thank you & happy new year.

i heart...

new year.

so first of all a big...

from i heart...!
i hope you will be celebrating in style & aren't too fragile tomorrow!

september 2010 saw the birth of i heart... & i would like to say a few wee thank yous, if it wasn't for these  awesome people i heart... would still be a daydream in my head.

first of all, i would like to give a hugemongous thank you to all the people who have bought our handmade bits, come said hello at our stalls, attended our workshops & contributed to our projects. thank you, thank you, thank you.

secondly i would like to say thank you very much to Made In The Shade, The Life Craft, Dundee Jamboree, The Spider & The Fly, Tempt & Jolly Good Studio for hosting our workshops, organising crafty markets we've had stalls at & selling some of our wares. wishing all of you all the best for 2011!

a special thank you & well done goes to Olive Grove Records and their releases, Randolph's Leap & Esperi. can't wait to see/hear what you guys have in store for 2011.

and last but not least a wee thank you to my mum for teaching me all things crafty in the first place & to chris for putting up with me & all the random balls of wool, pieces of felt & thread that have taken over our house these last few months.

 2011 will see our new website, our new eco & fair-trade products which will both launch on 7th january, more workshops, projects & events. so bring it on!

xox.

meet & make.

i heart...


meet & make!

starting on the 30th january 2010, i heart... will be hosting a monthly craft meet up where i will teach you some new crafty skills, organise a project for you to work on & provide all the materials to get it all done. add some lovely people to meet, some drinks & plenty of chinwagging & you've got yourself...

if you would like any more information or would like to book your place then e-mail me on:

iona@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

xox.

new website

i heart...

that my new website is nearly finished.

i've been working on a new look website for the last couple of weeks, ready for our re-launch  in the new year. not only will it see our new logo, look & website, we'll have a whole host of new eco-friendly & fair-trade products too. so while i get them all ready our online shop will be closed i'm afraid, but keep your pennies saved for our bits made from fair-trade artesano yarn, eco-fi felt & 100% recycled card.

& seeing as i love you all so much, here's a wee sneak peek at the homepage of the new site...

thoughts?

xox.

workshops catch up.

i heart...

catching up!

and i've got lots of workshop-like catching up to do! first off, lets talk about the Starting From Stitch workshops i facilitated at Made In The Shade last month. i had an awesome time over the 4 meet ups, teaching some lovely ladies how to hand-sew, embroider & knit as well as having our fair share of blethering & stuffing ourselves with homemade treats! look...

 

 

and i was more than impressed with what the girls made with their new found crafty skills...

 

 

 

i'm in the midst of organising the next lot of Starting From Stitch workshops so if you're interested in taking part please e-mail me on iona@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk 

now, for all you mums, dads, grannies, aunties... that just don't know what to get your little angel for xmas, why not get them something a bit different? like this block of craft workshops perhaps...

i will be facilitating a 6 week block of craft workshops for wee'yins, teaching them how to hand-sew, cross-stitch & knit. not only will they learn new skills, meet new friends & have a whole lot of fun, they will bring home lovely handmade presents for you! including hand-sewn decorations, knitted hairbands/bow ties, cross-stitch badges & a whole heap more.

to get more info or to book, e-mail the lovely Vonnie at The Life Craft on:

vonnie@thelifecraft.co.uk

xox.

esperi release.

i heart...


esperi.


what feels like many moons ago, i went to a wee gig at the captain's rest & stumbled across a supporting act which had me in a trance with it's stripped back organic-ness, uniquely paired with a smorgasbord of intriguing sounds & random instruments.  it was of course the lovely esperi.

back then i had no idea that Chris Lee-Marr (esperi's main man) would become one of my good friends & make me laugh at the most absurd things, including randomly acquired women's gold watches, paper pterodactyls & a whole heap more.

his latest release is Made For Life/Snowman, released through the wonderful Olive Grove Records & i'm very happy to be involved by making these felt snowman cd covers...

the cd is now available here, there are only 50 of them & are already selling worldwide, so get your ice skates on! 

xox.

ch-ch-ch-changes.

i heart...


moving forward.

