Peach Mojito Cupcakes by Courtney Whitmore

As part of joining in with National Cupcake Week here on Mrs Crafty B, I decided to have a look for inspiration on the web, world wide! I found some amazing looking cupcakes that seemed perfect to whip up in this lovely weather that seems to have returned.

I'm thrilled that Courtney Whitmore was happy for me to share these here! So here they are…Peach Mojito Cupcakes!

Retro Oven Cupcake Box by Claudine Hellmuth

It's not just about the cupcake itself. For the occasions when it needs to be packaged, nothing short of fabulous will do. Next up for Cupcake Week, we have the very talented Claudine.

I'm Claudine Hellmuth, a full-time illustrator who loves to design whimsical boxes and packaging for cupcakes and sweet treats!

Meet the Maker Meets Cupcake Week: Nancy of Nancy's Teashop

I couldn't imagine a better share during cupcake week than these beauties! Cupcakes in cups. Perfect. 

National Cupcake Week 2014

This week on Crafting a Daydream, we are going cupcake crazy. The 15th - 21st September is National Cupcake Week and I thought what better way to get involved than with a cupcake theme.

The Morning of a Mummy

The 3 year old is safely in pre-school (just) and the 1yo is is just falling asleep in his cot (hopefully) and now seems the perfect time to unpack and repack the dishwasher, put away the washing, put another load on and clean up the toys. Instead, I've made a cuppa and I'm sitting down to tell you about my morning. This is something I rarely do on the blog but I know for everyone person who had a morning completely different to mine, there are a few more unspoken who had the same (who should also sit down with a cuppa!)

Meet the Maker: Kathryn of Cheerfully Cheap Chick and Bhilee Designs

Pretty cute are two words (together or separately) that would perfectly describe these little notepads. Following my lists post, I'm 100% behind the idea and design of these 'to-do list' notebooks! This weeks meet the maker is Kathryn.

Excuse me, do I know you?

This week whilst at a soft play with my Little B's and my niece, a lady and her little one sat on the table next to us. I double took both of them and after a while of thinking 'I know you but I don't know where from,' (don't you hate that?) I simply said with a smile, (how I do, such a chatter box)  "I recognise you both but I can't remember where from!" 

Meet the Maker: Helen of MisHelenEous

Well aren't these adorable?! So so cute. I know we shouldn't be thinking about Christmas (…or should we? It IS September) but these would be a great little stocking filler. Shall we meet the maker behind them?

Mini Makers: Mess Free Painting!

My crafty workshops were always a quick turnaround. With a 40 min drive between two sessions, two little boys demanding my attentions as soon as I came through the door and the tea time/bathtime/bedtime routine to be done,  I had to be super organised. Especially with used glue sticks, paint brushes and dirty pots. My Little B's love to get crafty but when unpacking and clearing away after three workshops, it wasn't the ideal time. Then I discovered a cool activity.

When I finished my groups, whilst packing up, I used to throw all the paint brushes into a plastic bag for washing at home later. On taking this bag out on one occasion, I started squidging the paint around inside the bag (you're never too old). I took a picture and used it for a note to self for my next idea as 'Head of Home Entertainment' (I gave myself that job title, amongst others ;-) ). 

Upcycling Vs Recycling & Re-Imagining to Re-Create

It's all the rage. Sustainability campaigns, blogs, magazine features, its own publications, schools, stores, social enterprises, everyday craft projects and more, but what is upcycling really about? We have heard the word, seen the projects, been to scrapstores but lets break it down. What is upcyling? How about recycling? What does it all mean to us?

Meet the Maker: Janette of Cards by Janette

This beautiful invitation caught my eye recently on my Twitter feed. The colour of the ribbon is my favourite shade and teamed with pearl look ring in the centre and the polkadots, it is simple yet very classy. I couldn't wait to find out more about the maker. How about you? 

Meet the Maker: Matthew of Bonfire Cherry

Do you recall a short while ago I tweeted some pictures of my first ever attempts at lino cutting and block printing? One source of my inspiration was this camera picture which I occasionally see popping up in my news feed. Let's get to know the maker behind Camera No.2 (turquoise)! 

A List of Lists

Lists. A subject that has been topic of tweets between myself and others many a time.

