Well I've finally done it....I'm now on Youtube! My web marketing genius, Phil Parker of Lycosa, very kindly recorded me making a simple piece of felt, and has posted it online.  So if you'd like to learn how to make felt, please go to Youtube and search the keyword Feltilicious.  Thankyou!

I've had a busy month with a few craft fairs - including one last minute Artsmix craft fair booked in for tomorrow in Malton - and the one I'm most excited about is the Beverley Music Festival.  I was invited by Rupert, the events manager, who I met at Driffield Kite show recently.  He sells felt imported felt products so came over to have a look at my one-off handbags and brooches.  He asked if I would be interested in the Beverley Music Festival, and I jumped at the chance! 3 fun filled days of camping, dancing, singing and selling all things felty....what could be better!  It's from Friday 18th June - Sunday 20th June, and is being headlined by The Proclaimers.  There's a Festival Village with events for all the family, so fingers crossed for some sunshine! 

I was over the moon to receive my first handbag commission for a wedding.  The lady (Carol) wanted a very specific style, colour, handle length etc based on one of my grass effect bags she had seen.  I sent it to her at the end of last week, and have just received a lovely letter from Carol this morning letting me know "I am thrilled with the bag.  It's perfect and looks brilliant with my outfit.  Thankyou so much."  Needless to say I am really pleased, and hope it is the first of many! I shall post a photo of it shortly.

I had a lovely surprise on the way to school yesterday morning when a couple of mums congratulated me on my shortlisting for the Artsmix Emerging Artists Awards 2010.  Apparently I was in our local paper!  Artsmix had told me to promote myself after being shortlisted, and I had emailed the details and a photo to a local journalist, but hadn't heard anything - and then there I was! I bought six copies of it to send to family and also put up in the outlets I sell through.  Needless to say I haven't stopped smiling since!

Funny how sometimes fate takes a hand.  I was at the Artsmix contemporary arts and crafts market at Castle Howard last month when a lovely lady called Rachel came to enquire about my handbags.  It turned out she had a very nice cafe in Melton Mowbray called On The Sands, which has a gift shop.  She had been looking specifically for a feltmaker to supply her with handmade handbags for her shop...and I was looking for another stockist a little further afield.  So I'm pleased to announce that a selection of my gorgeous handmade handbags are on their way to Leicestershire as I type.  So, if you live near Melton Mowbray and are out enjoying the beautiful countryside, why not stop off for a cup of tea and have a look? 

Well I've had a busy week making all things felty.  I've made scarves, a hat, a wall hanging, some brooches, and some gorgeous handmade handbags.  I've even managed to put some of them on the website! I'm at the Artsmix contemporary arts and crafts market at Castle Howard again this Sunday, so hopefully they won't be on the website for long! Spreading the felty love one courtyard at a time :) 

I attended the Artsmix Emerging Artists Awards in Leeds last night with great interest. 

I had submitted a handbag in their 'Craft Practitioner 2D/3D' category, and had been informed that it had been chosed to be featured on the awards evening.  As a featured artist I was also given a free stall to show my work.  I was really flattered to be featured, so was absolutely over the moon to finish as Runner Up in the Craft Practioner category!  The Artsmix manager was lovely, and asked if I was disappointed not to win.  (Apparently the 3 judges had taken some time to pick between my submission and the final winner, which is lovely to know.)  As one of life's optimists, I couldn't possibly be disappointed! I've been told I have to use this as a stepping stone to promote my business, so my plans for felt world domination just had a huge boost last night!

I also met some really interesting people and had conversations with a local fashion magazine who took an interest in my felt flower brooches, the local tourist board who would like to promote my work, and another company who would like me to stock their display units!  I even managed to sell a few pieces too. 

I'm hoping to post a photo of me at the Artsmix Awards shortly, so watch this space!

It was my first event at Castle Howard yesterday, at the Artsmix contemporary arts and crafts market held there every month.  It was a great day, and I met some lovely people, including Lisa the events manager of Castle Howard who asked if I would be interested in attending their 'Spring into Summer' event on the first bank holiday weekend in May - apparently my flower brooches fit in nicely with their theme! 

I'm there again tomorrow with Feast Events - a company that organise craft fairs at Castle Howard on Tuesdays once a month during the year.  Fortunately it's a pretty journey as I am going to be there quite a lot over the next few months!  Hopefully they will all be as successful as yesterday, I'll keep you posted.

Yesterday I attended a Craft Fair at Sewerby Hall, my first one of the year.  It was lovely weather which brought a lot of people to the beautiful grounds, and I had a great day.  I'm attending their two-day Easter event there which is a busy and fun couple of days.  They have jousting on the grounds which I'll be able to see from my stall, so I'm really looking forward to it.

I always love Craft Fairs because you get to see first hand what people would like to see, I had a lady mention she was so desperate to find a pretty bumbag that she attempted to hand felt one herself - apparently the only ones she could find were very plain and boring, so I shall maybe make a couple and see if there is any interest.

Great news! I have just been informed that I am going to be a featured artist at this years Artsmix Emerging Artists Awards 2010.  The awards ceremony is to be held on the 31st March, and as an award entrant I can have a stall at the event for free, which is an added bonus.  I will keep you posted!

