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Five ways you can support small businesses in 2021

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Five ways you can support small businesses in 2021

If someone asked you whether you support small businesses, you’d probably be in the minority if you said no. A lot of us are more than happy to support our local high streets, buy from creative business owners and boost our local economy, but how often do you actually shop small? We’re all tempted to buy from big brands, they dominate our news feeds and shout at us from bus stop adverts and make it as easy as possible to spend as much as possible. For small businesses, that huge reach isn’t quite as achievable, but our products are equally amazing, so here are a few ways you can help us to stay open for business in 2021.

support small businesses

Share their story

If you’ve got a small business or your friend or family does, there are so many ways you can share an awesome brand with the world, but you’re going to need some help! One great way to support small businesses is by sharing their story. It could be an Instagram post or a product you love or a photo of you using their item. Sharing their content is a surefire way to attract attention and increase engagement. You could even tag friends who might be interested. You never know what wonderful things might happen and it’s free! Also, we’ll really appreciate it and you’re going to look super cool and ethical.May be an image of jewellery

Look for locals

I’ve heard people say that it’s hard to find cool independent companies, or that it’s easier to shop online with big brands but that just isn’t true. With secure payment methods, prompt shipping and even local delivery, there are basically no reasons why you can’t shop local. One top tip to support small businesses is to add your location to a google search. Instead of searching for handmade jewellery, look for handmade jewellery Liverpool, and you should hopefully find us! This is the case for beauticians, printers, bakers, flooring installers, whatever product or service you need, try a local search first. You can also look for shop local groups on social media platforms like the brilliant shop local Liverpool group.

Write a review

Yes, the internet is full of reviews, but honestly they make so much difference to small business owners. Even if it’s your local sweet shop, by taking the time and effort to review the product or service you’ve received you’re boosting their online reputation and recommending them to others. You can review small businesses on their social media platforms in no time. You can also do it through an online directory like Tripadvisor, Yell or Google My Business. It’ll take no more than five minutes and it will 100% make someone’s day.

Make small switches

It’s been an incredibly tough year for everyone, but even if finances are tight at home there are still swaps you can make to support small businesses. Before you order a takeout from that famous pizza company with a multi-million marketing campaign, check out your local options first. If you’re buying flowers for your mum, get them from a florist rather than the supermarket. Wear awesome t-shirts that have been printed in the UK. Buy a handmade mask from a sustainable company. Get a local artist to design your wedding invites. Buy croissants from a local bakery. You’ll be surprised how affordable it is to shop small. Us small business owners know we need to be accessible for everyone, so we’ll price our products fairly.

Commission a piece

support small businessesI know you’re not a millionaire (if you are – buy some jewellery), but commissioning a piece from an artist, maker or business is way cheaper and easier than you think. If you’ve got a special occasion coming up, we can make you a one of a kind, personal gift. You can commission something that you can’t find anywhere else. From acrylic pet portraits to special memory books to epic balloon displays, there are hundreds of local businesses just waiting to create a one of a kind piece for you. Just send them a message and ask for a quote or tell them what your budget is. We love chatting with you, discussing ideas and creating a bespoke item you can treasure.

 

Your support for small businesses is essential in 2021. You’re the reason we can carry on and continue creating, designing and innovating. Thankyou xx

 

 

5 Tips to Start Sewing

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We are so excited to share this sewing tips blog with you! If you’ve been thinking about sewing, now is the perfect time to start! Thankfully, the wonderful Stephanie Yvonne from https://www.stephanieyvonneart.com/ is a sewing genius! She has kindly shared her top sewing tips for beginners with us. Steph is an incredible artist, sewer and friend, with loads of creative skills. Have a read and check out her beautiful products here.

Fabric

First thing’s first – you can’t sew something without any fabric! But no need to worry over the thought of spending pounds and pounds on fabric, it can be sourced very cheaply and sometimes even for free!

