Serger, Serger, Serger!!!

Or an overlocker.

Depends what you want to call it but either way mine has arrived! I have it working already and with all the freebies I am sure I will be boring you all with lots of pictures soon.

This is the one I went for - the same make as my sewing machine.

Random photo dump

This was my roasted chicken!                 Playing with the camera...

  

Our first christmas tree!!   My brithday (and new dress!)

Decoration Day!!

This is another one of those live in action posts ..... (love this more than anything at the moment)
... anyway, we are decorating our downstairs toilet today! Woohoo!!

We got the paper when we first moved in 8 months ago my goodness  and it took us a good few colour schemes to decide what we both agreed on!

You may remember me writing this initial post back in July eek  about the ideas I had, well today we finally have managed to get our butts in gear to get it sorted!

I will post the pictures once its done but I am so excited the downstairs of our house is finally coming together.

Just can't wait to get rid of this christmas tree .......

Happy Christmas Eve Eve!

On this blustery day I have managed to get quite a bit done and ticked off a wishlist I have had since we moved into this house!!

I am currently say listening to Celine Dion (Katy will understand) singing my awful little heart out! As I am editing pictures from our wedding for our photo wall. We are having a little gathering over New Year so I thought it would be nice to have some of us on the walls!!! Our little house needs a bit of personalty that comes from happy memories.

Tomorrow night we are off out to see my Nan and Grandad which I am really looking forward to because they never make it a big deal but you know how much it mean to them. We saw them last weekend too at the sailing club for Andy's band solo appearance - bless that boy.

I feel so fortunate and full of love for my little life sitting here

Mirror Project

So I am trying to lighten up this new build with its dark areas - our kitchen and dinning room are combined so we have a relatively long hallway that isn't helped by the lack of windows in our solid door.

We picked up a basic, plain and boring mirror before we ever planned this house. Luckily I am a little resourceful so I thought its a great base that will work however I decide to decorate it.

Then Andy broke it.

This means that whatever I decide with this mirror, it has to cover the broken pieces.

I have been looking for some inspiration but got distracted by the prettyness of Martha Stewart

Link for all pictures

Just lovely x

Week gone by

This week hasn't flown as quickly as others, it started out quite stressful - making sure my work was handed in on time and in the right way, but that is done now!
Phewwwf

Friday I took the day off to see my sister, she has blogged all about our failed macaroons which really sums up our day!!

As it is saturday, this is what I am looking forward to

• Serving the christmas lunch at work
• Serving the christmas breakfast (5:30am) at work
• Wrapping and finishing some last minute gifts
• Giving gifts to people I wont see at christmas
• Starting to get ahead with some uni work

I still didn't manage to take many if any pictures this week, I really need to make myself do this.

Given the plans I have for the new year I don't know if I can handle trying to throw 'take more pictures' into my new years resolutions. We shall see. 

I want to do a whole post on new years resolutions - linked to my 25 before 25, things have been changing themselves up around here. 7 months in our own home has definitely changed me as a person, as well as us as a couple. Young couple. 

 

My Birthday

It is a truly horribly wet and windy evening, I am sat in bed wishing I had a hot chocolate but refusing to move from my snuggley bed.

Today I had breakfast with my mister, I popped to the shop before work to buy some cakes to take in and share. I got a selection but probably only half actually went. I brought the rest home for Andy.

I had a lovely dinner with some ladies from work which was really nice, a place called Prezzos. I think it is a chain but it has a really nice location down here and such a beautiful building.

I have been truly spoiled with gifts that I am so grateful for.

I am working on some projects at the moment that hopefully I will be able to share soon.

I am looking forward to

So as it is Saturday which means I usually have some free time, I thought I would start looking forward to things happening that week.

• A vintage fair
• Seeing family
• Handing in my assignment
• Celebrating my 22nd birthday (ehh)
• Taking my Nan to one of Andy's performances with the town band

I have a lot going on this week ahead! I just hope I start to get into the habit of taking pictures. My parents came over for the switching on of the lights where I live and I took some photos that I just haven't made myself doing anything with. 

