One Little Wild Kitten

Shaun says choose wool!

2011-09-09T11:30:00.000+01:00

Yes that's right - it's Wool Week and even Shaun is getting involved!

I guess it's not all that surprising he's a big fan of wool, well, he is a sheep after all :)

Do check out Shaun's page on the Campaign for Wool site - it's full of fun things to do like games and crafty how-tos (choose from pom-pom sheep, a flock of nodding Shauns or even knit yourself sheepy a Nintendo DS cover!).

Best of all, there's a gallery where you can submit your own drawing or painting of Shaun and the gang!

Peek-a-boo!

2011-08-02T21:12:00.006+01:00

..it's Pook-A-Looz! I do think most kids (and big kids, for that matter) have a favourite Disney film or character - I always adored the Aristocats myself. I was browsing around my local supermarket today searching for a birthday card, and found these little guys dancing around on one!

Image via here
I guess they are like a fun, stylised version of each character. I love how soft, cute and friendly these toys look :)

Image via here
Image via here
I think my favourite is probably this one though:

Image via here

Oh and look - there are Muppet ones too!

Image via here

Magpie Market

2011-07-16T13:52:00.005+01:00

Tomorrow is market day for me, and this will be the first one I've done this year, so I'm raring to go with lots of lovely handmade things! If you love vintage, art and crafty pieces, be sure to pop along to Magpie Market and say hello - we're at the Hub, just down from Edinburgh Castle from 11am til 5pm.

As well as my usual WildCat Designs woolly wares, I'll also be setting up shop with some WildKittens goodies, such as these cute little pink shoes for little pink feet:

Did I mention it's free entry? Complete with a crafty corner run by Granny Green's Big Night Out, a pop-up cafe (cakes aplenty!) and goodie bags for early birds!

Best of all, it's indoors, so if it rains, no problemo!!

Yarnimation

2011-06-30T17:57:00.006+01:00

This lovely little animation by Charlotte Blacker is called The Little Red Plane, is aimed at children and features hand knitted characters and scenery!

Find out more here (image via the University of Central Lancs).

Happy Birthday Miffy!

2011-06-21T10:57:00.005+01:00

Image via Centraal Museum

Miffy is 56 today! Happy birthday to Miffy - I guess rabbits just age well... :)

For Miffy-related fun, check out the Miffy UK twitter, as they are giving away lots of lovely prizes today in celebration!

There is also an exhibition at the Dick Bruna Huis museum in Utrecht in the Netherlands celebrating its 5th anniversary in this, the year of the Rabbit. The exibition is called Miffy in Fashion - several fashion designers have been invited to make a party dress for a ceramic Miffy which is 40cm high! The exhibition runs until January 2012.

Corgi Cuteness!

2011-06-18T12:45:00.000+01:00

If you enjoyed the recent Royal Wedding, and have crafty inclinations, this may well appeal to you: a knitted version of the Queen's companions, little Corgi dogs!

Image via The Guardian

You can read the full pattern for free here on the Guradian website, and knit your own little Pembroke Welsh Corgi keepsake. It's an extract from Fiona Goble's "Knit Your Own Royal Wedding", which I thought was a really fun take on the wedding :)

DIY Mobile revisited!

2011-05-24T22:23:00.002+01:00

I'm so thrilled...I finally got this to work the way I wanted it to! Sans "whirring" noises! Enjoy :)

For more info, please see my earlier blog post.

Reading Rocks: Little Ray of Sunshine

2011-05-09T15:00:00.001+01:00

As today would have been the 76th birthday of Roger Hargreaves (RIP), I thought it would be a good day to mention the wonderful Mr. Men and Little Miss books, of which he was the writer and illustrator. Even the Google "Doodle" today features Little Miss Sunshine, among others!

You get a different character each time the Google homepage reloads. These are some of my favourites...

Images via Google

I loved the Mr. Men and Little Miss stories myself as a child, with their friendly, engaging characters, colourful illustrations and funny little stories. This year is also the 40th anniversary! You can see the full spectrum of misters and misses here on the Mr. Men website.

