The New Forest Show

So moving on from a busy weekend we were straight off to set up the New Forest Show on Monday. We loaded up the car with ceramics, paints, fliers and a tent! Yes we decided to camp.... After long days working on a busy stall who needs a comfy bed and a good nights sleep after all?!


Day 1: We began by stacking up the car with everything we could cram in, and when we say cram, we mean cram. Locked and loaded we headed off to the show full of excitement and anticipation.

After missing our turn off, and the excitement slightly dwindled, we arrived over an hour later... not the twenty minute stroll we were expecting! Getting to the kids area at the show was fantastic though. It's huge and full of stalls from hot tubs to horses, arenas, art tents, beautiful gardens and delicious food. We set up the gazebo and unloaded everything we could before setting off to the campsite to put up the tent. Feeling very proud of our Girl Guiding backgrounds we headed back off to the barn to collect the final bits, then back to the show again to do the last bits of setting up and finally back to the tent.

Only slight problem, it was now dark and we had no idea where we had pitched our tent. After trawling round in the dark for what felt like forever we finally found it, set up our first class accommodation and went to brush our teeth, all ready for a good rest. Only thing was, we took the wrong path back to our tent. Once again we were circling around the dark, no idea where we were going or if we would find the tent. We trawled past caravans, tents, campervans and still no sign. By this point it was also cold and we were trying to decide who best to ring if you can’t find your tent, fire men would be good! Eventually back in our tent, day one done and dreams about firemen rescuing us all night long...


Day 2: After a chilly night in the tent we set off early to the show. And what a fantastic day, beautiful sunshine and fun had by all. We were kept well entertained by the dance performances, Crazy M the clown, choirs and more. There were some truly beautiful ceramics painted and there was a lovely atmosphere. Its always great to see families just enjoying time out together and everyone getting creative!

We loved seeing these three!

We wrapped up just after six and headed back to the tent. Loaded up with paint pallets to be washed we made our way down to the Dish Washing station, unfortunately we hadn't quite realised the how late it now was and we were running out of time to get there before the pub stopped serving food! After a long day there is nothing more important than pub grub! So after a quick debate about stashing the pallets in the bush, we headed to the pub with the pallets in hand. Not remotely embarrassing (!), still a lovely meal and then to bed.

Belinda carrying our box of pallets

Day 3: More ceramics. More Crazy M the Clown, more choir singing and most importantly, more sunshine! Another lovely day and it was great to see some of our well known customers around the show too. Belinda was up to her usual antics, posing with a horse, very funny!

Day 4: An earlier start to make sure we could pack away the tent before the show but we were up bright and early ready to go! One of the highlights of the day was heading to take part in the Welly Wanging World Record attempt. After much military style organisation, the welly wanging took place with both young and old taking part. A hilarious end to a fantastic week. After packing up our stand it was finally time to head home. We were really sad to be leaving the show but looking forward to being back in our own beds and all ready for the next happenings! A huge thank you to Aaron Lawford from Sullivan Lawford who let BellaCrafts join him in the fab kids section!

Here, there and everywhere...

This summer we thought we'd let you in on the crazy world that is planning our External Events. Every year we attend school fetes, festivals, country shows, markets, plus team bonding days! We thought we'd give you all a sneak peak into what happens when we get out and about! So here we go with our last weekend of events and do keep your eyes peeled for our next update.

The first weekend of the Summer Holidays really kicked off with a bang. We whizzed off on Friday to offer ceramic painting at the Netley Marsh Show and prepared some beautiful taster crafts for Southampton Uni's Summer party, followed by workshops at Ikea on Sunday.

Our Summer party went off without a hitch, lots of very happy crafters creating decopatch, hand sewn flowers and other projects, though as it usually goes, decopatch being by far the most popular! We think it was a great way to unwind for the end of term.

On the other hand, Victoria, on route to Netley Marsh, had a few hiccups... Having taken a slight detour (I.e. Programing the sat nav to the entirely wrong location and driving 20 minutes in the wrong direction) she arrived at the show to find her old banger had betrayed her and given up on the handbrake. Now any of you who know the Netley Marsh Show will know it takes place on hills and mounds, not the easiest place to find a a completely flat parking spot, but the show must go on! So some time later after a beautiful area prepared for young ceramic painters and novice hook a duckers, the RAC arrived at the show.

