Doorstops For Handmade Monday

Thank you for all the lovely comments about my coastal doorstop on my last post. I've been a little more productive this week and have three new doorstops to show you, all featuring Free Spirit Designs fabrics. I'll be listing them on my website, Etsy shop and other outlets over the next couple of days, priced £12. As always i look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)

Garden Herbs Doorstop

The first features my Herbs In Pots design printed on a lovely linen/cotton blend with hessian as the contrasting fabric.

As with the coastal doorstop, the design features a velcro opening at the top making it easy to fill with dried grain/beans or similar.

I'm really happy with the rustic style of this one, it would look cute in the conservatory/garden room of my dreams! :)

Hug A Pug Doorstop

Next i used one of the pug fabrics from my Dashing Dogs collection and tried a slightly different design with no contrasting fabric on the base but with the addition buttons covered with the pug fabric for interest on the handles.

I love covering my own buttons and am now full of ideas for other projects i could feature them in...

I'll keep you updated with how i get on!

Black Cat Doorstop

I used the same single fabric with button idea with one of my black cat fabrics.

I also decided it would be fun to make some little matching lavender pillows featuring smaller fabric covered buttons.

As with the doorstops they will be appearing on my website, Etsy shop and other outlets soon (priced £10 for a pair).

And that's it on the crafting side. Other than that i've been busy picking and preparing summer fruit - 10lbs of jam from a deceptively small looking gooseberry bush in the garden yesterday and black currents on the agenda for today. Strawberry wine is also now bubbling away in a demijohn in the bath tub... this is my first time making wine of any kind and i was intrigued, if not a little nervous, to learn that this is where it should be left to brew - incase of explosions!

I'm off to the fabulous Handmade Monday now to find out what you've all been up to. I've had some trouble with my computer this week so didn't manage to visit as many blogs as i usually do last time but all is working now so i'm looking forward to a good catch up :)

Thanks for stopping by! x

Coastal Doorstop For Handmade Monday

Its felt like a busy week although when i look back i'm not quite sure what i've done... ever have weeks like that?

Happily though i did find a gap in my hectic schedule of busy non-achievement to add to my range of coastal decor items... As always, i look forward to reading your comments :)

Coastal Doorstop

As with the lavender fish i showed you last week, this doorstop features two of the fabrics from my On The Open Ocean collection (which are now available from my Spoonflower shop).

I could have used just one but i quite like the mix and match patchwork effect... what do you think?

Its 20cms in height (excluding the handle) and features a velcro sealed opening at the top for easy filling with dried grain or beans - about 1.3kg should do it.

I've toyed with other designs but i like the simplicity and user friendliness of this one. No mess or complicated filling instructions and when it needs a wash the filling can easiliy be decanted into another container.

I should have it listed on my website, Etsy shop and other outlets by tomorrow, priced £12. I'm going to get some more made up with other fabrics too so it will be interesting to hear if you think the design needs tweeking first...?

In Other News... A Curious Kitty

Before i sign off for this week i just have to show you this adorable kitten - spotted in a farmyard whilst out walking this week.

Mum and the two other kittens stayed back but this little one was bold as brass!

The dog's eyes were popping out on stalks! :)

Of course since then i've been subtly (ok, perhaps not so subtly) suggesting to the other half that its time for us to get little kitten :) no luck so far though...

What kind of a week have you had? I look forward to popping over to Handmade Harbour to find out... Thanks for stopping by! x

Wise Owl Book Marks And A Cottage Doorstop For Handmade Monday

Its been a bookmarky kind of week. I happily had two more of these to make after selling them...

 ...one of which winged its way over to Handmade Monday regular, Alice of the fabulous knitrun4sanity (thank you Alice, its always a special treat to make something for a fellow crafter!)

Wise Owl Bookmarks

I also carried on exploring the reading quote theme with this trio of 'wise owl' bookmarks.

Incase you can't read them all, the quotes are:

'talk less read more'

'a good book is a friend for life'

'reading is the cheapest way to travel'

I hope that these will appeal to both young and adult readers... what do you think?!

The fabric is a gorgeous natural white linen, the applique owls are machine stitched with a frayed edge and the quotes are hand embroidered.

They will be available from my usual outlets soon! (priced £6.50)

Cottage Doorstop

I've wanted to have a go at creating a range of doorstops for a while and this week i got started on creating a basic design for one in the shape of a country cottage.

I'm pretty pleased with how its turned out!

The roof section is stuffed with wool, and the base section can be filled separately with about 2kg of rice or something similar (i used pearl barley).

I wanted to create something that could be send relatively cheaply in the post, so the base section will be left for the customer to fill. I've put a really easy to use filling hole in the 'basement' of the house, so this shouldn't be any hassle!

I'm thinking i'll add a velcro sealed external flap as well as the internal one just to be sure no leakages occur :)

The barley i bought to fill this one cost £3.40 from my local shop and i'm sure the bargain hunters out there could find cheaper! As far as i can work out, sending one filled in the UK would cost over £15, and overseas even more, so i'm convinced that this is the way to go!

I'm thinking about creating some fabric designs to make these out of... country cottage and beach huts are my idea so far... maybe garden sheds... what to you think would work?

Also, do you prefer the idea of patterned fabric like the flowery one above or would you like something with a more realistic design (i.e door, windows, climbing roses etc...)  As always, i really look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Mystery Flower Time!

Speaking of how clever you all are... a whopping 6 people guessed the identity of last week's mystery flower!

Handcrafted By Picto

Ginx Craft

Ali Bee

Patchwork Fairy

Catkin Jane

Plannet Penny

you're right...

...its wild garlic! Currently filling the woodlands i regularly walk through with the most heavenly scent, and such a beautiful carpet of star-like white flowers.

In early spring i love to make a pesto from the fresh leaves and now we're enjoying the flowers in salads - they have a mild garlic flavour and deliciously sweet nectar. They look soooooo pretty on the plate too, they always make me smile :)

Speaking of tasty summer salads, despite some decidedly un-summery weather, i've had some delicious ones this week featuring these mystery ingredients...

A high-five goes out across the airwaves to anyone who can correctly identify them... all will be revealed next week!

Thanks for dropping by all, as always it lovely to see you. I'm off over the Handmade Harbour now to find out what the rest of the crafty Handmade Monday crafters have been up to... if you've never visited this fabulous linky party, i recommend you start today!

Have a wonderful weekend! :)