It's a Tuesday morning in October (already?!), half term is just around the corner, Christmas is looming in the not too distant future. If you're anything like us at BellaCrafts, then you've been busy filling up your Autumn calendar and rushing round keeping on top of work, family, social life, chores etc.... But when was the last time you stopped and thought about YOU? 

It is so easy to be swept up in the hubbub of day to day life that it can be very easy to forget to think about yourself and your own well being. When was the last time you did something just for yourself? Seriously, think about it! Can't remember? Me neither! 

That is why we want to introduce you to Mandy Papas, Mindfulness Coach and Reiki Practitioner. We are very excited to be welcoming her to BellaCrafts next week where she will be hosting the first Mindful Crafting and Wellbeing Event. It is set to be a very enjoyable evening in which guests will enjoy guided meditations, resilience tips for keeping positive and nurtured over the winter months, craftwork time where you can use your creativity to make beautiful crafts followed by coffee and cake - what a perfect combination.

Please introduce yourself

Hi I’m Mandy and I am a Hypnotherapist, Mindfulness Coach and Reiki Practitioner. Those are three of the many hats I wear in life and I am also mum to two lovely daughters and two gorgeous grandsons too! I live and work in Winchester and feel blessed to be following my passion in life. I love helping others and opening up their minds to new possibilities for happier living.

Why do you feel so inspired by offering well-being to others?

I have always had a sense of wanting to help others and had always been the ‘agony aunt’ to friends and family. Before running my own business my previous roles included admin, PA and sales roles but I always felt that something was missing -  they were just jobs that paid the bills.  When I became a therapist and coach I began to really understand what fulfilment meant as I helped others to learn and develop ways to lead a happier and healthier life. I work long hours at times which includes some evenings and weekends but my sense of satisfaction in helping my clients balances out the working hours. I really understand and benefit personally from my therapies so always help my clients with authenticity and a passion for helping them.

What’s the most important area you feel about people’s well-being?

I would say it is understanding the options that are available to them rather than just taking a pill year after year. I always work closely with GP consent and would never suggest someone comes off medication without involving their medical advisor but I feel it’s important for clients to really understand the benefits and many options that are available to them through holistic healing. Many issues with well-being are down to the stress we carry in our lives and there are many natural ways to manage it more effectively.

How did you get into what you do?

Many years ago I developed a fear of motorway driving. Out of the blue I experienced an anxiety attack driving on the M3. I didn’t know why it happened as I had not experienced any previous driving incidents but following on from that first anxiety attack this became a regular occurrence and after a while I stopped driving on motorways. I would take the back roads or get others to drive me. I carried this fear for many years as it was easier to avoid it and pretend it wasn’t there! I tried anxiety pills from my doctor but they didn’t really help me.  A friend suggested hypnotherapy and I was a bit sceptical at first as I didn’t know anything about it, but I found a reputable hypnotherapist and tried three sessions. I was amazed at the change in me and I was able to get back in the car and drive on the motorway again!  I was able to completely let go of the fear and I was so impressed with the change in me. This led me to then re-train as a hypnotherapist and the rest is history!

After building my therapy business I began to realise that I was over-working. When you run your own business and it also your passion the lines become blurred and I realised that I needed to find my own way to look after myself as well as my clients! I had been hearing more about mindfulness and I trained as a mindfulness and meditation teacher four years ago. Mindfulness has helped me to take a pause, to re-charge, to recognise when my negative mind is taking over and to manage my emotions and thoughts. I feel a greater sense of balance and positivity through living a mindful lifestyle which I love. I also love the awareness of choice that mindfulness gives me.

The third area of my offering is Reiki and after being told for many years that I had ‘healing hands’! I decided to train as a Reiki Practitioner. I love the healing energy that Reiki produces for both myself and my clients.  Reiki is a wonderful addition to my services so that I can offer a complete mind and body healing and coaching service

Who can or should be attending your events?

I can help anybody who is struggling in life and those that just want to feel better about themselves or improve specific areas of their lives. I help clients to overcome stress, anxiety, low-mid level depression, to manage weight, stop smoking, boost confidence and over-come fears and phobias. I run hypnobirthing sessions for mums and dads to-be and also run sessions to aid fertility If your mind is holding you back from being the best version of your then I can show you how to change it!

Why have you and BellaCrafts collaborated?

Back in the Springtime I took my grandsons to BellaCrafts and was really impressed with the friendly and helpful staff and the crafting options available. I realised that crafting was a very relaxing and nourishing activity to carry out. I saw literature that explained the range of activities available to adults and children and it set my creative mind thinking about a collaboration! Belinda and her team share the importance of wellbeing and could see the link between what we both have to offer.

