Live it: Letterpress printing with Inky and the Beast

We are throwing it back a bit now and looking at a workshop we went to in June - seems like such a long time ago - with Inky and the Beast.  The lovely Jen has a lovely big studio at the end of her garden which means she can take people in to learn all about the art of Letterpress printing!  This is something that we both have wanted to do for ages.  Both being Design students when we met, we both get silly excited about paper thickness, print and type!  So this workshop was perfect for us!

Make it: Felt Cards with Blooming Felt

You may have seen some of our posts with Blooming Felt and now we have another one for you.  Making cards can be a fun and simple thing to do for birthdays and celebrations.  Especially as you can be more personal to the recipient.

Who's Who: Mister Peebles

Our first Who's Who of 2014 is someone that has caught our eye and our hearts, many a time.  Their quirky prints and cards have just that right amount of humour and you may well just recognise Owl Capone further down the page from H's instagram feed!  They have just been stocked in Liberty's too, exciting!!!

Friday Favourites: Mothers Day Gifts

Bath Hamper

Mothers Day is early this year, due to it being Easter weekend when we would usually celebrate our with our Mum's in the UK. Here are some Ideas for great gifts to give to your Mum.

Why not pop to Boots and pick up a selection of your Mum's favorite bath products, posh bath salts, body lotion, lush soaps and arrange them all in a box or basket with some nice tissue paper. Wrap with cellophane and a pretty ribbon. the perfect gift for a relaxing mothers day.

Is your Mum a whiz in the Kitchen, why not make her a lovely Vintage style Apron. Head to your local fabric store and choose some pretty fabric and a pattern and get stitching.

A really cute gift that keeps on giving is a Coupon book H gave me one for Christmas and I loved it. 

Think of a few things that don't cost a thing like breakfast in bed and a few things that do like a meal at her favourite restaurant and print them out voucher style, she can cash them in when ever she wants.

How about a Magazine Subscription to her favourite monthly read?

I am spending Mothers day with Steve's Mum this year, as we were with My family last weekend because of Birthday fun. We are popping over for a low key lunch. What are you treating your Mums to this year? We would love to hear what you guys are doing for your Mums.

Sammy xxx

Make it: Quick and Easy Valentines Crafts

My Husband and I have never really been fussed about Valentines day. For us it falls smack between Christmas and our Birthday (we have the same birthday) and the thought of going out to a restaurant surrounded by lots other couples is not our idea of a good time. However I do always try and make a special effort to cook a nice meal and make Steve a little something. I thought I would share a couple of ideas for little last minute gifts that are super easy to make for your boy/girl or to decorate your dinner table with a few supplies from home or your local store.  If, like me you haven't really thought about Valentines until today!

I made Steve this little Valentines dessert platter. As well as making some treats I bought some Valentines sweets from M&S and put them in little heart shaped cupcake cases. Presentation can make a little look like a lot. What I made him includes.....Valentines chocolate bark

recipe found here

Peppermint Creams & Peanut Butter Hearts

Peppermint creams from my mums recipe, there are lots out there, some use egg, I use double cream, icing sugar, peppermint essence and food colouring, and peanut butter hearts  recipe found here

Basically any of your partners favourite treats or biscuits cut into heart shapes are always a winner.

Eton Mess Milkshake, my hubby loves Milkshakes and they look cute too! I made these with fresh strawberries, milk, double cream, meringue, strawberry syrup, squirt cream and fresh strawberry to decorate. I am a bit obsessed with serving drinks in jars lately.

Quick easy cards, I made the heart one by using my hole punch to punch a heart shape and then threading ribbon through the holes and tying it in a bow to finish. The pink one was super easy, I just used my computer to lay out the word love in different typefaces, made the background pink and the words white and printed onto white paper, cut it out and stuck it to a card blank. Easy peasy!

Then at the top of the stairs I hung this magazine heart garland. I went through my Heat and Look mags and tore out any pages that had reds and pinks on and cut out heart shapes. Punched a hole in the top of each one and tied them on to pieces of red cord. I blue-tac'ed them to the wall underneath a picture {ironically hanging down under Steve's Darth Vader print that is hung on the landing} I adapted the original idea found here

Here are some more ideas for quick last minute gifts I found around the web

Coupon booklet

Sweet topper printable

Felt Hand warmers

Wishing you a Happy Valentines Day!

Sammy xxx

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Live it: Japanese Gocco Printing Workshop at Craft Central

Last week I attended Craft Central in London.  I have been to one of their workshops before and so was really looking forward to it.  About a week after I booked the hugely popular (it has sold out in hours previously)‘Craft It Yourself: Printing using Japanese PrintGocco machines’, they emailed me to tell me that the workshop was going to be slightly different than advertised.