I'm a HUGE list fan. I write lists for everything. It strikes me as the sort of thing that one either does with enthusiasm or just, well, doesn't. 

Generally, I don't spend a huge amount of time writing lists as I add to them as I go but I find the small amount of time spent on adding to them means that I can prioritise and not forget things. I used to keep a 'to do' list when I was in employment and it made for smooth running of my daily tasks and helped me to be efficient. Sometimes however I do wonder how much time I spend on list keeping and whether or not the time would be best spent on getting jobs done!

My lists normally consist of one for my childminding business, one for house admin stuff, a shopping list, a crafty list, a blog/virtual world list and a general 'things to do today' list. Of course I then have a wish list and a 'big ideas' list.  Sometimes though, I feel the need to separate a certain list into subcatergories to enable me to prioritise better. Of course this is my crafty list.

My crafty list consists of crafts for home, gifts for people, things to make for stalls, ideas based on crafts, tutorials I want to write and of course, crafts I want to try! They are all jumbled up together and as a consequence, when I do have an hour on an evening to get stuck in, I don't know where to start! 

My current task at hand is attempting to get the house super organised before the big move so I do feel a list overhaul coming on. I hope that I can start being more organised and spent more time on the crafty list! 

So how about you? Are you a list keeper? Do you never keep a list? What works for you in terms of time management and er....not forgetting things?! I wonder what sort of productive systems I can put in place to avoid list keeping. I'd love to hear your tips and ideas. 

Mrs Crafty B 

Meet the Maker: Ria of Ria's Rosy Lee Tearoom

For the last few months I have had to prioritise things quite rigidly and the Meet the Maker feature has taken a bit of a back seat. As I am starting to re-focus back on the blog, I thought it was about time the makers got their spot back on a Tuesday and I couldn't resist these extremely delicious looking cakes by Ria of Ria's Rosy Lee Tearoom to get us back into the swing of things!

So lets kick of with a drink! Tea or coffee? 
Tea obviously. Green tea most days. Black Russian Caravan/Rose Tea or herbal when fancy takes me. Never with milk or sugar, preferably loose leaf not bags unless I'm in an emergency situation - i.e. retail outlet/hotels that only has bags

Can we interest you in a biscuit or do you prefer a bit of cake? 
Happy with both, but 9 times out of 10 would pick a cake. I prefer traditional cakes that aren't too fussy. Sometimes cakes are overly decorated so there's hardly any cake involved. Some icings can be too sweet as well. I have to be careful as have a dairy free diet but sometimes I'll be naughty and indulge depsite the consequences, especially with French patissiere and always with Lauderee macarons!

So, tell us a bit about yourself and the item you are sharing.
I'm Ria and I live and work in Wellingborough, Northants. I run Ria's Rosy Lee Tearoom. Previousy I worked in childcare and healthcare, but I am now submerged in the vintage life and baking.

I am sharing a Ria's Rose cake, it is my signature bake. It is rose flavoured and shaped. I developed it when rose became the theme setting up the tearoom as not only is rose in the title, I have a rose based house tea, rose lemonade, and a lot of rose crockery, so I thought I need a cake to complete it. It took 2 attempts at experimenting to perfect it as I wanted to ensure you could taste the rose without it being overwhelming. I also add some pink colouring to warm it up and make it more lifelike, but again have to ensure the taste of the colouring doesn't affect the rose flavour. Most customers say it tastes like turkish delight. I have a special cake mould which makes a batch of 12 individual roses - I don't hand sculpt them like some people think. To finish them off I dust them with icing sugar so it looks like a rose with morning dew on it! They have become very popular with many people now ordering them for occassions rather than the usual celebration cake - they fit nicely into party/favour bags/boxes.

They look and sound AMAZING. How long have you been baking?
I've always enjoyed baking since I was a little girl, when I could stir but was never allowed to touch the eggs! It grew with me as my mother and Grandparents taught me, and as everyone knew I enjoyed baking I inherited my Gran's recipe books which I still use today - there are many family secrets in there which I've been entrusted to protect. It also gives me an edge as no-one else locally will have the recipes for things like Anzacs and Tottenham Traybake. I now keep up to date watching programmes, reading books and magazines, and doing a bit of research online. I do like taking tea and Afternoon Tea as well, so visit other tearooms in my travels which means I can see what others are doing for inspiration.