Last week I found some old albums and I obviously used to take a lot of pictures and printed them so i really need to get back into that habit! I LOVED loved looking through them and being all nostalgic. Thats what this time of year is all about. 

Well Tibbs has decided to sit on me again so that means he needs some attention, what are you looking forward to this week?

O christmas tree, O christmas tree....

Since we only moved into our first house this May we don't have a lot of decorations going on this year. We have a real tree (!!) Something I haven't ever experienced before and it is doing rather well I must say, very limited needle drop - that might have sealed my fate or something!!

I made some plush hearts to be our main colour and then my lovely mum has given me all of the ones she had brought me over the years, I even have the dates on them :) I hope even though now I am a home owner she makes a new decoration a part of my present every year. That would be so lovely. 

As for other decorations, I have loads of ideas in my head that just don't seem to come out. I am quite deep into an assignment at the moment but by Wednesday I will be free and able to focus on christmas!!

Yesterday morning I did manage to finish one of my presents though, so I am still on target to meet all deadlines!

Christmas day is going to be strange this year, we have decided to stay home and be together, its a lovely thing and a new thing - which makes me slightly apprehensive!!

15

So this lovely (windy) friday evening, I have been pampering myself - just a little clay face mask.

I have been investigating how to do that tousled hair thing and I am hoping to give it a try tomorrow - if it goes well I shall post pictures, if not you will know I gave up!! Truth is I am torn between 2 hair styles, tomorrow is just a casual day - seeing a friend in the morning, college work and then a lovely afternoon with my husband (I don't even remember what he looks like thanks to the joys of backshift) and a lazy sunday.

We have started talks about my birthday and what we shall be doing but really I am happy not doing a lot, not sure why getting older is so great!?!?

But, back to this evening, I have made a little keep sake for my friend - again pictures to follow. Just because I felt inspired to do something!

I have also started work on some little heart hand warmers - this etsy shop gave me the idea. Ladies at work have said we aren't giving gifts as we are out for quite a lot of meals over the festive period so as they are both quite keen walkers I figured these might be appreciated :)

I also made a necklace - I would have liked the chain to be a bit longer but I didn't have any longer chain so I made what I had!! I think its quite sweet still and will go with some lovely vintage outfits I am dreaming about.

Lastly, I made some cards from an idea i had floating around in my head - and had actually dawn to save me forgetting! Amazing. They didn't turn out as I expected, I think it was because I didn't texture the paper before using it - so it looks to clean cut. Yeah, that sounds good, we will go with that!!!

Distractions

I have been quite poor at updating this space lately, I have been lazy with a lot of things - the pressure of maintaining (pahh) a home, studying and working has been getting on top of me again. Some days I feel in control and others I wish I hadn't gotten out of bed.

Anyways, moving to the end of the week I am looking forward to the weekend to see family and to shift a cold I seem to have developed. Provided things go to plan I am also hoping to get some college work done.

I was having a random look around and stumbled upon kickstarter.com, it seems like such a brilliant idea. I mean developing a new business is difficult financially but to actually have a place where if its a viable idea you are actually publicizing the very idea you are hoping to sell. Brilliant!! For anyone who wants to test the waters with a new idea this place would definitely give you a real impression of demand. It would just be useful for it to be open to people outside of the US.

Have a great weekend too

Little moan

So, how does time actually speed up? How on earth can we be coming to the end part of October. I know that time is "supposed" to speed up the older you get, but today I just wanted to stop things.

To love a little more

source

Because some things are just more important 

Roast Chicken!!

Ok, so this is a live in action post.(haha - that reminded me of the radio stations my sister and I used to create)


I am in the process of roasting my first ever chicken! How cool is that?! So I have taken to doing at least one thing I really really wanted to do a day, then follow it up with at least 2 things I must do because otherwise I will feel guilty - I am just that way inclined!

