More sneak peaks of new products

Coming soon to folksy and etsy...

They're all here!

At last, you can find an updated selection of the Answers on a Postcard series in my Etsy shop. If you'd like to catch up with more than one at once, you can buy yourself a Girl Industries instant zine collection.

Issue 8 is conspicuous in its absence for the time being, I still need to get myself down to the printers to pick up some copies, all in colour!

More exciting zine-related news to come very soon!

Upcycling hits the mainstream

A cardboard hopper of Johnson's baby wipes caught my eye as I rushed out of my local Asda the other day - the magic word 'upcycling' caught my eye! Find out more on packagingnews.co.uk (oh yes!) and find out how they are reusing their packets before they hit the rubbish bin.

Ella's Kitchen and Kenco coffee are also running similar schemes, which involve consumers returning the packaging to the manufacturer after use. Of course this involves expense and further resources, and that's before you get started on the remanufacturing process. I would love if these companies could look more closely into biodegradable or compostable packaging (like our preferred tea bag brand, it's great to throw the empty packaging onto the compost heap when we're finished with it). There are only so many wipe clean reusable shoppers that you can get through in a lifetime, and if the brand is plastered all over it, then it's not really for me. But it's a step in the right direction, and it just goes to show, there are so many more things out there that you can get an extra use out of before it hits the rubbish bin.

Some live photos from Vertiline in Love

I am watching the drama unfold live on Twitter... Claira from Vertiline in Love is unpacking her order of Girl Industries goodies! Follow Claira at @vertilineinlove for all the latest.








The more I see it, the more I like the new packaging I designed for use in shops. I can feel a whole rebrand coming on with these new lighter colours.

Find me in Sheffield!

I'm returning to my Northern English roots... sort of! The wonderful boutique Vertiline in Love has relocated from Edinburgh to Sheffield. I've been busy putting together a few boxes of new stock for this gorgeous little shop and here are some of the things I've been working on...

New tags... exclusive to Vertiline in this rich green colourway!

New packaging... especially for bricks and mortar retailers so they can price it up in house - and no web address on the packaging, just my business name.

If you are anywhere near Sheffield, or visiting Yorkshire in the next wee while, I can definitely encourage a visit to Vertiline in the Nichols Building. Otherwise, Vertiline will be open for business online shortly!

Little Birds Market - Sunday 11 September

I'll be making my return to craft markets at the Little Birds event on Sunday 11 September. You'll find me upstairs in Sloans, with a new selection of Girl Industries products, some of which you won't find online, so it's well worth dropping in!

I'll update you nearer the time as a little nudge. Hope to see you then!

Teeny tiny shiny envelopes

Aren't these tiny sparkly glittery envelopes cute? They're just 3cm square! They come with their own matching white folding cards, that you can customise to your heart's content. I am sure you can do a far better job than my sad attempt!


Find them in my shop and snap them up before they're gone, as they are upcycled from one piece of sturdy gift wrap there are only 16 of the little blighters in the whole wide world...

Wallpaper envelopes - new!

I decided it was time for a bit of a shake-up in the wallpaper envelope department and have added a new size to my repertoire!

They are available in 12 different pattern/colourways (all from Laura Ashley's wonderful range) and all bin end samples, otherwise destined for the recycling.

My big task for naptimes this week is to upload all 12 varieties to my upcycled envelopes section in the shop, but in the meantime, here's a snapshot of the whole range.



I'm ready for custom orders and each colourway should yield around 50 envelopes, so they're ideal for your larger projects. I even have co-ordinating offcuts available that I'd be happy to send free of charge if someone creative fancied teaming them up with their own handmade cards.

With smaller offcuts, I've started making up co-ordinating envelope seals, but they are a little further off making their debut in the shop just yet. I love this time of year, it's the traditional stationery purchase month!

Crafty Attic

Do you remember recently that I posted about a site called Heartsy? Well, Heartsy has now mostly shifted away from handmade/independent sellers and a new site called Crafty Attic is picking up where Heartsy left off. With a provisional launch date of 1 September, Crafty Attic looks like another interesting prospect for us crafty thrifty types - keep your eyes peeled for more news!

New in the shop!

These gorgeous little envelopes and matching embellished flat cards are available in the girlindustries etsy shop right now! At $4 for a set of 5, they come in at a dinky 7 x 11cm, or 4 1/4 x 2 7/8 inches.

Upcycled from a day to a page calendar, each set of five notecards includes a variety of cats and background colours in each set.

