The Green Familia » Made in the UK

Callula Glass for your Home

erica — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:30:40 +0000

Callula Glass makes a wide range of brightly coloured fused glass products. They’re all hand made in the UK. Fused glass is made by taking layers of compatible glass and joining them together by heating them, in a kiln to around 800 degrees centigrade, until the glass becomes fluid. The pieces of glass then fused together and are cooled down very slowly to reduce the risk of thermal shock. As the pieces are made by hand, they are all slightly different, so you get a unique item.

I love the bright, summery colours of the Tango Collection from Callula Glass. These coasters would look lovely in a sunny room, conservatory or outside. Rubber feet on the bottom protect the surface of your furniture too. A pack of four coasters is priced at £40.

If cool blues are more your thing, then you might fancy adding this seaside clock to your home. The clock features a quartz, sweeping mechanism (so there’s no annoying ticking sound) with silver coloured hands. This would look good on a shelf, mantelpiece or beside the bed. The clock costs £40 and measures 20cm x 10cm.

Outdoor Mirrors from Brighton Roc

erica — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:22:06 +0000

Mirrors are a great way to increase light and the perception of space inside your home and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use them to give the same effect outside. Outdoors you can use a mirror to increase light in a dark corner, to show off a garden feature or favourite plant, to catch the eye to add a little interest or to increase the feeling of space.

Brighton Roc make a wonderful range of outdoor mirrors based on gothic style windows. They are cast in fiber cement to enable them to resist the elements. The mirror frames are pre-aged to give them that mellow, cotswold stone effect. They will continue to weather naturally once placed in your garden. This Small Traceried Double Light Mirror would look wonderful in a dark corner. It’s priced at £70.

If you’ve a bigger spot in mind, this Double Traceried Light Mirror might be just the thing you’ve been looking for. It has that high gothic look and instantly will add height and interest to whatever spot you place it in. The frame is ornate with two cinq foils. It’s priced at £140.

Little Wren Gifts

erica — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:41:27 +0000

Little Wren Gifts are based in Wales and specialise in selling goods made by different artisans. Many of their products have strong eco credentials too.

I do like these cute vintage style coin purses. They are made by hand from colourful, vintage look fabrics and decorated with complementary buttons. You can use them to keep money safe or to hold other small items. They measure 10 cm in height by 12 cm in width. As each one is handmade, they will vary a little. They’re priced at £10.50.

Another favourite of mine is this geometically patterned, handmade, wooden jewellery box. They’re made by a craftsman in Merseyside . The top of the box is Louis cube design using 3 different colours of wood in the veneer and the sides are fashioned from iroko wood. A closed box measures 19 cm width by 10 cm length and 5 cm depth approximately. Inside are six compartments to store all your bits and pieces away neatly. They’re priced at just £26 each.

Jewellery from Becca Williams

erica — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:22:04 +0000

Becca Williams is a West Midlands based designer whose work is, surprisingly for someone working in landlocked Birmingham, influenced by the seaside. She produces handmade contemporary jewellery with a soft, delicate look.

This Black Heart Pendant from the Flotsam range is very simple and very pretty. It’s made from hammered sterling silver and has a dark, blackened finish with a soft, almost floral feel. It measures 2.5cm round, 6mm deep and hangs on a light 0.9cm snake chain. You can choose from a 16″, 18″ or 20″ chain and the price is £60.

Another favourite of mine are these Seaside Stacking Rings. These simple, delicate rings are made from reticulated silver wire with little silver and 9ct red gold pebble details. They’re sold in a group of four to stack on your finger. They have a soft, textured surface and the colours are beautiful muted. This stack comprises: 2 plain sterling silver rings, 1 sterling silver ring with pebble embellishments and a single 9ct red gold ring with silver pebble detail. They’re priced at £120 and are available in ring sizes K to Q.

Beamers’ Greetings Cards

erica — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:17:08 +0000

Beamers Designs is a Herefordshire based small scale publisher of contemporary Art based greetings cards. They source their designs from within the UK, so they support UK based artists. The cards are printed using vegetable inks and supplied in vegetable based biodegradable wrappers.

Lots of the images used on their cards are taken from the natural world like ‘Hare in Winter’. Others are humourous and a little quirky like ‘Dancing’.

You can select the pictures you like and buy from 6 cards at a time. The price varies depending on how many you order, so it’s £10 for 6 cards, £19 for 12 cards and 18 cards for £28. I like to keep a selection of cards in the house, so buying in larger quantities suits me.

Jewellery from Abbott and Ellwood

erica — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:00:05 +0000

I’m always on the look out for jewellery that’s a bit different, so I was pleased to come across Abbott and Ellwood’s brooches and necklaces. Their quirky pieces certainly have an individual style. All their jewellery is hand made in Cornwall.

