Happy New Year from Tigerlily Makes

Well what a festive season we have had, its been a full on time for us again as a family and here at Tigerlily Towers, but now I am back fully charged and raring to go.

So what better way to start the first blog of the year with a Happy New Year message!

2013 has certainly been a full-on year, with new avenues explored and many new friends made.  Highlights have included Create & Craft TV  (being a guest presenter was an amazing experience), The Handmade Boutique, a summer of craft fairs, The Vintage Emporium,  card making, buttons, new online retail opportunities and of course, passing on my love of all things felt via my training courses and craft kits.

Let’s hope that 2014 is just as exciting.  It goes without saying that top of the calendar for all of us here at Tigerlily Towers is the arrival of my first grand-child, due in March. 

Thank you for your company and your custom in 2013, and may I wish each and every one of you a  a warm and prosperous New Year.
For now though I will leave with Lily Lamb one of our new felting kits coming in the spring of this year!

But for now keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep felting!

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 2014 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

A little Crafty Magpie...

is flying around collecting all sorts of lovely handmade products from talented UK designers.

 

Hello folks, just a quick post today to say that I have been invited to sell on this lovely platform called Crafty Magpie.

Her is the link to my page, please check it out and support our UK designers.

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

Pudding Time!

Good morning and a massive High Five to all you festive felt fans out there!

I’ve been doing a fair amount of pop-up shops and shows over the past few weeks and one thing that has been selling incredibly well from my Christmas range are the little felt Christmas Puddings.  Whether the Great British Bake Off has made everyone go ga ga for puds, or whether people are just getting back to tradition I have no idea, but the felt puddings are a sure-fire hit this year.

But did you know …..

• Christmas pudding originated as a 14th century porridge called 'frumenty' that was made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices. This would often be more like soup and was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the Christmas festivities

• By 1595, frumenty was slowly changing into a plum pudding, having been thickened with eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit and given more flavour with the addition of beer and spirits

• By Victorian times, Christmas Puddings had changed into something similar to the ones that are eaten today

• Putting a silver coin in the pudding is an age-old custom that is said to bring luck to the person that finds it

So, why don't you make your own needle felted pudding for the tree with our Christmas Pudding kit priced at just £10.00 complete with everything you need to get started and keep up the British tradition! 

 

 

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

You’re Never Too Old To Learn Something New

Since spending time at the Handmade Boutique, one recurring theme from the lovely people who take time to visit us and buy our products is “ooooh aren’t you all clever”! 

It’s wonderful to have our hand-crafted products admired but I often wonder why more people don’t take up the challenge to be more creative themselves.   We have a number of courses at The Handmade Boutique and attendees always have a good time, learning a new skill, getting creative and making friends at the same time. 

Why not join me on one of my Needle Felting Courses, either in Birmingham or Tamworth. No experience required, and I guarantee you’ll have a great time ….. and leave with something created by you! 

http://ow.ly/onz2w

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

Bye Bye Summer, Hello Autumn

It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of August already.  The kids are ready to go back to school, the trees are starting to don their autumnal coats and clothing ranges in shops are featuring more cardigans than swimsuits ….. yes, autumn is upon us already!

So far, 2013 has been a great year for Tigerlily Makes.  With new ventures such as the Handmade Boutique in Birmingham, new branding and lots and lots of happy crafters joining the felty flock we can’t complain. 

Autumn promises to be just as hectic, with a plethora of courses planned - http://ow.ly/onODZ , and of course the festive season to prepare for.   As with all retail businesses, we also have our Christmas campaign to roll out, as well as new products constantly being added to the Tigerlily range and new designs being worked on.

Here’s to the new season, and thank you for your support.

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

Home Comforts and Felt Slippers!

Gooooooood morning my lovely felt fans!  Today’s question is all about footwear – how many pairs of shoes do you own?  Of those pairs of shoes, how many do you actually wear on a regular basis, and how many are truly 100% comfortable?

Yes, every day we squeeze our toes into pointy shoes, often with a heel and grimace our way through the day.  For many of us, that first action upon arriving home of kicking off the shoes and the initial “aaaaaggggghhhhhhh” of comfort signals the beginning of the evening – a time to relax and repair, in readiness for doing it all again the next morning.

As we near autumn, the evening temperatures begin to drop and the shops fill with racks of slippers: mules, moccasins, slip-ons, fully soled, open toed ….. you name it, there’s a slipper manufactured in that style! 

What could be more rewarding than treating your toes to the comfort of a pair of felt slippers, handmade by YOU!  Following a basic slipper design, but customised and personalised to your taste, join me on 16^th November at Hobbycraft Tamworth to make your own pair of felt slippers.  With only 8 places per course, it’s also a great opportunity to take some time out for yourself, meet like-minded crafters and enjoy a day of creativity and socialising.   There’s even tea and cake!