PIF of the week

This week's PIF is a small batch of envelopes I made from a hoarding poster advertising the release of electricity, by Suede. I have a ton of these posters saved in a big tube from my student days and wondered if there's a market for some lovely nostalgic envelopes - I'm viewing the PIF as kind of test marketing!

I've even thrown in a set of co-ordinating grey flatcards. Envelopes measure approximately 7 x 11cm and cards are marginally smaller with rounded corners. Also happening in the etsy shop right now is a bit of a flash summer sale. Use the code TOOHOT40 for 40% off, but hurry because I'll be withdrawing the code at some point this week .

Look what we made!

With the help of Vonnie, at the Life Craft, Amelia took part in her first ever bit of crafting! Like mother like daughter, she likes a bit of stamping, but in Amelia's case, she is so resourceful (and doesn't get spending money yet), she has resorted to using her hands and feet as stamps!



We came away with some lovely grandparent gifts - the ones in the traditional colours - and a lovely teal version for Amelia's newly-painted green and teal bedroom. If you haven't had the chance to get along to the Life Craft yet and you're anywhere near Glasgow, do get yourself or the kids along for some crafting, cake and coffee. It's on Great Western Road next to the Post Office, just a hop, skip and a jump from the Botanic Gardens, on the same side of the road as Oran Mor. As well as drop in pottery painting, a great selection of crafting supplies and of course, amazing home baking, you can get booked on a range of different crafting courses all taught by local experts.

Buttons galore!

I've just done a big button update in the shop, but there are plenty more where these came from. There is something lovely about sorting through my big bag of buttons (you can get your own over at askingfortrouble) and carding them up. I hope you find something amongst them that is just perfect for a lovely project - much better than having them languishing in a bag in my sewing chest.

More useful offcuts

In an attempt to make the most of the card I'd bought to go with my handmade envelopes, I saved even the littlest slivers in the hope of giving them new life.

So here in my shop is a limited edition set of bookmarks or gift tags with a teeny heart cutout and the ever popular bakers' twine.

When I was looking for a contrasting book to lay the bookmarks against, I was very pleased with myself to remember this little piece of history, my gran's diary from her days as a Justice of the Peace in Manchester. Not just the ideal colour and size for these photos, but a great trip down memory lane as I'd never got around to looking through it properly after I inherited it when I was a student and living away from home in France. I was surprised to learn that in 1978 (the year after we all went to Russia together when I was only a couple of months old) my Gran also visited Israel and spent Christmas in Spain - exciting times! My gran would have been celebrating her 99th birthday today if she was still with us, what a milestone.

Shhh - a secret project!

I'm finding myself getting more and more into embroidery. It's so easily pick up and put downable, and I'm especially enjoying this particular project because it's a lot like colouring-in. So relaxing! So little brain work involved!

I'll have to keep this project a bit of a secret for now as it's one of a series I'm doing as wedding presents for the three upcoming weddings that we're having to miss while we wait for the baby to arrive and for everyone involved to return to full health. The last wedding I went to was at the end of May and I spent most of the day sitting very very still, before heading off to bed at 8pm in a lot of pain. So you can understand why I don't fancy doing it all again, but with a tiny baby in tow. All I'll say for now is that the project was inspired by this one, over at the colourful blog of 14countess, as well as this one, where thanks to Penguin and Fish and my trusty 1963 pamphlet of stitches, I learned how to whip up French knots.

Bump shot

The first and only photo we have that looks good enough to share!

Pssst - wanna see my new craft room?

So the moving in process (for me, at least) is on hold while I've not been feeling very well. Eventually this room will contain a fabric cutting desk and generic crafting area, a computer desk, and a curtained off storage area. Which I have promised myself and my husband will not get out of control!



At the moment it contains a ton of boxes waiting to be unpacked, and a newly-built shelving system. But this is what it looked like on the first day we got the keys...

And this is the view from the window. I think I might be spending a bit of time at the window on Saturday afternoons.

This is my former craft area, and as we discovered when we were packing to move house, I had crafty bits and bobs tucked away in nooks and crannies all over the flat. I can't wait to be up and running in my new space and will show you more photos once we're settled in.

Lots of news!

What a busy weekend! We got the keys to our new house on Friday, so I was pretty quiet over the weekend while I cleaned and prepped our new kitchen/diner/living space for painting. Mr P had the luxury of going up the ladders and getting up close and personal with the paint can. In the midst of all the activity, I managed to distribute subscription copies of the latest issue of Answers on a Postcard, which is available for purchase in the zines section of my Etsy shop. Contributors, as ever, can get a copy by clicking here.