Image via Wikipedia
One of my favourite charity shop finds (as an adult!) is this cheerful ceramic piggy bank:

Mr. Men & Little Miss wiki lives here.

Sock Pals!

2011-04-17T15:35:00.001+01:00

Here's a couple of fun Easter break projects, suitable for small kids and big kids alike! :D

You can use an old sock (maybe its partner has been eaten by the sock monster?) to make a sock friend:

...or even a sock pet! Choose from snake, sock dog, crocodile and even a doggy draught excluder:

The possiblities are endless, if you have as many socks lying around that are no longer in a pair or have holes in them as I do. Check out the Pet Pooch Gallery too!

Reading Rocks

2011-03-28T16:00:00.000+01:00

These Reading Rocks posts seem to have fallen by the wayside a little. Oh dear! I do, however, have plenty of favourite childhood reads to share and recommend coming up over the next while. I've decided I am going to do them on a monthly basis from now on.

Image via Wikipedia
Something which prompted me to start this up again: I saw an interesting article on Dick Bruna, the creator (writer and illustrator) of Miffy in the FT Weekend Magazine - read it here.

I've loved Miffy for a long time, I think probably because she is so cute! She's also very curious and inquisitive, which makes her very appealing for anyone with a child-like sense of wonder. Her Dutch (for Mr. Bruna is from Holland) name is "Nijntje" which comes from the word "konijntje" and means little rabbit.

Miffy at Keukenhof via Miffy UK
Every image of Miffy is lovingly hand illustrated by the man himself, using very particular colours and a clean, neat style. It's no surprise that this bunny has become an enduring icon, celebrating her 50th anniversary a few years ago - I was lucky enough to see the dedicated exhibition when it came to the National Library of Scotland in 2007.

Miffy is 50 via NLS
The official Miffy website is great too and definitely worth a visit, as it's highly interactive and extremely child-friendly:

You can learn all about her, play games, print off colouring-in pages and even watch short video clips.

Spring is here!

2011-03-23T11:10:00.001Z

Flower & Bird Hairslides by Penny Masquerade
This week, it has really started to feel like springtime, hurray! The daffodils have properly opened up in my garden and everything. I do love the succession of colour in the garden around this time of year, starting with the snowdrops, then crocus, now the daffodils and soon my beloved tulips will be in bloom. ♥ So, in celebration of this lovely development, I am sharing some cheerful spring-inspired things I found on etsy.

Bunting Birds by HWR Designs

Felt Flower Pattern by Little Crickets

Baby Hare Soft Sculpture by Dragon House of Yuen

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:11:00.006Z

What a lovely sentiment! Very appropriate for today, I thought :)

You can find more knitted awesomeness (including the pattern for these utterly adorable lovebirds) over at Mochimochi Land.

Dinosaur Mania!

2011-01-29T15:54:00.006Z

If you like Dinosaurs, well, you're in for a treat.

The Age of Reptiles Omnibus is here! It's just been published and it's a full-colour book packed with lavish, imaginative illustrations of the land of dinosaurs, including plenty of the 'bitey' carniverous ones.

Image via Comic Book Resources

I bought it for my dinosaur-loving other half's birthday. Suffice to say, he loves it! Mind you, what kid didn't grow up loving the idea of a wild dinotopian world before we humans came along? Even now, I believe dinosaurs have a fairly universal appeal.

Image via Comic Book Resources

The stories were created by Ricardo Delgado (a development & storyboard artist known for his work on X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Men in Black and The Incredibles to name but a few!), and orginally published by Dark Horse as a mini series in individual comic format. The books have even received Eisner awards for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition and Best Limited Series.

Image via Dark Horse

Find out more about The Age of Reptiles here and also here.

Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice

2011-01-15T15:00:00.001Z

I just wanted to share the lovely treasury list I've had my WildKittens baby shoes included in. It's curated by Ziggy and Friends on etsy, a fellow member of Team McEtsy!

