Sunday 25 April 2010

Felt Tulip Garland

Finally finshed a project that has been on my bedside table for a while, a pretty felt tulip garland!

To make your own: Pick your felt colours, I used three layers of felt for each flower, sealing them together with bondaweb before cutting out the flower shapes. I only had enough felt for 4 leaf shapes, but you could do more. Once cut use embroidery thread to sew through the flowers, as they are layered you can hide the thread easily. Tie a small knot and start from the bottom, stitching each shape once at the top to hold it in place. I added small wooden beads for decoration and to help keep the flowers in place. At the top make a loop, hang up and enjoy!





My 'Greenhouse'

Sorry about the massively long post! I took some (ok lots) of photos of my plants that have currently taken over my house. They seem to have the lounge all to themselves now and have moved into the spare room and sewing room too.

Here's a pretty gherkin spiral to kick things off...


So, this is the lounge, with tomatoes, chillis, gherkins, spring onions, parsely, sage and strawberries on the windowsill. On the table in the middle there are some massive courgettes and far too many aubergines (15, anyone want one??).


Also hiding in the lounge there is red and normal basil...


...and some beetroots, which are starting to form tubers, v exciting.


The strawberries are already starting to crop which is fun, and we have a small courgette going, I hope it stays yellow they always taste more fun!



Here's my pretty beetroots:


I also have some red peppers (just germinated) and some string beans trying to spout whilst being warmed by the fishtank.


Some of my supermarket garlic was spouting so I potted it up too.


Then in the sewing room we have cucumbers, with beautiful yellow tenderills, and an onion (which I thought was off but we planted for an experiment) doing ok in the middle. I also have some gifted radishes from a friend, but the cucumbers are swamping them a bit so might need to move them.


The spare room also has sugarsnap peas and mange tout as well as baby corn and carrots.


I really like the corn, has to be the prettiest after the gherkins I think!

I also have some things outside but enough is enough for now! Back soon with crafts but work is very busy so I am a bit behind on the creative stakes.

Monday 19 April 2010

Mini Truck Pincushion

I had a go at using the truck I bought yesterday to make a tiny pincushion, it turned out quite cool I think! For instructions on a larger one have a look at this post on 'Just Something I Made'.



I have linked the little truck up to Sew Dang Cute's Link-Party, check out the other entrants below


UPDATE: I have sold the truck! This is my first sale so very exciting, hopefully there will be a few more when I finally sort out Etsy and the local craft fairs!

Sunday 18 April 2010

Car Boot Haul (yet again)

It's the last day of my holiday (sob) but I thought I should spend it well and went to the carboot armed with £12, of which I still came back with £1! The fancy wrapping paper was a find in Crawley with a friend but all the rest of the fab stuff is from the boot of Farnborough folks cars. I also found some cool freecycle goodies but the current owners are yet to get back to me (keeping my fingers crossed).


I want to use the truck to make a fun pincushion, a little like those seen on 'Just Something I Made' which I have totally fallen in love with. I had to resist the urge to buy a whole bag of trucks, I also got lots of cool fabric, a new beautiful mixing bowl and some snazzy china teacups!



Surprise in the Post

What is that on the table next to my flowers?

Lets have a closer look...

Oh wow it's a pot from The Crazo Gecko!

Oh cool it's made from a food tin!

I have to have a go at making those!



x x THANK YOU x x
If you want to make your own check out this tutorial: Funky Felt Tins @ The Crazy Gecko

Friday 16 April 2010

Garden in the Sun

Just a few more sunny garden pictures to celebrate my fast ending Easter holiday, 2 more days of relaxing and making and good company to go, fingers crossed for good weather!




Floral Bag for Auntie Laura

I made another Buttercup Bag (see Made by Rae for the pattern) this time as a birthday gift for my partner's Auntie Laura. Everytime I make one it gets quicker and easier, and you only need 2 fat quaters of fabric, genius!

Custom Front Notebooks

I was shopping with my brother when I went to visit last week and we were admiring some plain front notebooks which you could draw your own cover on! Instead of buying I decided to make some for him with squared, lined and plain pages. The front was thick card cut 2mm wider than the paper pages on all edges, I then stapled them shut and used bias binding and superglue to make the seams, croc clipping them whilst they dried:


Here's the finished books in a little bag (trying to be pro, or just colourful)

I also used the gift giving excuse to make some Nigella Choc Cookies to take home too, they are simply the best chocolate thing ever and very easy!


For more ideas check out the link below:

Saturday 10 April 2010

Chair Makeover

I really wanted a couple more chairs for my kitchen table and I found the perfect 2 just round the corner for £10 on Ebay. I was not so keen on the colour so today I painted them red to make them a little more exciting!



I also found this old pinny that really reminded me of some fab fabric I had seen in a Cath Kidston book (see below) which has some amazing ideas for different prints.






Here is the paint:


And here are the finished chairs! The coveres are reversible, so on side is retro and one side is 'cockaleeky' print!






For more ideas check out the link below:

Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

Yet more tasty cakes from my new 'Eat Me' book, these are a little complicated to make yet so worth the effort, really tasty! You start by making a simple cupcake base with lemon juice and rind, half fill the cases (these ones are new from JOY in London), bake until just done and then make a dip in the middle and fill with lemon curd. Top with meringue and bake until done!