Christmas!

Busy busy busy round here with Christmas orders to make and post but realised I hadn't mentioned the most recent Christmas items added to my shop.

You can now buy mini hanging blocks for your tree, in two bright designs or a personalised version.

I also have a new set of Christmas cards featuring my nutcracker and angel illustrations.  Still time to buy before the big day!

There are a couple of new faces in the shop.  Meet Lily the rabbit and Odette the cat.  Lily is dressed in a vintage sheet skirt and Odette is a clown in pink stars.

Christmas is coming!

I try to be organised for Christmas every year, with plans to start Christmas shopping in September etc but somehow there is still so much to do last minute!

I have however managed to be quite organised with Christmas products in my shop this year.  In stock already are these Christmas themed mix and match blocks and they will soon be joined by mini block decorations.  I am also offering the bear and cat Christmas card again and am adding several new one of a kind soft toys.

And I have actually already made a Christmas cake so you never know, maybe I will be ready for Christmas this year!

Claude

Just a quick post to introduce Claude, the latest of my one of a kind handmade toys.  He is available to buy in my Etsy shop and you can read all about him here.

Baby blocks

I have just added a new product to my etsy shop.  It is a lovely set of four blocks spelling out 'baby'

They are currently available in pink or blue, and yellow should be available next week.

They feature sweet illustrations, painted patterns and hand drawn letters with soft colours.

Someone kept using them to build towers while I was trying to take photos!

They make lovely nursery decor or a gift for a new baby and come in a draw string calico bag.

September seaside party

So firstly I'd just like to say that anyone who manages to organise a party and take beautiful photos of all the details has my total admiration.  Despite months of forward planning I was still running round like a headless chicken the whole time during Bea's 4th birthday party.  So that's my disclaimer for the not so brilliant pictures, here they are!

We went through quite a lot of theme ideas from Bea before she decided (with persuasion - she had some pretty crazy ideas) on a seaside party.

I of course started looking for inspiration on Pinterest (my board is here) which is where I saw the idea for lolly invitations.

My husband made a lovely sprinkle number four to match the invitations and I sewed up some simple paper bunting.

Instead of lots of chaotic party games we set up a few activities for the kids.  We had Catch a sea creature (bath toys in a paddling pool to catch in a net) which was suprisingly popular, Get a glitter tattoo, and Make your own windmill.  We also had a colouring table with seaside themed pictures to colour in, and we did pass the parcel at Bea's special request!

After all the fun the food was served in yellow boxes with a lolly name sticker on each.  The food in there was pretty healthy, to make up for the jelly and ice cream and ice cream shaped cupcakes that came afterwards!

I was really pleased with how these looked, and apparently they didn't taste too bad either.

Loved these mini honeycomb decorations from Ikea.

While the kids were eating we served fish and chips (from a quick dash to the chip shop) for the adults in cones.  The birthday cake was another wonderful creation by my sister - a sandcastle of course!

The party bags were mini buckets and spades full of goodies including a stick of rock and real seashell.

All the photos I took of Bea at the party are literally a blur as she was whizzing around having such a good time.  This one was taken before the party and is of her 'excited' face.  Her dress went with the theme pretty well!

Phew, thats the birthday parties done until next summer.  On to Christmas then!

St Ives

When I woke up this morning there was a very definite autumnal nip in the air.  Even though it looks like we are forecast some warmer weather still to come it feels like the end of summer today.

Backing up the photos on my phone I found all those I took on our holiday to St Ives, Cornwall at the beginning of August.  It was the first time visiting for the children - the all day drive down has put us off since they came along- and they had a fantastic week.  The weather was a little mixed but we mostly had glorious sunshine and made the most of the beautiful beach.

It is such a pretty little town, although packed with visitors in the high season, and I quite enjoyed walking up and down the streets with the pushchair trying to get Nell to sleep!

Nell had her very first splash in the sea and was very enthusiastic, we had to hold her back from walking right in.

Bea was not so keen on the paddling but had days of sandy fun building sand castles and dams.

St Ives also has some lovely little shops.  I can't remember the name of the shop in which I took these photos but they had lots of pretty things.

Goodbye summer, until next year!

A Geranium for Nell

After making a Geranium dress for Bea I loved the pattern so much I wanted to make a coordinating one for Nell.  I also wanted to try cross stitching onto fabric using waste canvas so I decided to combine the two projects and came up with this cross stitched heart Geranium.

I lined the sleeves again just because I'm not a huge fan of the raw edge look, this time using the floral fabric on the outside as well.  I cross stitched a simple heart on the bodice and was really pleased with the way it turned out.  The waste canvas was great and I love a bit of embroidery on handmade kids clothes, it makes them feel a little bit more special.  I used the same linen look cotton for the skirt as it is so soft and lovely, especially after a few washes.  I may even make myself something from it!

I made the dress back in July but only recently managed to snap a couple of photos of her wearing it - she never stays still these days!

My little flower fairy turns one

It was Nell's first birthday last week (boo hoo!) so we celebrated with a little family party at the weekend.

  The theme was flower fairies and Nell looked lovely in her pretty dress and tiny wings.  She didn't keep them on for long but I managed to get a couple of photos!

I had fun finding fairy themed gifts for the party bags which I packaged up in pretty paper bags decorated with mini doilies, ribbon and a flower fairy tag with each child's initial.  Even the boys got one of these very girly bags but I did put boy stuff inside so hopefully they can forgive me.

My sister made some chocolate cupcakes and I made toadstools from fresh strawberries and mini marshmallows to go on top.

My sister also made the fantastic toadstool house cake.  It was a crime to cut it.  We did though.

Pretty fresh flowers on the food table.

Three days later I haven't taken down the honeycomb balls or bunting yet.  They look lovely with the green kitchen walls and its nice to feel festive while eating breakfast!

For the food I went tea party style with 6 kinds of sandwiches and finger food followed by scones, macaroons, cakes and biscuits and yummy fresh berry cones.

I think the birthday girl enjoyed herself - Its hard work turning one!

Bea's rainbow dress

I found this unfinished dress that I started to make for Bea last summer.  It was mostly sewn up - it just needed a button and some details.  I'm thinking it was probably the arrival of little sis that put this project on the back burner!

Luckily it still fits (just a bit shorter than intended!) so I decided to finnish it off.  It definitely needed colour so I added some little pockets made from vintage fabric.  When I showed it to Bea she insisted it was lacking in the rainbow department so after a brief head scratch I added a quick running stitch rainbow to one side.  Its slightly crazy but I like it!