Gingerbread Men for Theo Paphitis

I've been working on these little fella's for quite sometime, I wanted to make a little thankyou gift for Theo. It took me a while to decide what I would send and couldn't resist giving my Gingerbread men Theo style spectacles. Dont they look cute?

The glasses were made from jewellery wire, what do you think is there a likeness?? ;)

Theo received them yesterday and took them home to show his family and said he would be putting them on his tree. *Squeels* My gingerbread men are on Theo Paphitis' Christmas tree :D

 That has made my Christmas, I've had such a fantastic year, I never dreamed I'd take Bagladee this far. I've enjoyed every moment and its been so exciting. I really cant wait to see what 2012 has instore for me.

Merry Christmas Theo I hope these little fella's make you smile :D

Merry Christmas...

We've had a lazy morning of watching Santa Claus the Movie and eating croissants with orange juice and coffee. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas before the chaos starts :D

Lots to do this afternoon, no more crafting however that was all finished yesterday. Still presents to wrap and chores to be done, however they seem more fun and less chore like today.We have Christmas music on and the mulled wine will be making an appearance later on. Then it will be time to get ready to go out for a meal with C's family.

I don't know about you but I'm really looking forward to spending time with all the family, Christmas day with C's Mam, Dad and Grandad with lots of Turkey and trimmings and listening to C's Granddad's take on all the 'crap' TV (his words not mine) well he is 95 ;) And then we will be travelling up to my Mam and Dad's for Christmas with them just after Boxing Day. A good excuse for eating heartily and being merry, that's a little of what Christmas is about right.

Well this is me wishing you a very Merry Christmas and that you all take time to enjoy the company of your family and loved ones, they are whats most important and if you have them you have everything. And for those that cant be with us that they are here in our thoughts and hearts.

Merry Christmas,
Love
Emma xxx

Wrapping

Lots of this still to do. Recycled Christmas tags from previous years Christmas Cards look fab with a little bit of ribbon.

I'm still on making my last Christmas Gift and there is a mountain of ironing to battle through today and tomorrow. I'd like to say that I want to get it done and out of the way for Christmas but the truth is I wont have time to do it over Christmas so best get cracking. I have some mulled wine planned for this evening and maybe a Christmas film whilst I wrap presents.

Although it doesn't look very festive weather wise, at least we will all be able to visit loved ones over the Christmas period without being stranded or having to drive in hazardous conditions....something to be thankful for?

Birmingham Christmas Market

Last week we set off on the train to Birmingham Christmas Market. Previous years we have just ventured into Nottingham, but with the 'Occupy Nottingham' gang camped up in Market Square there was no ice skating rink and it was a little bit depressing to be honest :( thank you protesters! So it felt a little less Christmassy.

Walking out of the Bull Ring and up towards the Market this is the scene, isn't it soooo pretty!! It was freezing but I think that made it all the more festive.

Even the bull was all dressed up in his Christmas Jumper :D I loved this and thought, who knitted that!! It was made in sections it was so big!!

As we walked up to the Square it was packed with people, mainly drinking German Beer or the 'Hot Wine' which was yummy. You had a choice of Apple, Raspberry, Cherry, or the Fire Wine. I went for a Raspberry then a Fire wine :D And then another before we left!

It was so lovely and even though some people did warn me it was a little expensive, it was all worth it. We didn't eat at the Market (which is what was expensive) but the atmosphere was lovely, there was music playing and people were bobbing around to it, the wine was warming and it was Oh so pretty with all the lights. Definitely worth the train ride......Thank you Birmingham!

Custom Christmas Gift

Another Christmas order, this time for a monogram felt cushion with the initial 'J'. I know I say this all the time about everything that I make but I really do love making these. The best part of Christmas orders is the diversity, I've pretty much made everything from my range. I've even been working on some new items which I've made for gifts but obviously I cant show those just yet. That would spoil surprises :)

I've managed to catch up on my Christmas prep, gift shopping is finished, I have one more item to make, food shopping is done.....just need to wrap gifts and RELAX!! And since today was the last day at the day job until 3rd of January, its all about getting 'me' getting back on track, organising next years tasks and goals, catching up on sleep and spending some time with C without having to lock myself away in the studio. It is my favourite place to be though :D

I fully intend on catching up on some very missed blog reading with my feet up in front of the twinkly lights on the Christmas tree.....cant wait, see you there :)

A scientific Kindle cover

Here's another custom Kindle cover that I've made recently. The brief....conical flasks....interesting.

