Travelling

Well, well. It's been a busy few weeks since my last post.

I had a nice time at the Etsy retreat in August, which was held at Queen Margaret's School, in Escrick near York. It was essentially a weekend of crafting of all kinds! Plus lots of chatting and there was a good amount of cake (mostly made by the lovely Marmalady) consumed. Definitely no bad thing, and it's always nice to meet other folks who 'get' etsy and who are creative too - equally good to be able to put faces to names, as it were.



How pretty is this ^ school?! It was our home for a couple of nights, as we stayed in one of the boarding houses there and crafted our little hearts out in the art block during the day. Uninterrupted. Bliss.

I travelled even further away from home for a few days in London last month. I always get so excited about going there, and as ever, I had a list of things I wanted to do which was much longer than I could possibly have managed!

It ended up being a very arty weekend, as I visited the Tate Modern and also saw my good friend Beatie Fox's MFA Degree show at Wimbledon College of Art. She's a talented artist, do check out her website and sketchbook-style blog.

My visit to the Tate was quite fruitful too, though I was a little disappointed to discover that the Mark Rothko room wasn't around. I did, however see a few thought-provoking works, including Robert Therrien's 'Red Room' - a little room filled, or rather, crammed, entirely with all things red (crayons, red converse, baskets, blankets, painted wooden furniture...) - and also 'No Title (Table and Four Chairs)' which was an interesting exploration of scale. It's a sculptural work which consists of a giant-size table and chair set, which you can walk through and around. I had the feeling of being very small whilst exploring it!

Pretty Unique

I was recently excited to discover All Things Original, a great online treasure trove for lovely, unique things made by the hands of talented UK designers.

One item in particular which really caught my magpie-like eye was the 'Harriet' Shopper, made by Glasgow's own Showpony.



I love it because that print could not be more perfectly placed! Pretty *and* functional too. What's not to like?

Check out the All Things Original blog - http://theallthingsoriginalblog.com/ - which has features on their designers and other interesting things! They are currently featuring an interview with 'A Alicia' who makes beautifully sculptural corsages using colourful felt.

Win a Scarf!

Hello, dear reader. Would you like to win one of my lovely WildCat Designs scarves? Thought so. Well, read on...

My new Aussie stockist, the 'i like you' boutique in Melbourne, is having a little giveaway on their blog! So if you like your scarves skinny, stripy and versatile, this is the one to add to your wardrobe. Perfect for that tricky spot between summer and autumn!



This very scarf can be won, just follow the instructions on this post. If you don't want to leave it to luck, the scarf is also, of course, for sale in all the usual places (etsy, dawanda & folksy)! ;)

Books from Boxes

Well, well. It's been a busy few weeks since my last post, and there's even been some lovely sunshine! :)

July was mostly a month of:

thinking about books
knitting
general crafting
drinking Sailor Jerry & coke
more knitting
reading Tank Girl comics

...and that's about it really.

Here are some of the books I thought about:



I'd heard of the Goddess Guide before, and this book is by the same author, and is in the same vein. It has such a beautiul cover! The interior is pretty good too :)

Another book I'd heard about (or rather ogled pictures on flickr of) for a while before giving in and actually getting my own copy of is 'Wreck this Journal' by Keri Smith, it's less of a book to read, more of a DIY sketchbook with mad instructions/antics encouraged.



It's been fun so far, and I reckon anyone having a creative block will feel the benefits too. I just wanted to try and be a little less 'precious' about my sketchbooks/artwork for a change, and this is the book to do it with!

One of my favourite books of the last five years was undoubtedly 'The Friday Night Knitting Club' by Kate Jacobs. I was thrilled to discover that she has now written a sequel (only just published this year in paperback!), featuring the familliar characters from the original, five years on.



One final book, just for the joy of it, is 'Put on your Pearls, Girls!' which is fun, witty and full of gorgeous illustrations by Martin Welch.



It even has some wonderful pop-ups! :D What more could you ask for from a book?

Lovely Things

Oh dear...it's been a while! I've been off having far too much fun - my birthday, plus a music festival (T in the Park, if you must know) = not very much blogging at all! I have some things I'd like to share though, so I thought it was about time.

Later this month, WildCat Designs will be taking part in Handmade Haven, a Glasgow Craft Mafia market at Mono. Come and see some fab crafty creations in a relaxed Sunday afternoon setting from 1-6pm on the 26th of July. For more information, see here.

