Hen Party

This weekend Martha and Me were busy leading a hen party workshop in Cambridge. Craft parties are perfect for such occasion and so much fun! More details about my party workshops (delivered at your chosen location) will be available on my new website which is coming soon.....  

Chocolate cheesecake with handmade chocolate buttons!

I love Lorraine Pascale's cook books. Everything I have tried from 'Baking Made Easy' and 'Home Cooking Made Easy' has been delicious and as it claims they have been truly 'easy' to make!

Tomorrow I am hosting a pudding party for Spice (the group for the spouses of trainee vicars at Ridley) so I looked through all my books for something I could bake in advance as tomorrow is a rather busy day. I settled on Lorraine's chocolate cheesecake. The only draw back was that the recipe takes 400g chocolate and a huge 800g of soft cheese. Which makes the recipe not exactly healthy and rather expensive to make. I'm not too fussed about the health factor (hopefully I won't be eating it all myself) but the cost is a bit off putting. I decided to go to the bargain supermarket Aldi to try and reduce the cost of the pudding and it worked the total ingredient cost was a mere£4.06 compared to the £10+ it would have cost at my corner shop!

I decorated the cheesecake with some white chocolate buttons which were made using a cute button mould that i was given as a birthday present (thank you Anna B you know me so well!)

Martha's busy summer

Like many bloggers over the summer months my blog has been somewhat neglected. Martha and I have been off on our summer holidays enjoying the English sun and rain. These are some photos of Martha's highlights.We stayed we my parents on the South Coast for about a month so Nanny, the cat and their garden feature heavily!

I enjoyed many of the trips and days out we had. Whilst most people were heading up to London for the olympics we went to Tate Modern for the day and visited Damien Hirst's exhibition. I was thankful that some of the concepts in the exhibition went right over martha's head, i did get some funny looks whilst showing her the animals cut in half. For Martha though it was no different to seeing a jigsaw of an animal split into many pieces! My favourite work was the montage of blue butterflies arranged to look like a cathedral rose window called 'Sympathy in White Major - Absolution 11'.

Now we are back in Cambridge and ready for crafting! 

My derelict Dolls house

I am a huge fan of Gumtree (if you haven't come across it before it is best described as an online Friday Ad!) I scour the pages on a daily basis for items that I usually don't really need for the chance that I may stumble upon an amazing bargain or something j actually need. And so the other week I found this unloved but rather charming dolls house. It is in serious need of what estate agents would call modernisation. It has 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and a large lounge/dinning room all in a bad state! I am approaching this project with as much thought and interest as you would with a real house and i have been looking at home magazines and websites with great interest! Perhaps it is with the thought of us living in rented property for the foreseeable future and therefore unable to make my mark on a property that I am projecting my array of interior design ideas onto this project....

Martha's car

This weekend (sorry this was actually written in may!)I have been particulary overwhlemed by the generosity and kindness of both strangers and friends. Perhaps it's the good spirit of the bank holidays combined with the joy of celebrating the jubilee that has made people really community minded.
Our church organised a big lunch and I was amazed at all the people that came from the neighbourhood. It was wonderful to talk to neighbours from all faiths and backgrounds; the world is so much better when people show interest and concern for each other. 
Then some close friends out of the blue offered to babysit, so my husband and I got a much needed evening out. It was lovely for someone to offer and made me feel really cared for. 
The third 'happy' incident was That i got talking to a neighbour who offered Martha a little tikes toy car for the garden. Martha loves these so much but I hadn't been able to find one cheaply so it was such a blessing to be given one for free! Martha was a bit upset when she realised it has to live outside so perhaps we can make her a mini garage. I wonder if she can start building up a no claims bonus for her car insurance!

My Cambridge Charity Shopping Guide

Martha & Me:Cambridge 

Top 5 Tips for charity shoppers

1)Emmaus 

They are situated just off the A10 about 4 miles north of Cambridge. This HUGE charity shop is an Aladdin's cave full of treasures! Books are a bargain. At the moment they are 5 paperbacks for £2! They sell:

• Books
• Bric a brac
• Electrical items, including cookers, fridges, washing machines, televisions and hi-fis
• Furniture
• Music (records, cds cassettes) and dvds 
• Soft furnishings including bedding, curtains, towels
• Coffee Shop selling drinks, cakes, sandwiches and soup

They also have a brilliant home delivery service. I have used this a number of times when i have realised the futon or wardrobe i have just purchased will definitely not fit in the car! The charge for the service is very reasonable and they are helpful and efficient.

2) Burleigh Street

Burleigh Street in Cambridge (runs alongside Grafton Centre) is THE place to go for charity shops in Cambridge. At my last count there were 7 within about 100m! 

