Makers Month: Let's Meet: One & Eight

We are in Maker's Month now, so alot more about our favourite makers, but as always we had to have our Let's meet feature and so we thought we would talk to fellow Mollie Makes Awards attendee, although she only went and won her Start-up award! yey.  It's the very lovely Susie from One & Eight with her beautiful jewellery.  Which also means most of it is going in the shopping basket to be bought right now, so we best get on with it to give you a chance to grab some bits too!

DIY's I want to try April

Simple Yarn Dream Catcher Via Little Inspiration  //  Gorgeous Hanging Planter via Place of My Taste  //  Metallic Fringe Necklace Via Lovely Indeed  //  Zipped Leather Pouch Via Always Rooney

Let's meet: DaphneRosa

This month we have finally featured the lovely Kate from DaphneRosa.  Her bouquets are just plain beautiful and the perfect alternative to the usual flowers for your special day, especially if like H you have hayfever!  We caught up with Kate after another successful wedding fair and had a chat about what she is up to and what's next!

Make it: Day of the Dead Necklace on Super + Super

We are guest posting again today and its over on Super + Super for their Day of the Dead Blog party.  We made this cool Pumpkin Day of the Dead necklace out of Shrink Plastic, so go check out the post. You can go on over to their blog for all the other crafts that will be on for the rest of the week, until Sunday.  Also go on over to their Pinterest board for more inspiration.

Make it: Conker Pumpkins

Who can not notice that it is Halloween this week and that Autumn is definitely here!  So for Half term week, I thought I would show you a Children or Adult friendly simple craft.  Who doesn't love a bit of Pinterest for some Pumpkin inspiration and these Conker Pumpkins just fit the bill today.

June's Instagram round-up

The end of the month is nearly here and so I thought it was about time for a little Instagram round-up.  If you have been watching our Instagram recently you will know that we took a little break to Barcelona and so that features quite a bit, but who doesn't love holiday pictures!  Also as usual food is a big feature, its a big feature in my life and so it would only be right to show it off.

Easter DIY's

Easter is nearly here and the School Holidays have begun which means I will be knee deep in PVA glue and craft materials for the next couple of weeks.  Which got me thinking of some other great DIY's out there that you could do, with your children, or just for yourself!

So, what better way to find some ideas, than through the beautiful world of Pinterest!  You can follow us here.

First up is this great idea for a bunny mask for your little ones, how cute will they look on Easter weekend looking for their eggs with this over their face!  Cuteness overload!

To the top right is this great tutorial for making foiled eggs for decorations.  We did an egg decoration workshop last year for Easter and that is definitely the last time I am blowing eggs (60 eggs later) - but this tutorial from good old Martha, has me thinking I might do a few this year.

Bottom left is a hair raising egg for Easter, sorry, couldn't resist!  Who didn't love sowing cress and watching it grow when you were a child, now it's time to reinvent your youth and get some of your eggs having a bit of a do for the Easter weekend with these Eggheads.

For the last one, it's another version of something I have made at work - these are not mine though.  These Peg Eggs are so cool and you could do any kind of opening and closing characters, we made sharks and monsters for ours last year.  But with the Easter theme, maybe bunnies or children eating eggs inside?

So, which one would you make first?  I am making some super cool peg superheroes for one of my workshops at The Lightbox this year and I am very excited for it, it lands on my birthday, what a way to spend the day hey!

What do you think?  Can you see which superhero they all are?
H

P.S.  Photos are not all our own, they have been taken from the websites linked within the post.  Apart from the Superheroes, that's all mine!

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Review: Simple Stylish Knitting Magazine

Towards the end of last year we were approached by Simple Stylish Knitting to review their Magazine and have a go at one of their first projects the knitted Fox iPad cover.  Now due to phenomenal demand they sold out and so we had to delay this post so they could restock and then at least you could all have a chance of ordering it if you wanted.  As it wouldn't do to tell you all about it, but then you couldn't actually get it yourself.  Simple Stylish Knitting supplied us with all the wool and equipment we would need for the project, which is very much appreciated.  We also have been Pinning on their Knits to Give board over on Pinterest.

