• vintage pincushion
    crafts - handmade - swap

    Vintage pincushion

    June 25, 2012 - By 

    A few weeks ago, in a bid to boost my flagging crafting mojo, I signed up to participate in a pincushion swap, hosted by the House of Pinheiro, as I love pincushions and think you can never have too many. I really wanted to combine my love of all things vintage with sewing so this post is called vintage pincushion or how to make a pincushion from a vintage egg cup. Easy vintage pincushion The only rule of the swap was that you needed to make the item yourself and use fabrics and notions from your stash. This wasn’t a…

  • crafts - handmade - Uncategorized

    Things to do with washi tape

    June 22, 2012 - By 

    I’ve become quite addicted to washi tape. I haven’t managed to find much around, apart from the rolls I bought in Cath Kidston ages ago, but I did find a couple of different patterned ones whilst on holiday in Devon. I’ve been slowly putting it around the house. There are lots of different ways to use it. Before Pinterest I used it to keep some of my favourite pictures in my trusty Moleskine for inspiration. It’s perfect for decorating tea light candles. How about pretty washi tape bunting. It also looks great on display, how about this cute washi tape…

  • scrabble tile biscuits - the gingerbread house
    baking - Father's Day - handmade - Handmade gifts - Kids crafts - tutorial

    How to make Scrabble tile biscuits

    June 18, 2012 - By 

    My piles of vintage board games have inspired me to make Scrabble tile biscuits! The children are too young for Scrabble but I thought we could make something special for Father’s Day. Today I’m showing you how to make Scrabble tile biscuits! How to make Scrabble tile biscuits   I followed the recipe for simple plain biscuits from the Biscuiteer Book of Iced Biscuits and cut them all the same size. They cooked quickly and had a lovely colour. I sampled the less-than-perfect ones which tasted pretty yummy. After they had cooled I prepared the royal icing, drawing a line…

  • baking - handmade - Lego - Pinned it made it

    Lego cupcakes

    June 9, 2012 - By 

    Time again for the PinAddicts Pinterest Challenge. The idea is to choose something from your Pinterest boards to create and link up each month. We’re having a bit of a Lego obsession at the moment so I thought I would try some Lego cupcakes inspired by a photo on my Pinterest Lego Love board. Follow Jenny Makes’s board Lego love! on Pinterest. My version is a lot simpler! My sister and niece are staying this weekend so I wanted something that looked good but didn’t take too long so I used ready made cupcakes and Renshaw’s Limited Edition Great British…

  • baking - crafts - handmade - London - Royal crafts

    A card fit for a Queen

    June 5, 2012 - By 

    One of my favourite press cuttings, yes I’m old, is of me and my school friends with a card we made and sent to Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer when they got married in 1981. Hey, we got our picture in the paper, my first taste of ‘fame’! Also in the family archive is a photograph of me and my sister sitting on the front wall of our old house. The wall had been painted for the Queen’s Jubilee in 1977 and my mum had stuck a poster up in the front window for the Royal Wedding. We were…

  • crafts - handmade - sewing

    Cross stitch pendant

    June 4, 2012 - By 

    I’ve seen a couple of cross stitch pendants and thought they looked fun to stitch. The only place I could find them was from the workroom, a Canadian sewing shop, so I duly ordered a couple and waited for them to arrive. I was really pleased with the laser cut cross stitch pendants, both wooden, one with a scalloped edge and one circular, which measure just over 2″.   I wanted to stitch something to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee so I found some free Jubilee motifs from CrossStitcher. The motifs included a union flag (which I stitched for the God…

  • easy jubilee biscuits
    baking - handmade

    How to decorate Union Jack biscuits

    May 22, 2012 - By 

    I’ve been having a bit of a bake-fest lately. The Jubilee has been inspiring me in lots of ways – sewing, baking, and even a letter to the Queen! Our holiday coincides with the Jubilee weekend so I’ve been making some treats we can all enjoy to get us in the mood. I thought some patriotic biscuits would be nice so made biscuits using the easiest biscuit recipe from my new Biscuiteers book. The biscuits are lovely with just the right crunchy texture and taste. I made a mixture of shapes, some crowns, flags and hearts. I decorated them using…

  • handmade - London

    Banksy with Bunting in Wood Green High Road

    May 18, 2012 - By 

    Yesterday I received an email from my mum, asking if I’d seen the latest Banksy which had apparently appeared on the wall of our local Poundland overnight. I instantly googled to find out more, inwardly cursing the fact she knew what was happening in my own neighbourhood before me! We went down to take a look as it’s not every day modern art appears on the doorstep! The graffiti has been stencilled on the side wall of the shop just off Wood Green High Road. It features a small child at a sewing machine making bunting, some plastic union jack…

  • baking - crafts - Dunelm Mill Blogger - handmade - sewing

    Home furnishings and more

    May 17, 2012 - By 

    A while ago I was contacted about becoming a product tester for Dunelm Mill, the home wares and interiors company with stores across the UK. There are two stores within easy reach of where we live in London but you can also see their extensive range online and there really is something for everyone! They sent me a couple of items to review and I love both of them. Firstly, a craft book from the very talented Melly & Me: Sewn Toy Tales. Based on an Australian blog I’ve read for years, this book contains 12 fun characters to make…