Car fixed and the real fun of painting and games could start. Beautiful weather, lovely visitors and marvellous creations, who could ask for a better weekend!

Ikea was a completely different world... with their plush internal offices and creative stations. We were tasked with preparing several upcycled jars - great fun! Then showcased our creations and ran workshops for eager participates. A really enjoyable day and we can't wait to go back.

Check out our next update where will be sharing the gossip about the New Forest Show and our little camping trip....
Til next time crafters!

Getting Totally Muddy!

So this week we wanted to celebrate one of our team members doing something selfless for charity. Last weekend Victoria ditched her glad rags, threw on some old clothes and got covered head to toe in mud! Yep that's right in her hair, in her ears, not to mention where else...

And why we hear you ask? Well all to raise money for Cancer Research UK in their Pretty Muddy 5k. As many of you know BellaCrafts really embraces being part of the community and all of us love to see how arts and crafts can be a real therapeutic experience for those who may be having a tough time due to their own illness, supporting others at home or having lost someone dear to them. It's amazing to see how quickly people get lost focusing on the tiny flick of their paintbrush or obsessed by placing their sparkly crystals in exactly the right order, suddenly we forget all those issues and worries! And we know we'd definelty prefer to be crafting rather than getting covered in mud!

We met Victoria at the finish line, keeping our distance, as she ran towards us with arms wide for an embrace! Here's what she had to say:
"I had a great time running around getting totally splattered! I've never been much of a runner (or anything remotely sporty to be honest!) but knowing that you are running for a good cause and to make those who have supported you proud, there could be no better motivation. I personally have watched 6 family members and friends go through battles with cancer, some winnng, some sadly defeated and some on-going so it's something that I do feel really strongly about. I'm glad I can do something to give back... Next year 10k!!!"

Take a look and have a giggle as these totally flattering  pictures of our Victoria in her running gear. And for anyone who is having a hard time, whether it be due to illness or anything else, please do feel free to pop into us and just spend an afternoon in good company, with a cuppa wiling away the hours arts and crafts projects.

Check out those legs!

If you entered the Race for Life or Pretty Muddy we'd love to see your photo's too. Leave us a comment below :)

The Big Weekend!

This weekend the BellaCrafts team were busy visiting the Ricoh Arena attending the Craft and Hobby Association’s Big Weekend. We had a fantastic time rubbing shoulders with some of the industry’s biggest and best! Such a wealth of experiences, knowledge and every level of business. The three day show was packed with seminars, talks, networking and even a chance at a screen test with Create and Craft! We of course threw ourselves in! There's a list of people and companies who made the event for us and we'll be making sure we take up every opportunity.

We especially loved catching up with Sara Naumann again, we love, love, love her stamps and she is always such a friendly face with fantastic ideas about marketing and craft projects alike. We are already looking forward to the next event so we can have a good old gossip! If you haven’t seen her stamps (part of the Paper Artsy range) you really do need to check them out. Here’s a few of our favourites:

We met Debbie Moore, and hear her inspiring business journey. We heard her story of how she began as well as the hurdles and triumphs along the way. It was really interesting and gave us something to really aspire to, her creativity and business acumen were very impressive and her products are, as you all know, beautiful and bang on trend.

And as many of you know, we at BellaCrafts, couldn’t help getting stuck in and making our own contribution. Victoria taught a sewing workshop creating a collapsible storage box with just one fat quarter. Our much loved Jenniffer Taylor  even took part and it was great to have a good old chat with her again. Jenniffer herself is excelling and business is great for our old friend.
Belinda led a seminar and even featured on the “Ask the Experts” panel with people firing questions about all sorts of different aspects of the craft industry.

All in all it was an incredible weekend with lots of fantastic contacts in the room including Create and Craft TV, Crafter’s Companion, Bert and Gert’s Events, Circut  and more. As always we’ve come away with lots more ideas, big plans and exciting projects that we can’t wait to get under way... Watch this space J

The Diary of a Crafty Bride

This month we are getting super excited about weddings, after all who doesn't feel a little squeal of excitement every time they think of that gorgeous white dress, the beautiful array of bouquets and stunning country gardens. So far this year we've been lucky enough to collaborate with brides making their invites, creating bespoke jewellery and of course hosting Crafty Hen Do's. And, on top of that, a member of our own team is getting married too!

