Happy Christmas From Louise Dawson Design

I'm taking a break over Christmas but I will back to the blog in the new year with lots of new things to share. Thank you for reading and supporting my crafty endeavors this year, I appreciate it very much. I'd like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a great new year- see you in 2016!

Pom Pom Present Toppers Gift Wrapping Idea

Christmas is just days away and I'm sure, like me, you are busy wrapping presents. Here is a quick and fun How To for Pom Pom present toppers to add a fun handmade touch to your gift wrapping...

1) Make your pom poms

I have a set of Rico pom pom makers which come in 4 sizes. I'd really recommend getting yourself some pom pom makers as they are a quick way to make pom poms and also guarantee they are the same size. Much quicker than the traditional method using cardboard rings and you can keep these forever, but use whatever method you prefer to make your pom poms

You could choose to stick to a colour scheme, or, as this is a great way to use up odd scraps of yarn, mix and match your pom pom colours for eclectic present toppers. I have chosen to make small, medium and large pom poms for my present toppers, but you could make them in any size you prefer

2) Attach the pom poms to your gifts

Either use strong double sided tape to stick the pom poms to your gifts, or, if you are decorating the gifts with ribbon, thread the pom poms together using a large eyed needle and spare yarn, loop the yarn around the ribbon and tie your pom poms to the ribbon

That's all there is to it! Wishing you lots of fun making pom poms and wrapping gifts. Merry Christmas!

Sunday Upmarket

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to have a stand at the Sunday Upmarket on Brick Lane in London and today I wanted to share some photos from the day. It was such a lovely day, there were lots of people out Christmas shopping and a great festive feel- hi to you if you stopped for a chat!

I was really pleased with my table set up, although I am going to invest in some fabric to wrap around the stand in the future! 

Lots of other stallholders stopped by for a chat which was really lovely

I've sold some brooches to men recently and Mr Writer came along to help me very kindly modeled a brooch for me

New bookmark display cards

My button rings- Harris Tweed, knitted, denim and Tartan were popular

I love Yumchaa tea and I always seek them out when I visit Sunday Upmarket. The teas smell and taste amazing- the vanilla and raspberry is my favourite!

Next door to the Sunday Upmarket at The Old Truman Brewery, The London Artisan market was taking place and it was here that I spotted one of my favourite stands from the day. Find and Make create amazing bright and modern pieces for the home using salvaged, vintage and ethically sourced materials. Just my thing! I spoke to Angelique from Find and Make and she was super lovely- check out her website here and her Etsy Shop

I'd definitely like to go back to trade at the Sunday Upmarket and I would recommend it as a fab place to shop for unique finds and great food too!

Louise Dawson Design at Sunday Upmarket London, 6th December 10-5

I'm super excited to tell you that tomorrow, Sunday 6th December, you will find me at the Sunday Upmarket at The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London. I've been wanting to take part in the Upmarket for a long time and I have been very busy making lots of new pieces for the day.  From handmade jewellery and gifts from Designer/Makers, to bespoke clothes, art and the best food stalls (it's going to be hard for me not to be tempted!) the Upmarket is a great place to soak up the atmosphere whilst Christmas shopping!  Find me on stand 24 from 10-5- if you're out and about in East London tomorrow come and say hello! Find out more about Upmarket here

On Instagram In November

Happy December! It's hard to believe that here we are at the end of the year already, this year really has wizzed by. Today I'm taking a look back at my Instagram photos from November...

I got into the festive spirit early in November when I took part in the Poppy's Place Winter Fair

Moody skies... November was a damp and blustery month

Spotted these giant pumpkins and squash on a visit to Hyde Hall, I love the bendy one at the back!

New tea favourite! This Bluebird Tea Co. Rhubarb and Custard Rooibos tea tastes every bit as good as it smells!

Turning 30,,, Cupcakes from my favourite local cake shop

The most beautiful birthday gift from some special friends- vintage 1930s bag. I absoloutely love it!

