Homemade christmas...

Now that Christmas is over for another year, I can show you the couple of christmas presents that I made for the Mr...

I'm well chuffed with how they turned out and he was very happy with them too so, go me!

Making daisy chains...

Traditionally something more likely to be done in the summer, making daisy chains is something that I did when I was little and still happily sit and do on sunny days.

Another use for the daisy when I was little at least, was to find out if my young love would last, "He loves me, he loves me not..." I don't know why it's only daisies that have been used to reveal this information, if you know, please tell me. This cushion combines both these daisy traditions...

I'm super proud of how this turned out as it took me an age to embroider each petal, but to me, it's definitely worth it.

Paris, I Love You xx

Everybody has somewhere that they love, and or me Paris is that place. This may seem a bit strange seeing as I have only spent two weeks there in my entire 24 years, but there's just something about Paris that captured my heart. And that is pretty much the reasoning behind this cushion.

And here's a little close up of the writing... Roughly translated it means "I love you forever and ever."

A beautiful new discovery for me

When I'm not making things myself, I love looking at the beautiful creations other people have come up with. One site I have stumbled upon is countrybumpkinsgifts.co.uk. I would love to buy some...ok most, of the cute little home accessories on this site.

But my absolute favourite little piece on this site has to be this...

The adorable sign just makes me smile and I really really really want it. Maybe if Santa doesn't bring it to me for christmas, I will treat myself...or there's always my birthday :-)

Pretty polka dots and sparkly cupcakes

This is a little gifty I made for my friend Hilary's birthday. I found the template for the cupcake on the lovely blog homemade by jill.

After realising a plain background wasn't really going to make the cushion look anything special, or particularly exciting, I rumaged through my million and one draws of scraps of fabric and found the very cute and fitting pink and white polka dot fabric. If it looks familar, it maybe because you remember this?

In my humble opinion, I think it works really well with the cupcake and actually think the Union Jack looks very sweet!

I love the whole cupcake phenomenon that's happening at the moment, and I'm super proud of my interpretation of the trend...and Hilary was pretty happy with her present, so everyone's a winner.

Red Roses...

When I lived in Chester, one of my absolute favourite ways to pass the day when I wasn't working was hunting around charity shops for goodies. And if it wasn't me finding little treasures, it was little miss Celia bringing fab treats back to the hostel.

Four years on, I FINALLY moved all of my stuff out of my parents house, and one of the coolest things I discovered was a little flower stencil book...something I think Celia brought me in Chester. I think I am unable to ever throw anything away...which I think is sometimes a pretty good thing.

So I decided to put the Rose stencil to good use and make this cushion cover...

I am actually pretty proud of this little cover! I think it's almost a bit christmassy...and I just love the pattern. Plus I liked trying out a different technique using fabric paint, rather than my usual felt and applique designs.

This was a really simple little project that has turned out pretty gosh darn perfect...to me :-)

A little taste of America...

In February Paul told me what he wanted for his birthday....tickets to see the San Francisco 49ers vs the Denver Broncos at Wembley. Yesterday, after waiting all those months for Hallowe'en to finally arrive, we headed off to London.

I can't say I've ever been interested in American Football, so I was a little bit nervous about spending three hours watching some big ass men chase a ball around a field!

Walking out of the tube station, Wembley stadium came right into view, the 49ers and the Broncos images plastered onto the front and we became part of a MASSIVE crowd walking up towards the stadium.

This game had been built up to be the Superbowl of the UK, and once we arrived I was definitely excited...I can't say I was expecting that!

My Chemical Romance provided the pre-game entertainment, complete with Niners Noise (the 49ers drummers) and The Gold Rush (the cheerleaders) dancing and drumming their little hearts out.

Then there were fireworks and flames and flags all warming up the crowd...all 83,941 of us! Then Michelle Williams (the er, lesser known girl from Destiny's Child) took to the stage to sing the American anthem, followed by Jeff Beck strumming God Save The Queen on his guitar...and then it was game on!

The game itself is confusing, especially if you've never seen it before in your life. What seemed like every five minutes, play would stop as the cheerleaders did a bit more cheering, or an advert was blasted out on the big screens. What's even more confusing is the fact that the ball is tiny! Well too small to actually see when there are men tackling each other when they don't even have the ball! Eesh!

Even when I tried to watch the game on the big screen, I was still lost, but I waved my flag when instructed, jumped up and down for the mexican wave, shouted DE-FENCE and cheered and whooped when the 49ers got a touchdown. I even got excited when the Broncos scored a touchdown (much to disapointment of Paul) but, like I said, I was clueless and if somebody scored, well who was I not to cheer them on?

Having this little taste of American Football was definitely an experience I enjoyed even though it wasn't what I expected. I can't say I'm now a fan, but hey, it was a once in a lifetime thing and I can at least say I tried it.

Flower print and fruit...

Once upon a time I sewed a piece of felt in the shape of an apple on to one of my tops. I thought it was pretty cool which is why I decided to create a cushion in the same style.

This cushion actually started life as a dress, but I love the pattern and wanted to create something new from it when wearing it wasn't an option anymore.

