Craft Life

I have a little Christmas character who seems to have made himself quite at home in my artwork over the years. Meet Mr Gnome. He's popped up in various guises before — baking, skiing, ice skating, shopping and generally getting himself involved in the sort of festive activities that keep a small gnome surprisingly busy. And this Christmas, he's back. This time I've created six colourful Mr Gnome Christmas card designs, divided between his cosy indoor Christmas and his rather more adventurous outdoor pursuits. He's a very industrious little chappy! Mr Gnome at home There are three designs showing Mr...

August in the Craft Room: Cosy Autumn Gifts and Christmas Preparations It never ceases to amaze me how the year plays out. How quickly it flies, and how August somehow arrives heralding the cosy autumn months while many flowers and plants are still blooming beautifully. I always feel I'll be further ahead with preparations each year. Life has a way of disturbing my plans with other very important duties and commitments. You may find that too. Nonetheless, I've been forging ahead wherever I can, trying to keep things moving on all fronts for my customers. There are quite a few...

I realise it may seem slightly peculiar to be talking about Christmas while many of us are still hoping for a decent stretch of summer weather. Trust me, I know. The last thing I want to do is rush anyone towards mince pies and fairy lights before they've had a chance to enjoy a sunny afternoon and an ice cream. But one of the curious realities of running a handmade business is that Christmas often begins long before Christmas appears on anyone else's radar. In fact, if I'm being completely honest, Christmas preparations sometimes begin while I'm still trying to...

I've always admired people who can walk into a room wearing a tiny pair of understated stud earrings and look effortlessly elegant. I am not one of those people. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a beautiful simple earring. I even make them from time to time. But whenever I sit down to design jewellery for myself, I seem to gravitate towards colour, movement and earrings that are perhaps a little larger than strictly necessary. The bigger and more colourful they are, the happier I seem to be. With Spring and Summer in full swing, I've found myself once again...

Some products quietly become part of the furniture around here. Not literally, of course. Though given the amount of crafting supplies that seem to migrate around my workspace of their own accord, I wouldn't entirely rule it out. Wedding horseshoes and of course all the horseshoe collections we've enjoyed, are one of those products. They've been a much-loved part of Parade Handmade for years, helping customers celebrate weddings, engagements, new homes and special milestones with a gift steeped in tradition and goodwill. If you've browsed my horseshoe collection before, you'll probably know that most of the horseshoes have come from...