Bottle Green Homes

Today on shops i love I wanted to share with you a new shop I have just discovered; Bottle Green Homes. Bottle Green Homes is an online boutique selling wonderful home and lifestyle products sourced solely from the British Isles. They have selected a combination of gorgeous, interesting and practical items for you and your home. Their range consists of delightfully individual products like the pretty spot lambswool cushions with fringing and matching throw in colourful spearmint, vintage glass bottles, and stylish reclaimed wooden boxes. I am coveting the vintage reclaimed London wooden "Brick Lane" and "Hoxton Square" signs.

Have a sweet day!

Ella May ~ My Little Vintage Caravan

Today I wanted to introduce you to Ella May, a little vintage caravan. I met her at The Vintage Wedding Fair and what a cutie she is! Decked out in the prettiest florals, crochet blankets and whimsical British flag cushions she is a delight to behold. She is available to hire for weddings, photo shoots and vintage tea parties, has seating and space for afternoon tea for up to nine people. Oh, and her cupboards are full of retro games, magazines and toys for you to discover!

Have a sweet day!

Wedding Inspiration

Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Yesterday I visited The Vintage Wedding Fair in Milton Keynes. What a lovely day out, a fair full of gorgeous inspiration and wonderful souls. Today I wanted to share with you some of the pretty wedding inspiration I have been collecting for my sister who is getting married next Spring/Summer!

Have a sweet day!

Pretty pink birds

 This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some pretty pink birds from swallow rings to Flamingo calendars!

 Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites

• The pretty pink bird cage in Summer Love by sweet berry me 
• The sweet pink bird mural and pom poms in IMG_6074 by irideeën  
• The cute bird in Pink Swallow Ring by Scatter Joy Studio 
• The fabulous flamingoes in Calendar card for August by {JooJoo} 

 Have a sweet day!

Summer fruit mousse

For the last gluten free recipe from my mini dessert tower I bring you a pretty pink fruit mousse.

Summer fruit mousse (makes 6 jars)

Ingredients

• 600ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 150g strawberries
• 150g raspberries
• 150g cherries, pitted
• 150g red currants
• 4 tbsp of caster sugar ("superfine" sugar in US)
• 2 tbsp water

What you will need

• Small glass jars

Cooking instructions

1. Blend fruit in a blender until you have a puree
2. In a small saucepan place blended fruit, water and sugar and heat on medium heat until fruit begins to soften and sugar has dissolved
3. Place in cup to cool
4. Whip double cream until soft peaks form
5. Fold in fruit and whip until you have a firm consistency
6. Spoon mousse into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and fill jars with mousse
7. Leave in fridge until ready to serve

Have a sweet day!

Vintage threads

After being absent for some time, this week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you these gorgeous 1930's vintage silk hand sewing threads from Fini Ribbon. How great would they look in a vintage glass jar!?

• Pale Orchid
• Aqua blue
• Tulip pink
• Pale petal pink

Have a sweet day!

Pretty ribbon dolls

Over the past few weeks I have been sharing with you all the organization I have been doing in my craft room. So far I've placed my favourite white and cream ribbons in a pretty duck egg blue ribbon box, and wrapped my aqua, peach and favourite pink ribbons around wooden spools. I needed an inexpensive idea for the rest of my ribbons so after buying several bundles of wooden dolly pegs and a tin of map pins I got going... and haven't stopped yet!



Have a sweet day!

Mini stack of gluten free pancakes

At the weekend I made gluten free pancakes, some of which I ate! The rest I wrapped in cling film and froze, ready to heat and serve tonight for Shrove Tuesday.

Mini stack of Gluten free pancakes (makes 20 mini pancakes) adapted from Doves farm recipe

Ingredients

• 200g gluten free plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 500ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• Sunflower oil spray

What you will need

• Extra small frying pan

Cooking instructions

1. Place the flour and eggs in a mixing bowl
2. Gradually pour in milk and beat until you have a thin batter
3. Add vanilla essence and mix well
4. Leave to rest for at least an hour
5. Spray frying pan and heat to a high temperature
6. Pour about 30ml of batter into hot pan and swirl mixture until you have an even layer
7. Cook until golden, turn over and cook other side
8. Serve warm

Tip: I used Fry light sunflower oil spray, which I found easy and no chance of adding too much fat to the pan

I love my new Let if Flow pourer, filled with Canadian maple syrup!

