Wednesday 27 April 2016

More (glittery) medals by Jenny Stacy

A 'bling' medal by Jenny Stacy
I like the miniature elephant on this one
Another glittery medal by Jenny Stacy sold
You deserve a medal. sold
Love this string of diamante. Medal by Jenny Stacy
 Friend Carol brought in a bag of broken jewellery for me to re-use and she will be able to spot some of her bits in the medals above! All medals are £9.50 - ring to reserve or order on 01730 267711.

Last year Carol gave a monoprint workshop for Handmade Happiness at Winton House which was very enjoyable and educational. Now she is offering several day courses outdoors. See her blog www.molebags.blogspot.co.uk for details.



Sunday 24 April 2016

Medals made by Jenny Stacy

A medal for you?
A box for a medal by Jenny Stacy sold
Handmade medal by Jenny 9.50sold
Smaller medals for special people sold(right)
For patience, caring and kindness. Lots of people deserve medals.sold
Colourful medal with my favourite green mother of pearl button. 9.50
Another medal with bits from my stash including painted silk.
 Over the years I've collected a lot of pretty bits, too nice to throw away.Making medals is a good way to put some of these things to good use.

I first made medals two or three years ago and I've been meaning to make some more. I am making 20 more (some are half made) to sell in the shop and, as before, I hope that women will award them to a friend who is having a hard time or give themselves a medal and a pat on the back. 

Women don't often get awarded a medal for gallantry on the field of battle but they are heroes in a different way. So why not give yourself or someone you admire a medal to say,'Well done.' 

Thursday 21 April 2016

In the shop now

Tanya Williamson has just brought in more of her stunning cushions - from £28 to £48
Karen Boller's felt brooches. £9.50 each
Handmade Happiness stocks Kate Hackett's ceramics
Painted and embroidered picture of the South Downs by Sheila Barrow. More in the shop
 Just a few of the handmade gifts currently available in the Handmade Happiness shop in Petersfield. I have just set up a board called In the Shop Now on Pinterest. To see the board and all my pins visit www.pinterest.com/jennystacy17 

I also intend puting pictures on Instagram and I've started a DIY website. Will let you know if either ever see the light of day. Is it me or does everyone find doing these things daunting? But so many people ask me why I'm not on Instagram/ Twitter/ a website/Facebook. It's no good I just have to bite the bullet and do it!!!

Don't forget you can order anything you see by ringing the shop on 01730 267711

Monday 18 April 2016

A Birthday Post

Knitted bunting by Sue Inglis and fuschia pink tissue flowers
Kate Box's patchwork tea cosy
Peonies from my garden last May
Pretty fabrics for making clothes for babies
 Yesterday I celebrated a birthday with my family, including new baby Ruby and her adorable bigger baby sister. We all met up in Tring where my youngest has just moved to.

 Tring, near Berkhamsted, boasts the most incredible 'Zoological Museum.' It is full of stuffed animals in glass cases. You walk through tigers, bears and lions, even a polar bear and a rhinoceros all preserved. The owner of a team of zebra even used to harness them to pull his carriage- what a sight that must have been. I look forward to visiting this amazing collection again. What a resource it is for writers needing to describe animals or insects close up.

It reminded me of a quaint museum at Arundel which used to house stuffed cats, rabbits and squirrels all dressed up re-enacting nursery rhymes and songs like 'Who killed cock robin?' Does anyone else remember it? It must have closed down 20 or more years ago.

Looking back over the past year I pulled out a few pictures I like. I feel very lucky to have my shop, Handmade Happiness, which approaches its 5th birthday and to have wonderful friends and family that mean so much to me. I hope that as you read this you also feel happy and blessed!


Wednesday 13 April 2016

Cup cake skirts and vintage bunting

The dolls line up in the Handmade Happiness window
Red Liberty print paper doll by Jenny Stacy
Bunting for a food van from my old fabrics
Pretty vintage style fabrics 
Blurred picture showing how the paper dolls look in the window!
I've been busy making and I had such fun showing off a different use for the cup cake cases from Meri Meri I have for sale. Children would love to make these paper dolls.

