Flannel Cupcakes

A step by step guide to how to make a flannel cupcake..... you need 2 flannels. First take a flannel and flatten it out on the table...

Fold it as so.... with both opposite corners going across each other...

then fold that in half..... and repeat with the second flannel.

Now that you have 2 folded flannels you place one on top of the other. The one underneath will be the outer edge of the 'cake', and you simply roll them up as tight as possible.

Then I struggle with this bit, as my flannels are normally too fluffy, you need to squash them into a foil pudding basin...

And finally put them into a cupcake container. I use plastic ones for these as I think they look particularly nice in them.

I always sellotape them shut too to stop them popping open and I have made some cute little labels. These always go well at the fairs that I do near Christmas, a couple have gone at the garden center so I will take these ones there to see.

And That, (said Catherine) Is That!

It is now the start of the 2 week Easter holiday, hopefully it will go nice and smoothly....I will keep you updated with pics and things (good intentions and all...) I have saved so much 'rubbish' for the kids to do some major crafting so there should at least be some photos there!

10 Things

A sort through the top drawer in my bedroom unearthed these delights to go! None matching earrings just HAVE to go as do ones that you have not worn in years...and I mean years ...9 to be precise! Why have I got my husbands aftershave stuff that he does not use I will never know. And a couple of other random things that simply get put somewhere for when I need to have a clearout like this.

I still cannot believe I am still finding lots and lots of stuff every week. Things do seem to be getting a little tidier too so it seems to be working...long may it last. The kids break up for the Easter holidays today and they want me to provide them with a big box each to fill with stuff they no longer want too! Wowsers!

Birthday Flowers!

Yay, it was  my birthday yesterday,  and Daddy took the Diva out to see what they could find....Lots and flowers....love them! Apparently Daddy chose the white ones and Diva chose the pink bunch.

"Because white flowers like that are for when you get married to someone Mummy" she said!

All I asked for were flowers and 2 bunches of beauties= 1 very happy Mumma! I am really eeking my birthday out this year...it's not even a big one! I was taken by some friends to a posh cafe last week, the family all went to a garden center for coffee and cake at the weekend , today I have friends coming around for lunch and tomorrow my Dad is coming up to take me out for a birthday lunch too!!!!! This is certainly how to do it. Will look forward to a big birthday next year....

Things to start collecting before a school holiday!

Only 5 days till the kids break up and I have already amassed a HUGE collection of loo rolls, boxes, wrappers etc...stuff I woudl normally throw straight away. And the kids are getting more and more excited at the prospect of being let loose upon them!

Now, with 3 kids it is getting harder and harder to keep them all busy and happy in the holidays. I always try to do lots of outings if the weather permits, but I also try to have a list of things we can do indoors (other than playing on the X-Box!). I have found that there are some things that if I can start saving early really really come in useful:

                 - Cereal Boxes.
                 - Egg Cartons
                 - Newsapaers
                 - Magazines
                  - Bottle Tops
                 - Glass jars
                  - envelopes that junk mail come in.
                 - paper plates
                 - bubbles or washing up liquid
                 - old clothes for cutting up
                - paints and brushes.
                 - Stones/pinecones etc that you find when out and about.


Most of these things are freely available so won't cost anything at all!!! and those that I have listed that you Do have to buy are a minimal cost...the other day in Sainsburys they were selling off 8" paper plates for 8p for a pack of 50!!!!! I brought 3 packs....they WILL come in useful! Keep your eyes peeled for things that the kids can paint on, cut up or stick!

Gift from my son

My little A has recently joined the local Beavers group where they quite often do crafty bits and pieces. For Mother's Day he came home with a cute little jug of mini Daffs. He had chosen the jug himself and simply put a couple of ready grown bulbs inside and added a little tag....very  very  cute. 

Pots of herbs

When it comes to my Mother, she does not like receiving gifts that sit around collecting dust. Things have to be usable or edible! This Mother's Day I got my inspiration from good old Sainsburys!!! They were individual pots of herbs that were wrapped around with a bit of fancy paper ( of which I have loads!) and some raffia....Hey Ho thought I...I can do that! Luckily I had a couple of old tins that I had been saving for just such a project.... I simply wrapped some fancy paper around them with double sided tape and wrote a little message, tied with raffia and planted up!

The Diva and I went to the garden center to buy the herbs as you could get 6 for £10 as opposed to Mr S's £5 for 1! We chose the curly parsely and chives for my Mum. Unfortunately, I had one little pot that fitted inside perfectly and one that sank to the bottom as it was too small. Knowing my mum she will probably plant them out asap anyway so I did not worry too much.

