New in Handmade Happiness

Pam Dew's latest colourful quilt £160

Sue Inglis has hand-printed these gift wraps for Handmade Happiness

The gift wrap matches Sue Inglis' hand knitted animals from £5-95 each.

Love this delicate wren painting by Jill Poole, whose cards are also for sale in Handmade Happiness

August is a funny month to be working. It feels like everyone else is on holiday. Ramblers come in with their rucksacks, eager children and their parents, lots of visitors' with accents I can't identify. It makes me yearn to travel. 

So when someone phoned the shop yesterday asking if I would consider selling it as he had clients who were interested in buying it I said, half- jokingly that if the offer was in millions, yes, I would be interested. If he had phoned any other month of the year I would have said a definite 'No'.

I'm working on some jewellery. I had this idea that since everyone loves Frank Higgins' handmade kaleidoscopes I would use them as a source of inspiration. Looking through them and seeing the ever changing play of coloured glass and pattern is good inspiration for jewellery design. Towards Christmas I plan to display the kaleidoscopes and the jewellery they've inspired together. Watch this space!

If you are on holiday this month I hope you are having a wonderful time.

Making it all make sense

Ranunculli pictured in Paris last April

I like this picture, also taken in April

Same time, same place. Are these kumquats and have I spelled that right?

For me the best sorts of conversations are when we try to make life make sense by comparing our ideas with other peoples' ideas.

 How should we live our lives to make it all make sense? Everyone you talk to will have their own opinions. Is it about finding what works best through our own experiences and conversations  and/or should we be reading as much as we can of other peoples' ideas in order to improve our own understanding? Many people haven't got time in their busy lives to read much.

I'm reading two books right now,one modern and one old that are making me think a lot. The modern one is called, 'The Chimp Paradox' by Dr Steve Peters whose idea is that we have three parts to our brains - the chimp, who responds emotionally to situations and represents our basic ie. unsophisticated self; the human who uses logic and intelligence to respond and the computer which is the memory and experience resource both chimp and human use. Dr Peters argues that it is only by learning to make these three selves co-operate with each other that we can become the person we really want to be.

The other book is the sort of thing you have to read at school: Voltaire's 'Candide' . A book I would not have picked up unless someone had recommended it to me. But actually it's really interesting as it's about the travels of Candide, an innocent, good person and the people he meets who represent every sort of human weakness and evil you can imagine and of how he struggles to make sense of it all.

Just a quick reminder that Handmade Happiness will not be open on Tuesdays during the month of August.

New Brooches and Pendants

Exquisite square embroidered brooch by Bee Mellor

Heart brooch by Bee Mellor and Jenny Stacy

Embroidered pendant on silk ribbon by  Bee Mellor

Dyed velvet heart brooch £15 by Bee Mellor and Jenny Stacy

Heart pendant by Bee Mellor and Jenny Stacy £19-50

Silk sunspec case by Bee Mellor £19-50

Silk sunspec case by Bee Mellor £19-50

Yesterday a parcel of wonderful jewellery came from Bee Mellor. This is early days for our joint venture. I make felt and needlefelted pieces and Bee adds stitching to them and makes them into  brooches and pendants. Looking at them now I realise they are underpriced but nearer Christmas the prices will go up. There are 20 new pieces so come to the shop to see the full range.

Yesterday Ali Cooper brought in new ceramic mugs and bowls and Penelope Utting brought in lots of bunting lengths, some in cotton fabrics, some in crocheted wool. Beautifully made. Pictures to come.

After a lot of thought I've decided not to open on Tuesdays during the month of August - starting next week. I'm not going away anywhere, it would just be nice to have an extra day off. I'm also aware that during November and December I would ideally like to be open 7 days a week so it all balances out. In August Handmade Happiness will be closed on Tuesdays. Ok? 

Shopkeeping, making and missing...

Covering a mannequin - unfinished

Flowery mannequin by Jenny Stacy, ready for a necklace in the shop...

...like this one by Bee Mellor and Jenny Stacy £25 seen against a grey linen dress by Pam Dew size 12-14 £75

Can you guess who these are for?

The electric fan is going non-stop in the shop at the moment. It's not buying weather and the browsers that come in are mostly too hot to be able to make buying decisions. So I'm making...

