Ideas for Advent Calendars

I love everything about Christmas. The decorations, the gift giving (and receiving!), the food are all treats I look forward to throughout the year, and it's this anticipation that makes it even more exciting. So naturally having an advent calendar to countdown to the big day helps to build that feeling that something special is on its way - and I always have at least one on the go from 1st December!

When I was little it was always one of those cardboard advent calenders with a festive scene on that helped me countdown to Christmas. I loved finding the little door each morning and opening it to see which seasonal image was hiding there (and depending on the quality of the calendar trying to figure out what it was). Nowadays though, as a grown up, I still want to experience that anticipation but in a slightly more sophisticated way so now I have fabric calendar I made myself and an advent candle to burn every evening.

The advent calendar I made for myself

My Advent Calendar

I made the calendar above a few years ago when I seemed to have more time to cross stitch. I sewed some simple little fabric bags in red, green and cream cotton material and used iron on bonding to attach a festive image and number to the front of each. I then fill each bag with a little chocolate, tie them with ribbon and use mini wooden pegs to hang them on a length of string along a shelf. The idea is that each bag has the picture facing the shelf and is turned round on its day, but I can't bear to not see all the Christmassy images so I just turn them round to start with!

Advent Calendar Ideas

There are lots of different ways to mark the run up to Christmas in a visual way. These are some ideas I've thought of that would be great to make yourself for your family:

• have a small Christmas tree (an artificial one that would fit on a table top) and hang a numbered decoration on it each day;
• have a pile of small boxes wrapped as Christmas gifts with a number on the tag and a small prize or chocolate in each one and watch the pile go down;
• create a 'jigsaw' picture with a festive image. Each day a piece is added (maybe pinned to a notice board or stuck on a wall) until the full picture is revealed;
• use a calendar you already have and in the month of December add a festive sticker to each day's box;
• create a table centre piece for Christmas dinner by adding an item everyday - for example have a piece of florists oasis and add an artificial flower or pine cone each day.

Or if you don't want to make your own...

 

1. Linen advent calendar by Free Spirit Designs at Wow Thank You £30
2. Magnetic tin advent calendar by Glitter Ink Cards £41.47
3. Advent calendar by Dots and Spots £4.95
4. Wooden truck advent calendar by Little Ella James £32
5. Bunting advent calendar by The Great Hatsby £65

My Favourite UK Crafter of the Week - illustrated stationery, prints and accessories

Stationery. Something I just can't resist! I have a huge collection of notebooks, pencils, erasers, novelty paperclips, post it notes, rulers... the list goes on and on (as does the space it takes up in my house). So whenever I see a hint of stationery anywhere I always have to look, and with my favourite crafter this week I looked quite a few times at their unique creations (and also discovered some other treats too).

As usual, this post is in no way sponsored or influenced. The crafter featured is genuinely a favourite of mine; all quotes are the crafter's own and the opinions are mine. So, with this in mind this week's UK Crafter of the Week is...

Vivid Please

Vivid Please are the wonderful creations of Vicky and David who together combine their skills to produce quirky and fun stationery, jewellery and home accessories. Vicky does 'most of the illustrations', David is a 'technical design wizard' and when their ideas meet it's gorgeous and cute items like this typewriter notebook which result.

Typewriter Moleskine Customised Notebook by Vivid Please £4.50

There's a strong sense of fun in all the items in Vivid Please's shop, which isn't surprising as Vicky and David started working together because of 'a similar sense of humour and a love of all things odd'. Their first creations were made just to amuse themselves and share with each other at the advertising agency where they worked but soon caught the attention of their colleagues who wanted some for themselves! This made them realise they 'weren't the only ones who liked quirky things' and so started to make items to sell opening their online shop.

Geek Engraved Pencils Set by Vivid Please £3.00

Vivid Please 'believe that a good design should not just fit into one category' and so you can find their clever ideas in all kinds of guises including some wonderful brooches (another thing I have far more than I need of!), iPhone cases, mirrors, cards and prints. Between them Vicky and David have a 'fine art and graphic design background' both of which clearly come through in this cute deer brooch which is hand painted and has a modern graphic feel to it too.

Hand Painted Deer Brooch by Vivid Please £10.00

Another element of Vivid Please's work I find appealing is its friendly and comforting style. Based in Scotland where it 'rains a lot', Vicky and David like to find a 'cozy nook' to create in and this idea of being warm and cosy translates into their work too, especially home accessories such as this Mac N Cheese print. Not only is this the best comfort food there is (I've tried a lot, I know my comfort foods!) but the style reflects the relaxed and happy nature that clearly comes through from their fun partnership.

