Tigerlily Makes: July 2013

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

The Handmade Boutique Webbsite Launch...

Well hello lovely felt fans, as many of you know I am very proud and privileged to be part of a group of high end designers in the Handmade Boutique which opened its doors for the first time on a permanent basis on the 1st July 2013. This followed on from the success of a pilot run in the Mailbox last year.

The boutique is almost a month old and its been a fabulous start.

The boutique features 18 designers who are all local and whom all design, make and produce their own ranges.

The new website has just gone live and on it you can find information about all 18 designers, as well as information on opening times/days, courses and more.

Check out the gallery for just a taster of all the loveliness.

www.handmade-boutique.co.uk
Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X All content and design work, including text, photos, etc are © copyright 2013 Lisa Marie Olson owner of Tigerlily Makes (unless otherwise stated and named whereby copyright resides with said named person)and cannot be copied without prior permission from the copyright owner. Tigerlily Makes is a member of ACID (Anti Copying in Design and all designs are registered and protected. www.acid.uk.com www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk www.facebook.com/tigerlilymakes www.twitter.com/tigerlilymakes

If You’re Truly Crafty, You Will Always Have Supplies ….

Well hello again my lovely felt fans. I thought I’d share with you on today’s blog something that has stood me in good stead for many, many years.

I can’t quite pin down when crafting became such a massive part of my life. It’s always been there – the desire to be creative, to make things, to feel a sense of achievement when I finish something. Even now, having turned a passionate hobby into a business, I am always on the look-out to learn new things, new skills and to expand my love of all things craft.

I’m often asked for tips and the most valuable piece of advice I can give to anyone with even the tiniest interest in being creative is …… never, ever throw anything away!

Hang on to all of those textile off-cuts and end pieces, bag up the spare buttons, wrap the ribbons round pieces of card – but never throw anything out as you can never tell when you might be in need of a finishing touch, or a patch of fabric, that you discarded as “un-usable”.

Trust me, you’ll thank me for that advice one day!

And here's one such example of hanging onto all your scraps of fabrics! Linings for egg cosies... my egg cosies have become quite popular, but the unique thing about them, apart from the overall unique design is each lining is different. Take a looksee for yourself to see just one of many ways fabric scraps can be used!

But for now keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep crafting!

Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X All content and design work, including text, photos, etc are © copyright 2013 Lisa Marie Olson owner of Tigerlily Makes (unless otherwise stated and named whereby copyright resides with said named person)and cannot be copied without prior permission from the copyright owner. Tigerlily Makes is a member of ACID (Anti Copying in Design and all designs are registered and protected. www.acid.uk.com www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk www.facebook.com/tigerlilymakes www.twitter.com/tigerlilymakes

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Princess Lily Takes Afternoon Tea

It’s a hard life, being a woolly Princess Lily, so what’s a lamb to do in order to re-charge those batteries? Afternoon tea, of course!

The British tradition of afternoon tea began in the early 19^th Century, when Anna, the 7^th Duchess of Bedford took to having a pot of tea and a light snack, privately in her boudoir, to stave off “that sinking feeling” between meals. Over time, the Duchess would invite friends to join her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey, and on returning to London, the Duchess continued to invite friends to join her for “tea and a walking the fields”.

As word spread of Anna’s afternoon tea sessions, hostesses in fashionable society soon copied the Duchess, with afternoon tea moving into Drawing Rooms, ever growing in their popularity.

Nowadays, traditional afternoon tea tends to be saved for high days and holidays, and regularly enjoyed by the thousands of tourists who want to experience a taste of true England – as well as our very own Princes Lily, of course!

Photograph Courtesy of Cheryl Turner

The terms “high tea” and “low tea” derive from the height of the tables that the tea was served on, with high tea being served at the dinner table

A traditional Afternoon Tea at The Ritz Hotel in London starts at £45.00 per person

80% of office workers now claim they find out more about what's going on at work over a cup of tea than in any other way

Tea contains half the amount of caffeine found in coffee.

Every year, the town of Fish Creek in Victoria, Australia, has its very own Tea Cosy Festival! If you would like to try your hand at making your very own Tea Cosy, follow http://ow.ly/njDpn

Photography by The Great Little Picture Company

Thursday, 25 July 2013

The Sun May Be Shining, But The Festive Season Will Soon Be Upon Us ….

Goooooooooooooood morning!

Now, those of you who know me well enough, read my blogs and follow my social media feeds will know that I like to be organised! With such a lot going on, planning ahead is one of the greatest assets to achievement, which is why I am now looking towards December and the inevitable panic that usually arrives with Christmas.

Yes, we all know that everything will be alright on the night, as the saying goes, but every year, without fail, in the run-up to Christmas there’s always so much to do – often leaving us stressed and fraught by the 25^th December.