Harriet will be tying the knot with her other half this summer and she's been filling us all in with her wedding trifles and triumphs! Luckily for all you lovely people she's willing to share all with you too. This is the first instalment where she'll be filling us in with her latest wedding creations. Enjoy reading...

"So with my upcoming nuptials fast approaching, I thought I had better crack on and start some wedding prep!  I get married late July so now is the time I should be ticking off the last bits off my list but the list seems to be ever increasing…

My wedding has a relaxed, rustic feel to it and as a keen craftswoman I have decided to make most things from favours, jewellery and invites, to lanterns and hair-pieces myself. This did seem like a good idea two years ago when I got engaged, but as time is quickly ticking by, my deadlines are fast approaching.  I have of course also enlisted the help of Google and Pinterest to inspire my crafty wedding and the possibilities seem endless!

So this week I gathered an array of silk and dried flowers to turn into hair embellishments for myself and my bridesmaids and it was quite a task with my little two year old by my side ‘helping’ me at every step!  However, with my materials now collected and arranged I started to assemble them into some pretty hair pieces.  With my bridesmaids wearing greys, their flowers and accessories will provide the colour – cornflower blue, lavenders and plenty of natural greens which I hope will captured by my lovely photographer.

Using a mixture of sewing with wire and thread and with the help of some strong all-purpose glue I assembled my carefully selected bits of faux-foliage and pretty flowers. In the mix were lavender, love in the mist and forget-me-nots; I am trying to follow a garden flower theme for a nice relaxed feel… I just hope the glue dries in time to not stick the girl's scalps to the hair pieces! 

When I finished, I decided that they could do with a bit of sparkle (which I just can’t resist) so I decided to add some little crystals on wires, some which I made myself and others which I have bought ready-set.  Using some little tweezers and some fine craft pliers, I was just able to fiddle the little pieces into place and set them with my quick drying glue – a glue gun would have been ideal for this but as mine is somewhere in my jumble-sale of a loft I decide against trying to root it out.  I feel that aforementioned 2 year old would also have tried to have joined me up the rickety loft ladder which would definitely have ended in disaster!

Several days later with no loft-related disasters, but a cat that seems to have several little petals stuck to her fur, I have finished the hair ornaments. 

As I will not see my bridesmaids again until the day before my wedding, I am hoping they will look ok and actually stay in their hair!   I keep finding little leaves and beads on the floor from the hairpieces, and not being one to throw ANYTHING away, I have decided to use my leftover crafty bits to decorate some boxes which will contain my Bridesmaids’ thank you pressies – Which are also on my list to make…. I wonder if I can rope my craft-phobic fiancé in to help?  Hmmm, unless we are decorating the boxes in red and white Southampton FC stripes, I suspect not…

Well I had better get back to checking that ever growing list of mine as I suspect the time is fast approaching for me to start tackling my wedding jewellery!  Watch this space…"

Well we at BellaCrafts can not wait for the next instalment... Not sure about you ladies, but with hair pieces that pretty the whole team is queueing to be a bridesmaid!

If you are getting married soon why not pop into BellaCrafts this weekend where we'll be hosting our Wedding Open Days from 28th-30th of May. The event is totally free to attend and you'll be able to peruse  our full range of wedding stationary, commission bespoke jewellery, book a Hen do and enjoy a free make and take.

No need to book but do ring us on 023 8051 7054 for more information or
Visit our website: http://bellacrafts.co.uk/weddings/

Why we Love Crafting this February

This February we at BellaCrafts are forgetting the boyfriends and leaving the husbands to their own devices, instead we are taking the opportunity to spread some love to our friends, neighbours, those in need and of course our fellow crafty ladies!

This weekend  we'd like to invite everyone to our snuggly warm barn to create something beautiful together. Along side all our normal crafty projects we would love you to bring along your unloved craft projects, materials and tools. You can trade these in with other people's unloved items so everyone will receive a Valentines gift you absolutely love this year.... and get some Spring cleaning done at the same time. Bonus!

 

Do keep your eyes peeled too, as we will soon be launching our Charity Partners for 2016. We thought February was the perfect time to remember that some people are not as fortunate as we are and so we've decided that this year we want to really make a difference. Throughout the year we will be hosting fundraising events and working in partnership with two local charities. We will be launching our new partners on our website and Facebook and would love all the support that you can offer.