You can see the treasury here - and the handmade baby shoes are in my WildKittens etsy shop.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-18T10:35:00.000Z

This is probably the cutest version of "Sleigh Bells" I have ever seen or heard (found via those lovely Made in the Shade gals), so I thought I'd share it here. Enjoy!

A very merry Christmas to one and all! :)

Happy St. Andrew's Day!

2010-11-30T12:00:00.001Z

Happy St. Andrew's Day to all of my fellow Scots out there! In celebration, here are some picks with a distinctly Scottish flavour.

Saltire pendant by Pendant Pixie

Pressed Borage Flower Badge by Nikki Made

Print by Hole in my Pocket

Irn Bru necklace by Bunny's Beads

Magpie Market

2010-11-12T17:31:00.005Z

I'm currently making things like a crazy person, either for my shops, bricks & mortar stockists - but this week, mainly for Magpie!

(please click image for larger version of flyer)

It's on this Sunday (14th November) and I will be showcasing my latest WildKittens and WildCat Designs creations, along with some knitting books and yarns too.

Do come along, it's the perfect opportunity to see some lovely vintage and handmade pieces with sellers such as Vertiline in Love, Caroline Cloughley and Louise Smurthwaite. The market is free entry and early birds can nab themselves a goodie bag :)

*whispers* Perhaps even a chance to start the dreaded Christmas shopping!

Reading Rocks

2010-10-31T21:40:00.000Z

I realise it's been a while since I did a Reading Rocks feature, and thought it was about time I did another! Since Halloween is currently on everyone's mind - particularly mine, I love this time of year (any excuse for fancy dress!) - I thought I'd stay sorta spooky for this one.

My favourite witch-in-training, Mildred Hubble, was the subject of a whimsical and enjoyable series of books by Jill Murphy about a girl, aka 'The Worst Witch,' who was more than a little accident-prone and had a habit of getting into trouble or finding her spells not going *quite* as planned!

One of my favourite things about her was the fact that when it came to having a familliar, she was last in line an at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and somehow ended up with a tabby cat instead of the usual black cat.

I highly recommend these books as they are a thoroughly entertaining read, never a dull moment as things so often go (hilariously) awry for poor old Mildred!

There was even an enjoyable TV show based on these books, which screened around 1998~2001!

Find out more about the Worst Witch here.

Other Halloween-flavoured treats (no tricks, I promise!):
http://www.bookortreat.com/2010/10/27/halloween-gift-tags-for-books/
http://www.domestifluff.com/2010/10/free-printable-mini-owl-treat-boxes/
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/10/sock_zombies.html

Spooky Saturday!

2010-10-16T15:15:00.000+01:00

With Halloween only a few short weeks away, here are some fun picks to get that party started!

Cute little Halloween Spiders by Diomo Glass.

I love these fun cupcake wraps by Bespoke Cards - they'd be great for adding a creepy touch to edible treats.

Send someone a spooky message with this card from Little Bird Too.

Now I just need to figure out my Halloween costume...!

The Big Draw

2010-09-22T12:04:00.006+01:00

I recently found out about the Campaign for Drawing, which I think is a fantastic idea, and not just for kids. For one thing, I think it's a real shame that many people worry that they are just not 'artistic' enough to draw. I think folks should just have a go, and have fun...it can be quite liberating. It's also great to experiment around with different drawing materials - pens, pencils, felt-tips, markers, ink...and then there are all the different choices of drawing 'surface' - not just paper, you know. The list is endless!

The Big Draw is a celebration of drawing - for those who can, and those who think they can't - that takes place in October every year. There are lots of events taking place all over the UK next month, which you can find out about on the site.

The Owl & Lion Gallery/Boutique in Edinburgh is running some free workshops for children as part of the Big Draw - details here - including mask making, owls and other animals. All they ask is a small donation (which goes to their chosen charity, the World Wildlife Fund for Animals). Places are limited though, so if you're interested, I'd suggest booking very soon!

...and, just for kicks: here's an interactive, online version of that game we all play(ed) at school - Draw & fold over.

DIY Duvet!

