Featured maker - Pumpkin Sputnik (and a GIVEAWAY!)

Ok I'll admit it. I have a thing for notebooks. I think that maybe they make me feel organised. I have loads of them, but I still want more. And the more gorgeous they are the less likely I am to want to write in them. Is it just me? (Really?)

Anyway, when I was browsing Folksy recently I saw these breathtakingly beautiful notebooks on Folksy (yes, I know, I'm gushing. Okay so I like stationery) and I couldn't wait to show you.

Emma who runs Pumpkin Sputnik has very kindly agreed to do an interview for the blog, AND has offered ....wait for it....not one, but two notebooks for a giveaway!!!!

Excited is an understatement. I just wish I could enter! Plus she also likes Sigur Ros, best thing out of Iceland since The Sugarcubes.

Read on, giveaway details at the bottom..... but in the meantime over to Emma....

************************

Hi, my name is Emma Wilson and I live just outside Glasgow.

I make notebooks, sketchbooks and cards printed with my photographic designs of trees, plants and flowers. I’ve always loved stationery and used to make my own notebooks and sketchbooks while at art school.

I began making the notebooks back in 2005 when my youngest child went to school, I had been a jewellery designer-maker before I had children and studied at Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen for my degree in 3D Design.

Making stationery was something I was able to do at home while looking after my two children and meant I could indulge in my love for photography and Photoshop. My designs are influenced by my surroundings here in Scotland. Trees and flowers feature heavily and in particular my last two collections have featured Hydrangeas – my favourite flowers.

I began selling my work at local craft markets in Glasgow and online on Etsy, I now sell through Folksy and Big Cartel and various shops and galleries around the country.

I have some new designs in the pipeline, some new photographic designs and some completely graphic designs inspired by school books. I also taught myself to crochet last year and am hoping to have more time for that this year.

My other job is being Mum to my two children and keeping my husband in clean clothes

I do love paper in all its forms, my main range is made with watercolour card and lovely creamy cartridge paper which is great for drawing on. The watercolour card has a gorgeous texture which complements the designs perfectly and I recently switched to linen cord to bind the books together which has a lovely quality to it. I can’t think of anything I don’t like about paper, I do get frustrated with my equipment though – my printer has a tendency to play up and my guillotine is currently broken “sigh”.

I usually listen to 6Music in the workroom, but often when I have a huge pile of paper to fold I put Sigur Ros on – the perfect music to work to.

The house we are in just now has a converted loft so I work up there, it’s a bit cold but at least it’s away from the rest of the house – and any distractions!

My favourite design at the moment is one of my new ones call Betty (see giveaway at the bottom), it has a bit of a vintage vibe to it and has lovely golden and blue hues. The best seller is probably Vintage Hydrangea though.

Thank you Emma!

Some wierd stuff going on with linking the pictures today so you'll just have to click on the links below to see the shops.... sorry 'bout that folks. 


Links:
www.pumpkinsputnik.com
www.folksy.com/shops/pumpkinsputnik
http://pumpkinsputnik.bigcartel.com/

So.... the GIVEAWAY bit...

Emma has offered 2 Pumpkin Sputnik notebooks to the lucky winner. An A5 and A6 size in her favourite design, Betty.

Here they are...

The giveaway is open until next Friday 4th May, midnight GMT. I will draw the name on Saturday.

All you need to do is comment below and let me know you'd like to enter and your name will go in the hat! Simple.

However,.....If you'd like to up your chances a bit you could do any or all of the following - just remember to come back and let me know!!

• One extra entry if you pop over and like the Pumpkin Sputnik facebook page,  http://www.facebook.com/pumpkinsputnikpapergoods

• One extra entry per tweet of the following  "Fab giveaway on the @bpearcedesigns blog http://www.redbirdjewellery.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/featured-maker-pumpkin-sputnik-and.html- pls RT!" But please max 1 tweet per day, we don't want to get all spammy now do we? While you're there why don't you follow Emma @pumpkinsputnik ( https://twitter.com/#!/pumpkinsputnik/)

• One extra entry if you blog about the giveaway and link to it on your blog. Post the link here in the comments so we can all come and check out your blogs too!
  
• Last but not least, one extra entry if you go and like my facebook page (let me know if you already do, and I'll include you too) http://www.facebook.com/RedBirdJewellery

Phew. Good luck. And please spread the word about this fantastic maker.

Featured Crafter - "Birgitta Designs" and a GIVEAWAY!!

Today's featured crafter is the very lovely Birgitta, of Birgitta Designs. Birgitta makes the most gorgeous little petticoats and dresses. I've made the girls a couple of dresses, and I love it when they choose to wear them instead of the local uniform of "hello kitty" tops. But to be honest it took me a long time to make them, and they weren't perfect so I'm always on the look out for clothes for the girls - handmade by someone else!


