Bear & Co. competition.

Hi everyone,

I'm so sorry I have been so busy lately that I haven't been able to spend much time on my laptop. I haven't forgotten about the competition and announcing the winner, I just need to find the time as I planned to actually pull the winner from a hat!

Please bare with me, it will definitely be sometime this week.

Thank you for your patience

Spoilt for choice.

So a while back I wrote a post about wanting to make my own clothes. I got a lot of responses that agreed with me on how hard it was and how everybody wishes they could do the same. Still wanting to give it a go though, I plan on sewing myself a shift dress and have therefore been searching around for a nice bit of material to use. 

I am very much into patterns at the moment and I always like something a bit whimsical. I spent Sunday morning searching through Spoon Flower, an excellent site which allows people to put their own patterns, art, prints up to allow them to be sold as fabric.

I came across beautiful ikat prints, little foxes, sketched knickers and green chevron's. 

There were so many to choose from, I don't know where to start. I am thinking that I should initially buy a cheap piece of cotton to test I am able to do it before I invest in some of this lovely fabric and ruin it. 

There's more below to show you just how much wonderful choice I have found myself facing.

Little tomatoes, harlequin diamonds, paintbrush strokes and watercolour eyes. 

Creative Interviews: Katie-Louise Ford for Cellardoor Magazine

My love for handmade has led me to interviewing lovely people who have created a business from their handmade crafts and love of creativity, to feature on Cellardoor Magazine's blog. The first went up yesterday, where I spoke with the inspirational Katie-Louise Ford about her eponymous shop on Etsy and her influences, history & other  questions like whose creative workshop (dead or alive) she would love to visit if she got the chance. As well as helpful tips on what to do if you are looking to turn your creativity into a business. 

Find the interview here and be sure to check out Katie's blog as she is currently taking a break to travel around the US. 

What's New Pussycat? Bear & Co. dress giveaway.

Hello. 

I have some glorious news. 

This morning I welcomed a parcel into my life. 

Now this package wasn't just any old package, it had travelled all the way from Pasadena in California to my quaint little home in Kent, England. 

 The lovely lovely Jessie over at bear & co.  had gotten hold of my measurements (after I had awkwardly  entangled myself in tape measure and revised the whole of the human anatomy again for the first time in six years) and handmade me this beautiful fit and flare cat print dress. 

I have quite an affinity for these dress shapes because it resembles that of the Fifties and so was thrilled when Jessie offered to make me one.

 It arrived beautifully packaged, it was such a thrill to untie the candy striped string and unfold the brown paper to see what was inside. I was very careful not to rip or crumple anything. 

The thing with handmade is, it is extra special because it has been put together for you and for you alone. 

You can feel, understand and appreciate the time, hardwork, blood, sweat and tears that have gone into creating it. It always is something truly splendid and special.

 Jessie was so kind in creating this piece for me and now here is where it gets exciting. Not only has she created one for me but we are super happy to share with you all that she is giving away another to one of my wonderful readers. 

For more images of the dress and to see other items Jessie makes herself, head over to bear & co. for more information on the Custom Fit Cat Print Fit & Flare Pleated Dress With Pockets. 

 Meow.

bear & co.  sell beautifully feminine handmade clothing and jewellery and as well as the giveaway, the shop is offering a 20% discount off of anything, for readers of my blog. All you need to do is enter the discount code pickletreat20 at the checkout on Etsy to be eligible. 

Like I said however, one lucky reader will be able to get their own custom fitted cat print dress like mine, made for them. All you need to do is simply enter this giveaway to be in with a chance.

To enter you will need to:

1. Like/Follow both Bear & Co. and The First Vision That Set Fire To The Stars on Facebook

2. Be following my blog using GFC (Google Friend Connect). 

Any google, blogger or twitter account will allow you to follow easily through GFC without any time consuming sign-up.

3. Leave a comment on this blog post to just let me know you have followed the 3 steps and would like to be entered. Please remember to leave your name and email address so you can be contacted if you are our winner.

The winner will be selected at random on Saturday 12th May, giving you a month to enter.

Both Jessie and I wish you all the best of luck, if you have any further questions about the giveaway that you feel I haven't answered, please contact me through email or twitter so I can help you out. I don't want you missing out on this brilliant giveaway!

In the meantime, go and check out bear & co. now you've got a brilliant discount code to utilise.

Merit Badge.

Ever feel like you deserve a medal for 'being a smart cookie' or 'rolling with the punches'? I'd never really thought about it but now I believe I do, purely for the sake of a badge. I discovered this shop Lee Meszaros via Etsy this morning, it sells handmade merits for you to be proud of the moments you may normally consider not worthy of an award.

I'd normally be offended if a certificate for 'tooting my own horn' was bestowed upon me by a friend but these badges are just too darn cute. I'd wear it with pride.