Holidays are Coming

Hi All! Sorry about my lack of posting recently. Our house has been overrun with plumbers and plasterers and tools and plasterboard and grout and tiles. I no longer have a craft room because it is full of bathroom furniture so crafts have been off the cards for a little while. On the plus side we are slowly making progress with our new bathroom and more importantly...Christmas is coming! I am getting the Christmas feeling already. Our christmas tree will be going up at the weekend and I have plenty of Christmas markets to attend. I have done most of my shopping and the presents are already wrapped (although I can't attach the bows yet as they are my cats favourite and come Christmas Day they would all be underneath the sofa). Here is a quick peak at last years tree...

Yes, it's white, undeniably kitsch and nothing matches. It is tradition that I buy one new bauble every year and (as of last year) craft one bauble of my own. It is only quite a small tree because we lived in quite a small flat but I think it might soon be time to branch out (see what I did there?) and buy a bigger one.

The loveliest niece a girl could have

My sister will absolutely kill me for putting this particular photo up, but it shows off her Winston Churchill cheeks perfectly. This is my lovely little niece Emma. Every time I see her she seems to be getting bigger and learning something new. She makes us all very proud.

(I think she was a bit tired when I took this photo, she is usually very smiley!)

Thrifty Finds

1. 1960s faux fur coat from a local charity shop - £5
2. My new vintage hat, my boyfriend says that I look like a train driver in it (excuse my face!)
3. My lovely mum bought me this as a present. When we finally get around to decorating our living room this will take pride of place on the hearth. I love the scallop pattern!
4. I picked this up in a charity shop for £1.50, I am not entirely sure what it's original purpose was but I plan to use it in our new bathroom.
5. 1960s layered velvet dress, my favourite part of this dress is actually the back which has a lovely bow at the top of the zip - £6
6. Another lovely 1960s coat with faux fur collar from a local charity shop - £5
7. 4 cute multi-coloured jars. I think these will look lovely with candles in as a table decoration for special occasions. These were on sale in Urban Outfitters for £2 each.

Kitty Quilt

While browing Craftgawker, I spotted this absolutely fabulous kitty quilt and fell in love, I knew instantly that it would be my next quilt project. Isn't it lovely? Found at The Dapper Toad, the instructions are available at Mer Mag.

Printing Christmas Trees

I wanted to have a go at printing my own wrapping paper this year, this was my first trial run. It's really easy to do, I just bought some foam sheets, cut out a Christmas tree shape, mounted it on a square of polystyrene and then painted it before printing it on to a roll of brown parcel paper. I used black paint, but I think I might try using ink pads to see if it gives a better finish. It's not perfect, but I still quite like the overall look.

I love Boston Terriers and French Bulldogs. Well basically any dog that has ears too big for its body. Unfortunately because me and my boyfriend both work full time, it would be unfair to have a dog and leave it alone at home all day. So... as I can't have one of my very own, here are is a rundown of my favourite boston terrier and french bulldog accessories.

1. French Bulldog Cardigan

2. Ella the Dog Lamp

3. Boston Terrier Scarf 

4. Ted Baker French Bulldog Necklace

5. Ella the Dog Mug

6. Ted Baker French Bulldog Makeup Bag

7. French Bulldog iPhone Case

8. Urban Outfitters French Bulldog Cushion

9. Me and Zena Lil' Bill French Bulldog Ring

10. Canine Companion Bookends

current loves...



found here

found here

found here

found here

Cute Catnip Birdie

Today I decided to take a break from quilting to make something for my rather lovely cat, Lol. She has been watching over me while I craft so I thought she might appreciate a little present. I combined a couple of her favourite things in life - catnip and bird watching -  and came up with this cute little toy that's really simple and quick to make. The great thing about it is that you can make it as easy or as complicated as you like and your furry friend will love it just as much. 

Things You Will Need:

1. Cat Nip
2. Scissors
3. Embroidery Skeins
4. Needles
5. Sheets of Felt
6. Filling

If your cat is anything like mine, she will want to try and help you make this. Unfortunately my room looked like a catnip bomb had exploded after my kitty got involved, so maybe complete this project in a room with a door that you can close.

Step One:

Decide on your pattern and cut out a paper stencil. Draw around this stencil on to a folded piece of felt.

Step Two: 

Cut out the pattern. You should then be left with two identical shapes.

Step Three: 

For my toy I decided that I wanted to use different coloured felt to add some layers to the bird. I cut out a wing, plumage, and head and repeated step one and two.

