A farewell, good luck gift, for a friend going on her travels

I had never made floating candles before and these bright yellow flower candles are scented with bergamot which has a citrus aroma. Its the oil used in Earl Grey tea and has euphoric and calming properties, so I thought this was the perfect oil for my friend, who is off to travel Europe at the end of the week. After her travelling she and her boyfriend will settle in Madrid, so I made these candles as a gift for some relaxing candle lit evenings in their last week as UK residents! Exciting times and I wish Hanny and Pete safe and happy travels.

rainbow heart candle

A warming scented candle on a very rainy April day

floral handbag

I love making this pattern as it comes together relatively quickly and I have completed it a number of times now in polka dot and floral material like this one.

The biggest challenge is the rouleau loop (the button loop) and the pattern suggests using string to pull the tiny tube of fabric through to the right side. It took me hours of trial and error using this method and I cut the hem so close to the stitch to get it to pull through without the string breaking, that it frayed within a could of days! The secret is a loop turner, a really simple metal rod with a hook on the end that costs a couple of quid (you could probably make something similar with craft wire). These tubes of fabric can be used for other things too, like strappy dresses and tops! Genius!

Catching the craft fair bug for the first time!

Fabric daisy brooches/hair clips (they have both fastenings on the back).

We stayed longer than all the other stall holders who lost their patience with the lack of customers quite quickly. Needless to say, it didn't pick up later on!

We did our first craft fair in Lincoln at the university last weekend... although it was a washout due to lack of publicity and it being at a university bar in the Easter holidays, it definitely didn't dampen spirits and the craft fair bug was well and truly caught!

Cute mini pillows with buttons and bows

I love a bed piled with little cushions and pillows. These boudoir pillows were so easy to make and I love the variety of bows and buttons on them.

Scented candles in jam jars

I have really enjoyed making these scented candles with acrylic painted hearts. Looking forward to experimenting and getting more creative with the wax using different colours and maybe try fixing the jar so each colour of wax sets with a variety of different diagonal lines. Anything can be painted on the sides and on the lid or of course they can be left plain. The wire handles are made from craft wire bent around a pencil to get the round loops and then twisted to make them strong and secure.

Blooming beginnings!

The garden is beginning to bloom and the flowers look beautiful! Can't wait to see what else the garden has to offer for the rest of the sunny season. Nice to see we have sprung into spring!

Sport relief bake-off heart cake!

Yummy victoria sponge in my new heart shaped cake tins... filled with piped buttercream and bon maman strawberry jam.

Simple fabric flowers

Fabric flowers are really really simple to make and can be made into hair clips and brooches or both if they are big enough to have both fastenings sewn onto the back. The book I have been getting these ideas from instructs to glue the fastenings on, but I have been sewing them on. I think the extra time it takes is worthwhile to ensure its secure. Handmade things I find last longer than shop bought things due to the extra time taken to ensure every stitch is securely in place. This particular flower, is a wired ribbon gathered on one side to expose the wire at either end and then the two ends drawn in tightly together. The raw ends can be sewn and a matching/contrasting button sewn to conceal the hole in the centre of the flower.

A homemade Christmas present - dried orange candle

This candle was a Christmas present I made for my housemate and I was really proud of it as one of my first attempts at candle making. I bought these jars from a charity shop and the orange segments from the gift shop at Chatsworth house. If you don't have the time or the patience for any more slow burning crafts (excuse the candle reference), but would like to have a go at something crafty, try candle making. I started with a kit from hobbycraft which is great to get quick start providing you with a number of moulds and dyes (dyes go really far). As you run out of pieces of the kit, you can easily replenish them by shopping on ebay. 1kg of blended wax beads (blended with slow burning treatment so you make good quality long lasting candles) costs around £10. Making them scented using essential oils/fragrance oils is no extra bother either. A great handmade gift.