Welcome back to Craft Chat, a series of interviews with crafters from all over the globe. Our current focus is on select artisans found on the UK site Folksy. Today we are talking to Ouissi of British Cream Tea, a shop stocked with stitched sweet and savories located in Liverpool, England.

A first glance at the fabulous (often frosted) felt offerings of British Cream Tea and my crafty sweet tooth was crying out for more.  Biscuits and lollies, pasties and puddings…all quintessential treats from the land that takes its tea seriously.  The offerings are like a hall of fame of tea time treasures, and it isn’t hard to imagine sitting down to a cuppa and tucking into one of BCT’s tasty tarts.  It is, however, hard to conceive that these treats aren’t the real thing but replicas.

The attention to detail is painstakingly clear.  Drips of frosting look delicious as they cascade down a Christmas pudding, sprinkles sit atop an ice cream pop, and slices of toast accompany a soft boiled egg, which can be removed from its cup.  Each stitch is skillful and perfectly placed.  And to top it off, everything comes served up on a dainty display with descriptions that will make your mouth water (and educate an audience unfamiliar with jammie dodgers).

Ouissi, the creative mind and nimble fingers behind British Cream Tea, was kind enough to answer some questions for us.  The only unanswered query for me is, “Can I get a chip buttie?”

>>Please introduce us to your business?

What kinds of things do you make?

I am a felt confectioner and specialize in making British foods out of felt. Creating my pieces allows me to make the food I love and that filled my childhood and I love it when people say that my pieces bring back memories of their childhoods!

How did you get started?

I have always loved felt. The way it feels, the colours, the strong yet pliable nature. After having my son I wanted to try something completely different from the card and paper sculptures I used to make, although food has been the constant factor in all my work as I used to do a lot of work around cupcakes

I was taught to sew by my Aunt, who makes amazing couture wedding dresses, so I can sew well plus I have always loved embroidery…I just wanted to try something different and felt was it!

Is there an interesting story behind the name of your business?

I wanted to purvey the British classic nature of the foods I was creating in my business name. When I think of British food various things came to mind: the sunday roast, full english breakfasts, picnics with checkered cloths and wicker baskets, the afternoon tea. I considered the image that these classics conjure up and decided on the afternoon tea: scones, cucumber sandwiches, tea from china teapots and steaming mugs of hot chocolate!

After searching the internet for similar names and availabilities for web and shop addresses I settled for cream tea as afternoon tea was much more common, and combined it with British to make it clear where my work originated.

>>Tell us a bit about your town.

Where in the world are you?

I live in Liverpool in the UK after years of living in many cities including Edinburgh which I loved. I moved here to be nearer to my family and am now settled here with a Merseyside man and our new baby

Does your location have an influence on what you make?  Please explain.

Liverpool this year is European Capital of Culture so I have been surrounded by art and events and it has been wonderful! It is a lovely city to live in at the moment and a lot of my friends work in the arts so I am surrounded by inspiration.

But it is the UK as a whole that truly inspires me…or rather its food. I have been influenced by many different foods from all over the country as I have lived in many different places. I guess that the North of England probably carries the most influence
because that is where I grew up (Cheshire) and a lot of my pieces revolve around childhood memories.

Where do you find inspiration?

I love food!

I have always loved baking and cooking plus I am transfixed by a beautiful bakery shop or restaurant. My mother used to make fabulous cakes and biscuits whilst we were growing up and my Aunt will still whip up a fruit tart complete with immaculate creme patisserie if she feels we don’t have enough dessert at a meal so I am surrounded by food and wonderful cooks.

I will get excited by new ideas in shops, by cookery programmes on the television or by someone sharing a food memory or love with me.

Are there any crafters out there whose work you admire?  Or, do you have a favorite type of craft?

I love looking at new ideas an techniques and fall in love with new items on the internet and in the shops all that time!

I recently discovered Karen Ruane on her blog (http://karenruane.blogspot.com/). She makes the most amazing contemporary embroidery and quilts, a lot of white on white work, and I just love it! She has a shop on Etsy (http://contemporarystitches.etsy.com) from which I may make a Christmas purchase for myself!

What is the best part of what you do?  the most challenging?

The best parts are thinking of a new piece and seeing what is in my mind develop in my hands and someone buying one of my pieces of course…that is a lovely feeling especially when they write to tell me they love it!

The most challenging part so far has been keeping confidence in myself and my ideas. I am lucky though as my partner is my rock and as a business advisor I can actually trust what he says!

You have listings on Etsy and Folksy.  Can you compare the two hosting sites?  What are the advantages/disadvantages?

I have been on Etsy since early 2006 with my first shop so I know the site well and enjoy the international feel. Folksy is newer and fully focused on the UK which makes it more intimate somehow and I love the fact that the currency is the pound. Etsy is bigger and more established than Folksy so many more people see my work there, although I have had international enquiries on Folksy. I hope it does spread its wings a little over the next few months, it could be a really exciting site.

I have been really lucky to be a featured seller on Folksy and have been in the Etsy Storque and its gift guides so I have had exposure on both sites and so far my sales are evenly split between them.

And, for fun, please name three places in the world that you’d like to visit and why.

I’ve been to some beautiful parts of the World in my life, most of which I would love to revisit…but these are the 3 places I have never been…but really want to!

Hong Kong: my partner’s family are from Hong Kong and he has been a lot and has wonderful photographs and stories. I have never been but would love to see the harbour and the giant Buddha with my own eyes and see the city from the Peak. I want to see if it lives up to the stories (and I’d love to take Afternoon Tea in the Peninsula Hotel…if only to see if it is better than afternoon tea in the Paris Ritz!)

Egypt: I grew up in stories of Greek, Roman and Egyptian Gods, heroes and mythological creatures. I have visited Greece a lot, especially as a child when holidays involved Greek Islands, ancient ruins and Flying Dolphins But I have never visited Egypt…my parents used to go down the Nile without us during the winter. I dream of visiting Abu Simbel, the Sphinx and Valley of the Kings.

Pompeii: I have only been to Italy once, to see Pisa and Florence, and, whilst I would love to see Rome and Venice, the place that I always longed to see as a child was Pompeii…it held my imagination.

British Cream Tea has set up shop on Etsy and Folksy.

You can also keep up with her on her blog, A Journal of Dreams.

It’s a big world out there with crafters in every nook and cranny.  Know anyone that needs a feature?  Email thischickadee [at] gmail [dot] com.  Subject = Craft Chat.