My sister is coming to stay today. Yay. She lives in Scotland and so I don’t get to see her very often. We’re all in a state of excitement, including the cats. There’s always lots of travelling over Christmas - staying with family, weekend city breaks (oh please Santa, Europe), New Year’s Eve bashes etc. An overnight bag is therefore de rigueur.

Check these out. They’re made from organic hemp canvas and Fair Trade burlap coffee sacks. The burlap and hemp canvas has been fused with a natural cotton fabric for extra strength. The inside is lined with a olive medium weight cotton. There are two large open pockets which are perfect to help organise your bag contents. There is also a 25cm waterproof zip pocket because we all know how frustrating it is when your shampoo leaks in your bag.

You can buy them from The Wren.

Quite liking the Vesper too!

All of the above are available to buy from Makers Online, a new portal championing designer / makers. There are no joining or listing fees; a small commission is taken on each purchase. Therefore, you don’t start paying until you make a sale.

Products are displayed prominently rather then being buried under several layers of navigation and there is a link to each maker on the home page of the site. Shoppers can find what they’re looking for quickly and with minimum fuss and there’s free shipping throughout the UK.

For further information go to www.makers-online.co.uk.

Pics (clockwise from top left):

Blue Vintage Ceramic Brooch by ItsAlchemy

Little Turtle Cushion by Simon Seabright

Betty Purse by Nicola De Cruz

Mine Stacking Rings by Kalicat

I love these bags. Such a simple concept but so effective. The brand new diamante collection is so sparkly and will definitely brighten up your shopping. Each tote is embellished with brilliant multi colour diamantes. There’s an A for Amy, a Z for Zara and something for everyone in between.

Alphabet Bags are made using 100% heavy-weight cotton and are stitched or screen printed in the UK. Owners Hayley and Lucas spent many months experimenting with different materials to source the best cotton to make a lovely high quality tote.

And if letters are not your thing, maybe you’re a question mark girl or even an exclamation girl? As well as the alphabet bags they have a good range of typographic, silhouette, punctuation and number bags.

Find them all at www.alphabetbags.com.

Helen Rawlinson is a textiles designer based at the Chocolate Factory Studios in London. Over the last decade her printed lampshades have popped up in homes all over the UK. Her work incorporates illustration, print and machine embroidery.

Helen’s lampshades are perforated with machine stitching to reveal an illumination of tiny pinpricks when lit. I love the use of coffee, pistachio and muted pink against matt cream backgrounds.

And in addition to the lampshades Helen does a good line in bags, purses and screenprint patches.

Shop in £s at www.helenrawlinson.bigcartel.com.
Shop in $s at www.helenrawlinson.etsy.com.

And btw The Chocolate Factory? Now that sounds like a desirable address.

Made in Manchester
Craft Shop - Royal Exchange Theatre - Manchester
30th June - 29th August

The Craft Shop at Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre is hosting “Made in Manchester” from Tuesday 30th June until Saturday 29th August 2009.

This new exhibition has been curated to coincide with the Manchester International Festival and showcases the work of artists and crafts people from the Manchester area.

The work will be exhibited in the shop and in the glass cabinets along the colonnade of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s Great Hall. All work is for sale for the duration of the exhibition.

Exhibitors include:

Andrea Lord, Beverly Gee, Cloversoul, Dontbitchstitch, Emma Fozard, Evvy, Faine Day, Helen Musselwhite, Helen Tiffany, Ian Chadwick, Lucy May Schofield, Megan Price, Moots, Rowena Golton, Sarah Malone and Stuart Galligan.

Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk/craftshop

This is the post I should have written last week. Or possibly even the week before. Got my dates a little mixed up there. If you haven’t bought your gift or if you’re struggling for ideas, here’s some inspiration.

Artwork (above)

I love this illustration by artist Lisa Evans. Alice and the cat are listening to the snowfall. You can purchase this beautiful illustration through Lisa’s Etsy store www.firefluff.etsy.com.

Jewellery and Accessories

Clockwise from top left.

Pretty, feminine jewellery and accessories.

Pearl Bubble Necklace by Rachael Lamb at Hannah Zakari - www.hannahzakari.co.uk
Black and Silver Curls Clutch Bag by Dazed Dorothy at Hannah Zakari - www.hannahzakari.co.uk
Yellow Crochet Corsage at Betty Joy - www.bettyjoy.co.uk
Mother of pearl bracelet ‘Little frogs and butterflies’ by Zoe Bonbon at Ella Georgia - www.ellageorgiajewellery.co.uk

Cupcakes

Yummy cupcakes delivered direct to your door by Fair Cake - www.faircake.co.uk Psst - click on their shop link to buy lots of cake making accessories, books and all round cakey goodness.

Flowers

Flowers. Always lovely on Mothers’ Day. Tulips and daffodils tied with a simple ribbon make a stylish and thoughtful gift. Buy from your local florist.

Following on from yesterday’s romantic theme, I wanted to share Bedcrumb’s Vivien Purses. Made of 100% cotton canvas and fully lined, each one carries a love letter print and girly illustration. Perfect to stash your secret necessities.

The Bedcrumb website is a kind of ‘Alice in Wonderland’s boudoir’; full of curiosities and knickknacks. Here you’ll find exclusive homewares and special gifts. Textiles are digitally printed with original illustrations and decorated with new and vintage fabrics. Cards, scarves, accessories and sleepy sachets bear the same quirky graphics and signature peg dolls.

Go to www.bedcrumb.co.uk.

Custom cute, custom kooky, Custom Made. Anna’s shop is brimming with Christmas gift ideas and super cute stocking fillers. Unusual accessories rub shoulders with homewares, bags and other pretty textiles.

www.custommadeuk.com

Little Dollies - £8.50
Knitted wristlets - £14
Tweet Brooch - £7.50
Vintage Flower Ring - £7.50

PS Custom Made will be at the BUST Craftular on Saturday.