Gracipity

Welcome back to Lois Stapleton who will be joining us on Saturday again this year under her new brand @gracipity At Gracipity, Lois creates handmade gifts and accessories using hand embroidery and wet-felted fabrics. This season’s Softly Woven collection features blue-and-white checks with embroidered florals. Alongside Lois’s signature plant wraps, you’ll find gifts and kits designed to help you relax, learn, and create. **Exhibiting Saturday Only** #HandEmbroidery #WetFelting #CraftKits #TextileFestival #GatheringStitchesFestival

Poem Rearranged The clocks moved on in the night - an hour taken without asking. Morning comes sooner now. Light shifts with it. Out in the harbour, the lighthouse turns - steady, unhurried… casting its warning over water that does not need it. No storm here. No need for alarm. And yet it turns. Beyond this place the world does not settle - oil rising, voices tightening, rumours breaking and shifting as they pass - a sense of things loosening their grip. But Nothing has slipped. Nothing is out of place. It is held. #relaxlearncreate #northernirelandartist #poetry #donaghadee

On Saturday I had the privilege of taking part in Safe Hands, a creative wellbeing initiative organised by North Down Craft Collective in partnership with Women’s Aid North Down at Castle Espie. The day brought together talented art students and six local makers…with students rotating through workshops and learning new creative skills along the way. In my session we made wet-felted faux tea light holders - simple materials turned into something colourful, textured and completely unique. Women’s Aid also shared a short talk and provided information about Ending Violence Against Women & Girls (EVAWG), encouraging reflection and conversation around respect, healthy relationships and understanding. It was such an inspiring day. The students were engaged, curious and great fun to work with. I was completely exhausted by the end of it… but my cup was very full. Workshops are honestly one of my favourite things to do, and I’m already looking forward to the next one: felted flowers for a spring wreath on 28 March. If you’d like to join us, send me a DM or book directly with The Blackbird in Donaghadee. @northdowncraftcollective @womensaid_nda @wwtcastleespie

Excited to launch a new workshop with the first event on Saturday 28 March in @theblackbirdcraftcollective in Donaghadee….10:30-2:30!! You will learn how to felt beautiful flowers and create your own spring wreath. It will be a small group with treats from @bridewellcoffee to keep us going lol…. One of my favourite things about doing workshops is the joy of watching people do what they didn’t think was possible, relax and make new friends - joy :) If you interested, drop me a DM or visit The Blackbird in Donaghadee. #relaxlearncreate #northernirelandartist #spring #felting #donaghadee

Poem Still The sky wore wool. Thick. Unlit. Rain stitched the day together. No one would have called it beautiful. The fields lay heavy, mud holding back new life again. Still. A pheasant moved along the lane, Bronze and green made bright by rain. Gorse brought gold into the field, Colour no dull day could shield. Cherry blossom, pale and wide, Soft in clusters side by side. Ivy wound the bark so tight, Green on brown in woven light. A stream ran silver through the field, Clear and constant, never sealed. Waves rose white against the stone, Broke in foam with thundered tone. We had called it grey. Plain. Nothing to see. But gold burned in the field. Water kept its line. Feather, blossom, bark and sea - all in place. Awe. #relaxlearncreate #northernirelandartist #northernireland #february #poetry

Hooray — we made it through January and the shortest weeks of the year. Spring flowers are starting to poke through the earth, and it feels like the right moment for something new 🌱 I’m delighted to share my new range, Hearts & Roses - a small collection combining vintage fabrics, nostalgic designs, and a bit of love. Felted plant wraps, patchwork scented hearts, Love Letters journals, original goldwork heart artwork, and some Valentine’s cards featuring the Celtic love knot. Hearts & Roses is available now @theblackbirdcraftcollective , Donaghadee, and I’ll be updating my website over the next few days. #relaxlearncreate #textileart #northernirelandartist #embroidery #ndcc

