Bright thoughts on a misty morning

Low mist over Petersfield Lake. Picture taken yesterday at lunchtime.

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to aim for 10,000 steps a day ie. to fit in more excercise. So yesterday I walked round Petersfield Lake and I aim to do that every day. Just walking in the fresh air is uplifting.

This is one of my favourite times of the year. In spite of the cold and damp, everyone gets the chance of a fresh start as the page of one year is turned onto the page of a new year. 

Although I'm not opening the shop again until Saturday January 7th I'll be popping in and out and if you want to visit before then just text or email me and we'll arrange it.

Merry Christmas to you!

My two year old grandaughter made this card. (It will never be thrown away!)

Handmade card by friend Amy.

Graphic designer and textile artist Carol Smith made this card.

                                                                    A very pretty card from daughter Sophie.
A lot of people say Merry Christmas like I'm doing right now, online. 
But there's nothing to beat that thud of cards on the mat. The pretty stamp, the personal greeting and a nice card to add to the others on the mantlepiece or piano.
In Handmade Happiness there are handmade Christmas cards from £1.95 up to £4.50. People are willing to spend more on a card for that special person in their lives. But more will send a general greeting through Facebook, text, Instagram or blog. Maybe sending cards will gradually die out but I hope not
Wishing you the best Christmas ever  x 

Bee Mellor's bird decorations

Fun needlefelted and machine embroidered birds made by Bee Mellor

Great for any time of the year but right now Bee Mellor's birds can be hung on the tree.

Sometimes handmade items come into the shop that I have a strong feeling about. I love these birds. They are highly collectable and the sort of thing that will be treasured for a long, long time. 

More of Bee Mellor's bird decorations

Two of Bee Mellor's gorgeous bird decorations made with velvet, silk and felt.

Let's talk about it

Flowers from my mother's funeral 

 Today I went to the funeral of a close friend. She had a big personality and very definite views on life.  We could talk on the telephone for hours and she never bored me. She was one of those 'seekers after truth' always curious, always willing to discuss and share what she had found out.

Today I saw that the church was full. She had lots of friends.... and a taste for Macedonian folk music (played at her funeral) that I had never suspected. Although she could be blunt, she was extremely generous. Like my mother, she expressed her love through the gifts she gave.

I appreciate her more now that she's gone. She collected beautiful things and her house was magazine perfect. Her taste inspires mine. I'd like to talk to her again on the telephone but I can't. She's gone.

We've all got to go one day. I wish we could talk about death more.It's one of those subjects like 'sex, religion and politics' that is never discussed. We pretend it's not going to happen to us, but it is. I've listened to a very good programme called 'Let's talk about death' led by Joan Bakewell on Radio 4. She takes an unflinching look at exactly what happens to us in the lead up to our deaths and listening to doctors, district nurses and the bereaved talk about it is not half as depressing as you may think.

Lots of fairies

I bought this fine material in France. The trim belonged to a friend's mother. Fairy made by Jenny Stacy 

This one makes me think of The Nutcracker. Fairy by Jenny Stacy

An over-dressed fairy with a generous mouth! Fairy by Jenny Stacy

A big hair Madame Pompadour fairy by Jenny Stacy

Twirling fairy by Jenny Stacy

Fairies on the sparkly tree in Handmade Happiness

Ceramic robin by Kate Hackett and embroidered decoration by Bee Mellor

I had a big change around in the shop yesterday and now it looks simplified.

I'm showing you fairies today as that's what I've been making (and will continue making) this week. 

It's funny how attached you get to the things you make. Yesterday someone was considering using one of my dolls as a doorstop and I felt quite worried that poor Bessie was going to spend years being bashed every time someone opened that door. We talked about alternatives and luckily Bessie is still waiting to go to a good home!!

By the way I've put some pictures on Instagram but failed to install the widget on the blog. If you want to look anyway it's jenny_handmade_happiness

As there's no history on my new phone could anyone that regularly texts please text to say Hi from (name here) so I have their details? Thanks.

Hello and welcome to Russian readers! This week the blog has many visitors from there.

All these things cost between £5 and £10

Baby bootees by Patricia £9.50; Fairy by Jenny £9.50 and lavender bag by Brenda Tilbury £4.95

Three felt brooches made by Karen Boller £9.50 each

Doll's dress £6 and matching pants £6 made by Lindy Groom

Trousers for teddy made by Lindy Groom £6

Vases and porcelain small bowl all made by Niloo £9.50 each

Using old fabrics, tree by Sarah Pinney £9.50 and lavender filled heart by Jenny £6.50

Just a few of the things you can buy at Handmade Happiness this Christmas for under £10. There are also cats, mice, penguins, and sheep in Santa hats made by Sue Inglis and all the things featured in the previous post. 

Next time I'll show you what Handmade Happiness has for a budget of between £10 and £20. A lot, is the answer to that!

I have recently caved in to family pressure and upgraded my phone. I can now do Instagram which seems like fun. I'll add a link to the blog when I've put on some photos.

Xmas cards and crackers

Christmas cards by Ellie Mason

Painted collage card by Jenny Stacy

Painted collage card by Jenny Stacy

Painted collage card by Jenny Stacy

Painted collage card by Jenny Stacy and hand marbled gift tags £1 each

Ellie Mason design cards are now available at Handmade Happiness and yesterday Niloo delivered Christmas cards showing her porcelain Christmas decorations. Niloo's delicate porcelain trees, baubles and star decorations are selling fast.

See above how I used some of that marbled paper I made earlier in the year! I love making cards but they are the least cost effective things to make as I've found that if you charge much more than £2.50 for a card it just doesn't sell. (I did once see a painted card in Fortnum and Masons for £100 but I don't know if it actually sold or not!)

I've still got lots of marbled papers left and I'm planning to make some crackers with it. 

If you're thinking of making crackers one idea is to buy a pack of cheap crackers from the pound shop and retrieve the banger, paper hat, maybe even the joke to add to your own crackers. Then all you need do is to put a nice gift inside your cracker (eg. Lindt tiny chocolate bear?) 

As you will guess any crackers I make will be for the family, not for sale. 

Today I need to focus on making more fairies for the shop. Yesterday a lovely family over from Germany bought all five of the fairies I had made so today I'll be at my desk sewing up layers of tiny fairy skirts! 

All these things cost less than £5 !

Porcelain decorations by Niloo.  Tree £4; round decoration £3 and star £2

Ceramic decorations by Kate Hackett. Dove £2; Angel £3 and robin £3. Robin jug £18

Decorations by Samantha Robertson all £3 and £3.50

Christmas cards and Christmas gift boxes all by Sue Inglis. All £4.50 each

100% beeswax candle bear and hive, made by Elizabeth Eveleigh £4.50 each. Bird decoration by Carol Smith £4.50

As promised, here is a wide selection of things you can buy in Handmade Happiness and still have change from £5. And there is a wide assortment of cards priced from £1.95 as well.

Next time I'll picture what you can buy for between £5 and £10.

By the way I'm opening on Monday morning from 9.30am until 12.30pm, just because it's December.

Shop windows - Fortnum and Masons

Christmas window showing all male Swan Lake

Fortnum and Mason's windows 

 To put you in the Christmas mood I thought I'd show these pictures I took about 5 years ago of Fortnum and Mason's windows. The Swan Lake theme celebrates Matthew Bourne's all male ballet production. 

The other reason you are being shown old photos is because although I took lots of photos in the shop today I stupidly left my camera on the counter...tomorrow I'll share them!