A handmade cottage: 2024

Hello my lovelies,

Well, what a long time it has been since my last post ... it has been almost 5 years! Are any of you still there? I did intend to keep blogging once I moved to Norfolk, but being a new mum, working and running a home made it impossible. Thanks to instagram and facebook I was still able to stay in touch and keep posting from time to time so I didn't disappear completely.

I hope this finds you all well and looking forward to Spring. Are you still crafting away? All is well here, hubby is fine, Frankie is thriving (she has just turned 6!) She is such a funny, creative, mischievous little minx and she crafts even more than I do. Ralphy is still going strong I'm happy to report. He's 15 now and while he's grey, a bit blind and deaf as a door post he can still chase a squirrel as fast as any puppy!

In other big news, if you don't already know from following me on instagram and facebook, I have written a craft book! It is called 'A HANDMADE COTTAGE - The art of crafting a home.' It has been published by Murdoch books, and it's out in all good bookshops and online from today! :-)

A Handmade Cottage - The art of crafting a home

So what is the book about?

A cottagecore enthusiast's guide to sustainable upcycling, thrifty decorating, and achieving an eclectic and cosy home from Norfolk-based cottage crafter Jodie May Seymour.

It's possible to create a picture-perfect cottage frugally and simply with some creative ideas and a little DIY know-how. Jodie May Seymour shares her projects and ideas for every room in the house using simple craft and DIY techniques. Almost everything can be made by an absolute beginner, yet there are also inspiring projects that will appeal to the more skilled crafter. From candles and lampshades to dressers and curtains, there's a range of projects and an introduction to some of the most useful DIY techniques, such as sanding, sewing and painting.

Restoring old furniture, repurposing forgotten fabrics, decorating your home using whatever nature has to offer – you too can make a beautiful home that's uniquely yours on a tight budget.

Of course Ralphy and Frankie feature in the book too.

I'm so proud of it. I always hoped I'd write a book because I really wanted somewhere to compile all the things I'd learned over the years, so that I can refer back to it, as well as sharing it all with the big, wide world. You'll notice some of the projects have disappeared from this blog, and that is why ... they're now in the book! (I had to remove them from here for legal reasons.) I'll pop a link below in case you'd like to buy it, for yourselves or for your crafting buddies. I hope you love it, do let me know what you think.

As you know I'm not blogging as much as I'd like now so do come and find me on instagram and facebook for craft projects and suchlike, it would be lovely to stay in touch.

Jodie x

Available now A Handmade Cottage - click here to buy.