A little treat coming soon

I've been away for so long. Please accept my apologies.
To make up for abandoning you like that, I've made a little something.
Here's a peek.
And if you come back on Monday, it will be yours.
To keep.
For the whole year.
I hope that makes everything better.

✶✶✶ See you soon ✶✶✶

Merry Christmas // Glaedelig Jul

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

It's been a huge year. Thank you.

The Bumblebee Balloon is flying an exhausted Betty away for a while. Who knows where it will travel. But it will be back soon.

Until then, the circus troupe (and me) wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas!!

(Glaedelig Jul!)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Crafty Fox Wishlist #2

Following on from yesterday's Crafty Fox Wishlist #1 here is my wishlist number two. It's cunningly called Crafty Fox Wishlist #2.

CRAFTY FOX WISHLIST #2

 << 1. Alright Treacle Art Print by Stacie Swift >> 

 << 2. Star Mask by IWishIWasA >> 

 << 3. Girl Screenprinted Shopper by Alice Potter >> 

 << 4. Bird and Floral Coasters by lil3birdy >>

 << 5. Neville the Ninja by Pygmy Cloud >>

 << 6. Knitted Pencil Bag by Sally Nencini >>

 << 7. Pigeon in a Top Hat Print by Birds In Hats >>

★ Crafty Fox Market ★

Saturday 8th December + Sunday 9th December

11am - 5pm

The Dogstar, Brixton
Free Entry

As I think I've mentioned before, I'll be there with Butterscotch & Beesting on Saturday 8th December. 

Crafty Fox Christmas Market

This weekend, the Dogstar in Brixton will be transformed into the mecca of makers that is the Crafty Fox Market. Crafty Fox is one of my highlights of the whole year, with its feast of talented designers, workshops and glorious high-tea treats, accompanied by a live DJ soundtrack. It runs over two days, with different stallholders on each day, and when we all leave it converts back into a pub --- so you could easily spend a whole weekend within its doors. 

CRAFTY FOX WISHLIST #1

 << 1. Hungry Bear Sideplate by Jimbobart >> 

 << 2. Navy and Cream Cufflinks by House of Ismay >> 

 << 3. Tree Time Tales Print by Jamie Milk >> 

 << 4. Jonny Big Fan of Swimming Brooch by Manolo >> 

<< 5. Screenprinted Cotton Lawn Scarf by Katie Dear >> 

<< 6. Owl Capone Card by Mister Peebles >> 

<< 7. Fox Cameo Papercut by Rosie + The Boys >> 

My mission this Christmas is to only buy presents from independent makers and shops.* So I've put together a Crafty Fox Wishlist. You never know, some of them might even make it into someone else's present pile. Eyes peeled please for my second Crafty Fox Wishlist, published tomorrow and cunningly entitled Crafty Fox Wishlist #2. 

PS. If you want to see me, I'll be there with Butterscotch & Beesting on Saturday 8 December.
PPS + *. I already have my mum's present in the bag --- a beautiful print by the immensely talented Eloise Renouf. I'm pretty sure my mum doesn't read my blog, so she won't know. 

★ Crafty Fox Market ★

Saturday 8th December + Sunday 9th December

11am - 5pm

The Dogstar, Brixton
Free Entry

Circus Interiors

There's a fantastic feature in the latest issue of Gurgle magazine all about Circus Interiors . . . and, ummm, a piece about me too.

I love the products Gurgle have chosen. I especially love Lucky Boy Sunday's LouLou cushion (£86) from molly-meg.co.uk. Funnily enough Lucky Day Sunday is run by two friends called Camilla. Maybe we should start a Camillas ♥ The Circus gang. And I love everything Ferm Living do - they have diamonds on their cushions too, just like Betty. Also, if you haven't already seen it, there's a glimpse of Kate Dixon's incredible ferris wheel bedroom, which I've been swooning over since I pinned it on one of my Pinterest boards a few months ago. It seems to have settled somewhere in my imagination and just won't leave.

You can also read my tips how to have a circus-themed Christmas. (#1 string a piece of cord around your tree instead of tinsel. Then hang paper characters above it, so it looks like they're performing on a Christmas tree highwire.)

There's lots to see and even more gems over the next two pages.
If you want see it for yourself, you'll find it all in the December/January issue.
It's very exciting.

And the winner is...

The winner of my 20 Crafty Makes competition is . . . drumroll please

★★ Nikki-Lee Hampton ★★

Congratulations, Nikki-Lee. A copy of the book and the original Reinbin stamp will be winging their way to you very soon.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered. And if you didn't win, don't despair, you can still get your very own copy of the book from the 20 Crafty Makes Folksy Shop. Or order a copy by sending an email to 20craftymakes@gmail.com. The book costs just £5 for a whole heap of crafty ideas (20 in fact!). Profits from the book and e-book sales will be donated to the Stroke Association to support its fabulous work and future research.

I really want to thank Katie, Natalie and Alex for asking me to be involved with this project. It's been an absolute pleasure. And I'd like to give a gigantic ** WOW ** to Katie aka Katrine Brosnan for her beautiful book design and wonderful crafty owl illustration which you can see on the front cover and all the 20 Crafty Makes banners (including this one). You can see more of her work on her website and get your hands on some of her wonderful pieces in the Katrine Brosnan Folksy Shop. 


(( PS. The winner was drawn at random from all entries on the Butterscotch & Beesting blog and Facebook page using random.org ))

Turning back the clock

This clock found its way from a old cargo ship, through Bangladesh and into my dining room via the Pretty Dandy Flea (where it was traded in exchange for a Circus Triangles Cushion).

It was made in 1982 and when the ship was dismantled, it was one of the lucky parts to be salvaged. It used to be wired up to captain's clock, to make sure all the clocks on the ship told the same time as the ship passed through different time zones. Now it will serve the important task of overseeing our breakfast and helping us get to school on time. Isn't it beautiful?

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★ VICTORIAN MARKET ★

Talking of clocks, I'll be turning back time this weekend at the Victorian Market. I already have my corset ready. Although I may have to stop eating and breathing to squeeze into it.

Victorian Christmas Market
Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield
Saturday 1 December // 10am-7pm
Saturday 2 December // 10am-5pm

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★ 20 CRAFTY MAKES COMPETITION ★

And there's still time to enter my competition to win a copy of the fabulous 20 Crafty Makes book and the original Reinbin stamp. As some people have had trouble logging in to leave a comment on the blog, you can now also enter by leaving a comment on the Butterscotch & Beesting Facebook page. So if that's easier, head on over there and say a little something about the competition.

More details here.

The deadline for entries is 9pm on Sunday 2 December.