Firstly, lets chat about the magazine itself.  It's a weekly magazine that aims to help people get into knitting one granny square at a time, with a ball of wool with each issue to make a different style stitched square each week, that will make up the blanket you can find in issue one.  It is made for people who have little or no knitting skills and so each issue teaches you a different stitch pattern to give you more knowledge as the issues go along.

Each issue has binder holes and you can buy the binder separately, so you can keep all the projects you like altogether.  They also have a grading system for all the projects in each issue, so that you know what you can achieve and when you start to get better.  The projects are really achievable and not too overwhelming for a beginner, but also make for timeless items to keep in your collection to make time and time again.

Now onto the Fox iPad cover project, this is such a cosy place for your iPad.  Its quite a simple set of stitches with the fox sewn on afterwards.  So a really good starter for 10 as they say.

Simple Stylish Knitting gave us all the wool and needles we would need for the project and lovely Rowan wool at that!  The main part of the case is the darker grey wool, but of course you could always make it whatever colour you like.  We do love a bit of grey though, so its always a good start.

The instructions are really clear and take you through the steps.  They even give you the stitch pattern for making the fox, so you know exactly how to stitch on the very lovely fox on the front.  This was a great project to try and its keeping Sammy's iPad very cosy indeed for winter.

There is an online stitch library too, so you never have to worry about finding the magazine with the stitch you are looking for.  The magazine is available by subscription, which you can get here.

We think that it is a great little magazine for beginners and will give you plenty of projects to try out.  Sometimes just having the ideas can be difficult and so that's why we also have been pinning lots of ideas on their Knits to give board, which you can find here.  That should give you plenty of ideas.

Do let us know if you have read the magazine and you have made the Fox iPad cover. We would love to know what you think.

H & Sammy

Disclaimer:  We were sent items from Simple Stylish Magazine for this feature but were not required to give a positive review.


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Make it: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Baubles

It's Make it time again over here and this time it's a fun simple activity that the whole family could do to decorate the Christmas Tree, cos we all know it's nearly that time - if you haven't already put it up!

I saw these first over on Pinterest and just couldn't not make them, as they are just so cute.  I mean who doesn't want Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle baubles for their tree????

You will need:  Scissors, Ribbon (Blue, Purple, Orange and Red), double sided tape, self adhesive googly eyes and Green Baubles of course!

First, you will need to cut your 4 ribbons to the length that will go around your baubles, with a little overlap.  Then attach double sided tape to one side.

Wrap the ribbon around roughly the middle of the bauble and stick in place.

Next, get your adhesive eyes and stick onto the ribbon.

It really is that simple, repeat the steps for all four of your Turtles and you have your set.

Now, if you can't remember your turtles, I will help you out.  Raphael is Red, Donatello is Purple, Leonardo is Blue and Michelangelo is Orange!  Which one is your favourite???

These would make a great gift for the Turtle fan in your life and with the new film out at the moment, all my childhood memories are flooding back!  Gotta love the 80's!

H


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Guest Pinning for Simple Stylish Knitting

H and I are always up for learning new crafts and brushing up our skills. We are heading off to learn a few new techniques ourselves in November. One of the crafts we both want to work on now that the colder weather and darker evenings have kicked in, is Knitting.

H and I know how to knit and crochet but we are by no means confident with either. We wanted to go back to basics so when Simple Stylish Knitting asked us to guest pin for them we were so excited! We are pinning all month on their 'Knits to Give' board.

We will let you know more about what else we have coming up with them later in November, but in the meantime head over and check out what we want to make as gifts to help us sharpen up our skills with some fancy yarns.

 Live, Love, Make, Like, Share, Follow, Tweet, Pin, Add, Enjoy. 