...and do you dabble in any other crafts?
I have also liked needlecraft and hand embroidery but they've both fallen by the wayside recently whilst I establish the tearoom. I'd also like to make clothes but would need to learn how to use a sewing machine first!

So when did you start Ria's Rosy Lee Tearoom and why?
I opened Ria's Rosy Lee Tearoom in July 2013, but actually started planning it and locating premises/stock in January 2013. In the local area there are a lot of coffee shops, and as I tea drinker I was fed up of having no variety and being presented with a teabag in scalding hot water. A lot of other people I noticed was saying the same thing, so when the opportunity came up last year, combined with the fact I was unhappy in my previous career, I decided rather than keep on moaning about it, I'd do something about it. It also gives me the opportunity to provide for dietary needs. As I follow a dairy free diet it was limiting going to other venues, so I make sure I can cater for dairy and gluten free all the time, and diabetic on request.

What inspires and motivates you?
I'm inspired by everything -nature, music, books, television. I'm also looking at different media forms, and scanning the wider picture for ideas for cakes and themes for the tearoom. That is where things like Scottish month, Spring in Bloom, and Pumpkin month originated from. I'm motivated when I get positive feedback and see happy customers, especially those who come in quite upset and down, but when they leave say how much better they feel. It also an honour when I have hosted special events or provided occassion cakes, being involved in someones special day, and seeing how you have contributed to that makes it worthwhile.

Any crafting heroes?
Saint Mary of Berry of course! Her recipes are foolproof and have never let me down. I grew up with Delia Smith who again I do rely on. More modern day inspirations are Nigella Lawson, Nigel Slater, and Rachel Khoo. And of course, mum and grandmother's as they were ones to originally teach me

Any big plans for the rest of 2014?
Other than world domination? Ha ha! Continuing to build on customer base and push myself to try more complicated recipes and decorations. I'd like to hold more events at the tearoom so am listing ideas for that at the moment. I have also recently become a member of Wellingborough Chamber of Commerce, so am looking forward to getting involved with that, and advocating local, independant retail in the town.

So can we join you in your virtual world?
You can indeed, I have most of social media covered.
Website: www.riasrosylee.com
Twitter: @riasrosylee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rias-Rosy-Lee/524488187617506
E-mail: riarosy@outlook.com 
I am also on TripAdvisor, and write monthly online articles for the local paper the Northants Telegraph. It goes live in the What's On section, under the Food and Drink heading.

Finally, some quick fire questions just for fun..

Favourite colour?
Pink!

The best season?
Spring.

Your favourite food? 

No one thing immediately comes to mind, but definitey prefer sweet over savoury. 

The best day of the week? 

Sunday.

What is the best word? 

Individual - it's what I get called alot, along with unique. 

Favourite place? 

Paris.

Your biggest achievement? 

Opening the tearoom!

It has been an absolute joy finding out all about Ria and Ria's Rosy Lee Tearoom. Such a lovely idea and makes a change to the regular coffee shop. Who doesn't love a proper cup of tea!? I wish I could visit and if any readers are nearby, why not pop in? I'm thinking one of these cakes might go down very well with a lovely cup of leaf tea. I wonder it they travel well in the post.....mmmmm

Mrs Crafty B

Winning a Hobbycraft Voucher

Way back, I won another Twitter competition run by @sundownstitcher! I recieved a Hobbycraft voucher and although I was very grateful and said thank you,  I did not post or say thanks on the blog. How very rude! I always like to say thank you publicly where it is due and this particular prize went to very good use.

I used the voucher to buy equipment and resources for some of the Crafty B's groups that I started (that have had to stop for now unfortunately :-( ). The children's Easter workshop's were especially popular. I always love getting involved in social networking competitions and I was really pleased to have won such a relevant prize.

So thanks again @sundownstitcher. I've been having a look around your newly refurbed site and it is fab. Some lovely pieces on there. Quick everyone, tweet @sundownstitcher and convince her to come and do a #MeetTheMaker interview ;-) 

Mrs Crafty B

The Week That Was: Filled With Happy Moments

Just lately, everything seems to be about our looming relocation. As Hubby is watching something I'm not that interested in, Baby B is sound asleep and Littlest B is crawling about like a crazy on the floor instead of sleeping, I thought I would log on and tell you about some other cool stuff that went on this week, inspired by the fabulous Hannah over at Make, Do and Push.

