Fabulous New Shop!

I am sooooo excited about being able to share photos of our newest shop here in beautiful Bury St Edmunds, England. This is absolutely the kind of shop I drool over and while there are many pretty shops that try to recreate this look with modern products this shop is definately the real deal. It's called Elly Botilda.

You simply cannot walk past it without pausing and peering into the windows that house beautiful treasures from times gone by.

If you are a lover of lace, romantic roses, distressed chic or beautifully dressed dinner tables plus much more besides then this is a store definately not to be missed.

But it is more than that. If you need inspiration or ideas on how to put it all together to create the look you want then this shop provides that. If you want to enjoy the trip down memory lane, admiring the kind of things that Granny used to have sitting on her dresser then this shop provides that too. Like me, Vicky was in love with most things and she loves this look same as me.

Even my husband will take time out to browse through this kind of store and I am so thrilled to have it right here in Bury (actually only 15 minutes walk from our home). I love our little town with it's historic sights and pretty streets, (far too many restaurants) and I love that we have some really unique shops too.

This shop may not be some high class antique store - oh no - it's far better than that because it allows all of us to afford such beautiful treasures and to breathe new life into wonderful vintage furniture. As the store advertises - 'Vintage English & Scandinavian Furniture & Homeware'. I know in reality it houses furniture that many still have in common place in their homes but when they're dressed up they take on a whole new look so it's actually recycling! This is the kind of stuff we see dressed up in fancy magazines like the pretty table outdoors with a collection of mismatched crockery that just oozes style - you know the stuff I mean.

For anyone who is wondering just where this store is - it's in Abbeygate Street and has replaced Noah, Noah - a lovely store owned by the same owner as this one. While I loved the look of the clothes sold there I was never going to be a customer because I have neither the style or the size for them.

I can however, be a customer here at Elly Botilda, both for myself and for gift items for my daughter and friends who also love this look. I just wish I could say that my entire house looked like this but sadly only parts of it do. Maybe now I can look to change a few more things here at the house - who knows?

Can I find a complaint about this new shop? Only one. There were at least a half dozen things I would've bought straight away except for the 'sold' signs and one item I had missed buying by just 5 minutes!!! I'm told Wednesday's and Saturdays are best for catching something new. Good job then that I have Wednesday's as my day off huh?

Jilly if you're reading this I can feel a church coffee morning coming on and a trip to this store. You're just gonna love it.

I hope they do well and I hope they stay for a VERY VERY long time at least long enough for me to buy all the things I want!

Cute Box

This weekend I figured I needed to do a bit of crafting. I have been pretty tired of late so it took me 2 days to get this cute little box and it's contents made up despite the fact that it was super easy, but I'm glad I did.

I used my favourite 'daisy' die but the large circle centre and offset button give it a completely different look to the usual one.

It's a super quick all in one box that comes together so easily and then all you have to do is decorate it up and fill it. It measures 4" x 4" square when closed so it's the perfect size for making about 4 mini cards and envelopes and gift giving them.

Between the nestabilities (scalloped, label & plain square) and the sizzix dies (flower & leaves) the decoration came together super easy.

NOTE: My advice to anyone who doesn't have a die-cutting machine is to get a Sizzix Big Shot, even if you get it as a group or family and share it around. It is the one craft investment you won't regret and worth giving up all the others for! Have a yard sale, get rid of what you don't use, put the money raised towards a die-cut machine and you'll never look back - HONEST!

Sorry about that - I can't sing this machines praises enough!

This is the box opened up to reveal what's inside.

Instead of mini cards I decided to use some of the baord I have and make a mini 'coaster' style album. I purchased the corner rounder for chipboard (made by Zutter) while on holiday in Idaho at the start of this year and I hadn't really used it so that was my prompting.

I cut my squares to just under 4" so they would fit nicely and used scraps of designer paper from a range that I had hanging around.

These mini albums would make up in a snap and be great for sale at a church fair or something similar.

I added a verse I had to hand on the front page and decorated it up a bit but then left all other pages blank for the recipient to fill with photos.

Now it's my turn to jump into the shower so I can head off to church with my daughter and grandchildren this morning and then I think I'm gonna get a few photos of Maddy developed and try to do a page while I'm still in a 'craft mode'.

I am desperate to do some more crafting before the weekend is out!

My First Template!

