What did you like on Skulls & Ponies this year?

As the year draws to a close, I thought I'd take a little look back and see what people enjoyed most on Skulls & Ponies.

My most popular post was the make something swap which I was so happy to have great feedback on. You can check out what some of the people involved made here. It was great to hear that people loved taking part, both in the making and receiving of items and boy was there variety! In the new year I'll be organising another one as it was so much fun and a great success.

One of the stunning makes from the swap!

My second most popular post was my first time on the blog speaking out about how sewing had helped my mental health. I had such lovely feedback from my readers both on and off the blog. I was sent some very touching personal messages by people saying how they had been affected by similar issues and thanking me for talking so openly about it. This support has allowed me to talk more openly about the issues I've been through and (unfortunately) still go through.

An owl doorstop - one of my first sewn creations!

My third most popular post was my first ever giveaway. I really enjoyed giving away items I'd handmade - and was so overwhelmed by the amount of people that wanted to win! I had such lovely feedback from the winner too who loved her items. I will definitely be doing more giveaways in 2012.

The tea related giveaway

This has been my first year of blogging and I have loved every minute of it. Like crafting, it has become my passion and I'm looking forward to 2012 being an exciting year for Skulls & Ponies.

Thank you to everyone that reads and comments on my blog, it means so much to me. 

The Lone Wolf

I love spending time on my own; I just enjoy my own company and am good spending time by myself. Over the last few years I have come to accept the fact that I am becoming more introverted and to embrace it rather than fight it.

What I have also realised, is that I don't just like spending time on my own - but I need time on my own and that there really is a big difference between the two. This part of my personality it seems, is exacerbated at times like Christmas when I'm surrounded by family. I often find myself wandering off to try and find a quiet corner, whether it be to have a bath, read a book or do some sewing. In fact, even watching a tv show or movie - sometimes I just prefer to do it on my own.

(Source: Joyce Leong via Pinterest)

Needing time to yourself can be difficult when you are supposed to be spending time with loved ones. After all, it's the time for socialising and people wanting to spend quality time with you. I am very lucky in the fact my family understand my need for time to myself.

This Christmas, my Mum's best friend was coming to stay with us. This would mean I would be sleeping in the lounge, not a particularly big problem - except it means I don't have my own 'space'. A few weeks before Christmas my Mum rang me up and said she had been speaking to my Stepdad and they had decided they would make some space in the office (a very small room) for a makeshift bed so I could have my own space. It was so incredibly thoughtful of my Mum. She said she knew I needed time to myself, and this meant I was able to do that. I was touched.

If I don't get time to myself I notice I get very cranky, grumpy, short tempered and quite snappy. It's actually very similar to being sleep deprived.

In February I am so excited that Tom and I will be moving in together. He's starting a new job in Sussex and as a result can move to Brighton. After two years of a commuting relationship - me in Brighton, him in London - I am so happy I'll get to see him everyday. My only concern about us living together was "Will he understand how much time I need to myself?".   Currently I always make sure I have at least two full days without any plans. Well that't not strictly true, I try not to make any more than two plans a week as over-busy results in me feeling stressed and worn out which is not good for my well-being - but I try to have at least two full 'me' days. I've explained this to Tom and he's really understanding which is great (probably because I keep repeating myself, just to be extra sure he knows I need space!)

I guess the problem with saying to people you want to spend time on your own, is that some people don't see it that way - they see it as "Oh - you don't want to spend it with me" which isn't the case at all. If for example I said to someone "I'm off to spend time with my friend" they wouldn't think I was spending time with that friend to avoid them, they would just think I wanted to spend time with my friend! Needing time to myself is exactly the same.

Interestingly, I find if given time and space, I often don't need it all - but if I can't get it e.g. have constant interruptions or have to fight to get it - I want even more.

In the last few years, rather than fighting needing so much time to myself - I've just tried to accept it. Some people can get by on six hours sleep, I need eight. Some people need only a few hours a week of time to themselves - I need much more but that's ok; that's just part of who I am.

A Thrifty Christmas?

Hello! I hope everyone had a good festive period - I have successfully eaten far too much and even had a bit of alcohol (which I don't ordinarily do as I have such poor tolerance for it - but how can I resist mulled wine?). 

