My Royal Wedding Fever!

Its been so busy in our house this week I haven't really got into the Royal Wedding build up thats been in all the media.  I've been aware thats its been going on but cant say I've kept up on it and had to get my sister to explain the whole "kiss on the balcony" thing that everyones been talking about.

However, I did want to watch it as I felt it was a once in a lifetime thing.  Oh how much did I enjoy it!??  Im a romantic at heart and loved every minute of the build up, the talk of Kate's dress, watching the guests arrive, the actual wedding itself then waited while they waved (and waved and waved) on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the infamous kiss. 

Im a bit disappointed in myself that I've done nothing crafty to mark the occasion and a million ideas have gone through my head of things I could have done.  So, instead, I've looked through Folksy and picked out my favourite things people have made to mark the special occasion.

Printable Wedding Cake Toppers By PaperParty

 

 

Royal Wedding Postcards By Claryce Designs

Royal Wedding Felt Heart Brooch By Landbaby

Royal Wedding Bunting By Nellie Dean

Hope you've enjoyed the day!

x x

Easter Weekend - Part 2!

As you may or may not have read (definitely posted it on twitter) Bank Holiday Monday was a bit exciting for me as it was my second ever craft fair.  I had a stall at the Bank Holiday Gift and Craft Fair at Abergavenny Market.  Didnt know what to expect as I've been to the market but never a craft fair there.  Plus the weather was beautiful so would people turn up?  Or would they be heading to the beach?

So, with my mum and Oldest Petal there to give moral support/help me with my "shop" we set off to Abergavenny at quite an early hour for a Bank Holiday!  Turns out, it was a really busy day and I did really well!  It was slow to start with and I got the wobbles a bit "Am I doing the right thing?  Do people like what I've made?  Am I smiling at people and being friendly enough?"  All these were questions that ran through my mind as people started coming in an hour or so after it started.

My first customer was a very lovely lady that I've met through Twitter!  Judy lives not far from the market and had said she would try and pop down, which she did and it was so lovely to have the support of a fellow crafter.  Another lady popped down too with her lovely little girl, again someone I've met through Twitter.  Thank you Janet!

All in all it was a successful day - had orders for more name banners and sold quite a few of these...

 
They are little aliens!  There are loads of these on the internet but these are my take on them - you put your tooth in their mouth when it falls out and magically, its replaced with a coin in the morning!  It occurred to me that there wasn't much for boys on my stall so here they are - and they proved very popular with little boys!  I only took eight along with me in different colours and these are the two I brought home (Oldest Petal was getting quite worried at one stage as she had her eye on the pink one!).  I do like looking at them, they make me laugh!

I've also come up with new flavour cupcakes!

Lemon and Mint Choc Chip!  I took these with me and managed to sew them at the fair.  I think they're cute though, these two are magnets that will be going in a set for my Folksy shop. 


I cant for the life of me get the photos of my stall off my BlackBerry.  Will get my I.T. guy (aka my husband!) onto it later and hopefully post them soon.

Thanks for reading! x x

Easter Weekend - Part 1!

We've really had such a fab Easter weekend that I felt the need to write about it in two parts!!  Sunday was not only Easter Sunday but Littlest Petals 1st Birthday!!  To say I cant believe she's a year old is an understatement, I really dont understand where the last 12 months have gone.  We had a party with a few of our friends at our house on Saturday and everyone had a lovely time.  It helped that the weather was so lovely as we were all able to go out in the garden for (not our first) barbecue (we do love a barbecue at our house!).

But remember the pile of pretty felt and ribbons that I won?  It was turned into this!

Easter Egg Party Favours!

I made Easter egg decorations for the kids party bags as party favours and each one had the childs initial on the back!  As Littlest Petals birthday was also Easter Sunday, I couldnt let her have a party without an Easter theme, so we had Easter cupcakes, easter party favours and an easter egg hunt.  Plus all the kids took home Easter baskets with their party favours and a cupcake in.  I think they all had a good time!

Until next time x x

p.s. in part 2: my second craft fair and pictures of my stall

A Happy Sunny Sunday

Been a quiet weekend this weekend.  Been doing bits of sewing but I find with the hubby home at weekends, not as much gets done as during the week! 

I have been working on a few projects though and have sold a few easter chicks!  One via Folksy and a two through Facebook.  People must be decorating now that Easter is fast approaching.  I've seen on a few blogs, ideas for Easter trees and think this is such a lovely idea.  Now that Oldest Petal is on half term, I think we'll have a go at one this week.

Not got any finished projects to show (although hopefully I will VERY soon) but here is easter chick number one all packed up and ready to go.  Im still playing around with my packaging but I hope the buyer of this will be pleased with how it looks on arrival.  I also put a little note inside that matched the label saying "Thank you for your purchase, we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it!"

