Crafted by the storm

Storm Island is brought to you by Sara Pike and specialises in individual, handcrafted items.

Inspired by the powers of nature, and created using natural materials you can find handmade cards, jewellery and much more at Storm Island. The latest creations are these handmade paper cards, with a 'Journey of Discovery' theme. They have been left blank for any occassion, there are 5 different designs and each card is unique in its own way.

You can buy a selection of Storm Island items on the website http://www.storm-island.com/

More items are still to be added to the online shop, so visit often to find your 'little piece of nature'.

For comissions, please contact Sara via the website.

Snapdragon Beads - Beaded Adornment

Alice Elizabeth Still has been making jewellery for 16 years, despite wanting to go to Art College Alice ended up with degrees in Mathematics and Engineering. However she is now packing in her day job in the heady world of corporate IT to concentrate on her two passions, her little girl Amelia and beading.

Snapdragon beads has an array of beautiful jewellery, Alice's particular area of interest is off loom beadweaving. Alice describes her design process as "very much organic at times, I love selecting colours and finishes, especially ones that you wouldn't immediately put together"

To find out more about Snapdragon Beads and for details on craft fairs that Alice will be attending in Ireland and England visit the website http://www.snapdragonbeads.com/

To buy online visit http://www.snapdragonbeads.etsy.com/ or http://www.snapdragonbeads.folksy.com/

Linda Boucher

Self taught painter Linda Boucher generally paints oil on canvas, and is best known for her paintings of red shoes and glamorous women. Linda taught her self to paint whilst simultaneously selling her work and found it a thrilling experience, however she soon felt that there was a pressure to produce the kind of work that is popular and found that it often stunted her experimental creating.

Linda then discovered Etsy and ACEOS (Artist Cards, Editions and Originals- which are always 2.5”x3.5”). She says "My paintings are big, and these are so small, that they’ve pushed me to think of new ways to present my ideas". Linda is having fun working in this way and is getting used to thinking small and is excited to be working this format and to seeing where it takes her.

You can view lots of Linda's work on her main website http://www.lindaboucher.com/, on her etsy shop http://www.lindaboucher.etsy.com/ and at http://www.lindaboucher.tumblr.com/, and her work is available to buy internationally too!

Quixotic Cards

Elaine Hughes of Quixotic Cards is a fabulous designer of handmade whimsical, speciality and luxury greetings cards.

You can read a little more about Quixotic Cards and get in contact via the website http://www.quixoticmiss.com/and you can buy online at http://www.quixoticmiss.etsy.com/

Quixotic Cards also has a uniue range of cards for dog lovers, featuring sophisticated imagery of dogs in monochrome with splashes of red, these cards have a very elegant feel to them.

Elaine also has a blog where she talks about a bit of everything, including her book addiction! Check it out - http://blog.quixoticmiss.com/

Although Quixoic Cards is UK based Elaine ships all these gorgeous cards worldwide.

Paper Cards from Bluecricket Co.

Lindsey Bird runs The Bluecricket Co. designing and handmaking greetings cards for all occassions. Using pencils, crayons, paint and inks to create these beatiful cards, with a little help from her daughter too!


Being a creative being Lindsey doesn't like to be bored and doesn't like things to take too long, and loves her Trollbeads!


All Bluecricket Co. items can be purchased online in Lindsey's Etsy shop.



http://www.bluecricket.etsy.com/

Leigh Shepherd Designs

Leigh Shepherd a designer and maker based in Haworth, West Yorkshire makes thes beautiful pendents using vintage tiles and counters.

Her current ranges include Mah Jong tiles and wooden Scrabble tiles. Leigh says "When I first began making these pieces I wanted them to be a complete gift or treat so I made little keepsake tins and pots to present the jewellery in ...

... I am passionate about handmade items, I would really like to see the craft / handmade movement become as popular here (in the UK) as it has in the States and it's great blogs and sites such as this that will help that happen! I also have a fasination for upcycling and repurposing, taking a found object and transforming it intosomething different and more valuable. That is what I hope to have achieved with my jewellery."

All of Leigh's beautiful designs can be purchased nationally and internationally online at http://www.leighshepherddesigns.etsy.com/ and at http://www.leighshepherddesigns.com/

MONTHLY GIVE AWAY?

Thinking of starting a monthly give away/competition - what do you all think!? I'd love to hear all your ideas!

Pets, Paws and Paint

Tara from RossellaJayne is a mixed media artist and loves to design collages and dimensional pieces with recycled bits and pieces.

Over the next 2 weeks Tara will be adding pieces to her Esty store (TaraVictoria's Shop) under a new section "Pets, Paws & Paint". An amazing 20% of the proceeds of these pieces will go to one of the larger ASPCA shelters in NJ (where one of her dogs came from)... Tara is very excited about this new endevour, and I would like to wish her the best of luck, I hope you all check out her Etsy store and support Tara!

All Items can be purchased in Tara's Etsy shop and you can read more about RossellaJayne on their website, http://www.rossellajayne.com/

What goes around, comes around - the rambling path of a recycler

Sue Harris
Blue Box Studio

Blue Box Studio is a treasure trove of findings from the shore. Sue designs and makes jewellery using sterling silver and sea glass, mainly collected from beaches around the beautiful south west coast line of England and occassionally from abroard.

When Sue isn't busy making jewellery she is busy creating stunning silk and velvet scarves using shibori, devoré, batik and other printing techniques.

If this looks like something you would like to have a go at then you've come to the right place, Sue runs shibori dyeing workshops and sells a range of shibori dyeing scarf kits (make your own masterpiece in the mircrowave!) As well as selling loose sea glass for collectors or jewellery makers that might not live near the sea!