Do you think crafts aid well-being?

Definitely! I recognised that crafting is a mindful activity and promotes the same feelings of wellbeing that my clients gain from the mindful activities I teach them. Crafting enables you to be mindfully ‘present’ – a strong benefit of mindfulness and to enjoy a sense of achievement from the craft project you complete.

What are your future plans?

I want to continue helping clients to find the ‘happier’ version of themselves. I am planning to run a diversity of wellbeing projects and events bringing a combination of learning, fun and nurturing together! We ourselves really enjoyed Mandy's story at a recent networking event and felt inspired by how she had her turned her own situation up side down. We would love to welcome you to the event which will take place on Wednesday 10th October 7-9pm. Don't panic if you can't make the first one, we have more events being held in November and January. Booking is essential and you can do this by calling 023 8051 7054 or find tickets to all the events here: https://bellacrafts.co.uk/ If you'd like some more information about Mandy or what the event will involve, please feel free to drop her an email at positivelyyou@btinternet.com We are counting down the days until the event and looking forward to welcoming the guests. We would love you to be involved so please don't be shy! The team at BellaCrafts

Autumnal Leaf Bunting

Autumn Leaf Bunting

The leaves are beginning to turn, the air is beginning to cool, Autumn is nearly here… hooray!

Autumn is one of our favourite months, just so much crafting inspiration to admire!

We have a simple bunting make to decorate your home this Season.

 

You will simply need, coloured card, yarn, a leaf and Ink Pads.

                                                                                                

                                                 

Begin by finding desirable leaf templates online and print off your desired shapes. Ensure you print onto card, this will make sketching the shapes onto coloured card easier. Trace the outline of the shaoe with pencil onto the card.
 

Next using sharp scissors trim around the leaf outlines, keeping as much outline detail as possible.

We have chosen to do our leaves on a mixture of green and yellow card to create an alternating patten of autumnal leaf colours.

We have used two techniques to decorate our leaves. For the first technique take your desired coloured ink pads and dip your finger into the ink. Rub your finger and the ink around the outline of the leaf. This gives a warm tonal effect and really adds depth and interest to your bunting.
 

 

Top tip the harder you press the ink onto the leaf the more prominent the ink colour will be. We just love how the gold ink looks on the dark green card!

The second decorative aspect we have added to our bunting is stamping actual leaf print onto the surface of our leaves. We chose to do this to the yellow leaves, in order for the pattern and veins of the leaf to truly show. We have pushed the leaf into the ink pad to achieve this look.

Top tip! Don’t feel like you need to find a real leaf to match your paper leaf’s shape, you can just imprint sections. We have even printed then printed over the top to create interesting textures.

The Izink Inks dry quickly and vibrantly, so you wont have to wait long until you can construct your bunting. Simply lay out your desired length of yarn, we have chosen an Autumnal colour and place your leaves onto the bunting yarn how you wish them to sit. Attach on the back of the leaves using cellotape.

Your bunting is complete! Now to find a space in your crafty home to hang and share your creations with us via email or facebook!

Stay tuned for our October blog, featuring an exciting Halloween Craft!

BellaCrafts Craft Festival - 21st - 23rd September

Taken from the poem Autumn's Majesty by Patrcia L Cisco

Sun with his artistic touch,
streaks skies of blue with rosy blush,
trimming Oak and Maple too,
crimson reds with yellow hue.

   Hermoine here, part time BellaCrafter and lover of all things Autumn.  One of our favourite seasons here at The Barn as it brings with it so much inspiration to craft.  As the nights draw in, much comfort can be found on the sofa clicking the knitting needles to make winter warmers and thoughts of Christmas start to seep in.  To be honest, a lot of us crafters have Christmas on the brain 365 days a year, or is that just me, hehe.

   The summer festival period may have come to an end but here at BellaCrafts we are keeping that festival feeling flowing and will be hosting our Bi-Annual Craft Festival at the end of September, just for you, you lucky lot!!!

We have a whole weekend of treats in store for you, it's true!!! Starting on Friday morning with FREE Izink Die Demo's, using stamps, stencils and sprays followed by a Canvas Workshop in the afternoon.

This beautiful Workshop will include stamping, heat embossing and Izink Dies and refreshments, the perfect crafting session to make a beautiful keepsake for yourself or, if planning ahead, a Christmas gift - yes, I mentioned Christmas again, ho ho ho!

Oh, and on Saturday, more festive themed fun with a Christmas Card Workshop in the morning in which you will make four cards using just six products and lots of sparkle! In the afternoon we will be running a Mixed Media - Christmas Scene Workshop where you will be using chipboard pieces to create a winter wonderland!

