New Button Brooches!

New colours of girlwithbeads popular Button Brooches now available to buy online -

www.girlwithbeads.co.uk

This Weeks Top 10 Finds - Designers Makers special

I am a member of a group called Designers Makers which supports design and craft in the UK, they hold a market at Spitalfields on the 3rd Saturday of every month. This week I want to highlight some of my favourites from the group.

Anna Wiscombe makes lovely objects from wood, hand cut and painted, like these birds.

i am acrylic make brilliant, fun, handcrafted jewellery, mostly from acrylic!

Print maker Paper Heart have a great range of bold and colourful cards.

Illustrator and designer Ella Goodwin makes these amazing fun animal ears bags alongside quirky and cute illustrations.

Custom Made jewellery and accessories inspired by bright colours and pretty prints.

Deborah Ballinger Illustrations has a great range of cards with beautiful quirky designs.

Design duo Cut Out Girls create handmade bags using traditional techniques with a modern eye. These hand knitted rope satchels come in a range of colours.

Indigo Rocket make pretty origami fabric hair accessories using modern prints.

Ceramics designer Material Pleasures makes beautiful china tea cups and saucers with clever tactile pleats and folds.

Lovely Jojo's has a colourful and witty range of graphic prints, cards and t-shirts - and I thought this was a nice note to end on!

This Weeks Top 10 Finds - E17 Designers Special

As a fairly new Walthamstow resident I jumped at the chance to join E17 Designers - a group of like-minded, talented locals who put on several events throughout the year, and after a successful Spring Fair last weekend I thought I'd highlight a few of my favs.

Unboxing Juliana creates handmade colourful lampshades using Brazilian fabrics decorated with buttons.

Little Mashers has a range of children's wear designed to encourage kids to be interested in growing and eating vegetables and cooking. I love this little chefs set.

Felled Light makes unique handcrafted lamps from fallen branches and vintage light shades.

Anja Jane is a print designer and creates gorgeous prints like this Peacock in a Tree.

Vintage Playing Cards specialises in greeting cards, frames and gifts made from and inspired by original vintage games.

D4Discus creates fabulous retro inspired clothes, I love the peter pan collars!

Flowerie88 creates beautiful jewellery, I especially like these bow stud earrings.

Created in the spirit of London's long and disreputable history gin drinking Mother's Ruin produces a range of exquisite fruit liqueurs for sale at Wood St Indoor Market.

Phoebe Eason makes fun prints and greetings cards, like this one.

Frinn makes lovely nature inspired jewellery using recycled materials. I love these Silver Dandelion Studs.

This Weeks Top 10 Finds - Pulse Special

I took a trip to design-led trade show Pulse at Earl's Court this week to see what other designers are up to and what trends are emerging this year. So I've selected a few that caught my eye to share with you.

I absolutely LOVE these patchwork pictures from Bombus, each collage is made from vintage maps & books.

I spoke to a lovely couple of ladies from Australian brand Love Hate, they make contemporary jewellery in fresh colours & shapes. I particularly like this painted wooden kite brooch.

More patchwork artwork comes in the form of colourful vintage textile canvases from Chloe Owens.

The gorgeous patchwork cushions of Carola van Dyke with the applique animals are made with vintage & modern upholstery fabrics.

I loved the fun and imaginative jewellery of Lady Muck, especially this countryside headband.

Ohh Deer are a collective of illustrators creating a variety of goods, being a massive superhero geek myself I really love this Heroes & Villains cushion by Jack Teagle!

A great idea from Fracas Studios are these Cassette Tape greetings cards, where the tape is actually Velcroed to the card so the recipient can take the 

tape off the card and play it. If they can find a place to play it...

A colourful selection of jewellery from Pink Powder perfect for summer.

Gorgeous prints inspired by the sites & colours of India from Kangan Arora.

And finally a very apt print from Live in Print.

This Weeks Top 10 Button Finds

As I'm a bit of a collector myself, this week I've been looking at lovely things made with buttons.

Savy Sailor makes the most adorable jewellery from buttons, I like the mix of pearl beads and carefully chosen vintage buttons for her range of bracelets.

Hello Geronimo make awesome pictures using buttons.

Judith Brown Jewellery creates unique pieces using vintage buttons & haberdashery, intricately stitched with wire. I love this bracelet made with vintage mother of pearl buttons handstitched together with fine silver wire - beautiful!

Nadia Sparham - a fellow Walthamstow E17 Designer, Nadia does lovely illustrations, ceramics and these cushion embellished with buttons!

Flourish Buttons - modern jewellery handmade in Wales, very reasonable prices for some very cute pieces - how can you resist this candy coloured polka dot bracelet? and I love the simplicity of the bird button pendant.

Ruby Bijou makes lots of cool things using buttons including this colourful clock.

Pumpkin and Pye create beautiful button and brooch bouquets.

A great idea from At Home on the Bay blog is this great button lampshade.

Midas Arts vintage button jewellery with a nice use of colour.

Musarra & Co creates upcycled vintage jewellery and I love this vintage button evening bag.

girlwithbeads Animation

Fab little animation especially made for me by my talented brother Phil.

This Weeks Top 10 Eco Finds

Jane Blease embroiders geometric shapes into wood veneer to create stunning lampshades, pictures and accessories, and they are sustainable too!

Jessica Found It is a social enterprise designing and producing lighting and candlesticks from found, discarded, salvaged, reclaimed, unwanted and unused objects, including this candlestick made from a found trumpet, reclaimed pressure gauge, copper pipe and brass fittings.

Paper artist Phiona Richards of Rare Notions creates book sculptures and intricate jewellery.

Boodi Blu creates handcrafted, one off pieces of upcycled ceramic jewellery from ‘Buried Treasure’ fragments of discarded pieces of china porcelain, found buried in the earth or washed up by rivers.

Enienay creates upcycled fashion from suits, shirts and ties and individually constructs them into unique dresses, jackets and tops.

Hunted & Stuffed create upcycled vintage cushions handmade from original vintage tea towels, silk scarves and textiles.

Uncommonly Beautiful creates wonderful recycled accessories from old broken jewellery and lazer etched reclaimed wood.

ARGHHH said Jocelyn create cool artworks and home accessories - like this cool cushion made from upcycled jumpers!

Harriet Sanders creates handmade leather handbags from ethically produced leathers, I particularly like this upcycled bow tie clutch bag.

Studio Vee has created a great range of cushions made from reclaimed mens suits and tweed jackets.

Oh go on then here is a bonus 11th find!

Zinc White create fun and colourful jewellery from recycled pencils.