I have purchased a few of Lauren's template downloads in the last month or so but until now I have not actually used one. This is my first!

I am really pleased with how it turned out and the template made it so easy. Usually I would take ages to work out all the measurements and craft my own patterns for things like this but I decided to give the templates a go. At only $5 a download complete with instructions and sample project ideas they're great value and great time savers too. No more wasted cardstock trying to perfect measurements.

This is the actual picnic basket with swivel handles and a lid on top. As handcrafted packaging goes I just love this project and Lauren admits it's her best one yet. There is a smaller version included as well but I haven't tried that one yet.

I spent a bit more time decorating the top of the lid rather than the front of the basket because it's the first thing you see as you pick it up by the handles.

I made a matching card with the scraps I had left over. This is real timely as one of the girls in my office is having a b'day in a couple of days. I owe her for a BIG favour she did me so I think she deserves a special gift. She has a sweet tooth so I figure I'll fill it with something yummy.

I sure wish I got gifts like this!

I can't wait till I can make another one in a completely different colour and design combination.

More Maddy

Just sharing a couple of pictures of Maddy that I took over the weekend. She was supposed to have on a red dress but mummy didn't manage to get it washed in time. She did have a lovely navy jacket that completed her red, white and blue ensemble but that came off the first chance she got and then she refused point blank to put it back on again.

I'm surprised she kept the hat on - and those shoes, well I knew we should've gone with the polka dot sandals because she kept losing these pumps or taking them off and complaining about getting 'grass' inside them.

Sometimes she likes the whole dressing up thing and will swish her skirt or show you her 'new shoes' but mostly you have to take her just as she is. If she's gonna be girly it's when she wants to be and not because anyone says she should be. Who knew Maddy would be such an independant, free thinker!

Hidden Gardens II

I wanted to share photos of some of the weird and wonderful plants we spotted today as we visited the many gardens and also some of the interesting features which is why I love doing this event.

I have no idea what some of these plants are called but they are all so lovely.

These ones are probably more common than I think but they had very long trumpets.

There were the usual white lilies you'd expect to see this time of year but also so many other different coloured varieties too.

Then there were the really weird plants that took you by surprise. This one was starting to lose it's yellow blooms which is where you see green holes but I'd never seen one like it before.

And there were the interesting features tucked absolutely everywhere and some of them very simple but really creative such as an old window mounted onto a wall, opened and displaying a stone face peering out at you.

I have a beautiful distressed 'bowed' double window frame just waiting for dear ol hubby to put on the wall with a mirror behind. I salvaged it after our first Hidden Gardens experience and it's sitting in the shed just waiting to be given a new lease of life. I figure it would be a lovely addition to our little patio garden. Some day maybe.

I think we've asked the owners once before and this is an Australian plant in origin but the name escapes me. Once in full bloom it is full of red 'brushes'. How cool is that?

This is an old garden gate that has been mounted on the wall with a mirror behind. I love the clever use of mirrors in the garden.

Look at these amazing blooms!

If you're lucky you manage to catch this one in full bloom and it's tucked away in a corner of a garden that you might otherwise miss if you didn't explore every bit of it. One of the advantages of doing this event annualy is that we know what to look for each time. Having said that we are still surprised by something new and wonderful each year.

And as if that wasn't enough every now and then you find something completely different in a garden or two such as vintage cars, tables and chairs set up for tea and scones outdoors and even musical performances to entertain you a while. This was an octet (hope I got that right?) - it's a double quartet anyhow.

All in all this is an event I would encourage everyone to do at least once and the proceeds go towards Hospice so it's a great cause. You meet so many lovely folk as you walk around too, but be warned it isn't for the faint hearted - there is a whole day worth of walking involved! But there are a whole host of gardens that offer a seat, tea or coffee, cakes, homemade 'sassy cola' even! Dave had to try that one - kind of a sassparilla thingy.

Well I caught the sun good and proper today and now my face and upper chest is burning to prove it. I knew when I sat on that bench, closed my eyes and tilted my head back towards the sun I was asking for trouble but it felt soooooooo GOOD!

Hidden Gardens I

Just wanted to share some photos of the many beautiful plants and gardens we looked at today and especially my favourite one. This house is so impressive from the front (and huge!) and a day walking through the hidden gardens provides the perfect opportunity to see what's behind the leafy facade.

