Feature Friday- Maggie from BeachPlumCottage

 Hi everyone,

I hope that you have had a great week. This week has been a good one for me and as you can probably see I have been doing some blog improvements :). I have made a new banner which I think is much prettier than the old one (the old one was just text, no pretty images!) and then I got rather excited about the new banner so made matching post banners for my regular features....Wordless Wednesday and Feature Friday. What do you all think ? Like them or loathe them let me know!!

This week I have a very special Feature Friday which I am really really excited about :)!! I have been trying to keep it as a surprise for you all but it has been rather tricky as I have been so excited about it.

This week I am featuring Maggie who lives on the beautiful island of Martha’s vineyard (I am so jealous!) .  She enjoys baking and reading and when she is not doing either of those she runs….

Isn't her banner cute?! Maggie sells mainly crochet items in her shop including handmade scarves, toys and jewellery. She explained to me the story behind the unusual name for her shop....

" Beach plums, or Prunus maritima, are a native plant to the island. Their signature blossoms line the paths to our beaches and shores. Native Americans and locals have been gathering beach plums for centuries, and they're often made into jam. A gift of this year's beach plum jam is a true island gesture indeed! I love the scenic, rustic splendor of the island - and the simple, floral beach plum was my inspiration for my shop."

Maggie's shop is a treasure trove of beautiful crocheted items. She was taught to crochet when she was a little girl by her Grandma when she made her first pair of simple slippers and from there she has continued to make different crocheted items. Her hobby for crocheting turned into an online business on Etsy in 2011. Since then Maggie's shop has continued to grow and she is producing lots of new and creative products that have been shipped all over the world including Germany, Mexico, Canada, Sweden and all over the U.S.

She recently took part in the 151st Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair and walked home with lots of ribbons for her beautiful crafted pieces. Here is a photo she took of some of the ribbons. Congratulations Maggie!

 and Maggie's face says it all, this photograph was taken after it was announced that she won one of the ribbons

(Photo credit to Ray Ewing of the Vineyard Gazette)

Some of my favourite items from her shop are ....

 This amazingly cute crocheted octopus and I love how Maggie has photographed him with the 'hi' sign!  The octopus was inspired by the nature on the island which Maggie lives on. From her studio she can see the ocean and this has had a huge influence on her work.

These reusable facial scrubbies are a great idea and are eco friendly too!

You could win one of these lovely bookmarks

Maggie is offering an exclusive giveaway for my blog followers (you guys!). How kind of her is that?! She is offering to giveaway a custom made butterfly bookmark. The winner shall get to choose the colour they would like and then Maggie will make the bookmark and send it :) Here is an example of the butterfly bookmarks which Maggie makes. To enter for a chance to win one please fill in your email address or sign into facebook and then complete the tasks. Each seperate task is worth another entry so the more tasks you complete the more likely you are to win :) !

Please enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone :) and I hope you all enjoyed this very special Feature Friday. I have been so excited about it all week!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

The Dorothy Days