Designed in Shetland

[Fifi]

Designed in Shetland's 1st newsletter has just gone out. <or escaped, whichever way you want to look at it. > You can see it online - click here.

The first newsletter is to introduce 'OO Bear'. He's a gorgeous, soft, handmade felted collectable bear using natural undyed Shetland fleece - brought to life by Iwona Charleson of North Roe. OO Bear comes wrapped carefully in tissue paper and is sent in his own box to arrive at your house in perfect condition. Deliveries worldwide.

If you want to join the mailing list to receive the newsletters automatically <only occasional ones> then sign up on the homepage - www.designedinshetland.co.uk. You can unsubcribe at any time and each newsletter contains a link for unsubscribing.

[benjiesmum]

OOOHHH He is so cuddly!! Gorgeous little bear!

[Fifi]

Yep, he is a soft-n'cuddly peerie chap.

[oldbat1949]

I am writing this e-mail with one of your lovely pair of earings dangling away. They are gorgeous and the bear and ponies are really lovely. So good to see someone in Northmavine producing such lovely craftwork

[Fifi]

Ooh, excited!! The Shetland dialect cards have arrived and I've just put them up on the site today!

www.designedinshetland.co.uk

I asked Emma McLaughlin <nee Jamieson>, formerly of Ollaberry, if she could come up with some dialect cards, including Christmas cards, and she's done us proud! All available singly or in packs. I believe they were designed in conjunction with her folks in Gluss who helped with the dialect, so thanks to them.

I've decided that a donation from the sale of every Christmas pack will go to charity. I've chosen Romanian Relief, a charity set up by two English 19 yr old girls after they'd been to Romania on their gap year and felt they had to do something. One of their homes was featured on the recent ITV1 documentary where the Duchess of York and her daughters visit orphanages in Romania and Turkey.





Also some amazing intricately folded <think Origami!> Fair Isle and lace knitting cards - the photos don't do them justice to show the intricate folding!



Emma's also done some dialect baby cards which are sooo cute!



All this and Emma's recently given birth to a lovely little girl, Rowan. Congratulations to the proud grandparents in Gluss!

Lots of other goodies on the website, more arriving all the time, including lovely felted hotties, mobile/iPod holders <going to put more pics of them up soon>, felted Shetland soaps, Shetland candles, jewellery, throws, etc etc etc! Northmavine stuff includes Tom Morton of Hillswick's signed humourous whisky trail book and you can also get it in a set with a dram of Highland Park 12 yr old single malt - signed plus Tom will put a personal inscription for you. Iwona Charleson's characterful OO Bears, all the way from North Roe. Leona Smedley's cross stitch cards. More goodies hopefully winging their way from Eshaness soon!

Also going to be doing some gift boxes in gorgeous white boxes but not ready yet!

I have some of the goods here in Hillswick, including Tom's book & whisky, Shetland words fridge magnets <both types>, felted hotties, mobile/iPod covers, felted soaps, Shetland Beltain candles, wax pies, Vac Fresh, sachets & oils and Emma's cards, so if anyone wants to see <or sniff!> any, give me a call to arrange a visit. Local people can either order through the website if you want to get it delivered to your door, or get it from me direct and avoid P&P charges!

Interested in getting more quality goods from Northmavine on the website so email me at [e-mail] or give me a call on 01806 503363.

News on Oily Muggie, the crafts & gift shop, is that we have a new door for the shop! New beginnings!

[benjiesmum]

They look really lovely Fiona!

[Fifi]

Thanks Benji. Lots more new stuff at Designed in Shetland, including more Northmavine stuff!

New on are some Fair Isle goodies by Robyn Robertson of Eshaness - hand decorated photo albums, cute peerie Fair Isle Christmas stockings and Fair Isle tea cosies. A customer who bought a tea cosy said it was too good to be a tea cosy and would be the first to buy it as a hat or a cushion cover!

Also, lovely traditional hand knitted Fair Isle goods made by Betsy Wood - Fair Isle berets, Fair Isle gloves, Fair Isle pillbox hats and Fair Isle headbands.

Also lovely exclusive Shetland Christmas cardsby Emma McLaughlin (nee Jamieson) formerly of Gluss. Sold singly at £1.99 and £2.50 and in packs.

Of course we have OO Bear by Iwona Charleson of North Roe. The pictures don't really do him justice - he's been sought after by bear collectors, not a toy.

We have a special offer on Tom Morton's hilarious whisky book - £7.99. (RRP £9.99) You can also get it as a whisky gift set with a peerie dram of Highland Park 12 yr old single malt for only £11.99. These are signed copies and Tom will write a personal inscription of your choice inside the book too! It's been a popular gift choice with copies going all over the place, including the USA.

Also a very special offer on an exceptionally beautiful hand carved Raingoose (Shetland name for the red-throated diver - steeped in mythology, a foreteller of bad weather with its cries, hence 'raingoose') by a former Northmavine resident, John Laurenson of Toft. This was £190 but now has 1/3 off. £125 is a bargain considering the skill and the 14 hrs work that went into it! Unique too, only one of them -when it's gone, it's gone! The pictures really don't do this justice either. Wonderfully smooth curves, very tactile. It's about 17" from beak to tip and is a substantial woodcarving. I have it here in Hillswick if anyone wants to see it - no obligation and you can have a cuppa! (The other stuff mentioned is also here, except OO Bear who bides in North Roe!)

Lots of other great stuff, too much to mention, but the gosssamer-fine hand knitted scarves (also here) using the famous 1-ply lace or cobweb Shetland wool by Jean Keith of Nesting do deserve a mention. The fine lace Shetland knitting was much sought after by Victorian ladies of fashion, so much so that Queen Victoria had Shetland lace stockings. The cobweb shawls that are so fine that they can be pulled through a wedding ring are also well-known.

The latest on the Oily Muggie craft shop is that the shop now has a new external door! Also a lovely wooden floor. More work to be done!

Cheers eenoo,

Fiona

[Fifi]

FREE BELTAIN CANDLE worth £7.50

Special Christmas Offer !! Free Beltain Container Candle worth £7.50 with all orders over £30 (excl P&P) until Sunday 14th December

Your FREE BELTAIN CANDLE Use as a Christmas present, a stocking filler or... keep just for yourself!

High quality candles - retain their excellent fragrance strength to the bottom of the container Individually scented, poured and labelled entirely by hand Made in Gulberwick, Shetland At least 50 hours of burning in each candle!