Inspiring Ladies: Claireabellemakes

There are so many talented and inspiring ladies that I have come across online.  I have found these woman either through their blog, Twitter, Instagram or Etsy shop. They are incredibly refreshing and they definitely help me find the motivation to keep sewing, crafting, blogging, chatting online, and just getting dressed some mornings.

I found Claire's site, Claireabellemakes, through a mutual friend/blogger and I've been addicted to her blog ever since. Back in the summer we even did a swap which you can read about here. Claire makes the cutest and sweetest things. Her Etsy shop is filled with adorable jewelry and I'm a huge fan of all the pictures she posts on her Instagram and in her blog posts. Visiting the U.K. is a must in my future but I definitely have to check out Cambridge now because of all the beautiful photos Claire posts.

I asked Claire to list 5 things that she loves and inspire her! 

Bicycles
I am totally obsessed with all things bicycle themed. I live in Cambridge in the UK where everyone cycles. You cannot turn a corner without seeing a bicycle. Even inside my house there are bicycle cushions, notebooks and fabrics. One birthday I received 4 packs of identical bicycle notepad clips as my friends and family know my obsession! I like to prettify my dutch bike with lots of basket decorations too, so there is always a bike themed DIY lurking near me. My Etsy store even has bicycle themed products which have become my best sellers. Yay!

claires-macrame-bracelet

Bicycle Basket Bunting
Claire's bicycle

Post
A while back I took the decision to receive all boring mail (think utility bills, council letters) electronically. Now I know I will only ever receive nice mail such as Etsy purchases or mail swaps with lovely people like Jen! Although I'm a huge Twitter addict and I love to email, I adore letter writing and have a penpal in Canada that I have written to since I was 8 years old (and I'm 30 this year). We are such good friends and I love that sending mail initiated that. I do love making up parcels too, so I am always looking out for cute cards, tissue paper or twine.

Old People
I'm getting to the age where people keep asking me if I'm thinking about having kids and to be honest I'm not a huge fan of children! I actually would prefer to spend a day with old people instead! I just love chatting to the older generation and imagining what they were like in their younger years. In the UK there is an organisation called The Amazings where you can learn creative skills from elders. It's such a great idea.

Yarn Bombed Bike Wheel
Yarn Bombed Bike Wheel

Craft and Dinner
It sounds like a weird phrase but some friends and I have set up a 'craft and dinner club'. Since we are all obsessed with crafting (crochet, knitting, sewing, papercraft, you name it), we decided to get together once a month and host at a different person's house each time. Our most recent one saw us carving pumpkins and eating seasonal curry, it was a lot of fun. One of the girls in the group is a vegan too, so it has made us all a bit more adventurous with food. It's my turn in December so I'm thinking of a fab Christmas girl's night in - send me ideas if you have any!

Claireabellemakes Craft Room Makeover
Craft Room Makeover
Claire's craft room makeover

Cats
Lastly, I cannot forget to share with you that I am a massive crazy cat lady. I have a gorgeous Persian named Tammy who we inherited from a friend who was no longer able to care for her. She loves playing with scraps of paper and yarn and making herself into a hat on my head when I go to bed each night. She also keeps me company in my craft studio and is very mischievous when the beads come out!

Tammy
Tammy

You can find Claire here:

xo Jen

All photos in this post belong to Claireabellemakes. 

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