2010 has had it's ups & downs, certainly a lot more ups than last year did which is definitely a good thing. so to move even further onwards & upwards i heart... is making some new years resolutions.

first up, you may have noticed the new look blog. yup, we're having a wee bit of a make over which is hopefully a little more 'i heart...' & what we're all about. here's our brand spanking new logo...

what do you think?

hopefully our new look will represent our second change - we are turning into eco-heroes! come 2011 all our handmade bits will be made from felt made from 100% recycled materials, fair-trade wool which helps communities in peru, recycled/upcycled fabric & 100% recycled card. on top of all that, all of our packaging materials will be made from recycled paper & biodegradable plastic pouches. captain planet would be proud!

so to match all this up & make it look all nice, this month i will be fighting with my old friend html to make a swish new website which will look to make it a lot easier to navigate & look pretty :)

bring on 2011!

xox.

spreading some xmas cheer!

i heart...

discounts!

so to cheer you lot up & stop you heading out in the wintery weather, here's a discount to get 10% off everything in my online shop!

just head to www.iheartdotdotdot.bigcartel.com, pick out some handmade xmas pressies (or treat yourself), then at the check out enter xmascheer as a discount code & tadaaa, 10% off all your purchases :) so make yourself a cup of tea, curl up in your duvet & get your xmas shopping done from the comfort of your cosy couch.

the discount is valid throughout december & to make sure your handmade gifts get to you in time for xmas, be sure to order before the 20th december.

happy shopping!

xox.

have a Jolly Good xmas.

i heart...

Jolly Good.

i first started talking to the lovely Helen Macdonald - the crafty maker behind Jolly Good - when she submitted a piece for our first zine, 'i heart...zines' (there's still a few left which you can get here.) since then i have met Helen in person at Dundee Jamboree where we both had a stall, bought one of her awesome necklaces & she's included in our upcoming zine, 'i heart...my favourite place' (more info here) too! so i am delighted to have some of my bits on sale at the Jolly Good Xmas Pop-up Shop...

if you can brave the snow, make sure you pop in for a gander, she has a whole host of crafty wares ideal for xmas pressies. have a look...

 

i'm going to have to start a spot fritz the fox competition i think! can you spy him?

xox.

i heart...my favourite place announcement.

i heart...

all the submissions i have received over the last wee while for our next collaborative zine project - 'i heart...my favourite place.'

and i am very happy to announce that the 10 very talented creative people that will have their artwork & sounds featured in the zine are...

Barbara Ana Gomez

Matthew Ellero

Emma Cowley

Helen Macdonald

Natalie Hughes

Melanie Chadwick

Murray Sommerville

Gillian Gibson

Daria Hlazatova

Sarah McGarva

the zine will be available to purchase from my online shop in january, after the mayhem of the festivities are over. but i'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on how it's all coming along.

can't wait till then to feed your collaborative zine desires? a few zines from our last project are still available here.

xox.

snow is falling.

i heart...


the first snow of the season.

growing up mostly in aviemore means that snow is never as exciting as everyone else seems to find it. i always found it bizarre when i lived in glasgow how excited & panicked people would get over only an inch of snow - i'm used to feet of snow & still managing to get about with no hassle! however, i can't help the child-like delight when the first snow of the year arrives. & today was that day...

and that was taken this morning, there's been heaps more since then...almost enough to make a snowman...

which oh so conveniently brings us to some other snowmen i've been making, this time from felt...

(scarf made by halina rifai & alex kenzel) 

believe it or not this felt snowman is a cd cover! it's for the awesome esperi & his release 'Snowman' through Olive Grove Records which is out on the 13th december.

to celebrate the release, Olive Grove Records are having a wee christmas bash on the 22nd december at the 13th note, glasgow. along with esperi, Randolph's Leap & the crazily talented RM Hubbert will be playing. PLUS! i'll have my very own wee stall full of handmade goodies so you can cram in some last minute christmas shopping without having to resort to a box of chocolates & withered flowers from the 24 hour garage. we've got it all covered :)

xox.

