Online Eco-shop Launch.

i heart...

our online eco-shop.

And it's now officially open! It's full of eco-friendly homewares, gifts, soaps, stationery, jewellery, artwork & more, all handmade by artists & designers from around the UK.

Here's a few of my favourites...

I could keep adding more & more, but you can see the full range by clicking here.

Happy eco-shopping!

xox.

Yarn Mountain!

i heart...


yarn.

A quick post just to say thank you so much to Rowan & Designer Yarns for donating yarn for our Knit, Have a Go At It event. Look at all the lovely yarn they so generously sent to us...

That's one big yarn mountain, with over 70 balls of wool in it! Come get your knit on with this lovely yarn a week on Sunday...

xox.

Preview!

i heart...

our new online eco-shop!

After writing endless product descriptions, editing photos & fighting html, our online eco-shop is ready for its launch this Saturday! Yipee!

It's full to the brim with all kinds of eco-friendly goodies & because I love you all so much, here's a wee preview of our new eco-shop front page!

What do you think?

xox.

Knit crazy.

i heart...

knitting.

I've gone a bit knit crazy recently. Knitting bunting, knitting owlets, knitting patches. It's been rather hard prying those knitting needles out of my hands. Want in on the knitting fever? Come to this a week tomorrow...

We've organised the event as part of Voluntary Arts Week & we've had some very generous yarn donations from individuals as well as yarn companies - Rowan & Designer yarns. So come along for some free knitting lessons, to knit some patches for Post a Patch & have some scrumptious cake at The Life Craft. More info here.

If you can't get to Glasgow on the 8th, then don't you worry. You can still get those knitting needles clicking by making a square for Post a Patch & sending it in the post to us! More info here.

And to complete the knit-a-thon is this week's favourite friday...

...this adorably cute illustration by Ashley Goldberg. Aww.

xox.

Secrets.

i heart...


secrets.

Thing is, I am RUBBISH at keeping them & get far too excited. I'm rubbish at presents, merely for the fact that I end up telling the person what it is before they can even open it. Well, we have one very big secret & I think I've done very well by keeping it for 2 whole days, so as my reward I'm going to allow myself to tell you now :)

i heart... is soon to publish it's very own monthly zine called...

It will act as a platform for artists/designers, allow you to have your say, inspire collaboration, keep you up-to-date on events & projects, have a different artist design the cover each month... Contribution is the key!

Our first issue will be available on the 1st of June 2011, but you can pre-order yours now if you like. Now this is the different bit. We want you to choose how much you'd like to pay, so it's accessible to everyone. That's right, we could be slightly mad but, you only have to pay what you can afford & our zine will wing it's way to your postbox.

We want you to get involved as much as possible. Firstly, we want one of you talented lot to design the front cover. The only guidelines are...

The theme is 'beards & bears'.

Submissions must be black & white and A5 in size.

So get doodling & send your submissions by 15th May to -

heartandlungs@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

To read about a whole bunch of other ways you can contribute head on over to the website - 

www.heartandlungszine.co.uk

We've also got a facebook page - 

www.facebook.com/HeartandLungsZine

And a twitter page -

www.twitter.com/heart_and_lungs

Ahhhh, now doesn't that feel better!

xox.

Blankets.

i heart...

Post A Patch.

Thanks to your generosity we now how two baby blankets ready to send to So Go & Run Free...

Thank you so much to everyone that has sent us patches so far, however we still need lots & lots more, so keep them coming! More info on how to get involved here.

And if you're reading this thinking 'Gosh darn it, I'd love to help out these amazing charities, but I can't knit' then do not fret! Come along to this...

... 8th of May, The Life Craft, 12pm - 5pm. I'll be there giving FREE knitting lessons & encouraging everyone to knit some patches for Post A Patch. Do it!

xox.

beards & love.

i heart...


favourite friday.


For those that don't already know, me & the boy moved up to Aviemore (where I spent most of my childhood) back in August last year, mostly to sort out various family things after my Granny & Granda both passed away. It was great to get up here & be away from it all, but now I'm itching to get back to Glasgow. I've moved around aaaalot, think I'm on my 29th? house in 24 years? Yeah. So I really want to make a home for me & Chris, be settled, have our friends around us & be happy. This week's favourite friday makes me happy too (although Chris' beard isn't quite as substantial & i wish my hair was this long)...

...this cute illustration is by Clare Owen & makes me smile.

Chris & I will be moving back to Glasgow in September (fingers crossed, it could be sooner) & I cannot wait. Expect to see a lot more crafty goings on in Glasgow when we arrive!

xox.

Musiccc.

i heart...

music.

We've received so many different kinds of music for our Music To My Ears project. Everything from folk, pop, experimental, metal, country, trance, electro & instrumental! Thank you so much to everyone for submitting their songs, it was a pleasure to listen. However, this month's song, which will be featured on our website for the next month is...

'Peephole' by Synonym! As much as I struggle to say the word synonym (it usually comes out symonyn) I do love this song. It reminds me of the soundtrack for one of my favourite films -The Science Of Sleep.