Anyways, this is what I have done so far - pre heated the oven we have fan assisted so its on at 180 degrees. I poured the stuffing in because there as just no way my hand was going into the thing. Then I rubbed some butter on the skin. Wrapped in foil and popped it into a tray.

Seems easy enough (fatal words?!?!?) So I am just about to pop up to tomorrow's venue for the Ladies Meal  and then I can come back and enjoy!

I will post pictures shortly ........

An exciting weekend

Saturday turned out to be a lovely day, I started with the opticians - which was quite traumatic! We had a look in Saltash's Fore Street Shops, sometimes we find some quite good bargains but I couldn't see anything that exciting. I had the dentist a bit later so we were lucky to find a craft fair. I managed to get a hold of some bees wax so that I can practise making some lip balm without spending a fortune - just need to pick up some nice essential oils, I am really fussy with smells.

After the dentist we visited Andy's parents for a cuppa. They have just rescued an 8 year old catty from the same place we got Tibbsy from, theirs seems much quieter than Tibbs. Lucky things.

Mummy phoned whilst I was eating my pasty (yummmm) because they were visiting the reclamation place up the road from us. They popped in for another cuppa and we caught up with their busy little life too. Mum is decorating her lounge now. I am secretly jealous because she has been fortunate to buy a place that very much suits the country style where as our new build is more modern and I can only have hints of country!!!

Andy and I visited Dunelm Mill, we managed to pick up some cute wicker hearts that I am not entirely sure where I will put them but I knew I wanted them!!! We went in looking for a red bin, tablecloth and curtain fabric (there was a brown that I am completely in love with, Andy wasn't too sure so I think I will go back and have another look!!) We left with a new lampshade for the dinning room and a crystally one for the bedroom. Which I love love love!

Pets at home is just across from Dunelm so we bulk brought Tibbs food and litter tray filler. Saved ourselves a bundle but now we have to store it!!!

Finally we got Tesco - again looking for this red bin. Which we quite desperately need due to Tibbs pulling it over and eating out of it. At the moment I am storing it in the downstairs toilet. As we walked in the door we spotted a really good phone deal, we left with 2 new phones and a saving of about £30 a month! Andy had a pizza and I had a chicken tikka! Love the flexibility of microwave meals!!!!!!

Then we sat and watched Legally Blonde 2 because I needed to remember I have a voice, I can stand up for myself and to trust who I am.

Sunday we had a lazy start with the Australia v New Zealand rugby, I put some washing in and hoovered through in half time. Then I spent the afternoon crocheting a new project I am working on....... I will keep that a secret until my new phone is working and I can show you a picture to make it make sense!!!!

How was your weekend? Ever feel like you need to find your voice?

Gift ideas

Martha always comes up trumps for handmade Gift Ideas I definitely will be giving them ago.

I have been thinking about making some lip balm for a long time, this recipe just looks lovely. I have been collecting little jars for a little while now so I should just hurry up and buy the bees wax!

Sweetness

I am not going to continue with worrying about Andy being on shift, because there are some benefits for me .....

Hope you had a good weekend too!!

Christmas excitement

I just completely love this simple idea, coordinating the colours is what really excites me!

These mitten clips are just adorable!!! I really want to make some of them to display our cards around the house (assuming we get sent some cards!!)

Land of lonely ...

So my mister is on shift work again now, which isn't exactly thrilling.

I know he isn't best pleased about it, but the money is useful and we really appreciate our time together so much more.
I am also back at uni so one evening a week I get a really long day, I know that my weekends are going to packed full of fun studying sessions! Pfft

Enough of woe is me....

Christmas in our first home is about 10 weeks away!!! Woo!!
I am liking these bows, they look like something I could throw together to decorate the tree in a Christmas theme.
I have also been collecting sweets and squirreling them away for our break. I am still in two minds whether to take any extra time off but I guess that depends how organised I am!!! Luckily, I am slowly collecting ideas of things to make for family and friends.

