to meeting some of you lovelies again! We shall randomly choose ticket winners next week... :)

Emma & Karen, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-11-14T09:30:00.000Z

Image credits: 1. calloohcallay, 2. Hard Days Knit, 3. E L K, 4. clarabellacraft, 5. knitalatte11

Yikes... 'so what happened there then!?' I hear you enquire...
Oh dear, I must confess to not being quite as revitalised and refreshed as I thought I was last Monday morning... my 'raring-to-go-ness' just evaporated into thin air along with my blogging mojo. So there was nothing for it but to take a impromptu break, a moment of calm before the storm of excitement that will be the last push before a long and much anticipated seasonal break. I have much to tell this week so do keep a wee eye out for some lovely news... :)

But right now it is another wonderful Monday morning and I am particularly loving this wee collection of gorgeous images from our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in'. For me these lovely earthy colours with just a hint of sparkle, are a wee reminder that the autumn will soon be drawing to a close and something a wee bit more magical is on it's way... :)

Wishing you all the most fabulous day,
Emma, x

today i'm loving...

2011-11-08T13:00:00.000Z

This perfectly granny chic styled 'Home Sweet Home' print by my dear friend Miss Leanda, of One Little Bird...

Isn't it gorgeous!?
It is Miss Leanda's newest giclee print inspired by kitschy vintage wallpaper designs. As well as this pink, gold and white edition it also comes in a lovely vibrant midnight blue and retro green colour way. I think both are really beautiful but this one here is my favourite and I'm putting it right at the top of my pretty prints wish list. Especially so since I don't already have a 'home sweet home' print and have been on the look out for a great one for as long as I can remember, this one is definitely a great one... !
Which one would you love to hang on your wall... ?

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000Z

Image credits: 1. 1Lisbeth, 2. cottage45, 3. yvestown, 4. dottie angel, 5. thelittleleaf

Good morning, good morning... :)

It is a brand new week and after a very restful weekend (it was a treat to have the longest lie in yesterday morning, ah such bliss!) I am feeling refreshed and raring to go!
This week I have some very exciting news to share with you all and a crocheting to do list that is long as my arm, especially now that we are heading fast towards the festive season... that guilty twinge at the mere mention of the 'C' word has vanished, yay!

But I shall not get ahead of myself as today I am loving a few gorgeous granny chic inspired picks from our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in'. Including the most perfect mix of gorgeous vintage tapestries, crochet blankets and fresh flowers... oh, and I have some serious mirror envy going on this Monday morning!

Wishing you all a fabulous day,
Emma, x

colour palette : a wee hint of cobalt...

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000Z

Image credit: Anthropologie

I must have looked at this image of the Windsor Love Seat from Anthropologie and dozen times or more, but it wasn't until just now that it struck a chord for me. It was as though I saw the composition of the colours and pattern with fresh eyes... something about this lovely cobalt blue drew me in and I knew I wanted to draw a colour palette of inspiration from it. This beautiful Vernal Cusp Rug has been in my favourites for as long as I can remember too, and again today there is something about the way it's colours are looking quite subdued that are appealing to me. It's inspiring to be able to see a new perspective on old favourites.

I am thinking this week has been full of exciting ups (I shall tell you more about the rest of them another day) and one or two fretful downs... but after spending the whole day convinced it was Monday I am quite pleased it is not!

Wishing you all the most wonderful weekend,
Emma, x

etsy finds : Celebrate Color special...

2011-11-03T11:30:00.000Z

Happy, happy Thursday everyone... :)

Today I have a lovely home decor inspired collection to share with as part of the Celebrate Color festivities... which are all quite exciting btw, the main Celebrate Color page is filling up nicely with tons of inspiration and projects, have you stopped by recently!?
For today's post I have been collecting some fabulous Etsy finds for a few weeks now (enough in fact to make a bunch of these posts!) but after narrowing them down by thinking of the home decor themes I like to live with I have settled on a light and airy but warm theme, with a mix of traditional and quirky details. That wonderful eclectic mix that Etsy can so perfectly provide every time! Enjoy... :)

Links: 1. AMradio, 2. bylina studio, 3. Mexchic, 4. Mondaland, 5. hogenbirk knitwear

Here I love layers of white, cream and grey, they feel so warm and inviting. They perfectly highlight all the beautiful details of these finds such as bylina's upcycled textile wall hoops and Erica hogenbirk's bottle cover. I can just imagine a whole grouping of these grey Bloom designs in all different sizes, holding cream branches with a careful sprinkling of decorations... that would make such a lovely alternative to this years Christmas tree, don't you think? Oh, and I adore Monda's new 'I heart acorns' print, it has such a beautiful Scandinavian vibe that I love... !

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Links: 1. Kari Herer Photography, 2. Studio Snowpuppe, 3. Sandra Dieckmann Illustration, 4. Stepanka Ceramics, 5. little miss loolies

Again I am quite smitten with the layers of cream here but it is made even warmer with wee details of autumnal mustard and orange. I love the light play in this amazing origami light pendant and in Stepanka's translucent porcelain cups, which I think would be ideal for holding wee tea lights. A great way to update you home for the autumn (or any season in fact) is to have a wall of picture frames where you can swap prints in and out very easily. It doesn't have to be an expensive way of decorating either, you can easily find great frames to upcycle at your local charity shop / thrift store and build a collection of prints over the years. Maybe treat yourself to a new one each season, I would happily treat myself to both Kari Herer's rabbit print of Sandra Dieckmann's Magic Breeze... both are so beautiful! If you're low on prints (or the funds to splash out on them) there's no reason why you can't fill frames with seasonal finds, a whole bunch of them filled with different coloured autumn leaves and shapes would look amazing, wouldn't they!?

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Links: 1. Atelier Yumi, 2. Geninne, 3. Niniainvorm, 4. pretty dreamer, 5. Oh this nose!, 6. Country Fences

Oh, I do like this take on traditional meets quirky - kilim rugs with traditional floral needlepoint designs and stunning crazy quilt work offset by Geninne's Bouquet illustration and Ninainvroms Spirograph plate (one of my absolute favourites of her work!). Let's not forget these inspired acorn cap candles, how cute are they!? I know I have a whole bunch of vintage glass bowls that would look absolutely perfect filled with water and a wee collection of these floating in the top. That would make such a great table centre piece, either on your coffee table for a cosy evening or on your dining table for Christmas or Thanksgiving, that is if there's any room with all the food that will be spread out... ;)

You can also see all these lovely finds in this special Etsy treasury I put together to help spread the word of Celebrate Color. Oh, and I would love to know which would be your top pick from this collection for a spot of autumnal home decorating?

Emma, x

UK Handmade...

2011-11-02T11:00:00.000Z

Good morning my lovelies... !

Oh, I have been so excited about this for weeks now... but at last it is here, my wee interview in the latest edition of UK Handmade magazine, yay! The ever so lovely Emily Parkes, a features writer for UK Handmade, got in touch a wee while ago and asked if I would be interested in doing a wee piece with her for the winter issue... well I couldn't say yes fast enough!
I love UK Handmade, it is such a great site with a great team behind it that are doing everything they can to bring together UK designer makers with small, independent brick and mortar shops and online boutiques. Each season they pull together a must read online magazine showcasing some incredibly talented designers; they run regular articles on their main site featuring inspiring finds, craft profiles and meet the maker pieces... and they have a very easy to use forum section where designer makers can customise their own page to showcase their work and connect with like minded artists. Really, there is so much going on over there, that if you are a UK based crafter or designer you really need to check it out... :)

So if you are looking for a wee spot of lunchtime reading, I would love to know what you think of my wee interview and the magazine in general!? If you love this winter issue as much as I do then I know you will the previous editions too, you can find them listed underneath the current issue... :)

Wishing you all the most wonderful day,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-10-31T10:30:00.000Z

Image credits: 1. fionajonesphotography, 2. annamariapotamiti, 3. {maira.gall}, 4. found and sewn, 5. cauchy09

The clocks have changed and the nights are dark, there are pumpkins in the kitchen and popcorn waiting to be popped. There are no parties but there will be candles, wine (probably crochet too) and maybe a spooky film or two on the box... and I'm wondering how I can persuade my man to watch something a wee bit more bone chilling than the Nightmare Before Christmas!?

Happy Halloween... !
Emma, x

ps ~ Google has a great wee doodle today... :)

Olive and Orange...

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000+01:00

Oh I am completely smitten... !
I was just sorting through my emails... queueing the important ones for replies, trashing the trash and spending way to long reading and browsing the pretty ones (as you do!) including a very delicious one from Orla Kiely about this season's Autumn & Winter collection from her diffusion brand Olive and Orange... I love that name too!
Anyhoo, on spying a very lovely fair isle jumper dress (middle bottom) I thought I must go and investigate further (as you do!) and lo and behold all this delicious autumn cosiness...

I'm so loving this long cardigan too, the one with the classic Orla Kiely orange trim, not to mention the tweed stripe dress in the top row there... I love those colours, don't you!? Although I'm afraid a pair of skimpy ankle socks just won't cut it for me with my dreadful circulation, even a pair of thick woolly tights would be pushing it on a cold winters day! So I'm thinking this particular dress would look perfect with a pair of deep indigo skinny jeans and a huge chunky scarf... yes please!

Emma, x

Moo-tastic... !

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000+01:00

Yay! I have some fabby new business cards from Moo... :)
It's been a good wee while since I've needed to buy new ones (ordered bucket loads of mini cards for the Selvedge Spring Fair and still have some lying around!) which has been quite irksome as I have been obsessing over some new ones with lovely retro rounded corners, just like these... and I'm so happy with how great my crocheted ladies look in this wee collection. I love them... !

But of course their story doesn't end there as I have a wee crafty plan for these beauties...

...a spot of punching, threading and stitching later... et voila! A batch of spiffy new swing tags for some of my crocheted wares... :)
I say some because I'm reserving these for my wholesale orders, at least for the time being anyway as I still love making the name tags for the ladies in my own wee shops (so need to fret!), but while my products are exactly the same I think it will be a wee treat to have a distinguishing difference between the two. I love that they look a wee bit more professional yet still have that essential handmade touch... Oh they do make me happy... :)

Hehe, isn't it funny how a girl can get so excitable over a wee business card or a swing tag... !?

Emma, x

too lovely not to share...

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

Good morning... !

I just spotted this romantic floral treasury over on Etsy just now and thought it was far too pretty not to share with you all. There are one or two old favourites alongside a whole bunch of new ones for me and I am so happy to see my wee flower charms in the mix, thank you apocketofposies... !
If you love it too please do click on the image and pop over to Etsy to find out about each and everyone of these lovelies... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-10-24T09:30:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. RosaMaría {464 La vida compartida...}, 2. bgilgan, 3. tiel✳sk, 4. Little Tin Bird, 5. endlesshue

It is so wonderful to see all your amazing autumn inspiration over in our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr pool at the moment. Your crafty projects and colourful captures of the season are beautiful. How wonderful is it that when the nature around us is slowing down in readiness for a dormant winter, we become far more inspired and creative than ever!? I love it... :)

Happy Monday to you all... !
Emma, x

colour palette : patchwork leaves...

2011-10-21T13:00:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. Karin A ~, 2. Rosa Pomar, 3. StitchedInColor, 4. hannah * honey & jam, 5. un arc en ciel dans le lavabo, 6. marañón

I am quite smitten with these leafy finds and patchwork patterns I've found on Flickr recently. While I love the contrast of the rigid geometry in the patchwork with the meandering lines of the leaf edges, I also love the way the colour brings them together to make a harmonious collection. Apart from the odd bright pops of orange the muted moodiness of this palette is drawing me in, I like that these more earthen tones are soothing and inviting.
It's actually taken me a few attempts to get the balance of this one to work. At first I had snippets of purples and much brighter greens in there too which obscured the earthy essence of these beautiful images. Sometimes it's too easy to get carried away with throwing every colour in (I know I can do that a lot!), even if they are pretty and make for a great palette, sometimes it's better to stop yourself and step back to really see what it is that is inspiring you... to be able to see the bigger picture as well as the wee details.

Happy Friday,
Emma, x

snippets of autumn...

2011-10-20T14:00:00.000+01:00

Under yesterday's dazzling blue skies I took myself and the wee man off for a wee wander in search of some autumn inspiration... which in the end was quite tough to find since everything is still surprisingly quite green here at the moment! But amongst it all I found a few lovely shades of raspberry gold and red...

Now that it has really started to turn quite chilly in these parts I'm thinking that there will be an abundance of colour quite soon, before it all turns white again... :)

Oh, and if you are loving the autumn colour at the moment you should check out this years Autumn Colours Week over on Poppytalk. There are still a couple of days left for you to add you own pics to the Flickr group here, that is if you're not already... Just be sure to check out the colour themes for the days: today, Thursday, is grey and tomorrow, Friday, is brown... :)

Emma, x

ps ~ nope, the wee man wasn't up for being photographed this time... I think he thought you had quite enough doggy cuteness in this post!

etsy faves : autumn gold...