I love all things countryside and woodland and I'm collecting pieces for a woodland themed kitchen. My work colleagues surprised me for my birthday with this lovely Joules set

A lovely thoughtful gift from a good friend- I love this sentiment

A friend has recently had a baby boy so I thought that this would be the ideal opportunity to put my Fair Isle skills into practice on a larger scale, so I made him this Fair Isle beanie!

My niece is only three and a half but the Clangers are back and she's asked me to knit her Tiny Clanger, so that's my next knitting project lined up!

Despite the damp and gloom in November it was still nice to get out for walks. My favourite place to walk is along the river close to where I live

Preparing new work for craft fairs

Nelson doing his best to look innocent after waking me up before the alarm. He's been a bit poorly lately as he has a cyst in his eye, poor boy, but I'm pleased to say that he's now ben signed off by the vet, yay!

Trip to my favourite cafe with my sister and niece. My niece was fascinated by two ladies having afternoon tea and kept saying look at the pretty plates and tea pots- can I have them?!

I hope you all had a lovely November too. What did you get up to?

Handmade Christmas Gifts From Louise Dawson Design

This Christmas I'm trying to make and buy handmade gifts as much as possible to support fellow makers as well as to give more personal gifts. After Christmas I'm going to write a post on the handmade items I have given as gifts!

If you too are looking for unique, hand crafted Christmas gifts, I'm currently offering 20% off in my Etsy Shop until 18th December, just enter the code HAPPYCHRISTMAS20 at the checkout. All of my handmade jewellery pieces arrive beautifully presented in a hand decorated gift box, making them ideal for gifting. Check out my shop here

The last posting dates for Christmas are 7th December for Asia and the Far East, 10th December for Australia and New Zealand, 15th December for the USA and 18th December for the UK. Happy handmade Christmas shopping! 

Harris Tweed Button Brooches embellished with upcycled materials

All items arrive presented in a lovingly hand decorated box, making them ideal for gifting

Fair Isle Brooches, hand knitted to my own designs in beautiful British wool

The ideal gift for a knitter!

DIY Crafted Christmas Jumper How To...

It's nearly December and I'm starting to feel very festive! With Christmas Jumper Day coming up on 18th December I thought I'd re-share my DIY Crafted Christmas Tree Jjumper How To  that I made last Christmas. It's a really thrifty make using just buttons and bead trimmings and you'd be sure to have a fun festive afternoon making it. Happy making! If you've made your own Christmas jumper I'd love to see, share in the comments!

Weekend Walks

Things are very busy here and I 'm working toward something I can tell you about soon, but in the mean time I've been getting out for weekend walks as it really clears my mind to get out in the fresh air.I don't know about you, but I find it helps to have a change of scenery for a little while when life gets hectic. I live in a little town in Essex near my local park which has the river flowing beside it- here are some photos from my late afternoon walk along the river last weekend where I snapped some of my favourite views...

Blog and Buy Sale Christmas Wish List

Have you made a start on your Christmas shopping? If, like me, you like to seek out individual and handmade gifts for your loved ones, do check out the Blog and Buy Sale Christmas Wish List. It's packed with work from a talented bunch of artists/designers and makers so you are sure to find a special gift.

I'm super excited that three pieces from my Fair Isle jewellery collection were chosen to be included in the wish list this Christmas! I hand knit each piece using British wool and they make the ideal gift for a knitter.

Hand Knitted Fair Isle Triangle Necklace in Shetland Wool

Hand Knitted British Wool Fair Isle Brooch

Hand Knitted Fair Isle Triangle Necklace in Shetland Wool

There are some brilliant pieces featured in the wish list from a fab line up of Designers and Makers- I'm definitely going to be making some purchases!

I absolutely love this Laser Cut and Engraved Wooden Christmas Jumper Brooch by Hello Sunshine!

This Grey and Peach Geometric Sterling Silver Necklace by never spent is so elegant and each piece is made to order

How cute are these Christmas Sprout Tree Decorations from SewSew?! I can see them adorning many a Christmas tree this festive season- I definitely need one (or three) of these in my life!

I hope that gives you some festive gift inspiration! Check out the full Blog and Buy Sale 2015 Christmas Wishlist here!