Hopefully I can get the mister to come around to a traditional Christmas :). House to home is such a cutesy website, it is becoming one of my favourites!! 

I really wish I had these

Some Christmas ideas ...

So I obviously can't be saying what I am doing for each person until Christmas has passed.

But a little peak I have found this little project list, a few of these have definitely tickled my fancy......

Home Economics

I really struggled to think of a name for my blog back in April, I am so glad my mister came up with Home Bird Economics. 

In the south the slang for a woman can be a 'bird', I think its slowly working its way out of current language but for me it added me to an interesting topic I wish I had pursued further. Trouble is, when I was at school there just wasn't the home ec classes I wanted. 

I really enjoyed reading this article on Home Economics in America, I know it isn't strictly relevant to the UK because we don't have a specific programme. But how are the future generations supposed to move this economic situation forward when the current generation has already missed living on a budget, financial education and thriving on credit, replace instead of repair? I just don't see how anything is going to change until someone is prepared to realise that you can't have both a family and successful career simultaneously. I am not saying that its the woman's job to stay home and support their man because actually woman can earn better than a man if thats what they choose. Maybe its a luxury that money means I can have this opinion - we will be fine financially when I give up working until the Children are in school, we will live on a budget and wont spend money like it means nothing. Our children will be brought up saving and making their own things - because thats what we believe in. But we only believe this because our parents did. If we were brought up on credit perhaps things would be different .... 

Sneakily sneak

My mister is playing rugby this afternoon but I hate the waiting around before the actual game starts, usually I try to be a part of his rugby by getting to know the locals and sometimes helping out. But we are still very much the new kids and although Andy has been a part of this club before as a single young lad, we as a married home owning couple haven't.

Which seems to make things strange for me.

I don't really feel I have a lot to say to the lads because they are the typical 21 year olds that we very much aren't. I think this is where my over analysis of social situations comes in, most of the lads probably haven't given me a second thought nor thought about what they would even say to me. Whereas I have concocted many scenario's so that should I have need to strike up a conversation or reply I don't sound like the most arrogant person in the entire world!

I think Andy is best left to fit in because the girlfriends don't seem to get involved much in this club!

Craft room wishes

I totally wish I had found this wallpaper shop before we moved in....... I might have put us further into debt though so maybe its not a bad thing!!!

This would have been just right for the craft room, lovely crisp exotic inspiration. Especially as the rest of the room is white. I think the price is just too much for us at this moment in time, I  think I just love it!

Bedroom lampshade

I have been doing a lot of research into the lampshade I would like in our bedroom and I know that I would like it to look like this.

Of course, I found the crystals after I had a go at looking for the frames! I picked up the ribbon on a recent shopping trip and it cost £3.30. This frame set looks a good deal - the practicality of wrapping ribbon around the frame without it being a solid structure is worth bearing in mind. It might be that I have to rope the mister in!

So the actual lampshade I found in a local store cost £80, the cheaper I can collect all the pieces for. The better!!! My plan is to get it done in under £20. That's my ultimate goal!

Living room finishing touches: Part One

I am really struggling at the moment to choose the style of curtains we would like to go for in our living room, we have browns and beige's, its quite neutral and cosy. So I am keen to keep this feel and get something that will compliment the existing atmosphere. I think that duck egg blue will really tie the room together and make it a little more exciting!

Orginially I called this post "Living room finishing touches" and as I am writing this post I realised that I am a way off yet and have so many 'finishing touches' to go. So 'part one' was added!

The Cosy Home Blog was a good starting place for me, some food for thought most definitely.

But I really wanted some pictures, this wasn't easy because as usual I know what I want it to feel like in my head. So I found some good colours and started to build my own picture, whilst looking at my window. I sketched it out and tried to think about walking into the room seeing the curtains there and how they worked with our patterned wall and cream sofa's.