Why not make a little time for yourself in the run-up to Christmas by joining me on one of my Christmas Craft Workshops. I’ve got 3 booked – one in October, one in November and one in December. I’ll be showing you, step by step, how to make a totally felt-tastic Christmas Stocking in October, November will be dedicated to all things that will make your presents stand out from the crowd – tags, wraps, cards and bags, and then in December we’ll be making some gorgeous decorations to brighten up your tree and home.

For more information, follow the links below:-

19^th October, Tamworth – Felt-tastic Christmas Stocking http://ow.ly/njcXl

28th November, Birmingham – Tags, Wraps, Cards & Bags - http://ow.ly/njdbP

7th December, Tamworth – Divine Decorations http://ow.ly/njdgv

Just think how proud you’ll feel when your gift wrap and tree hangers draw admiring glances, and for you to be able to say "I made that!”

Hectic & Handmade!

Hello lovely felt fans!

Well, what a month it’s been here at Tigerlily Towers, what with the opening of the Handmade Boutique in the centre of Birmingham, various summer shows, designing my new range and the added distraction of a bad back!

I can honestly say that I have no idea where 2013 is disappearing to but even though it’s only July, my thoughts are already turning to "Christmas stock" and the 2014 course programme.

The Handmade Boutique has really taken off, and I am proud to be a part of this exciting project which is enabling me to showcase my designs, kits and cards as well as workshops starting August There are 18 of us local designers in total at The Handmade Boutique, so if you’re looking for something a bit more unique for a special gift, or just want something beautiful for your home, pop in and see us in the Great Western Arcade in Colmore Row – right in the centre of the City of Birmingham.

I can guarantee you’ll find something to spend your money on, and once you’ve visited us once, you will keep coming back time and time again!

You can keep up to date with all things “Handmade Boutique” by Liking the Facebook Page http://ow.ly/nei4K or following @HandmadeBoutiqu on Twitter.

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Don't wait for an occassion to send a card!

Morning crafters!

Here’s a question for you: do you feel special when you receive a card through the post? Does it cheer up your day knowing that someone has thought of you and taken the time to send you a card?

The UK greeting card market is valued at £1.38billion (source: Greeting Card Association) and it’s a sector that employs over 100,000 people.

Many of you may have seen my latest card designs, and I am pleased to report that my own card sales are increasing – proof positive that the great British public still like to send cards through the post, to put a smile on somebody’s face!

I find the card designing process both challenging and therapeutic, trying to think of different ways to welcome a new baby into the world, say Happy Birthday or just a simple “thinking of you” design. Combining my love of textile art with paper-craft can bring some wonderful results and the Princess Lily range is popular across all ages.

Go on, make someone’s day. Take the time and trouble to buy a card and pop it in the post, just to say Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X All content and design work, including text, photos, etc are © copyright 2013 Lisa Marie Olson owner of Tigerlily Makes (unless otherwise stated and named whereby copyright resides with said named person)and cannot be copied without prior permission from the copyright owner. Tigerlily Makes is a member of ACID (Anti Copying in Design and all designs are registered and protected. www.acid.uk.com www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk www.facebook.com/tigerlilymakes www.twitter.com/tigerlilymakes

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Princess Lily Returns Home To The Palace & A Right Royal Birth!

Today Princess Lily brings you a very special post as she returns home to London to visit Buckingham Palace and to send her congratulations to the new royal parents and future king.

Sadly the royal flag was down and this meant that the “Queen” was not at home!!

There had obviously been a mix up over dates between Princess Lily’s management and the Queen’s management. This did not bode well for either our Queen, or our Princess!!

So what to do? Well, the only thing to do when you have “Right Royally” messed up is to stay toast to the new baby and have some fun - so when Ma’am is away Princess Lily will play!

You can see from the pictures that our lovely Lily quite literally lambed it about during her exploration of the Palace and Palace grounds. Though she is never more content than when she is outdoorsy and near the grass ..… she did however find one of the Queen’s Guards (obviously guarding the Palace) to create some mischief with. Although I fear The Royal Guard is not doing much guarding!

See if you can spot Lily at the front of the Palace.

Lily and one of the royal Gaurds

Arrivign in London

Watching over the Gardens

Checking out the Right Royal Birth announcement

Well that's it for now and don’t forget to pay our big sister a visit at:

www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk

www.facebook.com/tigerlilymakes

www.twitter.com/tigerlilymakes

Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X Thank you for taking the time to visit Tigerlily Makes The Felt-making Blog Lisa X All content and design work, including text, photos, etc are © copyright 2013 Lisa Marie Olson owner of Tigerlily Makes (unless otherwise stated and named whereby copyright resides with said named person)and cannot be copied without prior permission from the copyright owner. www.tigerlilymakes.co.uk www.facebook.com/tigerlilymakes www.twitter.com/tigerlilymakes

Monday, 22 July 2013

Our brand new gallery page!