This one was for a school friend of mine, also called Emma (ickle Em's) *waves* and I love the colours.

I am sad that almost every scrap of my lovely leathers has now been used. I am still on the never ending search to get some more. So if anyone out there knows where there are some sample books going I'd really appreciate the heads up.

I am definitely no longer scared of sewing with leather :D Cant wait to get my hands on some more to make a few more covers.

Are you all ready for Christmas??? Nope me neither, still sewing gifts, still needing to go shopping, still got presents to wrap, still dithering about it all.....need to get oneself into gear and get it all sorted!!!

Christmas Tutorials

Whilst I am frantically trying to get through the last of my orders so that I can concentrate on preparing for Christmas, I thought I'd just pop in and remind you of these 3 great tutorials to make some fun felty things for Christmas. Napkin Poinsettia rings, Star decorations and Bow decorations. Really easy to make to add a little bit of 'homemade' to your Christmas.

The festive feeling seems to have subdued this week (think that maybe due to feeling ill) but I'm hoping to kick start it again tonight by having a sherry whilst I write out my Christmas cards :D Hope you're all having fun with your Christmas prep!!

SALE now on

Time to get yourself a bargain before Christmas, for this week only I am having a sale on all cosmetic pouches and purses. There are a couple of the other bags listed as sale but you will have to go take a look to see which ones they are :D

Be quick though, there aren't many left....get yours before they are snapped up!

Happy Shopping x

Today I will be....

Here!!

I will be offering all current stock at a discount price, so if you're in the area why not pop by. I will certainly be partaking in the Mulled Wine and BBQ. Cant wait to get all festive and get the lights and Christmas tree on my stand, drink mulled wine and listen to the Brass band.....Oh yes and sell some things too :D

See you there!!!

(p.s. don't panic if you see my website is under construction, its only for today while I am at the market)

Maya Wilson Souce

Maya Wilson Source - Interior Decoration & Fabric Design

I met the lovely Maya at the Handmade in Britain Show earlier this year. I was lucky enough to be on the stand next to her which meant for 3 days I could ogle all the lovely hand printed fabrics that Maya designs and prints herself and all the lovely home accessories she makes them into.

Maya uses high quality linens for her home wares, this combined with her flair for graphic design  creates sophisticated pieces that add personality to your home. I love the colour palette in her collection, striking yet elegant. I'm a huge fan of her cushions, especially the 'Love Cats' cushion. Isn't it fab!

Whilst at the show I bought two of Maya's lavender cats, they are adorable and smell divine. They'd make fantastic gifts for Christmas....

 

Now you cant tell me that you're not tempted to go over there now and have a look!! So if I told you that Maya even has a sample sale where you can pick up a bargain too you wouldn't be rushing there now? Would you?

 If you are a twitter fan you can follow Maya using @MayaSource follow and say Hello.

Custom baby/changing bag

Will all the Christmas rush going on I am a little behind blog posts. I think if I didn't have a day job I'd have turned into a bag making recluse :D Long days at the moment and not much sleep, but the outcome is always worth it.

Last week I finished and posted this gorgeous changing/baby bag for my cousin Laura. She wanted something extra special and saw the bag I made for Nicola over at Smilernpb and wanted to know if I had some of the same fabric.

Laura wanted a bigger bag with more pockets and an adjustable strap. So with a little bit of adjustment and tight pattern placement I managed to use almost every scrap of the fabric left.

I felt a little bit daunted by the pattern as it had been almost 2 years since I'd used it last, but it didn't take long to master it all over again :)

Its a lovely size, very roomy, with a divider in the middle, lots of pockets (some for bottles and some larger ones) and co-ordinating grey lining.

I love the stripey fabric against the large flowered print.

I also made a wet bag to go inside but forgot to photograph it :( it was made from the flowered print to match the bag.

I plan at some point (when I get time) to add these to my website in a 'new' bespoke section. Those of you who have been reading my blog for sometime will remember that I used to offer a bespoke service but I chose to concentrate mainly on my collections. I am still toying with what kind of fabric I am going to use. This an upholstery weight fabric, nice and durable.

