Folksy Handmade - Contemporary Christmas

Suncatcher Christmas Trees

I just worked out how many Folksy Fridays there are left until Christmas. Taking out the last Friday before Christmas, because it's past the last posting date, there are only 8. So I think it's about time I started my Gift Ideas and Christmas Decoration Collections. I'll be doing gift lists aimed at certain people, and collections of similar style decorations to help give a bit of Christmas inspiration. I love a good root around for the Christmas Folksy Fridays. There's always some gems that I find in all the new shops I come across.

Anyway, this week I'm doing Contemporary Christmas. So here is a selection of decorations, cards, and  tags with a modern look and feel.

For more details on any of the items click on the pic to be taken to the shop.

*** Folksy Handmade - Contemporary Christmas ***

Christmas Berries Glass Fairy Lights
Red Brick Glass

Set of 3 Porcelain Reindeer
Ragged Rascal Design

Quilted Stripey Stocking
Two Owls Design

Christmas Reindeer Paper Ornaments
Happythought Paper Crafts

Pack of 4 Folky Bauble Christmas Cards
Stampa Cantina

Robins Egg Blue Handmade Bauble
SkyDancer Jewellery and Glass

Quirky & Unusual Christmas Wreath
Krysia Crafts

Set of 5 Christmas Tree Gift Tags
Chicken and Custard

Blue Ammonite Mini Mosaic Bird Bath

Blue Ammonite Mini Mosaic Bird Bath

This is another smaller sized bird bath. I had already designed a 25cm version of a stylised ammonite fossil bed. This is a 19cm bird bath with a single blue ammonite design in the centre. The tile colours used in the ammonite are shades of blue and turquoise, including translucent dark turquoise, and a sapphire blue iridescent tiles. The surrounding tiles are a light stone grey which gives the impression of the rock of a fossil bed.

Ammonite Fossil Bed Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

25cm Ammonite Bird Bath

The larger 25cm bird bath has more ammonites showing and partially showing through the grey rock bed, made with mid grey tiles. These ammonites are in shades of green, and grey blue, and also include translucent and iridescent tiles to add interest and depth the the design.

Both bird baths qualify for the Birds and Bees Deal discount.

Folksy Handmade - Houses

70s Vintage House Cushion
Little Sally Walters

When I was putting together a folk inspired Folksy Friday a couple of weeks ago, I came across a few items with houses in the design. I decided to hold them back and add to them to create this week's Folksy Friday. So here is a small town's worth of lovely, bright, colourful houses.

Quirky Cornish Cottage
Handmade by Noelle

As usual, click the pic for more details and to visit the shop.

*** Folksy Handmade - Houses ***

Folk House A4 Print
Artwork by Angie

Little House No. 65
Little Miss Crafty's Curiosity Shop

Our House
Beeswax and Broomsticks

Little Red Cottage Textile Art
Laundry Cottage

           

Where We Live A4 Print
Blackoutwell

Bristol Print
StripedPebble

House Keyring
Katie Frew

Set of 5 Little Houses Gift Tags
Craftymushroom

Folksy Handmade - Birds and Bees

This week's Folksy Friday is inspired by my Birds and Bees Set, and my new Birds and Bees Deal combining a Bee Log House (that can be used by insects for overwintering in too), and a mosaic Bird Bath. So this week's list includes some of the birds and insects that the set is designed for, and which might be attracted to your garden. I'd love bullfinches in my garden, but I'm not near any woodland, or orchards, which is where they live. I've seen the rest of the gallery in my little urban garden, even the tiny wren which has a bloomin' big gob for a tiny bird. It's song is amazing for one so wee.

For more info on any of the items, click the pic to be taken to the designer's shop.

