Meet the summer stallholders….coffee break with Mosaic Tree

There's not long to go until our Summer Fair on July 16th which is why we thought you'd better start meeting the stallholders, so you can work out what you are going to save up for! First up is Mosaic Tree who make handcrafted accessories including mobile phone covers.

Hello, what is your name & business name?

Hi there.  I’m Annie Connold and, together with Maggie Reilly, we are Mosaic Tree!

Dress up your mobile with Mosaic Tree's hand-knitted covers

What do you make/sell and why do you do it/what is your inspiration?

We make a selection of handcrafted accessories – the range currently includes mobile, Blackberry and iPod covers, baby hats and jewellery.  We mainly use cotton rich wool with accents in sari silk yarn (some recycled) – this comes in incredible colours and these never ending combinations are the inspiration. 

We love designing and creating and Mosaic Tree is the outlet for this.  Mosaic Tree is growing and we are enjoying every moment of it.

Handknitted spiral necklace with tassel

Where are you based?

Somerset – we get to enjoy the best of both worlds, looking out on both the Levels and the Mendips.

Handknitted spiral broach with bead

What is the favourite thing that you sell and why?

My favourite items are the baby hats.  I photograph teddy modelling them and he looks so cute that I can’t wait for a customer to buy it for the real thing!

Baby hat

What would you say your most value-for-money item is and how much is it?

Value for money items are definitely the mobile/blackberry/iPod covers, retailing at £6-£8.  Each one is different, they’re fun and perform the important function of protecting your gadget – as well as making it look gorgeous too!

Purple mobile phone cover with spiral detail

Have you traded at “It’s darling!” before? If not how did you hear about “It’s darling!”? Have you ever been as a customer?

I first heard about Its Darling through the Folksy forums (this is the site hosting the Mosaic Tree on line shop).  I got it touch and its gone from there.  This will be my first time at It’s Darling Fair; however I’ve kept in touch through the “It’s Darling!” Facebook page and following the blog.

Rainbow Stripe baby hat

 

What's your favourite memory of Bath?

Having birthday brunch at the Pump Rooms in Bath with the string quartet playing in the background.

What would you say is “darling” in your life.

Our life in Somerset.

For more information about Mosaic Tree go to:

www.folksy.com/shops/MosaicTree

www.facebook.com/MosaicTree

www.mosaictree.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/@MosaicTree

email – mosaic_tree@yahoo.co.uk

Meet the stallholders...tea and cake with Ellen Roberts from Shepherd's Moon

Ellen was one of our original traders back in July and has always been a staunch supporter of “It’s darling!”. She is an expert in all things woollen and is a knitter and a weaver and a spinner and spins yarn on the stall while she sells. This year she will be having two pitches on Saturday 11th December (going to get ourselves some lovely warm scarves and hats), which is also her birthday. She lives in Newport, South Wales.

Ellen getting in the spirit of "It's darling!" - we have free facepainting on Sunday 12th December.

Hi Ellen, what’s your favourite cake? And kind of tea?

Favorite cake? What’s NOT my favourite cake…  As for tea, I like Earl Grey Tea and Chai Tea

What do you make and sell?

Hand-spun yarn of different fibres. Garmets and items from hand- spun fibre. Everything made by hand!

A hand-spun bag by Ellen and Shepherd's Moon

When and why did you start doing this? Do you do it full time? What inspired you to start?

I have always been a knitter and learned to weave from my Grandmother early on whenever I went to visit her. I currently have and work on the loom that my Granddad made for her. When I moved to the UK from the US in 2007 I wasn’t really finding the type of yarn I wanted to knit with. I joined my local spinner/ weavers guild and learned to spin. Thinking that I couldn’t be the only person who would like something different, I started Shepherd’s Moon in February 2008.  I really enjoy what I do and hope that I end up infecting others with the spinning bug! 

Wool spun by Ellen

Where do you get your ideas/inspiration from?

I just make what catches my eye and hope that others feel the same way!

One of Ellen's scarves (posed by model)

Why did you want to be part of “It’s darling!”?

I was in the first “It’s Darling!” Fair in July. I really enjoyed the experience and the folks that I met there! I learned of it originally from a friend who was thinking of taking part.

Ellen spinning at the first "It's darling!" fair in July

Describe your ideal Christmas day...

My ideal Christmas Day is spending it with my little boy, Owain and my family…  I am wearing something very comfortable and having a Bailey’s! 

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without….

Soppy Christmas songs, and Morcombe and Wise!

More of Ellen's beautiful, hand-made work

What’s “It’s darling!” in your life?

My son Owain is my darling!

With her son, Owain

To find out more about Ellen and Shepherd's Moon click here, email  ellen@shepherdsmoon.co.uk or ring 07523 856899

Meet the stallholders: 60 seconds with....Angharad from Angharad Gamble Millinery

Angharad Gamble is a costume maker based in Barry, South Wales who also makes the most wonderful hats and fascinators in her spare time, under the name of Angharad Gamble Millinery. We would show you a picture of her but she says that there are "no acceptable photos of me available at this time, must do something about that" - so we'll represent her instead with one of her incredible pieces of headwear.

