Wedding Cakes and An Overwhelmed Worker B

To say that I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed recently would perhaps be an understatement. With the start of my freelance virtual PA work, making framed Lego letters on a commission basis, working behind the scenes on the blog and of course Mummy duties, there has been little time for just me. Every hour (except the sleeping ones) has been spent working or ticking another thing off of my own list which is ever growing.

This however is not a whiny post! I love it.

I don't often have time to myself but I embrace the feeling of being overwhelmed. I can manage that emotion because although I'm doing a lot, I enjoy doing it. I'm ultimately a happier person. I hate being bored.

Here's a little look of what we have been up to this week.

A sneaky peek of my guest post project!

Re-Create Upcycled Plant Pots with Scraps of Fabric

Continuing with a bit of upcycling, here's a cute way to jazz up some simple plastic pots.

I found these plastic pots in abundance in a Scrapstore along with

Re-Create Upcycled Stamps

It's no secret that I love a bit of upcycling. Sometimes I'm on the hunt for materials for a specific purpose and sometimes I just grab stuff or save 'bits and bobs' because one day, they might be useful. I decided that my die cutting machine could be used for more than cutting shapes from card and I wanted to make some stamps from the lovely dies that I had. 

My local scrapstore had plenty to inspire but I grabbed some black foam stuff that looked like old packing material for something and some flooring material.

Dunelm Vacuum Pack Storage Bags

Here's the low down on a bit of a storage solution. It's not genius. It's not good looking. It's not innovative. In fact its really common and you see adverts for these all the time. I am just here to stick my hand in the air and say "yup, me, I have used them. They are great".

Oh you have no idea what I'm jabbering on about yet do you?!

Lego Letter Frames

This post is all about what I have been up to with Lego; especially for you and your friends & family!

I recently decided that in keeping with the Lego craze in my house right now, I would create something personal for the Little B's room and for my desk space.

WD40 to The Rescue

You know all those posts and pins about the 100,000 uses for WD40? Well I'm going to be specific because I just had a lightbulb moment.

Upcycled Filing Tray with Ikea Magazine Files

Spring has finally sprung and I've got the cleaning bug; along with a desire to ensure that I really am organised! My new freelance business (Hello My PA) has a highlighted a necessity for a well organised workspace.

My desk is multifunctional with it being used not only for VA work but for crafts, blogging and a place to keep my household 'affairs' in order. I decided that the thing I needed most urgently was some filing trays; something in which to organise incoming work and mail before it is actioned and filed away.

I did find some lovely options for filing trays but the ones I fancied weren't quite in keeping with my 'thrifty living' ways at the moment. This led me to hunt around in my hoard to figure out what I already had that I could use. My search led me to a stash of FLYT Magazine Files by Ikea that I purchased a while ago.

Photo from Ikea.com

How to REALLY Use Laundry Tablets

This will be one of those posts where I share something I have recently learned and then I get bombarded with comments such as "how did you NOT know this?" "Don't you read instructions?" or "everyone knows this." Well, until a few weeks ago I did not know this, and no I don't have 'time' to read instructions!

I Need moremags.com!

During my browsing time at the ICHF craft shows, I was drawn to a stand which had magazines laid out with crafty kits as a bonus. I got chatting with the lovely folks from Practical Publishing and I am now familiar with moremags.com (which you should check out). Not only were they selling copies of lovely magazines, there were lots of crafts kits up for grabs from past issues of various publications.

Although I do a lot of online browsing (obviously), I am a big fan of books and magazines. There's nothing like a good sit down with a cuppa and a mag and being able to pop an actual marker in for your next project! Fully armed with reading material for the train on the way home from the show, I started browsing and decided that I would tell you a bit about the publications I have now discovered; just in case you hadn't heard of them yet! It is worth noting here that it you still do prefer doing everything online, there are a lot of digital subscriptions via moremags.com 

The publications offered are essentials for crafters, covering things from knitting to paper craft, sewing and stitching. I'm going to kick of with a new sewing magazine…

Top Notch Sleep With Premier Inn NEC

Whenever my family and I travel, we stay at a Premier Inn. We have always received good customer service, a delivery on the promise of a good nights sleep where other guests aren't so considerate and they are always situated in good, convenient locations.

