i heart...

Goodbye.

2011-08-10T12:15:00.000+01:00

We have a new name and now we have a new blog.

www.wearewolfbones.blogspot.com

Be sure to follow us over there, we've got some very exciting news being announced later today!

Our new website address is:

www.wolfbones.com

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/bonesWOLF

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/Wolf_Bones

E-mail:

hello@wolfbones.com

Goodbye i heart...

Hello Wolf Bones.

Design our new logo!

2011-08-05T18:57:00.001+01:00

There's some exciting things happening behind the scenes of i heart... just now, ones that can't be revealed, just yet. We will tell you soon though, you know how bad we are at keeping secrets!

However, we can reveal that we will be changing our name. i heart... will be no more! We came up with the name i heart... never imagining that we would transform into a massive smorgasbord of craft workshops, projects, events, online eco-shops... Never in our wildest dreams. But we're damn proud that we have. So we think it's time to change our name to fit who we are now & will continue to be in the future.

We will soon transform & be known as Wolf Bones.

Like it? We do. A random name, you may think. But, did you know that wolf bones are used to find out environmental changes in the Earth's climate? Like tree rings. And as you know, we're all about helping the planet. Plus bones are at the core of our bodies and connect & work together to make something awesome. Which is what we aim to do - encourage people to use their raw creativeness to collaborate & create amazing things. Plus, we like wolves. They are nice.

With a new name comes a new logo. And guess what? Yes, that's right, we'd like you to design it!

As with all our projects, anyone is welcome to take part, whether you're a professional artist or someone that just likes doodling on the edges of the newspaper.

Guidelines:

The logo must include the text 'Wolf Bones'.
Entries must be in by 15th August.
Feel free to experiment and be as random as you like in your design, but if you're struggling remember our organisation is all about being eco-friendly, making the arts accessible to all & encouraging collaboration.

Send your submissions to hello@wolfbones.com for the chance to win a £30 gift voucher to use on anything in our online eco-shop as well as lots & lots of exposure. We'll pimp you out big time.

Cannot wait to see what you come up with!

xox.

And the winner is...

2011-08-04T12:00:00.002+01:00

Thank you to everyone that entered our giveaway, time to announce our winners... (drum roll please)

Well done to...

Get in touch & we can book a time for your online tutorial!

Once these lovely winners try out our online craft tutorials there will be a whole array of them available to everyone, everywhere! We'll keep you up to date as to when you can start booking them :)

Until then, if you are in Glasgow, why not come along to our Meet & Make craft group. Our next one is on 28th August at the 13th Note. Bring along your knitting, sewing, embroidery or any other crafty project you're working on, meet some new folk & have a couple of drinks too!

xox.

B.A.A.D. Fest

2011-07-28T11:23:00.000+01:00

i heart...

The Barras.

And this weekend sees the B.A.A.D. Fest taking place in the Barras Art & Design Centre. It is a beautiful space right in the heart of the Barras and this Saturday we'll be there with a stall full of eco-friendly goodies. Everything from jewellery to stationery, homewares to art - all made by independent artists & designers.

Come on down & say hello, peruse all the craft stalls, listen to some music & watch some demonstrations!

See you on Saturday!

Time for a give away!

2011-07-23T13:50:00.000+01:00

It is indeed time for a wee give away! We're in the midst of organising a range of online craft tutorials via Skype. Oh how we love technology. This means we'll be able to teach a range of craft skills from knitting, sewing, cross-stitch & embroidery, to people across the globe! We need to give it a test run & would love to give two of you lucky lot the chance to try it out for free, exciting huh?!

All you need to do is...

'Like' our Facebook page & spread the i heart... word by tagging us in one of your posts.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

In return we will randomly select two lucky winners who will get a lovely parcel in the post with all the materials you'll need to craft up a storm & an hour long online tutorial where we will teach you a new craft skill, help you with any problems & get you on your way to finishing a craft-tastic project.

What you waiting for, get on it!

*Entrants must have access to a webcam & Skype.

2011-07-21T13:37:00.000+01:00

i heart...

I Build Collapsible Mountains.

By far one of my favourite musicians & also one of my favourite people, so I'm very happy to say that we're featuring him - the lovely Luke Joyce (who also happens to be an awesome photographer, e-mail him with requests) on our website this month.

The track 'Face Of Thunder Grin' comes from his upcoming album 'Spectator & The Act' which will be released through American label Burning Building Records on the 11th October. I've been lucky enough to have a wee listen to the other album tracks too & by Jove your ears are in for a treat.

I Build Collapsible Mountains will be playing in the GoNorth Tour stage at the Wickerman festival this weekend, so if you're going make sure to pop in for a listen & if not head on over to our website & have a listen now!

If you would like your music to be featured on our website, send your tunes to our Soundcloud dropbox.

Send me
your sounds

Stationery Love

2011-07-07T00:41:00.000+01:00

i heart...

stationery.

I love it. I get scarily excited about buying new stationery. It was the favourite part of the year when I was younger, the once a year trip to Inverness to get the back to school necessities. Oh, the butterflies I would get picking out my pencil case & pencils & pens & highlighters & tipex...
This love continued onwards as I grew upwards, moving onto unique cards, diary and letter writing-like stationery goods and of course a good pen every now & then.

Well, my love & excitement for stationery is still as strong as ever and I am super happy about a whole bunch of new eco-friendly products we've just added to the stationery section of our online eco-shop. Eee! Here's some of my very favourites...

Bicycle Stationery Set

Instant Comfort Pocket Box DIY Kit

Poor Thing Card

Hooray! You Tied The Knot Card

Bird & Cage Stamp Kit

There's a whole heap more too, head on over to our online eco-shop for a look-see.

xox.

Summer Sale!

2011-06-28T13:12:00.000+01:00

i heart...

a bargain.

And you can get yourselves quite a few in our Summer Sale with 20% off selected items including...

...this beautiful felt necklace with fair trade paper beads.

WAS £21.00, now ONLY £16.80!

....these lovely pair of vintage anchor earrings.

WAS £12.00, now ONLY £9.60!

...this unique pair of vintage Japanese bird hair clips.

WAS £8.50, now ONLY £6.80!

...these hand-knitted purses made from fair trade alpaca yarn.

WAS £8.00, now ONLY £6.40!

...and this beautiful vintage love heart locket.

WAS £16.00, now ONLY 12.80!

There's even more bargains to be had on our online eco-shop too, have a swatch here!

xox.

Summer Kids Classes.

2011-06-27T16:24:00.000+01:00

i heart...

teaching kids how to craft.

They are so enthusiastic & I love it! Starting on the 18th July I will be facilitating a range of kids craft classes at The Life Craft. Classes include knitting where they will learn all the basics & make a knitted hair bow/bow tie, hand-sewing where they will stitch themselves their very own pencil case...