Turn heads in one of Angharad's super-stylish creations

1. Hi Angharad, how long have you been making hats?

I've been doing this for lmost ten years now, as part of my job as a costume maker. Promoting my millinery in its own right  is a more recent departure

2. What inspired you to start?

Millinery was one of the specialist skills I learnt as part of my costume making degree. I loved it and have been making hats ever since. As there aren't as many commissions for headwear as part of my job, events like "It's darling!" are the perfect excuse to make them just for the sake of it and to take commissions for people to make the hat they always wanted. And with vintage and handmade sellers and like minded creative people all gathered together in the same place on the 17th, who could resist taking part?!

 Angharad will be taking commissions to make the hat you always dreamed of

I'm inspired a lot by the hat styles of the earlier 20th century. Sometimes a trimming (usually vintage) will send me off to my stash to hunt out the perfect felt, straw or fabric to set it off. On other ocassions, it's a shape that will inspire me. I can often be found in the homewares departments of local stores turning dishes etc upside down to see if they'll make a nice hat block! My absolute favourite hats to make, however, are my miniature and tiny silk top hats. So cute.

3. What's your secret passion?

You might think that as a costume maker I would get immune to it, but I do love to dress up in a proper-no-holds-barred costume ball way. I don't get chance to that often, so the opportunity to make something for myself and to use some of those special treasures from my stash so I get to keep them is a bit of a guilty pleasure : )

4. What's your three second wisdom?

Enjoy what you do.

 A cherry fascinator

5. What's your desert island survival pack?

A VERY large sun hat, my sewing kit and my dogs for entertainment and company : )

6. What in your life would you say is "It's darling!"?

My dogs - an irresistably darling duo.

 Her best boys

Angharad is in the process of setting up a website, so in the meantime please email her if you would like to know more. And come and try some of her hats on the 17th!

Meet the stallholders: 60 seconds with.....Ellen from Shepherd's Moon!

Hello and welcome to our first meet and greet with one of our amazing stallholders who will be at "It's Darling!" We'll be featuring each one of them but to start, it's Ellen Roberts, a spinner, knitter and weaver from Newport in South Wales.

Ellen sells hand spun wool, hand knitted items out of hand spun wool, hand woven items, and felted items...Rumour has it she will be giving a spinning demonstration at the fair too - not to be missed! Let's find out more about her..

Ellen and her gorgeous son, Owain

1. So, Ellen, how long have you been involved with wool?
I have been in business since February 2007, but have been knitting and weaving most of my life. I learnt to spin over here in the UK. I don't mind letting everyone know that I am American... I met my ex-husband, Karl in the states while we were in welding school together... After eight years together, we moved over here to be with his family and to settle in and start our own... Although the married didn't stick past twelve years, I stayed with our lovely son Owain... I really love it over here and I am very close with Karl's family and he is still a big part of Owain's life... I don't regret anything because I wouldn't have what I do or know all the wonderful people I do if my life had been different...

2. Why did you start?
I always wanted to go into business for myself, and always enjoyed working with my hands... When I found myself a single mom, I decided I needed to do something that I can work around my son... I also love promoting what I do and hope that I actually have folks feeling like they learned something great after chatting with me at events...

Some of Ellen's fantastic work

3. What's your inspiration for what you do?
I love the idea of starting with hardly anything and turning it into something lovely... As far as inspiration, luckily I come from a family of creative women who have always encouraged those who are interested, in learning what they have to offer. There's a loom in my room was my grandmother's... It was built by my granddad out of rafters from an old dairy barn that a friend of his was tearing down...

Ellen's grandmother's loom

4. Why did you want to be part of "It's Darling!"
I had heard of "It's Darling!" through a friend of mine and had a look and thought that it was lovely and unique, a lovely place to spend a day and show my wares...

5. Tell us more about you.
I have a lovely son named Owain who is 5 and the center of my world, we have a cat named Lucky who we found at the RSPCA when Owain was interested in having a baby brother... I am lucky that my biz and my hobbies tie in together... However, I love mostly spending time with Owain and doing things together... Guilty pleasures would be the odd treat that Owain and I would share while we are off on one of our mini adventures... :-)

Owain

6. Will you be offering any special offers at It's Darling and if so what?
We will have some items on the stall that are under £20.

"I don't regret anything because I wouldn't have what I do, or know all the wonderful people I do, if my life had been different... "

Ellen's sane attitude to life

7. What's your piece of "three second wisdom" - life or crafting advice!
Always do your best, and your best will always get better... BUT don't sweat it if it doesn't always go your way...

One of Ellen's beautiful quilts

8. What three things would you want to be stranded on a desert island with?
Owain, Suncream, and a life time supply of ice cream in various flavors... (Variety is the spice of life!)

9. What in your life would you say is "It's Darling!" and can we have a picture of that?
My son and yes...

The most darling thing in Ellen's life

Contact Ellen at www.shepherdsmoon.co.uk where there is a link to her Facebook page too. Or come and meet her on July 17th at the Guildhall in Bath!