A day in the life of Sammy

Sammy's Craft Room Tour on Cut Out and Keep

You know we are big fans of the craft sharing website Cut out and Keep. Well a few months ago they asked if I would share my Craft Room with their blog readers and of course I said yes.

Head over to the Cut Out and Keep blog to have a nosey around my craft room and sewing space.  It was a pleasure to chat with Cat about my favourite place in the whole world. Click the picture above to visit the tour.

I hope you all enjoy having a little look around and have a lovely weekend.

Sammy xxx

P.S I have joined Snapchat @sammytvr if you want to add me and see behind the scenes stuff from the blog and Sew Crafty too. Still getting used to it though so be gentle!


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Make it: Palm Print Shopper bag and matching clutch

I have a girls holiday booked in June and I just can't find a beach bag I like that is the right size and light enough to roll up in my suitcase. I am too impatient to wait until all the summer stuff is in the shops so as usual I turned to my sewing machine to solve my problem. We have just had this awesome palm print fabric in at Sew Crafty HQ and I knew as soon as I saw it that it was the one I had to use for this project. Then I couldn't decide if I wanted a shopper style or a clutch bag, so I made both!

Sammy's Desk Drawer Tour

I have a fun little post today for anyone who is like me and likes to have a nosey into other people's craft spaces. I am sharing the contents of my Ikea Alex desk drawers. I have been meaning to do this post forever and recently had to take some photos of my craft room for an interview so I took some extra ones of my drawers to share with you. I love the system I have for my desk right now, but it has taken me a few goes at it to work out what works and where. Lets get stuck in shall we.

The first drawer has my basic sewing supplies, things I might need or things for quick hand sewing. I also keep all my pretty sewing supplies in here, so my cutest scissors, needle cases, pins and pincushion. The next drawer holds my embroidery threads and cords for jewellery along with spare needles and odd bits of aida canvas.

Next up is jewellery findings, beads and tools. I have loads of odd bits and bobs from when I used to make and sell my own jewellery, I still do the odd repair and often make stuff for myself and friends so I try and stay well stocked. A few years ago I bought a ton of these tic-tac style bead storage boxes and they are the best way for me to organise my bead collection. I stack them on their side so I can see what I have by colour. 

The bottom of that set of drawers keeps my favourite drawing supplies, spare paints and a few calligraphy inks. The top drawer in the other set has my pens, felt-tips, pencils, anything that isn't in the pots on the top of my desk is in here, close to hand.

Next down is stamps and ink pads. I have a lot more clear stamps in another box but these are all my most used wooden stamps and ink pads. Tape, glue, staples and paperclips anything sticky or holds paper together is in the next drawer. You can see I have a good stock of my favourite double sided scotch tape, I use that stuff for everything!

The last two drawers hold spare stamps and paper punches and a few odd bits and bobs like spare drawing pins, staples and old embossing powders. The last drawer holds my paints, mostly acrylics and metallics, with some tester pots and sponge daubers.

So I hope that was fun to see inside my craft desk. If you have any questions leave them in the comments below, I will happily answer them. Also let me know if you want to see a full craft room tour?

Have a lovely weekend
Sammy xxx


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Whats on my desk

We shared our desks way back in January and so we thought we would come back this time with our different desks as we have day jobs alongside blogging.  Last time Sammy showed us her home space and H showed off what was going on at work. This time we have had a swap, so first up Sammy.

Last time I shared my home office desk, this time you get to see my desk at Sew Crafty HQ. I'm sure you can see that my set up is pretty similar but most of the work I do here is planning, admin and photo editing so it is a little more business-like than my home office. The thing that is on my desk most of the time at work is my planner, it is my daily to do list so I have it at hand to make sure I haven't forgotten anything important. I have a few trinkets under my monitor as well as a bunch of sewing supplies to use as photo props when taking photos for our website. To the left of the picture out of shot, is where I do most of the small photography for Sew Crafty so it is handy to have bits and bobs to hand.