I've been busy booking lots of dates for up and coming Craft Fairs, starting in just over a weeks time.

I'm at Castle Howard, Sewerby Hall and The Expanse Hotel in Bridlington over the next few months - dates are as follows:

Sewerby Hall - Sun 21 March, Sun 4 April, Mon 5 April, Sun 16 May, Tues 27 July, Tues 3 August, Sun 8 August, Tues 17 August, Tues 24 August

Expanse Hotel - Sun 6 June, Tues 6 July, Tues 20 July, Tues 31 August

Castle Howard - Tues 30 March, Tues 6 April, Tues 11 May, Tues 8 June, Tues 13 July, Tues 8 August

Driffield Show - Wed 21 July

More dates will follow shortly! In the meantime, I'd better get felting....

I have just finished writing a new section for all beginner feltmakers out there, on how to 'felt make' something useful!  Making a felt handbag is very time consuming but rewarding too.  I hope it helps all of you out there looking to make felt handbags and totes!  

I have been really busy this week, adding to my new range of unique designer handbags, they are perfect for a wedding or special occasion, or as a mothers day gift.  I am looking forward to taking them to the craft fairs at Castle Howard and Sewerby Hall this Easter, and seeing how many lovely ladies would like to buy designer handbag.

Now it's time for me to start on my new range of hand felted designer flower brooches to go with the designer handbags.  In the meantime I shall work on a promotion for Easter, I'm thinking 'buy designer handbag, get an additional flower brooch free' - giving the owner the option of changing the look of their designer handbag to match their outfit!

February has been a busy month so far.  I've been busy booking stalls at craft fairs, starting next month with the first of many at Castle Howard.  Also a week of tourists during half term meant the sale of some of my wall hangings at The Rowan Tree, so I've been busy making new ones. 

Handbag orders have started to come in for Mothers Day too - no guesses what my mum will be getting this year! 

Happy New Year!

After the Christmas rush I am now looking forward to the next few weeks.  I am felting some new styles of pretty wool handbags suitable for that special occasion - be it a wedding or a day at the races.  These will be all different shapes styles and colours, to hopefully suit all tastes.  I made my first new handbag of the year yesterday, it's covered in flowers and looks really lovely. So here's to 2010 being a great feltilicious New Year!

Well what a fantastic couple of weeks!

The online orders are coming in, both through this website and also through www.misi.co.uk and the craft fairs last weekend saw a lot of people frantically buying Christmas presents for loved ones.  After yesterday's Dickensian market in Bridlington's Old Town, I have nearly sold out of brooches so this week I shall be having a felting frenzy in anticipation of another hectic weekend! 

This Saturday I shall be at Sewerby Hall (singing along with the Christmas Carols most probably!) and on Sunday I am attending the Artsmix event at The Loft in Leeds City Centre.  These events are very well organised, and I am anticipating lots of husbands running round desperate to find something special for their other half.  Hopefully I shall be able to help them and sell a few handbags in the process!  I shall let you know how it goes. 

In the meantime there is still time to order that last minute present (hint hint) ....

I have had a really busy week, I was at Sewerby Hall craft fair on Sunday, then I set up a display of my felt brooches, bookmarks and cards for the Sunflower Cafe in Bridlington on Monday.  On Wednesday I started displaying my handbags and other items in Seasalt & Passion Cafe and Gallery in Bridlington, which is run by a local professional artist.  On Thursday, The Priory Gallery in Bridlington agreed to display my framed artwork, and today I have been to the Rowan Tree Cafe and Gallery to display my wall hangings.  Phew!

My handbags are selling well, and the smaller items - bookmarks, brooches and cards - are really going well, so I am now busy making some more stock to take to Castle Howard Christmas Fayre this Sunday.

Fingers crossed I will be able to start thinking of doing some Christmas shopping myself next week, at least for the men in my family - no doubt all the women will be getting something felty!

Well Christmas is round the corner and so I have been busy at local craft fayres and also making new items.  I have just finished an order for a beautiful tea cosy in black Norwegian wool with a large sparkly cream flower on the front to compliment a new cream and black kitchen.  I have also made a Cloche hat this week and am thinking of making a few more as they are apparently going to be big in the shops this winter. 

I am looking forward to next Sunday (the 29th November) when I am taking part in one of the Artsmix craft exhibitions at Castle Howard.  This is a beautiful building and it should be a wonderful atmosphere, I shall let you know how it goes.

Bonita x

Well finally I have some time to spend more time on feltilicious!  The kids are both now at full time school and the family holiday has been and gone.  I have enjoyed designing and making new products, especially handbags.  My daughter asked me to make her one so I decided I wanted to make her a love heart shaped handbag.  I spent a while designing it and was so pleased with the finished result that I have made some more.  I have now made several bags in different styles, colours and sizes - please feel free to let me know what you think of them on my guest book page.

I have also been busy making smaller products to sell both online and at my first Christmas Fayre next month.  I have made lots of hand felted cards which are on here too.  I shall hopefully post a photo on here of my stall and will let you know how it goes.  Fingers crossed for nice weather!