So don't be shy to shout up if you would like to commission a bag, you know me, I'd be more than happy to help :D

Joe's Gingerbread Man

How cute is this little fella???

He was made from another one of my 'make your own' Gingerbread Men kits. I sent Joe the kit for his 9th birthday and Rachel (my very lovely pal) from over at Contented helped him with the tricky bits. Didn't they do a fab job? I love his cheeky little smile :)

As photos are coming in from the made kits I am going to add a page to my blog and make a collage of them all. So if you've bought a kit, please send me a photo of your decoration so I can add it to my collage.

A thankyou gift

The very lovely Karen who very kindly gave me the gorgeous stash of leathers I have shown (about 10 times :) well I was chuffed with my gift) received this personalised iphone cover this week.

The cover is a vibrant shade of lime with two different shade of green for the letter 'K'.

I am loving working with leather and I've certainly overcome my fear of cutting and sewing leather. Working with leather allows for no mistakes but practice is all you need. Once you've got the hang of your first project your confidence will grow.

Karen was thrilled with her cover, it was the least I could do. Lots more on the list to make.....see you soon.

Hello my lovelies....

OK let me just sit down and take a deep breath in.........and out.

Whilst the dinner is in the oven and I'm sat with Gingerbread men, Houses and Angel kits on the floor in front of me (waiting to be put together) and 10 gingerbread men, 5 stuffed, 5 waiting to be stuffed I thought I'd spend some time here at my blog. Something which is becoming less and less, certainly not through choice but through necessity.

I miss being here and miss reading every ones lovely blogs but at the moment there just aren't enough hours in the day. If I thought that for one minute that all year round could be as busy as this I would most definitely be able to give up the day job and Bagladee myself til my hearts content (if that's possible).

The 'To Make' list is astronomical, normally I would be freaking out on a massive scale but surprisingly I am enjoying the buzz of taking multi tasking to the next level ;) that's how I like to think of it anyway. This week I've been making copious amounts of decorations, bless those Gingerbread mens cotton socks, who knew they would be this popular. The last time I counted I think I was at 74 completed gingers! Phew!

I have also been making a few clutch bags and a very special Changing/Baby bag for my cousin. To be honest its a while since I've used the changing bag pattern and felt a little intimidated by it when I laid it out on the fabric. As soon as I machined the first bit I was motoring my way through it. Just like riding a bike but with the exception of not falling off and grazing your knees :) See even us seasoned Bag makers can be put off by a unfamiliar pattern. The end result, it looks fab and its on its way up North in the post as I type.

Best go and dish up dinner, its been a long day and I'm starving.
See you soon....hugs x

Helen's ginger bread man

Just wanted to stop by and show you the very first finished gingerbread man kit, not made by me but by a very lovely lady called Helen Lay. She won the kit in my giveaway last month and very kindly emailed me a photo.

She also made this necklace from one of Blooming Felt's kits, isn't it pretty! Perfect gifts for Christmas. Thank you Helen, you did a fantastic job, now do you wanna come and make about 150??? Ha ha only kidding ;)

You can get your very own kit from 3 places:

My website

Blooming Felt

My Etsy Shop

I really don't mind which one you buy from as long as you do :D

Custom gingerbread peeps

As I write this I am hoping that this gang of gingerbread lovelies will have almost made it to their destination in the U.S.A.

A very lovely lady named Mary ((hello)) asked if I could make 5 custom gingerbread people decorations. 3 boys, 2 girls (that looked different to the boys) and with name embroidered on the backs.....

I have to say I had forgotten how much I enjoy hand sewing, I used to love doing cross stitch and tapestry when I was younger.

I took as many photos as I could before I wrapped them up to post. I love these gingerbread girls and boys the most. I love making things to order but there is just something extra special about custom orders, really personal.

They aren't listed in my Etsy shop but if you are interested in custom gingerbread boys or girls, drop me a line emma@bagladee.com they look fantastic on a Christmas tree.

Sheila Fleet Gallery

I've been so busy lately that I didn't get a chance to show you all these gorgeous clutch bags. They are now on sale at the Sheila Fleet Gallery in Orkney. So if you are passing by please do pop in and have a look, Sheila also designs the most beautiful jewellery.

30 Bridge Street
Kirkwall
Orkney
KW15 1HP
Scotland

There are 5 different clutch bags in the shop but these are 3 new ones. You can also get the Juicy clutch and the Amarillo clutch, unless they have sold out of course :D

These 3 new bags are now available to buy from my website here, now you know the drill there are a limited number of these (I only have 1 of each) so be quick before they're sold out.

