I'm on a mission to buy all handmade for gifts this holidays.

My main source of inspiration as ever is Etsy. Throughout the year I have marked a lot of gorgeous things that I have had my eye on for gifts and now I've started purchasing.

It's such fun!

As an Etsy seller, I know the thrill of selling handmade as I am aware that most customers are looking for something a little different and special, so it is always where I head to when I am looking for something a little different and special.

As an extended family we have 15 nieces and nephews and as a consequence we have a £15 limit, which makes selecting even more fun. We also stick to gifts just for the children.

So here's what I have found so far...

Pretty gold necklaces for the teenage girls (I'm quite eager to get one of these for me too...) from the immensely talented Cindy of Edor Jewellery.

The teenage fellas are all getting a pair of cufflinks from Zinc White. I first met Paul and Lidia at Saltaire Fair and I love their quirky jewellery, particularly these Initial Cufflinks. I have bought a lot of these for gifts over the months since i met them!

The pre-teen girls are all getting a goodie box of one of my notebooks, pencil pouches and a brooch similar to this one below by Elizabeth Pawle.

I'm ear-marking one of these for me too ;-)

The challenging remaining is the pre-teen boys...I'm really stuck on this one so if you have any bright ideas and can point me in the right direction, I'd be really grateful. I'm determined to succeed in getting everyone a handmade gift this year.

I think I've done pretty darn well and hopefully the recipients will be equally delighted. There really is an amazing selection of handmade gifts out there, so I open up the challenge to you...

Can you do a handmade gift list?

Triangle Mania!

I think I'm rather enjoying this one.

Is it wrong to say that?

This design and I spent quality time together in the design process and we developed a mutual respect and understanding.

It goes without saying that I tried out this design in my 3 favourite colours. It would have been rude not too and quite frankly you would have been disappointed with me if I hadn't. Or on the other hand, maybe you would have been quite relieved.

Not only did I print onto fabric, but I also wanted to see how the design looked on paper. I'm thinking the design would work well as wrapping paper. I'm not totally sure I'm ready to print such big scale, but hey, a girl's got to keep dreaming.

One of the wonderful features of the sewing machine I am currently using is all the pretty stitches it has.

Whilst I could go crazy and incorporate most of these into projects, I am being very refrained (bet that made you laugh - me? refrained?) and just rolling with one at the moment.

I've up-dated a pouch I previously made, with the limited stitches I had on my old machine, with this circle design.

I just love the simplicity of the stitch. It has just enough detail to make it interesting, without being too fussy and over-powering.

I'm sure I won't be able to be refrained for that much longer and you'll get to see some of the other stitches this machine can produce, but in the meantime these are available here and here.

I am feeling a little anxious about heading away for our summer holidays pretty soon and being absent from the screen printing workshop.

Really. It's a big concern.

And then not only that, but how am I going to get in there when we get back while the kids are still on school holidays?

As I said, Big Concern.

I have booked in a session this week, which I'm hoping will enable me to get my fix before we go.

But then, what about time for sewing with it all?

Vacations are supposed to be exciting aren't they?

Quite frankly, I'm rather keen on sending them all on one and staying behind to have my own vacation right here...

Is that very wrong?...

It's not surprising I'm dog tired at the moment. I went out last night with some girlfriends and literally could have fallen asleep at the table. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if one of them texted me this morning to say I had nodded off for a bit.

A lot of us are struggling with not enough hours in the day at this time of year, keeping up with and packing orders off for Christmas shoppers.

So why oh why I let myself get distracted by things that can undoubtedly wait until the New Year, I have no idea. I ordered this fabric from Seamstar, along with a couple of other beauties, this week and any sensible person would have put it to one side to enjoy at a quieter time. But then I guess I'm not that sensible.

And not only can I not put a good fabric down, I can not put a good plan down either...

That exciting development that I hinted at yesterday has been at the forefront of my mind and would not be put to one side for a day, let alone a couple of weeks, until after the holidays.

I am embarking on a collaboration with Lu Summers of Summersville fame. Very VERY exciting!

Once I got the pencil pouch just the way I wanted it (right length, right height, right bottom..so to speak) I knew at once that Lu's fabrics would be perfect for them. If you've ever seen Lu's fabrics you'll know exactly what I mean.

The weight of the fabric is perfect. The designs are so well suited to children's (or adults) pencil cases and the colours are so vivid any child (or adult) will be delighted to have one. We hope...

The pouches will come in 5 different patterns and colours and will be available through the usual channels as well as being available for trade. So if there are any stores out there that would like more info about the pouches and be the first to stock them, just give me a shout.

And here's to me now slowing down just a little...

All this talk and teaching of zipper pouches has got me obsessed with making them. They are such a joy to make and produce something so pretty and so useful. What can be better?

This particular flat-bottomed style that Manda and i taught last week is a gem. I love the way the pouch sits so you can open it up and rummage in it nicely.

I also love the way that once you have mastered putting in a zip, you can make the pouch any size you like. Ruby and I made a few diddy ones at the weekend for her hair clips and bobbles...more about those another day.

But I'm particularly keen at the moment on these slightly longer but less deep ones for pencils. They are just big enough for a fair selection of pencils, but not too big that they are all flopping about.

Needless to say they are available in store now, both in Pounds and in Dollars, depending on your penchant ;-)

And tomorrow? Some of those diddy pouches for all those lose, lying about clips and bobbles will be available....

I love delivery day at Blueberry Park.

The excitement of having found new products that I think my customers will love gets intensified when I have in my hands these wonderful items that artists around the UK have so cleverly made.

This latest bunch of finds are no exception. Ros and Ed, the talents behind Stabo are a couple who make fab and funky accessories from the softest by-product leather. They are very keen on producing all their products as ethically and environmentally friendly as possible. Just what I love...beauty, practicality and eco-friendly-ness .

The leather they use is a by-product from the meat industry and much better for the environment than many synthetic products.

I love the fact that Ros and Ed's studio in Cambridgeshire has the thickest insulation and is heated by a wood-burning stove.

I personally feel that sometimes a compromise is made with style in the efforts to make things as ethically as possible, but this is not the case with these at all. Stabo create the funkiest accessories for men and women that I have seen in a long time.

I'm hesitant to say which is my favourite accessory (although I am partial to the iphone case) or which is my favourite design (scooter maybe?). I do think Ros and Ed have created a fantastic range that I think (hope) will be very popular with Blueberry Park shoppers.