Barri-Jayne Makes
A View of some of my Creations
Barri-Jayne Makes started back in January 2011, when my New Year’s resolution was to be creative, whether it was sewing, cooking, painting or other. The inner creator in me was born, bursting with an abundance of ideas. My first creations were an embroidered pin cushion & lavender filled bag and since then, my hobbies and skills has grown. My mind just cannot be still, as the voices in my head are constantly throwing up a new idea, or two, even when I’m already in the middle of a project, and of course I must set these ideas free, by accepting the challenges. I’ve often surprised myself with some of the things I’ve created.
Below is a selection of some of the creations that I’ve made over the years. If you’d like to see more, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram and my old blog. I am currently accepting commissions for my 'Scrabble Style Name Frame' & 'Handcrafted Bath & Foot Soak'. See below for details. I'm also writing 'An Introduction to Phonics' reference book. Scroll to the bottom for a little peek.
Lavender filled hearts & cushions
Lavender filled hearts and cushions definitely was and still is one of my favourite things to create. They are very easy to make and is such a calming and therapeutic activity. I used to spend hours creating pretty designs and perfecting the blanket stitch on felt fabric. They make such pretty gifts and the scent last for years, you just need to gentle squeeze the bag or cushion to release more of its gorgeous scent. I think most of my family and friends have received a lavender filled 'something', over the years, and it's lovely when they tell me that they've still got their gift.
my first cross stitch cushion
I started making these cushions for my niece and nephew at the start of December 2011. It was meant to be their Christmas presents, but I hadn't realised how long they'd actually take to make, so they got them in the New Year instead. This was my first attempt at cross stitching. I had wanted to create pretty designs like flowers, boats and so forth, but it was all a bit too daunting for me. Instead I played around with different stitches and threads, to get a good feel of it.
At that time, I didn't believe in myself enough to see how fabulous these cushions actually were. I did continue to practice, by making gifts for family and friends, but it wasn't until years later that I really got into cross stitching.
handmade Wedding bouquet
I went through a phase of making flowers, in 2012, using a range of different fabric. I fell in love with this style, especially because they resemble carnation flowers and are so easy to make.
Then of course, the 'I wonder if...' scenario started going off in my head and before you knew it, I was making my first wedding bouquet for my sister and corsages for the men. And then just like that, my flower making interest turned into another craft interest. My sister loved her bouquet and still has it displayed in her home.
embroidered keepsakes
This was one of my earliest attempts at embroidery, which I created for my daughter's 21st birthday, in 2013. She has always loved Audrey Hepburn and this was one of her favourite quotes. I had marked out the letters, to make sure it fit perfectly and free flowed with the rest, adding her name and date of birth later. The leaf pattern soon become one of my signature designs.
The heart was a commissioned piece for a wedding gift, and adding little beads definitely made it even more special.
jewellery making
It was the year 2015 and all I can say is, this jewellery making obsession was huge! And, that 'Jewellery Maker' channel really knew how to draw you in, feed your addiction and make you spend your money. But, they did teach me a lot and I had so much fun bringing my imagination to life.
Nowadays, I mostly make wire wrapped crystal pendants and key rings, with the occasional earrings or bracelet. I really do need to organise all my tools, findings and crystal beads and have them all in one place, rather than in different areas around my home. Then I can get back to into making jewellery again. I definitely won't need to purchase anything new, as I literally own the equivalent of a small well stocked shop.
personalised Cross stitch cushions
My first attempts to cross stitch back in 2011, hadn't gone as well as I though it would, although when I look back, I realise they were actually quite good for a first-timer. Anyway, let's fast forward to 2016. Whilst childminding, I got to meet a group of mums and carers, one of whom was a fabulous cross stitcher. Every week, whilst the children were in ballet class, we all practiced our skills and this time I really enjoyed it, and got quite good at it.
The blue 'Sirius' cushion was commissioned by a friend for her grandson. It was made using A4 laser cut felt, which looks like aida, but with much bigger spacing, and used knitting wool, which worked beautifully due to its thickness.
This was the most detailed piece of cross stitching that I'd ever done. I couldn't tell you how many hours it took to create, but I enjoyed every minute. I'm really proud of all these pieces and it just goes to show that you never know what you can achieve, until you give it a go, even if it takes a few tries.
Scrabble style name frame
Open for commissions
Although I love the idea of using scrabble tiles to create wall art, I wanted to do something a little different. As I loved to cross stitch, I thought, why not create it in my own style. I took my time to create a template with the alphabet and numbers and in December 2016, my 'scrabble style name frame' was born. Sometimes I call it a crossword style name frame.