2011-10-19T10:30:00.000+01:00

Links: 1. Ponder and Stitch, 2. Wesley Asher, 3. Katy Bits and Pieces , 4. Monday Morning Vintage, 5. Ameelia Bedelia Vintage, 6. Acute Designs, 7. Ordinary Mommy Design, 8. Meghanica

Good morning, good morning... ! It is a bright, sunny and crisp autumn morning here in Edinburgh today (thank goodness for a wee break from the dreary rain!)... I'm loving the blue skies and the warmth of the suns rays through our windows, just perfect... :)

So with 'autumn gold' as my inspiration I popped over to peek at my Etsy faves to see what I could find... which turned out to be quite a lot of seasonal gold and orange combinations! This wee collection are my top faves that I would happily pop on my wish list, especially Ponder and Stitch's mod floral fabric necklace (but then I do love everything Miss Amy creates!) and Wesley Asher's fabulous find of a pair of mid century golden bird wall plaques (of course I also covet everything Miss Trish finds as she has such a great eye for beautiful vintage treasures!). But as I said these are just my top faves and as I did spy a few more lovelies (including this fabulous foxy orange Herman Miller chair) I've gathered them together in this yummy treasury. Enjoy... !

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. whatnomints, 2. irideeën, 3. Avalanche Looms, 4. carriestrine, 5. The Colour of Ideas

Really... Monday... already... !?
I have such a lazy Sunday morning feeling going on today and would be quite happy to stay in my pjs all morning with tea and crochet in bed... but today I have my man home ill with an icky head cold and of course there is the wee pup who will need his walks and the world outside my window is looking less than inviting with the wild rainstorm that has just started... ugh!

Oh well, I have lots of crochet plans that I want to make a start on (that is if I can put down my latest hooking obsession, whose tweedy loveliness is growing steadily) and that will be the perfect way to add a few snippets of colour to today's dreariness... Much like today's lovely collection of images from our fabulous Flickr group 'all colours in'. Oh, I do love me a few wee snippets... :)

Wishing you all a wonderful Monday,
Emma, x

ps ~ I'm having a wee celebratory sale in my Etsy shop at the moment as I now have over 1000 likes on my Facebook page (woo-hoo!)... 20% off everything on my wee shop shelves until the end of Tuesday with the code: FABULOUS20

colour palette : tweedy stitches...

2011-10-14T17:00:00.000+01:00

Oh, hello Friday...
I must confess to being in a state of sleepy stupor today... one of those days when the minute you get out of bed in the morning you can't wait till the end of the day so you can crawl right back in again... one of those days when you really wish it was the weekend and you could have a lazy morning tucked up under the covers... *sigh*

So anyhoo, I am a wee bit slow off the mark with today's colour palette, but as I am quite chuffed with my crocheting ways this week I didn't want to put this one off... :)

I'm crocheting a new wee rug for our hallway, nothing special really but I am quite chuffed with it for a couple of reasons ~ Not only do I adore the tweedy look from doubling up the yarn I'm using and of course these pretty muted colour palette worthy colours... But I am also quite pleased with myself for finally finding use for a huge stash of Rowan Silk Cotton I've had sitting around my studio for longer than I care to mention (okay, years!). I bagged myself 70 balls of it, at 80p each, in a John Lewis sale thinking I had found myself a massive yarnie bargain. Little did I realise that it was only supposed to be dry cleaned, it felt a lot like rope and didn't seem like it would be much cop for anything!

So as I said it has sat around my studio for a while... *ahem* ...it refusing to be useful and me refusing to admit defeat and pass it on. Then a couple of nights ago I was thinking about a new rug for our hallway, a practical rug that could be thrown in the washing machine for easy regular cleaning (you'll know what I mean if you too have a dog with very hairy feet that brings in more mud than ever during the soggy autumn months!)... hey presto, this yarn pops into my head along with my chunky Brittany hook, which I love to work with, and off I go crocheting lovely tweedy stripes... :)

Okay so the smart cookies amongst you will be thinking 'I though she said that yarn is only dry cleanable... !?' ...ah, well, yes... I know from a wee test swatch that this yarn will wash fine, okay it will shrink and fade a wee bit on the first go and will probably fade more over time but I have made my peace with that! I'm sure one day it will look less than spiffy and when that day comes I will be armed with a packet of dye and a tub of salt... !

But for now I am loving my tweedy stitches and muted autumn shades... :)

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, whatever you may be up to,
Emma, x

thrifty good luck...

2011-10-13T10:30:00.000+01:00

Good morning my dears... Do you remember this lovely pink and orange flowery jug I found at my local charity shop a few months back?

I know some of you will be screaming 'Yes!' as I know that since then you, like me, have become obsessed with all things Arcopal as that is just what this wee jug is... a beautiful milk glass jug by the French company Arcopal in my most favourite of their designs 'Scania' (thank you to our Arcopal guru Nana Odile on Flickr for sharing her extensive knowledge!).

Well since then two very lovely and Arcopal obsessed ladies have come forward and confessed their addiction. Miss Annabelle, of Three Red Apples fame, has been spoilt rotten with Arcopal as being a fabulous French lady she grew up eating most of her meals from Arcopal dishes! Although she wasn't aware of the Scania pattern until she spied my wee jug and now has lots of her family members who are still living in France searching out the perfect pieces for her...

Oh, and then there is wonderful Polly, of the fabulous Folly & Glee, who has the largest collection of Arcopal Scania I have ever seen! She has been collecting it's loveliness for years and has everything from plates to sugar canisters to salt and pepper sets... oh, and the most adorable egg cups you have ever seen! I literally fell off my chair when she posted these pictures over on her blog...

So just imagine how giddy I was when lovely Polly got in touch and proposed a wee trade, a few lovely pieces from her collection for Miss Gladys here... well, I almost bit her hand off to say yes! (As much as you can bite some one's hand off through a series of excitable emails, but trust me if she was in the room with me she would have been missing a few digits at the very least!)

So now I am the proud owner of a burgeoning collection as now my wee jug has a few friends including a set of sweet cups and saucers, a few lovely side plates and the most adorable wee pot. All of which Miss Polly tells me would be perfect for afternoon tea with scones with lashing of strawberry jam in that wee pot.. Oh yes please... !

Another and quite unexpected thing has come out of this wee trade with lovely Polly, is that some of her thrity good luck seems to have rubbed off on me... yay! As most of my thrifty trips lately have been turning up some fabulous finds including a bunch of pyrex that I have been searching out for as long as I can remember... A delicious solid red Pyrex bowl and two JAJ casserole dishes like the ones my Mam used to have when I was wee. I have such distinct memories of this scrolling floral pattern which I think is called 'Briarwood'... but I need to do a wee bit more digging around online to find out more. If you know anything about it please do leave a wee note in the comments... :)

You might recognise a few of these other thrifty finds since they have been popping up around here lately in a few pictures... they make such great props! Oh, and a pile of fabby pillowcases that are destined to be quilted on of these days when I finally get to teacing myself how to do it... ! Anyhoo, happy days and long may my thrifty good luck continue... :)

Wishing you all a wonderful day,
Emma, x

today i'm loving : my wee man...

2011-10-11T15:30:00.000+01:00

I think it may have just dawned on Spanner that his furry wee face hasn't been featured around here as much as he would like it to. So yesterday and today he has been doing his best to get noticed by turning up the cute... I doubt it was no coincidence that I had my camera in hand just at the right moment!?

This was yesterdays (successful) attempt at getting snapped. While trying to document my progress on a project I'm working on, up popped this cute wee face... :)
Of course once he realised I was in a gullible mood for doing just as he demanded he turned up the cute even more and proceeded to stand there shivering until I enquired... 'Are you cold?' ...to which he responded with yet more violent shivering until I went and found his favourite blanket to wrap him up in... so sweet, yet so cunning!

Then this morning, after I had found another of his blankets and carefully laid it out on my bed for him to sunbathe, he saw another perfect opportunity arise. While busy organising a bunch of laundry I laid my freshly washed crochet blanket over the end of the bed and went off to tidy a few other things. Upon my return I found this...

His majesty here had noted said freshly washed blanket, smelling fresh and sweet and looking particularly granny chic... he then deemed that his 'dog blanket' was beneath his royal self and snuggled up on my crochet goodness. Do you note how he only used it as his pillow and didn't get right in the middle of it? I think that was quite cunning too... if he was going for optimum cuteness, he certainly achieved it!

Now I'm heading off to make the most out of the rest of today's great light and snap a few more things I want to share with you all over the next few days. Until then I hope you all have a fabulous day... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-10-10T09:30:00.000+01:00

Images credits: 1. pilli pilli, 2. Planet Fur, 3. nanaCompany, 4. ImAGingerMonkey, 5. Gail Griggs

Ssshhh! Don't tell Molly there's a wee fishy in her tea... !!!

Good morning everyone... :)
I hope you all had a lovely weekend!? It has been quite dreary here... very cold, wet and miserable which has had me feeling quite melancholy. Every year it's the same when the chilly weather really starts to take hold it weighs heavy on me. But thankfully I have my crochet and crafting to keep my sanity, not to mention lots of chocolate... ;)
It's also the time when our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr group and all your wonderful submissions mean more to me than ever... you guys inspire me, lift my spirits and make me smile. It is such a pleasure and an honour to share in your creativity and I am very thankful that you choose to share it with me... :)

I hope you all have a beautiful day,
Emma, x

colour palette : Celebrate Color special...

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

Good morning... !

Today I have not one but three yummy autumn/fall inspired colour palettes to share with you as part of the 'Celebrate Color' festivities. As you know I've been gathering lots of inspiring seasonal pins over on my Pinterest boards and have noticed three disctinct trends forming ~ 'Earthy neutrals', 'Seasonal brights' and 'Dark & cosy nights'...

Image credits, clockwise from top left: 1. Cath Kidston, 2. Liberty, 3. Cox & Cox, 4. Jane B*, 5. Doug McMillen Photography, 6. The House of Oliver

I'm having a real love affair with all shades of grey at the moment and am drawn to it's variety, whether it is tinged with mauve, slate, sage or taupe... I'm loving the earthy-ness of it. Although it can often be a colour associated with austere concrete environments for example, here it doesn't feel cold to me. By picking out the warm putty pinks from the Cath Kidston photo shoot, the ochre petals of Jane B*'s delicate photography and adding the pop of citrine and teal from Cox & Cox's pumpkin baubles it makes they grey feel warmer and more inviting just like those traditional tweedy fabrics.

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Image credits, clockwise from top left: 1. Joules, 2. Zee❀Longenecker, 3. roseflower48, 4. Joules, 5. ForestDaydream

Of course I will always love these traditional autumn shades too, they are some of my all time favourites after all! Have I ever mentioned that I love teal and mustard together... !? Okay, that will be the zillionth time then... ;)
I guess the trick with this palette is to find a new angle, whether it is the combination or proportion of colours you work with or challenging yourself to introduce a shade that you wouldn't normally consider. The top row in this palette really appeals to me, as does the second and last coloumns... but they are kind of predictable and feel 'safe' to me. However the last row looks a wee bit more challenging. At first glance I wouldn't think of using such a buttey yellow with navy, it's just not me... but when mixed with that lovely warm pink, the dark taupe and ochre it brings them together... hmmm, now I'm wondering if I have these colours in my yarn stash for a wee bit of experimenting!?

