25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

As someone who wears a scarf every single day you can imagine my delight when I came across this video.  I have always wondered how some people's scarves look much better than mine when worn and now I know! The video is very cleverly done and so easy to follow.  I cannot wait to try all these out and also to see if any of my family/friends notice the different looks.  This is definitely a must have video for all you like minded scarf lovers out there.  Enjoy!

Lolo xx

Burlap Card

Today is my lil sister's birthday, happy birthday sissy!  There is exactly 1 year and 1 week between us so we are really close and the best of friends and love the same things.  I am very lucky to have such a great sister.

I always make her a card and this year I chose to use my new favourite thing to craft with, Burlap, or Hessian as it is also known.  It's normally used for storing potatoes or covering the workings on the base of a sofa, but I like to use it for home decor items.

I love how it holds shapes really well, this flower was done by just folding a strip concertina style, tying some of the burlap threads I had pulled out round the middle and voila, instant flower.  A few gems were added to the middle which complement the rustic nature beautifully.  For the rest of the card I used Anna Griffin stamps and fabric together with some white twill tape and kraft card.

So there you have it, my burlap card, hope you like it.

Lolo xx

The Notebook

A notebook.  Something us ladies like and we like to have a few of them and they have to be pretty.  Even though we may only ever write shopping lists in them they have to be pretty, right.  My niece is no exception to this rule and the notebook I made for her had to be extra pretty as it will journey with her on her new career in London.

Plain soft leather effect notebook from TKMaxx, one of my all time fave stores as you just never know what you will find.  To pretty it up I used some scraps of fabric, ribbon and twill tape, which you all know I love to use.

 I wanted it to have lots of layers and textures so I just started piecing things together and when I was happy with the layout I sewed it all together with a mixture of straight and zig zag stitches.  The narrow grey ribbon was a little fiddly but worth it I think.

I have this dreamy image of her sitting in a window seat on the train, listening to her ipod and when something inspires her she will take out this pretty notebook and jot down her thoughts and ideas.  How daft amd I, yep it's lonely in my little world!

I didn't neglect the back either, it too deserves to look good for those people sat across from her on the train.

The whole ensemble.  She tells me she likes it a lot and will only use her bestest handwriting in it, bless her.

Supplies used:

• Fabric scraps, prints are by Anna Griffin
• Ribbon
• Sizzix Bigz Folk Hearts die cut using old beer mat
• Pinflair bookbind glue to adhere to cover
• Pink Petticoate Querty Digi Image
• Bunting clear stamps by Marion Emerson
• Square card blanks by Papermania

I really enjoyed making this and hope you all liked it too.  Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Card, Fabric and Pink Petticoat

It's been ages since I sat in my craft room and made something which was mostly down to the fact that I couldn't move in there.  But, last week I had a mahoosive tidy up and now I have space to create!  So today I made this card  for my wonderful niece who only went and bagged herself a cool PR job in the west end!  We are all so very very proud of her.

I took one of my white card blanks and used a polka dot stamp all over it in brown ink.  The green gingham check is fabric from an Anna Griffin Charm pack as is the strip of black and white floral print.  I folded some thick twill tape, which I love using and then stitched the three layers together on my machine.  On top of that I stitched a length of vintage seam binding ribbon.  For the bunting I stamped the images onto the twill tape and then cut them out.  They were then stuck using glue dots onto some narrow rik rak ribbon.

For the sentiment I got to use my recently purchased Querty image from Pink Petticoat.  This digi image is so useful and has the perfect spot to put your own sentiment in which I love.  It's printed on photo paper and then I added some colour and twinkle using two colours of Sakura Glitter Pens.

I've also made her a fabric covered notebook which I'll show in another post.

Thanks for popping by.

Lolo xx

Cath Kidston Treats

Do you ever feel the need to just pop out and buy yourself something pretty to cheer you up?  You do.  That's good to hear because I do too, sometimes its a bit too frequently but hey, we earn it right!  Well last weekend was one of those times and I found myself driving my car to the Cath Kidston outlet store, which for me is a few short miles up the road.  I know, too close right!  It was absolutely heaving when I got there, mothers with their children, girls with their boyfriends dutifully following them around with a basket full of goodies.  Oh the joy on the poor blokes faces lol! 

An apron.  I did um and ah over this purchase as I have a ton of this fabric and could have made at least two for the price of this one.  But do you know what made my mind up, the label on the front.  Yep I am that sad! I can't be the only one surely!  Can I?  Please tell me you do this too.

Oven gloves in a print I love for it's muted colours and flowers.  They were only £6.00 each which I thought was quite reasonable.  I get on so much better with this type rather than the joined together ones.

See I didn't go crazy.  Mind you that was probably more down to the fact that there wasn't actually a lot there this time.  I don't mean the shop was empty but just a lot of the same stuff filling it up.  Their lovely section of handbags had but a few to choose from, most unusual.  Perhaps this means they are getting ready for new lines, which you know is gonna make me go back sooner rather than later don't ya.

Thanks for popping by, I really do appreciate all your visits to my little world.

Lolo xx

Favourite thing on a Friday

Old photos.  Afternoon tea on the beach.  Grandparents looking so young and beautiful.  As grandchildren you forget that they were ever that young don't you. 

I love that my gramps is in his suit and they have proper crockery for their tea.

Street party, when street parties were something amazing for the kids to join in with.  Hidden amongst the little rascals above is my darling father.  He's the cheeky one in the white sailors hat pulling funny faces.  Yes that would be my dad all over, cheeky then, cheeky always.

So there you have it, my favourite thing this Friday is looking at old photos.  If you want to see what others have posted over at Mimi and Tilly's just click on the button in my sidebar.

Lolo xx

Merchant & Mills

I love discovering new online shops don't you.  Especially ones that sell all things sewing and in a grown up and stylish way.  This site is very classy and english indeedy.  They have a blog too.  My fave section is their dressmaking patterns.  I don't know about you gals, but I do struggle to find fashionable, wearable and flattering patterns.  Well at M&M they have some real fabby ones.

Courtesy of Merchant and Mills

Relaxed dress shirt with so many possibilities.  This is my style of clothing, not structured, hate structured.  Loose, breathable, comfortable clothing is what I like to hang out in.  It could be made as a dress, top, with sleeves, without, with varying length ones.  And then theres all the different fabrics it could be made in.  This picture is making me want to wear it longish with a pair of wellies and great big chunky cardigan.  Perfect!  You can see the pattern here.

Courtesy of Merchant and Mills

Another favourite is their Trapeze Dress which again can be made with sleeves or without.  In grey suiting fabric I could wear this to the office, and how comfy would that be.  See the pattern here.

Courtesy of Merchant and Mills

Fun eye test charts on there too.  Fancy one of these in my craftroom.

Courtesy of Merchant and Mills

Their artwork is spot on, clean, uncluttered, from a time when life was a more simple affair and people didn't have piles and piles of stuff in their homes.  A time when they also 'did' rather than just 'watch'.  See what this artwork has done to me, I've gone all reminiscent and wishful!

Anyway, go see for yourselves what goodies they have, you can find them here Merchant & Mills.  

And thank you to the lovely ladies over at the Womens Room Blog for bringing this wonderful website to my attention.

Lolo xx