I love the challenge of making the names interlock and so far I haven't had a set of names that didn't work together. I know that even if the names do not interlock, it will still look amazing!
Scrabble Style Name Frame
This will make a lovely bespoke gift
for Family, Friends, a workplace or even for yourself.
Perfect for Christmas, Eid, Birthdays, Anniversaries,
Weddings and other special occasions.
Choose up to three colours for your Name Frame and
I will work my magic to create your personalised gift.
Don't worry if the chosen names do not interlock,
it will still be a beautiful and unique piece.
Special dates can be included.
(Date equivalent to one name)
One to Three names - from £20
Four to Five names - from £25
Six names or more - from £30
plus p&p
Includes a Basic Frame
Please Text or Whatsapp Barrina to place your order - UK ONLY
rug making workshop
On February 26th, 2017, I was planning a few parent & child workshops, when a parent said she'd like to learn rug making. That evening, I watched way too many rug making tutorials, fell in love with the 'Amish knot rug' and began making the green rug that same night. I can get very passionate when I'm creating and with my super focus and determination, I finished my rug by the very next afternoon. I was on girl on a mission!
And then, the voice in my head kept asking, "Do you think you could create your own tutorial?". So, I spent the following weeks making more rugs and mastering my skills, filming and editing video clips, until finally on May 7, 2017 I uploaded the tutorial to YouTube. I used my tutorial in the 'Parent & Child Workshop' and it was a great success.
I thought a handful of people might see the tutorial, but was rather surprised when I started receiving the loveliest comments and hundred of likes. I even had people sending me photos of their own handmade rug, which was so lovely to see.
Six years later, it's still gaining lots of attention and has currently received 4.5M views and 63K likes. It still surprises me and I'm truly grateful for all the opportunities this video has brought me.
Find out how to make your own rug over on my YouTube channel. It's a lovely craft to learn.
Wedding day keepsake
In 2017, I was commissioned by the bride's Godmother to create a bespoke wedding gift for the happy couple. I was given the wedding date and the married name, and was left to create in any way I chose.
I love using this old English font, I think it really adds character to the make. Originally, it wasn't going to be left in the hoop, but I had not removed the aida cloth for the duration of the make and couldn't iron out the circular crease. So, the hoop ended up inside the frame and looks way better than my original plan. This is definitely in my top three of favourite makes.
Wedding day keepsake
I created this 'bear couple' cross-stitch wedding hoop for a friend, after finding the pattern in one of my many cross stitching books. It took months to finish, mainly because life kept throwing different things at me, there were way too many distractions and I had to put it down way too many times.
It worked out quite well, though, as after seeing the bride's second wedding day dress, I finished it in that style instead. This was a big challenge that I gave myself and I'm so proud of the end result.
handcrafted Crystal Reiki
Bath & Foot Soak
Open for commissions
I started making bath soaks in 2020 when I opened my (now closed) Etsy shop. My focus then was on using essential oils and learning to create blends that worked together. I eventually found that Rose & Geranium and Lavender & Bergamot are two beautiful blends, but better than that, I learnt that working with freshly dried flowers and herbs creates the most amazing fragrances.
I've created bespoke 'Reiki Infused Bath and Foot Soaks' for clients, using freshly dried flowers from their baby showers. These are dried, added to a special blend of herbs and salts and sent to mum after baby arrives. This is such a gorgeous gift for mum (and dads too) and also a lovely reminder to make time for a little 'me time', and reflect over the past months. The bath & foot soak can also be created using flowers from your wedding bouquet
'Reiki Infused Bath and Foot Soaks', 170g, will make a beautiful gift for all occasions. Each jar is freshly handcrafted to order. It is naturally fragranced, using a blend of flowers, herbs, crystal selenite powder, dead sea salt and Himalayan salt. This soak is also perfect for New Moon, Full Moon & other sacred ceremonies.
Placing your order
Your Bath & Foot Soak will be freshly made using quality ingredients. We can discuss your intentions and make sure you are happy with all the ingredients used. It will then be blessed with reiki and sent out to you, within a few days.
If flowers are to be used from a wedding, baby shower etc., I will request that you sent a sample of your flowers to me and ask you a few questions. Once the flowers are received, I will carefully dry them and create your bespoke soak. This may take up to a few weeks.
Please Text or Whatsapp Barrina to place your order - UK ONLY