...cross-stitch where they'll design their own cross-stitch badges aaand a comic class where they will be encouraged to use their imagination & make their own comic using pens, pencils, paints & collage...

So there really is no excuse to have bored little ones this holidays! You can book here.

xox.

2011-06-20T11:33:00.000+01:00

i heart...

Music For My Ears.

Thank you to everyone that sent over their music this month, as always it's great to hear such varied & passionate musicians.

This month we have chosen the lovely (Shortfin) Mako Shark to be featured on our website.

'We are (Shortfin) Mako Shark. The project started towards the end of 2008 when Lucia and I (Clara) decided to start playing songs together. Later we got tons of help from a friend called Larra who is awesome at playing guitar (and many other instruments) and who recorded our first and second EP, so we asked him to join the band as well, since he was really involved. We get together from time to time (we've lived in different cities a couple of times, so we don't have any kind of schedule, we just play whenever we feel like it) because playing music feels good.'

Go have a listen - www.iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

And if you'd like your music to be featured next month, send your tunes to our Soundcloud...

xox.

Right here. Right now.

2011-06-16T12:16:00.002+01:00

i heart...

holidays.

We're back & refreshed from our holiday to Spain, where we saw the sights of Barcelona, went along to the Ilu-station festival & enjoyed a couple of days of sunshine on a quiet beach.

Whilst at the beach I thought I'd do a bit of guerilla knitting...

Knitting always makes me think, and as I was knitting a band to add to a tree at my favourite spot I came up with the idea of Right here. Right now. A community project that connects strangers, shares experiences & appreciates the great outdoors.

Off I set along the beach of Platja Llarga, near Tarragona to my favourite place which I discovered last time I went travelling. I tied my knitted band to a tree there...

And popped the guidelines for Right here. Right now. inside...

This is what I added:

'Hello,

My name is Iona, I'm 24 & from Scotland.

This spot is my favourite spot in the whole world. I first came here 3 years ago whilst travelling alone with a tent around Spain for a month. That trip helped me find out who I was & be confident & happy with who I was. This spot reminds me of that.

Today I sit here not knowing what is ahead of me but sitting here, remembering, fills me with confidence that I'll be able to handle whatever lies ahead.

Iona Bruce

She turned her can'ts into cans

And her dreams into plans.

14/06/11'

And here is my photo...

I wasn't sure if anyone would come across my knitted pouch & note, or if they did whether they would take it down, so I was so happy when I received a lovely e-mail last night...

'Hi Iona,

You would be very surprised to receive an email at this time on the morning. This is because I've just came back from one of my favourite places here in Tarragona from I saw the superb moon eclipse of yesterday. It was really amazing to find the papers you left tied to the pine tree and of course to know that there are some people that have the same feelings about Nature. Of course I writted one of the papers before seeing the eclipse and put it back to the pine tree. I liked very much the last message you wrote on your paper!!!. It's really touching.

Unfortunately I have one simple camera so it was impossible to take some photographs of the eclipse but the camera was good enough to take some pictures of the sea with the full moon. Here you can find attached some of them. In the afternoon of today, I'll send you more pictures including one of your favourite plot with myself in it.

Uppss!!!!, by the way, my name is Jesus Lopez Villada and I'm from Tarragona.

Sunny regards,
Jesus'

I'm planning on leaving knitted pouches with Right here. Right now. guidelines in it in lots of other special places too. I'm so excited about it!

*Update*

'Hello,

My name is Jesus Lopez and I was born here in Tarragona. What a nice present to find here some sensitive people about this breathtaking landscape. I'm here today to see a Moon eclipse that according to experts it will be spectacular. In my case this natural phenomena symbolises a break with my recent past and a welcome to a new life. And all this is really so strange because since I woke up this morning I have the feeling that I'm ready to an important change in my life. I hope so !!
Well, ten minutes to see a Moonrise with a shadow. Let's enjoy it!!!

15/06/2011'

xox.

Heart & Lungs Launch.

2011-06-01T13:18:00.000+01:00

i heart...

our new bi-monthly zine - Heart & Lungs.

Today is the official launch of our June/July issue & includes an interview with Sandra Dieckmann, feature on Donna Wilson, blog by Carrie MacLennan, events & projects listings & a whole host of beard & bear-tastic delights including how-to knit a beard, a bearded bear comic strip, our favourite bear & beard handmade bits & a whole heap more.

Want a copy? Head over here, where YOU choose how much to pay for it.

And have a gander over to the website too & see how you can contribute to our next issue.

xox.

Holiday!

2011-05-27T13:18:00.000+01:00

i heart...

holidays.

It's been a good few years now since I've been on one, my last being a month's trip round parts of Spain, just me & my tent - best experience ever. I saw some amazing places, met some lovely people & found out who I really was somewhere along the way too. I'd advise everyone to go travelling on their own at least once in their life, it really was life-changing.

Well, I'm off to Spain again to one of my favourite cities - Barcelona, this time with the boy alongside me. We're going for the Ilu-Station Indie Comix Fest, which is a festival of illustration & zines taking place between the 4th - 12th June.

There'll be a zine market, several exhibitions & workshops too. I can't wait! Plus, the boy is writing about it for The Herald. I'm super proud.

Sooo, whilst we're away the online eco-shop will be on holiday too, between the 3rd - 15th June. You'll still be able to order your lovely eco-friendly bits, however they won't be processed till we come back, hopefully feeling relaxed, covered in freckles & raring to go! So if there's something you've got your eye on in our online eco-shop, make sure & order it before the 3rd.

Adios Amigos!

xox.

Sewing Saturday.

2011-05-21T19:17:00.000+01:00

i heart...

all you generous people who have donated knitted squares for our Post a Patch project.

I've received quite a few in the post this last week so I spent today sewing them into beautiful blankets. Thanks to your generosity we now have two more baby blankets for So Go & Run Free and one big blanket for Starter Packs Glasgow. Can you spot your patch?

Thank you so so so much to everyone that has sent in a patch so far. If you haven't sent one yet, then get those knitting needles out! Click here for all the info you need to take part.

xox.

On the road again...

2011-05-18T20:56:00.000+01:00

i heart...

Glasgow. As much as it was lovely to get away from all the hustle & bustle by living up North again, Glasgow has been calling for a few months now. So I am DELIGHTED to say that come June, Glasgow will be my home once more. Yay! Keep your peepers peeled as to what exciting new things this will mean for i heart... too, watch this space.

So we've spent the last couple of days having a major cull & have lost count of how many black bags have left the house, I'd say our local charity shop is safely stocked up for the rest of the year.