At the start of the week, Baby B had his last day at preschool for the summer term. As a thank you to all of the preschool staff, we decorated this cookie jar with some cermaic paints and baked some cookies. We recieved a lovely 'thank you' card and one of the staff asked for the recipe so I'm thinking that these went down quite well.

Although I don't want to mention 'the move' here in this post, we are still doing odd jobs through the week. On Tuesday, Baby B helped me clear out a few of the Crafty Bs boxes and decided to sit in the shade in the garden with his "BEST friend" Little Cat Tess and play with some stamps, brushes, pens, paper and scissors. He was happily entertained for a good 40 mins doing his 'paper work'. It was a really relaxed start to the week and Baby B's behaviour was golden. He has been so good and very grown up this week!

Wednesday was a really long day. After three years of hard work, my 'little' sister graduated. We traveled up to Nottingham (with both boys) to see her in her gown and get some pics and then followed on to Mansfield where we celebrated with the rest of our family. She graduated from the same Uni as I did and did the same course. I couldn't resist this shot for old times sake! 

Afterwards, we got to give her the card I had made with a few wise words courtesy of Dr.Suess and after celebrations, we made the long journey home with the boys ready for bed. They were so good all day and both slept the whole way home and were put into bed without any problems. Amazing. I love weeks like this one where you feel like you are winning on all fronts. 

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go"

On Friday evening, for the first time in a VERY long time, I 'popped' to the pub. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine in the sunshine with some lovely ladies and came home late. It DID result in me being a bit...you know...but having been resigned to the odd glass here and there for a good few years, I'm a bit out of the 'more than two' practice so this was to be expected. It took my mind off of things so this was all good. 

On Saturday we managed to replace our car. Someone drove into the back of ours quite recently and wrote it off, so this was a big tick off the list and a huge weight off our shoulders. Phew. 

Today has been spent mostly pottering about, doing odd jobs and making happy memories with my boys. We have enjoyed special moments of just being together at home together which these days, seem few and far between. I've also been doing a bit of up-cycling!

So apparently my weeks are indeed filled with more than housework, mealtimes and moving stresses so I really don't have any complaints. Well, if we are being picky, I didn't eat any cake...

Mrs Crafty B

Real Cornish Pasties and Deadly Seagulls

During our recent trip to Cornwall, we decided that it would be acceptable to eat our weight in fish and chips, ice creams, cream teas and of course, Cornish pasties. The hunt began almost immediately for the ACTUAL best one. Actually we found a good one and stuck with it, but that version doesn't tell you about the evil seagull/s! So....

On a few occasions, we enjoyed setting up base on the beach in Looe which is a beautiful coastal town and fishing port in south-east Cornwall. On the first day that we did this, we scouted out the yummiest looking pasties from the numerous shops claiming to be making 'the worlds best Cornish pasties' . We pretty much hit the jackpot first time as we decided on an open front shop in an old fishing cottage on Buller Street which had a view to a couple of the ladies making up the pasties.  We left armed with a box of delicious large Cornish pasties (it was massive and filled me up for like two days!) and headed back to the beach. By now we had learned to hide from seagulls and we hid inside our little dome tents scoffing our faces with the yummiest pasties ever. 

Our final day in Looe was again marked with a visit to 'Sarah's Pasty Shop' where I took a picture (my sister included, NOT a stranger) of the shop. You can't quite see their lovely Cornish blue display! Following this picture, we headed back to our beach base and decided, as I had a cup of tea, to sit on the wall. In our naivety, and despite our conversation about seagulls pooping on your head en route to the beach AND having an near miss with such poop during said conversation, we were completely oblivous to the evil blighters circling above our head and as Hubby B screamed "WATCH OUT" we did the girliest scream ever as a seagull dove straight at my sister snapping the food bag out of her hands followed by us chasing it down the beach. Can you say free entertainment? 

