OMG, how long have I been away from here?!

Well, doesn't time fly!

Oh dear, I have been neglecting this creative space for far too long.

Since I was last here I have been busy with journal commissions, which is great, and have just finished my first chipboard book for June 29, more of that date later.

I finally had my sewing day with my friend Sue, check out her Facebook page called Crafts by sue v. With Sue's help I, fairly successfully, managed to shorten Alfie's bedroom curtains. Following on from that I have finished altering a half-apron. I found it in a charity shop and  hope to wear it on June 29, again, more about that date later. I am chuffed to bits with it and I really hope to do some more sewing to add to my journals and craft projects. 

                                                    !!!!NEWS FLASH!!!!!!

Since I started working on this blog post I posted a picture of the finished apron and I have received an order to make one for a customer! OMG.

Now to baking. This has kind of taken a back seat recently, apart from making lemon drizzle cakes for a member of the family. However, PTA has asked for some baking contributions for the school Duck Race taking place this coming weekend so I will be getting those done on Saturday to help out with that.

Family wise I am very proud of my two boys as they have their first Mon on their red belts as Judo. Also, they are just starting Gymnastics on a Saturday morning and loving that; they break up for half term today so will have to sort out crafting time some how over the next ten days with the orders I have currently in my order book.

With Spring here, really, I am pleased to say that some of the bulbs I planted at the beginning of the year have started to some up.


I should point out here that I have some issue downloading pictures from my mobile so I plan to do a little album of things mentioned in this post, just as SOON as I get it sorted out! Please be patient and drop by in a couple of days.x

So, back to that date - June 29, and 30 - this is the next craft festival being run by Saddleworth Creative Network. I need to start planning items and projects for that. I have some new ideas for the food side and need to taste test them, soon! I think I may try and take a journal which is not quite finished so people have a little idea of how I put them together. I already have three finished plus a photograph album to take as part of my stock so I have made some kind of a start!

Well, I think I have rambled on for long enough to be caught up. I hope you will stop by again and take a look at the photos in a couple of days.xx

(I WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGISE FOR THE WHITE BACKGROUND ON SOME OF THE TEXT, I CANNOT SHIFT IT!)

Cake Club Chat Time!

Have you heard of the The Clandestine Cake Club?

I was invited to my first by my friend Carol from Dormouse and The Teapot. This lovely Sunday afternoon event was held at the photographic studio of Jude Gidney. It was lovely to meet friends old and new. As the name suggests, the venue for the event is a secret until a few day before so that is quite exciting. 

There is a theme and you bring along your cake to share with the other invited guests; what could be more lovely than the chance to make, take and share lovely home bakes?

With it being April, the theme was about trying to fool people into perhaps thinking your cake was something other than what it appeared to be at first sight.

Here is my offering, a courgette and maple syrup. Looking pretty much like a regular loaf cake but slightly more savoury than sweet and very delicious by all accounts, including my husband!

 Here are some more photos of the lovely goodies that were on offer!

What a lovely spread!

This was just lovely, Carol's French Cake (my favourite) with goat's cheese, prunes and pistachios. Yum!

Here is Sabine's Baumkuchen, delcious according to my husband.

Carol's husband, Andrew, more used to mixing it up in the garden baked his Trifle cake. Looking good Andrew!

 

Here we have Hazel's mock Spaghetti Bolognese cake, with yummy Ferrero Rocher meatballs! Plus a lovely semolina based cake and pashion fruit and orange squares.

 It was a a lovely event to be invited to and I look forward to my next clandestine gathering. why not visit their website and see if there is a club in your area, and if not set up your own!

Drop by again soon.xx

Digging for Victory at Pig Row.

I feel sure you have heard from me before about my friend Carol and her husband Andrew. They share their life with us via their fantastic blog, Life On Pig Row . They happily and knowledgeably dispense help and advice giving us all a peek into their world, "nestled on the high hills of the Yorkshire Moors" about gardening, growing your own and the good life, amongst other things.

 

Just now Carol and Andrew are working on a wonderfully interesting project as they are currently re-creating a wartime garden. 

Fantastic news is that there efforts have been featured on the gardening blog belonging to The Guardian newspaper. 

I am so very happy to share the link to the blog where you can read all about their wartime gardening efforts; you can see how they have been bringing back old time seeds and forgotten varieties to their garden.

Please visit their blog to find out about their endeavours! You cannot fail to be inspired or  just lovingly educated about gardening in times gone by when it helped to Make Do And Mend, Dig For Victory and we find that presently, with Carol and Andrew, fortune definitely favours the bold!

 

A good catch up - plus some yummy vintage finds!

Ok, it has been a while then!