Sewing may be something that you are looking into or it might be something that you have picked up and put down over the years. If you are just starting out, then you won’t want to be spending a ton on fabric only to find it’s not for you! This is where Charity shops and old clothes are our friends. The range of fabrics you can find at a Charity shop is amazing! Don’t be put off by the fact that the fabric has already been turned into a garment – unpick that thing and up-cycle!

Old clothes that might be waiting in a bag to be taken to a Charity shop are also a great source of fabric and definitely don’t worry about any holes. Chances are, you love the fabric that these clothes are made from so why not turn them into something new that you can carry on loving!

If you are looking for a specialist fabric shop, then I would personally recommend Fabric Land (https://fabricland.co.uk) and Dalston Mill Fabrics (https://dalstonmillfabrics.co.uk). They both have an amazing range of fabric types, are extremely friendly and ordering online could not be more easy (a life-saver through lockdown!!)

Choosing what to sew for beginners

When I started to sew, could I think of anything to make? Nope! And you might be in the same boat! This is where websites like Google and Pinterest are SO handy – if you were to Google “sewing projects for beginners” you would get 214,000,000 results!!! We should all be very grateful to those people who have taken their time to provide us with numerous ideas of what we can sew.

Set of 4 Chinese style place-mats and coastersI LOVE Pinterest and use it for many things including finding sewing ideas. The first idea I found and used were these reversible placemats and coasters – they are simply made from rectangles and squares, yet I could still add my own flare to them! I now sell a variety of designs and sizes: 

https://www.stephanieyvonneart.com/shop/place-mats-and-coasters/2

Have the right sewing tools for your project

Another thing that you might be worried about costing a bomb, is the tools you need to be able to sew. But again, these do not need to cost a fortune! If you have a needle and thread, then you can definitely start sewing. Sew Guide has a great page (https://sewguide.com/easy-hand-stitches/) that clearly explains the different types of stitches for hand sewing. Practising the basic back and running stitch on some spare fabric will help you to gauge how these work and get your stitches nice and even. Hand sewing is great as the stitches are a lot easier to unpick than the stitches a sewing machine makes! So, if you do make a mistake, gently pull out the stitches and start again – no harm done. Set of 6 jungle themed place-mats

Pins are a staple when it comes to sewing – we need some way to keep our fabric together whilst we are stitching! I tend to use dressmaker pins as these are slightly thinner than other pins and create very small holes in fabric which can easily be brushed out. A pot of pins generally costs less than £5 – an important tool for not a lot of money!

If you are looking to buy a sewing machine, then there are a lot of options out there and quite a large price range. When I was looking for my first sewing machine, I had a tight budget but still needed something that would do everything I wanted. In the end I settled on the Brother LS14s Manual Stitch Sewing Machine which cost £80. Brother is a great brand, very reliable and fairly priced so ticks all the boxes!

When it doesn’t come out as planned!

There will be a chance, as there always is when we try something new, that our first or even second attempt does not come out as planned! However, do not let this get you down or make you think that sewing is not for you. Mistakes will always happen – I have spent many an hour unpicking stitches because I was not paying attention to what I was sewing…

If we were perfect at everything, then we would not learn anything. Making mistakes, unpicking, recutting, restitching, a failed idea, a clash of fabrics are all part of the learning process which will help us get better at sewing.

Never worry if something doesn’t come out as planned, it is all part of the process – learn from it and try again.

Enjoy the process!

My final sewing tip, and perhaps the most important one, is to enjoy yourself!

Flamingo tote bagCreative outlets are so important in life, they give us a chance to think outside of the box and the rigid routine we often have in life. I love to sew; I find it so relaxing and it is also great for my mental health as I can start with a piece of fabric and see it through to a completed item.

Sewing was always a hobby for me, something outside of my work life. However, I have now turned it into a small business which I hope to grow in the coming years which I am very excited about! HOWEVER, it is very important that I continue to enjoy sewing and that it does not become a chore. A creative outlet should be just that, something that you get joy from and a release from the frustrations and worries that we may be facing.

I hope these 5 sewing tips have been useful for those of you who might be looking to get into sewing or have been sewing for years and need a bit of a boost!