Step Four:

Using a simple running stitch I sewed the layers of felt on to the bird shape, avoiding sewing the outer edges. You can repeat this process on both sides of your bird.

Step 5:

Using a back stitch I sewed together the two sides of the bird shape. I left a fairly large gap to allow me to fill the bird with stuffing and catnip.

Step 6:

I filled the bird with catnip, it is really up to you how much you would like to use, but my cat is a big fan so I put quite a lot in. Then stuff the bird using the filling. Try not to over stuff it as it makes it difficult to sew up.

Step 7:

Sew up the gap using the same back stitch. Take a black thread and tie a number of knots in the end and cut off the excess. Sew all the way through the toy and knot again on the other side, cutting off the excess. Voila! Your birdie is finished.

My cat loved her new toy, she sniffed it, rolled around with it, chewed it and then fell asleep with it, which I am taking as a compliment. 

It's a hard life!

If you don't have a cat of your own - how about skipping the catnip and adding some ribbon to make a cute christmas tree decoration? Or make a few and attach them to a hoop for an adorable mobile?


NB: Make sure you keep your kitty safe, supervise them when playing with the toy and make sure you replace it if it gets torn or the stitches come loose.

Countryside

I love the fact that living in Sheffield, you are never too far away from the countryside. The route to Manchester over the Snake's Pass is one of my favourite drives, and so on the way to see Bon Iver we decided to stop and take some photos. Despite the fog and rain it still looks beautiful. 

Ladybower Reservoir

Bon Iver Day

I have been looking forward to today for months, I am driving to Manchester to go and see Bon Iver! If you haven't heard Justin Vernon's music, then I would absolutely recommend having a listen.

And who doesn't love a man with a cat?

Brighten up your Autumn

1. Louche Dot Jumper 

2. Ted Baker Ophele Top

3. George Scallop Coat

4. Lomography Diana F+ Dreamer Camera

5. Gold Arrow Bracelet

6. Louche Rajaa Dress

7. Pink Cambridge Satchel

8. Green Baby Lapin Lamp

Here in England it's beginning to look and feel a lot like Winter. The temperature has dropped and the days are getting dark by about 5pm. For that reason I thought I would cheer myself up with a bit of colour and baby pinks and blues are my favourite. Enjoy!

Quilting SOS

I have been trying to crack on with my half square triangle quilt. Has anyone ever made one of these before? As a first attempt I am finding it to be incredibly frustrating! I spent a long time cutting out perfect 5" squares, only to find that when I had sewn them together and opened out the two sides the square was all wonky again. I have therefore had to trim them down to 4" squares and go back to the cutting board as I had nowhere near enough. Does anyone have any handy tips on how to avoid this, or is it just an inevitability? Thankfully I am not alone as my sister has been having similar difficulties, you can read about it here.

I have just cast my votes for the Blogger's Quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. All of the quilts are gorgeous, some people are so talented!

 

Coming along nicely...

Now back to the cutting board to make more squares.

Bathroom Inspiration

On Sunday work gets underway on our brand new bathroom. We have three bedrooms in the house but are transforming the smallest in to a bathroom. It's part of our masterplan to eventually expand our teeny tiny kitchen by knocking through in to the downstairs bathroom. I love the Victorian subway tile look, here is my inspiration...

Source

Source

Source

Source: Unknown

Noticing a theme? I love the crisp white tiles with the black and white honeycomb tile floors. Unfortunately the flooring is a bit out of our price range and I am a bit unsure what else might look nice. Does anyone have an a good alternative? Maybe a slate or black tiled floor? I would love to see the result!

My Crafty Corner

Today I finally finished my Minnie Vintage room with my very own desk. I purchased this 1970's dressing table from eBay for £30 and my lovely boyfriend went all the way to Doncaster to collect it for me. In honour of the occasion I have spent all evening working away at my quilt. I had a minor set back with said quilt when I discovered that my lovely boyfriend had accidentally thrown away the bag containing all of the pieces that I had cut and sewn together so I have had to start from scratch. It was a little heartbreaking but I have made good progress on the quilt mark two! Now all I need is some nice artwork for that bare white wall.

• Desk (vintage from eBay) £30
• Lamp B&Q - £14.98
• Chair (gifted by my sister)
• Rug Ikea - £50
• Pen holder (vintage Hornsea coffee jar from charity shop) - £2
• Welcome sign Dunelm Mill - £2.99
• Turquoise paint B&Q Colours Clear Ocean £17.98