However, to celebrate our move & because there were some things I couldn't bear to throw away, for the next week every purchase on our online eco-shop will receive some free goodies too! There's a whole bunch of our old stock on offer...

...as well as a lovely array of books, bits & bobs up for grabs!

So head on over to our online eco-shop, treat yourself to something nice & expect a parcel full of goodies in the post!

xox.

Music for the month.

2011-05-15T15:03:00.002+01:00

i heart...

getting to listen to all the amazing songs that are sent our way each month for our Music To My Ears project.

This month we've chosen to feature Tom Irvine & his song 'Bubblewrap'.

'I'm still just starting out and I'm in the process of getting a band together to perform my songs live. I try to use as many nice noises and instruments as I can to create interesting, but more often just catchy, music. Some of my main influences include Menomena, Conquering Animal Sound and Meursault. I'm much more used to playing louder, guitar-based, shouty music, so this is all a bit of an experiment for me, but it's nice to finally be writing songs that are actually pleasant to listen to!'

You can listen to Tom's tune over on our website - www.iheartdotdotdot.co.uk
And if you fancy sending some music to us too, pop it into our soundcloud dropbox & we'll have a listen - www.soundcloud.com/iheartdotdotdot/dropbox

xox.

Knit, Have A Go At It! fun.

2011-05-09T11:47:00.000+01:00

i heart...

teaching people how to knit.

And that's what yesterday was spent doing. I had a great time showing some lovely people how to knit patches, having a good chat & stuffing my face with amazing chocolate mousse cake!

A massive thanks to Voluntary Arts Week, The Life Craft for having us, Rowan, Designer Yarns & Anne Ferguson for donating yarn & of course all you lovely people that came along - was really great to meet you all.

Post a Patch is an ongoing project, so we are always looking for more patches to make into blankets for our selected charities - Starter Packs Glasgow & So Go And Run Free.

Here's some tips to get you on your way...

AND we have a looooads of yarn left, so if you'd like to knit a patch, e-mail us on hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk with your address & we'll send some your way :)

xox.

Keep Calm.

2011-05-06T11:47:00.000+01:00

i heart...

keeping calm.

It doesn't happen very often though & these last couple of weeks have been choc-a-bloc with busy-ness. Our online eco-shop opened its virtual doors, we announced our upcoming monthly zine - Heart & Lungs, had a knit-tastic Meet & Make session, made up some bits for a new Iona Bruce stockist & have been preparing for our Knit, Have a Go At It! event on Sunday. Phew.

The best thing to do is keep calm & drink tea...

Just like our favourite friday of the week by Ella Masters so cutely tells us. You can buy this original illustration here.

xox.

Online Eco-shop Launch.

2011-04-30T10:57:00.001+01:00

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!

2011-04-28T13:51:00.000+01:00

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!

2011-04-26T15:44:00.000+01:00

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.

2011-04-22T12:34:00.000+01:00

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.

2011-04-21T16:28:00.002+01:00

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.

2011-04-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

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.

2011-04-15T19:24:00.000+01:00

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.

2011-04-15T13:58:00.001+01:00

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!

2011-04-11T15:46:00.000+01:00

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.

2011-04-07T16:59:00.000+01:00

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...

2011-04-05T17:56:00.000+01:00

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.

2011-04-04T00:09:00.001+01:00

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...

2011-04-01T19:33:00.002+01:00

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.

thanks Grandy!

2011-03-30T21:38:00.001+01:00

i heart...

getting parcels in the post.

but a couple of days ago, i got possibly the best parcel in the world. inside it was a whole bundle of patches for our post a patch project, a lovely mini blanket & a photo of the amazing lady that knitted them all - meet 'Grandy'...

so we now have our first blanket for So Go & Run Free...

and are well on our way to making a big blanket for Starter Packs Glasgow...

(please excuse the jammy bottoms!)

a massive thank you to 'Grandy', Joanne's Mum, Tracey & my Mum who have knitted up a storm & sent us all the patches for this blanket.

but we still need LOADS more patches though, so keep 'em coming!

send your 10cm x 10cm knitted/crocheted patches to:

i heart...

21 burnside ave

aviemore

PH22 1SE

xox.

meet & make round-up.

2011-03-30T13:39:00.000+01:00

i heart...

meet & make.

back in january i started up a monthly craft meet up where people could meet in a social environment, learn some new craft skills & have a few drinks & a natter. it's been a great success so far & has seen our meet & make-rs learn how to embroider, knit & cross-stitch & helped them to create awesome projects from embroidered tote bags, to knitted cushions to cross-stitch postcards.

i look forward to seeing these cheery crafters every month!

our next session is on the 1st of may (usually the last sunday of every month, however this month it lands on easter weekend, so has been changed to the 1st) please do come along &join in. it doesn't matter if you've never tried any crafts before in your life of if you're a super pro, i'll be there to help you as much or as little as you like.

to book your place head here... http://iheartdotdotdot.bigcartel.com/product/meet-make

each session is £10 & includes all the materials you'll need to create & finish a craft-tastic project.

see you on the 1st!

xox.

p.s. if you like the sound of meet & make but don't live in glasgow, give me a shout & i'll see if i can start one in your area too!

eco-illustration.

2011-03-25T14:09:00.001Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

the last couple of weeks i've been searching for eco-friendly arts & crafts. i previously presumed that the majority of illustrators nowadays would use recycled paper/card for their prints, drawings, paintings etc. but it seems that's not the case! but in my search i've come across some amazing illustrations, one of my favourites being this week's favourite friday...

...by Ismay Ozga, i love it!

if you are an illustrator that works on recycled paper or would be willing to & are interested in us stocking your work in our online eco-shop which launches next month, please get in touch:

hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

xox.

we need patches!

2011-03-19T19:55:00.000Z

i heart...

post a patch.

incase you don't know already, post a patch is our current community project. we're looking for people around the world to knit/crochet squares & post them to us so we can make them into blankets for two amazing charities - Starter Packs Glasgow & So Go And Run Free.

so far we've had a few patches come our way...

(thanks to Elaine, Christopher, Joanne's Mum & Anthea for the patches we've received so far!)

but as you can see we need LOADS more. so please get knitting or crocheting pronto!

why not spend your sunday catching up with friends whilst you knit. can't knit? invite your granny or mum round to give you a wee lesson. or switch the tv off, put the kettle on & have a relaxing knitting session on your own. sundays were made for knitting!

send your 10cm x 10cm patch to:

i heart...

21 burnside ave

aviemore

PH22 1SE

thank you so much.

xox.

eco-friendly search.

2011-03-18T18:13:00.000Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

the last few days i've been on the search for eco-friendly handmade items & artwork for the i heart... online shop expansion! i was pleasantly surprised at the amount of lovely bits & bobs i've some across. one of my favourites being...

