Thursday 2 April 2015

Pretty projects and a crafty March - A month in pictures


March - A month in pictures - A Handmade Cottage


March. It's been an incredibly crafty month in AHC headquarters, and I can't believe how quickly time passes. The trees were so bare, yet so quickly life blooms. This has been a busy month on the blog, with some lovely guest posts, and since Easter is coming up I've been sharing some fab quick and easy Easter craft projects! Now I'm looking forward to some time with my family -  it's good to have some time to put the feet up and over indulge in choccie bunnies and hot cross buns. Hubby's birthday is also coming up, which is one my favourite days of the year! (after Christmas and my own birthday of course ... you know how I feel about my birthday) but I love his birthday more, since it's the day he came into the world and changed mine (grab your buckets by all means, but it's true!) But back to crafty business, here's a glimpse of the funsies I've enjoyed this month ....

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Tuesday 31 March 2015

How to make: Easter egg spring bunting


Easter egg spring bunting - Noolibird stamp


I love any excuse to decorate my house in a festive manner, and I love bringing the outside in as you know.  So this week I made some Easter spring bunting with the Noolibird 'folk egg' stamp. However you needn't use a stamp for this project if you don't have time, as it would work just as well with mis-matching floral fabric.You may have seen my previous ravings about Noolibird stamps, and I assure you I'm not getting paid to promote these stamps, I just love the detail and workmanship that goes into them ... they're just so pretty! So if you'd like to get festive 'Easter-stylie' here is how I made this pretty little string of easter bunting. Use it on the fireplace or string it around a flower arrangement as I have done - and once made, you can bring it out year after year ...

Difficulty rating: Easy
Skills needed: None, some sewing but could glue / peg instead.
Time: 2 / 3 hours.
Kiddy friendly: Absolutely
Dog friendly: Probably not.

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Thursday 26 March 2015

Easter spring flower table display - in 10 minutes!


Hello my little Easter bunnies! Easter is around the corner - So I thought I'd get a little festive and throw together a couple of super quick and easy flower displays. Like most people, I don't have the time to make anything extravagant so the following displays won't take you longer than 10 minutes to make, but they look beautifully festive and oh so pretty - in fact, such a pretty display would also be ideal for a spring wedding! Let's get started, by cracking open the choccy eggs ... 



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Friday 20 March 2015

Vintage crate furniture ideas!


I love crates. I've found them to be the most useful piece of furniture since sliced bread, as they are just so versatile. I realise that my ancestors will be looking over me now exclaiming 'but it's just an old wooden crate!' and miggins next door thinks it just looks like I haven't got around to buying furniture yet BUT, I care not, I love my crates. They're useful, practical and full of rustic charm!


Vintage crate furniture ideas

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Thursday 12 March 2015

How to make a singer sewing machine dining table - with BBC correspondent Natalie Pirks



How to make a singer sewing machine table


I have a special treat for you today my crafty ones - today I'd like to welcome my good friend Natalie Pirks; BBC sports correspondent. Some of you may recognise Natalie from the BBC, where she can often be seen covering big sporting events and interviewing the likes of David Beckham (such pirks indeed!) but I'll admit, I don't often see Natalie on the telly myself because a) I don't have a telly and  b) I still shudder when I see a playing field because it reminds me of sports day at school ... in fact that was probably the last time I ran. But there is no doubt Natalie is an huge inspiration to many women, because aside from being a successful journalist she is also a wife and mother and unbeknown to me, a crafter! Today she is going to tell us a bit about her crafty ways, and tell us how she made this most beautiful Singer sewing machine dining table. In her own words "I love me some arts and crafts!" 


