Roll up, roll up!

Good afternoon ladies & gentlebeans & welcome to the Punky Awards!

There has been a little unrest lately in some quarters of the blogging world, about authenticity, sponsorship, honesty, motives, ethics… while eavesdropping on some of this it occurred to me that I don’t have any inkling of any of those sorts of “issues” when visiting my favourite blogs, & maybe that’s why they’re my favourites? If I don’t like what I think someone is doing on their blog I just don’t go back – it’s their blog, not mine & they can do whatever they like with it, but if they are obviously out for fame or whatever meagre fortune a blogger might be able to squeeze from promotions, ads & free trials, then their place is not somewhere I want to be. My favourite blogs are comfy cosy places, made so by their genuine owners who are part of a vibrant community online.

Ironically, I don’t know where my little blog sits in that community; I don’t post purely crafty stuff, I rarely bake, I don’t just blog about kids or being a mum, I just do my own eclectic thing over here & if someone likes it they are welcome to stay, but if they don’t, well, tough titties as they say in the classics (…which genre those classics belong in I shall leave to your imagination…).

Anywho, without any further ado (What IS ‘ado’?!) I would like to present the very first Punky awards to some of my favourite bloggy peeps, peeps you probably visit too, just because they’re ace & I like them & want them to know it. I want them to know that THEY make blogging fun for me & so many others & I appreciate them sharing little bits of themselves with me, you, us. Because I wanted this to be a sneaky surprise I have blatantly stolen pictures of them from their blogs without asking. It’s not at all good form to do this you know, very bad blogging etiquette indeed, so no telling, okay?

The first Golden Punk goes to…. *insert drumroll here* Cam of Curly Pops fame. Cam is amazing, truly.

She draws, designs fabric, makes brooches, sews, provides tutorials, provides encouragement, links freely & without obligation & is, I think, just a pillar of the crafty community. Her only downside is a dirty little Milo habit.

Next up is Kate of Foxs Lane.

I am in awe of Kate, quite honestly, & what she manages to fit into her hours, her days, her weeks. She has three gorgeous girls & a devoted farmer boy come husband, she has an organic farm, an online store, a knitting/crocheting/sewing addiction & somehow seventy hours in every day. I am always amazed when I pop over & she’s finished another project, or twelve, solves some parenting crisis or other & more than likely ploughed a field….

This Golden Punk is for someone so truly beautiful it shines through her blog, her emails, her comments… it shines so bright you have to squint a bit to see clearly, but then you do, you can see & you can read & you can FEEL that this woman gives a damn, she might be the most genuine person I am yet to come across in blog land, she is certainly the best baker.

I’m talking about you Cathie!

A couple more, if you are sitting comfortably? If I had a budget of millions (okay, just ‘a budget’) this is where I would undoubtedly have to insert some sort of Beyoncé interlude, but thankfully, I don’t & we can just move on….

Jess. A Golden Punk with teddy bear ears on for Jess.

 

A heart of gold, a houseful of bears & someone you can tell anything to (& I have!). She doesn’t realise at all how special she is you know, & that’s a crying shame. She doubts herself too much, but that makes for some of the most amazing little bears & animals you’ll ever see. She’s not happy until they are perfect; perfect in their unique little wonky way.

Another special one, an embroidered Golden Punk for Cath of Chunky Chooky, I like Cath’s piece of blog land because she pulls no punches.

She’s brutally honest when she needs to be & doesn’t take any crap from anyone. She’s an ethical crafter & a talented one.

And last (for now, there are SO MANY MORE…) but not least is Nic from Yardage Design.

Everything Nic makes is beautiful. Seriously. I have had the pleasure of winning, buying & being gifted work from Yardage Design & everything has been so gorgeous. It took me a very long time to use one of her tea towels for the first time as I thought it was too nice to use! I’m glad I started though because it makes me smile when I’m in the kitchen, it’s fun & bright just like Nic herself & her blog is just great too. Lovely pictures of lovely things – what’s not to like?

…and that folks, is it for the very first instalment of the Punky Awards. I hope you had fun, don’t get too messy at the after party, okay?