... Lucie Ellen's jewellery made from reclaimed wood. i love pretty much every piece!

i'm still on the hunt for eco-friendly products (anything made from recycled, upcycled, reclaimed or fair-trade materials) & illustrations (they just need to be drawn/painted/printed on recycled paper!) so if you are interested drop us a line on:

hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

look forward to hearing from you :)

xox.

pom-pom project.

2011-03-17T14:59:00.000Z

i heart...

pom-poms.

so when i came across the Pom-pom Project organised by Natalie Jones, I was very excited about getting involved. i was sent a lovely little package with instructions, a pom-pom template & some yarn which i made into a lovely multi-coloured pom-pom. if you don't see yourself as much of a crafter then making pom-poms is a great place to start - it's lots of fun & takes only a couple of minutes to make!

today i went for a wee walk with my mum & her dog to find a perfect place to put my pom-pom...

for more information on the Pom-pom project click here.

& remember we've go a couple of our own projects on the go just now too!

more info here.

go on, get involved!

xox.

exciting expansion.

2011-03-16T11:54:00.000Z

i heart...

eco-friendly products.

however, it seems when searching for eco-freindly work/gifts/products it tends to be a bit hippy-tastic, mumsy & a wee bit shite - if i'm honest. well, we want to change that.

the i heart... online shop is expanding & we're now on the look-out to stock other talented designer/maker/crafter/artist/illustrator's work. we want to show that eco-friendly wares can offer unique design, immense talent & quirkiness - as well as being nice to the planet.

so if you create crafts from recycled, upcycled or fair-trade materials, or are a designer that works with reclaimed materials, or an illustrator that draws/paints/prints on recycled card/paper...
we want to hear from YOU!

send us a link to your website/facebook/photos of your work to:
hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk
& we will be in touch & discuss the finer details.

look forward to hearing from you!

xox.

music to my ears.

2011-03-14T23:33:00.000Z

i heart...

music.

and i've been dying to organise a music-based project for yonky donks. for a few months last year i was very lucky to be part of Glasgow PodcART & through this got to hear loads of talent-ridden new music from bands & musicians around scotland. after moving up north i've unintentionally fallen out of the loop when it comes to music & want to rectify that. Glasgow PodcART does an amazing job at being a platform for new music via it's podcasts, reviews, interviews & gigs, something i'm still a strong believer in. so, here's our first music project...

every month we'll pick a song to be played on our website (you can have a peek now & listen to a lovely song by esperi) along with a link to your band site/bandcamp/myspace, allowing your music to be heard & enjoyed by lots of people & hopefully give you a helping hand to get your music to get out there.

all you have to do is send your tracks to our SoundCloud dropbox...

Send me your sounds

...and we'll pick a track once a month to will be featured on our website. as with all of i heart...'s projects, it is open to ALL. whether you're an established artist or just sing in the shower, we would love to hear your music.

xox.

easter workshops.

2011-03-14T18:00:00.000Z

i heart...

facilitating kids workshops.

and to keep your wee ones busy this easter, we're going to be teaching classes in knitting, sewing, cross-stitch & comic making at The Life Craft.

during the knitting class we'll teach the young'ins how to cast on, knit & purl and how to bind off. using these new found skills they will create their very own knitted critter!

in our hand-sewing class we will teach the children the basics in sewing & help them design a lovely felt pencil case, perfect for showing off to all their friends when they go back to school after the holidays!

our cross-stitch class will have the kids cross-stitching like pros in no time. and will see them leaving proudly with some cross-stitch badges they made all by themselves.

lastly, but by no means least, is our comic making class. we'll encourage the kids to create their own storyline & turn it into a comic full of their own drawings/paintings/collages & words. really excited about this one!

to book your places head on over to The Life Craft website by clicking here.

xox.

bread day.

2011-03-08T17:39:00.000Z

i heart...

baking.

it's pancake day today, so naturally i made some... bread.

i've started my own personal mission of making food from scratch as much as i can. so i know exactly what goes into my food - no added chemicals, perservatives, general guff. but also to appreciate food more, these days it's all about getting food that's cheap & fast, not healthy & homemade. i want to change that in my life.

the other day i started my baking spree with some very tempting tablet. unfortunately my tablet didn't turn out too tasty. (can you tell i enjoy alliteration?) it didn't set & i was left with an impossibly sticky mess in my dish. i was rather gutted, tablet is one of my favourites.

but today, i was crowned the baking king of the household! i baked my own bread from scratch & it was soooo much easier than i thought it was going to be - just add flour, yeast, butter & water (i also added grated carrot, onions & some cheese in mine, yummy) mix into a dough, knead for about 10 mins - great arm work out! leave for 2 hours, pop it in the oven for 30mins & bam! you have some yourself a scrupmtious loaf.

there really is nothing better than fresh, warm bread with butter - mmmm! if you don't already, you should definitely try & make your own bread. do it!

xox.

drawing day.

2011-03-04T13:02:00.000Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

today i'm going to draw. i've been meaning to do more drawing recently but just haven't found the time. i started a while back, you can read here, but after a night it got pushed to the back burner again. so today is drawing day. i'm kinda nervous about it, maybe i'd be better off with this week's favourite friday...

...by Kate Broughton, at least i know i can keep in the lines - most of the time!

xox.

march, two, three, four.

2011-03-01T11:42:00.000Z

i heart...

actually having some time.

it's the 1st of march today & i purposely made it so i didn't have much on this month. it feels like i've been non-stop since before xmas. i've had wee ideas for new products buzzing around in my head for months now, but haven't had the chance to follow them through. so march is going to be a month of making new things.

i've not been too well the last couple of days so had a bit of a head-start & made this itsy bitsy bunting, made from fairtrade alpaca yarn...

and this make your own badges kit. it has everything you need to design your own badges - pens, paper, needle, thread, aida & a selection of fabric. the idea being you make designs for 10 badges, pop them into the envelope provided & post it to us, we'll make them into beautiful badges & send them back to you & ta-da you have your very own bundle of button badges!

i still have a few more ideas up my sleeve, so watch out when i pop them up on the shop in the next few weeks.

xox.

being biased.

2011-02-25T09:00:00.001Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

i'm not going to pretend i'm not, but this week i'm being ever so slightly biased when picking our favourite friday of the week. this week saw the new joint venture of the boy & i - Rewind. Reuse. Revive - open it's online doors. and in all honesty i'm sad to see the vintage goodies we've scavenged for go to new homes because i want to keep them for myself! here are a few of my favourites...

it was even a struggle just picking those three out of the hugemongous selection of homewares, books, magazines, comics, vinyl records, cameras...

go have a nosey here.

xox.

belated valentine's.