This was also true of the Premier Inn, NEC. When I decided I would go to the ICHF Crafts Shows over three days, there was no debating where I would stay. Although it was a walk to the shows due to sheer size of the venue, the Premier Inn is pretty much on site. There were also shuttle buses if you didn't fancy the walk. Although I had travelled by Crosscountry trains, I did note that the hotel was off of a main road. This is always true of Premier Inns which is why they are so convenient and it never fails to amaze me that I never hear any traffic. EVER!

Getting to The ICHF Craft Shows at the NEC with Crosscountry Trains

I haven't travelled on the train for quite a few years! Having become a driver towards the end of university, no longer having lots of long journeys to do and having children, I've never really had the need.

When I decided that I would be going to the ICHF shows at the NEC, I thought that maybe driving would be a bit much; the traffic, navigating, parking etc, so I logged into my old Crosscountry account to find out whether I could get there by train.

Mollie Makes Boho Feather Necklace Kit from Immediate Media Co

During my browsing of all of the fab exhibitors at the ICHF Craft Shows, I discovered the Immediate Media Co stand. Hubby B has a huge collection of Gardeners World Magazine and I love Mollie Makes and Craftseller, so I was straight over to see what was going on!

As well as offering 'at show only' subscription deals they were handing out a free gift! I grabbed mine immediately (pun intended) to discover it was a Mollie Makes kit (designed by Charlotte Smith of Lotts and Lots.) I'm looking forward to having a play with this and showing you the results!

Not only do Immediate Media Co offer great subscriptions on these particular craft magazines above, they have a whole host of others that are also present on my book shelf; such as Love Knitting for Baby, Love Crochet (obviously), Good Food and even some non-craft related titles such as You & Your Wedding and Prima Baby and Pregnancy.

Love Glitter, Love Glitzcraft Glitter Frosting Paste

One of the reasons for my trip to the ICHF Craft Shows was a desire to find out about new craft trends and products. It is very possible that I'm a bit behind here but just in case you Crafty B's haven't discovered it yet; here is a bit about glitter frosting paste. Heard of it? I hadn't!

Multiple Pom Poms with Multipom!

A short while ago, I told you all that I would be tracking down a company called Multipom at the ICHF shows at the NEC. I did indeed track them down and as mentioned in this post they made good on the promise of being able to create up to 20 pom poms at a time! Although the little gadget I had previously makes a quick pom pom, I could still only do one at a time and this product allows you to get multiple pom poms of equal size!

The Multipom maker was one of the best things I acquired at the weekend and Sue and Ellie were two of the nicest people that I met over the three days that I was there.

I was in complete awe of the demonstration as Sue showed us how the frame worked sat amongst a beautiful display of all things pom pom! (I was so distracted that I forgot to take a picture of their beautiful stand! Doh!)

Twiddling and Tucking with Muslin Mistress; Jennie Rayment

This class with Made Peachy wasn't the only opportunity for me to get a bit of sewing practice in this weekend. In fact I learnt some lovely texturing techniques with Jennie Rayment on a Madeira and Bernina Workshop; Twiddle and Tuck into Embellishment.

Not only did I have the opportunity to play with a bit of a snazzy sewing machine and get in some practice, I learned some really great techniques that, had I seen an example of before hand, I would have thought impossible for my level of ability!

First we learned to sew in some 'tucks.' I had never really appreciated the simplicity of doing this before for quite a nice texturing effect.

The Sewing Club with Made Peachy and Vilene (Guest Appearances: Easy to Sew Cosmetic Purse and Some Cambridge Based Crafty B's)

Very recently I made a new space for my sewing machine in the hope that I would be more likely to play with it. It became apparent very quickly that I had lost my confidence with my machine and needed a bit of practice. What better place to get started then at the ICHF Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC this month.

I was lucky enough to get myself a spot on a workshop with Laura of Made Peachy who hosted 'The Sewing Club' sponsored by Vilene. These were free of charge and participants had the chance to make things such as knotted headbands, belts, bibs and key fobs. Here is a post on Made Peachy in which Laura talks about theses items and preparing for the classes. Our workshop was all about making a cosmetic purse. Perfect, since I just bought myself a whole new load of make up and it is worthy of a new case!
The first notable things were the colour combinations of fabrics and zips next to the machines that were all set up and ready for us. They were absolutely beautiful. I sat down next to the brightest one I could see. (Note to self; must learn the art of colour and pattern combinations!) The next thing I noticed were the beautiful lace zips that we would be using. We had already been eyeballing these at Little Laura's Haberdashery and I was so excited to be shown how to use them properly. I'm ashamed to say that despite full intention of going back for a few, I completely forgot before I left on the Sunday. It's a good job they sell online. I also need to get hold of some of the backing fabric we used.