Then I thought, I am going to have to learn how to do this! So I had to choose between pencil pleats, eyelets or voile's......
I know I want to keep an elegant feel to the room so I think that it has to be pencil pleats - vintage and classic. I am sure this video will be useful once I have all of my supplies together. Although I have to make the curtain design first....... Whilst still keeping the curtains quite neutral and having smaller pieces of the duck egg blue colour to keep the room sane.

When I am out looking for the fabric I will be taking a piece of our wall paper for the brown and creams but also  some petals of a fake flower in the blue that I am trying to include. I think I have a bit of an adventure ahead of me!! Yet I feel excited to create this space for us.

Picture for Stacey

This is the picture my Dad took for my sister and I keep meaning to put it up but forget instead!

See you soon Stacey xxxx

Happy 2nd Anniversary

I love this boy more than anything .... 

Happy 2nd Anniversary my lovely, 

We have had quite an adventurous little life together so far and I am looking forward to seeing where our next adventure takes us.

Christmas Planning

I know I know its really early, BUT i have big plans this year. My man and I are staying home on our own for the first time ever (EVER) over christmas. I am really looking forward to it, but I know its going to be quite difficult without seeing our family because thats christmas! At least if we have done it once we will know for the future!
So anyway...... I want this string to make the presents even cuter to hand over. I am also thinking about my some little garlands with them.

I am going to make our christmas wreath this year. I want two, one for our front door and one for our side door. I think I will try to organise a mummy and Natalie craft day for this little task because my Mum is good at craft things. I have no doubt my sister will tag along too. I know that my in laws will want a wreath so maybe I will start taking orders!!!

This fantastic shop has the kind of style I will be going for, some of these things are just too cute!

My mister also started our stockings (yes I got home sewing) last year but they never got finished, I am thinking I will try to surprise him and get them made up int time for our first christmas in our home together :) A lot of my ideas are coming from a variety of websites I find, I will try to keep them here to share!

Mr.Tibbs has decided he needs a cuddle so I guess I am done for the night!

This week.....

This weekend I must finish the scrap book for the lovely patient man at work who I keep promising to get the scrap done for and I WILL have it done for monday!!

This week I want to run once/do an exercise DVD once.

Try at least 1 new dinner - last week was green thai curry and it was much too spicey for me!! Mister loved it though :)

Keep on top of my tidying so that I don't spend a Friday night tidying!!!

See my Muma

Text my Dad and invite him over for an experimental dinner!

Arrange to see my Grandma at some point

Start my ideas list for christmas gifts just so that I can start collecting things


If I manage at least one of the aboves good intentions I will be made up!

Weekend!

In a conversation with a friend at work I realized we have only been in our new home for 8 weeks!! 

I am in love with this wallpaper for our downstairs toilet. I wanting to make it really loud and just an exciting place to be! I don't really know why because its just the toilet; I think its because its the one most people will use and actually see. Its like my hidden crazy!!!

Something that has caught my fancy again this weekend is making a shirred/smocked summer dress. I have some really cute fabric and I think its light enough to make a cute dress or even top really. I love this twirl dress, but we shall save that one for a later date!!! Although as I carry any extra weight on my waist it still might be quite flattering .....

Our Beaumont Blue decking is coming along nicely, we haven't painted all of it yet but it is getting there and it looks great! I think I am a big fan of colour in the garden! I want to paint the house white but once we go there that will be like a 2 yearly job and expense that I am not sure is the best option for us. Worth some thoughts I think!!

To sum up I am really happy with our time in the house, its lovely and I honestly think that the hassle was worth it for this little gem.

French Manicures

I seem to go through phases were I either really look after my nails or barely ever do them. At the moment I am quite into French Manicures, I am trying to learn how to do it free hand - just by practicing, but when I found these on Ebay as Such a great deal I just couldn't resist.

These help me to get the exact look I like every time, as opposed to the haphazard way I was finding it to be before!!

Too much choice!

So I need a new pair of sunglasses, my trouble is there is just too much choice for me! I have had a look around online but I am put off buying them online because of the hassle in sending them back if I needed to.