 Yesterday I made long strips of needlefelt for womens' medal brooches. For the quiet heroines that stay at home and bring up the babies. For women that worry about their men away at sea or fighting in a far-off war.  And most of all for those women that shelter in a United Nations place of safety with their children and still get bombed...

I found these soft toys in an old suitcase. They used to belong to baby Juno's mother and now she can play with them. They are going for an adventure in a washing machine first!
Do you know I can't stop thinking about her? This tiny mewling baby. I want to be with her more often. I'm thinking about getting some part-time help in the shop so I can spend more time in London.  Enjoy your weekend and hopefully I'll see some of you in Handmade Happiness today. 

Just to let you know...

                                               Buttons by Jenny Stacy. (This is a reminder to self to make more!)



...that tomorrow Wednesday July 23rd I won't be in Handmade Happiness.
The shop will be closed for the day but if you need to buy something please ask Tara next door to help you. Or better still please visit today Tuesday or any day other than tomorrow! I will be with my daughter and baby Juno tomorrow. Can't wait to see them again!

New in Handmade Happiness now

Ruth Ellacott's rag rug £69. 

Rag rug made by Ruth Ellacott £69

Gold decorated wren painted by Jill Poole

Pug dog cushion by Tanya Williamson

Bird cushion by Tanya Williamson

Poppy seed heads by Tanya Williamson

Boxer dog cushion and moth cushion both made by Tanya Williamson

A Shop of One's Own - nearly three years on

In October Handmade Happiness will be three years old. The shop currently sells the work of 35 designer/makers, 90% of them living near to the shop. The work is selected on the basis of originality, good design and good workmanship.

After a spare, minimalist look three years ago the shop is now full of beautiful objects. Most items are useful as well as beautiful.

This week there are two new rag rugs made by Ruth Ellacott, and six new applique cushions by Tanya Williamson (of a boxer dog, a kingfisher, two of garden birds, a butterfly and a pug dog).

I often wonder why the individuals whose work sells in Handmade Happiness aren't famous. If we lived in a true meritocracy they would be. Many makers hold down full time jobs and squeeze sewing time, pot throwing time or wood turning time into their evenings and weekends. Few people can afford to do what they love all of the time. The money is too erratic. But that doesn't detract from the great talent they possess which they must express in any time available to them.

The joy of having 'a shop of one's own' (apologies Virginia Woolf) is the people. The people that wander in for a look around and enjoy looking at all the wonderful handmade objects. The kaleidoscopes by Frank Higgins or the velvet cushion art by Penny Seume often trigger some great conversations. For me every day is a social event!

I also love changing the window and re-arranging the shop, making the carrier bags and small bags from customers' old magazines and making something nice to sell in the shop, although recently my making time is all about knitting and sewing for my new grandchild.

On the downside the shop isn't in a great position. If it was in the High Street I would get a lot more customers. However once someone has found Handmade Happiness and likes it they tend to return. And maybe the fact that it is not in the High Street gives it that slight air of mystery and secrecy that people like. It's their own discovery. 

New cushion and cards

Tanya Williamson's mackerel cushion. 

Ali Cooper's new square cards with porcelain heart. £4-50 each.

Card by Ali Cooper

Another card design by Ali Cooper.

Card by Ali Cooper.

Handmade Happiness is very lucky to have such talented makers. I love Tanya Williamson's fish cushion - cleverly she's used just a hint of silvery fabric in it to suggest fish scales. And I also love these cards made by Ali Cooper that she brought in on Saturday. Ali makes the popular gold and white porcelain mugs and jugs. These cards are something new and they are ideal for a wedding, christening, new baby or special birthday card.

Handmade Happiness is normally the shop that never closes. If I have to nip out Tara next door keeps an eye out for customers for me. But today I plan to close at 1.30pm so I can have a worthwhile amount of time with new baby Juno in London. Apologies if you had planned to visit this afternoon. I'll be in the shop from 10 to 2 today and then business as usual from tomorrow.

New ceramics from Kate Hackett

Hearts inspired by vintage fabrics by Kate Hackett. £3 each at Handmade Happiness

New poppy design mugs, jugs and plates by Kate Hackett

New strawberry design jugs, mugs and plates by Kate Hackett

Kate Hackett visited Handmade Happiness on Thursday with these pretty new designs. 

Kate, who regularly sells at the Country Living magazine shows in London, makes everything herself from scratch. She is a craftsman in that she expertly throws the clay to make her pots and she is an artist in that she also has the skill to painstakingly decorate them. Kate's mugs are £16 and her jugs and plates are £18.  

