Ruby Spirit Designs

Surprise parcel!

2010-11-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

I got a lovely surprise in the post this morning, a little parcel of gorgeousness from Lynsey of Swirlyarts!

There are some fab Christmas robin gift tags and a set of ten nursery rhyme envelopes, all handmade by Lynsey using recycled paper. The envelopes even come with a plain white label so they're post-friendly.

They all came packaged inside another recycled paper envelope, I particularly enjoyed the cautionary tale of 'Choirboy Jim"...

(Apologies for the dodgy photos, it's pretty dark & stormy here today).

Make sure you check out Lynsey's shop on Etsy for more handmade and ecofriendly items!

Peace & Crafts Fair

2010-11-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

Just a quick blog post to recommend an event happening this Saturday (20th November) in Saltaire. This will be the seventh Bradford Peace & Crafts Fair, 'for peace, justice & the environment' - a fantastic family friendly day organised by Yorkshire CND.

All the details you need are in the image below, please feel free to spread the word!

Ruby Spirit Designs and Dig The Earth will be there in the Evans Room, so don't forget to come & say hi...

If you need directions you can find them here. If you want to travel by train the hall is only a few minutes walk from Saltaire station, on the Airedale line.

New recipe?

2010-05-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

I had a conversation on Twitter the other day with the massively hilarious and always entertaining Mrs Gibson. We were discussing the similarity between our childhoods, and naturally our thoughts turned towards Vesta Chow Mein, Viennetta, marrowfat peas and Findus Crispy Pancakes.

As is often the case, one of the tweets was picked up on and I got a 'follow', the email is shown below...

It made me laugh so much, apparently you can report crispy pancakes for spam! Is that a new flavour then?!

Red Skies Tomorrow...

2010-03-24T02:40:00.000-07:00

Forgive me father for I have sinned, it's been eight months since my last blog post... but I'm back! Ta-da!

I just wanted to share with the blogosphere my first ever Etsy Treasury, which I am enormously proud of. (Although I must admit to having had a Treasury West a few weeks ago...)

It's called 'Red skies tomorrow' and it's simply a big fat gorgeous slice of all things gloriously red. I decided not to attempt to wrangle a theme around any of my own shop items or use it as a self-promoting exercise, I just wanted to curate a good Treasury. What do you think?

And here we are at last.......

2009-07-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hurrah for the Coriandr Express! It's been a fabulous journey, we've been privileged to meet some very talented craftspeople and see some beautiful pieces they've created... and now here we are with the final VIP, the most stupendously wonderful Tomato Tea!

Throughout the journey she has been working her own little hand knitted socks off busily promoting every one of us fortunate enough to have the golden ticket, now it's her turn to be shown the love!

My personal favourite just has to be the Furry Hood Crochet Pattern, now all I have to do is figure out how to crochet! At only £2 it's a real incentive to get learning...

I also love this Teal Crochet Coin Purse, this has already been crocheted by hand so is a far more sensible option for me!

You can also follow Tomato Tea on twitter and read her blog, but I recommend you pop on over to her coriandr shop - you can even find gorgeous yarn which has been handspun on a traditional spinning wheel! As a Coriandr Express special offer all yarn has been reduced by 10% until the end of July.

Heart and Soil

2009-07-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

As the Coriandr Express draws ever nearer the end of its journey, our current VIP is the wonderful Hen of Heart and Soil Baskets. She crafts baskets and small hurdles from Somerset willow and materials foraged from the hedgerows of the Cotswolds - how idyllic does that sound? Every basket is made uniquely and to order, the sizes are approximate and can be adjusted to suit. My favourite is this Fruit & Veg Basket, a beautiful example of Hen's wonderful skill.

I just love the fact that such an ancient craft is being kept alive today by a genuinely skilled artisan, whose whole lifestyle reflects her passion for sustainable management of our countryside and a pure love and awe of nature. Have a closer look at Hen's work on Coriandr.

You can also find Hen on twitter and on her blog, www.heartandsoil.blogspot.com

Sweet Treats on the Coriandr Express!