2011-02-23T13:06:00.000Z

i heart...

swaps.

i recently took part in the Alicia Rose secret valentine swap, where i made some goodies for the lovely What Katy Did Next...

and in return got some awesome goodies from Kate Blandford...

definitely going to organise a wee swap too at some point, so watch this space!

xox.

touche, crochet.

2011-02-20T15:47:00.002Z

i heart...

trying new craft techniques.

& last weekend i tried my hand at crochet. i went round to my mum's & had a nice relaxing evening, relaxing until i started attempting crochet! it is very fiddley, however i persevered & it did get easier, even quite addictive. i managed to make myself a lovely little granny square...

...which is going to be the very first patch for our Post A Patch project.

like i say it is verrrryyy addictive, so i'm going to keep on practising & have even got a wee idea of a crochet project i can teach at meet & make at some point.

xox.

upcycling.

2011-02-19T19:57:00.001Z

i heart...

upcycling.

me & the other half have started a new venture called Rewind. Reuse. Revive. which does exactly as it does on the tin. we source out vintage goodies from days gone by & pap them on our online shop for you to reuse & revive! everything from antique books, to retro records, old school cameras to pretty homewares, the list is endless. our online shop opens on 22nd, in the meantime you can 'like' our facebook page here.

anyway, whilst out scavenging for Rewind. Reuse. Revive. i picked up myself some lovely floral china plates. i've been wanting a vintage cake stand for so long now, but i haven't been lucky enough to come across one that hasn't stretched the purse strings so much they snap, so decided to make one myself...

i love it. & it was so so easy to make. i found some old sherry glasses & glued them in between my lovely plates & bish, bash, bosh - i have my very own cake stand!

upcycling is the best.

xox.

post a patch update.

2011-02-19T15:58:00.000Z

i heart...

post a patch!

so after struggling to find just one charity that wanted our community-made blankets, we now have two!

Starter Packs Glasgow & now So Go And Run Free - a charity that offers support to bereaved parents in the highlands, who lose their babies before, during or shortly after birth & provide them with memory boxes. our blankets will be used to wrap the babies in whilst the parents say their goodbyes & can take it home with them to remember their special wee one.

both charities really need our help, so get your knitting needles & crochet hooks out & get making patches! and spread the word, the more the merrier :)

for more info on what to do & where to send your patch, click here.

xox.

post a patch.

2011-02-18T16:45:00.001Z

i heart...

when a plan comes together.

after struggling to find a charity willing to accept the donation of our community-made blankets (read more here), thanks to your help we've now found one!

Starter Packs Glasgow is a charity that provides starter packs of basic household necessities for homeless households in glasgow. our blankets will be gladly received by people who don't have much & are striving for a fresh start.

so let the knitting commence!

all you need to do is...

knit/crochet a 10cm x 10cm patch, in any colour or pattern you wish - be as creative as you like!
send your patch to:

i heart...

21 Burnside Avenue

Aviemore

PH22 1SE

we will then sew all your beautiful patches into lovely blankets & send them to Start Pack Glasgow, who will pass them onto people who will benefit immensely from them.

there's no deadline on this as i would like it to be an ongoing project which could hopefully help other charities as well, but the quicker you get knitting the quicker the blankets will be made & enjoyed by people in need around glasgow.

go get your knitting needles out!

xox.

dairy-free baking.

2011-02-18T12:00:00.001Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

recently i've figured out that it's most likely that i am lactose intolerant. which means no more dairy products for me. i've actually tried being vegan before, i've been vegetarian for about 5 years now (bar a couple of drunken macdonalds incidents) so thought i might as well go the whole hog. but my love of cheese & milk chocolate was too strong. i do only use soya milk & soya butter though, which was an easy swap, it's just a shame vegan cheese & chocolate tastes so yucky. so in attempt to solve this, i made some vegan brownies, which were scrumptious!

and today's favourite friday is also baking based...

not only am i a sucker for home-baking, but typography too & Madi's illustration is choca-bloc with both.

xox.

p.s. if you would like to be featured as our favourite friday, add photos of your work here.

project help.

2011-02-15T12:56:00.000Z

i heart...

community projects.

and so far we've concentrated mostly on collaborative zine projects (have a look here & here) which have been so much fun to organise & have introduced me to some very talented people.
however, this project is going to be a bit different. it's far from a new concept, but i think it's a lovely one.

introducing, post a patch...

now, i've been thinking about this project from waaaayyy before xmas & have been contacting charities to offer them the donation of these proposed blankets - something i didn't really see being a problem. i mean surely children's charities that help orphanages, charities that help people in 3rd world countries, homeless charities that help people on the streets, would jump at the chance of the donation of blankets, right? wrong.

i contacted Oxfam, who replied saying it would be too expensive to get the blankets overseas (which i can understand), Barnados who replied saying they already have a local ladies group that provide them with handmade goods, Action For Children who never replied, Shelter who passed me onto Crisis, Crisis who said they already have bedding... it goes on.

i never, ever imagined it would be so hard to give something away to charity. some have suggested to sell the blankets & donate the money to them, but that's not what this project is about. it is about one community giving something to another. a blanket doesn't just keep you warm, it makes you feel safe & knowing that it was made by people from all over wanting to help, i would hope would make the receiver feel wanted, loved & less alone.

so before we even get our knitting needles out, i need your help. do you know of any charities that would welcome our blankets with open arms? do you live near a nursing home/homeless shelter/orphanage that would benefit from these blankets? any suggestions would be very much appreciated. and if all else fails you will see me handing out blankets to homeless people on the street myself!

xox.

knit, knit, knit.

2011-02-10T13:11:00.002Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

this week has been FULL of knitting. i've been knitting a whole lot of hairbows & bowrings for the adorable Made With Love Finnieston, I finally sent off my knitted patch for Garterstitch 100 (hurry, you still have time to send yours too) & i've been busy knitting a patchwork cushion for our meet & make group on the 27th to give everyone an idea of what they will be making this month.

all this knitting & you know what? i've never knitted a jumper, ever. it's something i would love to do, but the time it would take & the money it would cost just really puts me off. which is terrible! maybe i'll just wait till some of my friends start popping out wee ones so i can knit small jumpers. or get a rabbit...

isn't this week's favourite friday by Jess Marshall cute?

xox.

p.s. want to be next week's favourite friday? just add a photo of your work here.

we have colour!

2011-02-05T19:30:00.000Z

i heart...

getting things done.

the last couple of days i've not been feeling great - sore heads, dizziness & general bleugh-ness, which is usually my body telling me i need to take a break before it stops working altogether. so today i took my first 'day off' of the year.

did i spend it curled up in my duvet? in front of the box watching trashy tv? catching up on gossip with friends? nope. instead i got things done.