Whatever you sew and however you sew it, enjoy and have fun

Stephanie Yvonne

https://www.stephanieyvonneart.com/

6 Ways to Live Creatively

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Creativity is vital to our humanity and living creatively can be a wonderful way to experience the world. If you think your inner artist is being neglected, then these creative living ideas should help you develop and nourish your creativity. Being creative has an incredibly helpful impact on mental health, and is used often to help patients with trauma.

Be kind to yourself and live creatively.

Write Every Day

Writing is one of the best ways we can express ourselves, but when was the last time you wrote because you wanted to? I don’t mean an email newsletter for your business, a grocery list or an essay for school. This is about writing for you. There are hundreds of creative writing tips out there you can study, but it’s worthless until you put pen to paper, or fingertips to keys. Whether it’s poems, haikus, journaling or writing a novel, start writing every day now. 

Now, a little secret – I’ve recently become a mum. My baby is called Nina and she is our world. When I found out I was pregnant I started to write to her. I wrote a little iPhone note when I got the positive results. I even wrote a letter when I was about to be induced. Yep. I’ve carried on. I’ve written to her about coronavirus and lockdown and her cleft palate.

If you have a daughter or a niece or a baby on the way, try write to them. You can even write to my baby if you like, just contact us.

Relentlessly Self Improve

When I googled relentless self-improvement, I wasn’t impressed with what I found. However, I love this idea. I love the idea that you can always be better. It doesn’t mean aiming for perfection or setting unrealistic goals. It’s about trying new things, growing as a person and becoming an even better you.

Take a Photo You Are Proud Of

In a world of instant photography, sometimes it seems like social media has sucked the creativity out of photography. However, it is still very much an art form. Finding the right angle, subject and lighting can be incredibly challenging. That’s why it’s still a career. You can also use photography to live creatively, and record the good things that happen to you and how you feel about them. Try to challenge yourself to take one photo you are proud of every day or week. Start an instagram or a tumblr and craft those beautiful images.

Play an Instrument

There is something beautiful about making music. It might be something you loved doing when you were young but you haven’t played in years. Music and creativity are inseparable , so create. If you’re not a musician, it’s the perfect time to start. Buy yourself a cheap guitar, or a harmonica, or a tambourine, or a kazoo. Live creatively with music. Find a new band or artist you love on Spotify or youtube. The feeling after you play a song right for the first time is remarkable.

Cook Something New

Cooking is so creative. Using different flavours, colours, textures, ingredients and recipes is like creating a piece of art. Even if you aren’t a fan of cooking, you can challenge yourself creatively by cooking something new. Bake something delicious – even cupcakes! It only has to be once a week, just make sure it’s something you’ve never cooked or maybe even eaten before. Buy that weird vegetable, and dare to cook that favourite dish of yours from that place. It’s really good for you to live creatively too!

Dress Differently

Don’t worry, you don’t have to throw away your wardrobe! Shop sustainably too. Our clothes say so much about us, and dressing creatively is a lot of fun. If you have a sensible job, dress like a goth one Saturday. If you are already a goth, try and dress like a backing dancer. This isn’t about changing who you are, it’s about using your creativity to create a persona that you can try on for a day. If you hate it, never wear the outfit again. If you love it, try something else new too.

Find Words That Inspire You

Words are such an incredible source of creativity. A great way to start your days right and live creatively is to write or read words that inspire you. Whether you want to hang a beautiful quote next to your bathroom mirror or you like to read poetry before you go to bed. Keep learning, and filling yourself with knowledge and inspiration. Creativity will surely ensue.

Good luck with living creatively, we’d love to hear your stories!

Sustainable shopping – our top tips

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As a small business, and as humans, at This Material Culture, we want to be a force for good. We’ve put together some top tips for sustainable shopping. In a world of fast fashion, trying to shop sustainably can be hard. But changing the way we buy can change the world, and there are so many ways you can learn to shop sustainably. 

