• Cath Kidston press preview
    Cath Kidston - competition - homestyle

    Cath Kidston Autumn Winter collection and a giveaway

    August 6, 2016 - By 

    For me one of the best things about being a blogger is the chance to work with some of my favourite brands. I’ve worked with Cath Kidston a few times now and was so excited to receive an invitation to their Autumn Winter 2016 Press Preview. I really enjoy press shows. I only go to a few of the brands I really love and I can’t wait to see their new collections before anyone else. The Cath Kidston Autumn Winter collection preview took place in a lovely venue just off Bond Street. On a very warm day earlier this summer…

  • Ikea chocolate biscuits
    Christmas - homestyle

    Learning the art of tablescaping with Ikea

    July 30, 2016 - By 

    On what felt like the hottest night of the year so far I was given a late pass to head into Soho for a fabulous evening with Ikea. I’ve always loved Ikea and every room in our house has something from there. I love the clean lines, contemporary Swedish design, and of course, excellent value for money. I joined some other fantastic creative bloggers and were shown to the top floor of a gorgeous old building. It was decorated for Christmas which I admit did feel slightly odd given the warm weather. But soon the Christmassy smells got me in…

  • crafting on the floor
    homestyle

    Why there’s no need to cry over spilt milk again

    July 28, 2016 - By 

    As a mum of two young children I have an ongoing battle to keep our house clean and tidy. Our current house has wooden floors in the living areas which makes it nice and easy to keep clean. Whilst the children are young we have invested in a few rugs to both muffle the sound of their noisy toys on the floor and to also give them something nice and soft to sit on. Thinking about it, we ask quite a lot from our poor old rug! They know they are not to have any drinks or snacks on our…

  • felt circle bunting
    crafts - die cutting - homestyle - sewing - Sizzix crafts

    Red white and blue felt circle bunting

    July 25, 2016 - By 

    There seen to be lots of things going on at the moment which I feel quite patriotic about. Andy Murray winning at Wimbledon for the second time, Chris Froome becoming Britain’s first three-time winner of the Tour de France, and hopefully lots of British success at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio next month. So I thought it was good time to share a quick and easy tutorial for my red white and blue circle bunting. I used a Sizzix die and machine to do all the hard work for me, but this could easily be done by hand. How…

  • blogging - days out - homestyle

    Hell Yes and thoughts on Blogtacular {Part III}

    July 22, 2016 - By 

    Last month I treated myself to 24 hours away from my family to attend the annual Blogtacular conference in London. I can’t really explain why I booked a ticket for this year. Looking back at the previous year, I enjoyed myself, took some notes, but nothing really changed for me. I had some ideas on how I wanted to improve my blog and my Etsy shop, but they either weren’t exciting enough to make me do them, or didn’t seem that important. Roll on 12 months and I found myself sitting in a room surrounded by creative types again. I…

  • decorating with Annie Sloan stencil and chalk paint
    homestyle - interiors - upcycling

    Adding detail with Annie Sloan stencils

    July 15, 2016 - By 

    This week I booked my tickets to The Handmade Fair. I went last year with my sister and we had a brilliant day out so I can’t wait for it this year. Last year I tried some new crafts but also went shopping! We’re both big fans of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints and there was quite a big Annie Sloan stand where I picked up some pots of paint as well as a stencil. My sister and Annie Sloan! I had read a lot about the stencils and really wanted one to finish off a little project. Years ago we…

  • Orla Kiely covered mini chest of drawers
    crafts - homestyle - Orla Kiely - tutorial - upcycling

    Ikea hack – Orla Kiely mini chest of drawers

    June 29, 2016 - By 

    I’m sure everyone has the Moppe mini chest of drawers from Ikea. It’s not cheap but we’ve had ours for years as they are perfect for storing my smaller sewing notions. The only problem I have with things from Ikea, is that everyone has them, so I love to add a personal touch. As an Orla Kiely fan I knew they would look amazing covered with my favourite stem paper, so that’s what I did! image from Ikea I love quick and easy DIY projects but I have to admit – this isn’t one of them. The easy option was…

  • Personalised blackboard labels
    crafts - die cutting - homestyle - Sizzix crafts

    Personalised chalkboard labels

    June 3, 2016 - By 

    I love to personalise items around the house and today I’m sharing a tutorial for these personalised chalkboard labels. We’re trying to help our children save for our next holiday by filling these glass jars with our loose change. I’m hoping that once the money has been taken out they will fill them with souvenirs from our holiday. You can find the tutorial over on the Sizzix blog. Sizzix Thinlits Die Set 28PK – Delicate Letters (661040) You may be interested in my other Sizzix makes: Embellished oversized peg craft  Father’s Day Rosette Simple dream catcher tote bag Easy felt flamingo…

  • trampoline fun
    homestyle

    Springing into May with Outdoors Toys

    May 5, 2016 - By 

    The children love spending time outdoors. Our small garden is home to their mud kitchen, sand pit, water table and little flower patches. A few years ago we were given a second hand trampoline which they loved, especially my 4 year old. We were kindly offered a brand new Rebo UK Ltd trampoline from Outdoor Toys to review. The trampoline is available in pink and blue, in sizes 4.5ft and 7ft. We chose the 7ft trampoline in blue. It arrived in a really slim box, I was quite surprised that it contained everything we needed to build the trampoline and enclosure. We…