Mac N Cheese Illustrated Print by Vivid Please £12.00

With the present giving season coming up there are lots of great ideas from Vicky and David, so check out the links below!

To see more of Vivid Please's wonderful creations, take a look here:

Shop with Vivid Please
Vivid Please Blog
On Twitter
On Facebook

How to Make a Quick and Simple Father Christmas for Crafty Projects

Something I adore about Christmas is all the crafting I get to do. I usually start around August (I just can't wait!) and make cards, gift tags and decorations for myself, my family and now my business too. One of my favourite festive characters is Father Christmas (who I actually saw on Saturday at a craft fair!) as he embodies the child like delight of the season.

I use Santa's image in lots of ways from cards and tags to felt decorations. A new and easy design I've come up with this year is the one below which I'll be using in different ways to add a jolly Christmas feel to my crafting; and I'll show you how you can make him too.

How To Make A Quick and Simple Father Christmas

You will need:

• sheets of card or paper (depending on how you're using the finished figure) in red; white; and peach
• a ruler
• scissors
• a pencil
• a black pen
• paper glue

Step one

Take the red card and use the ruler to draw a triangle on it with a curved line at the base - as in the picture below. (draw it to the size you require for what you will use the finished Father Christmas for). Use your scissors to cut this out.

Step two

a. Now take the white card and place the red triangle cut out in step one on it. Draw around the triangle.

b. Draw lines as shown in the picture below to make a beard shape and cut in out.

c. Also cut out a small circle which will be the bobble for his hat and two tear drop shapes which will be his moustache.

Step three

a. Take the white beard shape cut out in step two and draw around this onto the peachy coloured card.

b. Draw the lines as shown in the picture below to create the shape of his face.

c. Cut out this shape.

Step four

a. Using the glue, stick the white beard shape onto the red triangle where the two sides of the red and white pieces are in line.

b. Now glue the peach piece onto the white beard as shown in the picture.

c. Next stick the white circle, cut out in step two, at the top of the hat and each of the white tear drop shapes onto the peach piece as shown below.

Step five

Use your black pen to draw in two eyes and a nose as shown in this picture.

Ways to use Father Christmas...

...as a Christmas card

Simply stick your Father Christmas onto a card with any background or other decoration you'd like and add a greeting.

...as a gift tag

Make sure he's made out of card for this one. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in his hat and thread a ribbon through this to attach it to a gift. Use the back to write your message on.

... as bunting style decoration

Make a few Santas and attach them to a length of string or ribbon. You could glue them onto the string or hang them up with little pegs.

Or let your imagination run wild! However you use this cute Christmas character you're sure to make your craft project extra jolly for the holidays.

My Favourite UK Crafter of the Week - quirky dolls and decor from Cut and Tear

You know when you see something for the first time and instantly need to see more? That's exactly what happened when I saw one of Cut and Tear's retro paper dolls. I'd never seen any like them before so was intrigued to find out more. And I discovered a lot more beauties too!

As usual, this post is in no way sponsored or influenced. The crafter featured is genuinely a favourite of mine; all quotes are the crafter's own and the opinions are mine. So, with this in mind this week's UK Crafter of the Week is...

Cut and Tear 

I have to say something to start with. I've bent my own rules slightly to feature this week's crafter; although based in London for a long time, Kate (the crafter behind Cut and Tear) grew up in the Czech Republic and now lives and works in Munich. But I love her work so much I'm counting the years in the UK here!  And looking at her wonderful creations I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's okay and worth it, especially as she admits, "Craft wise, I belong to Britain and its uniquely quirky craft aesthetics."

Retro articulated swimmer doll £6.00 each Cut and Tear

Kate's beautiful paper dolls are based on her original drawings and designs. When I first saw them I loved them but then thought 'what are they for?'. Kate suggests using them as bookmarks (a wonderful image of the woman's head in her swimming cap poking out of the top of a book!) and I think they'd also make lovely original artwork in frames. As well as paper dolls, the lovely ladies are also transformed into different formats including brooches, dolls and magnets.

Mini brooch - Marie Antoinette £4.00 Cut and Tear

Working as an art teacher for over 15 years, Kate has built and shared her skills developing her style and range of products. Like many creative people, she started young with a "passion for craft" and was particularly inspired by her female relations who "were small geniuses that saved and transformed every scrap in reach." This has influenced her work today and she loves to use discarded materials and "stuff that no one needs or wants anymore" to make her original creations and pass on the idea of upcycling and making unique pieces to her students.