 

After I recently watched Stacey Dooley’s ‘Fashion’s Dirty Secrets’ I was struck by how devastating the fashion industry is for our planet. From the dumping of toxic chemicals in Thailand to the destruction of the Aral sea because of intensive cotton farming, the impact of our fashion choices is visibly shaping and harming the world. As a fashion brand, we want to offer an alternative to the mass-produced tat that’s often the easiest thing to buy. We want to encourage sustainable shopping too!  Instead of giving up and crying, let’s learn to shop sustainably and challenge the way we are encouraged to buy.

Sustainable Vintage Shopping

I love vintage clothes and have worked with some incredible vintage sellers like pillbox vintage and girl in the blue coat. From fabulous 50s skirts to awesome 90s sunglasses, some of my favourite clothes and accessories are vintage. Forget the high street ‘vintage-look’ pieces; try to find the real thing! Shopping vintage means that clothes aren’t thrown away, they are treasured. You get unique, beautiful vintage pieces. And, your hard-earned cash goes to a fabulous independent business.

Have a clear out

It might sound counter-intuitive to have a clear out. However, a sort through your wardrobe can unearth some treasures you forgot you had. Try and clear out your current wardrobe of everything that you don’t wear and that doesn’t fit you. Those denim hot pants you loved when you were 16 are never going to fit you now (and that’s okay!), so sell them to someone who will love them as much as you did. Try selling on eBay, Etsy or Depop for some extra pennies or donate them to a charity shop for good karma. Swap clothes with your friends and work colleagues, have a rummage through your mum’s wardrobe or go to an organised clothes swap. Sustainable shopping doesn’t mean you need to spend more.

Charity Shops

I love charity shops, and for me, they are the key to learning to sustainable shopping. Let’s break it down –

  • Someone donates clothes instead of sending them to landfill – marvellous
  • You get the fun of searching for bargains and finding one of a kind pieces
  • They’re much cheaper than buying new
  • Your money goes to a charity
  • What’s not to love?

If you’re uneasy about wearing second-hand clothes, you can always have the clothes professionally cleaned. If you can’t get out to the shops, many charity shops now have online and eBay stores so you can shop second hand from the comfort of your sofa!

Shop small

I might be biased, but I will constantly advocate shopping small. Supporting local and independent businesses is such a meaningful way to show you care about what you buy and rewarding those who are chasing their dreams. Small businesses are often more conscious about their environmental impact, and due to their small scale have much less of an impact on the planet. At This Material Culture, our handmade jewellery is created at home in Liverpool. We print our packaging. We reuse and recycle where we can and have worked on reducing waste. I make some of our pieces like the rainbow button necklaces out of reclaimed materials. Each one is unique too. Our toy necklaces are obviously recycled from old toys. We’ve salvaged plenty of beads from broken necklaces, and we even reuse envelopes where we can. We write a lot of business plans on the backs of envelopes too.

Choose fashion that does good

With so many choices available to us, we now have the opportunity to look for brands that do good. Fashion brands like TOMS, which donate a pair of shoes to someone in need for every purchase, are a brilliant way to both enjoy sustainable shopping and a good conscience too. Try and find other smaller brands who have worked with charities and eco-friendly retailers too. When you’re doing sustainable shopping, look for brands which use sustainable materials, reduced packaging and have a clear environmental policy.

Is slow fashion the future?

Perhaps the best antidote to the world of fast fashion is a thoughtful attitude. Try to find a greater appreciation for the impact of your choices and a second thought before you fill your online basket with loads of things you won’t wear. By no means should you stop buying stuff (especially lovely handmade jewellery)! However, by thinking about sustainable shopping, you can start to change the tide. Is a slow fashion revolution coming? Will people start making things themselves? Will patched jeans and altered dresses become the norm? We certainly hope so.

