Thursday 15 June 2017

Blake House Craft Centre - Essex




Last week my craft ladies and I headed to Blake House Craft Centre. I had visited briefly the weekend before with hubby and Ralphy, but upon seeing how gloriously crafty this place was, I knew I had to return with my crafty girlies so we could savour the vast array of fabrics, yarns and trinkets. It houses a variety of shops in original farmyard buildings and there is a lovely restaurant on site with ample indoor and outdoor seating should you need refreshment and a laze in the sun. It's a great place to take the kids too as there is also a 10 acre maze of ... wait for it ... MAIZE! It was drizzling the day we visited so we didn't visit the maze this time around but I'm sure it would have been amazing! See what I did there? :-) Here is a peek into the delights of Blake House Craft Centre ...

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Thursday 18 May 2017

Our Wedding cross stitch sampler & cross stitch table numbers / letters


Wedding cross stitch sampler


Hubby and I recently celebrated our 4th anniversary. As most of you know, we handmade a lot of the things that featured in our wedding - and one of my favourites was this Wedding Day Cross Stitch Sampler. I also used the same kit to create table numbers! (well letters, actually.) I had never cross-stitched anything in my life before making this so I admit it was a bit of a plunge into the deep end, but when I saw this beautiful kit from socreastitch I just had to make it. Cross stitch is a lot easier than you might think, and many kits are colour coded. That said, this one wasn't but if I can get the hang of it, anyone can. It was such a pleasure to make - and I still remember evenings spent stitch in front of the fire stitching while hubby designed invites. We had the sampler on display on the actual day and it now hangs in our bedroom as a reminder of our beautiful day. 




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Monday 8 May 2017

A romance with Rome, Italy




For hubby's birthday this year we packed our bags and headed to Rome for 5 days, and I have to say that it was one of our most memorable city breaks to date. If you haven't been to Rome, and you're contemplating whether it's worth the trip ... just do it. I can't recommend it highly enough, it is simply beautiful. The food is incredible, the locals are funny and warm, it is incredibly rich in culture and you'll find stunning scenery around every corner. Here's a little peek into our recent romance with Rome ... 

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Wednesday 26 April 2017

VIDEO - How to make a faded 'distressed' floral table top


So you may remember I posted a tutorial on how to create a faded 'distressed' floral table top using napkins and decoupage last year? well I also made a video for it as well and I have only just got around to uploading it! This has been one of my favourite projects to date, it's so pretty and affective ... I highly recommend giving it a go.




If you can't see the video above simply click here
Enjoy x
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Tuesday 4 April 2017

Month in pictures - March


Morning all. Well since I've had my head buried in work for most of this month my photos are few this month I'm afraid ... however I did really enjoy taking time out to research and write the piece on my real life heroes and my bedside makeover which you'll see in a mo. I've been very excited this week as Hubby and I are off to Rome later this week for 5 days! We're both in need of a break and I've never been to Italy before! So to get me in the mood I've been; digging out my summery chic dresses from the loft (It's all about the chic in Rome don't cha know!)  planning a detailed itinerary (with plenty of time for simply wandering-whilst-eating-gelato) brushing up on my Italian (OK so by that I mean hello, goodbye, excuse me and can I have a large vat of red wine please?) and I've been watching Rome-based films to get me in the mood (in fact I highly recommend the woody allen film To Rome With Love ... it's a lovely feel good comedy). If you've been to Rome and have any fabulous recommendations, tips or hidden gems then do share! In the meantime, here's our month in pictures.



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Tuesday 28 March 2017

A pretty pastel bedside makeover




As most of you know I've been having a clear out of late, and as a result I have to say I've been  enjoying my living space much more. I don't know about you, but one room that I often feel gets overlooked is the bedroom. Perhaps it's because visitors don't often venture into this space so we put our decorative energy into other areas of the home, but the bedroom really is one of the most important rooms in the house - not only do we spend a lot of time in this room but it has a direct affect on our mental and physical well being. If you do have difficulty sleeping you might find that creating a calm, peaceful and uncluttered environment makes the world of difference. After a good de-clutter I've given our boudoir and my bedside table some much needed TLC. Hubby's side needs more work however but small steps people, small steps :-)

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Wednesday 22 March 2017

Country cottage birdhouse in United States edition of Woman's Weekly Magazine




Do you remember the little cottage birdhouse I made readers? well it's gone stateside! This week it's being featured in Woman's World - The american weekly magazine! How exciting ... I hope the attention doesn't go to it's head :-) 



With the arrival of spring, if you fancy making this lovely project but you don't live in the US you can of course find the 'recipe' for this project here on the blog. I'll pop the link below. It's such a lovely spring project and can be simplified too. I love mine, I use it for ribbons and string.

JM x

DIY country cottage birdhouse




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Thursday 16 March 2017

My real life heroes + My mothers remarkable story and the Liverpool Blitz


Mothers Day is almost upon us, and with the recent celebration of International Women's Day I've been thinking a lot recently about the incredible women who are responsible for my being here on this earth. One of these women (my mother) I've been blessed enough to know, while the others, who are still very much a part of my tapestry, passed away long before my time. These women have an incredible story to tell which I'd like to share with you today. It is a sad but uplifting story which features three women from three generations, and whenever I find myself struggling to cope with whatever it is that life is throwing at me, I think of these women and I always find courage. The story begins in Liverpool in 1941 ....



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Wednesday 1 March 2017

A month in pictures - February



Well it's the end of february and little green shoots are poking their noses though in my garden and on my forest walks which can only mean one thing - SPRING! That said today was freezing so I shan't be changing the duvet and getting my flip flops down just yet, but just knowing it's around the corner is enough to put a zing in your step! I haven't been very crafty of late (though I have been in a knitting frenzy of sorts)  and I have been planning some lovely craft projects, which I'm really keen to get started on. In the meantime here's our month in pictures ...

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Wednesday 22 February 2017

My favourite little corner + my new Barker & Stonehouse industrial lamp


Barker and Stonehouse green vintage industrial lamp


I was recently asked where it is in my home that I choose to relax and unwind. My initial thoughts took me straight to the sofa, dog on lap in front of the fire ... but while I do relax and pass the time there in that cosy spot, the place I truly relax and feel at peace is when sitting in front of my sewing machine, in my craft room. My mind goes quiet there, and only ever there really. So for those that haven't visited my craft room, here's a glimpse at my favourite corner, plus I have a a recent new addition to show you - my Barker and Stonehouse green vintage industrial lamp! 


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