Tomorrow I'll show you more new stock at Handmade Happiness that came in on Saturday.

It's a Baby Girl!

Cross-over cardigan that ties at the back.

Tiny orange cardi. Patterns by Erica Knight.

That cardi and matching bootees

Cotton hat knitted just in case baby was a girl!

 I am delighted to announce that my first grandchild - Juno Rose was born last night in London to my lovely daughter Amy and her husband Jesse.

I knitted these things before knowing whether baby would be a boy or a girl. All the patterns can be found in Erika Knight's book, ' Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.'  

Fun bird brooches

Bird brooch £9.50 by Jenny Stacy

Legless bird brooch £9-50 by Jenny Stacy

Running bird brooch £9-50 by Jenny Stacy

Long-legged bird brooch £9-50 by Jenny Stacy

As you can see I'm not a photographer. I never change the settings on my camera so everything looks too light but the photos give you a vague idea... I first made these elastic legs years ago for chicken necklaces and bracelets that were made of painted wood. I was inspired by a childrens' jewellery brand called Sevi that made brightly coloured wood jewellery. 

It rained a few times yesterday so it was quiet in the shop and I was able to make. I did some landscape pieces, very richly coloured and knobbly. Tara, my shop neighbour can see them as the front of cushions with velvet round them. I am wondering if one of them would look ok in a box frame. Will experiment more today.

On Saturday Tanya Williamson brought in more of her applique cushions. One of them sold immediately - of an Indian runner duck so I can't show you that one. I also put in the window her badger cushion, which also sold on Saturday and her new fish cushion which is beautifully depicted and would make an ideal gift for the fisherman in the family. Photo to come.

Yesterday Paul Soden came in with more of his photographs of local wildlife that Handmade Happiness sells as cards. Now we have deer, a visiting muscovy duck and more owls. Scroll down to see more of Paul's cards.

Knitting baby a blanket and making fun bird brooches

Knitting in strips made this easy and interesting to make.

Fun bird brooch by Jenny Stacy

I wanted to knit a baby blanket but I didn't want to have hundreds of stitches on the needle which would be boring to knit. So I thought that if I knit it in strips I would also be able to try out some of the different stitches in my book. Lace knitting, knobbly knitting and rib stitches. When I got bored of a stitch I changed to another and somehow the blanket looks quite good!

In case you want to try it I cast on just over 20 stitches per strip, to suit the stitch and I used Jacobs wool (from a sheep at the nearby village of Froxfield)  hand spun by Sue Flux that is sold in the shop.

For a bit of fun I've been making bird brooches in the shop. Six are on sale for £9-50 each and six more will hopefully be completed today. They're different styles and colours and will improve/ change radically? with practice.

Yesterday I had accupuncture for the first time. Have you ever had it? Thin needles were inserted in my feet, ankle and hands and then twiddled occasionally. The sensation was not painful or unpleasant. Only when the needle in my right hand was touched did I feel a shooting sensation like an electric shock. I look forward to seeing whether this first session has an effect. Hopefully it will lessen the pain I've been getting from sciatica since mid-March when I hurt my back in an exercise class. Anyone reading this who has sciatica has my sympathy. I'm trusting that it will disappear, never to return any day now!
Enjoy your weekend!

Paul Soden and his amazing nature photographs

Hares boxing. Photograph by Paul Soden

The partridge family. Photograph by Paul Soden.

Pheasant close up. Photograph by Paul Soden

A barn owl photographed by Paul Soden.

 Paul Soden is a patient man and he takes a brilliant photograph! These photographs, which are sold as cards in Handmade Happiness for £2-50 each, represent hours and hours of waiting patiently for exactly the right moment to click the camera. Like an angler spending all day waiting for the right fish, Paul will wait all day, hoping for one chance of a  good photograph.

One of the many things I like about working in Handmade Happiness is the serendipity of who will come through the door next. Paul Soden had been recommended to visit and I was blown away by his photographs. I was reminded of the Sunday Times annual photographic competition, thinking that surely these photographs had won awards. But actually Paul Soden hasn't entered any competitions. Until now he has taken photographs purely for his own pleasure. He is one of the many unsung heroes that Handmade Happiness is full of. So many gifted people in this area ... so much natural beauty. Look at the photos. They were all taken locally.