This house has a beautiful 'English' garden and I know my photos won't do it justice but I just love everything about it.

This is just a portion of the back of the house. There were too many people in the way for me to step back and get a full shot. There may not be any fancy water features but there were steps down to a pretty patio area, steps up to a tiled garden area and all sorts of lovely features in between.

This is a shot looking over the blue picket fence towards the back of the garden. If there is one thing I desperately want it's a picket fence. I would have one around the small front area if my hubby ever got to making it for me. I'd add white distressed 'faux' shutters on either side of my windows, a white wooden window box under the kitchen window and add lead strips to the windows to complete the look. Aahhh - keep dreaming girlie - someday maybe.

As you first go into the back gate you have to wind your way through the vegetable garden complete with shed and greenhouse but tucked neatly away from sight of the main garden. It's all so neat and tidy!

We do love our veggies and this area has a bit of everything you'd want to grow. We love that we can now go around naming all the different fruits and veg you see growing.

Maddy managed to find a sweet little chair in the vegetable garden just perfect for a little girl with tired legs to take a break but not for too long because there was sooooo much to explore!

Tucked away in the further most corner was an old lean to that housed the BBQ. Very few gardens DIDN't have one of these tucked away in a corner somewhere.

This was the lovely tiled garden area (beautiful reclaimed tiles) with steps leading to the patio below at the back of the house.

And as if that wasn't enough for one garden there was even a bright blue wooden door built into the wall as though some secret garden lay behind it.

All this and much more could be found in this garden as well as a very friendly black lab strangely enough named 'Maddy'. It took me a while to figure it out but I thought it was strange that whenever I called to Maddy to walk with me - the dog followed.

If I won the lottery BIG time tomorrow this house with it's lovely garden is exactly the kind of thing I'd buy. Maybe that's why I love it so much.

Street Fair

Today as I left to go home Dave and I walked down St John's Street towards our allotment and they were having their annual street fair.

This is always a fun event with lots of street performers, brightly coloured bunting and balloons and most of the shops set up stalls outside on the street and get involved. There were fresh BBQ'd hamburgers from the pub and plenty of other food treats on sale. Dave and I settled for sharing a portion of chips - yum - at least if wee sharfe a portion then it's only half fattening.

There were splashes of colour absolutely everywhere. Shame we missed the 'morris dancing' that had just finished.

I love St John's Street because it's full of such an assortment of shops and almost everyone completely different to the next. It's the kind of street you visit if you're looking for a gift item or for something a bit different but at the same time it has several charity (thrift) shops too so it's a real mixture.

This weekend is going to be a really busy one for little ol' Bury St Edmunds. Today the street fair, tomorrow a big event out at Nowton Park and also the hidden gardens around town in aid of Hospice. I am heading for the hidden gardens with my bestest friend, my god-daughter and also Maddy. Hopefully there are enough of us to make sure she doesn't pick anyones prized specimens!

The batteries for my camera are charging as I type so I'm hoping for some really cool shots from tomorrow.

For now Mummy is off out for a girly night so we have 3 munchkins downstairs watching Peter Pan but who no doubt will be screaming to be fed (they're bottomless pits!) so I'm off to fix dinner. Will share photos from tomorrow if I get any good ones.

For the boys

I actually made a few 'for the boys' themed samples today. I haven't shared a photo of Kaleb for some time so it was really nice to do a page of him. This one is again 8 x 8 - they make up so darn quick!

This shot below shows a close up of the Upsy Daisy rub-on I used as the embellishment plus a few buttons for fun. I couldn't use a scalloped edge as on Maddy's page (punch circles and cut in half) so I cut small squares in half for triangles and added a more 'masculine' border.

I actually picked these papers to make a mini 'male' card but liked the colours so much I just had to make a page. These papers would've been perfect for a Father's Day card - how come we missed them?

I love that you can punch out the centres and tie a knot right through the middle.

This last card was a super quick, super easy mini card that used up scraps of designer paper left over from an earlier project. See how easy it would be to make a half dozen mini cards when you keep them all simple.

I might have been real tired the past few days but I've also really enjoyed getting in a bit of crafting.

Pretty & Pink

Finally I can show you the full shots of the sneak peeks I shared earlier this week plus a few more samples from the demonstration today at YTOC.