Synonym is the experimental electronic alter-ego of Allan J Swan of instrumental metallers You Already Know (you should definitely go & check them out too) & have been making music since way back in 1993 when I was just a sproggit. Head over to our website now & have a wee listen...

www.iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

If you or your band would like to be featured on or website next month, pop your tunes into our dropbox...

Send me your sounds

We look forward to listening!

xox.

Knit, Have A Go At It!

i heart...


knitting.


So as part of Voluntary Arts Week 2011, we've organised a special event at The Life Craft on the 8th May...

So no more will you have an excuse not to knit, because now's your chance to have a go at it! We'll be there from 12pm - 5pm to help you brush up on your crafty skills with FREE drop-in knitting workshops.

Can already knit? Come along & join in with the beginners & their newly found knitting prowess to make squares for the Post A Patch project. Our current community project which donates handmade patchwork blankets to charities - Starter Packs Glasgow and So Go & Run Free.

With your hands likely to be all a-flurry with knitting needles and crafty inspiration, you will be able to take a break and relax with The Life Craft's scrumptious selection of coffees and cakes & have a good old natter too.

So, you get to learn how to knit for free AND help two amazing charities, what more could you ask for!

xox.

p.s. We're looking for yarn companies that would be generous enough to donate some yarn for this event, if you know of anyone that would be up for this, please e-mail hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

Thank you.

the low down.

i heart...


being a busy bee.


& oooft is that something we've been over the last wee while! so here's the low down on what we've been up to:

we've been frantically making handmade bits as this sunday we'll be hopping on the bus down to glasgow & will have ourselves a lovely stall at Granny Would Be Proud in Hillhead Bookclub once again. come along & say hello!

we've been fighting crime against css & html to get our online eco-shop looking beautiful ready for it's launch on the 30th april. i've also been fighting the urge to keep all the new eco-tastic stock for myself!

i've also decided to separate my own work from i heart... & have it simply under my own name - Iona Bruce. i've made a wee facebook page & will add new bits to it after all this mayhem dies down a bit! but it would be lovely if you could pop over & 'like' my page. 

we've also been busy preparing for the next Meet & Make session on the 1st may. if you would like to book a place send us an e-mail on hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

we've also been busy organising an event for Voluntary Arts Week, more will be revealed soon but get your knitting needles ready! & if anyone knows of any yarn businesses that would be up for donating some yarn to a good cause, please do get in touch.

and of course we've been over-seeing our projects Post A Patch & Music To My Ears.

please do keep your patches & tunes coming!

so there you go, we're busy but there's plenty for you to get involved & busy with to, get to it!

xox.

and the award goes to...

i heart...

getting awards.

not that i've ever had one before, apart from a silver medal for figure skating when i was 9. so i was over the moon when i saw that i had been picked by the lovely Mellybee as one of her top 5 bloggers!

so to return the favour here's my top 5 bloggers.

the 'all things fashion' blog award goes to... Betty Swollocks! now when it comes to fashion i don't know my... from my....yeah so i was gonna name two fashion designers there, but i am absolutely clueless. however Betty keeps me in the know on what's hot in fashion & i AM learning!

the 'glasgow goings on' blog award goes to... the precious east! the east of glasgow doesn't have the best rep, but Jolene & her blog will certainly change your opinion. to find out all the exciting & inspirational things happening in the precious east go have a read.

the 'makes me giggle' blog award goes to... Not The Kind Of Girl You'd Marry! Carrie of Made In The Shade fame writes posts about her lovely life & what she gets up to in a way that leaves you both giggling out loud & feeling a sense of familiarness, like when...Carrie (coninsidence!) from Sex In The City reads one of her monologues. honest, down to earth, happy reading.

the 'scottish music' blog award goes to... The Daily Dose! filled to the brim with interviews from bands around scotland & touring in scotland you can get your daily dose of music from posts aptly named Metal Monday, Tour Tuesday, Webnesday, New Talent Thursday & Photo Friday.

the 'lifetime' blog award goes to... Postsecret! way before i even really knew what a blog was never mind started writing my own, i came across Postsecret & now check it every sunday without fail. i love it.

so there we have it! what's your top 5?

xox.

online eco-shop.

i heart...

expanding.

& that's just what our online shop is doing on the 30th april!

our lovely little online shop is spreading it's branches, coming over all eco-friendly & filling to the brim with a beautifully quirky selection of jewellery, stationery, homewares, clothing, artwork & accessories all made from recycled, upcycled, reclaimed, sustainable, local & fair-trade materials by a whole host of amazingly talented designers, makers & artists.


no more will eco-friendly equal mumsy, same old, same old tat! we're here to show that you can buy unique work from local designers & be nice to the planet too.


so get the 30th april papped in the diary, keep your pennies saved up in your purse & we look forward to opening our online eco-doors to you then!


xox.


  

one day...

i heart...


favourite friday.


i also heart dreaming about pretty things i'll have in my imaginary dream house 'one day'. Pinterest has made these daydreams all the more easier & is fast becoming a wee obsession of mine. you can follow me here if you like.

one of the pretty things i 'pinned' to my homewares board without a second thought was this week's favourite friday...

this beautiful pouffe by Donna Wilson. i love love love it.

i will have it... 'one day'.

xox.