Gift Guide - Karen Walk Design

After my recent hiatus I'm back with another Gift Guide post. My profuse apologies for the delay in getting this up here.

Karen Walk is from Bristol, a former Graphic Designer and now owner of Karen Walk Design.

Karen recently sent me one of her personalised hanging bird decorations and I absolutely fell in love with it. It's a gorgeous pink and white polka dot fabric, in a kitsch litle bird shape, stuffed and hand stitched with a gorgeous lace motif with my name on it and can be hung on it's cream satin ribbon. The stitching is so neat and it's just a really lovely decorative item, currently hanging on one of my cabinets in pride of place. People visiting always admire it, and ask where they can get one!

This is just one of the many prodcuts that Karen has available via her Etsy shop, here are some of my favourites;

Personalised hand made fabric covered mini notebooks (would make perfect wedding favours)
In your choice of fabric - £3.50

 

 

Baby bunting personalised card or invitation (contact Karen to get yours tailored for your event!)

£5.00

 

 

Baby personalised heart ornament

£9.00

(a gorgeous gift for a new mum, or even a birthday gift for a child already with us)

 

All of Karen's items would make fantastic gifts, or treats for yourself and your home. I really can't urge you enough to check out her shop here. I would also point out that if you have an idea of what you would like that you can't see in the shop, get in touch with Karen and see if there is something she can do for you!

 

Kitsch Devine by Amy Gaston

This is the second of what I hope will be many product reviews. Having scoured the internet for great products, that are quirky, handmade and affordable that would make the perfect gift for your loved ones, or more than likely, yourself! The first was featuring the amazingly talented Alexandra Snowdon and can be found Here
 

 

 

Kitsch Devine is run by Amy Gaston who lives in Buxton in the Peak District. 

Her shop features so many gorgeous accessories, from pencil cases, messenger bags , phone cases, keyrings and hanging decorations, all hand made by Amy. 

This is Amy's story in her own words:
'I started sewing about 4 years ago after my parents brought me my first sewing machine for Christmas, I didn't actually start making things until about a year later. I had bought myself a handmade phone case from Etsy and remember thinking how well made and professional it looked and how much I wished I could make things like that. So I set to and trawled the internet for free sewing patterns. After hundreds (or what felt like it!) attempts, me and my mum finally came up with something that looked pretty good - our first phone case! Kitsch Devine was born!

Since then over the last two years I have improved at sewing and I'm now designing my own products and making my own patterns. I use everyday items as inspiration, like what items do I need, and how can I make them as functional as possible. For example, my Iphone wallets that allow you to carry all of your essentials in one place.

At the moment I run Kitsch Devine alongside my day job, using evenings and weekends to get my orders done, which can be tough at busy times such as Christmas. Fingers crossed one day I will be able to run it full time.

I'm currently working on some new travel accessories for 2013 which I can't wait to get up in the shop, and I've got some gorgeous new fabrics heading this way from Japan!'

 

When she offered to send me one of her items I knew it had to be the Cakes and Sweets Pencil Case which can be found here. It's made of water resistant fabric and fully lined, with the sweetest (literally!) pink printed fabric. It arrived beautifully packaged and I couldn't be more chuffed. Considering Amy has 100% positive feedback I'm certainly not the only one!

 

One of the things I really like about Kitsch Devine now that I've received a product for real is the photography. That might sound a bit silly but her items are so well photographed you can clearly see every detail of each item including the lining, zips etc. You know exactly what you're getting which is a massive bonus when you're buying handmade goods online.

 

 

Nothing that comes in hot pink tissue paper can be bad can it?

 

 

It most definitely wasn't! I'm so pleased with it, the colours are bright and the fabric is a wonderful quality, not too thin and I think it will take alot for even me (serial zip breaker) to break this bad boy.

 

 

 

The lining is gorgeous and the colour fits the outer fabric perfectly. The corners are incredibly neat and there are no stray threads anywhere!

 

 

It's already been put to good use!

 

Here's a few of my favourite products available at Kitsch Devine;

 

Zakka Colourful Dot Print Zip Up Pencil Case - £8.00

 

 

Steampunk Octopus - IPhone 5 Case - Charmed Collection - £15.00

 

 

Vintage Style Paris Print - Travel Pouch / Mini Messenger Bag - £16.00

 

 

So a massive thank you to Amy, and to the rest of you please please check out Kitsch Devine for yourself.

Making progress..

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I....... this is getting a little tiresome but I am determined to finish!

 

 

1st Blog Giveaway!

Hi everyone,

As a thank you to you all for the massive increase in visitors I've had recently (Yay!) I thought it was about time that I hosted my first blog giveaway! I know everyone loves a freebie, and I've tried to make the prizes things I would like to get myself!