So the moral of this blog post, well, there are a few points really. Firstly, visit Looe, it's fab. Secondly, visit Sarah's Pasty Shop on Buller Street and enjoy a lovely freshly made Cornish Pasty. Thirdly and probably most importantly, watch out for those bloody seagulls!

Here's a picture of a little sign we acquired for the cloakroom door in our new place. It's in the utility which is the only room that already has a theme decided for it. Can you guess what the theme is? 

Mrs Crafty B

*This was not a sponsored post. Sarah's Pasty Shop did not ask for or request this post and all opinions are my own. I certainly did not get a free pasty (but if they want to give me one on our next visit, I guess that'd be ok).

I Tried Total Greek Yoghurt!

A while ago I was contacted by the lovely people at Total Greek Yoghurt who asked if I would like to get involved in #TryTotal. Although I have now long missed the Total+ competition, I love greek yoghurt and had promptly said "yes please." I waited for a couple of greek yoghurt vouchers to turn up and you can imagine my surprise when a box arrived! What kind of vouchers need a box?!

Here's what I found!

I know it's a bit sad but I was really excited! A cute little cheese board/chopping board. A pestle and morter and a little jar (who doesn't  love miniature) filled with tiny magnets showing different ingredient ideas for the Try Total and Total + adventure. The idea was to come up with winning combinations of Total Greek Yoghurt + 1 or 2 ingredients. Well I didn't think to far outside the box and I went straight for a couple of my favourites! 

Total + Lime + Coriander - Makes a really refreshing and yummy scrummy dip! 

Total + Malted flakes + Banana + Honey - Brand names omitted but this in ones of my favourite breakfasts. Really filling. Perhaps you could change up the flakes for granola. Ok I know this is 3 ingredients not 1 or 2!

So only two simple recipes for now, which isn't to say I don't smother this yummyness all over my chilli and lamb koftas but I don't always remember to get a picture! Doh....I'll have to make some more.

Mrs Crafty B

*I was sent this Try Total kit in order to get involved in the Total Plus competition. I genuinely do think greek yoghurt is yummy ;-)

Sunny Summer Holidays and New Life Chapters

A few weeks ago, had I been updating my blog, I would of been telling you about all the new Crafty B's group which were up and running. The Crafty B's week was looking a bit like this:

Monday
Hardwick Crafty B's 7.15pm till 9pm

Wednesday
Craft Cafe at 19 The Coffee House 9am till 11am

Thursday
Re-Imagine Craft Cafe 10.30am till 12.00pm
Mini-Makers Re-Imagine Craft Cafe 12.30pm till 2pm
Mini-Makers After School Craft Cafe at The Ark 3.30pm till 5pm

Saturday
Occasional craft day in Bourn 11am till 4pm

In the last month however, we have had some big life changing news and a two week break away so instead I'm going to tell you my news and er....brag about my holiday.

A while ago Hubby B started applying for jobs around and about the country. Although I wished him the best from a career perspective, I felt nervous about where our family would end up if anywhere other than Cambridge, so I put it to the back of my mind and continued with all of my big plans for Crafty B's. When he was offered a job in Cardiff the feelings were not straight forward. Excited. Nervous. Extremely sad to be leaving our home in the village where we married and had our two children. Now as we make plans to take a leap onto the property ladder and relocate to Wales, the rollercoster of emotion continues with the constant readiness to get going on this adventure. It's amazing how much needs done and how little time there is to do it! In 8 weeks, Hubby B starts his new job, commuting from Cambridge with a four night stay over whilst I continue getting ready to move at the end of October. 

We have started the clearing out of as much stuff as possible (need anything?!) and organising each room and whilst caught in a whirlwind of paper work, filing, organising, clearing out, mortgage and property chat we are trying to continue life as normally as possible. Hubby B working long hours, Baby B's being cared for here at home, keeping up with friends and family, family time, housework and of course the daydreams of how we will decorate our new home!

Two weeks in Cornwall gave us time to enjoy the important things in life and to reflect on what we were doing and how to go about doing it with as little stress as possible. Whilst we enjoyed beautiful sunshine and ate FAR too many pasties, portions of fish & chips and ice creams we chatted about what had to give back at home. We don't tend to live life at a steady pace! Unfortunately that meant that upon returning, I have had to call time (all too soon) on some of the Crafty B's groups that I have started. It makes me sad but I know that all of the Crafty B's will understand and I'm sure that there will be some summer activities that I'll be buzzin' about before we go.