All packed up and ready to go in the envelope to be sent

I hope Easter Chick likes her new home (and her new home likes her!)

Until next time x x

Just a quick post from me....

Just a quick one from me today as Im exhausted after being up most of the night with Littlest Petal.  Not even sure why, dont think she's cutting teeth or anything, she was just wide awake from 2am-ish to 5am-ish.  Im not used to no sleep these days seeing as she has slept through from 8 weeks old (and she's nearly one).

Anyway, before my horrible nights sleep I spent three hours sorting and organising my sewing area (a.k.a. my dining room table and the draws I've bought next to it).  I couldnt shut my felt draw and my project box was overflowing with, well, all sorts of bits and pieces that didnt need to be there.  I hate it when things are a mess, makes my mind feel muddled.

So this is now my project box and the draws I keep everything in (a far cry from the whole workshop of stuff I hope to have one day)...

My project box.  Love the pink and white spots and pink lining!

My drawers with all my buttons, felts and threads

After getting ready for the fair last week my drawers were looking a mess so Im pleased I spent the time sorting them.

Now onto the sewing.  What have I been making?  Well nothing as yet but I have started my first project with my prize.

Can you tell what it is yet??!

Until next time x x

What An Exciting Day!

Apart from sewing til my fingers hurt this morning in an attempt to get everything finished and the headache that was threatening to ruin my first fair, today turned out to be a really good day!!

Firstly MY PRIZE ARRIVED!!  I have to write it in capitals because Im even more excited now that its arrived.  For those that dont remember, I won the freebie competition on the fab blog paper-and-string.  Oh how right was I to be excited, its the most amazing prize I could have won as Im so into ribbon at the moment (probably why I entered, but never dreamed I would win!).  Im itching to get at it and cant wait to show what I've made with it.  Im not going to be able to sleep tonight for ideas!

Secondly, the fair was amazing!!  Met some fantastic people, ate some gorgeous cupcakes and even made a few sales!  So all was good.  Lessons to be learned though?  Dont leave it so late to make stock!  I knew when this fair was months ago so why I left it so late, I will never know.  Just me I guess (note, must change that trait).

Here are a few photos of my stall and stock.....

My stall! All set out nicely 

 

 

My handmade banners and canvas on display

A selection of easter treats

More lovely things!

Came home with quite a bit but sold quite a bit too so Im happy.  Also handed out quite a few flyers to people interested in banners so who knows, they may keep me in mind for the future.  Hopefully, this is the first of many fairs I'll be attending as I loved it! 

So all in all, a really good day.  So tired now though (or should that be sew tired!....sorry).  Looking forward to thinking up things to do with my ribbon tomorrow.  Thanks again paper-and-string!!

Until next time x x 

Tuesday Musings - #2

Todays "musing" is going to be dedicated to my constant battle with, er, myself!  Those of you who have jobs, or who have children or maybe both, will know what Im talking about when I talk about the battle between stuff you know you should be doing and stuff you want to do!!  In my case, its the battle between I know I should be doing the housework, but actually my sewing box is calling me so I cant possibly do the houswork!

Now before I go on I would just like to point out that this argument is very much between me and me and not me and my husband.  He's not bothered what the house looks like to be fair as long as we are happy and healthy and his xbox is working!

Take today for example, Littlest Petal has a horrible cold and is really not feeling herself.  She's slept for about three hours today which is unheard of for her.  What have I done with the time??  Housework?  Sorted the ever growing mound of ironing in my bedroom?  Ummm, no, I've been sewing pretty things for my first craft fair on Thursday evening!  To be fair, I've got myself quite organised too, but the same cant be said for my house!  Maybe because Im a WAHM now, I not only notice it more, but feel I should have the time to it.  However I would like to point out that I have never worked so hard in all my life (my other business The Ironing Lady takes up a lot of my time too - grrrrr!). 

Someone once said to me that tiding the house with children in it is like shovelling snow when its snowing.  Too true!!

I moan about not doing my housework but Im not prepared to give up my sewing time to do anything about it!  Its too precious! 

So I will continue to live in a house more disorganised than I would like but at least my sanity will be intact as I will be at my dining room table, sewing.

Until next time x x

p.s. couldn't leave todays post without mentioning, I WON A COMPETITION!!!  I cannot tell you how amazed I am seeing as I literally, never win a thing.  Most of the time I dont bother entering for that reason but I entered on the amazing and inspiring blog paper-and-string.  Pictures to come when my prize arrives.  I CANT WAIT!

Weekend Projects and My Bit for the Royal Wedding!