I've been up in Gloucestershire for the past few days at my Mum's and it's been so lovely. This year as I have previously mentioned I was trying to support handmade and independent sellers - I managed this bar two presents! One of which I had tried my hardest to hunt down from an independent seller, but it just wasn't happening! Not bad going though. I also handmade four of my gifts - two of which were knitting needle cases; one for Tom's sister as she is an amazing knitter (and in Crystal Palace colours as she's a massive Palace fan!) and one for my Stepmum who has recently taken up knitting and crocheting and is already brilliant (she made me the most fantastic bag for Christmas, it's truly gorgeous):

My Mum got me some really great presents, including a candle making kit and two books on mosaics. Mum was so over the moon with the books - especially because she picked up one in a charity shop for £1.50 and the other at a closing down sale for 50p! This led us on to our idea for next year - a thrifty Christmas! 

The challenge for next year is we will both have a budget of £10 for each other. We are allowed to buy as many presents as we like with our allocated budget, but they must all be second hand. This can include charity shops, car-boots, stuff thrifted from friends - as long as it is second hand. We are both very excited about this challenge and of course - we've got a whole year to pick up some bargains! 

Will you be taking part in the thrifty Christmas challenge? Why not give it a go!

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick note to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Thank you to all my readers and I hope you are enjoying the festive period.

My gift to you - some festive cats!

Santa Ringo

Angel Jake

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A peek into my week...

Burning of the Clocks:

My lovely new willow pattern tiles found in an antique shop in Lewes:

One of my favourite things about getting up so early to go to work is seeing a beautiful sky like this:

Of course walking past the Pavillion ain't none too shabby either:

Tom and I took a trip out to Beachy Head yesterday - it was such a perfect day for it:

It was pretty windy though, so I leant Tom my earmuffs - hehe:

I like this picture a lot

Featured Blogger: Serendipity Child

Last week I ran a linky party asking you to submit your favourite blog posts of the year. It could be absolutely anything - just one you liked the best. I said I would feature my favourite (all though please go and look at the others, as there are some fab submissions) and my featured blogger is:

Serendipity Child!

Helen submitted a link to a tutorial she had posted earlier on in the year showing how to make a retro wreath. You can see Helen's full tutorial here.

Aren't they beautiful? There have been lots of wreath tutorials on the blogosphere lately - just in time for Christmas - but these are just so gorgeous, and definitely for keeps all year round!

If you don't fancy making them yourself, they are also available to buy from the Serendipity Child Etsy shop. It's definitely worth taking a peek at Helen's Etsy shop anyway as there are some beautiful pieces in there! I love the vintage music sheet bunting!

Lionheart Magazine

On Friday I had a terrible terrible day. The kind of day where you crawl under the covers and hope it all just goes away and that someone will wave a magic wand and poof! it will all be better. That magic came in the form of my beautiful friend Alice who came round to my flat, made me a cup of tea and as she climbed into my under my duvet handing me my favourite mug - she said 'I brought you your post because it looked like something exciting'.

And oh boy was it exciting. It was the first ever issue of Lionheart Magazine. Curled up under my duvet, Alice and I gasped in awe of the beauty of the thing - it was absolutely stunning. 

'Feel it! I exclaimed - 'It feels so good!' 

'Can we read it?' Alice asked me....and we did. 

On a day of awful and horrible and yuck, we poured through the pages, smiles on our faces - awestruck by such a beautiful piece of work.

Back at the start of November I interviewed the fantastically inspiring Hels and asked her to tell me all about her mission to launch a print magazine. In the words of the editor herself 'It's a magazine to make you feel just peachy'. 

I had such high expectations for Lionheart, and it simply surpassed them all. This is the kind of magazine that leaves you tingling all over like a favourite book or film - it gives new life to the term 'magazine' bringing true inspiration to every page, rather than envy and contempt like many magazines aimed at young women do.

Issue 1 has the theme of bravery - a lovely idea that makes Lionheart feel so honest and genuine. I was excited to see some of my favourite bloggers featured on the pages including the delightful Fritha from Tigerlilly Quinn and the inside cover was designed by the gorgeous Georgia Coote.

Lionheart is filled with beautiful illustrations and heartfelt writing.

I don't want to tell you everything about this magazine, or my favourite bits because I want you to go and buy it for yourself. Hels poured her heart and soul into this venture and created something with meaning and passion. If we want to see an Issue 2 there needs to be demand, so I urge you to go and buy a copy now! You will be so pleased you did.