Hello my lovely makers, creators and all round lovely people, well today I am very excited to share with you our brand new gallery page.

The idea behind this page is to give people a quick overall glance of what Tigerlily Makes is all about!

Tigerlily Makes is "The Home of Felted Gifts & Kits" An exclusive range of felt making kits gives a wonderful creative experience to a newbie felt-maker as well as kits to grow with and for the more experienced. In addition to this Tigerlily Makes offers exclusive felt making experiences with quality materials, tuition and lovely teas and cakes. The range has expanded into a range of ready to purchase handmade ranges such as the Regalily's Very Ready To Peg, Peg Bag which matches the kit version

The ready to purchase ranges are growing all the time and include, tea cosies, coffee cosies, handbags, egg cosies, beautiful corsages, brooches, buttons and so much more.

So why not come and experience the magic that Tigerlily Makes with an Award Winning, voted "Best of British and as seen on TV Chief Feltrepreneur Lisa Marie Olson.

So in short Tigerlily Makes covers all thing felty and wool related, from wool fibres to making with wool felt and wool fabrics.

For now I will leave you with a small selection form our gallery page and keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep Felting!

Courses

Kits

Gifts & Home Wares

Thursday, 11 July 2013

New Product shoot for Kits, Courses and Handmade...

Hello lovely peeps... well what can I say other than I have been a busy, busy bee with so much going on over the last 12 months! I hardly know where to start.

Well after many, many positive and wonderful comments about my glorious felt kits, courses and handmade ranges... I also heard that my picture representations in other words my photos, just didn't show off how glorious the designs are in real life.

With that feed back and after 30+ years creating and 4 solid years designing the current range... I decided it was time for action! So I set too and enlisted the help of an amazing photographer. It makes such a huge difference to the representation of designs that I wondered why I didn't do it before.

So one sunny morning in late June the wonderful Sara Moseley AKA The Great Little Picture Company arrived with the larges camera and lens I have ever seen! With in a "flash" if you pardon the pun we were underway with the photo shoot. A little over an hour later we had the most wonderful collection of photos and within 24 hours they arrived electronically for me to use.

I have selected some of my favourites for you to peruse and many more can be viewed on the website and facebook page.

Dilly Dally Tea Cosy Kit

Lily's Coffee Couture Coffee Cosy

Slipper Course

Regalily's Puttin on the Ritz Bag Kit

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

Princess Lily Puts Her Best Foot Forward At Attingham

On a warm, but overcast day in June, Princess Lily ventured over the border into Shropshire to enjoy a day at Attingham Park, a National Trust property not far from Shrewsbury.

Famed for its free-roaming deer herds, Lily enjoyed the grounds of Attingham whilst it was still dry. There are different way marked walks to choose from varying in levels of intensity. Lily enjoyed the 2 mile Deer Park Walk, pausing to spot many deer in the woods – although the wild deer must not be approached as they are easily spooked!

After building up something of an appetite, our Princess stopped for refreshments in the Mansion Tearoom before heading into the beautiful Georgian mansion itself, home to the Berwick family for five generations.

From the moment you step inside the main entrance, it is evident how much work the National Trust is investing into Attingham to fully restore it to its former splendour. For younger visitors there’s the Mouse Trail too – which proved something of a challenge for the whole family, with the pesky (but cute!) mice hiding in the most unexpected of places!

The stand-out room for Lily was the amazing Dining Room. With its table set for a banquet of royal proportions and the candlelight reflecting in the ginormous mirrors, Lily couldn’t help but dream of hosting the most splendid of dinner parties for her felt-tastic chums, and dancing the night away after a hearty feast.

On the upper floor of the Mansion, the views across the Severn Valley are absolutely breath-taking, so much so that Princess Lily had to stop for a rest on a rather grand sofa.

The main restoration project at Attingham is the construction of a new roof over the Picture Gallery to protect the original roof, which was designed by John Nash. It is estimated that the project will cost £1.4 million and will take 2 years to complete.

In contrast to the opulent upper levels of the Mansion, Princess Lily ended her visit “below stairs” in the Housekeeper and Butlers’ Quarters – which would, in its day, have been a hive of activity with staff bustling around looking after the Berwick family. Lily was impressed with the large kitchen and all of its copper pans – she was even tempted to try her hand at some baking!

After a pot of tea and a slice of delicious home-made carrot cake, Princess Lily decided it was time to head home to sleep and dream of all those deer she had seen at Attingham Park.

What a fabulous day out she'd enjoyed!