Making Memory Boards

Last Saturday, I hosted a Making Memory Boards Crafternoon Tea at Pickford's House in Derby. I love the Georgian venue and getting the chance to craft in the museum kitchen is amazing!

This was my third workshop this year in the venue making the chalk board scrapbook inspired craft. The concept came about when I was asked last year by some scrapbookers to come up with a Crafternoon that they could bring their scrapbooking skills to and lift them off the page.

The class brings together stitching and paper art to form the decoration to the chalk boards. We used some of the instructions from a vintage accessory class plus ones for a jewellery making flower class to add pretty three dimensional pieces to our chalk creations.



memory chalk board from Jan 2015

Valentines plant chalk board

Here are a few pictures from the Crafternoon ...

tea, cake and chalk board memory crafts

time for tea!

crafting away

 

kitchen memory board

I will be hosting the Crafternoon again due to it's popularity, it's such a fun way of using a mix of crafty skills to give the chalk boards a vintage twist!

Happy Crafting,

Samantha

You're Invited To A Charity Crafternoon Of Stitching!

Are you free next Saturday afternoon, love sewing and live near Derby?  You are...then read on....

You are invited to our second crafternoon of stitching as part of the Inspiring Derby 2015 programme. And it's a free event though booking is essential.

All the materials are supplied and you will be able to stitch a pretty little corsage with the art gallery as our inspiration in the taster session. Also you will hear about the Autumn Crafternoon programme at the Museums ..first! ... .exciting....

We have pretty silks and vintage fabrics to choose from and also a chance to learn about Derby's rich textile past. Places are limited and we have goodie bags for everyone! Hooray! Call 07881 163955 to email me to book a place.

We are raising money for the Colin Bloomfield Melanoma Appeal a skin cancer charity in memory of a local BBC radio presenter, so bring your pennies to donate.

Here are a few of last years makes, excuse the flash

last years theme was Georgian corsages

 

stitching our Georgian corsages

Happy Stitching!

 

Samantha

Fathers Day Man Cupcakes

Evening,

I hope you have had a great start to the week? Yesterday I made man style cupcakes with Little L for Daddy's Father's Day on Sunday. They were so much fun for both of us, she's only three and starting to understand what it all about! I've secretly hid these cakes in the freezer so he doesn't find them and so far Little L hasn't told him too!

 So why a man cupcake? I've been with Mr. S for eight years this Wednesday and I now know pretty much what he doesn't like about cake. 'Minimum or no icing on a cake, crunchy toppings or even better crunchy cake centres, cherries and a little tipple'. Does this sound familiar? It's fair to say that swirly icing with sparkles isn't his thing, it's just too sickly and calorific.  So this is my solution...

Chocolate & Cherry Cupcakes With A Brandy Swirl

Firstly follow the recipe for perfect sponge cakes using three eggs and then add 20 glace cherries halved.

Then three dessert spoons of nutella or chocolate spread, one tablespoon of brandy and stir until it looks like a swirl.

Spoon a dessert spoonful in each case and put into a oven at 180C or similar to your own oven's manual.

After 15 -20 minutes or until a knife comes out from the centre of the cake clean the cakes are ready. Bring them out the oven and place on a cooling rack.

We made 24 cupcakes, 12 muffin size and 12 cupcake size. The photo only has 22 as we tried one of each (well you have to!)

Once cooled, we decorated with honeycomb crunch and little chocolate pieces.

I hope you enjoy making these for the Dad's in your lives as much as we did and they freeze well for a few weeks so if you want to save some for later. I will comment below on his reaction on Sunday.

Thank-you for stopping by! This blog post is linked up on Fizzy Peaches #lifestylelinkup. Why not link one of your posts from this week here to?

Love,

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