Winter Jewellery Trends

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Winter Jewellery Trends

It’s beginning to feel a little like Christmas, and these winter jewellery trends are perfect for a little sparkle. As it gets colder outside, winter jewellery is great for adding some glamour. From layered pearls to feather earrings, we have rounded up some fab winter 2018 jewellery trends you will love. Winter jewellery is great for showing off, being a little bit glamorous and having fun with your jewellery choices. Our handmade jewellery at This Material Culture is perfect for recreating catwalk looks at slightly more affordable prices!

Pearls

As the festive season starts to get into full swing, pearl jewellery is making a welcome reappearance. Classy and elegant, pearls are perfect for any event and were shown off by designers like Gucci and Chanel in their Autumn/Winter 2018 shows. Chanel’s layered strings of pearl necklaces and pearl encrusted earrings showed a new way of wearing pearls for this season – more is more! We love pearl jewellery at This Material Culture and we have loads of beautiful pearl jewelry pieces like our dangle earrings and charm bracelets.

winter jewellery trends

Emilia Wickstead’s delicate pearl dangle earrings were totally beautiful, and we loved the combination of heritage prints and classic pearls. You can recreate the look with our classic Pearl earrings that feature a chic pearl and crystal combination.

Letters

One big trend for Autumn/Winter 2018 is Letters. Seen on the catwalks of Celine and others, from the bold to the delicate – Letters are a huge trend. Whether you want to wear the initials of the love of your life, you’d like a Name Necklace, or you fancy some quirky earrings with letter charms, there are loads of ways you can work Letters into your jewellery collection. Our stunning initial necklaces are perfect for this, with a crystal charm too. They also make gorgeous personal Christmas initial gifts and they are packaged on gift cards too! 

initial necklace

Feather Earrings

Another one of the winter jewellery trends we can’t get enough of is feather earrings. Beautiful, boho and slightly seasonal, feather earrings are a great choice for winter. Showcased by Valentino and others, we think our beaded feather earrings and gold feather earrings are just as glamorous, and much better for your budget! Another one of our favourite winter jewellery trends is layering, and if you have multiple piercings you can style several feather earrings together for a wild and high fashion look.

winter jewellery trends

Sparkles

One of very favourite 2018 winter jewellery trends from the fashion world is sparkles. From big glittery earrings to rhinestone chokers to sparkly hoop earrings, this jewellery trend is perfect for the festive season. Teamed with gorgeous glitzy party pieces like sparkly crepe jumpsuits and glittery jumpers – there is no such thing as too much sparkle at Christmas! If you’re looking for a more subtle way to sparkle this winter, then our delicate rhinestone studs are perfect. Available in a range of jewel tones, they are a bargain way to get your sparkle on. Though they are not quite precious stone level, they’re fun and sparkly and cute.

 

Halloween Treats and Halloween Jewellery

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We’ve put together our favourite Halloween treats so you can get into the spirit (pun intended), we’ve also included some of our fab Halloween jewellery you can find at This Material Culture. From scary movies to Halloween bakes, here are some fun ideas for you.

halloween jewellery

Decorate your house

In Liverpool, we take decorating houses very seriously. Whether it’s Halloween or Christmas or the champions league final, we like to go all out. Go to your local pound shop for some bargain window decorations, get some cotton wool spider webs on your frames and throw a few fake bugs into your hanging basket.

Bake Some Delicious Halloween Treats

The lovely Rachel Teodoro blog recently posted a fab recipe for some mummy rice krispie treats. Super cute and delicious, they’re definitely on our Halloween baking list.

Epic Costume

If you’re throwing a Halloween party, your costume has to be on point. There’s the classic witch, ghost, clown etc or head to Pinterest for some awesome costume inspiration. The gorgeous F.B.L Savvy shared her  Demon of the Night Halloween makeup look with us – definitely worth a try, it’s fabulous!

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Carve those pumpkins

Pumpkin carving is basically an art competition in our house. The current record holder is this epic Jurassic Park pumpkin that took me way too long. Last year I attempted a from stranger things, complete with creepy pumpkin seed goo, and Sam always opts for a classic scary face. Tag us in your epic pumpkin masterpiece – we want to see! Oh and be careful with knives and stuff.

