New items!

Today I have three new items in my Coriandr, Misi, Etsy and Folksy shops - a Cross Stitch Strawberry Rosette Brooch, Cross Stitch Bow Brooch, and a Buttons and Beads Charm Bracelet.

Strawberry Rosette Brooch - £6.50



Buttons and Beads Charm Bracelet - £11.00



Cross Stitch Bow Brooch - £6.50

FruteJuce

The next stop on the Coriandr Express is FruteJuce -

"Hi I am Alison From Milton Keynes, Bucks. I have always had an interest in making things. My parents never bought anything without trying to make it first so I kind of inherited the 'make it gene'. I am driven by interest so whatever takes my fancy at that moment is what I make, so my items can be quite changeable."

Alison's Coriandr shop is filled with great items - like this Headphone Baby Vest Onesie - which is embellished with a headphone motif worked in freehand machine embroidery


Alison's endearing floppy rabbits - in Calico or Vintage Laura Ashley - would look right at home wherever you put them

I really like the embroidered details on the Fridge Magnets in Alison's shop, especially this Little Bird Fridge Magnet


Check out more brilliant items in Alison's Coriandr shop, catch up with her on Twitter, and follow her blog here.

Snapdragon Beads

Next up on the Coriandr Express is Snapdragon Beads -

"My name is Alice and I'm addicted to beads.
In fact, I am the Imelda Marcos of beads!
I have been making and selling jewellery for nearly 14 years. I had intended to go to Art College to study costume design but some how ended up studying at Trinity College in Dublin. As a result I hold degrees in Computer Engineering and Mathematics.
I moved to the UK from Ireland shortly after my last exam and settled in the market town of Biggleswade about 50 miles north of London. I have always loved making jewellery and my passion is off-loom bead weaving.
I worked for a number of years in IT but have recently left that world behind me to be a stay at home mum to Amelia who was born in April '08."

The amount of work involved in making these exquisite beaded items is amazing - Alice must have a lot of patience!

This Purple Velvet Pendant is truly beautiful - very regal colours


The Primrose Pin is very pretty - just like a little flower



These Frog Princess Earrings are gorgeous - the colour of peridot


You can see more beautifully made beaded items in Snapdragon Beads' Coriandr Shop, become a fan on Facebook, follow Alice on Twitter, and catch up with her blog here.

Myfuroshiki

"Hello, my name is Michiko Yasue and my sister Olivia and I form myfuroshiki, dedicated to the design and production of fabric wrapping cloths and accessories. The myfuroshiki range of furoshiki is inspired by the Japanese tradition of using fabric to wrap gifts, make bags & create decorative wall hangings. We offer a range of fabrics including our own designs, hand printed & tie-dyed onto cotton cloths, as well as a selection of gorgeous prints & woven checks that we have sourced. myfuroshiki are fun, fuss-free, affordable & eco-friendly. No tearing, no scissors, no sticky tape, no waste. Just one or two simple knots & even the oddest shaped object can look impressive. Please have a look at our blog at myfuroshiki.blogspot.com for more ideas on how to use furoshiki. We hope you'll love them as much as we do - it's the wrapping revolution!"

Myfuroshiki's range is great - I really like this Striped Flexible Furoshiki Bag



The prints on these 4 Floral Fabric Gift Wraps are gorgeous



And these 10 Mini Fabric Gift Wraps are great value - only £10!


See more items from Myfuroshiki's Coriandr shop, follow on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and catch up with their blog here.

Coriandr Express Catch Up - Debbs Elliman

"I have been making glass fused jewellery for six years, I love the way the sunlight reflects the gorgeous colours. I have been making beaded jewellery for about eight years, but I actually started by making wire and bead greetings cards and bridal, bridesmaids tiara's and combs."

Debbs Elliman's Coriandr shop is full of beautiful beaded and dichroic glass jewellery, as well as some decorated jute bags and other items.


I really love this Etched Butterfly Pendant - so pretty



As we all know I am a fan of the occasional cupcake, and this Jute Bag is both green and pretty!



I really like the vintage feel to these Copper Earrings


You can find many more beautiful items in Debbs' Coriandr Shop, and follow her blog here.

Coriandr Express Catch Up - Nicsknots

"Nicsknots is home to handmade knitting needle rolls, drawstring project bags, make-up bags, and little girl bags in fabrics floral to funky. I started making needle rolls for a friend who was opening a yarn shop then the whole thing sprung out of there."

Nic really has an eye for fun, colourful fabrics, as you can see from this Lovehearts Knitting / Crochet Roll



But if bold, quirky prints aren't your thing, there's something for you too - like this dusty-blue floral print Drawstring Project/Make Up Bag




Nicsknots also creates children's tote bags, like this pretty Diddy Hand Bag with a matryoshka doll print

There are loads of other brilliant items in the Nicsknots Coriandr Shop, you can follow Nic on Twitter, and catch up with her blog here.