2010-09-17T18:35:00.000+01:00

Having been under the weather in recent weeks, I've had rather a lot of duvet days lately. So I thought I'd tell you about this fantastic idea for kids - or big kids for that matter!

What better way to stave off boredom than by doodling...on your duvet. Yes, really! It's called the Doodle Duvet:

This is a stroke of genius by Stitch Designworks - the 100% cotton duvet comes complete with a set of colourful pens using ink which washes out at 40°C. I also like the fact that it's printed to look like a sheet of file paper :)

Reading Roald Rocks!

2010-09-13T17:04:00.008+01:00

This is a special Roald Dahl Day edition of Reading Rocks! :)

As it's the advent of the well-known children's author Roald Dahl's birthday today, what better day to celebrate some of his wonderful works. So, without further ado, here are a small selection of my favourites, featuring the lively illustrations of Quentin Blake.

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

Matilda

Revolting Rhymes

James & the Giant Peach

The Witches

The BFG (The Big Friendly Giant)

George's Marvellous Medicine

If you want to mark the occassion yourself, why not try something from the downloadable Roald Dahl Day Party Pack? It's sure to be entertaining!

There's also a rather wonderful and interactive official website (complete with a quiz, e-postcards you can send and a flying peach game for under 13s) here.

Back to School Cool

2010-09-08T11:45:00.000+01:00

I am off to college myself this week...so, with that in mind, here are some rather lovely 'back to school' finds on folksy I thought I'd share.

'The Alphabets' print by Indira Albert

Stitched blackboard bookmark by Millicent

Birds fabric covered notebook by Rama and Jude

Cute printed 100% organic cotton pencil case by Love from Beth - will also be available soon in kit form for any budding sewers!

Keep those crayons tidy with this pretty polka-dot crayon roll by Stitch Me Lane

Send them off to a new school with a card illustrated by Rebecca Lancaster Designs

Reading Rocks

2010-08-09T22:28:00.004+01:00

I just thought, "it's high time I did another Reading Rocks post" - so here it is! I hope you enjoy :)

You can't beat a traditional children's story and 'The Velveteen Rabbit' (or 'How Toys Become Real') is no exception. Naturally it helps that it is about a cute little toy rabbit that wants to be a real rabbit!

Written by Margery Williams, it was first published in 1922 and remains a children's classic, not least because of the endearing depictions of the bunny in question by illustrator William Nicholson.

Image: Forge & Brew

I've discovered a lovely true-to-the-original version of the book here which you (or your kids!) can read online, complete with beautiful illustrations. There is also a PDF version of the book available from the www.archive.org website.

Find out more about The Velveteen Rabbit on Wikipedia

Spice up your Saturday!

2010-07-23T20:04:00.010+01:00

I'm busy getting ready, but I thought I'd take a moment to invite y'all down to the Summertime Hop tomorrow! Like any Made in the Shade event, it's sure to be a blast.

Featuring: WildKittens + WildCat Designs, tea, cake, craft, design, vintage goodness, a fun photobooth, goodie bags for early birds, Flora the Tombola, music from The Meat Men and much, much, more!

Petite Purls

2010-07-14T22:50:00.000+01:00

All images: Petite Purls
I recently discovered this treasure trove of knitting, crochet and sewing projects, nicely packaged as an online magazine at www.petitepurls.com.

It's great to see such a nice collection of patterns (the majority of them by indie designers) aimed at children, including toys, clothes and accessories. In addition to this, they have a sprinkling of articles which would make great tea break reading. The best part of all? It's free to use, you simply print off a copy of the pattern you wish to make.

Petite Purls is published seasonally in March, June, August and November.

Reading Rocks

2010-06-29T13:46:00.000+01:00

I'm hoping you've enjoyed my little Reading Rocks series so far. I will be continuing these posts and am aiming to get back into a regular posting schedule. Here is the next installment!

As a child I had a particular fascination with the adventures of a little bear from deepest, darkest Peru, who wears a duffel coat, is named after a London train station and has a well-known penchant for marmalade sandwiches.

You may have already guessed by now that I am of course referring to Paddington Bear!