1. 10 Burleigh Street City Centre, Cambridge 01223 368 865

   British Heart Foundation

   
   

2. 20 Burleigh Street City Centre, Cambridge 01223 329 841

   Oxfam

   
   
   

3. 38 Burleigh Street City Centre, Cambridge 01223 302 926

   Mind

   
   

4. 26 Burleigh Street City Centre, Cambridge 01223 301426

   British Red Cross shop

   
   

5. 33 Burleigh Street City Centre, Cambridge 01223 360 205

   Scope

   
   

6. 52 Burleigh Street Cambridge 01223 464189

   Cancer Research UK

   
   

7. 61 Burleigh Street City Centre, Cambridge 01223 312 802

   Rspca Cambridge

   
   

The only down side for me is that because they are fairly small shops most of them (especially oxfam where there is no lift) are not great for buggies or wheelchair access. 

3) Mill Road

Mill Road has a good selection of charity shops. They tend to be cheaper than the Burleigh Street shops. The Cats Protection charity shop have a bucket of kids clothes which are 3 items for £1. I once found a next hat, gap all in one suit and jumper in the bucket - a pound well spent. At the top of Mill Road you will find the Romsey Mill shop this is great if you like 'old fashioned' charity shops; it is not as glossy and as sweet smelling as the the chain charity shops but you can certainly find a bargain! The other notable shop on Mill Road is Sally Ann's which has amazingly cheap furniture and plentiful 'bric a brac'.   

4) Ely and Saffron Walden

For a change of scene and for 'up market' charity shops we visit Ely and Saffron Walden. You will find labels such a Monsoon, White Stuff and Boden on nearly every rail! Yesterday in Ely Oxfam I found Martha a Ralph Lauren jumper for £2 and i got myself a Fat Face dress for £4!

5) Patience 

Last but certainly not least is the need for patience. Wherever you may be shopping you can never guarantee or predict what you may find. It can take a lot of time and energy to find that perfect item and sometimes you do just have to walk away empty handed. Not everyone is cut out for it or can be bothered to sieve through (what is essentially) other peoples junk! But if you have the determination and patience I am sure over time you will be rewarded with awesome bargains and a great sense of satisfaction! 

Happy Shopping!

XX

June Charity Shop finds

I can't resist sharing my recent amazing charity shop finds. I am so pleased with this table runner and quilt, they are beautiful! I have a huge weakness for charity shops. I love the thrill of finding a bargain and giving a new home to unwanted items. By shopping in charity shops i can buy things that would be out of my league if they had been new; my daughter would certainly not be wearing beautiful Joules cardigans and pretty White Company t-shirts if they weren't second hand! I also love the quality you often find with older furniture and vintage household items. Frequently you can find things that are the same price if not cheaper than the basic Ikea or supermarket equivalent. Don't get me wrong i buy stuff from Ikea and supermarkets all the time the convenience and cheapness of it is great but i do often regret my impulse purchases as they so often don't stand the test of time. My charity shop finds however often become treasured heirlooms and favourite possessions.

& a Ralph Lauren hoodie for Martha £2! bargain

Knitting novice!

I have always wanted to knit. My granny was an amazing knitter, as children we had beautiful handmade jumpers, dolls clothes, mittens, hats and scarves. I even remember a slightly odd balaclava in the same colour as our school uniform. I have tried to knit many times; several patient friends and my granny did all try to teach me but I was really bad and just could not get it! Then recently my friend Cath and her mum in law convinced me to give it another go. Cath turned out to be a very good teacher and I finally got it! Hurahhh! I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert; i can't follow a pattern and have to really concentrate to keep track of what i am knitting! I have been putting my new skills to use making phone covers using stocking stitch. I know they are basic but I am rather proud of myself as I really thought it was something I couldn't do!

Father's day handprints

Spice

Whilst my husband is training to be a vicar there is a group i can go to at college called Spice (no one is sure where the name originates or what it means) One thought is that it is an acronym  for; Supporting Partners In Continuing Education or it may be a play on the word Spouse. Anyway whatever the name it is a group of about 30 people who have moved to Cambridge whilst their partners study. We meet for bible studies, socials, speakers, book club, craft group and discussions. This week has been very emotional as we have said goodbye to this years leavers. This also means that we now only have 1 year left in Cambridge. The friends I have made at Spice are brilliant and i truly hope many of them will become lifelong friends. I am also fortunate that may of the other wives share a love of craft, baking and charity shops! 

Below is a photo of our lovely new notice board that Esther and I made...

Yes we do tend to drink quite a lot of tea and eat cake 

Recent shades

& another type of 'shades'........

Peg Bag

This weekend my brother and sister in law came to visit us in Cambridge. As an early birthday present I made Katie (sister in law) a new peg bag. For some reason my brother thought he would make a good peg bag model so please excuse the photo and George's trade mark cheesy grin! 

