Saturday 19 November 2011
From its roots in Vancouver, indie craft event Got Craft? arrives in London for the very first time next weekend… and to celebrate we have a fabulous crafty swag bag to give away!
The event will feature a hand-picked selection of craft producers from jewellery to fashion, homewares and paper goods, and there’s also the chance to get crafty yourself with interactive workshops by local craft collective, Crafty Pint. Get there early and if you’re one of the first 30 visitors through the door, you’ll get a fabulous reusable tote bag from event sponsors Etsy UK filled with gorgeous handmade goodies.
Reader Giveaway: We have one of these fantastic goody bags to give away to a lucky reader. For a chance to win, simply leave a comment below and the winner will be drawn and notified by email on Friday 25th Nov. (Please note: the swag bag will be posted out, so UK residents only please!).
Got Craft? takes place at the Tooting Tram and Social on Sunday November 27th. You can find out more at www.gotcraft.com/london.
Something for the weekend… if you’re anywhere near London this weekend, make a beeline for the Handmade in Britain event at Chelsea Town Hall. Now in it’s fourth year, the show features over 70 designer makers showcasing their latest collections, making it the perfect place for a spot of handmade Christmas shopping. The show runs from 28th to 30th October and tickets cost just £5.00. Find out more and book tickets online at www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk.
Calling all foodies… Our friends at glamorous kitchen linens company Cooking Gorgeous are offering one lucky reader a pair of tickets for the Taste of Christmas event at London’s ExCeL in December, along with one of their signature ‘Gorgeous’ tea towels, worth over £50 in total.
Taste of Christmas invites you to celebrate the festive season in style, with a selection of the capital’s top restaurants serving up seasonal treats, some of Britain’s top chefs giving inspirational talks, and lots of festive shopping opportunities… in fact everything you need to serve up the perfect Christmas in style.
For a chance to win 2 tickets to this fabulous foodie event, simply leave a comment below naming a product in the Cooking Gorgeous range by 15th November 2011. You can browse the collection and buy online at www.cookinggorgeous.com.
We are beyond excited to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for the Website of The Year Awards by The Good Web Guide! We’re one of the final 24 websites up for the award which has been judged by a panel of industry experts including perfumer Jo Malone, who will be announcing the winner at the awards reception in London next month.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our supporters, partners and readers… the site is fuelled by the talent of the wonderful businesses that we work with, so the credit goes to all of the creative designers, makers and retailers whose products you’ll discover on the pages of From Britain With Love.
We Need Your Votes! If you have a second, we’d love it if you could vote for us in The People’s Choice Award and show your support for all of our fabulous British producers. Simply click here to vote…
Thursday 8 September 2011
We’re thrilled to be supporting The Craft Trail, a brand new initiative taking place in London this weekend as part of The Mayor’s Thames Festival. For the very first time, five local craft collectives: We Make London, Sannapanda and Friends, Crafty Fox Market, Of Cabbages and Kings and Craft Guerrilla, have joined together to showcase work from London’s vibrant and creative craft scene.
The trail will stretch along the banks of the Thames between Westminster and Tower Hill, and a beautiful printed map has been designed by illustrator Mike Hall to help you along the way. Follow the trail to discover quality handmade products by new and established designer-makers, as well as the chance to take part in workshops, craft demonstrations, a loyalty scheme, and a prize draw to win one of 100 goody bags!
The Craft Trail takes place on 10th and 11th September from noon to 10pm. For more information and a list of exhibitors visit www.crafttrail.co.uk, or follow @crafttrail on twitter.
There’s been a distinctly Devonshire feel to the news dropping into our inbox this week – in fact, this is the first of three blog posts highlighting news from the county. First up, a spot of celebrity spotting! At the recent Chagford Show Devon-based designer Victoria Lammie of Love Lammie was surprised and delighted when craft guru Kirstie Allsopp stopped by her stand and left with one of her ‘Martha’ oilcloth aprons, while filming her new TV series Kirstie’s Crafty Britain at the fair. Make like Kirstie and grab your own Martha apron while stocks last at www.lovelammie.co.uk.
When the summer holidays are over and the beaches are deserted once more, it’s the perfect time to book an Autumn break in North Cornwall. Merlin Farm Eco Cottages in Mawgan Porth are offering our readers an exclusive £100 off 7 night stays and £50 off 3 or 4 night stays between 16th September and 21st October.
The five star luxury self-catering cottages are just a short stroll from the sandy beach and have been stylishly converted with sustainabilty in mind. You’ll be welcomed with a local food hamper, Cornish toiletries and in case it’s chilly there are even infra red garden heaters, so nothing will stop you from stargazing on clear Cornish nights.
To take advantage of this offer, simply mention ‘From Britain With Love’ when you book before 28th July. For more information visit www.ecocottagescornwall.co.uk.
More ‘Made in Britain’ competition news… British kitchen appliance manufacturer Stoves have announced the winner of their national student design competition to create a standard marque to be displayed on British made products. The campaign was launched following research by the company which showed that two thirds (67%) of people interviewed wanted an official seal of approval to show that products have been made in Britain. The research has been debated in the House of Commons and has been backed by MPs and UK manufacturers.
A number of innovative entries were shortlisted (below right) before the winning design was selected by a panel of industry experts, which we were delighted to be part of. The winning design (below left) is by Cynthia Lee from Nottingham University and features a stylised ribbon motif.
Any British manufacturers wishing to support the campaign or use the marque in their marketing material, can find out more by visiting http://www.stoves.co.uk/made-in-britain/.
You can also show your support by adding it to your twitter profile photo as a twibbon, which can be downloaded at https://twibbon.com/join/Made-in-Britain.
How lovely to receive a note from the winner of our competition with Beach Retreats to win a weekend in Cornwall… sounds like they had a great time!
“Just thought I would drop you a line to say thank you so much for your recent competition. We’ve just got back from a couple of days in beautiful Mawgan Porth in a lovely Beach Retreats property called Moonrakers 3. The standard of the apartment was exceptional and the finishing touches and fittings superb. The Beach Retreats staff were excellent and the meal at The Beach Hut restaurant was lovely. Would definitely recommend a holiday in North Cornwall, such beautiful beaches. Thank you again. Kindest regards, Angela.”
This Saturday sees the first ever Fruitcamp run by London-based School of Food. The event is part of a growing movement of ‘foodcamps’ where enthusiasts join together to get hands-on and learn about food production, from field to fork. Scheduled to coincide with the peak of the Kentish cherry season, the day will be spent at Manor House Farm, a family-run fruit farm in Kent. The farm is just 20 minutes by train from St Pancras and fruitcampers will get the chance to sample just how good fresh, locally grown produce tastes. Activities on offer will include jam-making masterclasses, fruit-juicing (with alcoholic infusions!) and baking with fruit, and the day also includes a three course rustic lunch. Tickets cost £45 and need to be booked in advance. Find out more at www.cookeryschool.com.