So a new chapter of our life is beginning and I will be finding my place in the big wide world again over in Cardiff. Crafty B's will continue, just in a different format and Crafting a Daydream will be updated more regularly I'm sure, as I craft away to create our first 'owned by us' family home.

So here's your call to action. I need house moving tips! I've got the basics down....a travel box with the kettle in and some cake OBVIOUSLY but what else do I need to do or think about. Get in touch with your top tips PLEASE!! Comment below or email mrscraftyb@gmail.com. I'll compile a list of the best tips for a future blog post so don't forget to include your details/twitter handle.

Who's up for a new adventure then whilst I continue to craft my daydreams?!

Mrs Crafty B

Easter Catch up and Crafts!

Well a little post Easter catch up over here on Crafting a Daydream. It's been a busy couple of weeks with four Easter crafting sessions for all the mini makers in Cambourne, Cambridgeshire, Easter egg hunts with family and friends, roast lamb dinners and of course, eating chocolate.

I fully intend to share the crafts we got up to with the mini makers and you may have seen a few details already via my social media sites but here's a little run down for you. The sessions were held in the lovely building that is Cambourne Church. The volunteer run cafe, 19, only opens on two days a week for a couple of hours in the school holidays so the mini makers sessions were held at the same time. On the first day we decorated Easter biscuits and paper eggs. Day two was glue...lots and lots of glue...as the mini makers made mesh eggs and decorated Easter bonnets and panamas. The third session saw some lovely egg cups being decorated and promptly filled with chocolate eggs whilst paper crafting fun was had by all and mini makers in the final session decorated plant pots, made paper flowers and sowed some bee friendly seeds...obviously. Here's a few pictures.

Baby B loved getting involved and came along to the final session but littlest B is still very dependant on his mammy so he joined me at each group. He was very well behaved and joined all the other little babies on the play mats whilst children aged from 2 to 12 crafted and mummies, daddies, grandparents and carers enjoyed a cup of tea and a bite to eat from the cafe. Each session was finished up with an indoor picnic.

I had heaps of fun organising these sessions and was very nervous on the day of each (children can be tough audiences) but I've learned a lot along the way and the children inspired me greatly. It's refreshing to witness creativity that has had minimal influence from the big wide world relative to 'growned ups' and they put me completely to shame with some brilliant ideas and creations. These sessions were a good lead up to something new and exciting coming to 19 The Church Cafe. I can't wait to officially start the first 'Crafty B's Cafe.'

On a Wednesday morning from 9-11am, I will be at 19 The Church Cafe at Cambourne Church armed with creative bits and bobs, kits, books and magazines in the hope that some more Crafty B's will buzz on down, grab a cuppa and join in the crafty fun. Whether they be a new Mummy looking for an hour of 'me' time whilst little'n plays, a childminder with a group of little ones on an outing, a parent or carer with a tot to entertain whilst they enjoy a yummy coffee or simply an adult looking to meet like minded people; I hope that the Crafty B's community will continue to grow.

The Monday night group in Hardwick is still going strong and I have plans for the next craft day in Bourn so I will be sure to keep you posted. Don't forget to join me on the Facebook page (and make sure it is set for you to receive notifications) and I will keep the blog up to date with new events. I also have a new calendar page with all of the events and if you wish to stay posted via email, just let me know at mrscraftyb@gmail.com.

I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Mrs Crafty B

A Post From My New Hang Out!

Hola Crafty B's!

I can't believe I'm posting this from a desk. Not just any desk. This is a desk in an office. An ACTUAL office.

Since having the littlest Baby B, I have had a 'plan' to get Crafty B's up and running, meet more people, communicate and generally work through my never ending list of ideas. I've tried to keep Mummy mode the priority but now I'm coming to a natural return to the world of work and I need to take that leap but I'm falling of the virtual radar. I need to get organised, get a work/ home life balance and be more productive in both. Welcome to my new journey crafty journey!

