Monday, December 30, 2013

Instagram December

Instagram December

All the best bits from my Instagram in December. 

 




1. This December I finished a great book - The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. I wish I had more time to read, this book took quite a long time for me to finish as I only read it on my commute to work. 
2. Buying night out at work, cocktails and delicious Thai food.
3. Winning the bauble competition at work for my Christmas pud. 
4. Fortune Cookie - 'The time is right to follow your dreams'.
5. Paper doll pop out LOL characters - Not designed by myself just built.
6. Watching White Christmas and wrapping gifts.
7. Stocking full of goodies from my parents.
8. Beautifully Illustrated board games from Santa (Tom).


View my best bits from Instagram November here and October here. 
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Friday, December 27, 2013

Reet Sweet Treats

Reet Sweet Treats

The other weekend I managed to visit the Reetsweet Fair in the Corn Exchange Leeds. I've been to a couple of the events before and managed to find some great gifts for others as well as myself. 

During the last event I picked up a beautiful mug from The Art Salon as a leaving present for a colleague.


The second item I bought was a gift for myself, a lovely art print from mcdonough and davies.



Some other great makers were there and you can view the full list with all shopping/website links here.

The Reetsweet fair is a great way for artists and crafters with unique items to meet with their customers, and a great way for customers to meet them also.
You can join the Reetsweet email newsletter to get email updates of any future planned events.
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

D.I.Y. CHRISTMAS... Crackers

D.I.Y. CHRISTMAS... Crackers


This year I found these great D.I.Y. Christmas Cracker kits in Wilkinsons. 
Inside the kits you get the cracker shell, bangers (already attached to the cracker shell), hats, jokes and motto, and straw ties for each side of the cracker. A pack of 6 all for only £3.00 - Bargain. 
I saw them in three colours but they may have been available in more, Silver, Gold and Brown Paper or card. I went for the brown as it matched my wrapping paper the most and gave the cracker a more handmade feel. 


Inside my crackers besides the hat, joke and motto, I added a couple of chocolate coins and a handmade tree decorations. My decorations include robins, Christmas trees, gingerbread man and stocking. All were lovingly hand sewn made from felt, stuffing, beads, buttons and ribbon. 



I think these will be a nice surprise for our dinner table at Christmas, and a definite purchase for next year.


Merry Christmas - Hope you are all having a wonderful Day!
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Monday, December 23, 2013

D.I.Y. CHRISTMAS... Wreath

D.I.Y. CHRISTMAS... Wreath


Last Christmas I made this cute little wreath for inside the house. 
The plain straw wreath is from Ikea and I have added a collection of baubles in various sizes red and silver, and silver painted pine cones. I think this is a really simple style of wreath that quickly adds a Christmas theme to any room. 

To make :
Initially I added a large red ribbon to hang and display the wreath.
To attach all the baubles and pine cones I used fishing wire to hide all the ties and attachments and tied them all to the red ribbon. 

Simple as that. 
Merry Christmas!
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Friday, December 20, 2013

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Gosh Christmas has come quickly this year, and it's just around the corner now.
At the weekend I managed to get our home looking all Christmassy. 


I love our skinny tree, that doesn't take up a lot of room. 


This is the third or fourth year where we have had a silver and red theme. For next Christmas I want a tree filled with nothing but handmade decorations. (I did want it last Christmas though, and didn't get round to it). 


I wonder if Moby remembers last Christmas, visiting my family home, and being sick under the tree?!



Merry Christmas!
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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

D.I.Y. CHRISTMAS ... Decoration

D.I.Y. CHRISTMAS ... Decoration


Last week I made this DIY Christmas decoration. There was a competition at work to help raise money for Save the Children we were all given a polystyrene ball and asked to decorate it for a Christmas bauble. 

I decided to make a Christmas Pudding, far from an original idea but a classic theme for a Christmas bauble. 
The things you will need to make your own Christmas Pudding bauble are:


A Polystyrene Ball
Coloured felt in brown, white, red and dark green. (I bought the single sheets in A4 size around 50p each).
Fabric Scissors
Small Beads (I have brown and white)
Large beads for the berries
Coloured threads to match the felt
Pins
Hand Sewing Needle
A small piece of ribbon


STEP 1. Firstly I cut out a rough square of the brown felt, enough to cover over half of the ball. I pinned this in place on the ball, folding over the edges to make it as smooth as possible. Once I was happy with the shape, I pinned the felt in place but made sure to keep it detached from the ball. I could then remove the felt shell and hand sew it into the round shape. Whilst hand sewing the shape I added the brown beads to the outside.

STEP 2. Tack the ribbon to the top of the bauble or use glue if you find it hard to attach. 

STEP 3. Adding the white lid to the top of the pudding. This is very similar to the first step, I pinned on my white rough square and then cut it to make it look a little wobbly and like sauce. Make sure you cut a slit in the top of this white layer so you can loop the ribbon through the top. This white layer was just tacked onto the ball, tacking onto the brown layer every inch around the edge of the ball. Once attached I then added white beads to the outside.

STEP 4. Cut out your holly leaves, I used 4 leaves in my design, and tack these to the top of the bauble by the ribbon. 

STEP 5. Cut out three small circles for your berry beads to sit on to add a little more colour impact. Then tack these in place on top of the leaves and add your large red berry beads. 

You're finished.

I think in total this took me about 1 1/2 hours, but I completed mine over a couple of nights whilst watching television. There was stiff competition from my colleagues with such designs like a hot air balloon, and a fifi lapin inspired bunny. Luckily I won the first prize. 


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New colours and patterns

New colours and patterns

I've photographed some of my recent purchases that include great colours and pattern combinations. 
Hope you like them. 


1. A cute flamingo repeat print I picked up at the Reetsweet craft fair at the Corn-Exchange Leeds.
2. A thin (Tshirt material) snood scarf, printed bunnies with geek style glasses.


3 & 4. Yumi tops with girly prints


5. Yumi printed dress. 60's style clocks and space theme.
6. Dorothy Perkins skirt. Faded burgundy design. 


7. Primark high geometric printed mini skirt.
8. Rimmel 60sec nail varnish. Shade little bo peep.


9. Primark menswear. Printed dinosaur tshirt on a faded purple background.
10. Hotel Chocolat goodies. Raspberry Riot.


11. Paperchase wrapping paper. I love the paperchase sales, it's a great time to pick up wrapping paper.
12. Primark menswear. Woodland theme socks.
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