  

very tempt-ing.

i heart...

when lovely shops stock my bits.

newest to the list of i heart... stockists is Tempt, an adorable little gift shop in cupar, fife.

a whole selection of my goodies are available there for you to purchase, including the newest edition to our woodland plushie family - fritz the fox...

they also have handmade craftings from Nikki Made & Sketchstitch as well as scrumptious cupcakes from Kitchnbake!

they are even having some late night shopping nights every thursday on the run up to xmas, perfect to get into the xmas spirit & get all your presents sorted!

xox.

randolph's leap.

i heart...

Randolph's Leap.

so much so i'd go as far as saying they are in my top 10 favourite bands, ever. plus, me & the boy had our first date at one of their gigs & have decided that they would definitely be our wedding band at our imaginary wedding (awww).

so i was pretty chuffed when i was asked to make some limited edition knitted cd covers for them...

these are now available to buy along with a whole range of goodies & their new release 'Battleships & Kettle Chips'. last time i checked there were only 7 left, so if you want to get your hands on one hurry up & buy one here.

if you've had a wee listen to them & like what you hear (if you don't i may have to disown you) then be sure to come see them play this thursday at The Captain's Rest for FREE!

make sure & check out the Olive Grove Records new website too. i have more exciting news about them coming soon, so keep your peepers peeled!

xox.

a very busy weekend.

i heart...

selling my bits & bobs at craft markets.

& this weekend i'll be doing that very thing on saturday & sunday. i will be selling x-stitch greeting cards, woodland plushies, pick n mix badges, handmade cushions, knitted hairbands, headscarves, x-stitch badges & of course the one & only walter. here's a wee preview...

on saturday i will be at the Barras Centre for Supermercado...

& on sunday i'll be popping across to edinburgh for the Magpie Market...

hope to see you there!

xox.

x-stitch x-mas.

i heart...


my new cross-stitch christmas cards.

& am very happy to announce they are now on sale at The Spider & The Fly in edinburgh! i have two designs - 'xmas kisses' & 'bah humbug'. have a look-see...

i will also be selling these & lots more goodies including hand-sewn felt creatures, knitted hairbands & bow ties, x-stitch badges, hama-bead jewellery & other bits & bobs at my two upcoming stalls this weekend.

on saturday i will be setting up at the Made In The Shade Supermercado...

and on sunday i'll have a spot at the Magpie Market...

do pop along, have a look, maybe get some early xmas presents & come say hello!

xox.

starting from stitch.

i heart...

being excited about taking my first Starting From Stitch workshop.

yup, that's right, this friday sees the very first Starting From Stitch workshop at Made In The Shade.
during week one, attendees will learn how to do a basic stitch, draw & sew on their own animal design, stuff it & stitch it together (whilst munching on treats & sipping on punch) so by the end of the evening everyone will have their very own fabric animal to take home!

they will also get to take home a wee booklet i've put together & here's a wee preview...

i'm very happy to say that the classes are fully booked. but! if you want in, send an e-mail to the Made In The Shade girls & let them know so we can put these workshops on again for you.

i'm also excited to be down in glasgow this weekend because it's the Supermercado launch on saturday! i can't wait to see all the stalls & goings on, you should most definitely come too.

(but don't spend ALL your pennies, because i'll have a stall there the week after ;))

xox.

my illustration past & future.

i heart...


favourite friday.


apologies for the lateness - t'internet was down yesterday.

today i'm over at my mum's looking after the dog whilst she goes for a wee night out. so in a bid to tidy some of the vast randomness of bits in our loft, i took down a couple of boxes full of my things to sort out. they were full of old school jotters, diaries, photos, certificates but most of all stories & drawings...

robin story written age 5 & picture of granny, me & chickens drawn age 7.

my imagination was amazing when i was younger, i was constantly writing stories about adventures & drawing pictures of everything & anything, until i started high school. high school took all the fun out of writing, replacing exciting stories with critical reviews & when i had to choose whether to take music or art - i reluctantly chose music, even though i wanted to take both - drawing took a back step whilst i concentrated on 'important' subjects, silly boys & the general stress of being an awkward teenager.

but, recently illustration is something i would love to get into again, it's just knowing how/where to start, finding my own style & finding the time to sit down & concentrate on it.

until then, here's this week's favourite friday...

this awesome illustration by Hollie MacManus.

maybe one day i'll be able to draw something as good as that :)

xox.

i heart...my favourite place - update.

i heart...


being busy.

however, i've been so busy organising workshops, doing freelance work & getting ready for my upcoming stalls that i've unintentionally put the latest i heart... zine project on the back burner.
so.... you'll be happy to hear that i've extended the deadline to the 20th november so you have plenty of time to get your submissions ready :)

if you didn't know already the theme is...

