Sunday

Listening to Disney songs. Playing in the toy closet. Cheery yellow tulips on the dresser.

New bird print top and sweet red shoes with a dash of cherry.

Learning techniques on photoshop - I just love cinemagraphs - my first attempt!

xxx

Vintage Tea Party Printables

Here are the printables that I designed for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the weekend. I thought I'd add them on here in case you'd like to use them for a vintage tea or Alice in Wonderland party. The below party circles I used as tags on the tea cups cut out with a 2 inch craft punch or the teacup circles could be used as cupcake toppers. 

Click on pictures to go to the download.

And the 'Tea Time' Bunting. I glued these to a length of ribbon.

Finally, these flags were wrapped around cocktail sticks and glued. We used them to decorate the cakes and sandwiches.

xxx

Curiouser and Curiouser

Aunty Bird had a Mad Hatter's Tea Party for her birthday. Pretty mismatched tea cups and saucers, joyous roses and gorgeous cakes of every description were a sight to behold. 

Of course I had to have a go at some printables - bunting, Eat Me, Drink Me tags and flags. I love it and with my new 2 inch scalloped craft punch there's no stopping me :)

Aunty Bird did an amazing job with her OH putting together a lovely party. And look at the cake stand she made below from thrifted china. Don't you just love teacups!?!

So many cakes of which I have now given up until I look less like Humpty :) I love baking but oh my doesn't it pile on the pounds. Boooo to calories. The raspberry jam frosted pink cake looking all oozy below will be my last bake for a while.

The fancy dress efforts were brilliant, such craftiness and quirkiness put into them. Playing cards, Mad Hatters, the March Hare, Alice of course, a white rabbit, Tweedle Dee, the Queen of Hearts and a marvellously sinister Cheshire Cat who scared Little Bird :)

I will post my printables up in the next week so you can use them if you wish at your tea parties. If I can't bake then I will just do more Photoshop fun!

A very merry unbirthday to you. xxx

Frost

Kissed her on the mouth, while big shining tears trickled down its face
The Snow Queen

How delicate each and every crystal formed overnight by Jack Frost. Chilly scenes that make me think of The Snow Queen or the Little Match Girl. 

A whispering cold force gliding into the garden and freezing each leaf, seed and pod.

I feel for the birds and animals - did they sleep well, did they huddle up in a warm spot on a cold, cold Winter's night.  I hope I will see you again little friends in the Springtime. 

To illuminate and spread some sparkle is what I shall do - and replenish the bird feeder. 

 Feed the birds & the small furries too xxx

Sprinkles

Sometimes your head can feel a bit of a jumble. Things seem to all go wrong at once, pressures build and it's hard to get on track. All you can do is gather your thoughts, focus on the good, ride the storm and look around you at the lovely things in your life.

Beat the January blues.

xxx

Cupcake Topper Printables

I made these from a vintage story book into cupcake toppers for Little Bird's birthday.  I thought I'd put them on here for anyone that fancied using them too.

Click on the image and it will open at a bigger scale for you to copy to your computer.

You could use them as squares or cut out and then craft punch them - I need to buy one but just shopping round at the moment. Once they are cut out attach with a sticker or tape to a lolly stick or cocktail stick and there you go, a nice decoration for all your cupcakes. It's a whole new craft world that I am getting giddy about. I made some bunting too with the same design and simply hot glued the card pennants to a length of ribbon - easy and effective.

xxx

Two

Birthdays come around so quick. 2 years of fun, learning, worry and joy. Lots of presents but the balloon was played with the most. Glad you had a great 2nd birthday my Little Bird. xx

Staying Home

This week was a blustery one. Rain and winds of 50mph battered my poor house and the garden was left a mess with several fence panels blown over and broken, pots everywhere, plastic greenhouses ripped to shreds and also making their bid for freedom. My Union Jack is now a mere tattered rag. Nothing else could be done but stay in until the storms had passed.

Candles and games whilst the dogs both hid under the dining room table.

Snuggly blankets with mugs of tea whilst rain thrashed the window panes and the wind whistled terrifyingly down the chimney.

Lanterns and lebkuchen leftover from Christmas. I buy it each year as it reminds me of my German lessons at school when our teacher would bring it in as an end of Christmas term treat.

I love hot water bottles and have quite a collection of them now.

Despite the damage to the garden it was all quite exciting - I do enjoy a bit of fierce weather. 

It has been refreshing to take down all the Christmas decorations and bring out some new trinkets. I won the bunting below in December on the fab Rosalilium Blog and it looks great across the chimney breast. Each pennant is made from lino printed waxed paper by Mangle Prints - gorgeous isn't it? I wish I had a craft such as this -  maybe this will be the year to get arty?

January Joy

Happy New Year! 

January is now a dark old time to get through after the buzz of Christmas and it can be hard to keep your spirits high. January has always been gloomy for me but of course in more recent years it has become my son's birthday - 2 in the next week!

Green moss on the slate roof reminds me that Spring will be here soon enough. In fact, there are Daffodils pushing their way through the soil, I've seen a few shoots in the garden and felt a wave of excitement. The garden is luring me back - new plans and seed sowing.

Still, to get us through January, joy can be found in the simplest of things like mud. 

Little Bird found plenty of it.

He didn't want to go home, it was far too squelchy and squidgy for little feet to enjoy. 

Joy can also be found in episodes of cheekiness and naughtiness and all together far too cuteness to do anything but laugh, reach for the camera and worry about cleaning crayon off the wall another time.