Love Your Blog: Beginnings

Beginnings was the week two prompt from the Love Your Blog Challenge.  So I thought I would take this opportunity to share my beginnings as Poppybead.

When I turned 30 I found out that I have dyslexia, I completed a degree and other qualifications.  But I wanted to do my GCSE english again, so alongside studying for my GCSE I wanted to learn how to make something.  Beaded jewellery was my chosen media.

I began blogging in August 2010 to share what I was making and my crafting experiences.  I started here on Blogspot but found it difficult to use on mobile devices, so started looking at different options.  I tried Tumblr, signed up for Wordpress  and then settled for blogging straight onto my website.  This has become long winded and slows down my blogging.  You have to resize photos, not enough readership and after looking at Bloglovin the wrong internet language.

Poppybead is not the only blog I write or contribute to.  I follow a gluten free diet to help with pain control of Endometriosis.  I didn't think crafting people would want to hear about where I went to eat or what I had for dinner so I have started a separate blog for my ramblings.  I am in the process of moving this content onto Wordpress.
I came accross Wordpress as I contribute to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation's blog.  A lot of my weekends during September and May are spent as a basketball official.  Again lots of people I have met through crafting are not keen on sport but wanted to follow my journey as an official at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.  Nearly three years on I am still on my basketball journey so still contribute to the blog.

Going back to Poppybead I am on the road to recovery after some health issues and have some more beginnings to start so watch this space.

Love Your Blog: Community and Interaction

Welcome back to the Poppybead crafting blog on Blogspot.  I had been experimenting with other platforms and they have not been working for me, so I am back.

Since I have been away I have still been blogging and I will transfer content across as soon as I can.  Whilst being online I have become addicted to Instagram and Pinterest.  I posted a photo asking for suggestions of crafting podcasts I could watch/listen to and the community of Instagram gave more options than I could of imagined.

One of the suggestions was A Playful Day podcast.  They are running "An Inspired 2015" and this includes Love your Blog Challenge.  I am bit late writing  about April's subjects but better late than never.

The first prompt was Community and Interaction.  I have a presence on Twitter, a page on Facebook, Ravelry, Instagram, Pinterest, a shop on Etsy & a website.  I am really appreciative of all the followers, likes and sales I have made through these through these platforms.
Something seems to be missing, human interaction!  Sometimes I love to meet people and sometimes I don't but more love.  So I through the group Handmade is Hot on Facebook,  I did my first craft fair and have been to some creative networking events.

On Twitter I found a free small business start up course, Ravelry gave me the opportunity to join some knitting groups locally and learning at work week let me find other crafting colleagues in my day job.

I don't post the same things on all platforms for instance I don't share my gluten free food ideas on Facebook, I have a separate blog as well.

For me there has been a lot of trial and error but I am still learning.  Love your blog challenge is a great way to keep learning.

Udi's in the UK

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Apart from making/crafting, taking photos & Basketball I love food.  I love talking about it, cooking it & of course eating it!

About three or four years ago I started to follow a gluten free diet.  This change of diet has been beneficial to my health, giving me more energy to continue crafting.  Like the handmade industry a gluten free diet can be hard work.

Bread, pastry, pasta, real ale & gravy are only a few of the things missing from my diet.  As the years have passed I have been lucky to meet others who follow a wheat & gluten free diet.  My knowledge has grown and I have been able to introduce gluten free alternatives back into my diet.

Tesco started stocking quite a wide range of gluten free foods and at the beginning of October the yellow logo of Udi's was a part of that range.  I knew Udi was widely available in the US and got rather excited about the prospect of being able to eat bagels after 3ish years.  So excited I posted photos on my Instagram page.  I didn't think I would become one of those people who took pictures of my food but I am.  I think when you have dietary requirements it can be useful to others and share ideas of what you can eat.

I got an email asking if I wanted to try some products from Udi's and I jumped at the chance.  Then this lovely box turned with a cute label on it.

Inside the box I was delighted to find lots of goodies

Including jalapeno ancient grain crisps, cinnamon & sugar bagel chips, cinnamon & raisin bagels, aged cheddar ancient grain crisps, apple & cinnamon toaster pastries and chocolate chip & toffee flavoured muffins.  

