Independent boutiques, little cafes, scrawls of graffiti and ping pong tables…yep, the Custard Factory is undeniably awesome. Set in the very place one Mr Bird conceived the custard dream, I’ve been meaning to visit the Custard Factory in Birmingham for aaages. So, last weekend – it was on. The Custard Factory is dubbed as Birmingham’s Creative Quarter for good reason. On the outside it is charmingly scruffy and unashamedly colourful yet well thought out: with a[...]

‘Claiming your 20s is one of the simplest yet most transformative things you can do’. That’s what Meg Jay told me yesterday in her wonderfully thought-provoking TED Talk. And sweet bejeezus, I think she might be right. My 30s are on my mind more and more. At 27, I can sense a new decade nearing and in all honesty I almost feel relieved. To me, reaching the age of 30 is an opportunity to breath[...]

I’ve been running The MADE Project for a year and a half now (eek!). It’s been a wonderful venture so far…I’ve interviewed some incredible handmade sellers, run five MADE Markets and have loved seeing the MADE community grow and grow. But as time has gone on, I now feel it’s time for a change. MADE means so many things to me, and I want to encompass them all, so the blog will be undergoing a[...]

There’s something deliciously indulgent about sitting down for a nice cup of tea. And I don’t mean your average PG Tips – I’m talking real tea. Loose leafed, fragrant, rustic. So when I got the chance to review the tea on offer from LoveTea, I was most excited, in a shut-my-eyes-say-aaah kind of way. Whilst I love the taste of tea, there’s much more to the draw of a good old cuppa than flavour alone.[...]

Hello folks! Let me first of all introduce myself. My name’s Helen and I run Jolly Good, a small handmade jewellery and accessory business. Alongside my shop, I also like to write about jewellery, fashion and such like on my blog. One of my favourite things to feature are handmade and independent businesses that I love. I mostly focus on jewellery but always want to include other handmade items as well. And so The Handmade[...]