2009-07-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

We're nearing the end of the Coriandr Express journey now, just a few more stops to go, but the coal elves are busily stoking the engine and we simply refuse to lose momentum! Currently being served first class goodies in the VIP seat is Debbie of Sweet Treat. In her own words... 'I use what spare time I have to chill out with my vintage and new beads to create...my "me" time. I'm an old-fashioned girl really and love vintage jewellery. I have a very girly daughter who keeps me up to date so I still keep a modern twist on my work!'

You'll have to move fast if you like these Victoria Earrings - Debbie has created them using the last two of some vintage ceramic beads with a lovely rose design, so they are a unique pair!

You can also catch up with Debbie on twitter or her blog.

Tiny Pretty Things

2009-07-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Tiny Pretty Things is the shop lovingly stocked with goodies by Molly McCausland.

A fine art student by day, illustrator and cartoonist by night, she uses both digital and traditional means to create strange but cute characters. Tiny Pretty Things also contains Mini Art, the eco friendly tiny drawings on recycled and reclaimed packing card, so that you can boost your eco ego as well as indulging in something beautiful.

One thing you won't find in her shop though is The Inspiration Ninja, pictured below. That's because I bought it on Friday... sorry folks, it had to be done. It's mine! Mine I tell you! Mwahh haa haa haah haaaa... (ok I'll stop now!)

You can catch up with Molly on twitter or facebook, and you can also have an arty read on her blog.

Love, Light & Peas!

2009-07-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Love, Light & Peas: I just love the name of this shop, you can tell immediately that it's the brainchild of somebody with a great quirky sense of humour! Proprietor Lottie is the current VIP on the Coriandr Express, and her green credentials are quite impressive to say the least...
Her paper goods are made from upcycled paper; as she says, 'It's better than ordinary recycled paper because it's not processed between lives; I take it straight from its waste incarnation and transform it into something useful. It's interesting and beautiful because you can see what it used to be.'
Her stitched items are sewn on a hand-powered antique sewing machine.
Her house is powered by renewable energy.
And all of her packaging is reused or recycled!

If you want to find out more about Lottie and her eco-friendly crafting adventures you can follow her on twitter or read her blog!

Lej jewellery

2009-07-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Ok the sun is shining gloriously and everybody's making the most of it (but at the same time complaining about being too hot). The Coriandr Express is still powering along, albeit with the windows open, and the little trolley vendors have completely run out of anything remotely cold or refreshing, but we still have lots of gorgeous things to show you! Heatstroke or not the show must go on...

Next up is Joanne of lej jewellery. Her shop is full of simple, classic jewellery and she has recently started fusing glass so watch this space! I particularly like 'sea shore', featuring a beautiful blue lampwork pendant enhanced by toning Swarovski crystals.

If you see anything in her shop which you would like in a different size or colour, Jo is more than happy to provide a bespoke service - all you have to do is ask!

Shiny stuff

2009-07-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's that time again, the Coriandr Express is in town and our current VIP is the rather splendid CeeGee Jewellery. Here you'll find sterling silver jewellery, handcrafted in Cheshire using only the highest quality beads and findings. My personal favourite would have to be this Polka Flower Charm Bracelet, a simple design with a touch of glorious green!

Why not pay a visit to Coriandr and have a look around, there's so many talented people on there you're bound to find something wonderful!

You can also follow CeeGee Jewellery on twitter or read the blog.

Frute Juce on the Coriandr Express

2009-06-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

Alison of Frute Juce is the current VIP on the fabulous locomotive and I have to say I am a big fan of this lady. I've been following her blog for a while now, she talks with humour and love about her family and her crafts. And she also happens to be the creator of my absolute favourite item on coriandr at the moment! It's the wonderful 'Funky Flowery Fun Handbag', a practical yet quirky item with a nice sense of humour.

She also sells lots of other goodies including baby vests, coin purses, fridge magnets and calico bunnies, and a frequent revisit is advised as Alison says 'whatever takes my fancy at that moment is what I make, so my items can be quite changeable".

Snapdragon Beads

2009-06-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

Next stop on the Coriandr Express is the lovely Alice, who by her own admission is addicted to beads! One glimpse at her fabulous creations and you just know there's something slightly obsessional going on...

She has the brain of a mathematician and the heart of an artist, and I think she combines the two wonderfully in the off-loom bead weaving technique she uses to create pendants, earrings, hair clips and brooches. I especially like the Frog Princess Earrings, the gorgeous fresh greens just sing out! Think about the amount of work involved in these beauties, you just can't get that on the high street... and to make it even better Alice is offering free shipping for all purchases until the end of June...