FINALLY one of the walls in the living room is finished!!

after much stripping...

& much painting...

(finished wall colour)

getting my diy on & putting together the table my granda made which i LOVE, we now have a one-side-liveable living room!

xox.

valentine's.

2011-02-04T13:22:00.001Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

well it's nearly that time of year again, that day that i usually stay in & watch trashy rom-coms, stuff my face with pizza & ice-cream & dream that one day i'll have my happily ever after - yup, valentine's day is just over a week away.

however, this year i won't be all alone with a puffy face from greeting my eyes out at a soppy storyline or have a sore tummy from eating so much junk food - i'll be spending it with my boy like a loved up pup (it will be our one year anniversary too!). but seeing as i won him over by taking him for a night-time hot chocolate & brownie picnic in the park, i do hope that some yummy treats are still involved.

this week's favourite friday is perfect for such thoughts...

this scrumptious piece was created by Mel Chadwick, who is also one of our featured artists in our recently launched 'my favourite place' zine, which you can get here.

happy valentine's day when it comes to all you love birds out there, and to the singletons out there, say hello to hugh grant, matthew mcconaughey & freddie prince jnr for me (i'm secretly jealous i won't be spending my night with them on my screen & a slice of pizza in my hand).

xox.

p.s. if you would like to be featured as our favourite friday, just add your photos here.

january meet & make.

2011-02-01T23:33:00.002Z

i heart...

meet & make.

last sunday saw the first of our meet & make monthly workshop/crafty get-to-gethers. it was lovely to see some familiar faces from my previous workshop at Made In The Shade - Starting From Stitch, as well as some new faces too.

our meet & makers were shown how to master different embroidery stitches & then went onto sketching out their very own design...

then they got their back-stitch, cross-stitch, chain stitch, french knot & blanket stitch on!

i had a lovely time chatting to everyone, having a cold beverage & getting crafty, thanks again to everyone that came along - i look forward to seeing your finished results at the end of the month!

if you would like to join in, click here to book your place.

not from glasgow but would like to come to a meet & make? let me know! if enough people are interested i would love to get a meet & make started in a whole lot of different places!

xox.

'my favourite place' zine launch!

2011-02-01T13:54:00.002Z

i heart...

our 'my favourite place' collaborative zine.

& today is launch day! the zine consists of artwork & sounds of 10 different talented people, depicting their favourite place. And yes, you heard right. The zine has sounds! not only will you be able to see what the artist's favourite place looks like, you'll be able to hear it too!

From New York to Newport, swans gaggling to magpies cawing, a cosy cabin to a spider skull mountain where the spider skull monkey lives, you can safely say there's a huge range of different places, sounds & techniques included in the zine.

With pieces from...
Murray Somerville
Barbara Ana Gomez
Helen Macdonald
Melanie Chadwick
Gillian Gibson
Natalie Hughes
Emma Cowley
Sarah McGarva
Matt Ellero
Daria Hlazatova

...the zine is full to the brim with talent from around the world!

To get your eyes & ears a copy, click HERE. & be quick! it's a limited edition of only 30!

xox.

guddles.

2011-01-28T18:03:00.001Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

well it's been an extremely busy couple of weeks at the i heart... HQ, we've been making bits for new stockists, typing up hand-outs for our meet & makers on sunday, designing our 'my favourite place' zine & catching up on our books.

so needless to say, the whole decorating the house thing has been pushed to one side. we've managed to strip the living room walls of its 80s woodchip wallpaper & yup... that's about it. i CANNOT wait till it's all nice & un-guddled & i can spruce it up with lovely bits, just like this week's favourite friday...

this adorably cute bunting cushion by Roslyn Mitchell Designs would look just perfect on our (imaginary, anyone fancy buying us a) sofa.

xox.

p.s. if you would like to be featured as our favourite friday, just pap up some of your photos here.

new stockists.

2011-01-27T11:35:00.000Z

i heart...

my new stockists.

i am very happy to announce that next week our 'i heart you' cross-stitch cards will be available at the lovely Welcome Home in the west end of glasgow, as well as their pop-up shop at the CCA on sauchiehall street.

And if that wasn't enough awesome news, a variety of our cross-stitch cards, hand-knitted bow rings & other bits will also be available at the adorable Made With Love Finnieston. i am very much looking forward to dropping off my wares on sunday & tucking into the scrumptious food they also have on offer!

so if you prefer to have a look-see & touchy-feel before getting your pennies out, head on down to these beautiful boutiques & get yourself some i heart... goodies.

xox.

january blues.

2011-01-21T09:00:00.000Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

it's that time of year again when i get completely & utterly fed up of the cold weather. i don't know whether it's my australian blood, but i can't be doing with winter at all. i like winter clothes & maybe a little bit of snow (imagine how good snow would be if it was warm?!) but other than that i'd chose summer any day, even spring or autumn is better than being cold all the time.

so this week's favourite friday is a look forward to the summer ahead, which fingers crosses will be filled with days of beautiful sunshine to which i could be accompanied by this beautiful fan...

...made by Barbara Ana Gomez (one of the featured artists in our 'my favourite place' zine, which you can pre-order here).

if you would like to be featured as our favourite friday of the week, add some photos of your work to our flickr pool & we might just pick you.

xox.

granny would be proud.

2011-01-19T13:16:00.000Z

i heart...

craft fairs.

& this sunday i'll be packing my suitcase full of my handmade bits as well as bobs & getting the bus to glasgow to set up stall at Granny Would Be Proud. it's been a while since i've had myself a wee stall so i'm looking forward to showing off our new fair-trade & eco wares, meeting new customers & makers. it's at the Hillhead Bookclub (they do a mean veggie burger) 12-5pm, so do come down & say hello, have browse & maybe even a bite to eat.

whilst i'm there i'm going to try sneak out for a wee bit to have a catch up with the Made In The Shade gals & of course have a scour round at their sale-o-rama!

see you on sunday!

xox.

charity shops.

2011-01-17T14:40:00.000Z

i heart...

charity shops.

but this wasn't always the case, no siree. my childhood fashion consisted almost entirely of charity shop clothing, not from choice but from necessity. so as you can imagine i was made fun of, bullied and certainly was not one of the 'cool' kids growing up. so it had always been drummed into my head that charity shops were horrible places & i HATED them. then, i turned 17 & up-sticks down to glasgow & couldn't believe my eyes & ears. charity shop shopping was fashionable?! it took me a while to get my head round this, a couple of years, a move from the southside to the west end & the introduction to my bestie Sheri aka Betty Swollocks who, amongst a lot of other things, educated me in the ways of charity shopping & i've never looked back.

today, i visted the aviemore charity shop, the one i loathed so much when i was younger & found these wee gems for a grand total of just £7...

so now instead of begging my mum not to go into the charity shop when i was with her incase anyone saw me, i hold my head up high & enter with eager eyes.

xox.

projects, projects, projects.