Now, for H's home desk.  My desk at home has various duties from work desk, to dining room table and sewing space and sometimes just a dumping ground.  So it can go from looking nice and tidy to messy in a matter of hours.  It is a useful space though to keep many things that I use alot from my many notebooks, diary and for some reason I have my ipad on at the same time as my laptop most of the time!  The rest of my desk around this is a mass of photos, business cards, bills, pen and pencils, things I have made for tutorials - no need to water plants anyone and some bits from HEMA that they recently sent us for some Easter treats, you may even be able to spy the Easter chicks in this picture.  They just epitomise Easter to me!

Any familiar items on your desks?  I think we clearly like just having stuff around us if these pictures are anything to go by.  If you would like to show us and our readers what's on your desk then just send us an email and we can show off other peoples desks too!  Just out of nosiness probably!  ha ha.

H & Sammy, xxx

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April Monthly Favourites

April is coming to an end, with a distinct lack of April Showers to show for it, which has been lovely, has it been the same where you are? Grab a cuppa or a cheeky ice cream and lets get on with some of my favourites this month.

I have been lusting over the Custard Cream Cushion from Nikki McWillams for the longest time, with no excuse to fit yellow into my colour schemes anywhere in my home! Then my prayers were answered when Nikki announced her classic biscuit cushions in pastel tones and opened a pre order option via her Instagram . I am in love, I ordered Mint and Parma Violet and they are just so gorgeous, I may have to get the pink and blue to complete the set!

East Wick were a company I discovered via our trip to Renegade craft fair this month, I had been searching for a minty scented candle and when I smelt the Peppermint and Eucalyptus at the fair I fell in love. They are natural soy, vegan friendly and come in this super simple classy jar. I have been burning it loads, the fresh smell is so great for spring, I feel a re-purchase coming on very soon.

In a departure from my usual 'Mint Candy Apple' staple spring shade for nail polish I have been loving Essie Stones n' Roses, A gorgeous pastel coral, with this Sech Vite top coat it makes it last for ages and dries super fast, even on my bendy flaky nails.

Say hello to Caboodle Magazine, in my opinion the UK's answer to Frankie! Filled with Yummy fashion layouts, inspirational photography, Pinterest worthy finds and interviews with the young and talented.  I may be a little biased as Sew Crafty has a little advert in these pretty pages but seriously if you like Frankie but yearn for something a little less muted, Caboodle is for you! Order your copy now from the website.

Last but not least, another couple of Renegade purchases in the form of this constellation bracelet from Fleur Caroline and 'We are all mad here' ring from the Silver Shed. I have been wearing both non stop since the fair.

I hope you have had a great April and have some exciting plans for May! What are your faves this month?  If you have blogged about them, link up your posts in the comments below so we can all take a look.  Oh and some of you have asked where my calendar is from, I downloaded it from Lemon Thistle blog.

Have a lovely weekend

Sammy xxx



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February Favourites

Monthly favourites time again and this month is an odd bunch I will admit, but worthy all the same.

My strawberry slicer, I know a lot of people will say its a silly gimmick and that I am perfectly capable of chopping my own strawberries, but anything that gets me excited about eating fruit for breakfast is a winner with me.

The powerhouse of blogging that is Dana aka The Wonder Forest has a second blog all about blogging (I can Build a Blog), which I have been a fan of for a while now. When Dana started a YouTube channel last year I was an instant fan. I have been catching up this month and loving her no nonsense advice. I'm just not sure if I am brave enough to put our blog up for review but I love the advice she shares about being a better blogger. 

I picked up this shade of nail polish when I was at Bicester Village last month, not because it was Michael Kors, but because I LOVED the colour. Envy is the perfect Pink/Purple shade with a great formula and a stubby flat brush, Yum!

Accessorize always hit it out of the park with pretty stuff for your tech and this season is no exception.  I was torn between the golden pineapples and this Flamingo... as you can see the flamingo won.

Finding these little beauties in my fave stationary place Fox and Star was a game changer, MT Nano is a handy gadget you use to make neat cuts in your washi tape. It's the little things.

How was your February? What have been your favourites? Are you loving a TV show? Anyone else loving the new season of Suits? Let me know in the comments below.

Have a great weekend, but pop by on Sunday for a little competition....

