A Little Bit Of Weleda Mindfulness At Christmas *

 

 

 

 

 

Today is the 14th December, so ten whole days before Santa (the big man) arrives. I have the most excited five year to put to sleep every night and like most families things are crazy!

 

So, I was delighted when Weleda asked me to sample their new Mindfulness Colouring Book and Bath Set. I was over the moon to be invited me along to their Derbyshire offices to meet Lizzie Hobbs the artist and have a moment out of everyday life to colour in, drink herbal tea and relax.

 

time out at Weleda

 

meeting Lizzie

After feeling totally energised by my morning colouring in, I realised that this would be something we could do at home as a Mummy and Daughter activity before bedtime. Colour in, chat about our day and then have bath time with the pack's body washes. Now Little L is at school, I'm looking for activities to do together that she is not tired out to do.

 

oooh pencils

So for the last month, we have been working through the colouring book then matching bathtime with the body wash relating to the picture. I have to say this pack is a perfect dual present for a little girl and her Mummy. It's time out together to make, create, chat and learn about flowers.

 

 

Here is our Turkish Rose page, we coloured in together and enjoyed a little bit of mindfulness in the run up to Christmas.  I would also take this pack away on holiday, so if you know someone travelling over Christmas and New Year, this is a perfect little £17.95 gift.

 

Mummy time as well...

 

After school colouring in

 

And we are still using the pencils

I want to thank the lovely people at Weleda who gifted me the pack and invited me the launch morning. We have loved the pack so much.

 

The gift pack includes a beautiful designed colouring book by a talented local artist Lizzie Hobbs and four treat sized body washes including my favourite Wild Rose.

 

If you can't wait until Christmas you can always buy your own here .

 

Happy Crafting,

 

Samantha

 

* This is a sponsored post

The First National Upcycling Day

Do you that today is the very first National Upcycling Day? It's great to see that people around the world are sharing their makes over on social media. So follow along with your DIY makes at #nationalupcyclingday. Don't be shy!

Here are a few of my makes using vintage fabrics. I love the thrill of finding an old button or fabric and giving it a new lease of lift.

These are my favourites -

a crocheted covered button I used on a corsage

Bunny bunting with vintage ribbons from a charity shop find habby box

buttons sewn onto keepsake hearts and little messages typed with a retro typewriter

old fabrics created into fascinators

Nottingham lace applique on little hearts

What is your best DIY upcycling project? Let me know,

Happy Crafting,

Samantha

My Mellow Yellow Insta Week

Good Morning,

Last week was a happy week, the creative blog meet went really well, it was my Mum's birthday and the balance between work and family life was feeling right. I started to post a unplanned theme over on my Instagram of mellow pastel yellows.

On Monday I started my crafty hand regime with Weleda's citrus refreshing body oil, applying a few drops to my nails and cuticles before I sat down at my desk. I am now seven days into my regime and love the mini-pampering I'm getting. I must admit I am starting to get used to it and my finger tips feel so soft from all the stitching they are doing!

On Wednesday, I attended the Summer Market evening for exhibitors, excuse the quality of the picture. It is an honour to be invited back again with my stall for a second time. I do feel really lucky as I am still such a new business. They gave us these little sweetie bags with sherbet lemons in. How pretty!

After the talk, we were allowed around the venue, The Roundhouse in Derby. It's the oldest railway roundhouse in the world and a beautiful restored space which is now used for events in the heart of the city.

I felt really lucky to stand on the turning circle in the middle of the huge domed space looking down  where the rail tracked used to in use. I wore my new rock'n'roll skirt to the events in pastel yellow (not insteading to match the goodie bags!) with cream bow pumps . Really looking forward to the 5th July and meeting all the lovely visitors to this year's Summer Market.

As it was Mum's birthday, we went for afternoon tea and present giving in a beautiful lodge in Derbyshire. I gave Mum this handmade tote bag that I'd made. It's from a new class I've just started hosting and Mum loves receiving handmade. I love printing with fabric paints, I made this one with a vintage bow and buttons on in her favourite colours.