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Image credits, clockwise from top left: 1. Sweet Nellie, 2. Branch, 3. Stephanie Levy, 4. Amy Merrick

Oh yes, more deep dark shades of delicious greys! This time with sunset reds, russet, pinks and peach with a gorgeous pop of bright turquoise to lift this whole palette out of the duldrums. There's something quite indulgent about this palette and these beautiful images. I can't help but think of those dark autumn nights when all you want to do is wrap yourself up in a cosy blanket... maybe with a spot of knitting or crochet or other wee crafting project, maybe with a (large) glass of red wine and a bar of your favourite chocolate or whatever your preferred tasty treat might be... all the while sat by by an open fire (Amy Merrick's floral arrangement reminds me of just that!). Haha, yes! Entirely self indulgent and probably something most of us don't have the time for but seriously need to make time for... !

~~~~~

So which one is your favourite? Which palette are you drawn to most and why? Out of the three which one is the most inspiring and has you itching to start a new crafty project... if any? I would love to know... :)

Oh, and remember there are a whole new bunch of fabulous prizes up for grabs at the end of October as part of Celebrate Color. Head on over to the main Celebrate Color page to find out more and to submit your crafty projects to be in with a chance of winning. There's also lots of inspiration and new tutorials being added regularly, such as this cute wee Felt Leaf Garland by Maureen Cracknell... definitely well worth a visit if you are in need of a wee bit of crafty inspiration... :)

Emma, x

jung jung...

2011-10-06T01:00:00.000+01:00

Some days you stumble upon something so amazingly beautiful it just takes your breath away... and today I am so completely breathless!

I must confess I hardly know anything about 'Jung Jung'. I stumbled across this Japanese artist and their breathtaking crochet sculpture on Pinterest thanks to my dear friend Tiel. I cannot decipher their website nor can I find any translatable information online. But Jung Jung's work is just too beautiful not to share... and if you know anyone that has ever doubted the value, scope or beauty of crochet then you really need to share this with them!

If anyone knows anything about this incredible artist please do share what you know down in the wee comments section, thank you... :)

Emma, x

outtakes...

2011-10-05T15:00:00.000+01:00

Just a couple of my favourite outtakes from my gatherings article and a pretty button outtake from this colour palette...

I love the mix of white, mustard, beige and grey...
I love the linear details in the vases, yarn and glass bowl...
I love the carved texture of the white vase and the plastic button...
I love the bubbles too... !

Thank you so much for all your kind words and generous comments about this wee article, you guys are fabulous... :)

Hope you're having a lovely day... !?
Emma, x

ps ~ I love my new wee favicon too... ;)

today I'm loving : Gatherings, Fall 2011...

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000+01:00

Today I am so excited because the new issue of Gatherings is here, all 120 delicious pages of it... yay!

"Indulge your senses with an inspired creative living publication featuring articles on crafts, food, interiors, style, and vintage collecting. Gatherings offers a collection of ideas for home and heart."

As you know the lovely Heather Spriggs is the creator of this gorgeous magazine and for this issue she has pulled together a great collection of articles and inspiration from some very talented ladies. Including a beautiful home tour with Tamar Schechner of Nest Pretty Things; a stunning Victoriana Inspired photo shoot featuring accessories from The Sai-Sai Shoppe; lots of home decorating tips from Susana Oliveira of Citrus and Orange; a bunch of delicious recipes; a gorgeous festive article to inspire your gift wrapping from lovely Heather herself and much more... Oh, and lets not forget yours truly!

I can't tell you how excited I was when Heather asked me to write up a wee colour inspiration post for this issue... So excited, ridiculously excited!!! I have always been a huge fan of her style and instantly fell in love with the first issue of Gatherings so it was a complete honour and I couldn't say 'Yes!' fast enough... I do hope you guys enjoy it as much as I know you will enjoy the rest of this inspirational magazine... :)

Emma, x

ps ~ Heather is also offering printed/bound copies of the fall issue of Gatherings, for sale here... :)

colour your monday happy...

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. Claire Leggett, 2. annalea hart, 3. JarkaOnd, 4. stof enzo, 5. Mareike Scharmer

Good morning... !

Okay, okay, I hold my hands up and confess to skiving off (or 'playing hooky' as you might know it!?) last week! It was just too lovely not to with the Indian summer that has found it's way to our shores. So maybe it didn't last long here compared to some parts as we had quite a miserable weekend by comparison, but I'm not bitter... Okay, I confess again! Maybe just a wee bit bitter... but bitter like a really delicious dark chocolate! (Not that that makes any sense what-so-ever but I'm practising positivity and thinking of all the things that make me smile... :) )

Anyhoo... today's collection from our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr pool is in honour of the Indian Summer that I know many of you will still be enjoying today. Promise me you will make the most of it because before you know it the frost and the snow will be nipping at our toes and fingers and noses... ;)

A wonderful day to you all,
Emma, x

etsy faves : lobster and swan...

2011-09-27T11:00:00.000+01:00

Have you seen Jeska's latest edition to her gorgeous Etsy shop, Lobster and Swan... !? If you haven't then you are missing a truly delicious feast for your eyes...

All images: Jeska Hearne, Lobster and Swan

I know, I know... they are gorgeous!

In everything I have ever seen Jeska create, in the few years I have been following her lovely blog, she always seems to find the perfect balance between the bold, the delicate and the colourful. She never puts a stitch wrong and always creates such harmony. These beautifully bejewelled Bon Voyage charms are no exception and are entirely created in her sumptuous shabby chic style. If you have already discovered Jeska's work, as I am sure many of you have, then I know you will be nodding your heads furiously in agreement... :)

If not and you would like to know more about this incredibly talented lady then please do visit her beautiful blog and Etsy shop. Oh, and you can also find a lovely wee interview and home tour with her in the brand new British online magazine Heart Home... I suggest brewing up a cuppa before you visit any of these wondrous places because I am sure you will lose hours there just as I do... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-09-26T09:30:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. erica hogenbirk knitwear, 2. {brooke} april two eighty, 3. knitalatte11, 4. rainingsheep, 5. 甜心莎莉 (Sweet Sally)

Good morning... !

Today when I hopped on over to our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr pool I found this perfect combination of black and grey inspired images just waiting for me on the front page... I do love it when that happens! They do have a lovely autumnal vibe too but without being full of traditional motifs and colours such as orange pumpkins and whatnot. Yes there is one lovely autumn leaf, captured so perfectly by knitalatte11, that she has paired with delicate white flowers and those black berries. But this hint of traditional mixed with lots of neutral black and grey makes for a more 'grown up' approach to autumn colour and beauty... at least I think so!

Oh, and I do love Sweet Sally's Waiting for the moon as it captures something about the autumn that I have a love hate relationship with. Yep those miserable dark nights when the rain is pouring which I hate but they do provide such perfect opportunities for such beautiful night bokeh shots as this... I am sure I have said this before but I do love a wee bit of bokeh!

Wishing you all a fabulous Monday,
Emma, x

colour palette : rose gold...

2011-09-24T11:00:00.000+01:00

I've had a bunch of these dried yellow roses hanging in my studio for months now, they were a wee gift from my Man when he came home from work one day. They were really pretty buds when he gave them to me, but within a day or so they began to droop and dry out. I'm the kind of girl that like to see a bunch of flowers fade and die. I am always fascinated with the way the petals and leaves twist and contort into new shapes; the way the colours change and become more muted while also taking on more depth; and the way they take on a whole new sense of fragility as they become brittle.

But it wasn't until the start of the autumn that I really noticed the colour in these delicate blooms... the papery shades of gold, mustard and burnt orange. I love them against these muted greys and greens along with that gorgeous pop of bright pink (from one of my Cath Kidston bags). I think they make for a very pretty autumn palette, don't you... !?

Happy Saturday and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend... :)
Emma, x

and the winners are...

2011-09-22T12:26:00.000+01:00

Good morning my lovelies... :)

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to delve into their fabulous button stash to share a few delicious pictures as part on my wee Pretty Peggy Garland pdf giveaway! All your collections are quite fabulous indeed and I have been perusing them with much jealousy and even a tiny bit of drooling... ;)
So without further ado and in no particular order, here are the three winners and my reasons for choosing them...

Laura of nimble fingers and steady eyebrows (I so love her blog title, don't you... !?) ~ Laura shared a picture of a very special tin of buttons on her blog and wrote... "As you know, I love buttons and I have quite a number of receptacles full of them in my craft space. These are my most precious buttons though. My Granny doesn't sew but she is a thrifty Yorkshirewoman and has saved spare buttons over the years. She kept them in an old tobacco tin of my Grandad's. When she moved house, she gave them to me and I love them for the tiny pieces of family history that they are. My favourite is the yellow sunshine button- I'm waiting for just the right project to use it..." I smiled a huge happy smile for Laura when I read this... :)

Vivienne of Green Rabbit Designs ~ Lovely Vivienne has inherited a gorgeous collection of her mother's buttons including one from her wedding dress (dating back to 1944!) and a very yummy flowery teal one that instantly caught my eye! She has also arranged them so beautifully in her Flickr picture here... :)

HoffiCoffi ~ Really I think the winner here should be Mr HoffiCoffi, for making a very special cycle trip just to buy this huge stash of buttons for his lovely lady... but I am sure that if I sent the prize to him he would then gift it to his lovely lady anyway... :) Thank you to Mrs HoffiCoffi for sharing such a fabulous find, I dream of the day I will happen across a Quality Street (or maybe even a Roses) tin that is full to bursting of fabulous buttons and rummaging through them to see what treasures lie within. Although there would be no pondering from this button hoarder, I would grab that tin with both hands and not let go... ;)

Congratulations lovely ladies... I have left you all a wee note, please do get in touch with me and I will send your wee prize right away... :)

Wishing you all a fabulous button filled day,
Emma, x

yesterday and today...

2011-09-21T12:00:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I tidied my wee studio. I always let it get in such a mess as I am completely terrible at putting things away properly. Usually that results in organised chaos but if I don't keep an eye on things it turns into pure, unadulterated chaos and I can't find anything I'm looking for. The worst thing is when I lose my crochet hooks, sewing needles or embroidery scissors... I know they will be in one of the many boxes, baskets or tins that hold all my projects, but which one!?

Do not fret, I have found them all... :) My hooks are safely in a wee jar on my desk, all the pins are back in my fabby Japanese pincushion and I think the scissors are in the drawer... at least I hope so because if they're not I have no idea where they are and will have to go buy yet another pair!
So today I am ready to make a wee bit more chaos... :)

Btw, today is the last chance for you to enter my wee giveaway. I'll be closing the comments first thing tomorrow morning and will be choosing the winners soon after... :)

Until then have a fabulous day,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-09-19T10:00:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. Edera Jewelry, 2. Three Red Apples, 3. One Flew Over..., 4. endlesshue, 5. freefallingletty

Happy Monday to all you lovely folk... :)

Today I am loving lots of warm gold, autumnal yellows and yummy mustard from our 'all colours in' Flickr pool, I hope you are loving them too... !?

Talking of things autumnal... As part of the Celebrate Color festivities the lovely Kate Dixon, of One Flew Over, has put together a wee tutorial for a lovely crochet scarf / shawl (third picutre). The design is perfect for beginners and is really quick to make so if you are looking for a wee project to enter into the Celebrate Color September prize draw then this would be perfect for the yarn category! There are some very delicious yarn prizes on offer (so delicious that I am wishing I could enter too!), so why not get your hooks out, get crocheting and Celebrate Color... !?

Wishing you all a fabulous day,
Emma, x

colour palette : button stash...

2011-09-16T14:00:00.000+01:00

Happy, happy Friday my everyone! I hope all of you have had a fabulous week... !?

I feel like I have been super busy catching up with everything after having a few days off last week but it has been great, kinda hectic but in a good way. Oh, and I am so thrilled you all love my Pretty Peggy Garland pattern. Thank you so much for all your kind words of support they really do mean so much to me, you guys are fab... !

As you are all rummaging through your gorgeous button stashes as part of my wee giveaway I thought I would have a wee rummage through mine and see what inspiration I could find for today's colour palette. This wee collection features some of my favourite vintage plastic buttons... see those two large floral moulded blue ones and the the two white carved flower ones... I adore them! Those I know will be in my collection forever because it will have to be a cold day in hell before I even consider parting with them... ! Hehe, so don't expect to see them on a cushion any time soon... ;)

I particularly love the contrast of muted blues and greys with the bright red and green in these vintage buttons, At first I wasn't sure these colours would hold together well in a palette but after a lot of fiddling and twiddling with the arrangement everything seemed to fall into place and hey presto... I love it just as much as those delicious buttons... :)