I started with the crisps and they were nice, it's sometimes hard to get gluten free flavoured crisps.  The jalapeno ancient grain crisps do have a kick of heat to them but I didn't mind.

I then looked at the muffins as I have an allergy to chocolate, I thought about giving the packet to a gluten free colleague.  I re-read the packet and only had to give away one.  My colleague Jayne was really excited and enjoyed the muffin.  She said the muffin was a good size light and fluffy in taste.  I did enjoy the toffee muffin and we both thought the mixed packet was a great idea.






I had an urge for bread and butter pudding and thought I could use the bagels.  I then couldn't be bothered to cut them up and used the bagel chips, this saved me adding any sugar or flavouring to the pudding.  The full recipe will be detailed in a separate blog entry.  Oh my word it was a great pudding!  I have frozen the rest of the fresh bagels and they have defrosted really well.

The toaster pastries were a convenient product to keep at work, I did find the pastry a bit salty but overall they were ok.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to try some new gluten free products and share my experiences.  Now I 'd need to look through some of my photos taken of my products.

Reasons to be cheerful

Before Christmas I got an email asking if some of me stitch markers could be featured in a knitting magazine.  I did have to read the email a few times to believe the contents, then I snapped up the offer.
I was really excited but didn't tell many people, I also was asked to provide a high resolution photo to be used in the magazine.

Roll on Friday 17th January 2014 and the February issue of Let's Knit was published.  I couldn't wait until I finished my day job to buy a copy of the magazine so went to the shop in my lunch break.  I started flicking through the pages and there are some lovely patterns to add to my knitting to do list.  Not forgetting a lovely article from Rachel Coopey who designs some wonderful stuff, including socks, hats & cowls.

I then got to page 39 and there they were on a page titled "Reasons to be cheerful".

This when I kept singing in my head the Ian Dury & the Blockheads song of the same name.  This page has lots of beautiful things featured and I am very proud to be part of it.  I have also had some lovely feedback from friends and customers.

The above article is the 2nd time my stitch markers have been featured in a magazine.  Below was the first time in Let's Get Crafting.

My stitch markers are at the top of page

I am very grateful to have these opportunities to be featured in magazines and hope people will check out my website & Etsy store hopefully buy my wares.

Review of 2013

With regards to Poppybead it has been a quiet year.  Mainly down to health reasons and not being able to stand up or walk for too long.  I injured my medial collateral ligament in my knee and this has caused some tissue called the plica to flare and cause pain.

I have been doing other things that don't require my legs as much.  Firstly my website is live again and I am hosting it on a site that is easier to use, manage and adapt.  I am happy with the look of the website items can be bought through my Etsy shop.

98% of the photography is my own and I am learning all the time.  With that in mind I got involved with a photography project called Lost Stories which is part of a larger project called INSIDE OUT. Being involved with this project has been a steep learning curve when it comes to taking photos.  However I am very proud of my photos and hope my photography will lead to other things.  In the meantime you can see some of my shots on Flickr and Instagram.

I have been sewing a fair bit and this has given me a chance to create for myself and frequent a lovely new haberdashery in Birmingham.  Guthrie and Ghani is a family run business which brings something new to crafting in the West Midlands.  I have also found a wonderful yarn shop in North Birmingham called Sitting Knitting.  SK is a friendly environment for yarn lovers and they also have some great workshops lined up for 2014.  There are some other small businesses Stitch Solihull like I hope to visit in 2014.

I have also got presence on Pinterest and Tumblr, these have more personal aspects but Poppybead is part of me so I hope the creativity shine through.

My first ever bunting attempt.

After a passing comment at my day job about getting out the bunting I realised I have never made any bunting.
Then I was chatting at Saturday knits about fabric as well as quilting.  So I looked at what I already had and this was the outcome.

What do you think?

The fabric and bias binding was purchased from Guthrie & Ghani in Moseley.

Poppybead: My day out in the countryside

Poppybead: My day out in the countryside: I thought I would start this blog with a bit of history.  My friend Imogen who makes great gluten free cake introduced me to a group called...