Winter Wonderland felt ideas

Continuing my Winter Wonderland Christmas theme, today I am sharing with you the gorgeous Christmas felt ideas I have found that would look great in my Wonderland! I have already downloaded the pattern for the pine cones from Family Circle and have started making some pretty pink and aqua pine cones to decorate with. My snowflake felt place mats have been revamped this year with some pretty embroidery in pink and aqua and I have started making some felt birds for my tree, coming soon.....

• Wooden deer decoration by Torie Jayne
• Soft hearts - felt mounted deer head by Planet Fur
• Felt birds from A little gift giving
• Pine Art via Twig and Whistle
• Snowflake felt table mats by Torie Jayne
• Forest woodland trees stocking by Rik Rak
• Woodland stuffings by Ginger Melon

Have a sweet day!

Pretty Package

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some gorgeous pretty packages in sugary colours from some of the most creative people on Flickr. I can't wait to start wrapping my gifts! I just have to buy and make them first!

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The gorgeous leaves in pink glassine lined bags by Creature Comforts
• The wonderful wooden spool + pink bakers twine = ♥ by
  Ishtar olivera ♥
• The delightful purple and pink washi tape ♥ by Ishtar olivera ♥
• The ever so pretty Wrapped Gifts by Such Pretty Things

Have a sweet day!

Super Cute Cookies by Chloe Coker

This week I'm reviewing Super Cute Cookies by Chloe Coker, from illustrated lifestyle publishers Ryland Peters & Small and CICO Books. Chloe Coker has been baking cakes and treats since she was a small child. From jam tarts to Victoria sponge, her love of baking grew into beautiful wedding cakes and kitsch cookies, eventually turning into her profession. Leaving her old city-lawyer life behind, Chloe trained as a chef and in 2010 opened Chloe Coker Cakes & Catering, specializing in beautiful bespoke cakes and cookies for special occasions. I chose to review this book as I am determined this year to make super cute cookies for Christmas!

The book is split into five main chapters, from an Introduction into all the essential know-how from recipes, to covering and decorating cookies; in depth advice on cooling, storing and a great step-by-step tutorials on making cookie cutters. The second chapter, entitled Celebrations and Gifts, has some of my favourite cookies like the gingham ribbon-strung bunting cookies, polka dot balloon lollipops and the wonderful vintage corsages.

Next up is Fun for Children, which has the cutest bright red apple cookies, the perfect gift for a teacher. There are also animal faces, lady bugs and teddy bears. For little princesses there are tiaras and wand cookies and the delightful retro looking train set. The penultimate chapter, Holiday Cookies, has the cutest polka dot pudding cookies for Cath Kidston fans, fun looking jolly penguins, glittery ghosts and witches and wizards.

Last up is the Love and Weddings chapter, full of pretty, romantic cookies like broderie anglaise cookies. The Tiffany coloured gift box cookies, sparkly diamond ring and the hot pink and white henna tattooed ones. Each of the thirty five cookies are beautifully photographed with accompanying easy to follow photographed instructions and templates.

The Super Cute Cookies by Chloe Coker is a delightful hard back book book full of whimsical and, yes, very cute cookies. At a recommended price of £14.99, I think this hardback book is a great buy as it is full of great advice and inspirational cookie ideas.

Some of my favourite shots:

Bunting cookies

Polka dot pudding cookies

Broderie Anglaise cookies

Vintage rosette cookies

To summarize, Super Cute Cookies by Chloe Coker is a delightful book full of inspiring cookie ideas with great tips and advice.

Please note that my opinions are my own and I am not paid for these reviews (apart from receiving a free book, of course!).

I must go start making my cookies!

Have a sweet day!

Glittered Noel wooden letters

I loved how my pretty wooden letters for Molly came out and wanted to decorate some more wooden letters from Molly Meg to decorate my home with at Christmas. I decided to go for 'NOEL' but this time I wanted them to be sparkly, so first I painted them in an aqua coloured paint, then covered them in mint glitter to match my Winter Wonderland theme.

I used a tester pot of paint from my local DIY store to get the right shade of aqua, as there is always so much colour choice, making it an inexpensive, quick and easy way of getting the right shade.

Christmas decoration: Glittered Noel wooden letters

Tools and Materials

• Wooden letters
• Tester pot of paint: Colours by B&Q, Matt Water
• Pale aqua ultra fine glitter
• PVA glue or tacky glue
• Paint brush
• Plastic pot and spoon

How-to, step by step
Carefully paint front and sides of letter and leave to dry. Once dry, paint back of letter and leave to dry.




