Reader Offer: Candy Queen Designs are offering our readers an exclusive 10% off when you shop online at www.candyqueendesigns.co.uk. Simply enter code WL10 at the checkout until 31st December.

The Winter 2011 collection is made from the softest blend of Merino and Alpaca wool which has been farmed in Britain, then spun and dyed at one of the last remaining mills in Cornwall. This doesn’t however mean that they need to be tucked away for special occasions, as each piece is machine washable and has been designed to be worn, enjoyed and passed on to friends or future generations. Browse the collection and meet the team of knitters at www.picaloulou.com.

Exclusive Reader Offer: To celebrate their launch, Picaloulou are offering our readers 20% off the entire collection, plus free standard UK P&P when you enter code FBWL20 at the checkout until 24th December.

Launched just last month, Little Blue Zebra is a family-run business featuring the work of award-winning children’s book illustrator John Butler. Co-founded by his daughters Lucy and Joanna, they explain how their father’s work has inspired this new venture… “Since we were very young, we’ve enjoyed watching our father’s illustrations come to life. Now mothers ourselves, we set up Little Blue Zebra so that these adorable illustrations can be enjoyed as gifts for your children, friends and family.”

The time-lapse video below shows how the detailed illustrations are brought to life, from sketch to finished artwork. With prints starting at just £30, we think they make the most beautiful gifts for a new baby, Christening or birthday.  Or why not buy a few and spell out a little person’s name? You can browse the collection and buy online at www.littlebluezebra.com.

So it was with great delight that I answered an invitation from Libby Boalch of The Dressing Up Chest to bring my two boys along to a fancy dress party where she would be photographing her latest children’s costume collection.

From her studio in Kew, Libby creates the most delightful handmade dressing-up costumes for children. From fairytale classics such as Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks, to Pirates, Princesses, Peter Pan and Dorothy (Toto not included!), her costumes are beautifully made using quality fabrics and with great attention to detail (I just love those applique bears on Goldilocks’ apron). Each outfit is really a work of art and is sure to be enjoyed by generations of children to come.

Libby can also make bespoke costumes to order – she very kindly rustled up a tiny baby pirate outfit when I told her I’d be bringing my 9 month old along (that’s Louis bottom centre, while big brother Sam is dressed as a Knight). So next time you need a costume for a school play or birthday party, why not browse the collections at www.dressingupchest.co.uk.

Photography courtesy of Kellie Spicknell (photographer and author of the blog HMade).

Several other knitting kits are also available including a pretty Hanging Heart Kit which includes woven labels saying ‘With Love,’ ‘Baby Boy’ or ‘Baby Girl’, and a Rabbit Egg Cosy Kit with enough wool to make four cosies. The kits are made in Scotland by My Baboo and the yarn included is 100% Pure Scottish Wool.

There are also some ready-knitted items such as the collectible My Little Bunnies (£28) made from felted Scottish wool, and the practical Bunny Bottle Warmer (£19.95) with ears long enough to hang from a pram. Browse the collection and buy online at www.mylittleloves.co.uk.

Little House founder and print designer Cheryl Sykes believes that children should be surrounded by fun and inspirational art, and her prints are just perfect for adding a splash of colour and excitement to children’s bedrooms and playrooms. They also make a beautiful gift for a birthday or other special occasion (and will last a lot longer than the latest plasticky toy!). You can browse the collection of children’s prints at www.littlehouse.uk.com.

For a chance to win a beautiful Little Birdhouse print, simply answer the following question: Name one other print from the Little House range of children’s screenprints. You can leave your answer as a comment below, or email editor@frombritainwithlove.com before 20th October. Good luck!

The summer holidays are here and it’s time to hit the parks, beaches, theme parks and zoos… but what happens when it rains and you can’t go out? There’s only so much CBeebies you can watch before going slightly mad…. so next time the little ones are enchanted by Peppa and Dora, why not take a look at Pinterest to find some novel things to make and do over the summer break?

If you haven’t discovered Pinterest yet, make sure you have some time on your hands because it is quite easy to become lost in time on this beautiful site. Did I say Dora was enchanting? Well this is the adult equivalent. Don’t forget the task at hand though… you’re meant to be looking for something creative for the kids, remember?

The concept of Pinterest is quite simple – if you like an image then you ‘pin it’ to a virtual pinboard. You can pin images that you find on other websites, or simply re-pin images you like which other people have pinned. The main page is a continuously updating array of other peoples ‘pins’ (a bit like the public timeline on twitter but with pictures instead of words). If you see an image you like, simply click ‘Pin It’ and save it to one of your own pinboards. Don’t wait until later to pin a good idea as they quickly disappear as new ones come up.

To start pinning, you first need to request an invite – the easiest and quickest way is to ask on facebook or twitter for one. I’m sure someone will oblige, with a line saying ‘I can’t believe you’ve only just found Pinterest!’. To get started, it’s a good idea to follow a few other peoples boards – just like on other social networking sites – and see what they’re pinning. There are so many different images to browse through – from interiors to fashion, craft projects, recipes, beauty tips and even wedding ideas. You’ll soon be pinning like a pro!

You can use Pinterest in so many different ways, such as moodboards, tearsheets, research and even blog ideas. Just remember when you’re pinning to give credit where credit is due and wherever possible to link to the original source of the image. Below are a few creative ideas I’ve found on Pinterest to keep the kids busy over the summer holidays. But this is just the tip of the iceberg – so why not have a go yourself? You can request an invite to join at www.pinterest.com.

Clockwise from Top Left: Vintage Book Bunting via Papercrave; Butterfly ‘Feet’ Canvas via Project Balancing Act;  Crayon Hearts via Flickr; Banana Split Mini Bites via Bakers Royale.