Sammy xxx


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Love it: Simply Sewing Magazine

I have a quick question for you, is there room on the heaving shelves of the craft section in your newsagent for yet another sewing magazine?  My first answer if you had asked me a month or so ago when I first heard about Simply Sewing would have been a big fat no.  However, as I saw images and samples coming my way via their publishers and on social media my initial thoughts wavered.  Finally on Wednesday the real thing landed on my desk and I have to say I was reeeeaaally hoping it was going to be as good as the promise...

The great news is that it surpassed my expectations, like, a-lot.  I was excited to read pages of good looking projects, realistic projects that are actually wearable using stylish fabrics.  Packed full of really great tips and tricks for beginners and seasoned sewers.  A good variety of clothing, home sewing and crafty sewing projects make the first issue a nicely rounded overview of what is to come in future issues.

It is not Tilly Walnes on the cover (although they could be twins!) She does grace the pages with an interview and a great up-cycling project.  I don't want to show you too much because I don't want to spoil it for you all, but how cute is this little bunny bag below!  I have seen a few versions of these but I love the grey and blue colour scheme they have used for this series projects.

I think it has hit a great gap in the sewing magazine market, a sweet spot for those of us who spend hours on blogs and Pinterest yearning for the 'sewers' version of Mollie Makes.  The layout is clean and crisp with great photography throughout.

The clothing projects are trendy but not too fashion forward so as to limit their appeal.  I think their crafty cousin (Mollie Makes) would be very proud of what they have given us in the début issue.  I only wish they had gone with a different name for a magazine, with such style it could have taken a more unique title. The project on pg 43-45 offers up a far more interesting option for a possible title??

They are onto a winner signing up one of my favourite bloggers Portia Lawrie for a regular feature and for now at least there are a bunch of great sewing tips in the back pages.

You may have noticed there was no photo of the free fabric that came with my issue... well I couldn't help myself and whipped up a couple of quick zip pouches, a drawstring bag and some embellishments with my freebie.  What will you make with yours?  They have their own hashtag set-up too, tag your craftiness with #sewcialsparkle .

So, yeah, I'm a little smitten with this new offering, I can't wait to see what's up next.  To find out why I am so excited pick up your copy from all good news agents now or sign up for a subscription and get the first 3 issues for £5, Bargain!

Have you already grabbed your copy??  We would love to know what you think, Let us know in the comments below. Seriously tell me what you think, I am off the International Hobby, Craft and Stitch on Monday and I want to take all my comments and yours to the team behind Simply Sewing. Have a great weekend.

Sammy xxx

P.S. To be clear for anyone who remembers a magazine a few years ago under the same name, this is not the same magazine and it has no affiliation with the publisher who ran that magazine.  Simply Sewing is published by Immediate Media, who were the owners of the late Cloth magazine before it's run was cancelled.


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Live it. Sew Crafty's New Chapter

If you know me or if you have been a reader for a while you may have noticed I have been a little quiet when it comes to talking about my shop lately. If you are new here you may not even realise that my day job is running our family business, a little sewing shop in my home town of Maidenhead called Sew Crafty. Well today I am letting you in on a not so secret, secret. We are opening an online store!

It is a project that has been over a year in the making, you may remember a post from last year where I hinted at making some big decisions 'Never Making Mistakes is a Mistake' and the day is almost here that I can direct you all, our lovely readers from all over the globe, to shop at my little home away from home on the interwebs. To be honest I am still finding this thought very overwhelming.

I have spoken before about how our family business came to be, how I have always been a person who wants to work for myself and how much I love what I do. But I am not going to lie to you the last year has been one of the hardest times in my life.

Sew Crafty, like many shops on our British High Streets, has been struggling to break even (to make enough money to pay our bills). Despite filling our shop, floor to ceiling, with beautiful things and sewing essentials to supply our lovely little towns every sewing whim, it has just not been enough. We are just not reaching enough people, so last year we made the decision to invest some of our family savings in setting up Sew Crafty Online.

