These hats made my day. They’re just so cute.

The designer / maker is Christl Hansman of Fiberpuppy. She specialises in unique handmade felted accessories. The hats are my firm favourites. They’re made from 100% pure wool and will keep you toasty warm.

Like the hats the scarves are real statement pieces combining colour, pattern and unusual texture.

And there’s bags, totes and phone cozies too!

Discover more at www.fiberpuppy.com.
Shop at www.etsy.com/shop/fiberpuppy.
Like at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fiberpuppy/155070204480
Follow at www.twitter.com/fiberpuppy
Read more at www.fiberpuppy.blogspot.com

This time last week I was sat on a hillside looking out at the sea. Today, I’m sat in my office overlooking the A6. The only bad thing about holidays is coming home again and that ‘end of holiday’ feeling.

Before normal service resumes tomorrow I thought I’d share a few of my holiday pics. If you haven’t visited before, Whitby is a truly beautiful place. The beach is long and sandy with dramatic cliffs. A ruined abbey looks out over a fishing harbour and the town is a rare combination of old and new. Cobbled streets, winding alleyways and fishing cottages are mixed with modern shops, cafes and restaurants.

See, I told you it was beautiful.

Meet theSwayze. An academic-slash-scientist making a foray into the creative arts.

Her stylish range of jewellery and accessories is inspired by nature, evolution, history and all things nerdy. Victoriana features widely in the current collection.

Buy from www.etsy.com/shop/theswayze.

Plueys’ new limited edition rainboots are out now and aptly named Sew Cute. Designed by illustrator Marceline Smith, the pattern depicts a collage of vintage buttons inspired by the souks and bustling markets of Marrakesh.

Sew Cute slim fit rainboots feature a unique matte texture and are comfortably lined with olive cotton, printed with the Marceline Smith logo.

Pick up your pair at www.plueys.com.

It’s nearly Autumn. We went for a walk over the weekend and noticed that the leaves are already starting to change colour and fall. Just a little but it’s started.

This photograph by Irene Suchocki reminds me of the end of summer. Of sitting outside in the evening when the light is fading. Of soft breezes and pulling on a cardigan, while the fairy lights and lanterns rock gently and glimmer in the early dusk.

Irene’s photographs have been featured on numerous book covers and her prints have found their way into private homes around the world. She says of her work, “Faithfully capturing a scene is less important to me than finding that little bit of mystery or evoking a certain mood. I like to explore the ethereal, the surreal, the whimsical, the mysterious, and the beautiful. I enjoy creating little poems for the eyes.”

For more information and to buy online go to www.irenesuchocki.etsy.com.

It’s London Fashion Week next month and an off-schedule fashion show will feature emerging and independent designers from across the globe. The line-up includes Amato Couture (recently commissioned by Heidi Klum to design a range for Germany’s Next Top Model), Jonathan Liang (awarded the Most Promising Malaysian Designer accolade) and Mr Lipop (as featured on Project Catwalk).

I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Furne One of Amato Couture about preparing for catwalk shows, his influences and design inspiration.

“I’m a hands on kind of a person, so I collaborate closely with everyone involved, from the choreographer, hair and make-up, lights people, set / stage designers to make sure I get the desired effect that would complement the look and feel of my designs. Also, I pay special attention to music that will be used. I select the songs myself, as well as various audio enhancements. Every aspect should work together as a single unit to produce a great catwalk show.”

Furne draws inspiration from some unlikely sources including music, films, gothic art and vintage images. But what happens when the inspiration stops flowing? “I suppose every kind of artist experiences a ‘block’ of some sort every now and then. Based on my experience, whenever I get one of these creativity block attacks, I travel. I immerse myself in the sights and varied cultures that I see and experience. Sooner or later, the block just goes away.”

Amato Couture’s latest collection is inspired by England’s golden age and the reign of Elizabeth I. “I have noticed that I am mostly influenced by strong women,” explains Furne. “And by that, I mean either real life historic ones or ladies created by pop culture. I suppose I share some kind of kinship with them.” The silhouettes are classics and structured, and the overall look and feel is grand and majestic. A palette of soft and light earthy tones have been used, with intricate embroidery beadwork, crystal embellishment and hard painted images.