My Crafty Adventure at the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery and Stitch and Hobby Crafts Shows at the NEC

I can't believe the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery and Stitch and Hobby Crafts shows have come and gone so quickly!

I've had an amazing weekend at the show, browsing stands and products, finding out about the latest craft trends, chatting to crafters, taking part in workshops and catching up with friends. I didn't want it to end. So I've decided it's not going to.

ICHF put on great events and it's fab to be in the thick of it; discovering new products and companies, stocking up your craft stash with lots of great bargains, learning new techniques and being completely inspired. What is also great is being able to take all of the inspiration and ideas and the knowledge of where to find your products and using that back home in your own crafty world till the next show you go to! Admittedly the buzz is addictive and you get some GREAT show only deals. My aim is to keep the buzz going between events! 

In my pursuit of craftiness, I'll tell you all about some of the lovely exhibitors I met, some of the products I've tried and some of the crafts I've been inspired by.

Here's a sneak peak…

Some of the costumes from ITV's Mr Selfridge

Giveaway: £15 voucher to spend at Alliedesign

Earlier in the week we met textile artist, Alison Nicholson. She kindly offered up a special discount for all the Crafty B's attending the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts shows at the NEC this March.

You can find your special code in this blog post.

Meet the Maker: Textile Artist; Alison Nicholson

Well Crafty B's we have another Meet the Maker for you and this one is exciting on so many levels. Alison Nicholson is a textile artist who will be exhibiting at the the Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts shows at the NEC this March (you know about this right?!) Once we have met Alison and here featured item, I am going to tell you about your exclusive Crafty B's discount that you can use at her stand at the show and there might also be a little giveaway! 

A Fabulous Crafternoon with Hillarys Blinds, The Crafty Hen and Joe Blogs

Yesterday I ventured out into a world outside of my (much loved) Little B's and the laptop. For the past few months I have been communicating with anyone and everyone via the internet and thinking about my blog and my new business venture. I had yet to take that step back into the world of networking, meeting people and not hiding behind the screen, pram and my boys. I actually had to be myself; whats more, people didn't throw things at me! Score.

So, where did I go you're all wondering. I headed down to Chapter in Cardiff to #HillarysCrafternoon. This was an event organised by @joesbloggers and hosted by them alongside @hillarysblinds and @the_crafty_hen.

A Week of New Things

A really quick catch up from me today! I am off out. This week has been a bit crazy; relative to last week when I was all alone! I have been putting into practice advice on how to be productive and getting myself into gear to start as a freelance virtual PA.

Giveaway: Tickets for Sewing for Pleasure, Fashion Embroidery & Stitch and Hobbycrafts shows at the NEC Birmingham; March 19th - 22nd 2015

As you will all know by now, my pursuit of craftiness is taking me to the ICHF craft shows this March at the NEC in Birmingham. With three shows in one; Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch, Sewing for Pleasure and Hobbycrafts there will be no shortage of inspiration, workshops to try new things and products galore to stock up my crafty stash. I can't wait.

Homemade Individual Jelly Pots with Heinz Baby Pots

How many of you Mummies out there re-use the Heinz fruit/custard medley pots? We are a big fan. Rather than throw out (or recycle) the pots, we wash them out and use them for SO many things; they hold just the right amount of homemade pasta sauce for the boys, a handful of raisins for a day out, hummus for the lunch box and most recently, individual portions of my infamous chocolate cheesecake! More about that in another post. I also use them for paperclips and other stationery items, crafty bits and more; but I don't get them mixed up with the food ones!

Meet the Maker: Alison of Ali Crafts Designs

The ICHF craft shows are fast approaching and I can't keep off their site, checking out exhibitors and thinking about what goodies I will find that weekend (19th - 22nd March at the NEC in Birmingham in case you were wondering). I am most excited about being inspired by some of the lovely crafty people who will be there on hand running workshops, offering up craft supplies and just being downright, well, inspiring! 