Get yourself a fab Halloween necklace

We have fangs, spiders, pumpkins, skulls… all gorgeous Tibetan silver charms on a punky black cord. And for just £5 – why not buy one for a mate too. We can’t get enough of Halloween jewellery!

halloween necklaces

Stock up on the sweets

Whether you get loads of trick or treaters or you just like sweets, Halloween is the best excuse to treat yourself to something sugary. And if you’re looking for something different for your little visitors, our rings are super sweet and a total bargain. We even have Halloween jewellery!

Watch everything Tim Burton ever made

Tim Burton films are the perfect way to get into the Halloween mood – creepy and weird – just how we like it. The classic nightmare before Christmas has to be enjoyed (and get a Jack Skellington ring if you’re a fan). Also corpse bride, beetle juice, Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands and sleepy hollow are all excellent choices.

Listen to Spirits podcast

We love love love this podcast. Mythology and drinking are a big thumbs up from us. If you’re a podcast junkie or a first-time listener these fascinating stories from around the world are sure to get you feeling creepy and cool.

Have fun with the kids!

If you have little ones, or you can borrow some – check out this fab list of Halloween ideas from Mummy’s Diary.

Have a fabulous Halloween and don’t forget to use the discount code Halloween18 on our site during October – treat yourself to some spooky Halloween jewellery too!

Never Grow Up – Fun Jewellery for Your Inner Child

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At This Material Culture we are all about fun jewellery that makes people happy. It’s on the office wall in big pink letters. There’s so much going on we could sit and complain about, and we know jewellery isn’t going to solve the worlds problems. BUT it can make you smile. And a smile is totally worth it in our opinion.

Whether you work with kids and want cool points, you have a terribly boring uniform that you want to add some colour to or you’re just a great big kid like we are, here’s some super fun jewellery you’ll love.

Unicorn Ring

Unicorns are awesome. That’s a universally recognized thing, and we totally appreciate the amount of unicorn related things you can buy now (I own all of them). So brighten up your day with a magical This Material Culture unicorn ring. We have a blue one too.

Unicorn ring

Junk Food Jewellery Set

Eat healthy, excercise… blah blah blah. We all know it’s important but seriously, pizza exists.  With bright M&M studs, a pizza slice necklace and a maccys fries ring, this set is just great. Celebrate all things a little bit naughty but super delicious with our junk food jewellery set.

junk food jewellery set

 

Dinosaur Necklace (s)

We love dinosaurs at This Material Culture. I have one tattooed on my leg. Our teeny tiny T Rex necklace has been one of our most popular favourite items and it is guaranteed to bring a squeal of delight from at least one person who notices you’re wearing it. Or for dedicated big kids, we have turned some of your favourite dinosaur toys into awesome necklaces just for you. Check out this Triceratops necklace. Give a dinosaur a home.

toy dinosaur triceratopsAlien Ring

For fans of Toy Story, our alien ring is just heaven. Whether you watched Ty Story when you were little or it’s great for keeping your own kids quiet, rock an alien ring. You’re super cool.

Alien RingBalloons Necklace

Everyone loves bright, colourful balloons (well nearly everyone). They remind us of parties and celebrating and eating too many sweets. Our gorgeous balloons necklace is colourful, cute and has a little bit of ‘Up’ inspiration.

balloons necklace

Nah Year Resolutions

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Nah year resolutions

Happy New Year?!?

I’m going to be honest with you, I hate January. It’s my least favourite month. All that pressure to make changes and be better and the worst… new year resolutions! Urgh!

I think a few people might feel like this too. So I wanted to use our blog to tell you it’s okay to feel a bit crap about January.

You are awesome. You are unique. You’re reading this so you obviously have great jewellery taste. You are amazing. You got this. You’re lovely.

I love chatting to you guys, whether it’s in person at a market, or through email or on twitter on instagram or anything. We seriously have the coolest customers. You’re always the ones who aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd. You will wear your dinosaur necklace or your penguin ring or your feather earrings with pride because they say something about you and what you love. You light up the room with your quirky, wonderful youness.

