Folksy Handmade - Shoreline

Inspired by my Shoreline bird bath, for this Folksy Friday I've put together a collection of items that either use the palette of the shoreline, or are actually made of things that you'd find there. I love that junk that the sea has chucked out has been found and made into some gorgeous things. You could get a really great look for a beach hut, or shed in a seaside garden, if you kitted it out with some of the things here.

Links to shops in menu below the picture gallery.

*** Folksy Handmade - Shoreline ***

Top Row (Left to Right)

Old Boats on the Shore, by PSphotos

Driftwood Shelves, Boat Wood, Blue's Beach, Drift Wood Cornwall, by Julia's Driftwood Furniture

Clock - Rusty Beach Metal Wall Clock, by Reclaimed Time

Middle Row (Left to Right)

Driftwood Curley wading bird, by shore stuff

Shrimp Lane, by Beachcomber's Hut

Beach Bag, by Juniper Spools

Bottom Row (Left to Right)

Boat Race, by Textile Delights

Seashore Cable Cushion, by Liz Lancaster

Handmade 'Orkney Beach Design' Card, by Little Wren Cards

Hand Painted Mexican Aztec Garden Plant Pot

The recent hot weather has inspired me to create some plant pots that would add a hot, dry feel to a garden, or room, even in winter. I hand painted terracotta pots first with bands of colour including, blue, magenta, and ochre. Then I've edged some of the bands with black. Next I've overpainted the bands with rustic Mexican Aztec inspired geometric patterns and symbols. Finally the paint was fixed with heat. For some reason that made the white paint on the fish band go a kind of peachy colour. Which, actually, looks really good and adds some artificial age to the pots. These pots would look great with a cactus, or succulent in them.

Linear Heather Moor Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

The second of my new Linear range of bird bath designs is now available. This one is called Heather Moor and uses purples, greens, and blue-greys.There are translucent tiles and pebbles used again to add depth and interest.

I think this Linear design would look great in any style of garden as it's got a contemporary modern design, yet the colours would look great in traditional cottage garden too.

Folksy Handmade - Ammonites

Seems like Ammonites inspire a lot of people, not just me. There is something very pleasing about their shape. Not quite symmetrical, but there's a start and end, and you can wind or unwind as your eye pleases. Plus, it gives me a chance to select a palette of colours to create each one, which is something that I always enjoy doing. Pattern and colour all in one. My favourites. So for this week's Folksy Friday I have a whole fossil bed of Ammonites. (If you're off on holiday to one of the fossil beaches around the country, good luck.)

*** Folksy Handmade - Ammonites ***





Top Row (Left to Right)

Sterling Silver Ammonite Stud Earrings, by Deborah Jones Jewellery

Sterling Silver Ammonite Pendant, by Symbolic Jewellery UK

Leaded Glass Ammonite Panel, by Claire Seeley Glass Design

Middle Row (Left to Right)

Ammonite Verdigri Glazed Ceramic Bowl, by Little Brick House

Handmade Ammonite Ceramic Brooch, by Lauramics

Bronze Ammonite Paper-Weight, by Boyd Brooks Design

Bottom Row (Left to Right)

Earring Wire Wrapped Bronze Freshwater Pearl, by Blue Forest Jewellery

Cufflinks with Ammonites Fossils, by Off the Cuff

Fossil Wall Art Clock, by Linda Connelly Enamels and Jewellery

Linear Shoreline Mosaic Garden Bird Bath









Linear Shoreline Mosaic Garden Bird Bath



My latest range of bird baths is called Linear. This is the first design in the range and it's named Shoreline. It uses the colours you'd find by the shore and includes, sky blues, sea greens, and sandy browns. The pattern line colours are randomly placed and some include translucent tiles to represent seaglass, and stone pebbles which add depth and interest to the design. I've used terracotta tiles on the border to blend in with the saucer and focus the eye on the base.













Ammonite Fossil Mosaic Garden Bird Bath



Ammonite Fossil Mosaic Garden Bird Bath




Ammonite Fossil Mosaic Garden Bird Bath




I've always liked the shape of ammonites, and would love to find a real one on a beach. If you're the same, but like me probably never will find one, you could always have a mini fossil bed of them in your garden with this Ammonite Fossil Mosaic Bird Bath. The ammonites are stylised and made using shades of green and blue-greys. The tile colours include; mint, jade, and sea greens, blue-greys, iridised teal which shines with metallic rainbow, and translucent teal glass which gives the design depth.

It would make a great gift for a gardener, or fossil lover, or just anyone that likes wildlife, and garden birds. Or, of course, for you.

Folksy Handmade - 80s

I found one of these items while I was putting together a previous Folksy Friday (the beauty of doing these, that I'm always finding new items and shops), and thought it was so great that I would keep it back and build this Folksy Friday around it. Now I have 9 extra great items to go with it which complete this flashback to the 80s collection.

Shop links in the menu below the picture gallery.

*** Folksy Handmade - 80s ***

Top next to text -

Travel Journal Madonna Record Notebook, by When the Music's Over

Top row (Left to Right)

Two Ronnies T-Shirt, by Snollygoster

Cassette Tape Lamp, by GizmoCrafts

Handmade Leather Belt 80s Rock and Pop, by Backbeat Leather

Middle Row (Left to Right)

Lightening Bolt Earrings, by Third Season Designs

Boombox iPhone 4S Hard Case iPhone4, by CrankCases

Sweetie Rings and Badges, by seveteennineteen

Bottom Row (Left to Right)

2 Pack Editable Birthday, by Spare Eco

80's Retro Felt Clutch Bag, by Zenda Design

Pac Man Necklace, by i heart my art

Folksy Handmade - Cats

We adopted a couple of 6 month old kittens a couple of weeks ago. They are sisters, but are different in colour, and very different in personality. The grey tabby, Treacle, is very laid back. She's got extra toes on all her paws. 2 on each front paw, 1 each on each back paw. The official term is Polydactyl (meaning many fingered). It makes her look like she's got snow shoes on. Very cute. You can certainly hear her coming down the stairs. The brown tabby, Peanut (we knew she'd be a nut before we named her) is a lot more active (not that you'd know from her photo), and is, frankly, a bit mad. She is very good at mini football though. She can dribble her mini ball the length of the room, trap it under her paw, and dribble it all the way back again.

Anyway, in honour of these two turning up, this week's Folksy Friday theme is - cats.

(Shop links under the picture gallery, Pinterest board on the link below. And of course I would have included Fat Kitty, but I've already used him in a previous FF.)

*** Folksy Handmade - Cats ***

Top Row (left to right)

Strippy Cat, by windswept & interesting

Stripy Cat, by Greenpixey

Wooden Cat Sitting Brooch, by gary's crafty creations

Middle Row (left to right)

Stella and Friends Cushion, by Mypipsqueak

Glancing Grey and Ginger Cats - Set of 2 Cards, by lizalew

Ginger Cat Bookends, by Andywoodcraft

Bottom Row (left to right)

Vanity Cat - Photography Print, by nixii art

Cat Earrings, by Hettdesign

'Terry' Ceramic Fridge Magnet, by Dusty Trinkitten