If you like Alice's work you can pop over to her Coriandr shop for a closer look. You can also find her on twitter, facebook, and www.snapdragonbeads.com.

Eco-friendly goodies from myfuroshiki!

2009-06-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Next stop on the Coriandr Express is the wonderful myfuroshiki. This has to be one of my favourite shops, and Michiko is one of my favourite sellers. I met her a couple of months ago when we both had stalls at Keighley Arts Market, and she is a lovely person who has a genuine passion for what she does. myfuroshiki is a joint venture between Mich and her sister Olivia, and is inspired by the Japanese tradition of using fabric to wrap gifts, make bags and create decorative wall hangings. This is a fantastic eco-conscious concept as the wraps can be used time & again, and for numerous different purposes - how many uses can you think of? You can check out myfuroshiki.blogspot.com for more ideas.

One of my favourite items is this set of 10 mini fabric gift wraps, all of which have been handprinted and come with 10 myfuroshiki card gift tags. Also included is a handy instruction sheet with illustrations for wrapping techniques!

You can also make a custom request for special occasion furoshiki favours to suit your theme - what a brilliant idea for an eco-friendly wedding!

Debbs Elliman: Coriandr Express VIP

2009-06-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

Debbs is the new VIP on the Coriandr Express. Her shop has a nicely varied selection of items including dichroic glass jewellery, dichroic buttons, beaded brooches and jute bags.

But my favourite has to be this Apple Wood Wand! Made from a branch dropped by her own apple tree, it has been sanded down, wrapped with wire, beads & ribbon, and has a clear quartz at the tip.

You can catch up with Debbs on Twitter, Facebook or her blog.

Anyone for cakes?

2009-06-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

I just have to show you some of the goodies created by the latest VIP on the Coriandr Express. Mrs Toad Designs is the creative outlet of Catherine, who believe it or not is only 18 years old!

This selection of little cakes is my favourite, and you can choose three for only £3.50 plus postage!

Here's a few words from Catherine: " I have always enjoyed making things, and have been sewing since I was small. For the past five years I have been designing and making beaded jewellery, as well as hand stitched felt brooches. Recently I have begun making my own felt, using wet and dry felting techniques and Merino Cross wool, which I use to create my felt cake pincushions".

You can also read about Catherine's creative adventures on her blog, mrstoaddesigns.blogspot.com

Coriandr Express: Nicsknots

2009-06-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

The latest VIP on the Coriandr Express happens to have one of my favourite shops, full of colourful items at very reasonable prices. In her own words, "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".
My favourite is this kids' handbag in a cute green penguins fabric, I think it's supposed to be for girls but my youngest boy loves it!

As an extra bonus Nic herself is offering free postage on all her items until Sunday night, 14th June!

You can also catch up with her on Twitter or Facebook, or read her crafty blog here.

Creativesque: new VIP on the Coriandr Express!

2009-06-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

The next person to have the fabulous and yet daunting position of being the VIP on the Coriandr Express is the lovely Stacey-Ann. In her own words she is "an artist, illustrator and mum from London, who loves drawing, colouring in and making stuff". Well she obviously enjoys doing it, just check out her Coriandr shop Creativesque and you can see for yourself the enthusiasm she pours into it! I particularly like this notecard & envelope, where else could you get something that has been handdrawn, handpainted and embellished with a cute heart and bow for only £1.50 plus postage?

Avast me hearties!

2009-06-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

When the weather is this hot my thoughts turn to the beach...but wait, what's that I see on the horizon? Could it be Cap'n Skulduggery Dug and her dastardly crew? Racing ashore with a booty of handmade treasures...

Seriously, you need to check out the Cap'n's wares(!).. from an eyepatch to felted dreadlocks and even a swag bag, no self-respecting pirate would leave home without some of this kit! And I especially love the Toddlers Skullcap.

As an added bonus, Pirate Pixie Crew are offering a 10% discount for the whole of June! All together now, "yo ho ho & a bottle of rum"...

The fiendish mind behind it all has this to say... "I'm Lynne and I am 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. You can read all about the crew at http://skulduggerydug.com. All ages are welcome to join the crew and when you do you can join in with the adventures!"

