Do you like Mondays? I’m coming to the conclusion that I love them. There’s something comforting to me about the start of our weekly routine and my favourite weekly post. I finished my ticker tape doll quilt and it’s now hanging up on our quilt gallery wall. It only took me an hour to finish the binding so I’m mentally kicking myself that I let it sit around unfinished for so long. Somehow I have over twenty three thousand followers on Pinterest! I’m not sure how that happened but I’m happy as I love Pinterest and Instagram too. I find…
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September was a pretty busy month for making things. Aside from crafting with the children, which happens pretty much every day, there was also some baking with carrot cakes and a lovely Victoria sponge. There was the finishing off of WIPs and making a start on handmade gifts for Christmas so I thought I would write about my Monthly Makes. The month started with the London-themed ATC I made for a swap. I embroidered a London bus (from a pattern in Annela Hoey’s Little Stitches). I received a lovely ATC from my partner, she created a sandcastle and used a…
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So it’s only the second time I have written my Monday happy post but already it’s making me happy just thinking about what to write about. I’ve decided to pick 5 things which have made me happy over the last week but I could easily have written more: On Saturday we booked ourselves on a tour of the beautiful Red House, the only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, founder of the Arts & Crafts movement. He only lived in it for 5 years but it still retains some pieces of furniture, wall paintings and decorations that…
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You know by now that I love gingerbread, not just at Christmas but all year round. I’ve drawn up a little list of 10 of my favourite gingerbread foods to bake. We love making gingerbread men as much as anyone but some of these are just a little bit different and so much fun. 10 gingerbread foods to bake You can make gingerbread biscuits in any shape or size. I’ve been collecting vintage cookie cutters for years and my children love to rifle through the collection to choose their favourites. I have a never fail gingerbread recipe and sometimes the…
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I feel bad writing about Christmas but it’s my blog so I think I’m allowed. Christmas is fun, especially when you have two little children. They’ve been writing their Christmas lists for weeks which means we’ve all been thinking about it perhaps earlier than normal. I love crafting handmade gifts. Every year I say it but I never start early enough but this year I am going to have. As my family read my blog I can’t say too much but I’ve planned a few super cute projects from some of my favourite craft books. First of all I really…
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We love Lego and I’ve been looking for some ways to use it a little differently. What could be better than Lego in soap? Surely that could only encourage my potty training 2 year old to wash her hands! Lego soap dispenser materials: soap dispenser lego liquid soap How to make a lego soap dispenser First of all I let my 4 year old go through our Lego stash. I asked him to fill a container with green pieces but he was easily sidetracked! Eventually we had plenty of pieces to look at. He chose enough to half fill the…
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I was so excited to find a vintage card game recently as I’ve been on the look out for some vintage letter cards. This version of Kan-U-Go is stamped 41 Nov 1958 (that’s not a typo – it does say the 41st!). I think the game was a kind of precursor to scrabble, with cards instead of tiles. I had to struggle with my inner curator as this is the first time I’ve ever bought something with the idea of re-using a part of it for something else. I haven’t tried playing the game but the letters are perfect for…
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We made our own soy teacup candles! Yep, our final present related task. This was on my to-do list for ages. I think I first saw them in Vogue and thought they looked so simple yet pretty and practical. Ever since, I’ve been looking out for vintage teacups and china beakers. Equipment to make soy teacup candles: soy candle wax candle dye candle wick wick pins sustainers How to make Soy Teacup Candles: You don’t need much equipment to make them and I bought a great candle making kit from eBay which contained soy candle wax, candle dye, candle wick,…
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Tonight I am making the most random food stuff for Christmas – onion marmalade. It started off as an innocent conversation with my mother the other day. It ended tonight in me peeling 10 large onions and making marmalade for the first (and probably last time). I’m not sure how our jars of homemade marmalade will be received as Christmas gifts. I might stock up on some jars of sweets just in case. I’ve seen some lovely jars of fizzy gummies, white snowies, cola cubes and jelly babies which will go down very well. I’m hoping to have some time…