As a birthday treat, I had a mini spree on etsy - mainly because I spotted the work of Kallliopi on the front page. I had to have this...



...mainly because it's just too cute! Not to mention beautifully handmade and unique. Kalliopi is based in Melbourne, Australia and makes gorgeous little brooches from lots of funky little things but my favourites are definitely those based on plectrums for the guitar.

I also discovered that if you sign into etsy on your birthday - the bar at the top says 'Happy Birthday' to you! It certainly made me smile anyway.

Today I stumbled across two rather lovely websites full of nice things. Things which bring me dangerously close to parting with wads of cash!



First up is ModCloth which has a nice mix of retro and vintage clothing, as well as funky things to spruce up your living space. The Stitchable Stationery kit by Sublime Stitching and the Matryoska Russian Doll drinking game definitely caught my eye.



The other website I happened to trip over is Shana Logic. It has some fabulously kitsch jewellery, cute clothing, quirky art prints and even some squeezably soft plush things. Like this sweet Geisha cushion.

Inspiration

I was just browsing Vogue online and then WomensWear Daily, doing a little research on the Autumn/Winter 2009 season, when this beautiful Alexander McQueen dress caught my eye and completely stopped me in my tracks.



I don't think words are quite enough to do it justice, but I absolutely love the juxtaposition of the delicate lace carefully draped and layered over the strong yellow colour underneath. The patterning reminds me of the veining on the gossamer wings of a dragonfly. To die for!

Did I mention I have an obsession with lace? I suppose it also helps that I hold the work of Mr. McQueen in such high esteem.

Incidentally, I may be getting a *little* ahead of myself as it's for the 2010 resort collection...

See the article here: Alexander McQueen Resort 2010 - Fashion News - WWD.com.

Shared via AddThis

Discover DaWanda!

If you haven't already checked out the DaWanda website, which is essentially the European equivalent of etsy (prices are in Euros), then it's about time! In fact, this week would be ideal, as many sellers - including myself - are taking part in its Discovery Week.

During this week, every item on the site showing a little palm tree/desert island logo is 15% off the regular selling price. The promotion, which runs from Monday 22nd June (today) until Sunday 28th June, gives you this special discount when you purchase from a shop you have not previously purchased from before.

...All the more reason to get shopping, and find new & exciting goodies! :)

DaWanda is a great little marketplace for lovers of art, handmade items and homewares plus you can even view the site in your choice of three 'flavours,' namely English, French or German. Bonus!

A little sneak peek at a WildCat Designs creation from my little DaWanda boutique:



The Heart Brooch, in Lilac & Raspberry lambswool, started its life as a piece of knitting (created on my vintage mechanical knitting machine), was then felted and stitched to transform it into a cute wearable heart.

Wishful Thinking

Lately I've been thinking about some of the things I would like for my birthday (it's fast approaching, as it's in early July!) and somehow, it always comes back to the same, or similar things....I am of course referring to my knitting habit.

Naturally this is not necessarily a bad thing - and here are some wonderful reasons why. May I present to you - drumroll please - my wish list!

To start this off, I always seem to go back to my two favourite yarn shops on etsy for inspiration.

First are the creations of Veronika, aka Snowberrylime (great name). There are some to-die-for handspun yarns in her shop, including this one.



It's a beautiful silk and merino blend and the photograph just makes me want to reach out and squish it. I suppose it's a tactile-impulse thing, I can't help it! :)

A little closer to home, Sheffield-based Shunklies offers a truly delectable idea. Namely 'design your own yarn' and she will spin it for you. What more could a knitter ask for?



See shunklies.etsy.com for more goodies.

If you're knitting, well, then I suppose you'll be requiring a set of sticks. I found these today...I think they're fab!



Kitsch and colourful, this pair of acrylic knitting needles is handmade by annetastic.etsy.com.

I also love these candy cane stripe handpainted pins by arachknits.etsy.com.



What better way to finish off a gorgeous knit than some of the lovely unique buttons designed and handmade by Laura Walker. I particularly love this one, it's such pretty colours and the lacy surface patterning is to die for, if you love lace as much as I do.



Visit Laura's etsy shop here: veronicabuttons.etsy.com.