Downland Handmade

08/09/2026

Bit of a chilly start in DC Land this morning. I put a jumper on!

06/09/2026

We had two power cuts today so I gave up watching the TV and decided to finish my poppy brooch instead. Not bad for my first attempt.

05/09/2026

Good morning and happy Saturday. I wasn’t able to do my usual beading class yesterday because my bead kit didn’t arrive in time, so instead I did the first later of petals for my poppy brooch.

30/08/2026

The first part is done. I wonder what it could be? 🤔

29/08/2026

A new project on the beading mat!

25/08/2026

That spooky time of year is coming around again soon so I just wanted to pop on and show you these cute witches hat charm earrings.

24/08/2026

Something different from me, I made a little lantern. Not quite sure what I’m going to do with it but may may try adding a loop and making it into an earring.

16/08/2026

I learnt a new stitch this week, it was slow going but I’ve done a bit. I’ve noticed a mistake though so will have to unstitch half of it.

15/08/2026

Who else has turned off EU shipping on their websites/shops? We have had to sadly for Downland Crafts and Downland Handmade.

Small business owners including artists, designers and craft makers across Ireland have suspended sales to other EU countries on foot of new packaging rules they say are destroying the single market.

A rule change that kicked in this week requires firms, no matter how small, to register in every EU country into which they sell.

The fees and red tape are more than many solo traders can afford, effectively locking them out of what should be the single market.

All businesses are hit but small businesses say they’re worst affected.

“Like so many craft businesses, all my packaging is reused (old Amazon boxes),” says Tamzen Lundy, who makes gifts from wool and sells on her own online shop, Tamzen Lundy Designs.

“I use these to ship any online orders, which might be a handful a year across mainland EU, and a good lot in Ireland.”

She says the new rules treat businesses like hers “the same as the big boys like Amazon, whose packaging I’m, ironically, re-using”.

Complaints of a similar nature are streaming in from across the EU and the UK via the European Commission’s website, with record shops, toy makers, 3D printers and painters accusing the EU of being out of touch with small businesses.

11/08/2026

I was nominated by Willow & Ash Creative Crafts to join the 10-day challenge of sharing one product photo (or video 🤭) each day and nominating another amazing small business to keep it going ✨

So for my final posting on day 10, here’s my festive long fringe earrings.

Today I'm nominating MyBeads4You (but there's no pressure to partake!)