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Friday 6 March 2015

Builders tea with a cinnamon stick




I love tea, and I drink far too much of it. You just can't beat a good cup of strong-but-milky builders tea. Miggins next door is always telling me off for making hers too strong ... "Just show it the tea bag gal, don't stew it for gawd sake!" So when a friend of mine (who is of Greek origin) recently told me to go ahead and drop half a stick of cinnamon into my tea, I told her she'd lost her tiny mind. She insisted it's very popular in Greece and said people also like to add cloves to the mix! So I humoured her, and dropped half a stick into my tea - well oh my days, it transformed my plain ole cup of tea ... it was like trying on silky pants after years of old scratchy cotton briefs! I'm not sure there's any turning back now. Not only does it give tea a sweet exotic kick, cinnamon also has fantastic health benefits. It can lower bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels, it has anti fungal, anti clotting properties, and can reduce the proliferation of leukaemia and lymphoma cancer cells, and it can also eliminate headaches and migraines. But before you start chomping into it like a mars bar be aware it is toxic in large doses, but 'a little a day will keep the doctor away' - according to Miggins.

JM x



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Tuesday 3 March 2015

February - A month in pictures


February. It's been a busy month and I've spent a lot of time deep in thought. I seem to have many plates spinning; craft, music, work, and I often struggle to find balance and end up getting a little overwhelmed. Sometimes I daydream of moving to a little hobbit house in the middle of nowhere with no electricity or running water, where I can live off the land like stig of the dump. Do you ever feel like that? could you do it? I think I could. Though I'd miss blogging, and Mrs Miggins, and I'd have to have a little TV so I can watch 'Upstairs downstairs' and 'Wind in the willows' ... and a dishwasher perhaps??




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Thursday 26 February 2015

Cockney Snowdrops & a delightful walk in Much Hadham, Hertfordshire


Well this weekend, our little trio headed out for a walk in Much Hadham, in Hertfordshire. It's one of our most favourite walks and includes woodland, tracks and arable farm land. I hadn't planned to take any photos on this particular day, as when you're a blogger you often find yourself living life through a lens, so I try to leave it behind now and again and just use my own eyes, but on this particular day I happened to have my iphone with me (turned to aeroplane mode of course!) and I snapped a few moments. This was our day of four seasons .... 


Much Hadham woodland - photograph by A Handmade Cottage


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Thursday 12 February 2015

Embellished heart art - with Noolibird stamp



Today I'd like to show you how to make a beautiful, intricate piece of art which is really easy to make, you just need basic sewing skills. Basically, if you can thread a needle you can do this. This took me an evening, with one eye on 'Call the midwife' and it was really fun to make. The stamp, is called you and me and is designed and handmade by Nula, from Noolibird. You might recognise it as I used a smaller version in my how to make a simple rustic card for Valentines last year. I love this stamp, it's just so pretty and I find it incredibly useful as it suits every occasions. It's also ideal as a wedding gift, or for wedding craft, for making invites, the table plan, thank you cards, labels etc Now I plan on using this stamp for making gifts, such as artwork, lavender cushions, bunting and who know what else. All of which I'll share of course, starting with today. This is how I created some simple, yet beautiful art for the wall ... I might even make one for Mrs Miggins next door.



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Wednesday 4 February 2015

A cosy cornish hideaway - Mellinzeath farmhouse, Cornwall.


Rustic cottage in Cornwall - Review of Mellinzeath Farmhouse, Helford



My dear readers. I almost didn't want to share this cottage with you because I wanted to keep it all to myself, and soon you'll see why. This is Mellinzeath Farmhouse, in Helford in Cornwall. I think this cottage is the most beautiful and idyllic place I have ever stayed. Both the cottage, and the surroundings are extraordinary. But before you get booking, you should know this cottage is not for the fainthearted ... this is a back to basic cottage, there is no central heating, there may be cobwebs and there are (supposedly) bats living in the bathroom. This cottage is a step back in time and that's what makes this such a remarkable place ....

Where is it: Cornwall
Weekly Price from: £333
Pets: Welcome of course!
Sleeps: 4 




 Mellinzeath Farmhouse. Photography by A Handmade Cottage

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