I've stuck with applique for the leaf, like I've said before, I just love that folky style! And I just really wanted to use a really bold print and contrast it with something plain(ish) but I do love a bit of bright colour, and I think the apple is perfect.

Blue skies and sparkly clouds...

There's something about the sky and the clouds that are so relaxing. Well when the sky is blue and the clouds are fluffy anyway.

So that's why I decided to make this little cushion, a little piece of blue sky in the house.

And to add a little sparkle to the felt, I just used a little bit of glittery fabric paint.

Polka dot and felt flowers...

So here is the first of many cushions. All it took was a little bit of cotton then some little felt flowers and leaves with a couple buttons for the centre (I do love buttons!)

Polka dot cotton and felt flowers

I love adding detail to shapes using embroidery thread, I think it give them a pretty folky style

Lets start at the beginning...

The idea board

So here's what my brain looks like at the minute, all ideas, colours, fabrics and the likes. Within the coming months, they will turn into real cushion covers...Hooray!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside...Bournemouth baby!!

This summer saw me take my first ever trip to Bournemouth. Sitting on the beach, burning to a crisp (yay sunshine!) was a fab way to spend a day. Living a million miles away from the beach means that any trips to the seaside are always a novelty, like when you're a kid.And having taken two munchkins with us, there was the traditional seaside fun like burying eachother in the sand, a sandcastle building competition and swimming in the FREEZING sea...though we left that to the kids as, well, like I said, the sea was freezing!

My favourite thing about the seaside is the cute little beach huts, and I loved these ones, especially looking out over the sea. So pretty.

I think we will be taking another trip to Bournemouth next year.

Life in Laaandon!!

Travelling through London on the underground is definately an experience. Commuters take on the persona of rats, scurrying about and dodging each other as they zigzag across foyers to reach the escalators.

Business people in their dark suits run around with fashion victims with their builders boots and geek chic glasses. Occassionally there is a break in the uniform. A man with a red bucket full of his window cleaning kit stands at the platform edge among the suits, a couple stop for a kiss as the world rushes past them.

At the minute, I am spending a lot of time in London, Soho to be exact, and one of the best things about London is all the pretty places to sit down and take in the world away from the busy (and I mean ridiculously busy!) streets.

The main feature of Soho Square is a small tudor style cottage where Snow White would be quite at home.

Two multicoloured elephants sit at opposite ends of the square. It's wicked to see something so funky and colourful.

Sitting in the square I watched a woman do three laps with her massive dog (which to me looked more like a pony!), a Japanese woman sits on a bench looking as if she is waiting for something, staring in to space. The next bench is being used as a bed by a man tucked up in his tartan blanket.

Three others sit in the corner of the square sharing a bottle of wine. 9am, that's a perfectly reasonable time to start drinking...right?

The bench I'm sitting on has a small plaque that reads:

"A King returns to the square
Florence Alice King 1917- 2004
Born and bred in Theatre Land
All the world's a stage and we are merely players."

Usually I find these plaques a bit pointless, but this one seems sincere and beautifully sentimental. It could be my soft spot for Shakespeare, or maybe just that whoever wrote this dedication put some genuine thought in to it.

So this is where I will be spending some of my time for the next few weeks. Hopefully I will make it out of the park and explore the area a little bit more, but for now I am happy just sitting in the sunshine taking in London town.

Dunstable: Sunshine and Buttercups

Having recently moved back home after a three year stint at uni, it's nice to explore my home town of Dunstable with somewhat fresh eyes. Relive experiences I had when I was younger, picnics with my family and lazy summer days with my boyfriend.

I can't say I have always (or ever) loved Dunstable, however a little bit of sunshine made me see it differently. The Downs (or the up and downs as the kids call them) is a lovely little area to spend an afternoon chilling out, flying kites...well trying, and taking in my little surroundings.

On days when the sun comes out, it's a really pretty place to escape the boarded up shop fronts and smile at the sight of a million and one buttercups.

Oh Chester, how I've missed you!

Back in 2006, before I moved even further north to the 'Lizzle, I worked for the best part of a year in the Chester YHA.

The YHA has since closed, and I hadn't been back since I left, so getting to take a little day trip to the place where I discovered the wonders of charity shops and dancing all night was fabulous!

You know the feeling you get when you haven't seen somebody you love for a while, excited bubbles in your belly? That's how I felt as my train rumbled into Chester station.

Wandering up City Road, it all started to come back to me..."Oh I remember having a drink there" and "Awww, that's where Celia drunkenly dropped her purse and scattered the contents all over the road.." (Yes, I also discovered the art of drinking here).


Once in the city, I can see that thankfully, not a lot has changed. There are a couple of new shops, but it's still the same old place it was.The black and white buildings that are a symbol of Chester still house modern clothes shops, the Clock Tower still looks over the city , the only thing missing today is the roaring Roman Centurian.

A man shouts "BIG ISSUE! THIS WEEK'S BIG ISSUE!" at passers by as they go about their business.