 

To book your place on the Felt Slippers Course, follow this link  - http://ow.ly/o5i4m - you could even make a pair for someone special as a unique Christmas gift!

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

Dolly's Ready To Peg Hand Painted Pegs

Hello lovelies and a very warm welcome to the latest edition of the Tigerlily Makes blog at the Top of Tigerlily Towers or TT as I like to call it.

Today I thought I would share the first in a few blogs about some of the brand new ready to purchase ranges here at Tigerlily Towers. Tigerlily Makes has grown and developed and awful lot of the past 4 years since its start up and I feel that TT has now become a recognised brand of quality kits and home/lifestyle products. The customer feedback and feedback I have received at shows, events and indeed the Handmade Boutique confirms that too.

So lets kick this season of lifestyle products off with Dolly's Ready To Peg, Wooden Dolly Pegs. These are lovingly hand painted by me with beautiful hand painted polka dots on. They grew out of my popular Regalily Peg Bag Kits, which then grew into a customer demand of wanting the readymade and ready to use version, so with the vintage style and feelings of nostalgia, it made sense to have the hand painted pegs as the perfect partner. Each Peg Bag is sold complete with a set of 6 and the pegs are available to purchase separately to use with the felt making kit.

So let me leave you with some of the pegs and peg bags.

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  

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.

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

Boost Your Blog Course with the Great Little Picture Company

Well hello and a very warm, woolly and fully felted welcome to you all, on this fine Sunday afternoon!

Today I would like to share with you a fantastic course run by the Great Little Picture Company, its all about boosting your blog with relevant content and how to take good blog photos.  I went to this just this morning, we started at 9am and had completed everything we needed to know by 12 noon.

The course is extremely well constructed and founder of GLPC Sara Moseley makes everything really easy and simple to follow, she is a very generous and patient tutor.  Detailed course notes are provided for you as part of your course session and for you to take home and refer back to.  Tea's and coffee were also provided and were in good supply.

With my new found knowledge, I couldn't wait to get back and put it into practice! So with a little over an hours worth of playing around with the settings on my camera, I feel I found that one good blog shot!

And here it is.

I would highly recommend this course to any blogger out there, knowing your camera and taking better photos is the key to an encapsulating read.

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  

Lily Takes Tea Fit For A Royal At Packwood House

Good morning and a very happy Friday morning to you all, today Lily takes a "Right Royal" cuppa at Packwood House!

Packwood House was originally 16th-century, yet its interiors were extensively restored between the First and Second world wars by Graham Baron Ash to create a fascinating 20th-century evocation of domestic Tudor architecture. Through its long history the house adopted many styles and features depending on the owner, but has now been restored to its original intent or as closely as would allow.

Packwood House contains a fine collection of 16th-Century textiles and furniture, and the gardens have renowned herbaceous borders and a famous collection of yews.

Packwood also houses one of the most prestigious fine china tea cups & saucer collections rumoured to have been commissioned for one very important lady who just may have been royal - we will let you decide from the pictures!

We are members of the National Trust and get an enormous amount out of our membership. Quite often we take the guided tours and we find this to be so valuable in learning much more about the history behind these great historic houses.

NB Please note that some National Trust properties don't allow you to take photographs inside the house so please always ask permission first.  Many will allow it provided you don't use a flash. I had asked and been given permission to take the internal shot featured here.

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  

Introducing Regalily's Time for Afternoon Tea Tea Cosy Kit...

Gooooooood morning lovely makers, creators and all round lovely people! Today I thought I would give you the first peek at one of my brand new felt making kits.  Its regally inspired as you will probably guess from the title... and features 4 stunning roses, these rose are a brand spanking new rose design exclusive to Tigerlily Makes.  Designed by Lisa Marie Olson (that's me) AKA Miss Tigerlily and are a stunning and realistic representation of Miss Tigerlily's passion for all things floral.  The rose itself has been developed and designed to be made effectively and easily, so this makes it very unique not only in look but by the way it is constructed.

As many of you know Miss Tigerlily is a published and accredited paper crafts demonstrator and is well know for mixing paper and textiles together.  This particular rose has been adapted from an old paper craft technique that Miss Tigerlily Developed many years ago. So drawing on her previous years experience of both paper craft and textiles, Miss Tigerlily has breathed new life into this signature rose.

This is then combined with another Miss T passion and that is tea, so a tea cosy and very properly done roses are the perfect combination! Add to that the regency style stripe and you have all the makings of an afternoon tea delight.

This kit is not on the website just yet as my lovely web developer is hard at it, making all the changes for all the new kits we are currently launching! BUT you can email to order yours now info@tigerlilymakes.co.uk.

But for now keeeeeeeeeeep felting!
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