Tickets to the catwalk show are £20 each and include a champagne cocktail on arrival and a goody bag bursting at the seams. Tickets are limited to the public and so make sure you book soon to avoid disappointment.

What: A La Mode International London Fashion Week Show
When: Friday 17 and Saturday 18 September at 7.30pm
Where: Charing Cross Hotel, London
Book Online: www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk/alamodeschedules2010.html

Mary Portas, aka Mary Queen of Shops, has spoken to the UK handmade industry via an open letter on her website.

On August 12th craft blogs UK Handmade and Handmade and Fabulous! posted an open letter to Mary Portas, asking for her help to raise the industry’s profile and bring handmade goods to the high street.

Mary’s advice was as follows, “If you want to compete with the big boys, you need to step up your game and act like sophisticated retailers who just happen to sell handmade products.” She went onto make a number of suggestions on selling online, PR, product adjacencies and pricing. She also talked about product placement, “I love handmade products and I think they have a real place in the future of retail, but I want handmade in a modern, sexy environment, not handmade in a Church hall.” Her points were tough but absolutely spot on.

Anna Stassen, Editor of UK Handmade Magazine, agreed with Mary’s points saying, “In her own inimitable way, Mary served up some blunt but very useful advice which all designer-makers would do well to take on board and put into practice. At the end of the day, raising the profile of handmade falls to us all as designer-makers and we can each play our part in making the image of handmade match the reality by taking our own businesses to the next level.”

Susan Morrow, from Handmade and Fabulous! felt that the issues needed more discussion, “Mary made some pertinent points about how individuals can up their game in the overall fashion and accessories industry, but she didn’t address the main issue of overall perception of the industry image and accessibility to handmade products.”

The teams from UK Handmade and Handmade and Fabulous! have emailed Mary’s Yellowdoor agency to request a meeting to discuss the issue in more detail and to invite her to help in raising the profile of the handmade brand within the UK.

The original letter can be found on the blogs:
UK Handmade: http://ukhandmade.co.uk/magazine/handmadeneedsyou

Handmade and Fabulous!: http://fabulouslyhandmade.blogspot.com/2010/08/mary-portas-handmade-fashion-and.html

You can read Mary Portas’s Open Letter to the UK Handmade Industry here: http://www.maryportas.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=77:an-open-letter-to-the-uk-handmade-industry

My-Wardrobe.com went live in 2006 and now receives over 800, 000 visitors each month. Sitting comfortably between Net-a-Porter and ASOS, the affordable luxury brand has won numerous accolades and was recently listed as number three of the Online Fashion 100.

Sarah and Lauren were extremely open and generous in sharing information about the company and how it had grown from two to almost 90 staff. They offered some great insights into marketing, PR and e-commerce.

Click here to read the full post on the Vanilla Storm blog.

I’ve been sat here for thirty minutes trying to write the opening sentence to this post. Sometimes it’s so difficult to pinpoint exactly why you like something. It’s the simplicity, I think. Early American shipping crates are combined with elegant table legs to create unusual and unique side tables. Made by Modern Arks in Nashville, the tables are sturdy and functional and yet aesthetically pleasing at the same time.

Each leg assembly is custom made to fit the unique crate that it supports. Sized to fit snugly under the crate, gravity makes sure the table works, while making it possible to slide the crate off unharmed.

The process of repurposing ensures that the tables can be appreciated for years to come.

US customers can order direct through Modern Arks’ Etsy store, where you can also find wall art, notebooks and postcards. Customers outside the US should contact Modern Arks for shipping options.

Feisty girls, girls with attitude and scene setters are the frequent subjects of Danielle Smurthwaite’s Stitch and Ink artwork. Beautifully illustrated with elaborate detail and bold colours, Danni’s designs can be sold as pictures, on clothing or as stickers.

The beauty of these pieces is in the detail. Anchor tattoos, a butterfly hair slide and a stripy over-the-knee sock slipping down to reveal a sticky plaster all add to their charm. It is the wonderfully complex characters that bring the pieces to life. The cool girl with with micro mini holds a toy rabbit by its ear. And the smoking girl with the tattooed arm wears a pretty butterfly hair slide.

To view more go to www.doodlesbydanni.co.uk or skip straight to the shop at www.doodlesbydanni.bigcartel.com.