Oh, warning! I am about to toot my own trumpet again... This morning I was so excited to see a few of my lovely ladies featured over on the UK Handmade website in a wee craft profile article dedicated to crochet... yay!

Well my lovelies, I am off to finish up a few more bits 'n' pieces before signing off for the evening. So I shall wish you all a wonderful weekend... :)
Emma, x

Pretty Peggy Garland...

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies... :)

I have been busy pottering away this morning, twiddling and fiddling with loose ends here and there and finally everything is in place for my Pretty Peggy Garland. As well as the wee pattern in Issue 5 of Spoonful I now have a more comprehensive version available as a pdf download in my wee Etsy shop and on my Ravelry pages... yay!

"Let me introduce you to Miss Peggy, possibly the loveliest garland to ever come from my wee hook… ! At least if you are anything like me you will think so, because if you are anything like me then you will obviously love all things crochet, have a huge stash of pretty vintage buttons stashed away somewhere and will adore anything that uses such kitschy granny chic colours… !

This pattern is great for beginners who want to try crocheting flowers for the first time, as it is a simple pattern using the basic crochet stitches. A basic diagram is included with a chart for both UK and US terms."

Oh, and you don't need an account with either of these sites to get your hands on a copy of my Pretty Peggy Garland pdf as this handy dandy wee button here will allow you to buy a copy directly from my Ravelry pages without being a member... :)

Oh, and better still... why don't we have a wee giveaway!?

Now I know each and every one of you out there will have your very own button stash... be it large or small, vintage or not... organised by colour, size, material or age... or like mine, just randomly jumbled together in several different pots all around my wee studio! Thing is you get to see my buttons quite regularly on my lovely ladies, so now it's your turn to show me... !

Over the next week I would love it if you guys could take a wee snap of your button stash and either blog it or post it on your Flickr pages for example... basically post it somewhere we can all see it then pop back here and leave a wee comment with the link, easy peasy!

And the giveaway... this time next week I shall figure some way of choosing three of the most fabulous button collections and the owners of said collections will receive a free copy of my Pretty Peggy Garland pdf... :)

Nitty gritty...
- Please only post your entries / links in the comment thread of this post, entries / links posted elsewhere will not be eligible.
- Please ensure that you leave a way for me to contact you directly in the event you are chosen as a winner, preferably a current and valid e-mail address. If there is no way to contact you, you will not be eligible to win.
- I will contact the winners directly and place an announcement on this blog. If I do not hear back from the winner within three days I will choose an alternative winner for this giveaway.
- This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
- I will choose the winners myself (in some way) and all decisions are final.

I hope you all have a fabulous day and have fun with your buttons... !

Emma, x

a Spoonful of happiness...

2011-09-13T15:30:00.000+01:00

Hello, hello... I do hope everyone in the UK is safe and well after the wild winds yesterday!? I know the forecast is still 'breezy' for today as Hurricane Katia passes us by... stay safe you guys!

Now then, lets get on with some of that exciting news I've been promising you. Have you seen the latest issue of Spoonful yet... !?

Spoonful has to be one of the loveliest wee indie zines I have ever had the pleasure of reading and delivers just as it promises on the cover, to be a wee happiness companion... :) This wonderful publication is the vision of the fabulous, passionate and creative woman Anthea Krook who has made it her mission to spread a wee bit of happiness one spoonful at a time...

"Spoonful is a short and inspiring little publication which, in light of our insanely busy lives and increasing ‘oh no, I must find time to read x’ can be finished by the end of a train ride. It’s quick to consume, beautifully soft, & after reading will genuinely make you smile."

As soon as Issue 5 dropped through my wee letterbox I carefully opened the envelope, popped the kettle on, grabbed a few squares of yummy dark chocolate and read it from cover to cover in a jiffy... Then I stroked the cover a few times and smiled to myself (Anthea was right, it genuinely makes you smile, you just can't help yourself!)... After a few more moments I re-read it, this time taking more care over the beautiful pages and thoughtful words. Christine Laennec's short story on page 6 struck a particular chord and immediately made me think of the discussions I have with my Man to pass the time on long car journeys to visit our families... really touching... :)

Of course there is another reason I am particularly loving this issue and that is because the fabulous Anthea invited me to write the Craft Therapy article for it... yay! I can't tell you how thrilled I was to be asked, especially as it includes a wee project tutorial... double yay!

So I put on my very bestest granny chic thinking cap (metaphorically speaking that is as I am not really the hat wearing type!) and gathered together lots of yummy bits 'n' pieces and deliciously coloured threads to whip up a wee 'Pretty Peggy Garland'... which I shall tell you more about tomorrow... :)

Until then if you would like to have your own gorgeous copy of Issue 5 of Spoonful you can find it here or here... or checkout the stockists page on the Spoonful website. Of course a bunch of the back issues are also available and I can't recommend them highly enough, I just know they will make you smile... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-09-12T10:00:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. Miss.5, 2. carriestrine, 3. All Things Bright, 4. Little Tin Bird, 5. hollybairy

Hello and happy Monday everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend... !?

I am fresh back from a wee break visiting my parents which was so lovely I almost didn't want to come home, at least not yet anyway! Before I left last week I had grand plans for a few wee pretty blog posts during the week as I have more exciting things I wanted to share with you... But of course the moment I arrived at my Mam's house any silly ideas of work or blogging vanished completely! Which was great in the end as I really needed the break... :)

Anyhoo, I do hope you enjoy today's wee selection of beautiful images from our 'all colours in' Flickr pool, I am quite in love with all this autumnal colour and beautiful pattern... so pretty!

Wishing you all a wonderful day,
Emma, x

Celebrate Color : delicious yarns...

2011-09-06T08:30:00.000+01:00

Good morning! Are you all ready for some squishy deliciousness of the yummy yarn variety... !?
As part of the Celebrate Colour festivities I foolishly appointed myself the arduous task of trawling the isles of Etsy and the internet to find a collection of stunning yarns from some great independent dyers and spinners. I say foolishly because I have some serious yarn envy going on now, seeing all those sumptuously coloured skeins of wool, silk, alpaca and bamboo made me realise how un-colourful and puny my own stash actually is... (although I am pretty sure there would be some disagreements if I mentioned that wee fact to the man in my life!) ...anyhoo, of all the yarns and stores I looked I have picked out a few favourites to show you today. I am sure you will have already discovered some of them yourself (I know they have been in my favourites for as long as I can remember!) but hopefully there are a couple of new ones too. Get those credit cards ready... !

Fyberspates...
~ I'm guessing a lot of folk will have already heard of Fyberspates, but there is no way I could do a yarn post such as this and not include their Scrumptious collection. I am a huge fan of solid colours in particular and this range is full to bursting with rich saturated tones, even the pastel shades like 'baby pink' seem to ooze colour. It is a blend of 45% silk and 55% merino which makes it a really soft yarn but with a gentle sheen. - (Find them on Ravelry here).

On the Round...
~ On the Round is a new wee Etsy shop to me but as soon as I saw the muted pastels of Rachel's hand spun merino yarns I loved them. I think the colours are perfect for late autumn / early winter and think a chunky cowl would look perfect in any of her yarns... lovely! - (Find them on Ravelry here).

Wild Fire Fibres...
~ Oh Wild Fire Fibres, such a great Etsy shop for semi solid hand dyed yarns. I am particularly coveting these four colours currently available... Silverdale, Harvest Gold (Light), Redwood and India. Apart from the alpaca and silk blend Redwood that is a lace weight, they are all 4ply merino and silk blends making them perfect for cosy socks... I just wish I was better at working with dpn's! Hmmm, maybe a wee shawl scarf instead then... !? - (Find them on Ravelry here).

Kitty Grrlz...
~ As we are celebrating all things to do with autumn and autumnal colours I just had to include Kitty Grrlz hand spun bamboo and Falkland wool yarns. The rich yellow, orange and olive immediately made me think of fields of pumpkins and woodland walks with colourful crunchy leaves underfoot. Oh, and I just adore the colours in Woodland Holiday... I think I would happily have that one just so I could admire it! - (Find them on Ravelry here).

Juno Fibre Arts...
~ Juno Fibre Arts is another Etsy shop that has been in my favourites since the moment I discovered them. At the moment the shop is full of delicious superwash merino sock yarns in those most lovely earthy colours including lots of peachy pinks, browns, olive, grey, plum and taupe. Absolutely perfect for a wee spot of autumnal knitting and crochet... :) - (Find them on Ravelry here).

Of course I am barely scraping the surface here when is comes to all the fabulous indie yarn brands that are out there so it is impossible to include them all here today. There are one or two that I purposefully left out today and I'm saving them up for their very own post sometime soon, stay tuned for those won't you!?
In the meantime I have started yet another new Pinterest board, one that is dedicated entirely to 'delicious yarns'... I did have a similar one in the past but kinda lost my way with it, but now I seem to have a new found enthusiasm for searching out yarny goodness. Oh, and if there are any other indie brands you think we should all know about please do a leave a wee link in the comments so we can check them out too... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-09-05T02:30:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. johnnyvintage, 2. dottie angel, 3. Christianna's Earthly Delights, 4. such pretty things, 5. jek in the box

Happy, happy Monday everyone... !

Lately I have had a couple of wee reminders that it is in fact not autumn in every corner of the world. It is actually early spring in some foreign parts, who knew... !? Hehe, so today I thought I would bring you a wee collection of fresh springy pictures from our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr pool. Of course these lovelies weren't too hard to find as you guys know that I'm a sucker for this kind of styling, that is lots of white sprinkled with snippets of pretty rainbow colours. I'm drawn to them like a magnet and don't think I will ever tire of your stunning interpretations of this look... :)

I know I have a few more autumnal posts planned as part of Celebrate Color (I'm working on a particularly delicious one for tomorrow!) but I will do my very best to keep a sense of balance around here for both you and me.

I hope you all the most fabulous day,
Emma, x

Celebrate Color : my autumn favourites...

2011-09-04T07:00:00.000+01:00

Hello my friends, I do hope you are all having a lovely Sunday afternoon... !?
I'm having a quiet one today... While my man is feeling a wee bit under the weather with a wee cold I'm happily crocheting a custom order and pottering around the interweb looking for lovely finds to add to my wee Pinterest pages.

As part of Celebrate Color I have started a brand new 'currently loving' board dedicated to all things 'autumn / fall'. A wee place where I can gather together all the images that make me think of autumn, whether that is colours, clothes, art, activities, home decor, recipes, projects or supplies... absolutely anything that makes me think 'Oooh, that would be perfect for the autumn!'
So far I have bagged myself over 100 delicious pins and have gathered a few of my top faves together into some very yummy mood boards... enjoy!

Image credits: 1. two spoons, 2. unitedthread, 3. Honeytree, 4. Sophie Digard via Needleprint

Colours ~ rhubarb pink, olive green, warm grey, cream, rich russet and silvery sage.

As well as the fabulous show that is the changing colours of the leaves, for me autumn is about those other simple pleasures like wearing my favourite scarves (I so wish I had one of these Sophie Digard pieces!) while taking long walks to appreciate said leafy show. Maybe while we're out picking up some seasonal fruit such as rhubarb, apples, pears or plums and making something hearty, delicious and sweet with them once we get home... :)

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Image credits: 1. stepanka, 2. Jayson Home via Design*Sponge, 3. Sweetnellie, 4. Whitaker Photography

Colours ~ warm olive, rusty red, deep ochre yellow, cobalt, gold, vintage cream, soft teal and taupe.

But of course if it is a dull and soggy Sunday afternoon and those heavy rainclouds aren't budging then what could be more lovely than brewing a pot of tea and curling up on the sofa with a spot of crochet... !? I know I do this quite often anyway as there are lots of soggy Sunday afternoons here in Scotland (as well you know!) but in the autumn it's that much sweeter because I'm not bitter or moaning about the lack of summer this year... ;)

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Image credits: 1. Three Sheep Studio, 2. mowielicious, 3. Alexandra Grablewski, 4. =anja=

Colours ~ deep plum purple, charcoal grey, rich berry red, golden yellow, indigo and warm vanilla cream.

Of course now I'm back to those delicious fruit puddings again, I think crumbles are my favourite especially when they're straight from the oven and they are topped with a dollop of lovely vanilla ice cream that starts to melt right into that sugary topping... so delicious! Oh, and don't forget comfy woollen cardigans... Whether you've made your own in that snugly yarn you had stashed away for so long or maybe one that you just couldn't resist when you were out shopping because you made the mistake of trying it on and of course that was it... you just couldn't bear the thought of taking it off again until at least next spring!

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So now that you know a wee bit more about the things I think of when someone mentions 'autumn' and all the beautiful colours this wonderful season conjures in my mind... I would like to know what it makes you think of too! I would love it if you guys would join in and put together a wee post of your own with either pictures, thoughts or mood boards. Maybe you've already started an autumn Pinterest board and you'd like to share some of your favourite colours and images from it... !? Come on, it would be great for me to see someone else's take on colour inspiration for a change... ;)