Pinterest - *** Folksy Handmade - Birds and Bees ***

Stained Glass Bee Suncatcher
Carole's Glass

Sterling Silver Pendant
Little Red Robin

Set of 4 Bird Notecards
HannahLongmuir

Bullfinch Cotton Fabric Bird
The Cotton Potter

Linen Tea Cosy
LinenTree

Birds from my Garden
Art by Juila Keen

5 x Ladybird Buttons
Make and Do

Robin
Rae Welch

Hand Embroiderd Goldfinch Brooch
Handmade and Heritage

Birds & Bees Deal

Bee Log House

Introducing my new Birds and Bees Deal. Buy any 19cm or 25cm Mosaic Bird Bath, and a Bee Log House, and receive a refunded discount. Great for starting your wildlife attracting collection for your garden. Or great as a gift for a gardener, grow your own fan, or wildlife lover.


Full details can be found on my website JoSara.co.uk.

(This offer is available in any of my online shops, just purchase the two items within the specified timeframe.)

25cm Bird Bath

19cm Bird Bath

25cm Bird Bath

Birds and Bees Log House and Bird Bath Set

Birds & Bees Purple Log House and Bird Bath Set

I have been thinking of combining items to make useful sets for a while. And this is the first one. It's one of my Purple Bee Log Houses combined with a matching colour Mosaic Bird Bath. Making it a Birds and Bees Set. The bird bath mosaic has a very blousy, plum-coloured chrysanthemum like flower in the centre. That's surrounded by cream tiles with a purple tiles border on the side of the saucer. The purple tiles have been left slightly proud of the rim and left ungrouted there so the light can shine through then edges, giving a lovely, lit edge effect in certain light angles. A great set to attract birds and bees to your garden. If you grow your own this is a free pest control attraction set.

Purple Bee Log House

Chrysanthemum Flower Decoration

Purple Flower Mosaic Bird Bath

Folksy Handmade - Ditsy

Ditsy Flowers Suncatcher Card

After I created my Ditsy Suncatcher cards this week, I thought I'd put together a collection of other ditsy print items. Ditsy shouldn't really be my thing. I'm not a great lover of florals. But I like stylised flowers. I like folk style (see last week's Folksy Friday), which uses stylised flowers. And I like vintage which uses stylised flowers a lot too. I suppose the smallness of ditsy flowers makes them more like spots of colour, so it's probably the combination of colours that appeal to me, rather than the actual flowers. Or it could be that the patterns remind me of Spring and Summer, my favourite seasons. Whatever it is, I've found some great items.

If you want more detail on any of them, click the pic to visit the shop.

*** Folksy Handmade - Ditsy ***

Beermat Notebook Orange Floral
Kate Bowles

Retro Orange Yellow Floral Peg Bag
From Rags to Bags

Cross Body Bag Summer Festival
Beledien

Floral Vintage Cosmetic Pouch
Crimson Cuttlefish

Drum Lampshade Floral Fabric
GoodGraces

Dachshund Dog Cushion
The Sherbert Patch

Ditsy Print Crinkle Shawl
Talulahblue

Vintage Style Full Apron
Cute in the Kitchen

Vintage Floral Cameo Earrings
Josephines

Ditsy Flower Suncatcher Cards

Ditsy Flowers Suncatcher Card

I'm still coming up with ideas for my suncatcher card range. This time the design is fixed, unlike my other designs which can be removed to use as a proper hanging suncatcher, or a bookmark. These are just pretty cards that if displayed on a windowsill, or somewhere where the light can shine through them, will throw the pattern onto other surfaces. Which makes these cards something different from the norm. I'm trying to design things that would be good for gardeners, to keep a theme for my shop. But these cards would be perfect for anyone that likes flowers, vintage, or just fun, bright things.

Blue Ditsy Flowers Suncatcher Card

The cards have vintage fabric style, ditsy print daisies on them. One with orange, magenta, mint, and white flowers, one with blue, lime, yellow and mint flowers, and the other card is called Double Ditsy because it uses both colourways back to back to create a very deep, rich pattern.

Double Ditsy Flowers Suncatcher Card

As I design all my patterns, and hand-paint them all, you know you're getting something very different from anything else you can buy. Which is all part of the fun for me. I love creating my own designs, because I know no one else is doing the same. It's what handmade is all about, for me. Individual styles that make the items special and unique.