A letter to my 15 year old self

A few months ago I saw this idea in the Guardian weekend magazine and thought it was a great idea.

Dear Fran,

The next few years you are really going to come in to your own. You've finally found friends who appreciate you for who you are and believe it or not some of these people will still be in your life in 10 years time.

This year will be full of really amazing things - including your first true love (which will be a surprise I can tell you!) and the birth of your brother. It will also be an incredibly tough year family wise, but you will get through it and everything will be so much better for it - I promise. Try not to give Mum too much of a hard time.

In the next few years you will meet people who will change your life. I can't tell you whether it's for the better or for the worse, because I know no different - but just make sure you follow your heart and do what you want, not what anyone else thinks is best. You are pretty wise for your years, use that to your advantage.

Don't worry about your weight - in 10 years time you'll be wishing you still had to take all your jeans in. Ignore everyone else. They are just words. You always want what you don't have, but just try and appreciate what you do have.

Try and stop worrying quite so much about everything, worrying won't change things.

Try and spend as much time as possible with the people you care about. Fundamentally they are all that matters.

Above all else, be kind to yourself. You are your own worst enemy.

Love 27 year old Fran

Redefining success

Today I discovered the blog of Caroline Leon - Life is Limitless. I was completely bowled over by her latest blog post on redefining success. Caroline has quit her high powered career job, and is packing off to Asia. Why? Because she stopped and reassessed her life and realised she wasn't happy and was far from what she deemed to be successful.

Reading this post rang so true with me. As I've talked about on my blog before, being ill last year made me reassess my life. I had a great job, which like Caroline, looked fantastic on paper. Anyone I went to school with would have probably looked at my Linked In profile and gone 'Ooh she's done well for herself hasn't she?'. I ticked all the boxes - Good degree? Tick Good University? Tick Good job? Tick. But it wasn't making me happy.

At first I decided to go part time. Working my way up the career ladder, meant I was fortunate enough to work a 3 day week and still be able to pay the bills and, if I budgeted carefully, have a bit of fun. This was definitely a step in the right direction. Having more time to myself to do the things I really love made me so much happier. Yet for those 3 days I was in work I was miserable. I worked with great people, but I felt like my job was pointless. I was heading up a department, but to me it just felt stressful and unfulfilling - so I handed in my notice. Just like that. Lots of people thought I was being reckless (especially after being ill...and I guess maybe they thought unstable) as I had no job to go to. It was reckless, I was asked to give 2 months notice- which I did - but I had no job lined up and no idea if I'd even be able to get another job in this economic climate.

I thought about what I wanted to do and knew that making a difference to people or the world was important to me. I considered working for a charity or not for profit organisation and set about applying for jobs. I contacted a few people who I thought might be able to help me figure out what I wanted to do and surprise surprise I got a call from an old colleague who had seen my CV and thought she had the perfect opportunity for me. That opportunity turned into my current job. Now I could easily say it was luck or good fortune or who you know, but actually I think I'd be selling myself short. I interviewed for the role (that didn't exist yet in the company) and had to give a presentation to the CEO and two other senior members of staff. I was excited about this opportunity - it felt right - and as a result I sold myself to them.

My job isn't always perfect - but it feels much more 'right' than my previous job. It allows me to be creative (something I was severely lacking in my previous job) and, even though indirectly, allows me to feel like I'm making a small difference whilst educating myself on issues that do really matter.

I've noticed that the more I enjoy my job, the less precious I am about the time it takes up. Interestingly, my new job is a 40 hour week - more than my old job full time yet I feel much more at ease with it.

I don't think working full time is the right answer for me in the long term. I would much prefer to work a 4 day week and have more time to relax and enjoy the world. Yet for the short term it is the right decision. I have decided that I want to be able to save up for a deposit for a house, and that sense of purpose means compromising on time is worth it.

There are however many other factors that define success for me, and I've come to realise that like work they aren't always what other people want. I am terrible for comparing myself to other people - and it really isn't the answer! For one, a lot of people from my generation are obsessed with travelling. So for a long time I kept feeling like I should be going travelling or at least going on lots of foreign holidays. But I have actually come to realise, that I'm not a massive fan. I'm sure there are lots of amazing places in the world, but as a naturally anxious person travelling to unknown lands with different cultures and a different language is actually very stressful for me. As a result I don't often enjoy it! So I'm starting to do what I do enjoy - holidaying in this country, or just taking time off! I'm certainly not saying I'm never going to go abroad again, but I am saying that I've taken the pressure off myself from feeling like I should.