Eleonora comfort doll £20.00 Cut and Tear

A wonderful example of Kate's reusing of old objects is this unique idea for an advent calendar which is cased in an old DVD case. The string and pegs are ready to hang one house with a doll illustration on it each day. The packaging adds the element of upcycling and a joyful, quirky edge that all Cut and Tear's products offer; and for Kate "the joy is multiplied when in the process a material has been saved from a scrap heap."

Advent calendar garland £16.00 Cut and Tear

To find out more about Cut and Tear take a look here:

Cut and Tear's website
Shop on Etsy
Cut and Tear's blog
On Facebook

Christmas Markets and Fairs in Sheffield

I love this time of year when all the little hints (or giant ones depending on where you're looking!) that Christmas isn't too far away are appearing. There's frosty mornings, bright red berries on bushes, the robin sat on the garden fence every morning ... and lots of Christmas markets! I love the great choice they offer of unique gifts and decorations that you'd can't get elsewhere and I'm always amazed by how much creative talent there is locally.

I've already been to three that were all different in their own way and bought a few gift, decorations and foody treats. And there are a lot more to come. If you're lucky enough to be in the Sheffield area between now and Christmas take the opportunity to look at these:

November
16th
Burton Street Christmas Fair, Hillsborough
Christmas Market, Channing Hall, city centre
17th
Ridgeway Christmas Farmer's and craft market
23rd & 24th
Whirlow Hall Farm Christmas Fayre


December
1st
Hillsborough Sports Arena Christmas fair
Nichols Christmas Fair, Nichols Building
3rd 
Tapton Hall food and craft fair
7th
Vintage and craft Christmas market, St Mary's Church
8th
Nether Edge Christmas Market
Wentworth Woodhouse Christmas Fayre
12th
Sheffield Up Market, University of Sheffield
15th
Elsecar Heritage Centre, Unique Xmas gift fair

And every Saturday Morning there are festive treats on sale at Sheffield Country Markets in Broomhill.

There are lots of opportunities to get ready for Christmas or just get into the spirit of the season at these and lots of other venues too.

My Favourite UK Crafter of the Week - wonderfully illustrated accessories

I can't resist a cute illustration, especially when it's an animal - and even more when it's an animal that's dressed up! That's what drew me to this lovely shop where I discovered lots of drawings, both animals and others decorating a range of accessories. 

As usual, this post is in no way sponsored or influenced. The crafter featured is genuinely a favourite of mine; all quotes are the crafter's own and the opinions are mine. So, with this in mind this week's UK Crafter of the Week is...

Illustrated Goods By Zyzanna

All of these wonderful creations you're going to see are based on original drawings by Zyzanna - although she admits this isn't her real name, it's 'what I've been called by friends and family since I was 14'. I think this is a great name to reflect her work - it's original, different and fun! As I said above, I can't resist an animal that's dressed up and this is even more true when it comes to cats. Obviously, dressing up real animals isn't such a good idea (although I keep trying to get my brother to dress up his cat but for some reason he won't let me) so drawings are the best way to see this! This little kitty is all ready for winter in his chunky jumper.

Cat in a knitted jumper shopping bag £10.00 Zyzanna

Not all of Zyzanna's creatures are dressed up though; some are just as nature intended such as the lovely barn owl brooch below. Zyzanna 'discovered what an amazing material shrinky plastic is' and has made lots of unique jewellery using it based on her original drawings. And this isn't the only brooch she makes; there are a range of different birds and even some lovely trees for them to be mixed with to create a lovely jewellery woodland. 

Barn owl brooch £7.50 Zyzanna

Zyzanna has always loved drawing as says it's something 'I seem to do ALL the time'. She's known since she was little that she wanted to be an artist and this childhood dream has come true having graduated in illustration from the Edinburgh College of Art and set up her own business. She originally drew pictures such as the one below and still sells them but realised she could also apply her beautiful drawings to other items to produce a whole range of accessories. 

Berry picking print £15.00 Zyzanna

Currently Zyzanna is based in 'rainy' Edinburgh and this has clearly influenced these earrings! (There's also some other lovely raindrop based jewellery in her shop too). I love the idea of having a set of three earrings to interchange and wear in your own style - they also come in different designs so swapping between the sets would create some interesting combinations too! 