I had a Next pair and they lasted me for quite a few years, I was really happy with them. Now I am after some black over sized sunglasses, I like the idea of the Tortoise shell I just think that the black ones are more 'elegant'?!!? Like these.

We are also thinking about going on holiday abroad so part of me feels that we should just wait and I can see what is out there. I think I might have to try Next again and then decide from there!!

Really good natural blog

I have just spotted this blog and find it really cute, some of the tips are so simple.

Although some things will take collecting to make I would like to have a go at making some daisy salve for around our home.

Vintage Savoire Faire

Home Grown

So since moving into our new home we have enjoyed experimenting with some growing!! We have planted tomatos, cherry tomatos, runner beans, peppers and courgettes. My friend has still some aubergine plants to give me too!!

We have even started using a water butt to try and reuse as much 'free' water as possible!! That way the cost of the plants is actually pretty negligible!

It helps when the weather is goo though...

Also, please note the horrible orange of the decking will soon be a lovely shade of beaumont blue! I am planning an aray of colourful garden accessories to make our outdoor space as fun as possible.

Peg Bag Tutorial

So I have had this planned for some weeks now, the camera keeps playing up so I thought I had lost my pictures and would need to make another before I could make the tutorial. Turns out the mister had organised me into a folder!!

Anyway.... this is how I make peg bags, this one in particular has a waterproof lining - we have wooden pegs and I am keen to keep them relatively nice!!! Same as my other tutorials I am rubbish at measurements, I work by eye and how something looks!

This piece of material is probably 30cm by 30cm, not massive but just enough!!

I cut a cheap shower curtain to fit the size. Do these steps twice.

About 10cm from the top I cut one piece. 

I then turned the edges over about 1cm to make the hem.

I chose a zig zag stitch so that it was more of a feature as opposed to just there. 

I brought the front and back together and pinned so that I could play around with it.

I ended up with a little visitor ....

I double stitched the edges to make sure they held because it may become a weak point if the pegs are particularly heavy.

I just re-used an old coat hanger I had, I needed to break the ends off by about 5 cm because the bag was smaller than the hanger!! You can't notice it though. 

Once I was happy with the position I cut the bag to allow for the hanger to come through.

Then, Voila! The bag was ready.

I think I will add  crochet flower just to make it a little bit more girly!!

Another weekend gone!

How does this keep happening!? Every time I pay attention to the date its almost the end of another month, I just can't get my head around it!

I guess time does fly when you are having fun?!

This weekend we have pottered around the house and just tried to keep on top of things. I never knew how intense maintaining a house could be! My mister is getting better at doing things but he has other interests that i guess just pop up as more important! I am certainly getting better at juggling a lot more balls and seeing how things can be combined to get more done. Part of me thinks that has something to do with being female and the majority of the cleaning falling in my domain....

I am really into decorating at the moment, I have so many ideas for the blank walls in our house! The downstairs bathroom is really exiting me at the moment, a friend gave us one of her boxes in a teal colour and I decided to go for pink on the bathroom cabinet so I am thinking of a really rich colour scheme like pink and teal with all of our metal signs and vintage prints.

 Aww, nice awkward face!!

You can tell why I am keen to decorate this space!! I can't get over how plain the house was before us, the previous owners can't have liked colour much as everywhere is white!!!

We are starting delivering again soon, so I am hoping to use the time to crochet blankets and bits and pieces so that the time is used productively! I mean, we will be getting paid too and when its busy I obviously wont be crocheting, but when its quiet I hope I can get pieces together to put in my shop/sell at a market.

I am also really in love with this simple but effective idea. I think I will try and give it a go this week. Maybe!

Making your own fabric

I was having a quick google around this morning, I think I quite fancy investigating how to make my own fabric. That way I will have tried it and the clothes or things I make would be even more unique to me.

source

So Mum, if you are reading this book isnt out yet but I am thinking ........... birthday present?!