Brush PVA glue onto lower half of front of letter and immediately sprinkle glued area liberally with glitter before glue starts to dry. Lightly tap to remove excess glitter and leave to dry. Paint PVA glue onto another section and sprinkle glued area liberally with glitter and so on until the front and sides of the letter are completely covered in glitter. You can touch up letters with glue and glitter on any spots you have missed.





Tips
I do my glittering over a plastic tub so any excess glitter can be collected and used again. I have stored my letters individually in plastic bags so they do not rub together, ready to decorate my home with at Christmas.




Have a sweet day!

Pretty Gift Wrapping

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you some pretty wrapping paper, elegant Noel cards and whimsical gift tags to make your Christmas presents extra special!

• Botanically inspired silk screened wrapping paper
• Pink doiley heart gift wrap
• Noel holiday cards
• French blue bird gift tags

Have a sweet day!

Bloomingville Winter 2011

Today on label love I am sharing with you some of my favourite pics from the new season's Bloomingville catalogue. I am, of course, loving the wire baskets and the beautiful vintage inspired cloche. To see more gorgeous pics check out the online catalogue here.

Have a sweet day!

Shloer, Berry Punch - a review

I often get asked to review products, and if you are a regular reader of my blog you will know I don't often do product reviews. But when I got an email from the PR company behind Shloer's new limited edition Berry Punch offering me a bottle to try, I thought why not! I love Shloer, and have fond memories of serving it at dinner parties I had as a teenager! With Christmas around the corner it would be good to find something new to serve my thirsty friends and family who have to drive home!

Last Sunday I took the bottle of Shloer around to my folks, who were hosting roast dinner for myself, and my sister, brother in law, newly engaged little sister and her fiance! My elder sister found it a little sweet to have with roast but agreed it would be great with some sweet treats! I loved the sweet sparkling fruity flavour and everyone who tried it wanted a top up!

The limited edition Berry Punch gives a nod to traditional Autumnal English flavours, packed with blackberries and a warming hint of spice. I will be purchasing a couple of bottles for my Christmas Winter Wonderland party, to serve over ice with slices of pear and blackberries!

Chocolate chip fudge cake pops

I loved making the leopard print cake pops, fruit cake pops and ice cream cake pops for recent events so when I needed to make a sweet treat for a friend's upcoming wedding anniversary party I knew they would fit the bill and I could make them in black and white with little pink cases to match his colour theme.

Additionally, I also decorated three of them in Hotel Chocolat white chocolate with aqua sugar crystals and put trimmed down, striped straws over the sticks as an idea for some cake pops for my Winter Wonderland dessert table.

Chocolate chip fudge flavoured gluten-free cake pops (makes 24 cake pops)

Ingredients

• 560g Chocolate chip cake (see below for recipe)
• 160g Chocolate fudge frosting (see below for recipe)
• 283g (1 packet) black candy melts
• White non-pareils

What you will need

• Baking parchment
• Lollipop sticks
• Cupcake cases
• Polystyrene block

Cooking instructions

1. Crumble chocolate chip cake into small pieces with your fingers
2. In a food mixer, mix the chocolate fudge frosting with the chocolate cake crumbles
3. Whisk until it resembles a dough-like mixture
4. Place mixture into fridge to firm up, making it easier to work with
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper
6. Using electric scales, measure out 30g of mixture, roll into a ball, and place on the baking sheet
7. Repeat until all mixture has gone
8. Leave cake balls in the fridge for a few hours or overnight
9. Place candy melts into a microwavable bowl
10. Heat for 1 minute on medium, stir and continue heating in 30 second intervals until candy is fully melted
11. Dip lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into melted candy then push into a cake ball, just over halfway through
12. Carefully hold lollipop stick and dip the cake ball into melted candy, swirling gently until cake ball is covered. Gently tap to remove any excess candy
13. Immediately cover coated cake ball in sprinkles before the candy sets
14. Place in polystyrene block and leave to set
15. Eat and enjoy, or they can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, or freeze them

Chocolate chip cake (makes one 20cm size cake)