I think it's important that everyone redefines success for themselves - rather than trying to live the life they think they should have. My life certainly isn't perfect, but I now try to do things that make me happy and make me feel successful - in whatever shape or form that might be.

Thanks so much to Caroline for writing such a brilliant post and inspiring me to write this one. Be sure to check it out!

Linky Party: Your all time favourite blog post

As we are now in the last month of the year I thought it would be a great idea to do a round up of the best posts of the year! So please add your favourite post of the year from your own blog below. It's also a great way of rejuvenating old blog posts and gives new readers a chance to read them!

I'd also love to know why you chose this post so please share in the comments section.

If you leave a link - please try and click and comment on at least one other link.

How ethical is your fabric?

Lately I've been thinking about sustainability (ok I think about sustainability every day as it's the arena I work in but bear with me....) and how it applies to the handmade world. Us crafters, I like to think, are conscientious folk and like buying handmade and from independent sellers because it's better right? Yes it might have taken someone hours and hours to make, and they only charged us a fiver for it, but we know they probably had central heating and hoards of tea to see them through - so wasn't all that bad. But how much thought do we give to where their supplies come from? Or where our supplies come from for the items we make? Right now, sitting in your craft cupboard, there are piles and piles of fabric and buttons and bias binding, but where did it come from? And how ethical is it?

(via: Sew Katie Did on Pinterest)

Recently I asked myself all of these questions and decided to try and find out. I contacted a bunch of well known fabric and craft suppliers and also a handful of independent fabric sellers to try and find out how much they knew about their supply chain and how ethical their products were.

The responses were mixed - some companies bent over backwards to provide me with information and ensure I was a happy bunny, but others not only didn't know and didn't appear to care but were also sceptical about me even enquiring.

Some of the larger organisations were really helpful. Cath Kidston for example passed me through to their Head of Corporate Social Responsibility who replied at length. She said it's important to them to work closely with their suppliers to ensure they develop an acceptable ethical and social standard throughout their supply chain. They have an ethical sourcing policy in place because they source globally. This policy is based on the International Labour Organisation guidelines. Any supplier they use has to agree to this policy.

As well as policies and regulations Cath Kidston claim to have a strong handle on their supply chain with regular factory visits and supplier meetings by the buyers. They feel they have a good understanding of the materials used in their manufacturing process and know the location and conditions of the factories.

She did admit that the nature of global sourcing means it's impossible to guarantee that all of their suppliers comply with their standards, but they make every effort to ensure they do through rigourous application, policies, procedures and collaboration. 

Overall I was pretty happy with this response, and Cath Kidston were happy to find out more information for me if this didn't answer my query. 

Some of the smaller independent fabric sellers were also really helpful. One of my favourite places online to shop for fabric is M is for Make. Kate, the owner, was more than helpful. She admitted she didn't know much about the supply chain but said she would get back to me. True to her word, just a few days later she got back in touch. She had contacted one of her suppliers - Cloud 9 Fabrics who gave a great response. They have factories in India and Pakistan - all of which have third party social compliance certifications. This means that a large third party inspection facility has visited these mills on several occasions to determine if the human rights of the factory workers are being upheld. The Cloud 9 Fabrics representative also said she had personally visited all of their mills and that they were above and beyond the standards they would have hoped for. All of the workers make a very fair wage, there is absolutely no child labour, there is ample lighting, clear passageways to exits and fresh drinking water. She continued to say there were ample restrooms for the factory workers which were clean and well stocked and the working hours were well within the legal limits set by each country. What was lovely was her reply seemed very truthful, signing off by saying that the social compliance aspect of production was very near and dear to her heart.

This was just one response from one of Kate's suppliers, but she was more than happy to enquire with all of her suppliers and respond accordingly. 

Many of the other independent sellers were more than happy to oblige me with information, or find out more for me which was really good to know. 

Fabricland is one of the places I buy a lot of my fabric, and they simply responded saying they didn't know anything about the supply chain. I was pretty disappointed with this response - don't they care where their stock is coming from?