After rumaging around the million charity shops that the tiny city centre has, and a little mooch around the new vintage shop where a woman talks about the wonders of having a tortoise and how great it is to have a pet for 50 years, I take a little stroll down to the river.

It seems so far away from the busy centre, so calm and peaceful. Fat pigeons waddle about scavenging for food, only to find the occassional cigarette butt.

Being back in the place where I spent many happy a day bargain hunting, chilling in the sunshine by the river and generally having a great time definately made me smile.

"Oh Chester, how I've missed you!"

Small town's scheme makes a big difference

Most of you won’t have heard of Todmorden, but buried away in this small, yet busy market town in West Yorkshire a revolution has taken place. The town of Todmorden launched the Incredible Edible scheme, growing their own fruit and vegetables to highlight the importance of local produce.

Two years ago, after an inspiring visit to a conference, Pam Warhurst sat in her friend Mary Clear’s kitchen and told her that they needed to change the way they thought about where their food came from.

The scheme initially began with a seed swap, during which time residents grew vegetables in their own gardens. It then grew with the local council essentially selling areas of land to people for £10 which led to edible produce being planted around the town.


Today, after involvement with the local primary care trust, fruit such as rhubarb and cranberries can be found growing outside the station and the health centre.

A previously unused patch of land has now been prepared to grow vegetables after positive talks with Network Rail. The vegetables will be planted by local volunteers, and once the vegetables start growing, anybody can pick and enjoy them.

Walking through Todmorden, I can see why the scheme has worked so well. Todmorden seems like a very tight community. People are standing and chatting to each other, greeting everybody who passes them with an “Ah-riiight” in their thick Yorkshire accent, an accent that even comes through in the one piece of graffiti by the canal. A poster asking “What sort of dog owner are you?” has gained the response “Reet Fluffy!” in neat letters underneath.

Inside the Market Hall, stalls sell a variety of products, from craft supplies to meat. The market butcher proudly displays a sign that all the meat is from his own farm. The “local products for local people” school of thought is evident throughout the town, with independent shops, such as the butcher, the grocers and the general store dominating the High Street, rather than chain stores.


After the original success of Incredible Edible, a new Every Egg Matters campaign was launched last spring. Residents are encouraged to keep free range hens to provide eggs for their families and sell any extra eggs to neighbours and other members of the community.

In an article in the local paper, the Todmorden News, Beryl Tyrer explains “People are a bit nervous about starting with hens, but if you have a garden or a bit of land and you get prepared before they arrive, they are quite easy to keep.”

The Incredible Edible scheme has been a great success for Todmorden, in terms of producing local food. It has also inspired other areas of the UK to follow in their footsteps with schemes now up and running in York, London and Ramsbottom, and there is also interest from Switzerland to introduce a similar scheme there.

The scheme has been in effect for a while now, so what does the future hold? Team member Estelle Brown says “Incredible Edible is still expanding and being planned, that never ends. It kind of grows organically just like the fruit, vegetables and hens.”

Snowdrop searching in Kircudbright

I’m sure this year everybody has had enough of snow. Snowdrops on the other hand are very pretty and don’t bring the country to a stand still. February marks the beginning of the snowdrop festival in Scotland, and many attractions celebrate the bloom of this tiny white flower by opening their garden gates to the public.

Broughton House, in the small fishing town of Kirkcudbright is one of a number of places to celebrate the snowdrop. The tiny garden has a small number of the wintery flower in it, as well as a fat, one eyed cat called Oscar.

I have to say that unfortunately, festival was over selling it a bit; however, Kirkcudbright is a very sweet and quaint little place.

The alley way that leads to Broughton House’s garden also leads to a small harbour where a number of small boats bob around in the water. The landscape for a part is picture perfect, but a slight move to the right unveils an area that is a little less picturesque.

The town itself, once the small number of school children have dispersed is quiet, but not dull. Around every corner there seems to be another alleyway, often leading to somebody’s home.

Although I have to say I was disappointed at the lack of snowdrops, the two hours I spent wandering around Kirkcudbright were not wasted.

Vintage fun in a cosy Carlisle cafe

Tucked away on Abbey Street away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre is a cosy cafe called Foxes Cafe Lounge.

On Tuesday night, Foxes played host to the Vintage Tea Party, where guys and girls could browse brooches, bags and some particularly Jackie O-esque sunglasses while sipping on hot chocolate, coffee and cocktails.

Many saw it as an oportunity to showcase their penchant for clothing of days gone by, dressing in an apropriate uniform, from bold prints to prom dresses. The shared affection that everybody had for their surroundings created a relaxed and chatty atmosphere.

Foxes has a bohemian look whatever day of the week, but Tuesday, it was transformed with tea light candles lighting up the room from within vintage china teacups, scarves hung across the ceiling to form fabric bunting and handmade cupcakes creating an even more homely feel.

All of a sudden the place grew in volume, both in sound and people. Cosy armchairs became our escape from the eager shoppers, and although some people may not find the 'sardine in a tin' feel I had when trying to negotiate a path around the three tables covered in vintage goodies, the sheer excitement at spotting a small polka dot butterfly pot meat that even having my toes trodden on multiple times didn't matter.