Ingredients

• 125g (4.5 ounces) butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon (1/6 ounces) vanilla extract
• 150g (5.2 ounces) caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 225g (8 ounces) gluten-free self-raising flour
• 60ml semi-skimmed milk
• 2 tablespoons organic cocoa powder
• 100g (3.5 ounces) 70% dark chocolate drops

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F)
2. Line and grease tin
3. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
4. Beat in eggs, flour, milk and vanilla extract
5. Stir in the dark choc chips
6. Pour batter into tin
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes
8. Place cake on a wire rack to cool

Chocolate fudge frosting

Ingredients

• 60g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 30g (1 oz) 70% dark chocolate drops
• 225g (1 cup) sifted icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk

Cooking instructions

1. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave or using a Bain marie
2. Place icing sugar, vanilla essence and milk in a bowl and gradually whisk in chocolate mixture
3. Leave to set

Have a sweet day!

My Winter Wonderland wrapping inspiration

I love wrapping up my Christmas gifts, spending time on the little details. Last year I used Washi tape and doilies to decorate my gifts and designed doe gift tags. This year I want to make them brighter and more colourful by using patterned papers and baker's twine.

• Eline Pellinkhof
• Wrapping paper by Torie Jayne
• Birdie Tags by A Creative Mint
• Folly & Glee
• Kazu Online Store
• Pink Divine bakers twine

Have a sweet day!

Getting ready for my Winter Wonderland Christmas

Winter Wonderland Christmas tree decorations

Winter Wonderland home decor

I have spent the past few weeks painting, glittering, stitching and needle felting my Winter Wonderland Christmas crafts. Collecting pretty packaging supplies, experimenting with recipe ideas and sourcing inspirational images. Some of which I have shown over the last few weeks!

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing with you more step by step craft tutorials, recipe and baking how to's and inspirational mood boards for my Winter Wonderland.

So stay tuned for my glittery felt bird tutorial with free downloadable pattern, step by step guides to needle felting roses and acorns and more home decor crafts.

Off now to paint and glitter some more pinecones, sequin my christmas stocking and paper punch my Christmas crackers!

Have a sweet day!

Glittered Toadstools

When I saw these wooden mushrooms I just knew I had to have them as I thought they would be perfect for my Winter Wonderland theme. I decided to make them pastel coloured to fit in with my colour palette, and sparkly because they are for Christmas!

Glittered toadstools
What you will need:

• Wooden mushrooms
• White undercoat paint
• Pink Clematis tester pot of paint
• Proud Peacock tester pot of paint
• Water tester pot of paint
• White spot stickers
• PVA glue, tacky glue
• Pink, teal, mint and white glitter

Equipment

• Paint brush
• Pot and spoon

Instructions

• Paint wooden mushroom in white, leave to dry
• Paint top of mushroom in a colour, leave to dry
• Stick white spots to painted top of mushroom

• Paint PVA glue on mushroom top leaving spots free of glue
• Sprinkle coloured glitter onto mushroom top
• Tap gently to remove any excess glitter, leave to dry
• Carefully paint PVA glue onto white spots

• Sprinkle white glitter onto glued spots on mushroom top
• Tap gently to remove any excess glitter, leave to dry

They are now neatly stored in a box ready to decorate my home with at Christmas.

Have a sweet day!

Pretty hand made paper chain garland

A couple of years back I hung polka dot paper chain garlands in pink, green, blue and red around my home at Christmas and loved how they looked. This year I wanted to hang a paper chain garland but this time in my colour palette of snowy white, pale pink, vintage bubblegum pink, icy aqua, teal, fresh green and olive. When I saw the Tilda Winter Bird design pack I knew this would be perfect as it is full of printed double-sided card with bird motifs, stripes, polka dots and rosy florals, all in my colour palette. To get a touch more pink in my garland I also used card from the Tilda Flower Garden design pack.

Coming soon are instructions on my twinkly mushrooms, sparkly felt birds with free downloadable pattern, and glittery letters to name a few...



Christmas decoration: Pretty paper chain garland

Tools and Materials

• Tilda design card - Winter Bird or printed card (230gsm)
• Tilda design card- Flower Garden or printed card (230gsm)
• Double sided sticky tape
• Scissors
• Guillotine (for quick and easy straight lines)
• Ruler
• Pencil

How-to, step by step

On a piece of card, using a ruler and pencil, mark out rectangles 23mm wide by 155mm long and carefully cut them out using a guillotine for crisp, clean, sharp edges. Make as many strips of card from different patterned cards as desired.



