Hi Guys,

This week I went along to the Paperdolls Handmade Market which takes place at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham, twice a year and I just had to share with you what a fab time I had! I absolutely love all types of craft, so I knew I was going to fall in love with everything at the market. The Paperdolls Market was founded by the lovely Jo and Carolyn, who themselves are craft makers. They thought it would be a great idea to bring craft makers of Birmingham to one place. And they weren't wrong!

Not only were there rows of beautiful jewellery and home accessories that had all been hand made by independent artists and designers, but they also had workshops available so you too could take part in the craft making. As well as the market, they also had Circus Mash - a circus skills workshop running for the kids who wanted to escape the market - and some lovely food stalls. Myself, my husband Aaron and the girls all took part in a necklace making workshop with the lovely Kat from Bebop Boutique. With a little help, the girls made beautiful pom pom necklaces, which they were showing off all day. 

Another stall I was drawn to was Charles Candles. You can probably tell why by the name - my obsession with candles continues They had the most beautiful scented candles, which are hand poured. I particularly liked the fact that they contained a wooden wick, which has a lovely crackling sound! I opted for Lime & Basil! I think I may have found my newest candle retailer and the fact they are made in Brum makes it that more special to me. 

One workshop I would've loved to do was the Geometric Terrarium-making with Bloom Collective, but I just didn't have time! The beautiful miniature botanicals in a glass frame would look amazing in any house, so I need to be sure to book onto their next workshop!

One quick note - although most retailers accept card, make sure to take plenty of cash with you, as a few retailers didn't and then, like myself, you will be gutted when you miss out on the most beautiful ceramic plates by Janice Fellows Ceramics. A few other stalls I would like to mention are Tahira Jewellery, the most intricate, beautifully embellished jewellery you will ever see and KT Robbins Ceramics, their hanging planters were one of my favourite items in the whole market! I could go on about all my favourite stalls, however, it would be a very long post so please be sure to visit the Paperdolls Handmade website, where you can read more about all the makers.

 I have to say, just to see the beautiful handmade objects and the amount of hard work that is put into some of them, made spending money on them so worth while and easy (unfortunately for my bank balance). The market is usually held twice a year, so make sure to look out for the next one, as I know I will definitely be going!

Amina xx