  And, the icing on the Christmas cake, on Sunday we have a very special guest and BellaCraft friend, Michelle Johnson from Create and Craft TV joining us to provide a Hot Foil Workshop where you will learn how to hot foil everything (maybe not the Christmas cake).  

  You will have the opportunity to create your very own cracker and foil on a variety of items.  And after working up an appetite from all of your fantastic festive foiling we will be providing a buffet of nibbles and treats for you...is it too early for a mince pie?

Booking is advised and essential for the workshops that involve a fee.  For further details and to book your place today please follow the link below

https://www.bellacrafts.co.uk/festival/

  Well, it certainly is feeling a little like Christmas with all these lovely treats but wait there is more!!  We also have some very exciting product launches and special offers throughout The Barn, perfect to kick start or enhance those festive projects, so come along and grab those crafting goodies to add to your stash!

  We are of course here for your crafting needs 7 days a week and you can contact us at anytime via phone, email or Facebook if would like to chat some more about what we do and what we can offer you.  We love to meet fellow crafters and hope that we can advise and inspire you.  For those hours when we are closed (although our brains are always planning the next make / event) you can follow us on Pinterest for further inspiration - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bellacraftsltd (oh, and we may have a Pinterest board totally devoted to Christmas).

Right, I'm off to start my Christmas shopping...just kidding. I do quite fancy a mince pie however..

Until next time my BellaCrafts friends

Hermoine

Winchester Cathedral Flower Festival Blog - Aug 18

Taken from the poem 'Chelsea Flower Show' by Ernestine Northover

  Come and see the flowers in bloom,

Heavenly scents to fill a room,
Elaborate blossoms, in every hue,
Looking up, the sun to view,
Summer's here, and what a show,
Endless varieties for you to grow....

Hermoine here, part-time BellaCrafter, full time flower lover, not so good at keeping them alive however, haha!  

One of my favourite things about our British summers are the array of beautiful blooms that can be found all around, from walking in the park to the stunning hedgerows and fields, filled with an abundance of flourishing flowers.

At BellaCrafts, we love the versatility of flowers, they can be used for almost any occasion and we get very excited when our friend Clare from 'Bloomin' Clares'  treats us with her wonderful displays in our Bridal Open Days, she even popped in recently to run a floral crown workshop, just stunning (this would be worn by myself just popping to the shops, it's that pretty.

I remember a florist friend once saying that she is always saddened a little once flowers are cut from the ground as they cease to grow, of course they are turned in to much loved bouquets and arrangements but we chatted at length about the preservation of flowers, whether it be pressing or drying them for keepsakes, using the petals to add to perfume and soaps or making pot pourri. One of my personal favourites is pressing little forget- me -knots in books, I love the idea of them falling out of the pages unexpectedly when someone else is reading a much loved book.

Now, books do make for a different type of flower and one of best loved mediums here at BellaCrafts, the paper flower!! We love running these workshops and they are gaining popularity so keep your eyes peeled on our website and Facebook page for upcoming dates. If you can't wait, and for further inspiration, follow our Pinterest page, we have a whole board devoted to this wonderful craft!!  Fabulous Flowers

So, with our slight obsession with crafts and flowers, you can imagine our absolute delight when we were asked by our friends at Winchester Cathedral to be involved with their upcoming Festival of Flowers, promoted from their own website: Illumination - A Festival of Flowers

'Winchester Cathedral Flower Festival returns from 5-9 September 2018 with a stunning array of flower arrangements inspired by the magnificent Winchester Bible, the largest and finest surviving 12th-century English bible. Immerse yourself in a riot of colour as the Cathedral is transformed by striking and fragrant floral displays evoking the Bible's exquisite illuminated initials and elaborate decorative schemes'

In collaboration with Winchester Cathedral, we have designed a flower kit for an amazing competition they are holding alongside the festival.  Kits cost £2 and can be purchased at The Barn or via our online shop or at the Cathedral entrance. Including 50p donation towards Winchester Cathedral. 

The kit includes your background paper to create your flower plus a selection of crafty embellishments to decorate!  Just add: glue, scissors and feel free to add bits from your craft boxes at home.   

For further inspiration, we also wanted to share with you some steps below to create your very own unique blooms!  Warning, this has the potential to become very addictive!!

• To make a 5 petal flower:

1. Cut five large petal shapes, this could be from matching card or two or three different patterns

2. Roll each petal over a pen or pencil from the base to the edge to give a 3D shape

3. Cut a small circle of card to create the centre and glue each petal into place to form the flower shape

4. Use embellishments to decorate the centre or see the ideas below

Top Tip: Try adding an extra layer by repeating steps 1-3 with smaller petals & gluing onto the larger petals!