I had a good response to my blog contest and now have a collection of new questions to ask contributors. I’ll be writing out to you once I’m all set up in my new attic craft room. Pictures to follow sometime in June when we officially move in, I want to get it just so before I share some photos! The lucky winner of the contest is Bronwyn, with her excellent question "what's your favourite tool/material/supply and how do you use it"

Thank you to everyone who took part, both posting on the blog and by emailing me directly. Bronwyn is a local crafter based in Glasgow and a fellow Glasgow Craft Mafia member. She makes some lovely things from found objects under the temptingly tasty name of Rhubarb Crumble and I’m always envious that she has managed to whip her sewing machine into serious good shape. If you’re already here, I know you’ll appreciate her upcycled treasures, so have a look at her shop on Folksy, and her tutorial-packed blog, too:

Commiserations to Marceline but all is not lost as she wins the pleasure of my company this weekend when we drive out to the countryside to set up stall at a craft fair in the beautiful Botanic Garden at Benmore, on the Argyll Peninsula. If you can’t make it (or want to make a shopping list before you set out), visit Asking for Trouble and Girl Industries to stock up online. Marceline is a huge supporter of the Answers on a Postcard zine and has copies available in her shop. She's currently running a special offer, too, so take a look. Also, now the Icelandic ash cloud is rearing it's gritty grey head again, take a look at the selection of products on Zazzle.com which Marceline has designed. I have a tote bag on its way to me as we speak!

Benmore Open Day & Craft Fair
Benmore Botanic Garden
Free entry to Garden all day, regular trips aboard the Benmore Explorer, guided tours of the garden including the restored Benmore Fernery, Chainsaw Carving and a marquee shall host Tombola, Preserves, Cake & Candy Stall and our annual Craft Fair.

Date: 9 May 2010
Time: 12:00-17:00
More info

This is your last chance to shop Girl Industries in person this summer, as I’m having a baby! All being well, I’ll be back in time for the autumn market season in October, with all the new goodies I’ve been planning for ages, including some brilliant collaboration opportunities with some of my favourite crafters. I have to apologise in advance for any baby-themed shopping features over the next couple of months as I sloooooowly get sucked in to the lovely handmade and very much non-essential baby things on offer around the internets. Between the house move and the new arrival, I’ll be closing my shop periodically from now until September. If you have custom orders for envelopes, please let me know as soon as you can, so I can schedule them around my other commitments. And I’d like to reassure everyone that normal Answers on a Postcard service will continue as planned, with subscribers’ copies out on time and new issues uploaded to the shop every month as usual. Hurray!

New for Easter – Egg cosy kits!

A lovely little project for young ‘uns and more experienced crafty types alike are my new bunny egg cosy kits. All wrapped up in an upcycled egg carton, is everything you need to make these adorable little rabbits to keep your eggs nice and warm on Easter morning, and every day of the year. All you’ll need is a spare hour or so, and your own pair of scissors.

Each box contains a full colour tutorial with photos for every step, written and compiled by me, and formatted by the lovely Marceline of Asking for Trouble, who is nothing short of a genius at these things. You’ll want your eggs to dress up every single day. Once you’ve mastered the basics, why not make personalise your bunnies to match your pets? Or turn the basic pattern into yellow chicks or other easter-related (or not) creatures, depending on what yarn remnants you have available.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to knit on a clothes peg, this kit is for you! It’s easy as pie once you get going, and you can use the same technique to make coasters, placemats, coffee cosies, decorative trim for your gifts and parcels – all kinds of useful things. I’ll be working on a couple of tutorial PDFs to pop into the shop shortly, so keep your eyes peeled for those if you’re too late for Easter. I’d love to see any creations you make from my kits and tutorials, so drop me a line with your pictures, or leave a comment pointing to your blog or flickr pages.

Out of time, or not in the mood to be creative this Easter? Get some ready made craftiness with my hand knitted easter chicks.

New for spring!

My wedding rehearsal, photograph by Malin Widstrand.

I've decided to put some of the heart-shaped button wreath decorations I made last year into the shop for you to buy and decorate your home, or wedding venue, in handmade style.

With a ribbon for hanging and a beautiful mix of muted and natural colours, this will look beautiful indoors or outdoors, or even on your front door.

Snap one up right here, right now.