Mollie Makes Boho Feather Necklace Kit from Immediate Media Co

During my browsing of all of the fab exhibitors at the ICHF Craft Shows, I discovered the Immediate Media Co stand. Hubby B has a huge collection of Gardeners World Magazine and I love Mollie Makes and Craftseller, so I was straight over to see what was going on!

As well as offering 'at show only' subscription deals they were handing out a free gift! I grabbed mine immediately (pun intended) to discover it was a Mollie Makes kit (designed by Charlotte Smith of Lotts and Lots.) I'm looking forward to having a play with this and showing you the results!

Not only do Immediate Media Co offer great subscriptions on these particular craft magazines above, they have a whole host of others that are also present on my book shelf; such as Love Knitting for Baby, Love Crochet (obviously), Good Food and even some non-craft related titles such as You & Your Wedding and Prima Baby and Pregnancy.

Love Glitter, Love Glitzcraft Glitter Frosting Paste

One of the reasons for my trip to the ICHF Craft Shows was a desire to find out about new craft trends and products. It is very possible that I'm a bit behind here but just in case you Crafty B's haven't discovered it yet; here is a bit about glitter frosting paste. Heard of it? I hadn't!

Multiple Pom Poms with Multipom!

A short while ago, I told you all that I would be tracking down a company called Multipom at the ICHF shows at the NEC. I did indeed track them down and as mentioned in this post they made good on the promise of being able to create up to 20 pom poms at a time! Although the little gadget I had previously makes a quick pom pom, I could still only do one at a time and this product allows you to get multiple pom poms of equal size!

The Multipom maker was one of the best things I acquired at the weekend and Sue and Ellie were two of the nicest people that I met over the three days that I was there.

I was in complete awe of the demonstration as Sue showed us how the frame worked sat amongst a beautiful display of all things pom pom! (I was so distracted that I forgot to take a picture of their beautiful stand! Doh!)

Twiddling and Tucking with Muslin Mistress; Jennie Rayment

This class with Made Peachy wasn't the only opportunity for me to get a bit of sewing practice in this weekend. In fact I learnt some lovely texturing techniques with Jennie Rayment on a Madeira and Bernina Workshop; Twiddle and Tuck into Embellishment.

Not only did I have the opportunity to play with a bit of a snazzy sewing machine and get in some practice, I learned some really great techniques that, had I seen an example of before hand, I would have thought impossible for my level of ability!

First we learned to sew in some 'tucks.' I had never really appreciated the simplicity of doing this before for quite a nice texturing effect.

The Sewing Club with Made Peachy and Vilene (Guest Appearances: Easy to Sew Cosmetic Purse and Some Cambridge Based Crafty B's)

Very recently I made a new space for my sewing machine in the hope that I would be more likely to play with it. It became apparent very quickly that I had lost my confidence with my machine and needed a bit of practice. What better place to get started then at the ICHF Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC this month.

I was lucky enough to get myself a spot on a workshop with Laura of Made Peachy who hosted 'The Sewing Club' sponsored by Vilene. These were free of charge and participants had the chance to make things such as knotted headbands, belts, bibs and key fobs. Here is a post on Made Peachy in which Laura talks about theses items and preparing for the classes. Our workshop was all about making a cosmetic purse. Perfect, since I just bought myself a whole new load of make up and it is worthy of a new case!
The first notable things were the colour combinations of fabrics and zips next to the machines that were all set up and ready for us. They were absolutely beautiful. I sat down next to the brightest one I could see. (Note to self; must learn the art of colour and pattern combinations!) The next thing I noticed were the beautiful lace zips that we would be using. We had already been eyeballing these at Little Laura's Haberdashery and I was so excited to be shown how to use them properly. I'm ashamed to say that despite full intention of going back for a few, I completely forgot before I left on the Sunday. It's a good job they sell online. I also need to get hold of some of the backing fabric we used.

My Crafty Adventure at the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery and Stitch and Hobby Crafts Shows at the NEC

I can't believe the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery and Stitch and Hobby Crafts shows have come and gone so quickly!

I've had an amazing weekend at the show, browsing stands and products, finding out about the latest craft trends, chatting to crafters, taking part in workshops and catching up with friends. I didn't want it to end. So I've decided it's not going to.

ICHF put on great events and it's fab to be in the thick of it; discovering new products and companies, stocking up your craft stash with lots of great bargains, learning new techniques and being completely inspired. What is also great is being able to take all of the inspiration and ideas and the knowledge of where to find your products and using that back home in your own crafty world till the next show you go to! Admittedly the buzz is addictive and you get some GREAT show only deals. My aim is to keep the buzz going between events! 

In my pursuit of craftiness, I'll tell you all about some of the lovely exhibitors I met, some of the products I've tried and some of the crafts I've been inspired by.

Here's a sneak peak…

Some of the costumes from ITV's Mr Selfridge

Giveaway: £15 voucher to spend at Alliedesign

Earlier in the week we met textile artist, Alison Nicholson. She kindly offered up a special discount for all the Crafty B's attending the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts shows at the NEC this March.

You can find your special code in this blog post.

Meet the Maker: Textile Artist; Alison Nicholson

Well Crafty B's we have another Meet the Maker for you and this one is exciting on so many levels. Alison Nicholson is a textile artist who will be exhibiting at the the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts shows at the NEC this March (you know about this right?!) Once we have met Alison and here featured item, I am going to tell you about your exclusive Crafty B's discount that you can use at her stand at the show and there might also be a little giveaway! 

A Fabulous Crafternoon with Hillarys Blinds, The Crafty Hen and Joe Blogs

Yesterday I ventured out into a world outside of my (much loved) Little B's and the laptop. For the past few months I have been communicating with anyone and everyone via the internet and thinking about my blog and my new business venture. I had yet to take that step back into the world of networking, meeting people and not hiding behind the screen, pram and my boys. I actually had to be myself; whats more, people didn't throw things at me! Score.

So, where did I go you're all wondering. I headed down to Chapter in Cardiff to #HillarysCrafternoon. This was an event organised by @joesbloggers and hosted by them alongside @hillarysblinds and @the_crafty_hen.

A Week of New Things

A really quick catch up from me today! I am off out. This week has been a bit crazy; relative to last week when I was all alone! I have been putting into practice advice on how to be productive and getting myself into gear to start as a freelance virtual PA.