christmas gift guides part 2 - the craftaholic

Top row: (1) Makool lick 'em & stick 'ems by Makool Loves you; (2) Hand printed Knitting Project Bag by Plain Jane Textiles
Middle row: (1) All Things Green Inspiration Kit by Jillian Marie; (2) Flip Doll Kit by Umbrella Prints
Bottom row: (1) Doll Faced Needle Felting Tool by Love One World Zero; (2) Pincushion Set 'Ablaone' Gift Set by Nadelwerk

a joyful mix

I'll try letting the pictures speak for themselves. Cuteness overload! You check out a whole lot more at the Karaku Store (in yen) and Karaku on Etsy (USD).

Clockwise from top left: (1) 365pcs Japanese Style Stamps; (2) Japanese Mamehanko - Stamp Set; (3) ToyCute Shop - Japanese fabric; and (4) Petit Collection - Super Girl Stamp

moshi moshi

Crafty Mooks is definitely the place to go (albeit a virtual one) to satisfy all your japanese crafting supplies cravings. There is such a wide range of fabric to choose from (like below), and also cute items like the Vegetable Sewing Tape (above, left), and my favourite the Decole Miranda Apple Roller Stamp (above, right). I mean it rolls out a cute design and looks so delectable itself (and you will never mix up your stamps again).  

stamping madness

I just happened to stumble onto Yellow Owl Workshop's website and noticed that they had new limited edition stamp sets in store. And I'm glad I did! Each stamp set contains 5 stamps that can be used collectively to create a full landscape, or individually in any way you please. Stamping just got more creative on a whole new level. (Landscape Stamp Set above, Seascape Stamp Set below).

that element of surprise

Alma Stoller has some fascinating zines that have been hand assembled and made up of mixed media collages. You can even find fabric and beads tucked in between the pages!

 

She also has various handicraft kits like the Mixed Media Oddities Kit (above) that contains an assortment of papers and beads. Great for class projects or for challenging yourself to craft something with only its contents.

peek-a-boo

If you fancy sewing as a hobby, cute handcrafted clay buttons from Kitty Robot, such as the sampling above, would make an excellent addition to your next sewing project. Alternatively, if you are not of the sewing inclination, these buttons may also be purchased without the holes, to be used for scrap booking and other crafty projects you may have in mind. (But really if you can sew, good for you! I imagine these would be superb for sprucing up old clothes that might otherwise be tossed out) 

fabric fun

Hollabee is stocked with hand printed fabrics that are patterned with original illustrations. The fact that they are handmade means that your finished product will indeed be almost one of a kind. Also, if you are the type who would like a tasting of various designs, can't make up your mind, or simply require smaller pieces of fabric for your sewing project, smaller pieces are available as are mix fabric packs that contain fixed designs in smaller sizes. 

Clockwise from top left: (1) Chocolate Floating (2) Olive Clay Bricks; (3) Swirl in Dusty Pink; (4) Chocolate Autumn Leaves.

miniature pets

I have absolutely zero skills in the crotchet department but I was drawn to the cute finished products by June Gilbank on her Flickr account. If you enjoy crotchet and are constantly on the lookout for new patterns, then check out Planet June. There is a wide range of cute animal crotchet patterns available, with a focus on an extensive collection of specific dog breeds. 

Left: Fuzzy Guinea Pig; Right: Jack Russell Terrier AmiDog

here we go a-baking

(Image from Bakerella)

Apologies for the week long hiatus! Exams are finally over and I'm suddenly hit with spare time that I am not used to having. Surfing around for stuff and I stumbled upon a great idea for a post-exam project - cupcake baking and decorating! I'm such a newbie to this, but i think my job will be much easier with cupcake toppers like the ones below to prettify my cupcakes without having to go through the messy tasking of making icing decorations myself.

Clockwise from top left: (1) Cupcake Toppers from Cathy of California: (2) Cute Cake Toppers from Kitty Robot; (3) Matryoshka Cupcake Toppers from the Peach; (4) Handpunched Paper Flowers from Paper Spoon

paper and string

I've always loved playing with felt and items made from felt, and so imagine my delight when I chanced upon this seller! Paper-and-string has a wide range of items all made from felt, from craft supplies to ornaments to book covers. Plus they are in such eye-popping colours and are all shades of cute!

Clockwise from top left:
(1) Owl felt embellishment 
(2) Cute cupcake felt covered notebook
(3) Robot cupcake maker
(4) Polka dot mushroom brooch

little vintage touches

The adorable buttons covered in vintage fabric are perfect for adding that extra detail to an outfit. Some possible ideas: using them as actual buttons for your clothes or as to simply sew them on like brooches to your clothes or bags. Or perhaps even as hair accessories by attaching them to a suitable rubber band or hair pin? Oh, and maybe you could sew them onto little homemade handmade cards, that is, if you can bear to give them away. 

Clockwise from top left: 
(1) Rainy Day Scatter Pins by McYarnpants
(2) Vintage Buttons by Flying Time Designs
(3) Button of a Cute Little Blonde Girl from the Faerie Cupboard
(4) Not even the rain buttons from The Ghost Factory

stampede

Check out these adorable handmade rubber stamps which will be a great way to personalise your stationery and definitely make it unique. The thing is though, because there are so many lovely designs it's highly possible that you will be tempted to get them all the moment you start looking. After much deliberation, I present to you four of my many, many favourites. 

Clockwise from top left: (1) Handcarved little baby stamp by Craft Pudding; (2) Personalised mug shot signature stamp by Love Sprouts; (3) Matryoshka rubber stamp by Corrabelle and (4) Free whales rubber stamp by Sleep Sheep.