Don’t feel pressure to change who you are. If you like a lie in, or you’re not the most organised or you snack a little too often. It’s okay – you’re human. We all deserve a treat, especially you. Don’t give yourself a hard time like I used to. Relax. Breathe. Treat yourself.

Oh and here’s a cheeky 15% off with the code “january18′ cos you deserve it

Rebecca

Trick or Treat!

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We love Halloween! Creepy things, dressing up, horror films, trick or treat … happy days.

This Halloween we’re launching the coolest treat you’re going to get.

Trick or Treat Halloween Jewellery Parcel

We’ve created some fab spooky jewellery especially for halloween and we’re going to send you a selection of our faves for just £10! Our Trick or Treat Halloween Jewellery Parcel contains 1 halloween cord necklace, a spooky ring, a pair of studs and a trick or a treat too.

Get yours now here – https://www.thismaterialculture.com/product/trick-treat-halloween-jewellery-parcel/

Or treat a friend who loves halloween as much as you do. It’s dead simple, just use their address as the delivery address. It’ll make their October.

For the coolest halloween jewellery you can wear all year round, get a limited edition Halloween Trick or Treat from us at This Material Culture xxx

Happiness is Handmade

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 Happiness is Handmade – an introduction

I have made things for as long as I can remember

Whether it’s salt dough Christmas decorations, a patchwork quilt sewn on the beach on a Cornish holiday, or the beaded bangles I so love to make. I’ve found despite what I studied at school or university, I’ve always ended up making things. My mum and dad are probably the reason for this. Our house growing up was always full of mum’s botanical paintings on the walls and beautiful pine furniture made my dad. Handmade stained glass windows, stone sculptures and mum’s patchwork cushions. They always made our Christmas presents, from a miniature welsh dresser to the greatest Barbie house, stables, shop and apartment the world has ever seen. They always encouraged us to enjoy making things and be creative. We learned that happiness is handmade.

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This idea that happiness is handmade is something I treasure. Now my house is full of handmade things. I love my paintings on the walls, the bed my dad made us for Christmas and a big knitted blanket that Sam is learning to knit squares for.

Image may contain: people sitting, bedroom and indoor

In this busy world of 24/7 social media updates, same day delivery and throwaway fashion, people have started to fall in love with making again. It’s a privileged position – we don’t learn to knit because we can’t afford socks, we do it because it’s fun. It’s relaxing, enjoyable and at the end we have results. Whether it’s a scarf full of holes or a slightly wonky teapot, what we made is ours, and totally unique. The only one in the world like it.

People are learning to sew, and customise things and knit and crochet and woodturn and blow glass and it’s awesome. I love pinterest, it’s fab to see all the beautiful interesting, and sometimes crap things people make. My personal board is literally rammed with ideas, from art to interiors to stuff I will one day make. I used to have a blog with recipes and crafts and things too. It’s great to share that passion for handmade happiness with everyone.

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Happiness is handmade – The Blog

So I’m going to start filling up the This Material Culture blog with handmade inspiration for you. You can come and check it if you fancy making something while you’re watching telly or you want to make some presents this Christmas. Nothing too complex and nothing that requires hundreds of pounds of materials. There will be real crafts that you can do in your house for a couple of quid. I want to feature other creative people too. I love hearing people talk about what they’re passionate about and why they make/cook/write/design whatever they do. And because life can be a bit rubbish sometimes we’re going to finish every post with a word of wisdom, a little quote or positive message. I know it’s cheesy but we all need positivity sometimes guys.

happiness is handmade Calligraphy, Lettering & Quotes instagram.com/felingpoh:

Thanks for reading my little ramble. I really do believe happiness is handmade, and making something or being creative in the tiniest way is good for you. If you do too, please get in touch! Contact us via this form or through twitter or facebook. `Sign up to the newsletter if you want reminders of new posts. Email [email protected] if you want to write a guest post. Have a wonderful day and make something.

Rebecca

x

happiness is handmade