I loved reading about his (mis)adventures and all the daft scrapes the silly old loveable bear got himself into, it certainly made for an entertaining read. Watch this episode of the popular kids TV series about the origins of the bear's name :) There's even a Paddington Bear wiki!

All images via Google images

You also can find the official Paddington Bear website at www.paddingtonbear.com. It's got some fun things for kids to do such as Paddington's Party Game, colouring in pages and an interactive map where you can add the location of your very own Paddington Bear.

There is currently an exhibition entitled "The Life & Times of Paddington Bear" on at the Museum of Reading until Sunday the 4th of July. It's a celebration of the famous bear and his creator, Michael Bond. Details here and here.

Daydream Hunting

2010-06-21T13:09:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd take the time today to share some recent finds that I thought were rather enchanting.

Image: Papier Mache Magazine

Papier Mache Magazine - this is an utterly adorable online mag, dreamed up in Sydney, Australia. It has a light and airy aesthetic, and features toys, kids clothing, whimsical art and other wonderful things.

Image: Pieni

Pieni - a pretty little bilingual online shop, full of carefully selected things lovingly handmade in France. Also check out the blog.

Image: The Little Red Door

The Little Red Door - one of my favourite etsy shops! Cute little houses of clay and beautiful coloured glazes, handmade in Canada.

DIY Mobile

2010-06-09T18:40:00.004+01:00

My other half recently found out he was to become an uncle, so naturally we wanted to give something cool to the proud new parents. The idea of a (home made) baby mobile came up, which we both thought was a great idea, especially as we didn't know if the baby was going to be a boy or girl just yet.

When I couldn't find a tutorial for the kind of mobile I had in mind (i.e. one with a motor, so it spins), we resorted to outside-the-box thinking. May it be noted that my other half is rather good at this kind of thing! Hence the idea to buy a pre-existing design and modify it.

This proved to be the easiest way to proceed, so we got a simple, inexpensive one which I could add my own toy shapes to in place of the ones the mobile came with. One of the benefits of this approach was that it provided a stable framework from which to start, and the clip/arm for attaching to the baby's cot. The last thing I wanted was for it to end up looking like a botched DIY attempt made with coathangers!

Well, it has now been gifted so I can share it with you :) Here is a little clip of it in action:

P.S. Do excuse the whirring...apparently my camera always does this!

An Island Life

2010-04-25T21:06:00.007+01:00

As a child, I spent several years living abroad in Europe. This meant that good children's books printed in English were quite hard to come by. My parents always made a point of making sure we had access to books by Scottish authors and other things which would remind us of home, such as taking us to traditional Celtic music events and seeking out specialist shops for familiar treats.

I think it was their way of infusing our nationality in us, making sure we didn't lose our culture and identity when we were immersed in foreign surroundings. I am grateful that they took the time to do this, as it is something I now cherish in those childhood memories.

One of my favourites as I was growing up was the series of books about little Katie Morag by Mairi Hedderwick, who lived on the (fictional) island of Struay, which I have since learned was actually based on the Scottish island Coll, near Tiree and Mull.

I particularly loved the lively illustrations of the island and will always remember the red-haired Katie Morag wearing her ubiquitous Fair Isle jumper with a yoke and her cheerful little kilt.

I think one of the things I liked the most about these stories was the depictions of life on a raggedy wee island with a wonderfully unspoilt landscape. Naturally I always enjoyed hearing about the scrapes Katie got herself into too!

Reading Rocks

2010-04-07T18:12:00.009+01:00

I had an idea for a blog series and it came to me last night, like all of my best ideas do, just as I was drifting off to sleep. Which of course meant that I then couldn't get to sleep as my head was buzzing with hundreds of thoughts about it!

I'm glad I remembered it in the morning instead of the idea getting lost in the ether, as can happen when you don't write it down before the dreams take over.

Every fortnight (or so) I have decided I will write about one of my favourite childhood reads. The first of these is the Mog books by Judith Kerr.

As you've probably guessed by the title of my blog (not to mention the name of my business!), I have a slight obsession with all things furry, particularly those which go purr and meow! I adored these books for their beautiful illustrations (by the author herself) and the antics of the slightly cheeky cat Mog and her various adventures.