& this zine is one with a difference. not only will it have pictures, it will have SOUNDS too!

entries are open to EVERYONE & ANYONE. i heart...  strongly believe that EVERYBODY has the ability to be creative, so it doesn't matter one bit whether you are a professional artist or someone that just doodles in their spare time, an art student or someone that's never picked up a pencil in their tod. ALL submissions are welcome.

all you have to do is CREATE an A6 piece which represents your favourite place. it could be the seaside, at a gig or even at your folks house watching corrie. then RECORD a sound that goes with your place (the sea, the crowd, ken & deirdre having yet another barney). then SEND these to:

iona@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

OR

lodge 8

mains of garten farm

boat of garten

ph24 3by

successful submissions will be featured in a limited edition zine which will be sold on my online shop.

can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

xox.

newsletter giveaway!

i heart...


giveaways!

last month i sent out the first i heart... monthly newsletter, full to the brim with info on workshops, events, projects & a whole bunch more. & to say thank you to all you lovely people that have signed up for it, i'm going to do my first ever giveway! i'll pick one of our newsletter subscribers at random & this lucky duck will get to pick one of these cross-stitch badge sets to wing their way to them...

so if you would like to be in with a chance just pop your name and e-mail into this box...

add me to the i heart... monthly newsletter! * required
First name:
Last name:
Email *:
Twitter Name:	@

& keep those fingers crossed!

xox.

workshops sneaky peek.

i heart...

preparing for workshops.

& that is exactly what i've been doing for the last couple of days. incase you didn't know already, i am facilitating the Starting From Stitch workshop at Made In The Shade...

aaaand the Crafty Creatures workshop at The Life Craft...

so i've been busy ordering materials, writing up workshop plans, making booklets & crafting up some examples for the lovely craft beginners to work from. here's a wee swatch of what we will be making in our first workshops...

hand-sewn felt christmas decorations for the kids & hand-sewn fabric dolls for the adults!

xox.

brrrr!

i heart...


favourite friday


it's safe to say winter is here, there's been snow with us already! so i've spent the last couple of days cooped up in my wee craft room with the heater full blast & a big jumper on, making some cross-stitch christmas cards (more exciting news on them later...). the thing i love about winter is being able to wrap up warm with tights & long socks, coats, hats, scarves & gloves. well, this week's favourite friday is just the thing to keep all your wintery wears tidy...

you can buy this beautifully crafted 'Into The Pines' hat rack on My Poppet, where you'll find a whole host of lovely bits & bobs.

xox.

spilling the beans part 3.

i heart...


The Life Craft.


so here comes another bit of news from my spilling the beans spree! every friday, starting from the 5th november & till the 10th december, i will be tutoring a kids craft class at the wonderful The Life Craft!

the classes will teach the children the basics in hand-sewing, cross-stitch, knitting & will have them proudly taking home felt xmas decorations, jotter cozies, cross-stitch badges, bow hairbands/bow ties, knitted owlets as well as getting involved in a group project at the end. i really can't wait!

i'm so so so excited about this, i have worked with children for as long as i can remember & absolutely love their enthusiasm & imagination. to be able to teach a group of them how to do something i love is like a dream come true :)

if you would like to book these workshops for your young'ins then send a wee e-mail to the lovely Vonnie - vonnie@thelifecraft.co.uk for more info.

xox.

done!

i heart...

finally finishing a big project!

my first project for Olive Grove Records was to knit limited edition CD covers for Randolph's Leap. i have to admit it did take me a lot longer than i expected & knitting 20 squares did get pretty tedious BUT i am very pleased with the result...

...i hope they like it too!

xox.