Why I adore stationery...

Having nice stationery reminds you of that first week of term, where life is full of possibilities, like the possibility that this school year, you won't get hit in the face by a netball during water polo because you're not allowed to wear your glasses in the swimming pool and you're essentially dyspraxic, or that Corin Pratt won't kick you in the shins with his steel toecap Doc Martins because Rosie Repton told him that you fancy him. Love really does hurt. Anyway, having nice stationery makes you feel both organised and a little bit cleverer than you used to feel with your scratty jotter and your Tippex embellished pencil case.

This is why I take a simple pleasure in having nice stationery items. My old boss knew this about me only too well, which is why when she spotted this Nautical Fancier's Stationery Set on Pedlars, she thought of me 'instantly'. Delightfully, it's in the sale right now at £13.50. Presented in a lovely box (just the way I freaking like it baby), is a collection of 30 sheets of paper, 8 notelets, 20 envelopes and a notebook, brought to you by the Society Of Revisionist Typographers (SORT), all adorned with yet another one of my passions, nautical stampery. The anchor motif on the envelopes is probably my favourite.

Equally, when @presentcorrect started following me on Twitter this week, upon reviewing their website I began to let out high-pitched squeals of delight, which probably disturbed my housemates somewhat during their endless games of Fifa and CoD Black Ops. The Present and Correct website is full of clean and minimalist, beauteous things, created by the P&C team or sourced elsewhere, all of which I covet and desire, like the know it all pencil set, where each pencil has a friendly fact for you to wow your friends with, for the price of £11.50.






I also particularly like their rubber collection boxes, wittily titled the P&Correctional Facility, for £9 of your English pounds. See, six new and vintage rubbers come in this spiffy cardboard box for you to cherish and pretend like you never make a mistake.

Finally, moving slightly away from stationery, but still on the topic of AWESOME, would you look at this German Protozoa Chart, which has come from an actual German classroom, for £70. I would have that on display in my library or playroom, which doesn't exist yet anywhere other than in the world of Naomi's Forms, but let me tell you, when it does and I invite you over for wine, cheese and biscuits to show off my fancy pad, you're going to be so freaking jealous, you might just explode.

This post also guest features on superbly spiffing and awesome blog About Your Dress, run by the delightful @riaface. You should follow the blog, it's better than a white rabbit...

Blackwork

Have you heard of Folksy? It's a bit like US online craft market, Etsy, but about ten times cooler because it's UK based and we love supporting our fellow countrymen (and women). You can buy supplies, scrumptious handmade things from UK sellers, which are sometimes recycled, and also learn how to make something new in the 'Making' section, if you want to have a dabble. Or if you're terribly gifted and clever you can sell things yourself.

 

I often have a nosey round the website, searching for things-of-note and this morning, whilst doing just such an activity, I found this little delight from a fantastically talented Seller called Becky Hogg.

Becky is selling this spiffing Blackwork kit for £30, which isn't a huge amount to justify, when you consider that a generic, mass produced, hideous cross stitch kit like this one here can set you back £37.49.

Obviously I love the pretty design, but what I love even more is all the thought Becky's put into branding and packaging. It comes in a clean, minimalist cardboard box, with a colour printed pamphlet detailing how to learn Blackwork (in a lovely, non-offensive font too).

Becky says: "Blackwork is a counted embroidery technique in which decorative patterns are made up by a series of joined Back stitches on an even weave linen." 

This would be a beautiful, thoughtful present for somebody (like, for instance, me) who enjoys adding crafty feathers to their caps. You can find it here, but hurry, because she's only got four left. Happy shopping!

Things I dreadfully want...

Okay, there’s no easy way to confess this… I love cross stitch. Yes, yes, I know, this makes me sound like a 50 year old lady, and this is probably-one-of-those-reasons-I’m-single, but the fact is, I love nothing more than making pretty pictures out of threads. And what I really like best is when I look at the back of my stitching, and it’s as neat and tidy as the front. This is somewhat miraculous and paradoxical, because I am not a neat and tidy person. But meh, I’m something of a contradiction in terms, and in the words of Britney, ‘That’s my prerogative.’

So, for ages it was super tricky to get cross stitch kits that weren’t uber-lame patterns of trains, landscapes or flowers. In fact pretty much the coolest thing you could get were patterns for forever friends bears or Winnie the Pooh *gag* and who-the-hell needs or wants a Winnie the Pooh bookmark anyway? So imagine my (carefully kept secret) delight when cross stitching became retro and fun and not-something-to-be-ashamed-of anymore.

PopSoupSupplies on Etsy.com has some really fun patterns available, which you purchase for around a fiver – but you have to source the aida and threads yourself. I particularly like this Pee Wee Herman Cushion and the Warhol inspired 3 Monroes:

Another awesome supplier on Etsy is Bella Stitchery, retailer of super-cool retro Pin Up patterns like these, which I'd painstakingly turn into cushions to adorn my home with:

If you want all materials included, you can get some awesome kits, like these beautiful Emily Peacock HUG and KISS cushion kits I spied on hunkydoryhome.com, also recently featured on my beloved Kirstie’s Homemade Homes:

For £54.99 you can have the small size, which is just right for a bed or sofa and the large costs £74.99, which is apparently big enough for two. Now, this might seem pricey, but I have considered it and there are many reasons to justify this purchase. You’d probably pay £60 for a nice looking cushion from a shop anyway, plus you’ll have the satisfaction of having made it yourself, plus £80 equates to one, maybe two nights in the pub, whereas the kit will keep you busy for many a night, so you’ll be richer AND thinner, as you won’t be drinking loads of lovely booze. Plus, it’s awesome. Okay? Great I’m glad we’re agreed on that.