2011-01-15T21:54:00.000Z

i heart...

community projects.

& i've got quite a few buzzing around in my head just now. first of all there's our 'my favourite place' collaborative zine. at the end of last year we called for people around the globe to submit an artwork & sound that depicted what/where/who their favourite place was. we received an amazing range of submissions & after trying & failing to get funding to get the zines printed & a very busy festive season, i've finally managed to save up some pennies to get the zine finished & they will be ready for you to get your hands on soon. hurray! part of today was spent figuring out what to put on the front cover of the zine. i like making the front covers to our zines a bit different - our last zine, 'i heart...zines!' has a concoction of paint, photos, illustration & sewing on it's front - & came up with this embroidered piece...

unfortunately it's too big, but if you like it you can get it here. (if you would like me to do any custom embroidery pieces just drop me an e-mail at hello@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk)
so, i'm back to square one, but i'll think of something!

now to a project that i've taken part in myself, the 100 million stitches project which is part of the celebration of the centenary of international women's day. they are calling out for knitted patches which will be sewn together to make a huge art piece to raise awareness of the estimated 100 million women that are missing in the world today due to gender discrimination.
this is my patch...

if you would like to get involved too, you can find more info here.

this project has inspired me for our next community collaboration. so watch this space & get your knitting needles at the ready.

xox.

favourite friday is back!

2011-01-14T09:00:00.001Z

i heart...

favourite friday.

after a wee break favourite friday is back to do a weekly feature on other talented lovelies out there & show off some of their creations that particularly tickle my fancy.

this week it's the turn of Night Owl & their beautiful floral stag plate...

it's so pretty!

xox.

a is for...

2011-01-12T23:47:00.000Z

i heart...

drawing.

after writing this post back in october, i have finally found the confidence & the time to sit down & draw something. whether it's any good or not is another matter, but it's a lot better than i was expecting after 10 years without putting pencil to paper.

the other day i got thinking about this book i used to love when i was younger - Spike Milligan's 'Condensed Animals'. it was choca-bloc full of silly rhyming poems about all different animals, it was awesome. anyway, it got me thinking about a starting point to get me drawing again & the idea of using illustrations of unconventional animals paired with the conventional 'Aa is for' alphabet.

i started with a sketch of an african vulture - the aasvogel...

& finished up with this...

next up, the biscacha...

xox.

moving home, again.

2011-01-10T17:19:00.003Z

i heart...

a fresh start.

a new year, a new home. yes, that's right, in amongst designing & re-launching our new website, making new eco-friendly products, planning workshops & thinking up new projects (more on the project front soon, i'm excited!) i've moved house, again. that's 29 moves in 24 years now i think. as much as i loved our wee wooden house in the middle of nowhere, it just wasn't practical & by jove was heating the place expensive! so me & the boy have now moved into our new abode in aviemore.
we've started stripping walls, & have plans to make it all pretty & i can't wait. but at the moment it's a bit of a bombsite...

this is currently my office/craft room. lovely & organised as you can see!
i can't wait to get those walls stripped & painted & get everything else into place. i've actually found stripping walls quiet therapeutic & even stumbled across this wee gem...

i'll be sure to update you lot with photos once we get the place looking nice, but for now if you need to get in touch or would like to send us a postcard/letter/valentines card, our new address is:

21 burnside avenue
aviemore
ph22 1se.

xox.

website re-launch!

2011-01-07T17:17:00.002Z

i heart...

our new website!

after a month of footering about, our brand spanking new website is here! you can see our workshops, our projects, freelance work, events, badges & shop all from the one place. have a look see, clickity click here.
what do you think?

we'll be adding a lot more handmade bits (and better photos, i was too excited about getting it up & running to fiddle about with my camera!) onto our online shop over the weekend, so keep your peepers peeled.

until then, here's some of our eco-friendly wares that are available now!

i would love your feedback on the new site, good or bad! so do give me a shout :)

xox.

thank you & happy new year.

2010-12-31T13:08:00.001Z

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.

2010-12-17T17:44:00.002Z

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

2010-12-16T03:32:00.001Z

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.

2010-12-15T15:06:00.001Z

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.

2010-12-13T01:07:00.001Z

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.

2010-12-07T23:17:00.000Z

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!

2010-12-04T11:58:00.000Z

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.

2010-12-03T14:13:00.000Z

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.

2010-11-30T14:31:00.001Z

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.

2010-11-24T12:28:00.001Z

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.

2010-11-22T13:52:00.000Z

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.

2010-11-16T19:20:00.001Z

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.

2010-11-12T12:22:00.000Z

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.

2010-11-08T13:54:00.000Z

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.

2010-11-03T14:24:00.000Z

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.

2010-10-30T17:56:00.001+01:00

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.

2010-10-27T16:33:00.000+01:00

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

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!

2010-10-25T15:29:00.000+01:00

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...

& keep those fingers crossed!

xox.

workshops sneaky peek.

2010-10-23T17:57:00.000+01:00

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!

2010-10-22T12:26:00.000+01:00

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.

2010-10-21T11:42:00.000+01:00

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!

2010-10-19T22:16:00.000+01:00

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.

badges! updated.

2010-10-15T10:51:00.001+01:00

i heart...

badges!

as i mentioned in a previous post, i've finally saved up pennies to buy myself a badge machine! so if you're looking for someone to make you up some badges? i'm your gal.

you can use your own artwork & as many different designs as you like, you could even use fabric, comics, pages from books, whatever you want! & i'll work my magic to turn them into awesome button badges for these very fair prices...

all you need to do is send me a wee email to: iona@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk telling me how many badges you'd like & what you'd like to use to make them. if you want to use your own artwork, i've made a template for you...

then bish, bash, bosh i'll put them together & send you them in the post!

xox.

envelopes of randomness.

2010-10-15T09:00:00.004+01:00

i heart...

favourite friday.

earlier this week i got a lovely envelope full of goodies from Jenny Robins after winning a twitter giveaway. the package was full to the brim with random bits & bobs, including a gun shaped hand warmer, a fish cut out, a leaf & an beautiful illustrated postcard!

but my favourite out of everything was these two zines & this week's favourite friday...

these comically cute zines are called 'What Birds Are Really Thinking' and the other 'Because You're Worth It' & you can buy them both here.

and remember! if you would like your work featured in my next collaborative zine, have a looky here.

xox.

badges!