The boys have been off school for a week and we have another to go. We have done some crafting, had some play outside now that the weather appears to be on the mend, they saw the Walking With Dinosaurs event in Manchester with the Gramps and we have our first playdate tomorrow when we will be making our own pizza for lunch with one of Harry's classmates.

As for creating and baking, I have had a fairly interesting time. My paper craft lovelies went on sale in Pink Chic Boutique in Calne, Wiltshire on March 30. I was contacted through Facebook by the owner of the shop and asked if I would be interested in selling my things on a sale or return basis. I said yes, of course, and duly sent off my box of goodies. I am currently waiting for an end-of-month report to see how sales have gone! Watch this space.

I also had a challenge on my hands. I was asked to create a Book of Shadows for a Paganist. I had to research symbols and meanings to make it special to the customer, and when she received it she was really very happy indeed - and here is a picture of the finished project.

Also, thanks to some recent networking the reach of my Facebook page has shot up and so have the number of people liking my page. When it comes to saying I 'like' somebody's page or not, I always really think about it. Just because they like what I do does not mean I am a fan of their work, so I am not at all bothered about returning a like just for the hell of it. 

Now, you do know that every now I come across a gem of an old item from either the shed or somewhere else in the family. Well, my father in law was having a tidy out at Great Gran's house recently as she has now gone into a retirement home. He came home with this and once cleaned up it should go very nicely on the back of the Spitfire. But, for now I will be using it as a display item for my craft festivals!

And I almost forgot he found this the other week, too. A vintage knitting stitch counter, cool huh? Only wish I was a knitter!

Today these two beauties arrived, a vintage C.W.S mustard tin with a fantastic image on the lid and also this fab material carpet bag. Both need a good clean - 

but then get a load of this little beauty? A Pye portable radio from the 1950's.

Well, I have enjoyed our little catch up but must dash as a few things to do before The Village starts at 9pm - don't you just love Maxine Peake and John Simm, local people to the area made very good indeed!

Catch you later! xx

Pinterestingly Addictive!

Pinterest is frequently described as the crack cocaine of the internet. It only take one pin and you're hooked; people have been know to lose days searching for pictures of pandas.

I admit at times to limiting how long I spend looking at pantry organisation. The problem with Pinterest is that pins of interest are originally shared so far back that you can get side-tracked by practically any subject searching for the blog or website from which it originated! I have felt like reaching for the Bach's Remedy on occasion because the stress of finding the initial architect of the the pin was so overwhelming. This is the time to stop, for a little while at least!

But there is a positive side to this addiction. I have come across the most wonderful pins such as a company who will reproduce an picture your child draws of an animal or beast of their imagination. Take a look at http://doodlesoftie.com where treasures can be kept forever.

Also I now know I suffer from only a mild form of OCD compared to when I see the lengths people go to in organising every aspect of their lives! However, I now have a Household Notebook don't know what I did without it, but that is another story entirely!

Let's Get Pretty Nostalgic - Pretty Gorgeous, too!

Only recently did I discover, where have you been, the wonderful publication that is Pretty Nostalgic. 

This is a simply delightful celebration of our past and reminds us to Make Do and Mend, Count Your Blessings, Waste Not Want Not and lots of other advice! The newest edition is now on sale in WH Smiths and independent stockists such as vintage retailers.
 

So, check out the website and you can also find them on Facebook here.

 
I have also bought a copy of a book they produced which is called "Home - Happy Days From Vintage Ways".  

As a paper crafter I have been using images from the book to help create some of my journal embellishments.  

It is like the most wonderful pack of 12 x 12 scrapbooking papers with inspiration that helps me create wonderful paper craft lovelies, and because it is so packed with gorgeousness it will last me an age!

This is my latest journal using extracts from this amazing book.

 Come on everybody, lets get Pretty Nostalgic!

Spring Craft Festival

Well, Saturday was my day at the SaddleworthCreativeNetwork Spring Craft Festival.

I had a great day catching up with friends and meeting some new ones, my cakes and bakes went very well and generally enjoyed myself.

Take a look at my table photos - I absolutely love laying out my table, it's half the fun of the day!

First outing for my new banner!

Made lemonade for the first time and Easter biscuits for the current season were very well received.

Coconut scones were quite popular, another first time product.

If I am honest I am pleased I did not sell all my paper craft items - this is because I now have a box of goodies on my craft table which, once added to, I will be posting out this week. 

The exciting news is that Paper Craft Junkie is about to be one of the suppliers of paper craft lovelies to a new shop opening up in the town of Calne in Wiltshire! Yes, it appears I have been head hunted - through Facebook! The shop is called Pink Chic Boutique and opens on March 30. I look forward to letting you know how I get on with people, hopefully, paying money for my handcrafted items is a shop setting!

For pictures of some of the stall there on Saturday check out my page at Paper Craft Junkie.

Catch you later.x