This dog and bone brooch is one such example, it’s a brooch with a sense of humour. First it’s hand printed onto stainless steel, and then it’s fired in a kiln to create a durable and lasting finish. The brooch comes with a printed rubber stand for display, when it is not being worn so it becomes a room ornament. There are 3 colours available: duck egg blue, taupe and red. It’s priced at £42. They have loads more designs to choose from too, so you’re bound to find one that appeals to you.

If you’re looking for a necklace instead, how about this bird necklace? It’s a beautiful flowing shape and I love the muted colours. Again it’s hand printed onto stainless steel before firing. It’s available in 2 colour schemes: duck egg blue and green. The price is £48.

Dressing Up for Boys

erica — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:00:20 +0000

My son and his friends love dressing up and the costume collection is probably the most used part of our toy collection when guests come to play. It’s easy enough to get a pirate costume, but it can be hard to find something a bit different. My Funny Bunny have a wonderful range of costumes and what’s more they’re all made by hand in the UK.

This imaginative Monster Cape would lead to hours of role playing fun. This brown, furry monster, hooded cape with comes complete with horns, ears and gold shiny spikes. It fits over clothing so children can easily put it on and off themselves. There are 2 sizes available: one up to 3 years old and one for 4-8 year olds. They’re priced at £20.99.

Maybe your child’s fancy dress ambitions extend wizardry. Harry Potter fans, and others, will love this Wizard costume. It comes with a rich, purple velour cloak with a silver brocade collar and embroidery detailing. There’s also a crooked wizard hat as a finishing touch. Available in sizes from 3 to 8 years and priced at £25.99.

Children’s Knitwear from Picaloulou

erica — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:16:50 +0000

I’m a big fan of traditional hand-knits for children. All Picaloulou’s knitwear products have been designed in the UK, then hand crafted by a team of hand knitters,working from home around the UK. Their natural, breathable yarns come from UK farms and have been processed and hand dyed in a British mill, using Soil Association approved dyes. All their knits are machine washable on a gentle wool cycle, so there’s no fiddly hand-washing or expensive dry cleaning.

Cable knits have been big this winter and it looks like we’ve got some cold weather to come. This OXO Cable Cardigan (you can see the OXO in the cable pattern) looks chunky, warm and cosy. It’s made from 85% British Merino/ 15% British Alpaca fibres and the smart ribbed collar and contrasting stripey buttons add the finishing touches. Sizes run from 1-6 years and there are 2 colours: grey and sky blue. Normally prices start at £60, but there’s a sale currently so you can pick one up from just £36.

This Reversible Cable Scarf is delightful. The lime green of the scarf brings some colour to a cold day and the merino/alpaca mix will keep the chill out. With the cable pattern visible on both sides this scarf works well either way round and the moss stitch sets off the cable nicely. The medium size will fit adults too and is priced at £32.

Jewellery from Woodland Treasures

erica — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:00:48 +0000

Woodland Treasures have a wonderful range of high quality wooden jewellery and combs that are hand carved in the Highlands of Scotland from reclaimed timbers. The timber used is salvaged, reclaimed or recycled offcuts of British hardwoods. All the paper and card products used for stationery and packaging comes from recycled sources.

I love this tree motif necklace made from cherry wood and Scottish marble. It makes a stunning pendant and there are a range of trees available made from different woods and stones. Prices start from around £68 and vary according to the materials used to make the piece.

There are some gorgeous brooches available too. This tree web brooch in walnut and amber caught my eye. It’s a simple, organic design which showcases the beauty of the wood and the amber. Again the same design is available in various woods and with a range of stones. This one is priced at £55. There are a number of other jewellery products available from bracelets to earrings and it’s worth taking a look at the lovely decorative, yet practical, combs on offer.

Tree Clips from Tree Twist

erica — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:07 +0000

TreeTwist have some lovely woollen products which are all designed and made by hand in the UK. TreeTwist plant a tree or a seedling for every product bought. They work with Trees for Life, who are specifically dedicated to restoring the Caledonian Forest to a target area of 600 sq miles in the Scottish Highlands.

I adore this very cute Owl TreeClip. The Owl TreeClip measures 11cm high. It’s a hand knitted owl with flecked tummy, a little blue beak and great big eyes. It would make an eye-catching keyring or bag clip. When you buy an owl, you’ll also be funding the planting of a tree which seems good value for £25.

Other designs are available and if you have a smaller budget, you could choose the BlueOak TreeClip which is priced at £15. As well as a handsome leaf clip, a seedling will be planted on your behalf in Scotland.

Another favourite of mine is this very sweet Mouse TreeClip. Again by buying the Mouse TreeClip, you are planting a tree. This mouse measures 12cm long, not including the tail. The mouse is hand knitted with a pale blue flecked tummy, matching ears and twisted tail. He’s priced at £25.