Rain drop earrings £10.00 Zyzanna

To see more of Zyzanna's wonderful work take a look here:

Zyzanna'a website

Shop with Zyzanna 
Zyzanna's blog

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Tapton Hall Farmer's Market and Craft Fair

In August I went to an unusually timed craft fair - it was on a Tuesday morning. It took place at Tapton Hall in Sheffield and was only a small event with a handful of stalls and customers. I sold a reasonable amount though so thought it was worth going back to again (the markets are held on the first Tuesday of every month) and I was surprised as since August it has grown to more than double the size and was a lot busier!

I had a lovely time looking around all the new stalls and the lovely variety of products on offer. I even bought one or two little Christmas gifts and some treats for myself - delicious Eccles cakes and some soothing Aloe Vera moisturiser. Many of the stall holders said they'd be back for the December market too, so maybe I'll be getting a few more treats next month too (actually, there's no 'maybe' about it, I won't be able to resist!). And where else could you find a reindeer like this on a Tuesday morning?

There were lots of items to discover that I don't usually see at craft fairs and it was interesting to investigate what was available and chat with the stall holders. As you walked in you were greeted with wonderfully scented candles in tempting aromas including a delicious black fig one, and you could even book a candle party for your home! An imaginative use for old cutlery could also be found. Beautifully delicate Sheffield silverware was framed with a little history and picture of where it came from to create a unique piece of home decor and bring new life to cutlery that's past its use. A gorgeous array of tactile leather bags in all shapes and sizes kept me occupied for a while and it was interesting to look through some art supplies perfect for children and grown ups.

There was also a great choice of craft fair favourites. You could buy some pretty home furnishings including cushions, bunting and notice boards in a variety of patterns and colours. Different styles of jewellery could be found from sparkling silver to delicate beadwork. And of course, as it is a farmer's market, lots of tasty treats including chutneys, local honey, pies, cakes, olives and Turkish delight - something for all tastes!

And of course, there was my stall - all ready for Christmas!

If you're around Tapton Hall for the next farmer's market and craft fair, it's well worth calling in to see what you can discover too.

The next market is on December 3rd from 9am - 2pm.

My Favourite UK Crafter of the Week - for lots of little treats!

There are so many pretty items in this shop it's difficult not to spend a lot of time looking through them all! I've visited the site a number of times to look through all the lovely handmade items and can't helping oohing and aahhing over all the delightful treats.

As usual, this post is in no way sponsored or influenced. The crafter featured is genuinely a favourite of mine; all quotes are the crafter's own and the opinions are mine. So, with this in mind this week's UK Crafter of the Week is...

The Homemade Haven 

What I love most about this shop is all the little treasures and treats you can buy. Zoe, the crafter behind The Handmade Haven, says she's toyed with selling her crafts for a while 'doing the odd Christmas fair here and there' before starting to sell online too. The items she makes are exactly the kind that I'd stop to admire (and buy!) at a fair. These gorgeous clothes peg magnets come in lots of different colours and patterns but my favourite are these with maps on. I think they'd be ideal for holding photos of a holiday or trip.

Map magnet clothes pegs by The Homemade Haven £3.25

The main reason Zoe started selling her crafts was so she could 'stay at home as much as possible' with her 3 children. I think this homely feeling of family comes across in her pieces which offer a little bit of homemade and handcrafted. These fabric covered buttons are wonderful to add to your own crafts or decorate a bag or some clothing and give them a handmade feeling of their own. (Or if you're like me, hoard them with all the other hundreds of pretty buttons I just can't bear to use!)

Make Do and Mend fabric covered buttons by The Handmade Haven £2.50 for 5

As well as making accessories for the home and crafting, Zoe also makes a range of pretty things to decorate yourself too! She says she 'loves to make all sorts of things' including hair slides, button bobbles and these lovely fabric flower corsages. There are so many uses I can think of for these: decorate a bag, coat or hat; pin them to cushions in your home for a pretty little touch; pinning them on a makeup bag or pencil case for extra cuteness... well, lots of uses and reasons to buy them!

Fabric corsage brooch by The Handmade Haven £12.50

Zoe's also added a range of knitwear 'designed and made exclusively' by her to her shop. I love the design of this scarf for the upcoming winter. I don't usually like wearing scarves until it's really cold as I feel too bundled up in them, but this design is great to fill the gap in the neckline of a coat without all the crossing of layers or knotting to stay in place. Zoe has made her scarves in 'a flexible shape that offers mutliple ways to wear' so they can be useful to cover up wherever you've got a gap!

Hand knitted wool scarf and corsage set by The Handmade Haven £75

So, if you're looking for a little treat for yourself or the perfect stocking filler (not long now!) take a look in The Handmade Haven. 

To see more of The Handmade Haven's pretty creations take a look here:

The Handmade Haven's shop

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