Christmas Stars - Papery Style

Having managed to beg my way onto this, already popular, workshop with Kat Thomas The Paper Florist, I turned up at INC in Exmouth clutching my old 2010 Country Living Diary. The Diary, jammed packed full of photo gorgeousness, was to be miraculously transformed into a sumptious

3D Christmas star. How, I hear you say? Well that would be telling. Kat, the brains behind the rather fabulous www.thepaperflorist.co.uk is a master Origami-ist. The japanese art of paper folding, under Kat's expert flair, is given an up-to-date makeover. Using recycled paper, old Christmas cards, Christmas wrapping paper, newspaper, maps, wallpaper, magazines and even old diaries! You can make the most beautiful and delicate flowers. Here are my masterpieces from the day.

3D stars and lilies













Country Living 3D Star
















Paper Lilies surrounded by lots of gorgeous paper

including our Twinkly's poster!!

Its amazing what you can do with an old diary!

November's Crafter Dark - Felt night :)

Great Cr'After Dark this month, wet felting around soap to make a really funky and sweet smelling Christmas gift for friends and felting with cookie cutters to make shapes of all sort to hang off your Christmas Tree. We also taught felt balls for making your own necklace/bracelet. It was very WET, very SOAPY with a plethora of double-entendres about rubbing and making sure its hard. I have to say though, the City Gate has never smelled so good!

Felted with cookie cutters, so simple and so rustic















A rainbow of felted shapes and balls














Oh lots of love in the air, methinks











Felting around soaps to create a soap and scrubbie all-in-one













Some of our finished handiwork, these are so easy to make and can be decorated with simple ribbon embellishment, popped in a classical box with some information on how to store and how to use, then gifted to someone special.

I am loving the colours people chose, so exciting and vibrant!










Karen and Beth meditating with soap

Making a grand old mess in the pub

More Falling Leaves loveliness

More Lovely things from Falling Leaves, feast your eyes

John Timms shaker wooden chests and bird boxes

Penny Delahoyde, autumnal brooches, vintage and recycled fabrics

Gina's Frek the Third, isnt he gorgeous

Steampunk cakey gorgeousness from the KABU baker Sarah Downham

Barbra Timms vintage notelet whimsies

Autumn Pixie by Barbra Timms

Kate Bartholomew handmade ceramic jewellery




















Aromatika's Lisa Hosking














Woody loveliness from Wooden It be Nice

Pippiknit's little christmas gingerbread men

Blown away at the Falling Leaves Autumn Fair 2011

Hello All, Sorry its been a very long time since we posted. We have had a really hectic one. A wonderful crochet workshop for Cr'After Dark back in September, Poppy making evening on the 4th of October, then the 9th of October we held our 5th Craft Hub fair, another sell out day.

There were feasts to delight everywhere you looked. We had an enormous footfall that day, around 1000 people passing through. The Cafe boys were rushed off their feet. Alfie and Matt our resident DJ's played everything from some funky soulful house to mellow jazz and french jazz which all helped to create a great atmosphere

Gracing us with loveliness, Grace and Favour Home

Fresh appeal, Charlotte Fleming's handprinted designs inspired by her beach home in Budleigh Salterton Devon

Amy Orangejuice McCarthy - award winning stained glass artist

















Artist and Ceramicist Jane Johnson with her naughty and quirky ceramic design

Royal candles, vintage inspired candles by Sam Sunshine of Peagreen

Irena Green Felt Made gorgeousness
















Mrs Moo needle felted christmas whimsies

















Sugarworm handpainted wooden decorations





















Aunty Lolly's upcycled plushy rabbits and puddycats

Gorgeous picture of Claire Gunningham looking just as beautiful as her Clara dolls

Eat, Knit, Love (Wool) 9th September 2011

Heaven sent, our little donated stash of real wool, thanks girls x

Doreen and Heather concentrating on those stitches

Nimble fingers

Scrumptious wools and colours

Eleanor and her gorgeous pins

We had a fabulous morning in the Real Food Cafe, knitting and crocheting like mad'uns or (madams) our 8x8 squares for knit-a-squillion. We had a lot of fun and helped along by Heavenly Yarns' kind donation of real wool. This morning was also to coincide with Lovewool Uk week, so all cosy squares were made with pure new wool, scrummy. Here are some of our best bits. .........

Lovewool Uk and Knit a squillion

Friday September 9th, The Craft Hub are hosting a Knit Cafe in aid of Lovewool Uk week, we will be knitting squares at the Real Food Cafe, Exeter, in aid of Knit-a-squillion, where they are trying to have millions of knitted squares done and sent to South Africa. They will be sewn together by prison inmates and given to local orphanages in SA and in Zimbabwe for children to sleep on (currently they sleep on linoleum). We will be knitting the squares in 100% wool of course, in homage to Lovewool week. Check out this link for further information http://www.knit-a-square.com/knit-a-squillion.html

Hubby Mosaic

Just found a great website to create mosaics of your favorite photos log onto http://www.bighugelabs.com I think this mosaic of Crafty loveliness from the Exeter Respect Festival looks absolutely beautiful. Such a great way of showing off what you are all about in one picture.

Exeter Craft Festival July 2011

The Sun shone, the music played & the crowds came to our Craft Hub Mini-hub, at the Exeter Craft Festival. Peagreen furniture's scented candles went down a storm. I sold summery bags & fruity crochet items galore. Pearlie Queen sold her floaty vintage clothing. Elloria's boutique's jewellery glittered in the sunlight & lured customers a plenty. Ulrika's Ceramic pieces were very popular. A great couple of days in the heart of Devon,enjoying huge compliments from tourists & locals alike. We felt very honoured to have the Lord Mayoress come over to our stand & visit, saying very encouraging words. Thanks to all who made it down. The Craft Hub x

Oh that Sarah Pepper - she's a flowery one!

The Lovely Sarah Pepper


Well what a pungent and creative night we had at Cr'After Dark this week. We ended up completely captivated by inspirational florist Sarah Pepper with her contemporary take on traditional wild flower and herbal arrangements as well as that razor sharp wit of hers.

Allotments and gardens were plundered as well as interesting vessels sought out. Heaven knows what the punters of the City Gate thought at the sight of all these women carrying arm fulls of foliage/flowers whilst wafting heady aromas in their wake............but we did emerge triumphant two hours later with the most luscious bouquets and other crafty floral delights. There will be many a household hoarding tin cans for that extra special garden party table decoration idea and don't even mention an anticipated run on those little battery operated LED lights to hide amongst the water gel ball thingies! I can say "thingies" because Sarah uses terms like "shoving"! If the sun ever shines again and we manage even one steaming hot evening I know I will be plundering the hedgerows and bringing out the jam jars oooooh and the ribbon and the beads!

I saw lots of Cr'After ladies leaving the pub with huge grins on their faces. So they should too - what wonderful creations and the kind of floral artistry that can be repeated again and again - all it takes is a little forage around the garden or even the hedgerow!

My lovely evening in great company also ended with a big smile on my face as I left complete with the "tussie mussie" I made especially for my lovely husband.

Next month's Cr'After Dark will be bold button jewellery ................ book early!