Did you know that each clutch bag has a bow on the front in the same fabric, it frames the rhinestone flower nicely and gives a different dimension to the detail on the front of the bag.

Oh how I love to make clutch bags :D

Rememberance Day

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.....we will remember you!!

Round up...

Phew!! At last I get to sit down for an evening and relax with C. Oh yes and Nell and Oli. Its been a manic week. Christmas decorations have dominated my week, along side a poorly kitty (Oliver) with Trauma to his cornea :( on the mend now so that's good.

This week its going to be another busy one with 2 bag orders, one a custom order, kindle covers and some more decorations. So if I'm missing from blog land you know where I am.

I'll be back with photos soon :)

Read all about it......

Isn't this fella just the cutest chimp in town? I have to confess this is part of the reason that I signed up to Mail Chimp, the rest of my decision was down to the fact that they have such a fab reputation of being against spam emails. Therefore what you get when you subscribe to a Mail Chimp is genuine and not a load of rubbish arriving in your mail box once a week/month. I hate spam emails.You have an option to unsubscribe at any time, which I like so people have the right to stop subscribing anytime they want.

After being on the receiving end of Mail Chimp newsletters I thought, yeah I'd like to have a go at that and signed up.

My aim is to use a monthly newsletter to offer discounts and promotions like 'free delivery' and incentives. There will be little snippets of news and links to some very lovely fellow crafters. Like I said I hate spam emails so there is no chance of me bombarding you with a load of tosh. So far I only have 24 subscribers so when I reach 50 I will launch the very first Bagladee Newsletter. They are all from the UK so it would be really lovely if you overseas readers joined in too :D

If you would like to subscribe then you can do so by clicking on the Mail Chimp image above or by the little box on the right of my blog. I would love to have you on board for the next milestone of Bagladee.

5 things you didn't know about me....

(Saw this on another blog and thought it would be fun)

1. I am obsessed with Zombie Films and I'm a huge fan of the American series 'The Walking Dead', its my highlight of a Friday night. I have no idea where this obsession came from but its there and I embrace it by watching all the latest Zombified creations.

2. I was a competitive dancer in my early years and when I was 16 I won the Lincolnshire and Humberside championship (I have a lovely shield to prove it :) lol).

3. I cant eat Lasagne without covering it with vinegar! C thinks its disgusting but I've always done it. In fact my Mam called me last week and said what did you have for dinner and as soon as I said Lasagne she said "with vinegar?" to which I replied, "Of course!".

4. When I was little I wanted my middle name to be Mary (I don't actually have a middle name). My best friend in infants school was called Mary. Her Dad was a doctor and after a couple of years they moved back to Pakistan. I missed her so much I wanted to have her name as a middle name. I never actually changed it, I just used to write it on my letter to Santa every year ;D Awwwwwww!!

5. I have one Tattoo, I spent all of my youth saying I would never get any tattoo's until one day I just changed my mind. I have my own Celtic inspired design on the side of my hand and on Thursday next week I will be having a very special tattoo added to my wrist on the same hand. Its something that means a lot to me (some people will think its a bit strange) but as it represents a significant milestone of my life I'm sure you will all understand why.

Feel free to join in by posting your own :D

Cupcakes & books

Cant believe I forgot to show this post :( I think it was because I posted some photos on my FB page and thought no more about it. I know 'How dare I'!!!

These lovely pair were another order from the fabulous Clare *waves* and I have to say that the cupcake is most definitely my favourite motif to date. Gorgeous sunny yellow front and candy pink back. And another of the book motif, this time petrol blue front and sage green/grey back.

Couldn't resist showing some close ups.....

.....pretty button detail on the cupcake, looks good enough to eat right?

Here is the close up of the book, lovely hues of greys against the petrol blue.

When I first thought about cutting up the lovely samples of leather, I felt sick to my stomach. One mistake and its ruined. Now I'm itching to get my hands on some more leather so that I can have a go at some ipad covers and a netbook cover for myself.I'm thinking monogram 'B' for obvious reasons.....

If you are interested in having a kindle/iphone/ipad cover made, please do get in touch.....you can have what ever you like as a motif on the front you just need to ask :)