Once you have written your lovely wee post please do let me know down in the comments section and I'll pop by for a read... :)
You can also add your posts with a clever wee link at the bottom of the Celebrate Color {inspiration} page... have fun!

Emma, x

Celebrate Color : time for a celebration...

2011-09-01T01:30:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies... !

Today I am so excited as at last I can share some wonderful news with you all, news about a three month long blogging event that starts today, yay! So without further ado, let me introduce you to... Celebrate Color!

This fabulous celebration was dreamt up by the lovely Rachel Hauser, of Stitched in Color and is in honour of one of the most creative season's we have... the autumn (or the fall if you are one of my lovely American friends!). It is about inspiration and community (with one or two contests and prizes thrown in for good measure!) and about celebrating all things autumnal through our crafting.

Over the next three months Rachel, myself and the lovely ladies that are Mollie, of Wild Olive, and Shannon, from luvinthemommyhood, will be bringing you inspiration for projects with mood boards, guest posts, tutorials and round-ups of fabulous materials and supplies. Between the four of us we have a bunch of posts lined up for each week of this event that will cover all aspects of crafting including crochet, knitting, dressmaking, embroidery, kids art and more. So I am sure that each and every one of you will discover something you'll love! Oh, and as this project is all about community we really want you guys to join us and there are a bunch of ways you can take part...

To help launch Celebrate Color you can grab this handy dandy wee button to display on your own lovely blog and if you would like to do a wee post to tell everyone what autumn colour is to you that would be fabulous!
Of course the best way to get involved would be to make yourself busy with a few autumn inspired crafty projects and enter them into the monthly prize draws. There are four categories in all that you can submit your lovely projects to ~

1. Fabric {Home Decor}: quilts, pillows, runners, etc. Think anything at all for a home.
2. Fabric {Wearables}: clothing, bags, accessories (like jewelry). If it goes on the body and it's made of fabric, it totally counts.
3. Yarn: anything knit or crocheted. Really, anything.
4. Needlepoint: with elements of hand embroidery, crewel, cross stitch, etc. The finished item is probably sewn, but needlepoint is an important design element. This category spans a hoop for the wall, a bag embellished with embroidery, and even a quilted item that is decoratively hand quilted.

You can find all the nitty gritty details up on the main Celebrate Color page over on Rachel's fabulous blog under the 'how to enter' link. In fact everything you will need to know will be posted on this main Celebrate Color page, think of it as the hub for the whole event. At the moment a few of the links don't lead anywhere but they will just as soon as things get underway and we have lots of lovely posts to link to... :)

Really, I can't think of a more perfect way to bring our creative community together for a wee spot of seasonal inspiration and crafting... so exciting! Oh, an I'm not really keen on mentioning the 'C' word just yet, but what better motivation do you need to get a head start on all those pressies you're planning to make this year!? Come on, join in the festivities with Celebrate Color... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-08-29T12:30:00.002+01:00

Image credits: 1. Saídos da Concha, 2. E L K, 3. andrea hornbuckle, 4. un arc en ciel dans le lavabo, 5. seven spoons • tara

Happy, happy Monday everyone... :)
I am completely in love with this wee collection of images from our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in'. They perfectly capture this sense of transition I'm feeling today. It's getting a wee bit nippy here in Edinburgh lately and the air has a crisp freshness about it. One or two leaves are beginning to turn and the autumn is almost upon us. I am looking forward to it. I love my scarves and chunky cardigans and I love making lots of yummy soups with all the new season veg, not to mention all the apples and plums for making delicious crumbles... but at the same time I'm feeling just a wee bit wistful for warm sunny days and picnics... *sigh*

Emma, x

the Royal Mile : part 3...

2011-08-26T10:00:00.001+01:00

Happy, happy Friday my lovelies... :)

We're on the final leg of our wee tour of the Royal Mile... was that a wee sigh of relief I heard from some of you!? Hehe... ;) Anyhoo, after the fun of the Fringe all we need to do is wander up to the fabulous Edinburgh castle, dodge a few more tourist trap shops along the way and take in some of the more visit worthy attractions such as The Witchery, Camera Obscura and The Scottish Whisky Experience... I definitely recommend leaving the whisky tasting til the end as a wee tipple or two before taking on Camera Obscura's optical illusions might not be such a great idea! Enjoy... :)

Well my lovelies, I do hope you enjoyed this wee tour... and maybe I've even persuaded you to make a wee trip over here some time!? I know you will love it, Edinburgh is such a beautiful and inspiring city... :)

Now I'm off to get myself organised... I have a bunch of exciting things I'm working just now, which I will be able to tell you about very soon, but with the chaos that has been going on here lately I feel like I'm playing catch up just a wee bit too much. I need to get on top of things and get organised with lists, an organised calendar and a damn good tidy up wouldn't go amiss either... both my studio and computer desk are drowning in piles of chaos! Right then I had best get to it...

I hope you all have an amazing weekend,
Emma, x

the Royal Mile : part 2...

2011-08-24T14:00:00.025+01:00

Hello again my lovelies... :)

I am so thrilled you enjoyed yesterday's 'Royal Mile : part 1' post. There are so many things to see and do there that it is impossible to capture them all in one wee walk... You guys will just have to visit sometime if you want to see them all for yourself... :)
Today I have been sorting through all the Fringe Festival photos I took, I must admit I had great fun re-living them... :) All these pics are from one wee stretch of the Royal Mile around St. Giles' Cathedral, between the junctions at North Bridge and George IV Bridge. That is one wee block with a whole lot of people and a whole lot of fabulous things to see! I shall let my pictures do the talking, enjoy... :)

I know, fabulous isn't it... !?
Although my Man might disagree slightly as he has to battle through these excitable crowds every day just to get to his work... that is every day for a whole month, yikes!

Emma, x

the Royal Mile : part 1...

2011-08-23T14:00:00.022+01:00

Hello my lovelies... :)

So last week, before I was so rudely interrupted by a series of unfortunate events, I was sorting through a whole bunch of photos I wanted to share with you. I wanted to show you guys a wee snippet of Edinburgh and bring you a wee taste of the Fringe festival atmosphere (remember last year I blogged a few summery shots and these fireworks pics!?). So one day, a couple of weeks ago now, I took a wee walk up the historic Royal Mile, starting at Holyrood Palace and ending up at Edinburgh's castle gates. Of course you know me, I snapped a lot of pics on the way... ;)

I'll share a few of the highlights here over the next couple of days and pop the rest up on my Flickr pages as I go along. Oh, and I'll not bog you down with too many links and whatnot here, there will be just a few key ones that I will link these images to... so that if you do want to know more you can go off on your own wee information adventure right before you book your tickets and hotels for a wee visit... ;)

Otherwise just enjoy a few city snaps... !

Tomorrow I'll be sharing a few fun snaps from the Fringe festival... should be fun!
Until then have a fab day... :)
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-08-22T09:30:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. Three Red Apples, 2. wood & wool stool, 3. nanaCompany, 4. sealswithakiss, 5. Teawagon

Ah, what a blissfully uneventful weekend that was... I have absolutely nothing to report what-so-ever, which suits me just fine! Thank you all so much for your kind words and comments over the weekend, you are all too lovely... :)

So after lots of rest, peace and quiet I feel refreshed and happy this Monday morning. The sun is shining over Edinburgh and it has been so lovely to tip-toe my way through our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr pool. I have pulled together a wee handful of very pretty, summery pictures with lots of lovely vintage flowery details... always a favourite of mine and absolutely perfect for keeping my good mood going all day!

Wishing you all sunshine and flowers,
Emma, x

hoping for some calm...

2011-08-19T15:00:00.000+01:00

Hello my lovelies... :)

Well, this week I have truly been AWOL haven't I... !?
I so wish it was because of good things but unfortunately it wasn't... well some of it was nice, such as chatting to really lovely friends over a new wee project I'm working on... but mostly it has been 'crappity crap' to coin a dottie angel phrase... :)

Everything from a gas leak in our flat early in the week, which was really stressful but is thankfully now repaired and all is safe again, to pesky wee mice keeping us awake at night... doing their very best to chew through the floorboards, and believe me, at four o'clock in the morning it sounds like they have come armed with chainsaws and bulldozers!

Last night there was a really crazy 'incident' of a drunken person breaking into our tenement stairwell. They climbed up to the highest window ledge and were threatening to throw themselves off... seriously frightening! There were swarms of police, a couple of fire engines and an ambulance outside our building for at least three hours while they tried to talk this person down. I had to leave quite early on in this whole event with Spanner (call of nature and all that) but of course once I had left the police wouldn't let me back in... thankfully I bumpbed into a dog walking buddy and went for a wee cuppa with them. What I am even more thankful for is that this whole 'incident' was resolved safely... I don't think I could have coped with anything else.

Then today my email account, which is proven to be a wee bit unreliable at times, completely crapped out on me. I am working so hard to sort this out just now so please do bear with me if you're wanting a wee chat about something. I have set up a new email account for the time being, you can find it on my personal Facebook page at the moment.

And of course, to top it all off the dog has just thrown up on the carpet... !

As a very lovely friend said to me earlier in the week that sometimes you just have to giggle when things go wrong... a giggle would be lovely, but to be honest I would be quite content with just a couple of calm and uneventful days... surely that's not too much to ask... !?

I do hope each and every one of you have just the kind of weekend you are hoping for... :)
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-08-15T09:30:00.006+01:00

Image credits: 1. RubyRed06, 2. Max Harmony, 3. Cottage45, 4. A Crooked Sixpence, 5. couleurs bonbons

Hello my lovelies, how are you this fine Monday morning!?
Do you like today's picks from our 'all colours in' Flickr pool? They're looking a wee bit patriotic with this red, white and blue combo but I kinda like that this morning. All we're missing is a wee bowl of ripe juicy strawberries with a dollop of thick Devonshire cream on top. That would have made the most perfectly quaint British summertime collection... a wee bit of red, white and blue bunting wouldn't have gone amiss either... ;)

Anyhoo, I am off to spend the rest of my day in the studio to finish up a few orders and get them ready to send out. There are some new ladies in the making too and if the day stays sunny I should be able to get some lovely pics for the shop later in the week. I've also got a bunch of photos from the weekend to organise into a couple of posts for you but more about them later... :)

A wonderful day to you all,
Emma, x

I know this is really going to upset Vivienne...

2011-08-11T15:00:00.007+01:00

...and I am sorry Vivienne, truly I am! But you really need to blame this miserable Scottish weather... it feels like the autumn is definitely on it's way!

Links: 1. Lucky, 2. handmade romance, 3. White Wonder, 4. A Crooked Sixpence, 5. Elouise Renouf, 6. Mills Design Co., 7. Good North, 8. Kitsch Café, 9. Giardino, 10. The Little Red Door, 11. Boots N Gus, 12. Roberta Grove, 13. little byrd vintage, 14. hillary bird, 15. eclu, 16. ordinary mommy design

I know, I know! It's way too early to be thinking of the next season as we technically still have a month of summer left... but really, it ain't very summery out there just now! Of course I am getting suckered in by all these delicious autumn shades and am especially smitten with grey. I have a gut feeling about this colour at the moment, everything from chalky charcoal greys to soft natural wool shades. I love seeing it with coral, peachy pinks, a touch of bamboo yellow and rusty amber. Something about this combination just feels so right at the moment... what do you think? Or do you have your fingers in your ears shouting 'la la la la' while trying to hold onto thoughts of the lovely warm summer... !?

Emma, x

edited to link the image directly to the actual treasury and not my Flickr pages

trying to brighten up a dreary day...

2011-08-10T14:30:00.002+01:00

Gah! What is it with this weather!? Was that it, have we really had our summer!? It is so miserable out there lately, the rain is relentless and it's so cold too... I'm starting to feel a wee bit sorry for all the tourists and festival folk that have come to Edinburgh this year. Of course they don't come here for the weather, but I doubt any of them would be expecting this monsoon!!!

Anyhoo, I thought I would add a wee bit of colour to the day and show you a few of my latest ladies... With all the flower garlands I've been a crocheting lately I've had enough oddments of yarn left over to make up a couple of these lovely Penny garlands and have popped them onto my wee shop shelves here... :)
I've also been making lots of these tiny wee granny cushions, aka pincushions, but if you blinked you might have missed a few of them. They have been in and out of the shop in a flash which makes me so happy... :) A huge thank you to every one who has given one of these wee ladies a forever home and for your custom orders too! There are still a couple available and I am working on some lovely new ones just now, they should be popping up soon so keep a wee sneaky eye out for them... :)

.....