Carefully place a piece of double-sided tape on one end of a rectangular strip of card and form a loop by curling the other end under. Adhere the other end to the taped end. Get another rectangular strip, place a piece of tape on one end, insert the end through the first loop and join the ends of the second loop together.



Repeat above steps for as many rectangular strips needed to form the length of garland you require, alternating the patterns of the strips you use and the sides of the card that face outwards.

Tips
I cut 20 strips of card from 10 different printed pieces of card, which means I have 20 different prints on my paper chain made out of 200 strips.




Have a sweet day!

Cute ceramic birds

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I have gone all a-flutter and I wanted to share with you some cute ceramic birds, from the birds perching cake stands from Whitney Smith to the handmade clay birds.

• Ceramic cake stand with bird
• Large bird cake stand
• Ceramic bird charms
• Handmade polymer clay birds

Have a sweet day!

House Doctor Winter 2011

Today on label love I am sharing with you some of my favourite pics from the new House Doctor catalogue. I, for one, absolutely adore their ribbons on wooden spools and have started to put many of my ribbons on wooden reels. I am also loving their Christmas tree decorations like the pretty aqua snowy pine cones, mini toadstools and elegant deer. To see more inspiring pics check out the new catalogue here.

Have a sweet day!

Pretty wooden birds

Over the past couple of weeks I have been working on some hand made Christmas decorations to fit in with my Winter Wonderland colour palette and theme. First up is the pretty wooden bird I will decorate my home with at Christmas.

When I spied the wooden birds in Panduro Hobby I knew I had to buy a couple. At the time I had know idea how I would decorate them but knew I wanted them to be part of my Christmas decor. After much deliberation I decided to decorate them with a pretty floral pattern and a sprinkling of glitter. Now I just have to decide where they will sit at Christmas!?!

Christmas decoration : Pretty Wooden Bird< Tools and Materials

• Wooden bird
• Pink Clematis tester pot of paint
• Proud Peacock tester pot of paint
• Tilda design card - Winter Bird
• PVA glue
• Pink glitter
• Teal glitter
• Scissors
• Small paint brush
• Pencil

Pretty wooden bird, How-to step by step

Start by carefully painting the sides of the wooden bird in pink paint using a small paint brush and leave to dry. Then, carefully paint the entire branch section of the wooden bird in peacock colour, turn upside down and leave paint to dry. To get a perfect fit on the printed card, place the dry wooden bird on the underside of the printed card and carefully trace around the edge of the bird with a sharp pencil, flip bird over and place next to previously drawn bird shape to avoid wastage and trace around the other side of the bird.



With a sharp pair of scissors, carefully cut out the bird shapes from the card and place to one side. Brush PVA glue onto front of the bird and firmly press the corresponding card shape onto glued front then leave to dry. Once dry, repeat with the shape for the back of the bird. With your bird in an upright position, coat the front and back in PVA glue to give it a protective coating and leave to dry.



Brush PVA glue onto teal-painted branch and immediately sprinkle with teal glitter before the glue starts to dry. Tap bird lightly to remove excess glitter and rest bird on its head to dry. Once dry, brush PVA glue onto pink-painted sides of bird and immediately sprinkle with pink glitter, tap lightly to remove excess glitter and leave to dry.

Tip
I hold my bird over a clean small plastic pot when sprinkling with glitter to catch any excess glitter so it can be reused

Have a sweet day!

Glitter bird inspiration

This Christmas I want to add lots of birds to my Winter Wonderland and what's Christmas with out a sprinkling of glitter! So, some glittered birds are a must!

• A Creative Mint
• Frog Prince Paperie
• Yule log favour boxes
• Such Pretty Things
• Glitter bird vase filler
• Haust
• Enchanted Rose Studio

Have a sweet day!

Christmas Winter Wonderland wreath inspiration

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some pretty, inspirational ideas for Christmas wreaths. I have a polystyrene wreath just begging to be decorated and I'm thinking of wrapping it in yarn and adding some birds and roses.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The pretty pink Cotton candy yarn wreath by Knock Knocking
• The glittery bells in Merry & bright yarn wreath by Goodie True Shoes
• The darling bird in Merry & Bright Yarn Wreath by Goodie True Shoes
• The sprays of baubles in xmas wreath white dove pink rain1 by Enchanted Rose Studios

Have a sweet day!