So up for grabs is:



- £25.00 Bonus Bond Gift Card - this is like a visa card and works in these shops
- Mini Sewing Kit with red gingham pin cushion lid
- 2 x 2m spool of Gold Bells ribbon
- 1 x 2m spool of Silver Reindeer Ribbon
- 1 x 2m spool of Christmas Tree Ribbon
- 1 Deer Head Cross-Stitch stitched by me! (passport photo sized) in a white wooden frame
- 1 pair of grey gem earrings
- 2 Rob Ryan badges
- 1 Hobbycraft shopper bag ready to decorate
- 1 Hobbycraft cushion cover ready to decorate
- 1 bundle of fimo canes (great for nail/card decoration!)
- 1 pack of paper straws, great for decoration, various colours
- and a few other little crafty/edible/vintage suprises!

Things you need to know:

• This giveaway is open only to UK residents due to shipping costs - sorry!
• The giveaway is open....NOW! and will close at 6.30pm (GMT) on Thursday 20th December.
• If the winner is not contactable by their blogger profile, and doesn't contact me within 24 hours I will pick another winner.
• If you are the lucky winner - please note that the voucher has to be activated, you call their number and they verify the card and give you a pin number, then you use it like a credit card. All instructions will be included!
• I have not been provided any of these items by anyone in return for displaying on my blog, they have been paid for by me!
• The prize will be posted on Friday 21st December by Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded Delivery
• Maximum of four entries per person, via the below criteria
• Entries will be numbered and a winner selected by Random.org

How to enter:

1) To obtain your first entry, comment on this post below
2) To obtain a second entry, follow this blog using the google followers widget on the right hand side of my blog.
3) To obtain a third entry, tweet a link to my blog/this giveaway using the hashtag '#MindpurgeGiveaway'
4) To obtain a fourth entry, mention this giveaway on your blog, and include the link in your comment!


Good luck!

What have you been upto?

Firstly, I'm sorry for neglecting you. Life is a mile a minute at the moment, but it's Saturday afternoon, I'm nice and cosy,  I've just had a Strawberry lemonade and a Yum Yum. 

I've got a cup of tea and I'm sat in front of The Good Sheperd (amazing film) so I'm ready :)

 

My mum's 53rd birthday is this coming Monday, but we as ever do things a little differently in our house, so yesterday when my sister got home from Uni it was cake and presents day. My mums cake is HUGE, it's a victoria sponge (with the most amazing plum jam) it's covered in green fondant icing and the top is then decorated to look like her allotment. It was supposed to have a shed but we just ran out of time - it took 3 days! She loved it though and that's the main thing :)

 

 

 

 

 

As for presents she got a really good haul! I got her 2 pairs of earrings (silver swallows, and orange gems) a goat's cheese making kit, a masons traditonal mixing bowl (hers broke a few months back) Paul Hollyood's 'How to Bake' a zebra print scarf, 2 gorgeous smelling soaps, and Paulie on DVD. My oldest sister brought her two trees for her (real!) allotment, a Mandarin and a Lime Tree. My other sister got her a nail varnish, notepad, chocolates, sugar mice and phone cover.

Tomorrow my nan is coming over for lunch - Roast Rib of Beef with all the trimmings and Cherry Pie.

 

In amongst the present wrapping I have found time for a little cross-stitch, something I haven't done for a while, and I'm really pleased with the results!

 

 

Before!

 

 

After!

 

In case you hadn't guessed it's Dorothy and Toto from the Wizard of Oz. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but just pleased to have finished!

 

Now that mum's birthday is out of the way Christmas has officially started in our house, the tree and decorations are all up and any leftovers were taken to work to decorate our office, we're getting a tree on Monday so the best is yet to come!

 

 

Most cluttered desk in all the land!

 

 

When I get home from work I've been obsessing over No Angels - it's a brilliant comedy drama set in a hospital that was on Channel 4 back in 2004, and the first series has now been added to 4OD. The soundtrack is so good I had to buy the CD, lots of Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin.

 

 

Now if I'm not making a cake, decorating something, sewing or watching No Angels, the chances are I'm probably shopping - here are my favourite purchases so far this month

 

Glass Dish - £2.49 - Vintage fair

 

 

 

Teacup and Saucer - £3.50 - Vintage Fair

 

 

Hair Clip, Collar Necklace and Heart Earrings - New Look - £10.45 (3 for 2!)

 

 

And my secret santa present for work - A gorgeous green scarf, a can of gin and tonic, a lindt chocolate bear and an aero christmas tree. Not bad for a fiver! I tried to make it look a bit more interesting too with ribbons and Crafy Creatives jingle bells!

 

 

 

And if I'm not doing any of that I'm continuing my Pinterest addiction and day-dreaming over pictures like this

 

 

What have you been upto?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday's Cross Stitch

Progress

I love..

Can you guess where this is headed?

Scandi Sewing - update

My little guy has a perch, and soon a little friend!

Scandi Sewing

The start of something BIG. (this little guy is literally about 1/60th of the finished piece..)