Lynne is also responsible for Autonomous Artisans, a journal that ignores mass made goods in favour of the lovingly handcrafted products made by the independent artisans of the world.

I'm in a Treasury....

2009-05-29T05:56:00.001-07:00

The wonderful niftyknits has included me in her Etsy Treasury 'Geminis dream of romance'.She chose my Verdant Green Rainbow Pin. Thanks nifty! I surprised you had the time to create a treasury, what with all that global trekky meerkat domination...

Kitty Ballistic!

2009-05-29T04:18:00.000-07:00

Hi all, just a quick post today to suggest you check out the fabulous Ms. Kitty Ballistic! She makes the most wonderful range of jewellery, from the quirky to the classic. She also creates cute little felt toys. Something there for everyone!

Festival Chic!

2009-05-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm probably not going to get to one of the big music festivals this summer (boo!) but if I was, I'd definitely be taking one of Handmaid's gorgeous scarfs. These are the work of Julie Mills, who creates wonderful designs which are then digitally printed on silk satin, before being finished by handstitching. My favourite is the Blue Bird Scarf, shown below, which is also available in pink.

A scarf like this is an invaluable piece of kit for an outdoor festival as you can wear it in so many different ways, including as a bandana if the sun gets too much or if all that camping has given you a 'bad hair day'! Also silk satin is a lovely lightweight material and so can be packed easily... in fact, why not just go for the blue AND the pink?!

If you're a fan of Julie's work you can check out her website or follow her on twitter.

Coriandr Express

2009-05-20T03:45:00.000-07:00

Yup, me too, I am indeed aboard that glorious crafty locomotive with a gaggle of creative buddies! Our mission is to promote each other, coriandr, and handmade gorgeousness in general! First stop Dig The Earth, next stop global domination.....

I have to say, I love Dig The Earth. After all I am married to Kev, the chap behind it all! And I can vouch for the fact that his cards are just as fabulously colourful as they appear in the photos.

His green credentials also extend way beyond the items he makes for his shop. As a household we recycle everything we can, we even have a wormery converting all our kitchen waste into potent compost for the garden (sad excuse for a pet I know). And check out his blog if you want to follow progress on The Shed!

If you're not already a convert, pop over to coriandr - there are lots of wonderful handmade things on there, not just from the riders on the Coriandr Express!

Interviewed by the fabulous niftyknits!

2009-03-13T03:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all, happy Comic Relief day!!

I have been interviewed by the lovely Heather of niftyknits, you can check it out on her blog. It's always a fun read but today it's particularly fabulous! ;)

I'm in a treasury!

2009-03-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely message today from Rachel of Rachel Lucie Jewellery Designs, letting me know she has included one of my items in a Yorkshire treasury on Etsy.

She chose my Summer Pudding bracelet.

She also featured my hubby's Concentricity II notecards. Blimey, finally get a bit of the limelight and I have to share it! You can read all about it on Rachel's blog.

New avatar!

2009-03-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

I've decided to change my avatar, it used to be a big juicy red Murano heart, but I think the new one is more representative of the stuff I'm making at the moment. What do you think?

Spring is almost here!!

2009-02-18T01:40:00.001-08:00

I moved some dead foliage out of the way in the garden yesterday, only to be greeted by a beautiful little cluster of snowdrops.... sometimes the simplest unexpected pleasures are the best!

In celebration of the advent of spring, and all those wonderful colours hiding under the soil waiting to burst into life, I decided to have my first 'Spring Sale' on Folksy.

The most colourful things in my shop are my Rainbow Pins, so I'm reducing them all by a third to £5 for the duration of February...

Feel free to have a look in my Folksy shop, when you get there just click on the keyword 'pin'.

Here's to spring!!

New creations!

2009-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've listed a couple of new things on Folksy. They kind of stray slightly from my previous items, but they're just the sort of thing I've been creating as gifts for friends and family since... erm.. well since I was a young thing (not as recent as you might suspect!). Anyway, here's a sneaky peek... click on the images for more details. The first image is 'Secret Heart Necklace', then 'Love & Freedom Necklace'.

Hello!

2009-02-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome to my shiny brand new blog! I'm new to all of this blogging shenanigans so I'll be learning as I go. Wish me luck!