Nail Varnish

I love my pink Barry M polish, its so girly and summery it makes me smile. I just wonder why it doesn't take very long until it is chipped!!

I am tempted to do my nails before camping (if we go) because of the forecast we are holding on before we make a decision!! Therefore, if I do my nails the chances are they will be kept lovely for as long as possible!

I heart my new hoover!

We just spent the last of our wedding vouchers yesterday on a new hoover! Its amazing, the cat seems to malt everywhere so it was getting to be a pain.
This Russell Hobbs is so brilliant at getting rid of the hair I didn't think it could be that easy!! The suction on this would suit any home even without pets, its just a great compact little thing! Plus its white so its fairly cute?

I have been asked to help (do) another scrap book, for someone at works daughter. I am quite excited because this little lady is also 21 so I feel like I have a bit more potential to do it right!! Although the previous one went down very well so fingers crossed for this one! I love working with people to create personal memories, if this was my job I would be very happy!!

Now I am off to sort my student finance and take another look at this scrap book ....

Martha Stewart has so many brilliant free sewing templates and craft ideas its unreal. I get an email every day giving me a new tutorial to try out.
I love this fabric and would really like to make something similar as an easy day bag.

There is talk in our household of going camping soon! I am slightly scared because the only times i have really camped is when I was doing Duke of Edinburgh. But I am sure its the cheap break we have been looking for!

Me and my budget is hoping we can camp for less tan £50, so we shall see! I will post about it on my return! I am visiting a craft fair with my mum and sister today which I am quite excited about - i love handmade, I love inspiration and I love meeting up with my family :) so it should be a great day. My mister is off out tonight so I will be pampering myself and thinking about birthdays I have coming up, and anything else we may need for camping!

The Bead Shop - Manchester

Just before we moved into our house I brought a rather large selection of beads from this bead shop, the prices were so reasonable and even when I had ordered something that wasn't in stock they just refunded my money.

I ordered over a bank holiday when they were giving a discount too which made it all the more appealing!!!

I add these to all my necklaces just so that the recipient knows :)

Etsy Selling

As I have just finished college I am thinking about one of the biggest 'to do's' on my 25 before 25 list... 

I want to make things to sell, I think I have pretty much decided to use Etsy as opposed to Ebay for the time being. Mainly because Etsy has its own handmade loving audience. 

I have been playing around with it to decide what I actually want to sell and what my style will be. I love vintage, the way it looks and the stories behind it. 

So I thought I would share a few things I came across that inspire me/I have fallen in love with.....

fifiduvie

katieblairdesigns

There are so many cute things, I could just spend a fortune!! The best thing about buying handmade is helping out another person on their little journey. 

Carrier Bag holder tutorial

To start with, I am not a sewer that measures very often! So all lengths are approximate and really just try your own and go with it. See what you create!!

I started with a large piece of fabric and cut about 30cm from the fold - I folded the fabric in half so that I didn't have to sew up one side.

Then I pinned the top hem, I unfolded the fabric and did it in on long strip.

I added some elastic to the bottom because I thought it would give it a nice effect - I didn't hem it either, I left the end frayed just to give it a bit of an old feel.

I pinned the elastic to start with, pulling it taught as I did and found that the best way for me to do this was to just sew the first bit and then pull the elastic (40cm at most) as I put it through the machine. This was a bit of trial and error but the end product looked good.....

Once all of the little bits were done I then pinned the sides together and stitched it up to make a tube shape. Before this stage you could add any embellishment you like, I did think about felt hearts with a blanket stitch edging but I love this material so I wanted to keep it plain.

You also need to remember not to stitch the hemmed top of the tube up, this is where you will thread your ribbon to add the holder to a hook.

Thread the ribbon through with a safety pin, tie a knot and you are done!!

This is my finished piece in the kitchen, I was amazed at how many carrier bags I had squirrelled a way :)

A picture an hour..... Royal Cornwall Show June 2011

 7am

8am

9am

10am

11am

 12 Midday

 1pm

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3pm

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5pm