Utility China!

Before I start this post please let me apologise for my absence. In November I started a new job an i have been so busy that I haven't been able to craft let alone keep up my blog.

A friend of mine is on a mission, her sister is getting married and they have been furiously collecting tea cups for her big day. So far many of the cups have been floral and kitch but now they need something different.

I have suggested that they keep a look out for utility china. The pastel shades will fit in with the floral theme but will bring a different dimension to the overall look.

I love utility china, it has a wonderful retro feel, and the simplicity of it is wonderful. The colours are so in at the moment and I would love to have a set of my own.

So please keep a look out for this type of china and if you do see any in the Essex or Southampton area let me know!

Little Treat

These are some lovely little tea light holders that I got for my sister today :-)

Battlesbridge, Essex

Battlesbridge, in Essex, is home to the Battlesbridge Antiques and Craft Centre. Housing over 80 dealers selling antiques, crafts, also offering valuation services and s motorbike museum!

I went with some friends to have a look for some bits for a new flat, it is a treasure trove of wonderful finds. It is so quaint and the variety of items for sales is amazing.

To be honest I think I could have lived there!

Transforming Old Furniture

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine gave me a table that she didn't have a use for any more.

This lovely table was so cute I had to have it.

However, instead of leaving it as it was I decided to paint it as the wood didn't match that of the house I live in.

So I sanded it down and primed it, but now I need your help!

Apple White or Dusted Fondant?

Love Your Home

I find it very hard to believe that my partner and I have lived in our little rented house for seven months now!
Especially considering that since we moved in I have spent very little time trying to make it feel like it is ours.

So here is my attempt to make it feel a little more homely...

I bought these coasters for about £2 each from a lovely little trinket shop and I knew what I wanted to do with them straight away.

So I went to Ikea and got these Ribba frames for £7.19. These clean white frames were great to stick them in, and when I say stick I mean it! I had to sellotape them in as I didn't want to use hot glue and ruin them.

So next time you're out and see a trinket that you want then make it wall art!

Lovely Bunnies

Here are some lovely bunny related items that I have found online :)

This lovely necklace is by Four Beautiful Keys. It is handmade using sterling silver wire, and is yours for £32

These Bunnies with Attitude are amazing! These bunnies are made by Lonely Hearts and are £6 a hop. (get it ;))

And of course these bunnies are made by me :) stuffed with soft wadding and calming lavender, these 14cm bunnies are perfect as a sleepy soother for your child. completely handmade and yours for £6. 

How To Make A Memo Board

A while ago I made some lovely bunnies from the lovely book Everything Alice. 

In this post I will be showing you how to make the notice board (available to buy on my website) from the same book. In the book the notice board is heart shaped so I decided to simplify things by keeping it square.   

For this you will need:

• 2 sheets of white A2 mount board
• 1m x 50cm of 3cm thick wadding
• Hot glue gun and at least 5 sticks of glue
• 60cm x 60cm of fabric of your choice
• 5m of 5mm-wide ribbon
• 5mm buttons (you can use buttons that are bigger if you want) 
• 40cm garden wire (used yarn as i didn't have any wire hanging about) 

First cut all of you materials to the correct dimensions. (Remember these are only guidelines)

Lay your fabric face down with your doubled up wadding on top and you foam board on top of that. 

Now start gluing! Glue around the edge and hold until you feel the glue harden. 

Do this till you have made your way around the whole board. 

Make sure your corners are lovely and neat ;-)

When you have finished it should look something like this!

Now it is time to pin your ribbon into place ready for gluing. Make sure that each strip is evenly spaced with enough left over at either end to stick to the back. 

you should end up with a grid formation like this. this will allow you to place cards and pictures between the ribbons. 

Glue each strip at the back, holding in place until the glue is set. 

Now glue where the ribbons cross to the fabric and to each other. 

Just to make things look even prettier I stuck some buttons on top of where the ribbons crossed.

Instead of using garden wire, and to make thing look even more quaint, I decided to make the hanging loop from platted yarn. 

Not forgetting to add my label ;-)

Finally glue the second piece of foam board to the back (making things look neat). 

Remember if you feeling lazy you can always order your memo board from my website! Let me know the type of fabric that you would like.