However, you will note that the one that fitted snuggly with its rim on top (the parsely) was a lot better looking...will have to find some more containers like that if I do any more of these...

I had in mind, maybe doing a few for Christmas to sell at my fairs...Christmassy paper around and some red raffia maybe??

Mother's Day Wine Glass

Using my normal Pebelo Vitrea 160 paints I did a special Mother's Day Wine Glass to go to the garden centre for the weekend. It is quickly turning into one of my favourite designs, the yellow dot in the middle of the daisy is done by simply putting the end of an ear bud into the paint and using it as a stamp on the glass, then I use a very thin paintbrush to paint the white daisy petals on. The 'Mum' was written in a pearl outliner.

I wonder if it will sell...I only charge £4 for a wine glass! I know people on Etsy and other 'crafty' type sites charge quite a bit more. We will have to wait till tomorrow to find out.

On a totally different note, we are having a new upstairs bathroom and work is starting today. Lets hope there are no gaping holes in the walls tonight once they have taken all the lovely old tiles down! Will have to take a piccie this eve when they have gone so I can do a before and after when it is complete. The guy reckons it should be done by next week!!! Yippee......we will have an upstairs toilet again.

10 Things time again!

Wow, mostly from the bathroom cupboard....half used, and not used anymore creams etc are easy to get shot of...pile them in the bin immediately unless they are unopened, in which case take to the charity shop. A little book and game, a tweenies foam thing that we never used and a teddy with the bit inside that you put in the microwave...may give that to A (middle son) as he does not actually have a hot water bottle now days. 

Glass order

I am sorry for the amount of glassware posts now going on! However with the shop in the garden center now taking my stock I need to do a fair amount of these. 

This order came from school though, one of the mums had seen my bits at the Ladies night that the school put on before Christmas and wanted something different for her sister-in-law.

The brief was simply...very very simple, black and white or just black, no words and only one as she is on her own. So this is what I did first, but it seemed a little lacking without any white. I let it dry so that when I put the white on if it looked all wrong I could simply wipe it off. Other than that though I quite like it.

I 

Mini candle holders

Well, I have started to do some more non-Christmassy glass bits. In the run upto Christmas I brought a whole load of these mini candle holders from IKEA...yes one of sources of cheap glassware! They just about fit a small T-Light candle and are so cute. I thought I would stick with the daisy theme that I love so much. Simple to paint as well. They do not photograph very well in my normal place though as they are so light.

So, please excuse my sofa but it is nice and dark for the lightness of the glass and paint.

These will have to go to the garden center soon as the weather warms up for outdoor parties where candle light is imperative!

10 Things a Week continues!

As per the title of this post, my quest to banish the clutter continues. I know I have not posted about this for a couple of weeks with the excitement of the garden center and all but I promise I have still being doing my 10 things a week.  This week I have found a  random selection of stuff that was in various places throughout the house. Maybe the lightbulb, which does not actually fit any of our sockets any more, will go in the bin, the rest will be donated to the charity shop.

It is amazing how this is such a simple and quick way to start if you find decluttering the whole house a bit daunting! Just take a look in your kitchen cupboards, for instance, there are probably a few items in there that are well past ANY dates that are printed on them! Or in your wardrobe, there are sure to be a few things, which if we are honest we will NEVER fit into again, or have a few too many holes to be decent. Give it a try and it makes you feel like you have achieved something for the week.

A New Venture

About two weeks ago I saw an advert for a Crafty Opportunity and applied. You had to give up 3.5 hours to help run the shop in return for free space! This was too good an offer to pass by. Last Friday I went in and met Dee, the owner, who was so lovely and she agreed to take my bits of glassware and a few other little bits and I can go and help on a Tuesday am!

The space is in a garden center so it is open 10-5 everyday of the week! Dee has a lovely set up with lots of little dressers around with all different crafts.

This is a picture of my glassware once I had set them up, at the minute they are quite near the front of the shop, but they will get moved around to help create interest. 

Lets see how things go!

Yarn wrapped bottles

Again, something I have seen everywhere at the moment....yarn wrapped bottles. They look so pretty that I had to have a go in something other than raffia, so chose a couple of shades of pink!

As you can see the one on the right is slightly dodgy at the top. It absolutely refused to stick.

It was quite simple, as always, to achieve this look...a mixture of water and PVA glue was put onto the glass and the yarn wrapped around!

I think I may embellish some more and put another post up another day!

It does not take long either...you simply need a ready supply of bottles!

I had better get to work this evening when the kids are in bed as I have managed to secure a few shelves at a local garden center in their craft barn! I get the shelves for free if I agreed to do 3.5 hours cover for them once a week!!!! No brainer!

Will post pictures once I have set up in the week.