Olympic & Jubilee Cake Toppers...

 Cute, Quick, Crafty... don't say i never give you anything!

These cake toppers / decorations are awesomely easy and cheap. They take little explanation...

 Cocktails sticks with stuff on - great for kids but obviously watch how sharp the tops are.

For the Flag Toppers:

I bash one of my ends on the table to blunt it slightly before it goes inside the ribbon.

Two lengths of the flag used as this will fold over on top of each other.

I used double sided tape AND a splodge of glue because they *ping* apart if u don't.

 The Felt Ball Bobble Toppers:

I used the smaller 1cm Felt Balls

Get the sharpest end of the stick - dab a bit of wet glue on.

Push and wriggle it into a felt ball as far as you can - then leave it to dry.

 I also used the red balls as Christmas Toppers for Party Sandwiches, ala Rudolph's Rednose.

It's all a bit of fun and magic :)

 Best suited to mini cakes and muffins but this half scoffed Chocolate Cake was easy to hand for display purposes!! (only?)

 You can also try chopping a few small pieces of felt and making mini flags / bunting etc... as toppers.

Kids love this as it is quick and easy to do.

My BigFish shop on etsy, is stocking this vintage style flag Trim in 3 colourways, just inacse you need some.

What are your plans?

2012 is a great opportunity for some:

Street Parties

Bake Sales

Olympic Sofa Gatherings / Couch Coaching...

Plum Cake... Amazon... self delusion...

 Egad, my i-phone is a bad bad thing.

I took a photo of these 2 books whilst on holiday and browsing a Book Shop.

Then, on an evening lying in my bed, i found these photos and had placed my order on Amazon before you could say: "stop it you crazed bedded down i-phone shopping NutJob"

 But by Golly they are Jolly!!

And then there is this self-delusional element that makes us feel....

that when they arrive in the post - they have somehow been GIFTED to us by Amazon themselves.

We conveniently forget that we did, in fact, pay for these books.

 Sigh - pretty pages.

The DK Preserves Book is especially great and i am just putting in my shopping order (online of course) to make up some Kilner Jars of Potted Peppers, some Elderberry Cordial and Fig Jam.

I usually shop online but i am especially shopping online forever more as i bought a new car last week and have a morbid mistrust of OTHER DRIVERS in any Car Park!!

 In the meanwhile - Plum Tray Bake Cake!

Made from the Plums down at my Brother's house.

 Just scrumptious...!

Now Lord, would it be too much to ask, to send me a big burly man with a love of sport and the healthy appetite that might appreciate Sweet Honey Plum cake?

Yes, his amazing sporty physique would be a bonus,  But truly he would be doing me a great service (!) if he were to come and help me eat cake and the such.

Here's hoping.

Bon Plums x

Spring Chickens

The ladies in my family are feeling the strain...
My Mum is 60 next month! My sister turns 31 this week and I am 34 in March.
We are all a bit tired..... in fact we are EXHAUSTED and we feel like we're 'no Spring chickens' anymore...
Being born in March means I am a Spring Baby! And it suits me 'oh so much'.
Today i walked the dog (and child) for miles.
I cleaned the car.
I cleaned the downstairs windows of my house.
LittleFish made some flowery cakes.
We planted some bulbs and pulled up some weeds.... It is Spring! and this is what Spring makes me feel like. I dislike the addition of an extra year to my age but i love the sense of warmth, colour, scent, beginnings, that all skip alongside the start of Spring x

New badges above. I made up a few packs last night as i have a few Spring Craft Fairs coming up soon.
Flowery Brooch below (as blogged a few weeks ago ) dressing like Spring! ( i draw the line at wearing yellow)

And the prettiest LittlestFish running around in her vest and leggings... i try to resist the urge to kiss her chubby little arms every 2 seconds.

She made these darling cakes (yum yum).... i hope my sister isn't reading this because we have saved one for her birthday on Friday x x x

Happy Spring my friends! Keep colourful, keep in touch x

Colour Fix

Needing a colour fix!!! However the sun did not show it's cheeky little face this day, so they aren't as bright as i would like. I was up and working at 5.30am and as i watched the sun 'rise' i realised it was getting later and later... and was lighter.... but there was no distinguishable 'rise' of any sun :( MMMMmmm new GREEN shoes from a trip to the "sales" (this is the third pair i have bought in this same design, ,,,,, creature of habit? Moi?) i also bought them in red (hangs head in shame of post-christmas excess)

Learning our numbers through Hopscotch FUN on the floor in the snug.... i was much better at hopscotch than my daughter..... sorry? It wasn't a competition? oh.....

Dressed for a cold Winter walk with dog and child. FAVOURITE red Pea Coat x

Oooh and these... New Dish Cloths. An Impulse buy from an FP etsy treasury x could not resist this pack of 3. I dare not use them

cocoabeans.etsy.com if you want your own.

I L O V E to shop handmade too!!! x

Today, we played "vet nurses"

Come on, what's not to love?
Painting AND dressing-up in one afternoon's play marathon... Mummy ROCKS in the nurses hat ...

Our 'self portrait' of the Little Nurse Fish...

The excitement is too much for some...

Could we be any more creative in this house?

This post is dedicated LauraFallulah and she knows why x

Play Food .... YUMMY

Play food makes me smile.
Play Food of this colour, quality, texture, just makes me scream with satisfaction. I have had to buy so much knitted and crocheted play food because:
- I want to sell some on my stall at Christmas ...
- Then i realised my daughter would love these (note how child comes after craft in life priorities)
- Then i realised i will want some for my own Christmas Tree come December
- THEN i realised I want play food in my Art Room ALL year round .... so i have ordered these and i am going to order more!

I feel such an idiot confessing to my cyber friends but i genuinely love this Play Food x


Okay - it is PLAY food - i'm not going to eat it x
You can buy some too: I am selling some on the PaperFish Christmas Stall over October / November / December ... OR see
http://handsewn.etsy.com
http://nikipetz.etsy.com