Other suppliers had information on where most of their fabrics were printed (Japan and Korea for example) but didn't know much more than that. 

It's good to know that some companies are taking an interest in where they are sourcing their stock from, but it was a real eye opener for me to make sure it's something I consider when making anything handmade. It's easy to criticise the big retail giants on the high street for not complying with laws and regulations, but in practice it is easily overlooked. Granted, I might not be sourcing thousands or millions of pounds worth of materials, but as a supporter of all things ethical I can certainly make the effort to source my fabrics responsibly. 

In the future I hope fabric suppliers will try to make this information more easily available to their customers - and in turn we can supply more information about the supply chain to the people buying our handmade goods. 

Cath Kidston Suffolk Puff Necklace

As you probably already know if you read my blog regularly, I do a monthly guest spot for the fantastic SW Craft Club. This month I had the pleasure of reviewing Cath Kidston's new book - Patch! You can read the review here.

When we review books at SW Craft Club we always try to make or do something from the book to actually figure out whether it's any good! When I saw the Suffolk Puff necklace I was sooo excited to make it. What's more, it was really easy! I decided to embellish mine with a few of the beautiful buttons I'd bought in Liberty's a few months back. 

What do you think?

In other news, I have recently set up a facebook page. I plan to try and share slightly different information on facebook than I do on twitter - probably more photos of crafty makes, and to get people involved in discussions about crafty goings on. I'd love it if you joined me! You can visit my facebook page here. 

Inspirational Women: Super + Super

When I found out two lovely ladies were about to embark on a creative venture in my fair town - I jumped at the chance to interview them! I caught up with Amy and Claire to find out more about Super+Super. 

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Amy and Claire - Super+Super

You have both been working hard on a new creative venture called Super+Super. Tell us a little bit about it. What is it?
Super+Super is not only studio spaces for Creative professionals, but also a creative hub, events space, vintage emporium, teaching and learning venue for anyone wishing to explore their creative and crafty side. Basically a place to come and get inspired, drink tea and hang out in the south Laines in Brighton.

 What inspired you to embark on this venture? 

We were basically doing all these things in different venues and studios around the Brighton and as luck would have it we met through a friend of a friend and realised that by combining our powers we could make something really exciting and inspiring to share with our fair city.

How did you go from getting the idea to launch a creative hub to making it a reality?

A dance off then sleepless nights, tea on tap, hours of hours of brain storming and mood boards! Then we had to get serious and write a kick ass business plan. Luckily as Graduates we have a mentor to who has been super supportive. We came up with our logo and brand hooks, little quotes we both used just seemed to make sense and describe S+S to a tee. We are set to open next year but a lots of  things are still in the pipeline so we have totally embraced crowd funding. You can take a look at our crowdfunding pitch to get an idea of how we have tapped into the whole home made lo-fi arts vibe to get people on board.

What can the general public expect from Super+Super? What will be on offer?

You can expect an array of classes presented by local and well established artists, crafters, and illustrators. These will be primarily aimed at teens and adults but we will also be putting on a weekend kids club with a very talented published local illustrator and textiles artist!

We will be hosting monthly speed dating events for creatives, weekly swap shops, upcycling events as well as dress making classes. Alongside our mini vintage boutique (also to be found at ASOS) we will be offering a handy alterations service! So if that dress doesn't fit like a glove or you want your hemline lifting.....we will do that for a small extra charge.

If its a studio space you need then we are offering 10 cool and calm workspaces. Our venue is in the centre of town so its the perfect spot for a freelancer. Its also a stones throw from the beach for those sunny summer picnic lunches.

What advice can you offer others who want to set up their own business?

Plan every little detail meticulously. You will need to write a really tight business plan and plan what you are going to do with every single penny. You will also need to prepare for the fact that setting up a business will take over your life and is a huge emotional rollercoaster. But get it right and your dreams really can come true! also, don't do it all alone, make contacts and utilise them. Be prepared to give back to those who have helped you, that is really important.

When will Super+Super open to the public?

Well we have an online shop, blog and YouTube already and are both working our creative magic all the time so you can email us to find out about the next S+S event, class or happening anytime. However, the venue is set to open end of Feb start of March 2012.

You can also follow Super+Super on twitter or like their facebook page.