Coriandr Express Catch Up - Creativesque

Due to a load of hideous exams, I've not had a chance to blog about Creativesque or Nic's Knots, or Debbs Elliman until today, so...

Firstly, Creativesque, who creates a range of vibrant, colourful and fun handmade bookmarks, watercolour paintings and gift tags.

"Hi, I am an artist, illustrator and mum of two gorgeous little ones. I live in London, England and I love drawing, colouring in and making stuff. My main tools are paper, card, watercolour paints, black ink pens and my sewing machine.

People inspire me and so do my surroundings. I love drawing and painting faces because I find them fascinating. I enjoy sending my work out into the world and seeing what happens and I try to offer only the work that I've enjoyed creating. In this way I hope to do my bit to make the world go round and make it a happier place for my children to live in as they grow."

I love this Blue Flower Bookmark, and at only £2.00, how could you go wrong?




The watercolour and ink used to create the design on this Notecard and Envelope is really vibrant, and reminds me of stained glass windows.



And these Mini Envelopes made from recycled book pages are so sweet!


Take a look at the other great items in the Creativesque Coriandr Shop, visit Creativesque's website (check out the watercolour paintings for sale in the Gallery section - really bold and lovely), and follow on Twitter.

Pirate Pixie Crew

Next up in the VIP carriage of the Coriandr Express is Pirate Pixie Crew.

To celebrate being the VIP on the Coriandr Express Pirate Pixie Crew is offering a 10% discount from now until the June 30th 2009 on all the goods in the shop. Visit the Coriandr Express blog to find out how you can claim it.

"I’m Lynne and I and the creator of the Pirate Pixie Crew. All the goods for sale in my shop are lovingly handmade by me and every hat sold comes with a membership card to the Pirate Pixie Crew. The Crew is lead by Captain Skulduggery Dug. You can read all about the Crew at http://www.skulduggerydug.com . All ages are welcome to join the crew and when you do you can join in with the adventures."

There are some wonderful items in Lynne's quirky shop, and each item is shown off brilliantly by her creative photos.

I love the colour combinations Lynne uses in her work, particularly in this Felted Dreadlock Hair Tie





And this Rainbow Baby Hat is adorable (also loving Shamus the Sheep!)



These gorgeous Purple Arm Warmers would be perfect for cold Autumn days (or just an ordinary Summer in the UK!)



Check out Pirate Pixie Crew's Coriandr shop, become a fan on Facebook, catch up with Lynne on Twitter, and follow her blog here.

End of Year Show

Tonight was the preview evening of the end of year A-Level Art and Design show at college, some really amazing work in all the subjects - giant metal fish, beautifully cut dresses and jackets, amazing wall hangings and paintings.... it was really interesting seeing everyone else's work!

I got a couple of snaps of my little corner, in case anyone was interested.. compared to all the garments and massive wall pieces, my work looked very tiny... really to get the proper effect of it you need a magnifying glass! There's quite a lot of detail that you can't see from a distance.

Unit 4 - Self Written Study - Textile Illustrations for 'The Snow Queen' by Hans Christian Andersen



Unit 6 - Personal Study - Hats influenced by the work of Elsa Schiaparelli
(research and design boards for Unit 4 in the background)



Unit 7 - 15 hour exam - Mixed media vessels based on a theme of 'Journeys and Destinations' (suspended from bracket, research and design boards in the background)

Kitty Ballistic's Creations

"I'm a Brit who lives and works in Holland. I work in IT, which satisfies my need for order and rules, and I make felt toys, jewellery and other spangly, bright things to indulge my creative side."

There really is something for everyone in Kitty Ballistic's shop - whether you're looking for pretty and elegant jewellery, like these Spring Bloom Earrings...

...or something a little more unusual, like Christine, the felt aubergine!

These Felt Fortune Cookies would make great gifts, and they're calorie-free!

My almost favourite item is this pretty Teapot Charm Necklace (I say almost beacause how could anything top Christine?)

See more items in Kitty's Coriandr Shop, catch up with her on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and follow her blog here.

Oh dear...

I've not been online for a couple of days, what with preparing and putting up my end of year textiles show at college, and revising for physics and maths... so I haven't had time to blog about the wonderful creations of Kitty Ballistic and Pirate Pixie Crew! I feel awful! The preview evening for our show is tonight, so as soon as I've been there, come home, and gone to vote, I'll get a proper post that does their great work justice. Until then though, take a look at their Coriandr seedlings -

Kitty Ballistic

and

Pirate Pixie Crew