Friday 21 January 2011

Gorgeous buys and more makes ....


Hi, thanks for all the lovely comments on my last blog post, I hope it has inspired some of you to give it a go :-)  I have been looking at more Melt and Pour bases for soap making and there are some fab eco-friendly ones available and also some with less chemicals in than your normal shop bought soap so I think I will give them a go next time.

I thought I would share some of my recent buys with you as I do love looking at what pretties people have bought :-) Just after Christmas I popped into the Cambridge Calico and they had these cute little scissors and some lovely metallic thread and felt balls, oh I love buying craft things.

 
Can you see that lovely fabric those pretties are sitting on ..... John Lewis had 50% off some Amy Butler fabrics, I couldn't resist!  Oohh I can see how people get a fabric addiction.  I wanted more and really wish I had now as it was only £5 a meter but I talked myself out of it, why do I always do that gggrrrrr :-( When I went back another week it was all gone :-(


I also bought a lovely fat quarter from Calico and some threads and a crochet hook from a haberdashery in Ely.  Waahooo I have a crochet hook - all I need to do is work out what do with it now (any good basic crochet links gratefully received) :-)

 

With all this new fabric I really need to learn how to use a sewing machine pretty soon I think ..... the Christmas trees still haven't gone up in the loft so the sewing machine is still up there :-(

Another thing I bought recently was after having a chat to Mango Cheeks about what she uses in her lovely hair (her hair is thick and curly like mine).  She told me Almond Oil is great so I popped to Holland and Barrett and got some.  I also saw these shampoo bars near the till on offer, they smell scrummy and I never knew they even existed so can't wait to try them out.  I am currently using up all my mainstream hair stuff like brill cream (yes I use brill cream lol) and the shampoos before I can use these, I will let you know what they are like.


Now this little buy and I am soooo excited about  ...... a cute little bike basket.  

I know, it doesn't look much but I just can't wait to bike down the allotment with it on the front of my bike.  Last year I mashed a few potatoes trying to carry them back in a bag as they got caught in the wheel - no more mashed potatoes for me :-)  My hubby thinks I should take mischief Ted in it - I think he has dreams of me turning into Alys Fowler and wearing one of those gorgeous little dresses she wears - not sure my village is ready for that just yet :-)
Picture of Alys Fowler with her lovely little dress - image taken from Chronical Books with thanks.

Also this week I have been creating some lovely button heart cards.  I made some hanging wire button hearts the other week and was pondering on what to do with them.  After thinking for a while I thought they would be lovely as part of an eco-friendly Valentines card. 


So I got some eco cards and envelopes and some little sticky pads.  I stuck the wire heart to the card which is supplied with some nice ribbon.  The recipient can then remove the heart and hang it up so the card/gift lasts years rather than just a week or so :-)


Not sure if the idea will prove popular but I like it :-)  I am popping some in my blog shop and facebook shop to see if anyone else likes them :-)

36 comments:

  1. Oh! I can't believe that I missed out on half price Amy Butler fabric ... :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!! I love seeing what beautiful things people have bought!!!! Love the fabric, love the scissors...basically I love it all!!! and the hearts are lush!!!! Well done you!!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like you are going to be very busy....
    Such lovely fabric and goodies to work with...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my I love the valentine- very organised too! I love the bike basket, who wouldn't want to look like gorgeous Alys x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh the fabric is gorgeous, it's all gorgeous. I hope you get that sewing machine down soon so we can see what you have made with it :-) As for the crochet, I think pictures are quite hard to understand, if you know someone who could show you that would be easier. I would show you if we were closer :-(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh wow! Such lovely goodies. Those valentine card/hearts are so beautiful and so eco-friendly too as they can be used as decorations for ever. I have a bicycle basket - I used to ride a bike a lot and used mine to go to the allotment as well. I got some paniers in the end though as the basket wasn't big enough for my weekly supermarket shop! I use the basket for my recycling in my kitchen these days and it looks good on the floor in the corner waiting for my papers and bottles etc till we take it out to the garage to the horrid plastic bins.

    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  7. Totally get yourself a fab little dress for the allotment! what's life without whimsy? You might need to get some pantaloon to wear under the fab dress whilst cycling...
    That basket is gorgeous. I had one on my pink bike at college & I adored it. on a practical note, do you have little sweetpea on the back of you bike or on a trailer? I am looking into getting a toddler trailer so I can take child & compost!

    ReplyDelete
  8. :)
    Ive got that exact basket on my bike!
    Doesnt it look adorable!
    Im thinking of threading some thick ribbon through it xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have bike basket envy - mine is getting really tatty but as its a wicker one and absolutely huge I am reluctant to get rid.