Birgitta's folksy shop is lovely, read on to find out a little bit more about Birgitta, and to enter our fantastic, and super generous giveaway! (Thanks again Bx)

Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Birgitta, I was born in Delft, Holland and moved to England when I was 7 years old. I’m 36 and have 2 sons, Connor aged 10 who is high functioning autistic and Sam who is 8 and we live with our black cat Mr Sox. Since Connor’s diagnosis I have deferred my last year at uni so as to be available more for Connor and spend time as a family.

What do you make?
All sorts, I started off doing mixed media textiles at College 4 years ago, so pieces of abstract art using water soluble fabric ,wire etc. I’ve designed a range of wallpaper and rugs at uni as well as a kitchenware range. I've also done up-cycling jeans into bags for Oxfam and made fabric wrapped wire bird cages. Now since deferring my last year at uni, I’ve progressed to aprons, bags, pillows and in the last 4 months children’s clothing. People ask me can you make this? I always say I'll have a go but I don’t always know for sure that I can, and I waste fabric trying stuff out as I go but I love the problem solving as I work and it’s such a great feeling when I realise I’ve learnt something new.

Why fabric ? I love being creative and fabric lends itself to so much, textile art, practical things, pretty things. But  I also love design, colour and new ideas and  fabric design is to me art, I appreciate the art of Fabric.

When/ how did you start crafting? To be honest it was a coping mechanism after suffering a miscarriage 4 years ago, so although very very sad, it also brought me to this place in my life without the miscarriage I wouldn’t have gone back to college to do Visual Arts and then gone on to University and Uni did change my life, it gave me the confidence to see I am talented and that I have potential. It taught me the design process and how to go about starting a project.  I could never have imagined 4 and a half years ago that I’d be sat here now  making clothes etc, starting my own business, blogging and becoming part of this amazing online arts & craft community.

When did you start selling your stuff
I 1st started selling online in December 2009 after much encouragement from family and friends I opened my shop on Folksy and by sheer luck had my 1^st sale within 20 minutes of opening. Its slowly but surely building.

Do you also have a day job, or is this your main job?This is my main job, I don’t feel as though I can commit to a full time permanent job as Connor will soon be moving up to Senior School and that transition is going to be especially difficult for him with his autism. Since his diagnosis I’m waiting for support and have to go to lots of different meetings so working from home just makes life much simpler and I can fit work around being a single parent. I can always work at night if needs.

What do you love about your medium, what do you hate?
The only thing I hate about my medium is that I can’t buy more of it haha  and I'm constantly bemoaning the lack of funky contemporary British based fabric especially designs for young boys, so I may have to bite the bullet and design my own. I am a real fabric addict always hunting out new designs and new colours, I collect it.

  
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I’m mainly inspired by techniques, different ways to manipulate fabric and I love my gadgets, different sewing machine feet, like my bias-binding foot, or my gathering foot, so often I’ll be thinking how else can I use this? What will happen if I do this or that?

I’m a keen photographer so I tend to always be looking, watching. I’m a very tactile person so I do literally stop and smell the roses, hear the birdsong.  I also love people watching, what are they wearing, how is the bag they are carrying made, could I make something similar, what fabric have I got that would suit that.

What is your favourite music to craft to?
It has to be upbeat or I’ll just fall asleep, so Faithless is a favourite, or the Black Eyed Peas, or anything from Glee my taste is very eclectic.

What is your favourite piece of your own?
Probably Frankie ( so called because when I started she resembled the Bride of Frankenstein) my first doll I made last week from a fab pattern in SewHip magazine. She’s very cute but she was also a success and as my 1st ever doll  I felt very chuffed with myself.  I’m keeping her for myself for now though my niece may get her eventually.

Where do you do your crafting? I gave up my bedroom for Connor as I was advised he needed his own room and I do now actually sleep on my sofa bed in the front room, I’ve had a temporary partition built in my large front room so as to make a room for me but I’ve turned it into my workroom rather than a bedroom.I love it and as long as I have a space that is mine  I don’t mind where I sleep. Though I would love that nice man off the telly George Clarke to weave his magic on our living situation I’d love to see what he’d do with it. All in all I feel very lucky I love what I do and I do what I love and I can fit it around what my children need.

Birgitta has very kindly offered this lovely purple bunting for one luck giveaway winner. How perfect would this be in your garden this summer for a lovely summer party?

Click the picture to find out more information about this purple gorgeousness!

- To be eligible for entry, you must be a follower of my blog through google friend connect or through your preferred RSS reader. -

- Make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win. -

- Please leave separate comments for each entry. -

First entry (mandatory):

Head over to Birgitta Designs and tell me your favorite item!