On another note, I guess you have all seen and heard about the violent riots in this country!? It is nothing more than mindless thuggish violence and some of the pictures and stories we've seen are just so unbelievably appalling! My thoughts go out to everyone who has been affected. Thankfully we haven't seen any such incidents here but I shudder a little when I hear a siren wail down the street. The police and government seem to be doing the best they can with their resources and the local residents affected have shown such resilience and strength that it restores your faith in people. I can't imagine anything other than a messy end to this situation but I do hope it comes to an end sooner rather than later.

Stay safe,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

Image credits: 1. FishesMakeWishes, 2. lobster and swan, 3. pontinhos meus, 4. endlesshue, 5. AnnieDesign

Good morning all... :)
So if you were in Edinburgh this weekend you would have had to be a die hard festival fan to brave all that rain and take in some of the (cold and soggy) fun... It really was miserable out there and as I am certainly no die hard fan I made my own fun around here... Well, amongst the usual housework, grocery shopping and dog walking (thrilling, I know!) there was wine, a few good films, a spot of crochet (as well as pulling some ideas together for something I have been procrastinating about for so long!), oh and a yummy Sunday roast dinner... Yorkshire puddings and gravy, oh how I have missed you!

Anyhoo, with the lack of sunshine around here you guys have come to my rescue again with all your fabulous submissions to 'all colours in' Flickr pool. You all must have sensed my need for bold sunny yellows and oranges because there have been so many added this weekend! This is just a tiny selection of all the pretty pictures I had to choose from this morning, but if you go check out the first few pages of the pool you will find the rest... :)

Wishing you all a great Monday... !
Emma, x

colour palette : Cath Kidston...

2011-08-05T15:00:00.008+01:00

Cath Kidston new season catalogue, Autumn 2011 : photograph by me... :)

Yay, it's Friday... !
Although I'm not really sure why I'm getting excited for this Friday as I have so much work planned at the moment that I think my weeks are just going to roll together for a while... Oh well, maybe I can take a wee break to soak up some of the Edinburgh Festival Fun. This weekend's forecast is for a very soggy one, yep true festival weather! So I am imagining lots of colourful rain coats instead of the sunny scenes from last year... :)

Anyhoo, today's palette... I was a wee bit stuck for inspiration this morning and wasn't really feeling the colour palette making spirit. But then the postman came a knocking a wee while ago and dropped the new season Cath Kidston catalogue through my letterbox. As I flipped through the pages the mere sight of all those piles upon piles of yummy vintage books got my creative juices flowing... I love all those earthy sun bleached colours with snippets of jewel tones for a wee pop of brightness. (I won't say this too loud just yet, but I'm really looking forward to all the autumn palettes and new season collections.... shhhh!)

Oh and I so want this Cath Kidston bag, I love that red... pinning!

Have a great weekend everyone... :)
Emma, x

edited : I tweaked the palette to get rid of that odd striping effect... :)

a keeper... !

2011-08-04T16:00:00.004+01:00

Hello my lovelies... :)
I feel like I've gone AWOL these last couple of days... While it has been hot and humid here (very hot and humid for this wee part of the world, we so need a really good thunderstorm to freshen things up a bit... you know what I mean!?) I have been struck with a powerful crafty urge and just need to make things... lots of things!
The very first thing I felt I needed to finish was a fabby wee cushion just for me! Yeah, this one is a keeper... :)

Yay, I have my very own Copenhagen pillow! I don't have a name for this wee lady yet but I am thinking I should call her Yvonne after the fabulous lady who designed the pattern... Yes, that is the lovely Yvonne of Yvestown!

I must admit to admiring her gorgeous pattern for such a long time while simultaneously dithering over the yarn I wanted to use. Do I want wool, or cotton, or maybe even the dreaded acrylic so I can bung it in the wash without worrying!? Okay so no to the acrylic... ;)
It wasn't until a couple of months ago after my Mam found me a huge stash of lovely discontinued cotton yarn that I had my eureka moment. Since then I have been pootling along working on an odd square here and there until I had enough to make the front of a wee cushion. All I had to do over the last couple of days was whip up a backing, stitch it together and trawl my substantial button stash for the smoothest and whitest mother of pearl I could find, et voila... Miss Yvonne!

Oh, and I love how perfectly she co-ordinates with my lovely clover pillow from this fabulous Etsy shop... I so wish I could have all the pillows in there too!

Emma, x

today i'm loving...

2011-08-02T09:30:00.016+01:00

These delicate collaged artworks by London based artist Eloise Hall. I stumbled across this beautiful 'Butterfly Garden' piece when I was catching up with a few things around Facebook yesterday. I followed a couple of links, as you do, and found myself with my nose pressed up against her virtual shop window at Not on the Highstreet.

I am completely smitten with the simplicity of these collages and Eloise's understated use of colour. It makes these tiny wee birds and butterflies (and Koi Carp!) look like jewels in a sea of white and I love that when you look closer you see the pretty patterns of the origami papers she uses.

But what really makes these pieces for me is knowing that each and every paper motif has been hand cut and collaged, then finished with hand drawn details. I know that all us handmade artists (and lovers of handmade, of course!) will be able to appreciate the depth of beauty this gives a piece of artwork like this... :)

All images Eloise Hall, website and shop.

Wishing you all a beautiful day,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-08-01T12:00:00.002+01:00

Image credits: 1. Artoleria, 2. Emma Varnam, 3. Amir Kuckovic, 4. Smilerynker, 5. rainingsheep

Happy Monday, I hope you guys had a fabulous weekend... !?
We made the most of the summer again with picnics by the river, walks along the beach and a lovely fish'n'chip supper in the park... Not so many pictures taken this time though, just because I wanted to switch off a wee bit and not be thinking 'ooh, that would make a lovely blog post!' every time I saw something pretty... you know what I mean... !?

Anyhoo, today I am being drawn to these hot red and cool blue picks from our fabulous 'all colours in' Flickr pool. I spied most of them up on the front page this morning and thought they looked great together... I always love fresh flower arrangements and Smilerynker's bedroom pic is just fabulous. Those braided headbands look so cute and I am always a sucker for rainy day bokeh, or really any kind of bokeh shots like this... !

Thank you to everyone for your submissions to 'all colours in', you guys are such an inspiration... !

I hope everyone has a great day,
Emma, x

colour palette : peachy keen...

2011-07-29T12:00:00.001+01:00

Image credits, clockwise from top left : 1. Ink Whimsy, 2. White Wonder, 3. Ameelia Bedelia, 4. kiamichi7, 5. New Ivy Style

I don't know about you guys, but whenever I put together one of these pastel themed colour palettes I can't help but think of ice cream flavours!? These lovely peach and mint finds from Etsy are making me think about just that... delicious peach flavoured ice cream sprinkled with mint infused sugar, yum! Oh, and if said creamy desert was featured on one of those fancy foodie blogs I can totally picture it being topped with some tiny, edible gold leaf leaves... just like this gorgeous musical tree from White Wonder, how yummy would that be... !?

I am also thinking these peachy perfect finds would make the sweetest summer vignette for a bare shelf. You could gather together all the wee items on a snippet of vintage linen fabric, lean the wee notebook against the wall and add a fragrant mint plant to the basket. Then you could pin Ivy's lovely paper garland to the wall and drape it casually by your wee collection. I'd also be tempted to use lovely Ivy's idea of adding the pin to a lovely white frame and draping her garland from that... :) Of course that's just me thinking in black and white as I don't have a peachy collection to decorate my own wee shelf right at this moment... ;)

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend filled with lots of ice cream in your most favourite flavour, mine will be peanut butter please... !
Emma, x

summer...

2011-07-28T18:00:00.004+01:00

Today I've spent a blissful few hours sorting through all my summery photos from the weekend, doing my best to edit them down to the very best ones and my most favourite. Such a tough job when you have a snap happy trigger finger and an eye that can see potential in almost every photo! I think I've done okay though...
Of the fifty I took I narrowed it down to around fifteen for my Flickr pages, then four for yesterday's post and another five for today. Honestly, that is really good going for me! It's been such a good exercise in learning to edit more and stop being so obsessive. Although I do like to have lots of images to choose from in the first place, because sometimes you capture wee details that you didn't know were there, so I don't think I will be trying to tame that snap happy trigger finger any time soon!
Anyhoo, these are my favourites of my grass seed macro shots. Almost all of the seed heads had this lovely pinkish purple shade to them which created a really soft haze that floated above the bright green grasses... so pretty!

While I was snapping away on that hot sunny day I discovered a great new instant filter to give some of pictures a fabulous retro vibe, see the with and without snippets above. No need for fancy Holga, Lomo or Polaroid kit and don't even mention Instagram! Nope, my wee technique is so much simpler than that and a bargain because I picked it up a few years ago for a few quid in a sale...

Yes, of course it was my sunglasses... ;) I just held them right in front of the lens 'et voila' groovy, funky retro pictures of a wee pup who looks like has has just stepped out of the seventies! I must confess I did a wee bit of tweaking to lighten this up and add the all important rounded corners too, but I am completely in love with the finished effect ~ that dreamy sense of nostalgia that reminds you of endless childhood summers when every day was hot and filled with fun... :)

Yes, I shall definitely be printing this wee picture for framing and I'll definitely be playing with this lovely idea again... :)
Emma, x

etsy faves : lucius art...

2011-07-27T21:00:00.004+01:00

Hi guys... so I didn't get round to organising the promised photos as I wanted to today, I ended up going off on another tangent as I so often do! But in the light of my last wee post I figured I just had to share this print from Lucius Art over on Etsy...

...but of course I am completely biased and would think that about my wee Spanner! As would any dog owner about their own gorgeous wee pup... :) If you're also like me with a man in your household, then this next print might be quite appropriate too...

...yeah, and we're not talking trousers here are we!?!?

See you guys tomorrow... :)
Emma, x

today I'm loving...

2011-07-27T10:30:00.000+01:00

A few pictures from our weekend, a walk around our favourite Arthur's Seat while taking in the summer sun and spending time in each other's company... Mostly these few are of Spanner, but who's complaining... ;)

Basking in the summer sun... :)

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh... and I can never remember the name of this wee loch!

The mighty and majestic(!?) cocker spaniel... ;)

Cooling his wee paws... !

I love this last picture of my wee man so much... He could smell the water from the top of the hill and kept running on ahead of us trying to find it through the long grass. We just assumed he was desperate for a drink but as soon as he found it he plonked himself right in the middle, up to his wee belly and just stood there, cooling his hot paws... :)

I have a whole bunch of other pictures I want to share too, because you guys know I can't go anywhere without getting a few pretty macro shots... Plus I found myself a great new filter... ! I'll be back later with those once I've had the chance to upload them... :)
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-07-25T10:00:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. {brooke} april two eighty, 2. RubyRed06, 3. wood & wool stool, 4. lulaland, 5. LULUBLOOM :: lucia

Happy, happy Monday everyone... Oh, and what a gorgeous day it look likely to be... ! Actually it has been perfectly summery all weekend here in Edinburgh too and it was so great to spend some quality time with my two men, going off for lovely picnics and soaking up all that sunshiny goodness... blissful!

Amongst all the r'n'r I've been squeezing in lots of work around my wee shop too. I picked up some great tips from this Etsy shop critique video from their Livestream channel. I'm way to disorganised to actually take part in one of these live chats so it's great to see them all archived. I really did get some great ideas, that I am still working on putting into practice, so I'll definitely be having a wee peek at a few others. Have you guys watched or taken part in any of these films? If you've got any recommendations do pop a wee link in the comments for us... :)

Oh, and today's wee collection from 'all colours in..' are amongst some of my favourites this morning. I must confess that I almost went for a more autumn inspired collection, but really it's far too summery for that today! So these lovely soft greys and sprinklings of bright colours won out in the end... :)

Wishing you all a fabulous day,
Emma, x

colour palette : shades of gold...

2011-07-22T11:00:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. dottie angel, 2. Emma Block Illustration, 3. Whistles at John Lewis, 4. Kiki & Polly

Oh my, it's Friday already... !

And by heck, it's a wee bit chilly today isn't it!? At least it is in Edinburgh... no rain to speak of as yet so we can be thankful for that... !
Anyhoo, I am warming myself up with these lovely shades of golden yellows in today's colour palette. They are always a firm favourite of mine and so versatile too. A great seasonal colour for late summer and autumn but also has such a great retro vibe when mixed with rich brown, teal and coral pink. Today I'm particularly loving it with cool beige and grey next to pops of red and deep orange, see the two columns on the left... a really pretty combination with a hint of retro about it too.

So while we're talking colour palettes, did you see decor8 this week!? Holly, the fabulous lady that she is, put together a wee post featuring her favourites of my pink inspired palettes... eeek! So many things to be excited about there...
1) Holly has been lurking around my wee blog... !
2) that she found my wee colour palettes inspiring,
3) so much so that she chose to feature them on decor8... !
4) all the lovely comments she wrote to go with the palettes she picked out and...
5) the amazing feedback her post had, including all the kind comments left by her readers and some very dear friends of mine... !