I thought I'd give you a little taster of some of the talent and I asked some of them to dish the dirt with their own Meet the Maker interview. Today we will be meeting one of the nearly 300 exhibitors and one of their lovely handmade items! 

The Power of the Pom Pom

When I was a little girl, I used to spend hours at my Nanny's house pushing small balls of yarn through and around two doughnut shaped pieces of card to make pom poms. I see now it's a great way to keep children occupied! I had several wooly pom poms in odd colour yarns, none of which I knew what to do with. I just wanted to make the next one!

Pom Poms on the catwalk 2014 - Picture from Vogue

In the last few years, the pom pom, both paper and yarn, has returned to fashions and to all things craft  and my fingers are itching! I once purchased a gadget that was going to make pom pom making quick and easy. I had a demo from one of my crafty friends but mine broke as soon as I tried it, so I gave up.

BUT...

No Grey Clouds; Just 'Crafty' Silver Linings

What a rubbish week! However, I am not going to use this post to p-word and moan about sickness, hospitals and my boys not being with me; that is all that needs to be said of the negative stuff. Instead, I am going to use this week's catch up to highlight some silver linings from the last few days.

First up, the biggest of the silver linings, the kindness shown by my neighbours in a sticky spot I found myself in last weekend. Without them, the start of the week would have been a lot different and for their kindness and willingness to help me, I am so thankful.

On another thankful note, a member of staff from Tesco also saved the day by getting my shopping to me against all odds. I am not sure how Littlest B would have coped without his daily 100 pints of milk. I am not sure how Baby B would have coped with chocolate chip brioche rolls either so thanks Matt from Tesco!

With a little bit of time on my hands, but not able to physically do much, I have taken it upon myself to indulge in a couple of beauty treats. This Hydrating Face Mask from Superdrug was one. I am ashamed to say I had to use a number of times before there was actually any 'residue' to blot off as per the instructions but it certainly helped with my miserable looking skin. I also made use of some No7 Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Care and a bit of fragrant hand cream by L'Occitane which I reviewed here.

A Week of Puke and Puffy Paints (and other crafts)

I would say 'we're all crafted out' this week, but that would be a total fabrication. See, I can't escape it!

This week we have had sickness bugs, colds, more sickness bugs, teething and more colds. Alongside Hubby B being away, it has been a long old week. Or has it? I remembered how much messy play I used to do with Baby B and with us all being home a few days, we made the most of the energetic moments and I got totally involved with just the boys and ignored everyday chores (that would still be there, waiting…sadly). The boys were immediately calmer and seem satisfied with the one on one attention so much so that they were happy for independent play afterwards. Baby B was also SUPER excited and proud of his puffy paint picture. Littlest B didn't much enjoy the taste of the play dough but seemed strangely happy with the taste of the shaving foam we used for the puffy paints. That boy eats all sorts!

I also made the most of evenings for crafting rather than staring at my phone! Of course The Great British Sewing Bee started this week (#GBSB) and I also got blogging about my pursuit of craftiness at an ICHF event in March.

Here are a few snapshots of our crafty week:

Oaty Banana Muffins

Today, we whipped up yummy oaty banana muffins with some bananas that were otherwise going in the bin.

Here is the recipe we used inspired by Baby B's favourite breakfast; porridge with bananas and honey!

• 230g of plain flour
• 50g of porridge oats
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 115g of caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence
• 6 tablespoons of oil
• 250 ml of milk
• 2 medium eggs
• 3 tablespoons of clear honey
• 2 large mashed up bananas

Mrs Crafty B in Pursuit of Craftiness with ICHF Events

In 2012, I attended Cake International and it offered no shortage of inspiration. In my search for the perfect venue for a crafty catch up with the group of ladies I 'left' in Cambridge, I discovered that ICHF Events have three events running over one weekend at the NEC Birmingham this March. I thought this would be the perfect place for a reunion and to gather a bit of inspiration in my mission to re-discover my crafty side this year! I'm not short of excuses to craft as I am Making Home and I cannot

Sew it Begins

The 1st of February is upon us! How many of you spent January enthusiastically getting to grips with new hobbies, classes and new lifestyle choices? How many of you are still as enthusiastic going into the second month of 2015?

In my attempt to get back to crafty, I spent this week thinking more about