Find out more about the Mog series on Wikipedia.

Easter Bunnies!

2010-04-02T18:11:00.005+01:00

It's been a bit quiet around here recently, so apologies for that...but a few inquisitive little rabbit creatures have just hopped past. It must be Easter time!

Amigurumi Bunny Rabbit by Moon's Creations

Red Hares Gocco Print by Dee Beale

Eco-friendly wooden bunny family by Imagination Kids

Love Mum

2010-03-14T22:03:00.004Z

Here's something a little different for Mother's Day...

I'm a big fan of Emily the Strange, (the skateboarding comic book girl with several black kitties) and recently discovered the Emiwee range. Not just a cute name, they have t-shirts for little kids and toddlers as well as sleepsuits for babies with Emily prints on them.

Little Bruiser

2010-03-01T20:53:00.004Z

I was more than a little thrilled to discover that one of my WildKittens scarves, the spearmint and chocolate skinny stripe, was recently featured on {KID} Independent, a blog for "your daily dose of indie style for kids."

The story was entitled 'Little Bruiser' - what a great idea for a style challenge! :) That little blue monster guy up in the corner is a sock puppet, (available in pattern form, by the way) from Danger Crafts on etsy - so cute.

Dreamy Mobiles

2010-02-22T17:30:00.001Z

Wooden mobile by Sleepyheads

I've been thinking about making a mobile for a little while now, and have been keeping an eye out for any particularly cute, colourful and fun ones for inspirational purposes. Here are some of the beauties I found!

Dinosaur Felt Mobile by PinkPerch

Abstract Felt Mobile by Lupin Handmade

Crazy Monkeys Mobile by Susurrum

If you want to have a go at making one yourself, might I suggest this DIY tutorial for a felt butterfly mobile by the lovely Laura of Lupin Handmade.

Butterfly Felt Mobile by Lupin Handmade

Sweet Treats

2010-02-03T22:00:00.000Z

Tomorrow, I'll be at Dolly Mixtures, a Thursday late night shopping extravaganza. It's sure to be a good one, featuring stalls of handcrafted goodness, clothes swishing, lovely handmade silver jewellery by Alibali Jewellery, gorgeous tasty cakes by Demeter Baking, teapot cocktails, not to mention an Abba live tribute act!

I will be there too, showcasing woolly delights of the WildKittens & WildCat Designs variety :)

Come to join in the fun at Electric Circus, Market Street, Edinburgh on Thursday 4th February, 5pm til late.

A Pirate's Life For Me

2010-01-28T17:09:00.008Z

Arrrrrr...

I seriously believe I might have been a pirate in another life, as this may explain my love of dressing in stripy things, skull & crossbones motifs, (rum) and the like.

Allow me to introduce: the Barbarossa!

Image via Toy-Choice

How wonderful - a wooden pirate ship, perfect for playing pirates. It caught my eye as I walked past the window a great little boutique in Stockbridge called Bliss. I love that it even has a proper cannon!

Bliss is on Raeburn Place, and quite easy to find as it's located on a corner. One window has 'grown up' things and the other has things for children (usually my preferred window, it's often a lot more fun!). I believe they might just have had a few 'Dennis the Menace' style red-and-black striped t-shirts for babies/toddlers in the display, for full piratey authenticity, if memory serves me correctly.

Welcome to Wonderland

2010-01-25T16:30:00.010Z

...and by that, I mean a world filled with wonder. Though I suppose Lewis Carroll's Wonderland kind of fits that description too!

Image via www.victorianweb.org

This is a new venture by me, Cat (of WildCat Designs), and a place where I will tell you what I've been dreaming up for my WildKittens label. It's all about cute, unique, handmade loveliness for your little ones. Your own little wild kittens, if you will.

I plan to share some of the wonderful things out there for kids that have caught my eye too (a love of handmade, colourful things and reading interesting blogs will surely help). I hope you will also enjoy a light sprinkling of ramblings about my creative inspirations.