Thank you so much Holly and to everyone else, the support and encouragement you give means so much to me... I am so proud to have all you guys as my very dear cyber buddies... :)

Now I am off to channel this happy high and colourful inspiration into a few crafty pieces... I still have a few ladies waiting to go into the shop so stay tuned for those on my Facebook page...

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend... !
Emma, x

etsy faves : Red or Gray Art...

2011-07-21T15:30:00.002+01:00

Hello my lovelies... !

I'm really excited about sharing this Etsy fave with you today. Since the very moment I discovered the blog Red or Gray, many moons ago I might add, I have been completely smitten with Elaine Kean's beautiful minimalist work. Everything from her simple bird mobiles and garlands, to her collaged cards and twine wrapped stones. I am constantly mesmerised by her elegant use of simple textures and patterns, paper and fabric, meaningful words and phrases alongside beautiful natural elements such as stones and twigs.

I regularly stop by Elaine's Etsy shop, Red or Gray Art, to see what is newly available looking for the perfect piece that would have meaning for me... and not too long ago I found it, yay! On a day when I needed desperately needed something to cheer me up I stopped by her shop with a wee bit of hope and lo and behold there it was! This wee woodblock with her signature bird in the prettiest pink floral vintage fabric and the words 'face life with a song'... I was completely stopped in my tracks, absolutely everything about this wee piece of art was perfect for me. After I had a wee 'moment' I gathered myself together and invited this wee bird to come and live in my studio... :)

Elaine was so kind as to fill my parcel with a few other wee treats including the piece of fabric the woodblock bird was cut from and one of her gorgeous red 'faithful' birds... I have a wee project planned for this snippet of fabric but I am going to save that for the next time I feel I need a wee bit of cheer in my day... :)

Please do take a moment to visit Elaine's Etsy shop and lovely blog, where you can find out about her simple bird project... my wee woodblock is no.24 in the series and on Monday I featured no.27 in my cobalt blue collection... :)

Wishing you all a cheerful day,
Emma, x

a wee snippet...

2011-07-20T11:00:00.002+01:00

Good morning... !
I am having a very quiet couple of hours all to myself as the wee man is off getting a spiffy, short new hairdo for the summer! Not that we're having much sun at the moment, but despite all the rain it is still mighty warm and quite unpleasant when you're wearing a fur coat... Spanner has been so grumpy this last week! I am so hoping his new 'do' will cheer him up again and we can have our playful wee cuddle buddy back... :)

Anyhoo, before he comes home I wanted to drop in and show you a wee snippet of what I have been working on lately...

This wee collection was for a wholesale order I packed up and shipped out yesterday... They are off to a brand new wee studio, workshop and marketplace in the heart of Brisbane called 'Piece Together'. It looks like a fab wee venue and I so wish I could visit myself! Have any of you guys been by or taken a workshop class there... !?

I've also been pottering on a whole other bunch of new wee flower charms, garlands and pin cushions that will be popping up in the shop over the coming days. As always, stay tuned to my Facebook page for the updates... :)

Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-07-18T09:30:00.028+01:00

Image credits: 1. E L K, 2. Liucija Diskoteka, 3. One Flew Over..., 4. endlesshue, 5. jillyspoon

Happy Monday my dears, I hope you all had a great weekend... !?
I had quite a quiet one pottering about my wee studio, doing a spot of tidying and rearranging while finishing up a large order. It felt good to get some quality time to myself in my own wee world and I'll update you later in the week with some pictures of what I have been up to... :)

Back to this Monday morning and I am loving all these bold cobalt blue shades from our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in'... and really, I couldn't think of a more perfect combination of crafty images and beautiful sea views. So lovely... :)

Emma, x

colour palette : summer candy...

2011-07-15T10:00:00.005+01:00

Image credits, clockwise: 1. Cath Kidston, 2. Penny Royalty, 3. Lepidoptery, 4. Kate Spade

Yep, still smitten... !
Although these neon brights are always a summer fashion staple I'm not sure I will ever see myself wearing Cath Kidston's kaftan, even as pretty as it is and even as much as I love these colours just now... (pink isn't really a wardrobe colour for me) ...although if it was a lovely hot scarlet red then maybe it would be a different story!? Because that would amazing next to Kate Spade's gorgeous bangles and one of Lepidoptery's fab geometric paper necklaces...

**adding lots of lovely new things to the never ending wish list... and reminding myself that one of these days I really should learn how to sew my own clothes... surely a summer kaftan wouldn't be that difficult... !?**

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,
Emma, x

etsy faves : eclectic crayon colours...

2011-07-13T15:30:00.001+01:00

Links: 1. Bird Nests & Paper, 2. Old Fish New Fish, 3. Ninainvorm, 4. Teva Gallery, 5. Ponder and Stitch, 6. Curious Doodles, 7. Vintage Eye, 8. Lilymeru, 9. Lillian Olive, 10. matou en peluche, 11. black rabbit, 12. Bird Nests & Paper, 13. Bird Nests & Paper, 14. SheShell, 15. happy thought, 16. Kitsch Café

Today I just felt like making a treasury... :)

I'm still completely smitten with these crayon box colours, especially that delicious bright red... I just want to fill my home with all these bright red details, vintage canisters and trays for the kitchen... Beautiful art prints and vintage dala horses for my studio... and maybe one or two pretty necklaces just for me... *sigh* ...I just wish my budget could keep up with my insatiable appetite for discovering such fabulous finds... !

Talking of fabulous finds, it was only once I had curated this lovely collection that I realised there were three lovely items from Bird Nests and Paper. A great wee vintage shop that is well worth a peek and one that has a very apt strap line for the way I'm feeling today... 'So much Vintage . . . and so little time!!'

Happy Wednesday!!!
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-07-11T12:40:00.018+01:00

Image credits: 1. imagingermonkey, 2. Corset Laced Mannequins, 3. ted and agnes, 4. hownowdesign, 5. | viviana |

Wowee, this Monday is going by so fast! I've seem to have spent my whole morning just catching up with e-mails and messages, over 130 to wade through! It is always so lovely to go offline for a few days, it's so refreshing and always gives me a wee boost of enthusiasm... {We had a fabulous weekend catching up with family wee haven't seen in a such a long time and have enjoyed some gorgeous summery weather!} But sometimes it can be tough to hold onto that when you're faced with the chore of an overflowing inbox... !
Nothing for it but to take a wee break and catch up with our fabulous Flickr pool 'all colours in...' where I found these gorgeous images. I am completely in love with their crayon box colours, would you look at those yummy buttons!? I'm so jealous of this wee collection and am sorely tempted to rush off to do some vintage button shopping right now... :)

Wishing you all a fabulous day,
Emma, x

eeek... !

2011-07-07T09:30:00.015+01:00

I have some super exciting news to share with you guys today... one of my lovely ladies is in the newest edition of Vogue!!! I know, I know... so exciting!!! I got a wee e-mail a few weeks ago asking if I would like to have my work featured on one of their glossy pages... hmmm, let me think... Yeah!!!

Ahem... Don't get me wrong, this was no invitation to use my cushions as props in a photo shoot with Kate Moss draping her perfect body all across them... No. This was a lovely invitation to be included in their advertorial section, on a page titled 'Vogue's Vintage Collection...'

It features a handpicked collection of boutiques and designer makers whose pieces are inspired by all things retro, vintage and shabby chic. Absolutely perfect for me and my lovely ladies then... ! No.6 up there is my lovely Miss Esme... eeek! ...and this is my name in Vogue... double eeek!!!

I can't tell you how excited I was when the magazine dropped through my letterbox yesterday morning... a wee bit anxious too, I must admit! I have never done an ad on this scale before, because my budget is so limited, so I have no idea what will come of it... But being in business is all about taking risks and trying things that might not work, right!? Surely being featured in the limited interiors section of one of the largest fashion magazines in the country is worth such a risk!? Surely out of their 1.1million readership someone is in desperate need of some granny chic goodness or a lovely flowery garland to adorn their abode!? I am keeping my fingers tightly crossed that it is and that there is hopefully more than one such person... !

Well my lovelies my weekend starts here as my man has a few days off work and we have a big family 'do' to attend today... So I shall wish you guys the most wonderful one too and I'll catch up with you all next week... :)
Emma, x

etsy faves : birds and pillows...

2011-07-06T16:30:00.002+01:00

Links: 1. TSKTSK, 2. Classic by Nature, 3. The Little Red Button Company, 4. Abigail Brown, 5. Stepanka ceramics

Hello my lovelies... :)
I'm having a bit of a fling with moody neutrals today ~ charcoal, taupe, bronze and vintage whites... I'm particularly loving them in these Etsy finds with a gentle sprinkling of coral pink and red, so pretty!
They are very much like the colours of a wee blossom garland I popped into the shop earlier this week. I think Miss Pearl is one of my most favourites to date and would look perfectly at home in this wee collection... I can picture her draped from a pretty twig where Abigail Brown's House Sparrow would be perched and they would hang on the wall next to Tiel's Black Bird and Stepanka's Bird Bronze. Underneath would be a beautiful, beat up old wooden rocking chair with with a vintage crochet throw and these two lovely pillows... perfect!

Wishing you all a lovely day,
Emma, x

today i'm loving...

2011-07-05T12:00:00.001+01:00

Open publication

Have you seen the gorgeous new magazine from lovely stylist and blogger Heather Spriggs Thompson... !?
It is called 'Gatherings' and is packed full to the brim with romantic vintage styling and lashings of granny chic charm. There are interviews, styling tips, diy projects and some very yummy looking recipes. I absolutely love the wee interview with Mary Ann Saunders and am completely smitten with all her vintage collections! The diy for 'doily cones' is so sweet and I am sorely tempted to run out just now to pick up the ingredients for the 'Lemon Curd Roulade'... such a lovely summery (and easy!) recipe... :)
I am sure you guys are going to love this wee magazine just as much as I do... and if you do you should definitely check out Heather's inspiring blog and lovely Etsy shop, also full to bursting with gorgeous vintage finds!

Happy Tuesday to you all,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-07-04T10:00:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. bountifully, 2. itchinstitchin, 3. One Flew Over..., 4. Memi Rose, 5. cocopie

Happy, happy Monday my lovelies... :)
I must admit I am not quite ready to start this working week, especially so while the sun is still blazing in that beautiful blue sky up there! We have had the most wonderful summery weekend here in Edinburgh and I feel so much happier for it... :) I would so love to drop everything today and play in the sunshine just a wee bit longer, but there is too much to be done... So I am shaking my leg, shifting my butt into gear, putting my nose to the grindstone and getting on with the job!

Oh, and remember to call into 'all colours in' to see this wee selection of lovely images and lots more colourful, crafty, summery loveliness... :)

Wishing you all a fabulous day and a great 4th July to all my American friends... :)
Emma, x

colour palette : beach debris...

2011-07-01T16:45:00.001+01:00

Ah it's almost the weekend, not long to go now... But first let's round off what has been a very 'beachy' themed week with a suitably 'beachy' themed colour palette, shall we... !?

Anyone who loves to walk along the beach is almost definitely an avid collector of all the tiny treasures that can be found amongst the sand and stones. Of course I am no exception and regularly come home with pockets full of sea glass, pretty shells and beach pottery. There is just something so luring about the possibility of finding a piece of a pretty patterned tile or plate and wondering about it's 'story'... such as where it could have come from, how old it could be and how it could have got there in the first place!?
These wee treasures also have the most tactile quality, I love to run my fingertips across a shell to feel it's soft ridged texture. But I do think the glass and pottery is the best, especially if it has been sitting under the warm sun just before you pick it up... I love that warmth combined with their smoothness and can't help but roll them over and over in my hands... :)
Of course there are all the beautiful and sometimes unexpected colours to drool over too. Amongst all the washed out and sun bleached shades you occasionally find bright olive greens, aqua, yellow and the most beautiful shades of peach and pink... so pretty!
I found this wee collection on our walk last Sunday. A pretty nifty haul of mostly glass tile and glazed pottery with a typical clam shell and a beautiful grey stone filled with white quartz chips. As I was gathering them up I knew they were a very pretty colour palette just waiting to happen... :)

Oh, and if you too love all things inspired by beach treasures you should check out the work a very lovely lady and my virtual friend, Kirsty Elson. She makes the most beautiful driftwood sculptures that she sells in her lovely Folksy shop. If you picked up the latest issue of Making magazine you will be able to read a wee article with this lovely lady and find out how much she loves the beach too... :)

Now I am off to start my weekend, keeping my fingers firmly crossed in the hope that it will stay summery round these parts... :)
I do hope you all have a wonderful one,
Emma, x

meet the girls...

2011-07-01T13:30:00.004+01:00

Hello my lovelies... :)
I just wanted to drop in with a quickie wee post before I put together today's colour palette. I've added a few lovely new ladies to my wee shop shelves this week and they're looking quite summery and lovely all gathered together. And after a morning of sitting in our sunny garden, with some crochet work to hand, I wanted to mark the occasion... yes, I think the summer might have just arrived in this fair city... :)

-{ Daisy... tiny wee crochet granny cushion }-

-{ Peggy... forever flower garland }-

-{ Molly... blossom garland }-

Although you can't please everyone as this wee chap seemed to think it might be too warm... !!!

Emma, x

today i'm loving...

2011-06-30T10:30:00.001+01:00

These beautiful sea inspired art prints from The Wheatfield... Oh, and that beautiful ampersand because it visually connects the words of these two prints so perfectly... ;)

