New Brooch and folksy finds

 

Above is a new brooch I have listed on Folksy shop 

While I was looking at other handmade items I came across 

this cute screen printed and hand embroidered 'Teal Owl Pattern scarf' from Bonbi Forest on Folksy

Gorseinon Food Festival

It was the first annual Gorseinon food festival today, in the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre, Swansea and it was a fantastic day for everyone involved!! Thousands visited the festival, thanks to all the organisers especially Shirley Price who runs her own business Millie's Market selling beautiful handmade items for the home and Sian Day who runs the Kid's Cooking Academy in Swansea, I hope it will be the first festival in Gorseinon of many.They both organise the monthly Penllergaer Produce and Craft Market.

Aprons handmade by Millie's Market

Beach collection

I have created a new collection of digitally printed colourful cushions, the colour scheme was inspired by the seaside and old fashioned rock sweets. I also added hand-made corsage brooches and buttons. These photographs were taken on a beautiful sunny day in Swansea Bay. These cushions will be on sale at the Gorseinon food festival this Saturday, April 24th

Retro prints

I really like this pretty floral hanky that's on sale at the V&A shop, adapted from fabric designed by Joyce Badrocke for Horrockses fashions, 1950's.

The fashion and textiles museum in London, founded by iconic british designer Zandra Rhodes, will feature a vintage fashion exhibition Off the peg style:in the '40's and 50's from 9th of July until 24th October 2010 on the pioneers of ready to wear ethical fashion label Horrockses fashions. Well known and popular in the 1940's-1950's  for designing and producing full skirted dresses, using good quality cotton fabrics and custom-designed patterns. 

Currently the Fashion and Textiles Museum have an exhibition until 13th June 2010 Very Sanderson - 150 years of English decoration, a wallpaper and textiles exhibition. Ever wondered who produced the first coordinated collection of mass-produced wallpapers and fabrics in Britain? The exhibition highlights the best of its design archive as well as new collections.

I love these wonderful china cups designed  by Sanderson on sale now at the Ftm London shop

Influences from this Very Sanderson exhibition are likely to inflitrate onto the high street in 12-18 months time...


For further information go to http://www.sanderson-uk.com/anniversary.aspx.

ice cream and pastels

Mix and Match these sugary sweet shades for a delicate girly summer look.

From top, left to right t-shirt, £25, French Connection; Shorts, urbanoutfitters; t-shirt, £25, J by Jasper Conran Debenhams; dress, Twenty8twelve; tote, £175, Marc by Marc Jacobs;Flats, £58, Office, Corsage, £4, Heulwen; Sunglasses, £10, ASOS

Tigerprint runner-up

The Tigerprint Mother's day type competition winner has been announced, there were some lovely entries using very different styles of type. I came runner-up, go to Tigerprint to see the other entries. The latest competition for this month is What's the Big idea?? to combine words and images in a bright and original way. You can submit concepts now and the deadline is the 6th of May

The overall Mother's day type competition winner was Andrew Hudson's entry below.

Cheerful Wallpaper

I love this bold and colourful wallpaper, a new collection introduced by Studio Ditte designed using authentic ribons and lace. I also love the vintage button wallpaper too. The studio's concept designs are so cheerful and off-the-wall!

Look on the bright side

This is one of my newest delicate floral illustrations, I love this colour palette and thought it would be perfect for spring.

I was inspired by textile designer Kim Parker's beautiful "Garden Bouquet" watercolour Print

Don't keep calm and carry on.

Don't keep calm and carry on.
Originally uploaded by moleitau

I came across this keep calm and carry on style poster today which was a limited edition t-shirt of the week at Howies and I thought I would blog it to get me and you excited and motivated to make more things!

Howies is an active clothing company, based in Cardigan, Wales, that believes in making higher quality, lower impact products for sports and day-to-day lives. I ordered one of their Merino wool t-shirts the other day and I think It's going to be my new favourite t-shirt!!

Mission Gallery: All tied up

Last Saturday I went to see the All Tied Up exhibition of scarves at the Mission Gallery in Swansea, a touring show curated by the Ruthin Craft Centre. The colourful exhibition features a group of talented textile artists who excel in the craft of weaving, a tradition that spans centuries. I particularly liked Alpa Mistry's hand woven bold, colourful textiles and also scarves by Margo Selby, Bonita Ahuja and Makeba Lewis. The exhibition is on at the Mission Gallery until the 15th of May.

Beautiful one-off luxurious textile scarves by Bonita Ahuja: Taran Taaran

Easter cake

Happy Easter! Below is a lovely recipe for making this lovely Simnel Cake. The marzipan is my favourite bit of this cake!

Ingredients
For the cake175g/6oz light muscavado sugar175g/6oz butter, softened175g/6oz self-raising flour3 large free-range eggs25g/1oz ground almonds2 tbsp milk110g/4oz sultanas110g/4oz cherries, quartered, washed, and dried 110g/4oz dried apricots, snipped into small pieces 110g/4oz stem ginger, finely chopped1 tsp mixed spice2 tsp ground ginger150g/5oz golden marzipan For the topping300g/10½oz golden marzipan 3 tbsp apricot jam, warmed1 free-range egg, beaten
Method
1. Preheat the oven 160C/320F/Gas 3.2. Grease and line the base and sides of an 20cm/8in round, deep cake tin with baking parchment.3. Place all of the cake ingredients, except the marzipan, into a large mixing bowl and stir well until thoroughly combined.4. Place half of the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.5. Roll out the marzipan into a circle the same size as the cake tin. Place the circle on top of the cake mixture.6. Spoon the remaining cake mixture over the marzipan layer and level the surface.7. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 1¾-2 hours, or until golden brown and firm in the middle. (Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done.) If toward the end of the cooking time the surface of the cake is getting too brown, cover loosely with a piece of kitchen foil to protect it from the heat.8. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.9. For the topping, when the cake has cooled, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam.10. Roll out half of the marzipan into a circle the same size as the cake and place over the top of the cake. 11. Crimp the edges of the marzipan with your fingers and, using a sharp knife, score a lattice pattern across the centre of the marzipan topping. 12. Using the remaining marzipan, form 11 equal-sized balls. Arrange the marzipan balls at equal intervals around the edge of the top of the cake.13. Brush the marzipan balls and topping with beaten egg and place under the grill on its highest setting. Grill for 4-5 minutes, revolving the cake if necessary, to ensure it browns evenly, until the marzipan is a light golden-brown all over.
13. Serve and enjoy!

Nautical accessories

I hope you like my combination of Red, White and Blue nautical riviera-chic inspired corsages, a trend that seems to come around every spring ! Hello Sailor!

These can be bought at http://www.folksy.com/shops/Heulwen