 The thing to avoid with children is using the brass paper clips I've joined them with. These are very sharp but a skilful mum could cut out the dolls so they all joined hands without fastenings. Use white card not paper and children (and women) will enjoy painting on the faces and shoes like I did.

I also made two lengths of 'shabby chic' bunting for a food van and think the result is very pretty. My daughter has plenty of  bunting for her wedding lent by friends. My next focus is a wedding card order from someone who just asked for 'the most beautiful card'. Let's hope she likes it! Think I'll make a few alternative cards and I can put the rest for sale in the shop.

Saturday 9 April 2016

Statement necklaces

Roses on the mantlepiece
I bumped into an old friend the other day. A long time ago, when I lived in Chichester, Jayne used to help me make necklaces when I had a big order on. She reminded me of life then. We'd sit at my dining-room table, and I remember us gluing tiny pictures onto beads. I had an agent then and it was mostly necklaces made at that table.

It's been a long time since I made what I used to call 'statement' necklaces. I made them for companies that would give me fabric swatches to match colours and patterns for the next season and I also had a cabinet in Pallant House Gallery. Many of the beads I made myself and I painted wooden beads so the resulting necklaces were highly individual.

Then this same agent got me a big order to make quirky childrens' jewellery and I seem to have left the womens' necklaces behind and haven't really gone back to them. However I want to go back to making statement necklaces now. They would be fun to have in the shop. I'll keep you posted. Today I'm finishing off a bunting order and starting on a wedding card order. What are you doing? I hope you enjoy your day.

Sunday 3 April 2016

Making peonies

The first attempt. White crepe paper peony hanging from kitchen clothes airer
 My youngest is marrying in July and she wants me to make paper peonies to hang from the beams of the pub where the reception will be held.

So I looked at the pictures on Pinterest and bought lots of white crepe paper. I painted some of it pale pink with watercolour for the centres. I happened to have some big wood beads which I thought would make good centres so I tied a length of cord to these and glued the pink crepe round them and wrapped a few short layers round them too. Then I cut a petal shape with a wide base in several sizes from the crepe and individually glued these to the centre, overlapping as I went.

This is the result and although it's far from perfect, looking to me more like a gardenia or a camellia I'm moderately pleased with it. The surprise is that one peony takes up one whole pack of crepe paper. If the next ones look better (more petals needed I think) I'll show you the results in a future post. Now housework time (see how I delay it by writing another blog post....)

Friday 1 April 2016

Liberty inspiration in Handmade Happiness

Liberty corner in Handmade Happiness
100 Liberty cup cake cases for £6 and gold scallop tape for £4 in Handmade Happiness
Pretty paper bags with stickers £8 for 10 next to two of Sue Inglis' sheep £6-50 each 
Gold glitter stickers £5 for 10 sheets, another Liberty bag and Niloo's beautiful porcelain and wood creation £39
Meri Meri's congratulations banner in gold glitter £9 now available in the shop 
10 sheets of Liberty alphabet stickers for £7.50 and pretty crown party hats - 8 for 10.75
 When I was in Liberty I was impressed with a display of new products created by Meri Meri using Liberty prints. I asked if Handmade Happiness could be a stockist for these products and, as you can see, the answer is 'yes'.

The designs I have chosen for the shop are mostly about packaging. My idea is that all the lovely handmade gifts deserve very special gift wrapping and one of these bags, perhaps with gold glitter initials of the person it's for on it would look lovely. The gold scallop tape makes a tissue paper wrapped gift extra special and would be useful in card making, decorating an envelope or embellishing a gift bag.

I already bought the 'congratulations' gold glitter banner for my daughter's wedding and it would look good on so many occasions - passing a driving test or exams, a wedding anniversary or birthday, or a job promotion. I can see it being used and re-used by any family.

I gave the cup cake papers to other daughter who loves baking but they too can be used creatively in collage or to make paper flowers with, even as skirts for paper dolls...

Come in and check out the range of products I've bought for the shop and I hope you'll be as impressed as I was when I saw them in Liberty in London.