Links: Take Me To The Sea, Land of Ampersand, Salt Air Hair

Thank you so much to everyone for your get well wishes yesterday, my wee man seems to be back to his old self today... :) That is to say, on finishing his breakfast this morning he gave us the usual questioning look... His eyes flicking between us, his cupboard of treats and his empty bowl, as if inquiring as to why we weren't emptying the contents of said cupboard into said empty bowl to fillup the yet unsaid empty (in his mind!) belly... Yep, definitely back to normal... !

Emma, x

a very Scottish, summery Sunday afternoon at the beach...

2011-06-29T13:30:00.003+01:00

My poor wee man isn't feeling well today... after throwing up all over my bedroom carpet yesterday afternoon (entirely missing the wood floors in the rest of our house, where it would have been so much easier to clean up!) he has been feeling very, very sorry for himself... :(
We were a wee bit worried last night as he refused any food or water, something he never does...ever! But thankfully this morning he seems to be feeling a tiny bit better and has managed to eat and drink a few mouthfuls... we think he must have snaffled some wee tidbit while out on his walk yesterday and it has thoroughly disagreed with him!
He's terrible for hunting out anything edible where ever he goes. There have been so many 'incidents' which have included a french stick, a whole roast chicken, swallowing a large sausage roll in one gulp and lots of other such 'stories' that make you despair and giggle all at once! But one time he gave us a real fright, he had a very lucky escape from serious injury after I had to retrieve a fish hook and length of line from his throat... !!!
Gah, you wouldn't think it to look at his cute face but sometimes he can be a real idiot... but a wee idiot that I wouldn't part with and one that loves being at the beach just as much as I do... :)

Wishing you all a wonderful day,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-06-27T09:30:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. nestdecorating, 2. sunken treasure, 3. la vida compartida... {RosaMaría}, 4. pilli pilli, 5. Emma Varnam

Happy, happy Monday my lovelies... !
It is still 'summery grey' in Edinburgh this morning and I'm just a teensy bit jealous of the mini heatwave the south has had this weekend... I hope all you southerners made the most of it!? Oh, and the pictures of Glastonbury (here, here and here!) looked amazing too! I missed the butterflies but will catch up with that later today... :)

Anyhoo, today's wee selection of images from 'all colours in' are amongst some of my absolute faves at the moment... Of course you know how much I love this kind of styling, snippets of pretty patterns and delicious colours set against soft creamy white backdrops... always a winner in my mind!

Wishing you all the most fabulous day whatever you are up to... :)
Emma, x

happy friday... :)

2011-06-24T16:30:00.001+01:00

Hello my lovelies and happy Friday to all my friends... !
It has been a strange week this week with all it's ups and downs, a bit of a roller coaster shall we say... ! But in this wee corner of blogland I much prefer to focus on the ups and share in all the things that truly make me happy... :)

-{ Miss Lillian }-

And today the thing that is truly making me happy is the hint of summer in the air, yay... ! It is only a hint mind you and I know it's not going to last long, but the clouds have parted slightly to let the sun shine though and I am appreciating every minute of it... :)

-{ wee flower charm }-

The other thing that has made me happy this week (which I knew it would!) was spending a few quality days in my wee studio... Singing along to a few of my favourite Josh Ritter tunes, drinking tea and nibbling chocolate, all the while finishing up a few ladies with wee tags and pretty buttons... Miss Lillian and Miss Luella have already found themselves a sunny spot in my shop window... :)
I also had a lovely custom order come through a couple of days ago, for this wee gold flower charm. The sweet and lovely person that ordered it is planning to use it as a shade pull in their own creative space... I love that, such a great idea!
Talking of ideas I have lots of them tumbling about my head at the moment, a few new ones and some that I have been mulling over for a while, most of which I am itching to make a start on... So if this summer continues to be less than summery I'll be heading off into my wee studio as much as possible for some crafty therapy... :)

-{ Miss Luella }-

Oh! Yes, there is another thing that is making me very happy this week... learning just how caring and supportive some of the wonderful people in our crafty community really are... ! You guys surprised me, but in such a great way and I am so thankful to you all... :)

I hope you all have the best weekend possible... !
Emma, x

summer blues...

2011-06-21T09:00:00.001+01:00

Image credits: centre/1. A bunch of beans, 2. knitalatte11, 3. all over print, 4. Creature Comforts, 5. e.kristina, 6. piaktw, 7. kaylovesvintage, 8. tiel*sk, 9. e.kristina, 10. xanthe berkeley, 11. dottie angel, 12. freefallingletty, 13. enhabiten

Hello my lovelies... :)

I'm feeling a wee bit off today... not ill... just a wee bit heavy under all this miserable weather! If you have read this blog for any length of time you might have noticed that my mood always goes with the weather and I'm definitely a sunshine kinda girl... ! So the lack of summer in these parts is playing heavy on me at the moment. Sometimes I can shake off these iffy feelings with distractions of the crafty kind, sometimes I can't.
This morning my wee spirit was lifted on seeing Miss Tif's (and her #4's!) very spiffy pom pom garland... on spying it's loveliness I felt a sudden urge to be in my wee studio for lots of quality crafting time... ! I've been lacking this feeling a wee bit recently so I must take it as a sign and follow my crafty instincts... :)
So, I am going to take a few days for myself and my sanity and I shall pop back to chat with all you lovelies soon... :)

Wishing you all a sunshiny day,
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-06-20T10:30:00.001+01:00

The summer solstice is almost upon us but I can't help feeling that something isn't quite right... something is missing... I can't quite put my finger on it... any ideas... !?

Image credits: 1. Carissa Lynne, 2. Liucija Diskoteka, 3. wood & wool stool, 4. A bunch of beans, 5. jillyspoon

Yeah, the lack of summer sunshine and blue skies combined with dreary rainy days and even hailstone showers can certainly bring out the sarcasm in a girl... ;)

Here's hoping it will improve sometime soon... !
Emma, x

for my dad...

2011-06-19T09:45:00.002+01:00

Red letter pillows : Jonathan Adler

Hope you have a lovely day, Dad... !?
Love,
Emma, x

colour palette : jewel coloured petals...

2011-06-17T10:30:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. Brides (Domino Magazine), 2. KUCHNIA-PEŁNA-CUDÓW

Hip, hip hooray, it's Friday... !
As you can see I'm still loving yummy saturated colours, but today I'm looking at richer, more autumnal shades. The inspiration for today's palette came from Pantone's fall fashion report, I just love that palette so much ~ bamboo and deep teal; honeysuckle and nougat; quarry, cedar and emberglow; phlox, coffee liqueur and orchid hush... delicious colours with great names!
I've already put this inspiration into action with a few new crochet pieces that I want to finish up this weekend. They have been quietly waiting on my desk for so long now, while I was working on a couple of other exciting wee projects... one of which is probably more exciting for me that you guys, but the other one... well I know you are going to just love it!

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend, come rain or shine... :)
Emma, x

today i'm loving...

2011-06-16T10:30:00.001+01:00

Have you seen this gorgeous wee film from the lovely ladies behind the new Mollie Makes craft magazine... !?

Isn't is just the sweetest thing!? The music and animation are just so cute and I love that it is oozing with beautiful saturated colour... It makes me want to be able to step right into it for a crafty afternoon with peppermint tea and chocolate topped cupcakes! What better way to spend a very rainy (and very British!) summer afternoon!? (Although I must admit the sun is shining here at the moment, but who knows for how long... !?)
It was filmed around Bath, where the lovely Mollie Makes ladies are based, and at The Makery craft workshop, also in Bath. It features Sara Sinaguglia’s adorable crochet apple cosies that graced the front cover of the very first issue of Mollie Makes, if you missed out on a copy you can find the lovely pattern here. Oh, and Lori Marie’s fabulous wee panty flashers, too cute... !
Mollie Makes have set up their very own YouTube channel so I'm guessing there will more loveliness to follow... can't wait!

Here's hoping you can find a reason to smile through the rain today... !
Emma, x

etsy faves : grrl + dog...

2011-06-15T10:30:00.001+01:00

Occasionally I stumble upon an Etsy shop and immediately and completely fall head over heels for the gorgeous goodies therein... When this happens I suddenly go all secretive and kinda jealous... I love the items so much but worry about favouriting them or the lovely shop, just in case someone else comes along and buys up all those gorgeous goodies and then artist suddenly decides they don't want to make said goodies anymore and I will never get to see such beauty again... ! Yeah, I know that's a daft and messed up way of thinking... That's why today I am (reluctantly... ;) ) sharing grrl + dog's stunning vintage fabric softies...

Denise Litchfield's is the incredible talent and stitchery obsessed artist behind grrl + dog, who crafts these beautiful softies...

"I adore vintage fabric and buttons. I hoard old lace. My hand embroidered primitive softies emerge from the 1930's and 1940's using rescued fabric and feedsack.
Over many hours of hand stitching, they tell me stories of who they were.. running in open fields, gathering daisies or stirring a pot while the kettle whisltes softly. They speak of a time when things were honest and made to last."

Denise then stitches and patches these stories into new characters that have their own wee story to tell... I love that! In fact , just love everything about them ~ the embroidery, vintage fabric combinations, gorgeous colours, their shapes and faces and even the way they have been photographed and styled... :)

In addition to her Etsy shop, grrl + dog also has a great website and blog where you can find out more about these vintage fabric softies and Denise's guerrilla knitting... :)

Wishing you all a sunny day,
Emma, x

a thrifty good day...

2011-06-14T16:30:00.002+01:00

Okay, so today was not the thrifty good day. No, today was an iffy technology day...
First of all my camera was having a wee bit of an iffy morning giving me nice blank white pages instead of the pretty pictures I wanted! But after a lot of switching on and off again and re-booting I did manage to get it working and in a good enough mood to hand over said pictures... But of course, when I then tried to get those pretty pictures up onto Flickr, my browser decided to take the huff too and virtually refused to do anything for a couple of hours... everything seems to be working again, for the time being at least!
Although one good thing did come out of all this iffy-ness, I took it as a sign that I should back up all my files and photos (something I haven't done since January ~ eeek!) in ready-ness for a complete system failure... Ha! How's that for tempting fate, eh!?

So anyhoo, onto the thrifty good day... A day when I seemed to hit the jackpot in not one but two of my most favourite charity shops! When I say jackpot I really mean it because I scored a couple of lovely things that are near impossible to find, like these fabulous vintage crochet leaflets... You can walk into almost any charity shop and fall over piles of knitting patterns (mostly from the eighties) and wonky aluminium needles, but crochet patterns and hooks are like gold dust! So I was almost giddy when I rifled through the suspicious pastel mohair cardigans with shoulder pads to find these beauties... :)
Then in the very same shop I bagged myself yet another gorgeous glass find, this utterly beautiful amber glass tray... I haven't had the best light to photograph it properly (I've heavily edited that 'rainy day grey' out of this one!) but when I do I hope I can capture it's gorgeous gold reflections... so beautiful!

Of course after I had that much thrifty luck I wasn't holding out much hope for my second favourite charity shop. How wrong was I... !? Because waiting quietly at the back of a wee shelf were these two handsome Kokeshi... Who are generally just as elusive as crochet goodies, so as soon as I saw them snapped them up and didn't let go! Right now they are living quite happily on my studio shelves, fitting in perfectly and making friends with the other ladies up there... :) I now have seven of these wee lovelies up on that shelf, which makes me very happy as that is a mighty fine number for the start of an eventually large collection... ;)

I also bagged a pretty nifty, blue and white enamel pie tin for 75p, but as that was crusted with the remnants of a very yummy, but messy, fish pie when I was taking these pics I didn't snap that for you... :)

Here's hoping that a wee bit of thrifty luck will find you... :)
Emma, x

colour your monday happy...

2011-06-13T09:00:00.001+01:00

Image credits: 1. sweet sweet life, 2. Nana Odile, 3. Makowe Pole, 4. rainingsheep, 5. | viviana |

Good morning, good morning... !
I'm so in need of some saturated colour therapy today after such a miserable grey weekend... far too depressing to even complain about! So lets not, lets just enjoy some fabulously colourful homely stuff and drool over vintage Arcopal and Catherine Holm collections... and pretend we're not insanely jealous of either!
Oh, and if need even more colour therapy than this, or have your own collection of colourful vintage goodies you would like us all to be jealous of, please do pop over to our Flickr pool 'all colours in' and share in the fun... :)

Wishing you all a smiley day,
Emma, x

colour palette : line and form...

2011-06-10T09:30:00.003+01:00

Image credits: 1. Conni Matta, 2. Retro Villa, 3. Wu Guanzhong, 4. In Queue

Happy Friday my lovelies... :)
I'm taking inspiration for today's palette from yesterday's stripey post and the limited palette there. I kinda enjoyed the freshness of it and lately I seem to have been pinning more neutral coloured images and finds than usual. I picked out these four images in particular for their beautiful line and form, because if I had gone with just the colour co-ordination alone this post would have been as long as my arm!
I love the light in these images too and how they capture almost every shade of grey and taupe... Which when combined with those soft pinks and that lovely pop of yellow makes for a really interesting palette, don't you think... ?

It has been a fun week hasn't it!? I'm not sure what my plans are for this weekend, it looks like it might be 'rained off' again so we'll see... I hope you guys have a fabulous one... :)
Emma, x