Love must be in the air – Felt heart kit

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and it seems that love is most definitively in the air at the Angel Eden shop.

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Our various craft kits have always been popular, even gracing the pages of several top craft magazines. Recently though one kit in particular has suddenly become our must have item! It seems that customers have been feeling rather romantic of late and our felt heart kits have been selling like hot cakes!

20120124-132526.jpgAs each kit makes two heart brooches I’d love to know if they are destined to be made into two gifts or whether the kit itself is the present. Of course they could be made into romantic decorations, key rings or anything else you can dream up.

20120124-132632.jpgI have to admit that I’m not a massive fan of valentines 8/ it often feels overly commercial despite being an old celebration day. With this in mind my husband and I have set a new rule that our gifts to one another must be handmade. When you can appreciate the time and energy that goes into a present I think it means so much more. Valentine’s Day is also notoriously expensive, with the price of everything from flowers to meals out skyrocketing.

In honour of this most romantic of occasions and to encourage you all to think handmade, I’m very pleased to be able to offer all our blog readers a special discount code which can be used from now until 14th Feb. Enter the code love at the checkout to receive free shipping on all orders.

A Creative Break

This week has seen a lot of us returning to pre-Christmas routines, with school, work and even social commitments changing back to a familiar and at times unwelcome pace. For my own part life is often so busy that I have lists that tell me which list to tackle first and that leaves very little time to actually sit back and enjoy doing something creative.

So when I found myself with time on my hands I did what any creative sort would do and started a new project. I decided to tackle a kit that I was given for Christmas, of course it was Christmas 2010 but sometimes that’s just the way of things.

Many of you will know that I’ve given needle felting a ‘stab’ (excuse the pun, I couldn’t resist!) I loved sitting in front of the TV jabbing at wool and actually creating something at the end of it. Unfortunately I put down my needle felting when other commitments got in the way. I was therefore more than a little apprehensive when I picked up this little kit, aside from my extended break, the designer is one of the most renowned and talented needle felt artists out there Dominica More Gordon.

My finished dog (pic above) may not have the precise features of Domenica’s, I’m sure she spends many more hours then I did on this little fellow. He also exhibits the same kind of facial expression that all my needle felted creations do (I assume this is my own personal look coming out) but I’m really very pleased with him. Now the only thing I have to do is keep him away from my youngest son who is determined to try and play with him.

I wasn’t the only one jumping on the creative bandwagon though. My daughter was given a lovely Buttonbag bunny kit and being the kind soul she is shared it with her brothers, here are their finished bunnies. I think they’re absolutely adorable, you’ll have to forgive a soppy proud Mum moment 😀

Even my husband has joined us and taken up ragrugging. A hobby that we find suits both of us, he shreds up and uses the old scraps of fabric/clothes I couldn’t bare to throw away and I get a tidier house! So far he’s shredded up old jeans, sheets, curtain offcuts, nothing is safe! I’ll have to remember to post a pic once it’s finished.

Have any of you been especially creative over the festive break?

 

A Magical and Crafty Woodland Competition!

It felt about time for another blog competition so I am bringing you something that I’m particularly excited about!

 

Today we are offering one lucky winner the chance to win one of our brand new Oak Leaf Badge Craft Kits and a brand new copy of Fantastic Fairies by Julie Sharp.

You may have noticed that we have a few craft kits now available at the Angel Eden store. However this is one of our new boxed kits. It has everything you need to make two felt oak leaf badges. How about keeping one for yourself and giving the other to a friend? This is one of several boxed craft kits that we debuted at  fairs just before Christmas and they were very popular with our customers. They haven’t yet made it to the website, but don’t worry they will be coming soon. If you would like to be added to our waitlist for when they arrive just send me a quick email.

The winner will also receive a copy of Fantastic Fairies by Julie Sharp. You may remember that I reviewed this book last year. I have enjoyed it so much that I felt I had to share it with you all. So to go with your badges you will be able to make some magical fairies. A truly woodland inspired prize.

How To Enter

As usual it’s ridiculously easy to enter our comp (open to readers worldwide!):

1. Follow this blog publicly (using either Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin on the right) and leave a comment mentioning you are following the blog (current followers need only comment). Remenber to leave your email or twitter so I can contact you if you win.

Extra entries – for each extra entry leave a comment to let me know:

1. Tweet about the comp for an extra entry

2. Like our page on Facebook (link to the left)

The competition will end at midnight 17th Feb 2011.