Flower Cupcake Cases

I am always looking for quirky items, which have a vintage feel, and when I spotted these gorgeous cupcake cases and toppers in a Sunday paper magazine article, I had to get them.

They are from a company based in London, producing the most amazing designs on paper items.

I made these chocolate cupcakes, from my favourite chocolate cake recipe (which need no measurements!).

With butter frosting for the top and using my new steel piping tool (which I love) piped the icing on the top of the cupcakes.

We all ate them after school and in the spirit of high tea, made a cuppa with my Mothers Present teacup from Portmerion.

One day I would love to go to London and have a 'proper' high tea, in one of the fancy hotels. I dream of strawberry macaroons, and salmon sandwiches, with my own 3 tier plate in front of me, filled with delights!

Have a great weekend

Bxx

Pretty Ribbon Pouch Sewing Tutorial

These Pretty ribbon pouches are perfect for the beginner sewer and a great craft project to do with a young child who is starting to sew. You only need a few centimetres of fabric and the pattern can easily be adapted to make bigger or smaller pouches. What is also great about this project is that you can machine or hand sew the pouches. I opted to machine sew these, as I had only a short time to make them.

I used all my spare pieces of fabric, including the fabric I received in a recent fabric swap.

We used these pouches for Easter presents for our family and friends, filling them with mini Easter eggs and shredded paper. They could equally be used for party bags, hair bands, rings, little toy figures, sweets etc.

What you will need:

1. Fabric

2.Ribbon

3. Sewing thread

Instructions

1. Measure and cut fabric (approximately 10cm by 20cm)

2. Sew a 3cm hem at the top of the long side of the fabric

3. Machine or Hand sew the hem

4. Fold the fabric in half (wrong sides showing) and sew around the edges.

5.Turn the bag right side out. 

6. Measure your ribbon along the top of the pouch and double it. Thread the ribbon with a safety pin through the hem at the top of the pouch. Tie a knot at the end of the ribbon. Or alternately hand sew a button at the end of the ribbon, tying them together.

5. Fill the pouch with goodies.

I hope that makes sense!

When I made these pouches over the Easter period, I had my girl and her two friends helping me. As they say many hands, make light work! We enjoyed giving the pouches away to our friends and family, and I made two extra ones for my two to keep for themselves.

Bxx

Just in the nick of time!

Wow betide what a fantastic surprise I saw in my email box this morning! I have had a lovely message from Sally at The MAD blog awards, to say that I have been nominated for the Best MAD craft blog! Whoopee! That is the one of the most amazing fantastic blog news I have received. I feel absolutely chuffed that I have been nominated, so thank you,thank you,thank you to whoever nominated me!

                                                          



The slightly downside on my behalf is the closing date to vote is tomorrow at 5pm. I may have left it too late, and I have kicked myself for not being 'on the ball', but just the fact that I have been nominated is enough for me!

So here is where you can help me!? If you read this before Easter Monday at 5pm, and want to vote for me, here is the link.


Good luck to my fellow bloggers who have also been nominated in the MAD awards - Cross fingers to every one!

Bxx

Holiday Thrifting in Hampshire

Last week we went to Hampshire for a few days break, and whilst shopping in the local town, I spied not one but four charity shops! This to a thrifter is like bees to a honey pot and I was jumping for joy. It was lovely to go to different charity shops for a change and see what thrifty gems on show down in the South Coast.

One shop was so big it had three different sections for furniture, clothes and any other items (crockery,toys,CDs,books) I only had a limited time in the shops as I was conscious of having my OH and two children with me, and I didn't want to bore them!

I found this pretty little Japanese dish, it has a flower garden scene with blues and reds running through it, it was only 75p and I am using it as a soap dish in the bathroom.

I have admired tureens from afar and have always fancied one to display roasted potatoes, or vegetables in and present it on the dining room table. So when I saw this beauty for £4.50, I couldn't resist it.

The gilding around the edge it gold and blue and the pretty handles are very regal!

And finally this cute gold rimmed rose bowl stood out, I love the pink colours and brought it for £2.00

I have it on my dressing table, with my day to day jewelery inside it.

Bonus as well as it was made locally from a Devon company called Braunton Studio Ceramics

I adore thrifting and cannot wait for the car boot sales to start soon in my area, more thrifty gems,bargains galore, treasures delight to be found!  I am linking in here at Liz's Magpie Monday and here at Sophie's Flea market finds for this weeks thrifty finds.

                                                                         Bxx

Silent Sunday

Fabric wreath and Fabric Swap Delights

Having a whole 10 days off paid work has been so great, in that I have finally found the time to start crafting and sewing again. I wanted to make something with a wire wreath. At Christmas I went a bit mad and brought a bulk order of twelve wire wreaths and only used 4 of them! I decided to make a fabric wreath,
 I had seen a similar wreath on the fabulous sewing blog Flossie teacakes showcased here on the Saints and Pinners blog. It shows instructions on how to make one (if you fancy it) NB: If you need a wire wreath send me a message and I will post you one!

They really are are so easy to make, and a great way to use up all your fabric scraps, if you do not have spare fabric, you could use an old pillow case or an old baby cot sheet. My two children loved cutting the fabric and tying them around the wire wreath.

You can be as neat or slap dash as you like with the arrangement of the fabric!

I have the wreath up above hanging on the window in my sewing/dining room.

I also received my first ever fabric swap in the post, organised by the lovely Very Berry handmade. Basically you are linked up to another swap partner and they send you fabric and you send someone else some fabric. It felt like Christmas when I opened up the parcel, and seeing all the lovely delights inside.

Inside were some beautiful crochet ribbon, and some very cute Easter egg ribbon.

Some gorgeous spring fabric, including this sweet strawberry fabric.

And this pile of lovely oranges and red fabrics. I think I am going to make some Easter egg pouches for my family and the children.

They were all given to me by the lovely Izabela over at Isamo Crochet 

Thank you very much!

NB: Very Berry Handmade are now doing a Spring scrap swap, here is the link if you fancy joining in!

Bxx

A bit if this and a bit of that.

So it has not gone un-noticed (by me) my lack of blogging over the last few weeks. No excuses, my laptop has not broken, I have not been working more, I haven't been out partying, nor come down with a nasty bug. Just a bit of this and a bit of that. So what have we been doing?

                                                           We have been kite flying

                               
           A windy afternoon, with our birthday kites touching the top of the trees and even the clouds

The local national trust gardens, with the children getting very excited over the Monkey tree. 'Look Mum'!

 
We watching lovingly as DD made her first hand sewn heart purse. How tempted was I too (take over) join in. She was so proud! (and so was I)

           We planted these beautiful spring pink and white primroses in pots, for the patio garden.

                                        And these beautiful vibrant purple and white flowers.

And I got these for Mothers Day (seems a long time ago now!) I must replace them soon, before they bend downwards and perish.

Just a snippet of the last few weeks, enjoying the sunshine and the children and catching up on TV and living our life's. But as they say absence makes the heart grow fonder.
I have also found some beauties whilst on holiday in Hampshire for my next thrifty bargains, I have also agreed to make a pillowcase dress for charity for the lovely sew scrumptious and I have been re organising my cupboards.
I am really looking forward to catching up on all my favourite blogs. Sorry for the absence!

Bxx