Extra entries (optional):

- Become a Facebook fan of Birgitta Designs

- Follow the birgittadesignz blog

- Become a Facebook fan of Red Bird Jewellery

- Follow @redbirdjewels on twitter and tweet the giveaway

- Follow @birgittadesign on twitter and tweet the giveaway
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

Good luck everyone!!! This giveaway closes at midnight (UK) Sat 19th June.

Folksy Friday

Yay - I love Folksy Fridays.This week I've been questioning Granny Ruth! I asked her if I could feature her because her shop is just so beautiful and bright. It makes me smile just looking at it.

Take a look at her shop here.

So lets clear up a little something first - she is NO granny and her name is Nichola.

"Granny Ruth's is named after my mum and my Grandma (who are both grandparents, and called Ruth) the people who taught me my skills and gave me my love of crafting. People think I am Granny Ruth, but although my middle name is Ruth, I am a few years off being a grandparent yet! My kids are just 8 and 5." 

 So, how did it all start...?

"It probably sounds twee, but I can't remember a time when I wasn't creating things. As an only child I entertained myself by drawing and make things with paper and glue. I had a couple of craft books which were very well used. I spent a lot of time with my grandma who taught me to crochet and press flowers and to bake. My mum taught me to knit and how to sew. 

At school we were fortunate enough to have an amazing textiles dept in the art studios where I learned weaving, screen printing and batiking amongst other things. At college I discovered ceramics which I love and then went on to study ceramics and glass at university, but my love of textiles has always stayed with me.

Over the last 15 yrs crafting took a back seat as full time work and then children became the centre of my life. I started to make presents for people in recent years out of neccesity but they where always very well received and my friends and family encouraged me to sell what I made. 

I started selling on Folksy last October after a friend set me a deadline (I'm no use unless I have one!). I started off selling Christmas decorations which surpassed my hopes, and I was so busy making them to sell that I nearly didn't get any Christmas presents made!

Folksy is brilliant! I have made some great friends through Folksy which help me quite a lot. In normal life I feel quite isolated in some respects as non of my friends are at all arty/ crafty, so it is great to be able to spend time talking to other crafts people and learning from them. In the future I want to concentrate on getting the branding of Granny Ruth's sorted out, and as I recently bought a kiln and a potters wheel I want to open another shop selling hand thrown ceramics.

I work at my table in the corner of the kids play room. It is a complete bomb site, much like the rest of my house Who'd be tidying up when they can be crafting!  I generally get settled down to making in the evenings when the house is quiet. I stay up far too late and don't sleep enough, but the evenings are when I'm awake and when I get my second wind! "

Thanks Nic for letting me feature you here, and good luck with it all.

Folksy Friday - The Buddist Musician

Yay another Folksy Friday. 

This week I've been talking to Sarah aka the Buddhist Musician. Always a lovely helpful person in the forums, and her shop is fab. I wanted to feature Sarah's stuff because I love her origami stars. 

They are really different and unusual.

So I asked Sarah to fill me in, on how she got started with it all...

"I've been making jewellery for about 5 years on and off.  I started experimenting with origami stars last year and now make a range of jewellery items using them.  As well as using traditional chiyogami paper I also like to print my own designs for the stars.

Last year I started to crochet and got very interested in amigurumi.  

I am now making Daruma dolls and am designing a Maneki Neko (a lucky cat) and a Buddha amigurumi.  

I've been selling on Folksy for just over a year now.  I've also been writing a blog at the same time.  It features recipes, what I've been making, stories about my two dogs and other crafty bloggers.

My work space is the sofa!  As you can see from the photo it is sometimes occupied by the four legged residents.  It seems a shame to move them sometimes so I end up sitting on the floor."

Thanks Sarah for letting me know a bit more about you, and see where you work! 

I love seeing the people behind the shops, and where they do their making.

Folksy Friday - The Homebirds

Thought it was about time to get a Folksy Friday feature up and running, and what better place to start than with The Homebirds.

Although new to Folksy, Jane and Becky have been creating and selling fab homewares for a while now, selling at local craft fairs, and holding parties - and their stuff is just lovely. Look at these gorgeous russian dolls.

 

I've known Jane for about 12 years now, (crikey that makes me feel so old!) we worked together at Hallmark Cards many moons ago, and she like me is a complete stumble crafter - but seems to have found her niche now!

Always my first port of call for new baby gifts (look out on the shop soon), Jane is a bloomin' genius with her sewing machine! I caught up with her recently as she was in the midst of making this cute owl cushion....

(She did stop eventually and make me a cuppa)

Becky makes really lovely notice boards with ribbon to keep all your bits organised, and with really original fabric. I love these birds.

So, a highly recommended folksian - do go take a look, and say hello, and as today is Jane's birthday - show some Folksy love! Happy Birthday Jane.