 Ok so last night, in true unorganised mummy style, I found a letter in Oldest Petals bag saying that we have to MAKE a tiara for a garden party this Wednesday.  Now I knew the garden party was coming up but didnt realise it was this week and didnt realise it had to have a "Red, White and Blue" theme.  Make it easy for us why dont you??  For all those of you shouting or thinking "I'd have the perfect idea" I bow down to you, cos I'll be honest, I was stumped.  So after many hours of scratching, researching and frantically texting a few other mums, at 8.10am this morning, this is what was produced....

Oldest Petal with our "Garden Party Tiara"

 

 

 

Here we have card, foil, beads and pipe cleaners made into a passable tiara!  Oldest Petal liked it which is the main thing otherwise it would have been a very traumatic walk to school today!

In other news, we had guests come to stay this weekend so I didnt get much sewing done.  This in itself it causing me great panic as Im going to my very first craft fair this week!  I did a lot last week but keep thinking of new products I want to add.  So here's what I've done so far....

This, has been turned into...

this....

and this...

and this!

As you will probably see, theres cupcake brooches, pin cushions, hair clips, heart brooches in lots of lovely colours and a few lavender hearts. I've still got lots more to do with this pile, more photos later!

Until next time x x

Tuesday Musings - #1!

I thought that sounded quite good as a title!  Kind of got a ring to it and means that every tuesday Im going to put down a few of the things I've been mulling over whilst sewing/shopping/putting the girls to bed!  (my mind is mulling something over probably 90% of the time so this may take some time)

My thoughts this week have been mostly about where I want my little craft business to go.  I've looked through so many blogs lately and seen so many websites and been so inspired by nearly everything I've seen, its made me thing about the direction I want to take, how I want to progress things, what I want to do.

I would love love LOVE to have a workshop of my own.  This is probably not practical until Littlest Petal starts at nursery as it would involve spending time there during the day and Im guessing this could be quite detrimental to a nearly one year old!  Attached to this I would like a small gift shop that people could look round of not only my own handmade loveliness but that of others in my area (or not, but definitely from in the UK) and maybe a few tables and chairs so people can sit and have coffee and cake?  I know I would love a place like this!  However, my first aim would be to have a workshop so I can sew full time and give up the day/night job (the ironing is taking over my life at the moment!).

So for now, Im going to carry on attending the craft fairs and maybe start putting a little bit aside to plan for my dreams.

If anybody knows of anywhere like this, please do let me know!  I'd love to visit.

Until next time x x

My Crafty Little Miss and A Happy Mothers Day!

About two weeks ago, my Oldest Petal let slip (as four year olds tend to do) that in school they were making something for Mothers Day.  This being her first year in proper school (well, Reception) I wasnt expecting a lot, maybe a card they'd painted, or a picture they'd coloured.  So when Petal came home with this on friday and couldnt possibly wait to give it too me, I was so impressed! 

Its a little felt purse that holds a packet of tissues-genius!  Its also in felt, my favourite fabric and Petal made sure it was yellow cos thats my favourite colour.  The teacher has cut out the felt and punched holes in the side which Petal has threaded wool through to keep it together and then she's stuck velcro to close it and jewels on the outside to decorate.  Im very proud and think its fab that my Oldest Petal is turning out to be as crafty as her mummy!  I love crafting with my Oldest Petal, she's not quite able to sew yet but maybe Im wrong, maybe she can start with simple things like this.  If anyone has any tips for kids craft ideas, send them my way!

Im busy at the moment preparing for my first of two upcoming craft fairs, the first being on 14th April.  Im trying to put together stock so Im not rushing at the last minute cos I know what Im like. 

More photos to come this week of what I'll be taking to the craft fairs!

Until next time x x

I ♥ Cupcakes!

Since having my two gorgeous girlies (and being a girl myself!) I love all things pink and girly!  Even silly things make me happy like I can do a whole load of washing of entirely pink clothes!  Then there's Oldest Petals room that is completely pink from floor to ceiling.  Its no wonder then that a lot of my crafting ends up being for girls, girly or just in pink!

Lately, I've centered on cupcakes.  Not cooking but making from fabric and felt!  (my cooking skills aren't the best - unfortunately)  I dont know what it is about cupcakes but seeing a cupcake print or something with cupcakes on never fails to make me smile. 

Anyway, I've put together a few items I've made lately from my "Cupcake Collection", including my latest make, a needle book.  I decided, after loosing a needle in one of my living room cushions (dont ask) I need somewhere to keep them safe.  Let me know what you think!

Needle book I HAD to have!

From one of my cupcake banners

A pretty cupcake keyring

The finished product!  One of my recent cupcake banners

Add caption

Think Im going to put this as my screensaver as I love this picture!

I found these items on Folksy too, my favourite place to browse!

By Lou Bee

Pin Cushion by Mrs Moo Designs

I hope you've liked looking I've got lots more ideas for cupcake shaped crafty things so hopefully I'll get a chance over the weekend to make them!!

Until next time x x