How to..........

To make the bag i used a child size wooden hanger. I drew around the hanger onto the fabric to get the correct size and cut out the two sides of the bag with the floral fabric. One side i cut in half and then sewed it back up again to make the bag opening. I then sewed these together (right sides in), pressed seams and then turned it out. I then embellished the bag opening with lace and added a decorative button. Remember to leave a  opening at the top so you can insert the hanger!

Rocking chair revamp

I used a fat quarter of Amy Butler Soul Blossoms Buttercup Spearmint Fabric to cover the top section of my wooden rocking chair. I purchased the rocking chair shortly after Martha was born from a furniture charity shop in Cambridge called Emmaus.

 I used Decopatch glue to varnish the fabric and I was really impressed with the quality of the  glue. It was actually much better than pva and is water resistant so definitely worth the extra money.  In the past I have always assumed it was the same as PVA but in a pretty tub and therefor basically bit of a con but I can assure the sceptics it is not!  The fabric has really uplifted the  chair and it looks lovely in Martha's room. I think when we move I would actually like it in my bedroom!

Life in May

Drum shades

I have just made these lovely large (45cm x 25cm) drum lampshades. These are certainly the largest I have attempted to make and I am so pleased that I took the plunge as I think they look great! They are really eye catching and could make a room  look really special. I source the fabric from a variety of locations; locally from small independent shops and if I particularly like a design I will be tempted to buy from the mainstream retailers and superstores. The spotty fabric was from a stall at Cambridge city market, the beautiful facade fabric is from CallyCo in Cambridge and the green baroque pattern is Amy Butler at Hobbycraft. My struggle is often finding fabric wide enough to wrap around the 150cm circumference of the drum frame but creates a good challenge! The shades will sell for between £30-40 and p&p if needed is £6 per shade. Price differences between shades are to reflect the varying costs of the fabrics used and size of frame. I can also make shades with your choice of fabric.

Fabric: IKEA STOCKHOLM BLAD  (blue) Shade size:  45cm Diameter  25cm Height

Most of these (pictured above) will be on sale at my craft stall in Lode, nr cambridge next Friday  (25th May) 

Craft Party

I am busy getting ready for the following event kindly hosted by the lovely Rach (a poem a day blog)

I will be selling lampshades, cards and jewellery. Other sellers include friends Erin & Lizzie. For a taster of Erin's beautiful crafts visit her Etsty shop. 

nap time craft #2

This weeks 'nap time' craft challenge was lampshade making and today I made a large drum lampshade.


This particular shade is suitable for use as either a table lamp or as a ceiling shade. I buy my lampshade supplies from needcraft  and they also offer good instructions to get you started.


You will need:
1 x Lampshade ring, epoxy coated
1 x Lampshade ring, epoxy coated with fitting
1 x Self adhesive lampshade panel size 
1x fabric of your choice (same size a panel)
1 x 5mtr roll self adhesive tape
1 x Rolled Edge tool for finishing




This leaf fabric (shown below) is from the 'Eternal Maker' in Chichester: I can make lampshades in any fabric and can make them to order. They usually sell for between £20-£40 depending on fabric and size. This is competitive with shops such as John Lewis and debenhams but you are also getting something unique and handmade. A custom made lampshade means that you can get it to coordinate with your existing furnishings perfectly and make it really personal. 

miffy at the gallery

Last nights bedtime story was 'miffy at the gallery'. This is such a well written book: usually stories about visiting museums/galleries are about the journey there or some other event which occurs inside but this book is actually about LOOKING at the modern art directly and ENGAGING with the subject or medium of the artwork!

I hope this book becomes a bedtime favourite as I would love Martha to feel able and equipped to enjoy art. On a simplistic level this book demonstrates that  art can be interpreted and enjoyed by all, surely that is a positive message to send to children - Modern art does not need to be intimidating! Go Miffy!

Hen party fabric hearts

Today my friend Erin and I organised our first Hen Party craft workshop. We showed the group how to make fabric hanging hearts like my example above. We had the privilege of working with a lovely group of 'hens'  and everyone made gorgeous hearts in their choice of fabric with different buttons and ribbons to decorate. It was a really relaxed end to their busy day of activities and it gave everyone a chance to sit down and have a natter.

 Erin and I are available to lead workshops in the Cambridgeshire area for parties and groups of all ages and abilities. The craft activity can be arranged to fit in with a particular theme or idea.    

a t i n y l i t t l e p u r s e

I love making these little purses, they are a brilliant way to use up small scraps of fabric. They make a lovely gift and the fabric you choose can  make them really personal. The pattern is from the lovely book Sew Fabulous Fabric by Alice Butcher. This book has so many easy to make projects that don't cost the earth.