2010-10-14T11:41:00.000+01:00

i heart...

badges!

today the postie brought me a big package & inside was my badge maker! i've been saving the pennies for a while to buy one of these bad boys & now i have it. i thought it might be complicated to actually use the machine, but nope, i made my first badge within seconds!

so now not only does i heart... make crafty bits & bobs, organise projects, take workshops & do freelance crafting - we make badges too!

i will have a proper page up for it soon (next few days are being spent knitting like i've never knitted before to get some freelance work done) but until then, if anyone is interested in me making them up some badges please drop me an e-mail to iona@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

xox.

birthday.

2010-10-09T09:56:00.000+01:00

i heart...

favourite friday.

i don't heart however, having a bit too much to drink on my birthday night out, tripping, falling straight onto my knees & waking up in excruciating pain & realising my knees have now swollen to the size of the sun. they are feeling a bit better today but yesterday wasn't much fun, hence favourite friday being a day late. i'm glad i can still retain so much class in my mid-twenties! dearie me.

anyway, besides banging my knees into oblivion i had a lovely birthday & got this baby from the boy...

i LOVE it. still waiting on some film to arrive but i can't wait to try it out. i love the thought of going back to when you would take a photo & have no idea how it was going to turn out, no looking at a preview & being 'i look awful, delete it & take another one', just capturing a moment exactly as it was at that moment without trying to make it into something it wasn't.

this week's favourite friday is also retro camera themed...

it is this awesome polaroid keyring from Cut Copy Create, the perfect accessory for any budding photographers out there.

xox.

spilling the beans part 2.

2010-10-07T11:14:00.001+01:00

i heart...

spilling some more beans!

if you've signed up for my monthly newsletter (if you haven't you can do so here & get a 10% discount on my online shop) you will have read about how excited i am to announce that i will be holding some beginner craft classes at the Made In The Shade barras hq!

so if you don't know a purl from a pearl or a back-stitch from a stitch-up, then this is the workshop for you. the classes will teach you all the basics in hand sewing, embroidery & knitting, making you the master crafter you've always dreamt of being! plus it's b.y.o.b.! what better way to spend a friday night than crafting up some handmade handicrafts to be proud of whilst sipping on some wine & chatting to some lovely folks.

you can join the facebook event here & if you would like any more info just drop an e-mail to the lovely Made In The Shade girlies to: bookings@wearemadeintheshade.com

xox.

autumn.

2010-10-01T11:48:00.000+01:00

i heart...

favourite friday.

well, its october. how it's managed to be october already i'm not quite sure however, mental.
this october is going to be a busy behind the scenes one for me. i've got new bits to make, more stock to make for the stalls i've got at Supermercado & Magpie Market in november, i've got some very special CD covers to make for Olive Grove Records, plus i'll be sorting through submissions for the new zine project - i heart...my favourite place aaaand i'll be getting myself ready for workshops that I'll be taking in november too (more details on this soon :))
but during all of that i hope i'll have some spare time to enjoy the autumn outside, collect conkers, snuggle up when it's too cold & wrap up warm in some lovely autumn-y attire.

which brings us to this week's favourite friday, what better way to keep your legs nice & toasty as well as looking amazing than wearing these...

...moustache tights designed by Tights For Sore Eyes. They have a whole heap of different designs to make your legs happy & warm this autumn.

xox.

i heart...my favourite place.

2010-09-29T14:07:00.001+01:00

i heart...

organising another collaborative zine!

whilst taking submissions for the last zine project i organised ('i heart...zines!' grab yourself one here) i had the idea of having the awesome RM Hubbert record some of his amazing guitar playing onto one of those sound chip things you get in greetings cards & putting it into the zine so that when you opened it you could hear his music. but unfortunately recordable chips were quite expensive & majorly bulky so that idea was scrapped...

...which made room for this idea! to organise another collaborative zine where every page of artwork would have a corresponding sound, not through horrible big expensive chips, but through a website link. the idea being that you can look at the artwork whilst listening to the sound that goes with it at the same time! pretty cool huh?

i've decided that the theme for this one will be 'my favourite place.' as you can see...

if you would like to send a submission, think of your favourite place. maybe it's the seaside, or at a gig, or at your folk's house watching corrie. create an A6 size piece using whatever materials you choose & then think of the sound that's incorporated with that place & RECORD IT! use your phone, your computer, a mic - anything that can record .wav files.

then all you have to do is:

post me your A6 size art piece to...

lodge 8

mains of garten farm

boat of garten

ph24 3by

(because i love getting post & people should most definitely send more things in the post).

then e-mail the .wav file of your sound to...

iona@iheartdotdotdot.co.uk

& bob's your auntie!

xox.

spilling the beans part 1.

2010-09-26T09:00:00.001+01:00

i heart...

finally being able to spill at least some of my beans!

if you've read some of my previous posts you'll know that i've been doing some exciting things behind the scenes. some of which is making some handmade bits for these lovely people...

and am very happy to announce that i'm their official merch maker! so far i have a to do list of some very special CD covers, band t-shirts, video props & badges. i'm very very very excited about working with them & getting to make bits & bobs for some of my favourite bands.

to mark the occasion i have also added an extra freelance section to my website, go have a butcher's.

xox.

i heart...zines! are here!

2010-09-25T09:44:00.001+01:00

i heart...

i heart...zines!

after transforming a little idea in my head into a reality, a month of getting excited about the submissions the postie would bring me in the morning & finally collating them all & stitching them together, the i heart...zines! collaborative zine is here!

the zine includes work from a whole array of creative lovelies & each of them has created a piece that depicts what they 'heart.'

it is a limited edition of 30, so be quick before they all go!

you can purchase one HERE.

xox.

mice to meet you, to meet you mice.

2010-09-24T09:00:00.001+01:00

i heart...

favourite friday.

today is being spent frantically trying to hand draw, paint, glue, sew & typewrite all the covers for the i heart...zines! collaborative zine as they are going on sale in my online shop on saturday, yey! they are looking awesome, even if i do say so myself. the variety of contributing artists styles, materials & techniques all fits together so well. so make sure you're quick to get your hands on one on saturday, there's only 30 of them!

one of the artists featured in the zine is the lovely jubbley melanie chadwick of Mellybee. she hearts tea. i heart...her illustrations and this mouse-tastic one is this week's favourite friday.

website launch!

2010-09-18T15:58:00.000+01:00

i heart...

my brand spanking new website!

finally, after about a month of teaching myself how to use the horror that is html i have persevered, not thrown my computer out the window & somehow managed to conjure up a website which includes a blog, an online shop, info on workshops & a portfolio of projects i've organised.

here are two of my favourites from the online shop...

meet these two handsome hand-sewn creatures - rita the racoon & olive the owl.

feel free to take a gander at the website & let me know if your thumbs are up.

xox.

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