This was the sneak peek at the 'princess' mini card I made. Nothing fancy just pretty and simple with lots of pretty pink and blue colours.

This shot reveals the full shot of the sneak peek at an 8 x 8 scrapbook page I made for a photo of Maddy. I usually craft cards when I demo but just lately I've taken to adding a small 8 x 8 page idea as well. After all scrapbookers are crafters as well. I realised this morning that if I carry on making a page or two each demo then I could fill an 8 x 8 album by the end of a year!

I apologise about the ribbon. In this shot on my computer the ribbon looks black, red and dark blue when in real life it's actually black, bright pink and lighter blue. I had to turn the flash off to get a shot without a glare off the photo so I think that's why it looks so dark.

I just love this 'I believe' card because it uses one of the nestability flower dies. I haven't had much of a chance to play with these dies but the few flowers I have cut are so lovely. Can you just make out the blue gems at the bottom right? This card is only 4 x 4 so it's really sweet.

I threw together a tag which was super quick and super simple and would look good on a card or for decorating just about anything.

Finally I'm sharing this pocket card I made using scraps of paper from a previous project. Again the button has come out looking a different colour (orange) when it's actually pink.

That's only the half of some of the samples I made today. I plan to share the rest in another post. Hope you like.

Saturday Demo Sneak Peeks

I just wanted to share a couple of sneak peeks at some of the samples I'm taking along to the Saturday demo day after tomorrow.

I am using the Upsy Daisy Rub-ons and tonight I decided to have another play with them. I made a quick mini card and an 8 x 8 scrapbook page.


Hopefully I'll get a chance to do a few more samples tomorrow night and I then should have enough to make a start on the day.

Tonight I was in pink mode - tomorrow who knows?

Will share the pictures up close and for real after the demo.

a Little Bit More

Apologies for this but as I was about to put this into an envelope for mailing I suddenly felt the need to add something else to it.

I knew I had some pretty charms in my craft room somewhere that I've had for absolutely FOREVER - must actually use more stuff instead of hoarding it!

Anyhow I had more than one so I added the teapot and a thank you tag to set it off and NOW I'm satisfied it's finished.

Only the best for Jilly :-)

Last One (maybe?)

I'm havin sooooo much fun with this little envelope card that I just had to make another one. Each one is getting more and more involved but that's ok by me.

I needed a thank you gift for my friend Jilly who bailed me out of a fix when I was in danger of running late for a hospital appointment the other day so here it is.

Now you might think this one is almost the same as the last two but you'd be wrong! Can you see the tab with ribbons tied on it sticking out of the top?

After the hospital appointment we stopped in town and I picked up these mint patties but Jilly got a call and had to rush in to work. I went home and ate mine - YUM! - but I managed to save Jilly's for her. I hope if she reads this she appreciates just how hard it is NOT to give in to temptation and eat hers as well!!!

Anyhow I created a pocket in the reverse to tuck the mint patty and a teabag into and then added that 'hand stamped' image that I just love to finish off the back detail. I used the red and green colours of the patty wrapper as my colour inspiration and theme.

I knew since I was including a teabag that the teacup stamp from the PTI anniversary set would be just perfect and give me a chance to use them (only the second time). I added red pen dots to the cup and then decided to take my tracing wheel, followed swiftly by red pen along all inner edges. I love the stitched look and while I DO sometimes get my machine out if I can fake it and still have it look good then I do.

I used my Heidi Swapp 'edge distresser' along all edges so it has more of a 'fabric scrap' look to it - sorry hard to see in the photo, as is the fine glitter I added to the swirls of steam. I bought this distresser thingy while stateside at Christmas and I'm finally getting around to using it. I was really impressed so I think I'll be using it again.

A quick shot of the card open barely showing the smaller teacups on the inner square and a bit more stitching detail. You might just be able to make out that I offset the inner white square inside the red square - just to be different and I liked the 'quirky' look it gave the inside.

Finally I took a close up shot of these sweet little flowers that Amanda brought back from America. Hopefully you can just make out the embossed details. She has a whole colour range, all in pearlised card and sitting in pretty paint cans on her shop counter. You simply choose single flowers in the colours you want. I added the little gems myself.

I used one of the anniversary sentiments - 'thanks for your kindness' to complete the whole thing. I know I would love to get this so I hope Jilly does.

I'm looking at this with yet another idea in my head but lunch first I think.