I posted this on my Instagram this morning, of my beautiful yellow roses from last year's Father's Day and I am hoping with a little sunshine we will get the same for Sunday.

Bye from my yellow week,

Love,

Samantha x

A Mid Century Hair Do And Crafternoon in Nottingham

Hello,

Love Mid Century retro coolness, the 1950's beauty school look (think Grease kitsch) and lots of tea, cake and crafty fun? Oh yeah! This post is about my time hosting a Crafternoon tea party and having a vintage 'do in Nottingham's The Little Vintage Beauty Parlour. 

This is me with a bee-hive half up do that the lovely Miss Whittley-Belle styled for me whilst I drank tea out of a china cup and soaked up the ambiance of the parlour. By the way the 'do was amazing, I had it done at 3pm and by bedtime I had to take it down myself. Incredible! even  my Wedding day hair fell down in less time than this so a big hooray to Mis WB!

the dresses, pink walls and pretty petticoats

From the moment you walk in, it's like walking onto a movie set, a retro reception desk, old fashioned fifties hair dryers and a record player with real records. You kinda leave 2015 at the door and whizz back to 1955.
 

afternoon tea on a hostess trolley with Babycham glasses

When I was asked  by Lulu B to start Crafternoon Tea Parties in this fabulous space I said yes! This is a snap shot of an afternoon of vintage crafty fun. You can also recreate for your own Crafternoon for a hen party or birthday or baby shower in this light airy space.

A 1950s fascinator made with old fashioned materials

Whether you want a 50's fascinator (pictured above) or a boho flower crown, with the vintage fabrics and haberdashery plus professional crafting advice we can make this happen for you!

the craft table ready to go

We provide the templateS, step by step instructions and craftiness so you can create a bespoke piece.

I bring pretty suitcases of old fabrics and vintage beads, pearls and buttons to choose from. And after three hours of crafting and scrummy afternoon tea the girls made two hand pieces each. The girls told me they hadn't made much crafty before and were so so happy to have made unique pieces. I was really happy too!

And what's more, The Little Vintage Beauty Parlour is based in Hopkinson's Vintage Department Store (yes a department store of vintage!).

And you can shop for old fabrics and sewing collectables in the cool Iris store on the first floor. If you are luck you might find an old sewing machine or a rummage through the baskets of vintage fabric to find a gem. Really worth a trip.

 

We are really lucky to have a space like this in Nottingham, do you have one in your part of the world? Leave me a comment as it's great to find little gems like this to visit on my next trip away.

Bye for now,

Samantha

Real Crafternoon Makes And A Few Crafty Tips!

It's Friday and finally the sun it shining here in Derbyshire, happy days.

 Today I wanted to share with you some of the makes from last months Crafternoon Tea parties before I go off to prepare for some #etsyparty fun at our third Creative and Crafty Blogger Meet.

With suitcases full of vintage haberdashery and lovely accessories, these are some of the makes from the last month

So from this table of materials to these...

This pretty corsage was made last weekend in a bespoke corsage jewellery making party. Using felts, vintage inspired fabrics, sheer organza fabric and decorated in swarovski element crystals in pink and clear it was made into a brooch with a pin on the back. I love the mix of colours, different weights of fabrics and sparkles.

We also used the fabulous Doocrafts embellishments to add centres to other corsages as in the picture above. So little and so cute! For adding all these gems I use a hypo cement glue with a precision tip. It means we don't get glue everywhere and unlike hot glue it's glues the smallest little gem onto a fabric and metal.

In the same party we made corsage flower rings, bobby pins and vintage bow rings. I think that the beads and gems in the middle really finish the projects off. All rings were glued with the two part resin glues. I use The Bead Shop's blank silver adjustable ring and bobby pins.  *Tip* By adding a little piece of fabric behind the pin back it really neatens off the make.

We did the same with this vintage bow ring...
 

At a vintage fascinator party this beautiful bird was created, it's even holding a bunch of faux flowers in it's beak!