• To make a layered flower:

1. Begin with two square pieces of card or paper

2. Fold in half and half again, this will leave you with two folded edges

3. Hold your square at the corner which is folded and cut two half petal shapes along the folded edges 4. Do not cut the corner which you are holding, this will be the centre of your flower

5. Unfold the shape which will leave you with a flower with four petals

6. Repeat with the second square of paper and stick together at an angle to give you a flower with eight petals

Top Tip: For a more layered effect, cut a smaller half petal shape inside the petal shape that have already been cut, making sure to leave a large enough area at the base where you are holding to keep the two joined

Please do also take a look and follow us on Pinterest, we have an entire board devoted to the world of paper flowers, and a blooming lovely world it is too!!  Fabulous Flowers

Also remember, we are here 7 days a week for your crafty needs, advice and supplies so pop in, call us, email or send us a message on facebook, we'd love to see you!

And if you get the chance, pop along to the Flower Festival at Winchester Cathedral between 5th and 9th September, it will take your breath away.

Right, I'm off to purchase my own flower kit to be in with a chance of winning a Flower Festival Cream Tea! Who's with me?

Until next time my BellaCrafts friends,

Hermoine

Bloomin Clares

Summertime Blog July 18

The sun has got his hat on hip hip hip hooooooray!!! (and we may also want the above camper van)

Hermoine here, part time BellaCrafter and full time Mummy, just starting the school summer holidays…!  For us parents, the summer holidays can be viewed with some trepidation, what are we to fill our days with?! No need to panic, we are on standby to lend a helping hand!  On those long summer evenings, with the small humans in bed, why not check out our Pinterest board, full of crafty inspiration to keep minds and bodies occupied!

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bellacraftsltd/summer-holidays-what-shall-we-do-today/

Summer seems to just lift everyone’s spirit, it is the time for infinite fun and holidays to sunny destinations! Even better, if our current heatwave continues, we may not even have to travel very far!

One of our favourite things here at BellaCrafts (aside from seeing you lovely lot in The Barn) is the number of events and festivals we are invited to attend over the summer months. We will certainly be clocking up the miles!!  Here are just a few of the events we will be attending…..brace yourself:

    

We are very excited to be involved with so many events this summer, we may even see you out and about so please come and say hello! Don’t worry if not, we won’t be packing up the Bella Bus  and leaving The Barn unattended for the summer weeks, we will be open every day, as usual and have lots planned for you! (ok, we don’t have a Bella Bus, but we would so love a purple double decker crafting mobile, just saying).

So, first up, for you parents and looking afters of small humans, we have our School Holiday Club which runs every week day, 10-4pm!  A full or half day of crafty fun, booking essential which can be made online at https://www.bellacrafts.co.uk/book-here/school-holidays/ or by contacting us via the details below.

We also have themed craft parties which will be held every Thursday and Friday during the holidays which will be roarsome with a ‘Prehistoric Explorer’, ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ and ‘Hawaii Beach’ craft party, again booking essential, fun and giggles included!

We are of course open every day for our drop-in craft activities, including ceramic painting, decopatch, glass painting and so much more.

Bella Doodles will also run as usual so please do pop by for your craft and cuppa with your little ones! These sessions are especially designed for 1 - 4 years so we really do have something for all!

And hey, us adults also need some downtime in the summer holidays don’t we (as much as we love spending time with the small humans over the 6 weeks!?!). So do check out the workshops we have coming up over the next few months.  We are particularly excited about our BellaCrafts special guest Michelle Johnson popping in this coming Sunday 22^nd July to provide some        demonstrations on how to use Stix-2 products and a workshop on how to create an amazing floral bouquet wall hanging with over 20 techniques and skills to transfer onto your chosen craft projects, just stunning! And we still have spaces - just call us on 023 8051 7054

We are of course also on hand with crafting supplies and inspiration to fill those summer holidays so pop in at anytime for advice, or a chat, or some respite, hehe! For further inspiration (and to drown out the eleventy billioneth replay of The Greatest Showman soundtrack – which we actually love) do check out our Pinterest page and share you makes with us on Facebook, we would love to see them! https://www.pinterest.co.uk/bellacraftsltd/summer-holidays-what-shall-we-do-today/

Right, we better get cracking with our busy bellacrafts packing, as much as we love sharing with you, we have one or two events to attend!

Wishing you all a very happy summer holiday and hope to see you soon!!    

Hermoine