We also wanted to celebrate Valentines by sharing with you our most treasured craft projects. We'd like to inspire you to get creating today and would love to see your own favourite crafts. So we'll be giving away two free little tea lights at random to anyone who shares their favourite craft and why in the comments feed below. But without further ado, we'll share our favourite crafts!

"This is a hand sewn patchwork quilt I made for my son's first Christmas present, it's made from his old sleep suits from when he was a new born, plus fabrics from mine and my partners wardrobes! An up-cycled project that I'll always treasure."

Harriet

"My favourite is a very, very simple granny blanket for Isobel's bed. She chose the colours as we went along and I made it in between more complicated items when I wanted an easy evening. She loves it because I made it for her, I love it because it keeps her cosy!"

 Jasmine

"This is the very first dress that I made on my own, without my mum guiding me on how to follow the pattern. It is absolutely full of mistakes, the seams at the back don’t match and the front doesn’t even button up! But I love the Vintage 1950’s style and the really bold print. It's completely different to the dresses I find in shops and I loved the freedom of being able to make it fit me and have any length I wanted.I will always treasure it as my first real garment!"

Victoria

"My favourite craft right now is Arm Knitting. Having owned BellaCrafts for 7 years my crafting loves tend to follow trends and fashions.... so my favourite crafts are constantly changing! I almost find it impossible to pick just one as I've tried my hand at so many different projects and techniques. I love that no matter how many different crafts you learn, there are always new ideas, fantastic new products and a tonne of arty inspiration out there!"

Belinda

So there you have it, that's what get the BellaCrafts team buzzing about crafts! We would really love to see all our most loved items so please do share with us. Don't forget you're in with a chance to win a prize! And if we've inspired you to try a new craft or learn a new skill check out our latest workshops and events here:

http://bellacrafts.co.uk/workshops-activities-at-our-centre/

 

Thank you all for reading, have a loooooovely weekend :)

   

Why 2016 is going to be Blooming Marvelous!

So a new year is here and those of us who've made new years resolutions are (hopefully) getting stuck in... we at BellaCrafts won't be giving up the chocolates any time soon though!

No, a new year to us does not mean giving anything up! For our team its a chance to look ahead at all the exciting things a new year can bring; product launches, events, new workshops and we've already been hard at work planning some exciting new happenings, unfortunately I've been sworn to secrecy so you'll just have to keep your eyes peeled!

The New Year is also a time when we encourage everyone at home to grow their inhibitions and start something new. Whether you are a complete novice and want to learn a new craft or a creative wiz who wants to start selling your pieces. Just do it, take the plunge!!  You have the whole BellaCrafts team vouching for you. And after all, if it wasn't to be, you have lost nothing, simply grown a little wiser and maybe even had a little fun along the way... That's why we've organised a whole host of fantastic beginner courses this January including sewing, crochet, jewellery, needle felting and knitting. Check out all the details here:
http://www.bellacrafts.co.uk/workshops/

And to really get your year off with bang and to brighten up your January we are bringing you these Beautiful Spring Time Blooms. A perfect, simple craft that will get beginners and experts alike ready to ignore the children, forget the dishes and get those creative juices flowing!
We are even offering 10% off our Fill a Wallet Papers from January 15th - February 1st to give you that extra little boost. Enjoy :)

1.Begin with an A4 sheet of paper or light weight card, it can be plain or patterned and will work perfectly with one sided papers. Lay your paper horizontally and measure 21cm. Trim off the excess to leave you with a square.

2. Take your square and fold it in half diagonally to leave with a triangle.

3. Take the two furthest points and fold them in to meet the point at the top of the triangle. This will leave you with a square

4. Fold the two triangles sitting on top of the square in half, folding them back on themselves, towards the edges of the square.

5.Open out the two pieces you have just folded in and flatten it to form two new folds.
This will leave you with your back piece and two kite shapes sitting on top.

6. Fold the top half of your kite shape down in line with the back square piece.
Repeat with the other kite shaped piece

7. Fold the kite shapes in half length ways to form the original square shape you started with, though this time there will more layers filling the bottom section of the square

8. Bring the two kite shapes round to meet each other. Use either glue or double sided tape to hold together. This forms the first petal.

9. Repeat steps 1-8 4 or 5 times and glue all petals together around a central skewer. You can experiment with different sizes and patterns as you can see below, we create these with maps and left over scrapbook papers.

Plus don't miss our free demo this weekend, Sunday 17th January 1:30pm :)

 

Have a fantastic 2016 every one!