At our new Crafternoon Tea classes at The Little Vintage Beauty Parlour this crafter made a black and white 1950's fascinator, added a square jewel and two white bows over a piece of black lace. Then finished it off with a white widow's net veil. So chic!

I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into our parties for May. For more information please visit www.crafternoonteahostess.co.uk.

What's your favorite make?

Now, I'm off to get ready for the blogger meet on Sunday.

Happy Weekend,

Samantha x

Styling The Seasons May, May May!

Hello,

Well hello June and goodbye to May.

I couldn't leave May without a 'Styling The Season's'  post featuring new vintage china treasure I bought last week.  I took these pictures last Wednesday morning with the sun shining through the window's and I couldn't help thinking Summer might just be around the corner. And today's it's raining, the first day of Summer, so I am praying for sunny days now!

pretty china

I was lucky to find these pretty cups in a charity shop. I was walking past and spotted them through the window. It does happen from time to time and it's a lovely surprise. As my tea party side of my business is growing, I am now getting the odd chip and crack in my collection, so I need to update and replace from time to time.

 Each tea cup has seasonal flowers beautifully painting inside and outside of the cup and the month inscribed inside in gold...so pretty. I also found some beautiful matching tea cups with 'Mother' inscribed on them too.

One for Mothers at my tea parties

I picked these white daisies and beautiful cornflowers from my garden. These are the first bunch of garden flowers for 2015 and I love them. As I write tonight, the flowers are still in the vase on the kitchen table.

The first  2015 blooms

 I love the freshly picked garden flowers, the old fashioned cross stitch picture and the floral colour of the old fashioned china.

Plates and teacups in the May sun

Hopefully Summer days will be here soon, but in the meantime we can drink tea and brighten up our home with floral china cups.

Take Care,

Samantha x

Pastel Ice Cream Dreams & Coffee #cthinitaly

Pretty little colourful streets of Italy

Hello,

After a week of living with ice cream on every corner and so many amazing coffee blends to sip, I returned from Italy with a camera full of pictures to share. We (Mr.S, Little L and I) stayed just outside Venice near to Treviso in a beautiful converted farmhouse. This is my first (and maybe last) post where I get all travel blogger but I am just gushing as I love, love Italy.

Coffee made the Italian way, expresso and hot milk it only served in the morning.

I love reading travel blogs, so you guy's out there ...wonderful travel bloggers are my influences for this post! Follow all my pictures on Instagram at #cthinitaly.

Love these lemon and chocolate wicker woven chairs at a ice cream parlour at a seaside resort we visited.

We spent a mixture of days visting the local cities of Treviso, Castelfranco Veneto and Oderzo, sight seeing, people watching and talking in the local culture. To days away from it all on the prosecco route, seeing the countryside, the beach, parks and old villas.

So full of colour, colour and more bright seaside colour in Caorle

With our beautiful three year old with us, we had to make sure we saw enough parks, Princess towers nd castles to keep her occupied. Plus took in an ice cream of a difference flavour on each day trip.

Ice cream and pretty pink buildings. A daily fix of ice cream and pinks!

I have to say Italy is very family friendly, you know you can always get pizza or pasta for lunch and children are welcome in every eatery. That's why we keep on going back!


Here are a few more pictures from out trip...

A took this picture in the city of Castelfranco Veneto about 40 minutes drive from Treviso. Old style bug and a great backdrop.

Loving the coffee cups at the local Casa del Gelato

The resort of Caorle was a mix of long sandy beaches and Art Deco style pastel buildings by the beach with the old town comprising on brightly painted tiny streets. I love it here.

Yellow, white and pink buildings in the old part of Carole

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Shutting up the shutters in the midday heat. This photo was taken at 2pm. Unlike here in the UK, Italian houses always look very private. no vases and flowers in the windows, no curtains. 

Our stay for the week, an old converted farm house. A brilliant find. We always use Home And Away and have never been disappointed.

A local Villa's rose garden about to burst. Love the soft yellow walls.

We took at trip to a local park with this amazing conservatory in it. Those large windows!

Yarn bombing Venice style

My Little L outside the most beautiful, arty library I've seen