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10 things to do this summer

                  

Now, you must by now know that I love a good list, I have lists everywhere, lists of lists and always thinking of new lists.  Maybe I am a list-oholic!  Anyway, I was having a think the other day of little adventures that would be good for the summer months and thought that I would share as they are things that could be fun for you to do also.  So, here is my 10 things to do this summer ....

                   

1.  Go to an Exhibition - I am planning a visit to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London next weekend.  I have been going for the past 4 years and really love to go and check out the Architecture room and Photography particularly.  There are so many good exhibitions and museums to check out though, perhaps combine a visit to St Ives for the Tate or go to Margate for the Turner Contemporary if you don't fancy London in the heat. 

2.  Watch the sun go down somewhere.  It could be at the beach, at a bar, in your garden.  But take in that moment of the sun going down below the ground you can see - it's a beautiful thing to see for free, so, that's even better!

3.  Buy yourself something you would not normally wear, it could be that the colours are not what you would go for, or a completely different look you have been wanting to try.  But you might surprise yourself how going out of your comfort zone and choosing what you have always wanted to try, can be liberating.

                   

4.  Watch a movie that reminds you of being a child.  It could be The Goonies or Labryinth or whatever you like, but it will remind you of fun times, simple times and also might make you wonder why you loved it so much when you can see every wire and cardboard cut out along the way.

5.  Visit a new town, go Day-tripping.  Where have you always wanted to go, take yourself off for the day with sandwiches and a drink to explore your area or further afield.  I have plenty of weddings to keep me going this year, but planning on exploring the areas I go to alongside the wedding nuptials.

6.  Plant it, grow it, eat it.  Fancy having a go at making something to eat with your fair hands?  You can pop something on your windowsill if you don't have a garden.  I fancy having a go at Chilli's as they are simple and even my non-green fingers must be able to give it a go!

7.  Make a new playlist of sounds that remind you of good times with friends.  All those old classics along with some new ones.  I would start with Wonderwall by Oasis, which reminds me of hanging out my friends in the summer after my GCSE's.

                  

8.  Eat Fish and Chips on the beach, come rain or shine, you just have to sit on a beach somewhere and try to keep the seagulls from nicking your dinner!

9.  Make something from your Pinterest board.  You know you want to!  The list gets bigger and you never seem to get around to it.  Allow yourself to be creative, give yourself a couple of hours in an evening or a full day with friends and get creative.  Watch a bit of Man Vs Pin on You tube first to get you in the spirit.

10.  Stand in the rain - lets face it, we all know it's going to rain at some point this summer and usually when you are out in your flip flops and summer dress.  Go stand outside with the raindrops falling on your head, I love it, it really clears the head.  Then you can go and find the rainbow afterwards!  You never know, you might find a pot of gold at the end.

What do you think?  Do you have any others that I should add.  I hope to get most of these done this summer, a mission accomplished!  What would be on your list though?  Let us know in the comments below.

H

 Live, Love, Make, Like, Share, Follow, Tweet, Pin, Add, Enjoy. 

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Love it: Wonderful Gift Wrap

Oh my goodness, I do love a bit of gift wrapping, it is seriously my favourite part of giving and receiving gifts! I literally can't wait for our Gift Wrap workshop next month. I have a whole Pinterest Board dedicated to my love of wrapping. I am always collecting up bits and bobs to use to wrap gifts - stickers, sparkles, ribbons you name it. 

Are you a gift wrap addict like me, or do you hate having to wrap all your Christmas presents? 

Sammy xxx

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Dreaming of my very own... Bar-cart

I can only dream of one day having a house that would be home to a bar cart.  In our kitchen/dining room we have a large central breakfast bar which houses our alcohol collection so I can't really warrant a bar cart, but oh I can dream... I have created a Pinterest board dedicated to my love of these retro beauties.  ( All the photo links can be found there) One day I will have my bar-cart dreams fore-filled! 