Today I am more motivated than ever because I had the opportunity to hot desk in a co-working environment at Cambridge Business Lounge . I try not to work when I am alone with the little ones unless they are napping and on the occasional hour that I might be 'Crafty B's' focused, I don't tend to get much done at all. This morning, I jumped in the car with Hubby B, got a lift into Cambridge city centre leaving the Little B's in the care of Nanny B, took a lovely stroll across Parkers Piece and boldly set up my desk for the day after a warm welcome at Cambridge Business Lounge. I achieved more this morning than...in a very long time. It's is amazing how focused you can become without the distractions of the dishes/washing/hoovering/lunch making/lunch clearing/pretend food eating and tea drinking. There is a lot to be said for this co-working malarky. I highly recommend it to anyone who works from home or from coffee shops (by the way...they have a Nepresso machine here ;-) ) So whilst everyone on the street below browses shops and enjoys the sunshine, I am getting stuck in and giving myself a head start on the Crafty B's list (and on the childminding admin...I started back with that this week too). LOVE my new hang out! *writes desk fee into monthly budget and crosses out the cost of three coffees*

Hope you're all enjoying the arrival of the sunshine and I'll be back shortly with more crafty news and updates!

Mrs Crafty B

Cambourne Craft Fair

The sun was shining, stall holders were displaying their wonderful goods, the bouncy castle was inflated, the cakes were out and the kettle was on as the lovely lot from Cambourne and the surrounding areas came through the doors at Cambourne Craft fair last weekend. 

Whilst grown ups, mums, dads, grandparents and carers enjoyed a bacon roll and a hot drink, the little ones had a turn on the bouncy castle and enjoyed a recovery cup of fruit squash. Then there was cake! Cupcakes from the Crafty B's cafe (Cherry Chocolate, Lemon & White Chocolate and Very Vanilla) or a vegan selection from the lovely C.A.K.E stall (amazing). 

Crafty B's moved over to squeeze in the Wildlife Trust (stupid wind) who came and made pipe cleaner dragonflies with the children and Crafty B's teamed up with the Re-Imagine Centre in the lobby to run pay as you go craft workshops using recycled materials. We decorated pots and planted flowers, made flower brooches, cards and gift tags.

Once through into the main hall, children had the opportunity to partake in a bumble bee hunt around the stalls to win cake, see the balloon man and make some beaded jewellery and ladies (or men!) had the chance to visit a nail bar as well as browsing the 35 stalls filled with children's books, art, handmade jewellery, aprons, jams, cards, children clothes & accessories, fancy dress, bunting, glasswork and more. There was a huge selection of suitable gifts for Mothers Day and I dare say that there will be some happy mums receiving handmade cards and presents this weekend purchased or made at the Crafty B's Craft Fair. 

Next up on the list of Crafty B's events is the Mini Makers Easter Craft workshops at Cambourne Church. They will take place on the Monday and Tuesday of both weeks in the holiday, 10am till 2pm. Visit the events page on Facebook , the calendar on the website or email mrscraftyb@gmail.com to book your place or for more info. 

If you came to the fair last weekend, head on over the the Crafty B's Facebook page and tell us if you enjoyed your day. Did you get anything nice? 

Look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Mrs Crafty B

p.s. Did you spot Baby B in the pictures?

The Small Things

I love Mondays. There I said it. It marks the start of a new week, a fresh start, a chance to start putting into action all of the plans you have whether they be organisation, projects, fun trips, productive activities or the countdown to the next weekend. Well let's face it, Sunday's over so what is the next thing to look forward to?

That said, the fun of the 'family weekend' does kind of linger in the air reminding me that 1/4 of us isn't here and just like everyone else I need a little reminder of something happy to keep my mood bright. Especially on Monday.

Fortunately, today is not a day I need to remember the 'happy.' I especially love this Monday. Today marks the 28th anniversary of my birth! For me, my birthday means thinking about everything I have achieved in the last year and all the things I'm going do in the next one. It also means treating myself to things that I WANT rather than need. Hubby B is staying home today so the weekend is extended and the air is filled with joy from a weekend of sunshine, afternoon teas, family, browsing Cambridge and BBQ's. Yes BBQ's!! Ten years ago today it was snowing and yesterday we had a BBQ. How fab.

Here's a few pictures that you might enjoy, to make you smile and remember YOUR bits of happy from the last week and think about what is to come!

Mrs Crafty B