It has been a year of lots of stress and tears, mixed with excitement and anticipation but it is almost time to reveal all our hard work to the world. I wanted to take the chance to share some advice for any of you who are at the beginning of a journey like mine. (by which I mean' things I wish I had done sooner')

• Plan, LOTS. But be prepared to alter your path. Don't be too fixated on your ideas of how you think things should be. You may find better ways of doing things, you just haven't thought of it yet. 
• Don't be afraid to ask for help. Think hard about your friend's talents and skills, they are your friends and they want to help you and see you succeed.  Find ways they can help you.  Most importantly talk to them about it because they are on your side, and if they can help they will.  
• Do your research.  Find out what people expect from what you are hoping to do. Think about what you expect, what do you like and not like about existing businesses like yours.
• Work with people you trust.  Make sure the people who are helping you, are people that will help you to achieve your goals.
• If you are working with a designer/supplier/estate agent or other professional, don't be afraid to ask them as many questions as you need to.  Don't feel like they are going to think that you are stupid, it is their job to answer those questions for you.
• Don't be afraid to nag those professionals to do their job if you feel you are being ignored, or don't have the information you need, but do be kind and appreciate them when they go the extra mile. 
• Aim high.  Make whatever you do, be the best it can be. 

I really hope that this may have helped some of you who are thinking of embarking on a new project or business, if you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or find me on twitter @sammytvr. 

If you want to find out more about my little shop head over to our website or check out some of the posts in our archives, Sammy's home away from home, Sew Crafty...We are TEN, Live it. Sammy's Day Job and look out for the launch announcement very soon. Or sign up to our Sew Crafty Newsletter (bottom of our web page) to be the first to know!

Sammy xxx

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

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Fifteen years of H and Sammy

Photo by Carly Wulry Photograms

We have only been blogging buddies for two and a bit years, but H and I's friendship goes back alot further. Fifteen years this week to be exact.

On our first day at Reading College, September 1998 we happened to take seats next to each other and well that was it really.  We thought it would be fun to take you through a little photographic tour of our history together, so here goes.

This photo must have been while we were at College, I am guessing a photobooth in Reading Town Centre.  Everyone needs a photobooth shot though don't they?! circa 1999

Wow, just wow.  This one was taken in Barcelona with our other friend Sam - I know too many Sam's right?!  It was the year 2000, so please do let us off for our fashion/hair! It was Sammy's 18th birthday whilst we were away so we celebrated, Hard! Cola cube flavoured shots anyone?

We think this one was in RG1's nightclub in Reading 2001 one of many wobbly nights out, can't quite remember which one this was. My hair was blonder and H's was very much shorter.

This was while we were on holiday in Tenerife in 2001.  H was just about to go to Uni and so it was a good time to have some quality friendship time before heading off.   When we were there we decided for some reason to go on the bungee rocket - not the safest of rides I am sure - but left us with some memories on tape to laugh about even now.

This was taken just after New Year in 2004, a very wobbly night out at Chicago's in Maidenhead. I (Sammy was going through a divorce from my 1st husband at the time and these girls were such a huge support to me at this time. Couldn't have got through it with out them both. 

This was at Sammy's Birthday in 2007 at the Ivory Lounge in Maidenhead. Drunken eyes here for sure!

CARWASH! Sammy's Hen party in London Summer 2008

Gotta have a selfie shot before there was a thing called a selfie.  This was taken in a port in Menorca back in 2009 before we learnt about better camera angles!  As much as we both love this photo it was one of many that both H and I sited as the motivation for our weight loss journey.

Sam, Sam and H reunited for H's 30th in 2010.

Glaming it up in Essex for our friends birthday, April 2011. 

The Mad Hatter and the Cheshire cat at Verity's Mad hatter's Picnic in Windsor, August 2011

At our friend Sam's (see Barcelona/H's 30th photo) black and white themed 30th Birthday party, messing around in the photobooth, November 2011

Fashion designer Barbie and Vintage Barbie striking a pose at Kelly's Barbie party April 2012.

Last year we got our Gatsby on at our friend Verity's 30th Birthday party Summer 2012.

Our most recent blog photo shoot with the lovely Carly Wurly Photograms, Summer 2013.  We had such a lovely day with lots of outfit changes, props oh and cake... Lots of cake! .

You may have noticed that there are lots more photos of us over the past few years, It has been so lovely that starting this blog has made us not only closer as friends but take more time to document our friendship. 

We really hope you enjoyed that little look back at our friendship. It was so much fun going back through all of our albums and finding all of these, we had both forgotten a lot of these moments, it was so great to remember all the fun things we have been through together. Here's to many more years to come. 

H and Sammy xxx