I am no longer a big drinker, in fact over the last few years, I can count on one hand how many times I have had an alcoholic drink. But I do love the odd cocktail and I love making cocktails for my friends, even non-alcoholic ones are so much fun to create. 

Do you have a bar-cart? Fancy having your own? What would you stock it with?? 

Have a lovely weekend.

Sammy xxx

Favourite Friday: Inspiration and Relaxation

Something a little different for my Favourite Friday this week, my Favourite ways to relax and get inspired. We have been so busy lately, which is great, but I have hardly had time to just take time out and enjoy the calm.

It is hard to remember that taking time out for yourself is just as important as working all hours. It's often the case that if I am struggling to work something out or finish a project, that stepping away and clearing your mind for a bit can be more helpful than working on, full steam ahead. It can fill you with ideas and solutions that are only visible when you take a step back. On that note, these are the things I will be doing over the next few weeks to get myself back on track.

Reading Craft Magazines:

There is nothing better for me than sitting down with a cup of tea and a stack crisp new Craft magazines filled with articles and images designed to inspire! I always start at the back of a magazine and work my way forward, then when I'm done I go through from the front with a pack of sticky notes close by to mark pages and make notes.

Pinterest:

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in the amount of hours I have lost pinning images to virtual pin-boards!?!   I have been on Pinterest since the beginning and I still can't get enough, I Love going through pages and pages of inspiration and ideas.

Watching movies

I am married to a gadget-aholic which has it's advantages, like when he bought an Apple TV... I thought 'oh here we go another fruity gadget' but we are on version number three and it is hands down the best thing he has ever bought! I can rent a movie at the flick of the remote, it doesn't take up any space at all and you can get TV shows, music, radio and pod-casts on it as well.  Basically you can view you entire i-Tunes library including pictures on your TV through this little box! I love nothing more that sitting down in front of our TV in my Barker lounger and watching a movie, Popcorn in hand of course.

Scrapbooking

I am a member of Studio Calico, a monthly kit club based in the U.S. Every month I get sent a selection of awesome co-ordinated  paper-craft goodies in the post. I love this company in particular because they pull together some of the best names in paper-craft and include them in the kits. The likes of  Dear Lizzy, Amy Tangerine, Basic Grey and their own lines are some of the best products around. It is so fun to create things like mini books, cards and gift wrap out of these kits. I get totally stuck-in and hours can pass while I am creating in my craft room.

Re-arranging and Tidying

It may not sound very relaxing, but for me tidying my craft space can be very therapeutic. I put a good movie on, something like Dirty Dancing and sort out some pretty things. Whether it's rummaging through my button jars or sorting my fabric stash, I always come across a little something that sparks an idea. I always clear my desk first, so that if I do find something to make that just cant wait, I have a clear desk to work on. I am so lucky to have a space all to myself to indulge in my creativity.

I really want to hear from you guys today!

leave a comment below and let me know what you do to chill out and get inspired.

Hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing weekend <3

Sammy xxx

Connect with us

Many of us use Google reader to follow our fave blogs, but as it is going away soon we have started using bloglovin and we Love it! It got me thinking of the other ways we share our content. So I have compiled a list of all the ways you can connect with us and keep up with all our adventures. 

Follow us on bloglovin  /  Follow us on Pinterest  /  Follow us on Twitter  /  Like us on Facebook  /  Find us on Google+  /  Follow us on Instagram

Want to ask us a question?

Email us Liveit.loveit.makeit@gmail.com

Do you have a Blog? A Facebook or twitter for your crafty business? Are you on Instagram or Pinterest?

Leave us a link in a comment below, we love connecting and making new friends, we will stop by and take a look!

Sammy xxx

Love it: Pinterest Inspiration

Ric rac cards

I have been feeling a bit ill this week, so surfing the net for ideas and inspiration helps to keep my spirits up {that and my lovely husband feeding me with jam on toast} one of my best pick me up site is of course Pinterest. This week I have been pinning some lovely things that have inspired me with ideas to use in my shop.