I like my pancakes with lemon juice and sugar. Mmmm, yummy! What do you like on yours?

Have a sweet day!

Button Art

After organizing all my buttons into colour groups I took a break to make something crafty.

I first saw button art on Mod Podge Rocks and loved it! Coupled with the fact that the glass on the picture frame I had been saving for something else had cracked, I got on and made my very own button art. I removed the broken glass and cut a stiff piece of white card to size and secured it into the frame. After laying out all the buttons I wanted to use, I moved them around the white card until I was happy with the balance of colour and size. I then attached them to the card using double sided sticky tape. Voila! a cheap and easy to make piece of art for my newly organized craft room.

Have a sweet day!

Dreamy Sewing threads

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you dreamy sewing thread pics! All in gorgeous colour palettes.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites:

• The beautiful bright threads in .For Mom by ǝıqqǝp
• The gorgeous thread line up in 365 [200 by michelle | une-deux senses
• The ever so pretty a box of sewing threads by dapan
• The ice cream coloured Thread Spools by lolie jane

Have a sweet day!

Organizing my sewing threads

When I saw this cute "I love sewing" spool holder on The Makery Emporium, I fell in love. A great way to organize my sewing threads and a pretty piece of art for my craft room wall...

Have a sweet day!

Embroidery threads organized

Last week I showed you how I have been organizing my craft room. Well, since then I have been wrapping my embroidery threads around mini wooden spools and love how they look. I have just ordered some more mini wooden spools from Rapid, they come in a pack of 60 for under £12! That way I can get all my embroidery threads organized! Then I can completely fill my apothecary glass jar with them ...





Have a sweet day!

Organizing my craft room part two

All images by Torie Jayne

Since last week I have continued organizing my craft room, this time concentrating on my bundles of embroidery threads, yarns, ribbons and sewing threads. Almost finished...

Have a sweet day!

Gluten-free Victoria sandwich cake love letters

Gluten-free Victoria sandwich love letter cakes (makes 12 letter cakes)

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 150g gluten-free self raising flour
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Icing sugar
• 4tbsp strawberry jam
• Whipping cream

What you will need

• Love Letters cake mould

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 165C/325F
2. Grease letter mould and place on baking tray
3. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4. Beat in eggs one at a time
5. Beat in vanilla essence
6. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder
7. Slowly beat in milk
8. Spoon or pipe cake mixture into moulds
9. Bake for about 15 mins until skewer comes out clean
10. Leave to cool in moulds
11. Then turn out cakes onto a chopping board
12. Using a bread knife, cut cake letters in half width ways
13. Divide jam between the bottom half of the letter cakes and spread evenly across cakes
14. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fill piping bag fitted with a star nozzle
15. Pipe a layer of cream on top of jam covered cakes
16. Place top half of cakes on top of jam
17. Lightly dust with sieved icing sugar

Tip: I use Wiltons cake release to grease my moulds, but brush it on and use very sparingly

I also couldn't resist making some chunky chocolate letters using my new love letters mould from Bombay Duck, method same as chocolate lollipops.




Don't forget to enter my Bombay Duck giveaway!

Have a sweet day!

Gluten-free Victoria sandwich heart cakes

Happy Valentine's day!

Gluten Free Victoria sandwich cakes (makes 16 small hearts cakes)

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon gluten free baking bowder
• 150g gluten free self raising flour
• 3 tablespoons milk
• Icing sugar
• 4tbsp strawberry jam
• Whipping cream

What you will need

• Love hearts cupcake cases set

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 165C/325F
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Beat in eggs one at a time
4. Beat in vanilla essence
5. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder
6. Slowly beat in milk
7. Spoon or pipe cake mixture into cases
8. Bake for about 15 mins until skewer comes out clean
9. Leave to cool in moulds
10. Once cool, turn out cakes onto a chopping board
11. Using a bread knife, cut cakes in half width ways
12. Place bottom halves of cake back in moulds
13. Divide jam between the cakes and spread evenly across cakes
14. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fill piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
15. Pipe a layer of cream on top of jam covered cakes
16. Place top half of cakes on top of jam
17. Lightly dust with sieved icing sugar

Don't forget to enter yesterday's Bombay Duck giveaway!

Have a sweet day!