Sues Story . . .
What goes around, comes around. My mum gave me my first sewing machine at the age of 5. A little blue toy that made daisy chain stitching. She then showed me how to make patterns from paper; so I cut up my bed sheets to make a dress. I wasn't too popular that day but she did then realise that a little toy machine wasn't going to hold my attention for long. She let me loose with her sewing machine. I sewed anything and everything. Sewing lessons in school didn't amuse me. I've worked my way through spinning and weaving local fleeces to make cloth to sew, machine knitting, kumihimo - a love of silk threads left over from a friends weaving, onto making jewellery from the silk braids, then just making the jewellery from silver, before discovering sea glass .... The scarves started out as a bit of fun and light relief but soon became equal partners with the jewellery and now I make lots of things with fabrics that catch my eye using a sewing machine. I've not cut up any sheets recently, but looking out of my window, the curtains catch my eye ... watch this space!

You can buy all of Sue's fabulous work online - http://www.blueboxstudio.co.uk/
http://www.blueboxstudio.etsy.com

Critters, Cupcakes and . . . Clarabell the Cow!?

Claire Fearnley
FeltLikeStitchin

Claire Fearnley from FeltLikeStitchin creates these very fun hand stitched DiDi Dolls

There are so many choose from she make monsters and animals and even celebrities!

Claire says "My Mr Potato Head DiDi Dolls are unique felt versions of my favourite childhood toy. Each one I make is different because I like to randomly plonk the features on the face - just like when I was a kid! . . .

. . . This is Squiffi the Beer Monster he is one for the guys (and a few of us girls lol!) Every time I look at him his swirly eyes make me laugh"

Its the Russian Dolls (pictured at the top) that are my favourite item, and the classiest item in Claire's shop. The smallest one is only 1.75" tall and ever so sweet.

Claire would like to inform you all that - Elvis lives in her shop, along with Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin! These just have to been seen, head over to her website or Etsy store to get yours now, these little DiDi Dolls are international jet setters and will happily be shipped worldwide!

http://feltlikestitchin.etsy.com/

http://feltlikestitchin.co.uk

Who's Bead Mad?

Ruth Campbell of The Handmade Jewellery Shop

"I make beautiful bead necklaces using a wide range of beads sourced from around the world. Each necklace is unqiue except the gorgeous little Swarovski crystal single strands and even these can be ordered in any length or mix of shades you desire.

A few years ago traditional bead necklaces (cloisonne, wedding cake, millefiori, porcelain to name a few) were considered rather old fashioned, now people have woken up to the enormous possibilities of good old "beads". Every colour you can think off and so many shapes, sizes and designs. Sparkling crystals, semi-precious gem stones, painted wood, faceted glass, pretty satin ribbon ties and so much more.

I have 2 online shops listing over 600 bead necklaces (yes all made by me!) for you to browse and perhaps buy. They are all in stock for despatch within 1 working day from receipt of cleared payment .... and should you wish to treat someone else but are not quite sure which they would like, just buy a pretty gift voucher and let the lucky lady choose herself. Or why not be a little crafty, set up your own wish list in my store and email it to family and friends so you know the next birthday present will be great, not another fluffy pink hotwater bottle cover!

Bead mad? I'm not bead mad ... well only a little perhaps - why not come and join me in my "bead mad" shop, you would be most welcome"

http://www.the-handmade-jewellery-shop.com

Charming and Pretty

I am really happy to be featuring Rachel Hunt who runs Charming and Pretty because she has a love of recycling and turning "junk" into "jewellery" I love it! The jigsaw jewellery is quirky, funky and fun, at affordable prices too.

Rachael is a stay at home mum to 2 children and discovered by accident that jigsaws with missing pieces aren't destined for the bin, they are destined to be worn with love. Rachael says "Daytime TV is rubbish! So my fingers and brain keep busy by creating items to sell or as gifts"

You can find all Rachael's recycled goods available to buy worldwide in her Etsy store. If, however, you can't find what you are looking for, just send her an email and she will see what she can do for you, you can't get much better customer service than that! With reasonable worldwide rates and post within 3 days of purchase, all items are wrapped with care in tissue paper and then a jiffy envelope.

For Fantastic handmade gifts visit http://www.rachaelhunt.etsy.com or http://www.charmingandpretty.com/

Craft for a Cause

The first ever feature of Partners in Crime goes to Kerry Wilkinson of PennyDog Jewellery - and what a fab first feature it is! Not only does Kerry create gorgeous jewellery she donates £1 for every item sold to the Retired Greyhound Trust - view more about this here http://pressroom.prlog.org/pennydog/

Kerry makes beautifully crafted resin jewellery, there are currently 5 collections to choose from in her online shop - Retro, Treasure, Sweetheart, Shore and Nature. There is something for everyone here. You can shop in £'s at http://www.penny-dog.co.uk/ and in US Dollars on Etsy http://www.pennydogaccessories.etsy.com/

But Kerry isn't stopping there, she is now venturing into felt, acrylic and aluminium work, you will be able to see these new creations later in the year.

Kerry also features the work of others on her blog - http://www.pennydog.wordpress.com/

I recommend you head over to her website now, there's lots to see and buy!

CRIMINALS COMING SOON!

We have a whole host of crafting crims lined and waiting to be featured!
We have had an overwhelming response and I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has shown a such a keen interest in this, and for taking part, this wouldn't work without you all!
Keep coming back to see some of the best things in the handmade world . . .