Poem for January Walking through frost We see the garden washed in white, Grass edged with frost, the sky alight. Mist hangs so low in quiet air, Softening colour everywhere. We hear our steps on frozen ground, The sharp, small crack of morning sound. Cold scents the air, clean, thin, and dry, It fills the lungs; drifts softly by. Yet cold is cold, despite the view - It bites straight through the warmest shoe. Our noses glow a stubborn red, The breath we planned goes half instead. The heating hums, the oil ticks down, The roads turn slick on route to town. What shines in stillness, calm and clear, Feels less assured once set in gear. We marvel first, then hesitate, Unsure if beauty compensates. We call it beautiful, stand, stare, Then count the ways it’s hard to bear. #poetry #january #northernirelandartist #ndcc

Hello, January. Whatever that means to you 🤍 For me, it looks like resting before the year unfolds, slow stitches in my embroidery diploma, cosy nights in, and time with the people who matter most. I’ve turned the first page of my Gracipity calendar - original poems I wrote last year, some funny, a few poignant, mostly just a little bit of fun. The calendar is now only £2.50 and available at The Blackbird, Donaghadee Or… buy anything from my range and receive one free A small, quiet hello to the year ahead. @theblackbirdcraftcollective #relaxlearncreate #textileart #northernirelandartist #handembroidery #ndcc

This Christmas season has taken me to some very special places. From HARK in St Anne’s Cathedral @in_the_beginning_collective , to NI Markets at Ballyscullion Park @thenimarkets . From the wonderful Christmas market at King’s Church, Bangor @kingschurchbangor (with that choir ✨), to Frock Around the Clock in the truly magical setting of Belfast Castle @frockaroundtheclockni . And then there were all the others — Donaghadee Golf Club, City Church Bangor, and of course The Blackbird, Donaghadee @theblackbirdcraftcollective . Speaking of The Blackbird… I’m absolutely delighted to say I’m now joining their shop and stocking a range of my work there 🤍 I’m running a little low on stock (thank you — truly), so what you’re seeing in today’s photos is what I currently have ready. But if there’s something you’ve had your eye on, just let me know — I’ll always see what I can find or make especially for you. As I pack away my table for 2025, I just want to say thank you. For stopping, chatting, buying, sharing kind words, and coming back again. It’s been a really wonderful season. Also thank you to everyone who organises the markets - I am in awe of your organisation skills! And a very special thank you to my Lucy @lucybeattiee for supporting me at many markets and Ruth @ruth3456 for her debut appearance (first of many I hope). And the other traders who I now consider to be my market family :) And finally and very importantly @christianplantsman (the husband) for his patience and support throughout it all…. I’ll be in The Blackbird next Saturday, and I’ll pop up a poll mid-week so you can help decide what I bring along. Here’s to more creativity, more Gracipity… and more fun in 2026 ✨ Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and every blessing for 2026! #relaxlearncreate #christmas #christmasmarket #northernireland #textileart #ndcc #northdowncraftcollective #theblackbird

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT - GRACIPITY Gracipity will be joining us at Hark selling handmade gifts and accessories that are unique. Using embroidery, wet felting each piece is unique and treasured. Gracipity items are. inspired by those mornings that inspire and turn small moments into something memorable. We hope to see you at Hark. To book please go to Eventbrite or The Book Well. #Hark

Thanks to friends and family who attending the 1st Gracipity & Gratitude evening….truly so much to be grateful for this year! Special thanks to @bridewellcoffee and the lovely Carla for beautiful Christmas sweets treats and hosting the event! @lucybeattiee - thank you for the video! #relaxlearncreate #northernirelandartist #textileart #embroidery #felting #thanksgiving

Festive Felting and Florals What a night …. wet felting and dried flower wreath making with some stress relief along the way ! Thank you ladies for joining us in The Studio, we will definitely have more for you in the new year but we’ll stop for a much needed break half way through! It was lovely to have a group of ladies with us who were celebrating a birthday, experiences definitely provide more memories than things don’t they ? Enjoy your felted tealight holders and wreaths and don’t forget to tag Lois @gracipity and I in your posts ! And do keep an eye on our socials for a New Year event too. #floralstylist #supportsmallbusiness #floralstyling #businesssupportingbusiness #visitardsandnorthdown #workshops #experiencesoverthings