    Have been making button hearts also this week - like the idea of putting them onto cards.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The cards are a fab idea, a gift which lasts for years. I love your bike basket, I can see you now, cycling back from the lottie with tea in the basket.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Crochet - I taught myself last winter, using videos from Videojug such as this one - http://www.videojug.com/webvideo/how-to-crochet-a-basic-chain. TJW1963 has loads of videos showing you how to crochet, but remember she uses American terminology rather than British, so their double crochet stitch is our treble crochet, but don't let that phase you. In the beginning you just need to get the hang of using the tools. After you get the hang of the basics, you could then wander off to Attic24's blog - http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/ - and look at her tutorials, such as the Summer Garden Granny Square - http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/summer-garden-granny-square.html - which is the one I used to make my latest blanket.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am squealing with delight over your bicycle basket! I looked everywhere for my own, but had to settle for a wire one in the end...not nearly as pretty as yours :)
    Those little scissors were a great find too, just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing your purchases...I love to have a stickybeak :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the button heart, very pretty! The fabric you have is gorgeous - cannot wait to see what you make!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cute basked, definitely need a cath kidston frock on and some wellies to go with it on the bike ;o)

    Lovely button heart too. xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great bike basket. Remember not to leave it out in all weathers as it will rot quite quickly. I get through a basket a year as mine cannot easily be taken off and the bike is parked outside. It would be tragic if yours fell to bits too soon. Ax

    ReplyDelete
  16. I was just thinking the other day that I wanted to treat myself to a pair of beautiful scissors. Now I see yours, and am convinced that I must! I so love patterned scissors.

    And the card is lovely! Cards that keep on giving are the best!

    Great finds, which will lead to great crafty outcomes, I'm sure :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thank you so much for the kind mention Scented Sweetpeas :-)

    The last i remember of your hair is that is is much longer than mine. So my recommendation is start with abotu 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon in the palm of your hand then gently massage with both palms before running your hands through your hair, start from the front to the end. Finish off rubbing your palms though the ends of your hair. I hope it works for you. One drawback with almond oil is obviously its oiliness if your a contact wearer, which I am when I am not wearing my specs - party nights. So you have to pop them in first before doing your hair :)
    Hope it works for you, you may find it does or maybe not, but its worth trying. There was an American product I used once upon a time, but its no point recommending that as you cannot get it in the U.k, which annoyed me as I don't have much of a beauty regime as it is.

    The Button heart card is lovely. Rather elegant in fact.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I was wondering how curly is curly to warrant using almond oil? I have curly hair which is prone to flyaway/frizzing, would this help me??
    Wish I had seen that fabric, I want to back a quilt and that would have been perfect x

    ReplyDelete
  19. you have done well sweetpea, you are right that fabric is just so gorgous. I would just like to say thankyou for your last comment and yes prehaps little lambs would be a great idea, you will have to let me know the times etc x x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Zoe, I saw your crochet hook :) I am only a bit of a newbie myself, but I could maybe give you a quick tutorial one Friday at Lambs! :) Loved the soaps too - where do you find the time?!?!

    Kathryn x

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love the Amy Butler fabrics you bought - such a bargain too! And I love your bike basket - cycling around with a little basket like that to put your shopping in (or little dog) is just lovely! Enjoy all your new products and hope you're having a great weekend. Helen x

    ReplyDelete
  22. Gorgeous fabric! I love the heart card, I just made a very similar heart for someone on the birthday swap! The bike basket is a great idea, you can fit loads of veg in that on your way back from the allotment!
    I've been using bar soap on my hand srecently instead of the squirty stuff and my hadns feel much better, not itchy, scratchy and flaky at all! Thanks for the advice! :) x

    ReplyDelete
  23. Well you have some lovely bargains there, the fabric is gorgeous I wish I had known about it :)
    x

    ReplyDelete
  24. Those scissors are so sweet, its nice to have inspiring tools to work with.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Pretty things :0)
    I picked up some half price Amy Butler fabric from Hobbycraft recently as it was an end of line, apparently. I wish I'd looked in John Lewis as well.
    It's a great idea for an Eco-card. I'm sure they'll prove very popular on the run up to Valentines Day.
    Jill x

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love all your purchases, and adore your button cards, I was admiring them on facebook last night.
    Thanks for your kind comments, it would be no problem at all to do them toddler size, if you would like one just let me know. xx

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love the little button heart, I might even try to make one myself! I use almond oil all the time, never used it on my hair but it makes a lovely skin cream, or just on it's own as a moisturiser.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for spending the time leaving a comment, it really does make me smile :-)