Sweet treats

Vintage Images

2009-10-08T06:22:00.007+01:00

I have found a truly fantastic site! If you enjoy crafting with vintage photographs, papers, labels etc (ephemera) then you will be in your element here. I stumbled upon this site whilst looking for vintage fashion photographs, mainly for inspiration and also to consider using a nice black and white pic for business cards. Whilst googling around I found that most sites charge for their "photo stock". At Vintage resources there are many pictures that are free to use but only for personal artwork. For a small donation there are hundreds more pictures available in sets. For the time being I found great inspiration flicking through the images that were contributed by the sites visitors. So if you have any old photographs lurking in your attic why not share them with the rest of the world too? Below are a few of my favourites...... Whilst compliling this post I found a link (not sure how??) to what can only be described as a "sister site" maybe. Here you will find lists of artists and members of the site that have used its contents for their love of vintage. It really is jam packed with beautiful images from the past and certainly shows that possibly time can really stand still (even if it is only whilst I take a lunch break!).... Enjoy

IM BACK AGAIN!

2009-10-07T07:17:00.003+01:00

Hi there, long time no see!
I have been away for a while but have still been productive.... below is a little taster of my new makes and all available in my little Coriandr shop.....thanks for looking and have a great day!

TUTU'S GALORE!

CeeGee Jewellery Designs

2009-07-01T10:43:00.002+01:00

.....and the next VIP is Carolyn from CeeGee Jewellery designs. Again here is yet another shop that makes me ooohhh and aaahhh so much. I love Carolyn's flair in her designs as she uses such beautiful focal beads. Another plus is the quality in the sterling silver. I bet you dont leave this Coriandr shop empty handed....PLUS...take advantage of her generous 10% discount running until 6th July!

Frute Juce

2009-06-25T12:10:00.005+01:00

Most of my recent posts have been to promote Coriandr by being part of the Coriandr Express. Each week a group of us have taken it in turns to promote that VIP. This week it is Alison of FruteJuce and her shop is a varied treasure trove of handmade items! I have added the pictures below as a taster for her lovely goods but I highly recommend a click over to her shop as she has a 10% discount running until the end of June.... so what you waiting for?

Snapdragon Beads

2009-06-24T07:10:00.002+01:00

As you can see from the picture, Snapdragon Beads are most definately stylish! The creator of these beautiful pieces is Alice and she really puts her heart into her work. Alice's sweet shop sells earrings, pins and pendants in stunning colourways. Take a look here for her handmade items.

Myfuroshiki

2009-06-20T12:14:00.003+01:00

This is a fantastic new idea (to me anyway!). Gorgeous printed fabrics to make make bags & create decorative wall hangings and wrap gifts. This sweet shop offers a range of fabrics including their own designs, hand printed & tie-dyed onto cotton cloths, as well as a selection of gorgeous prints & woven checks that they have sourced.
myfuroshiki tsay "they are fun, fuss-free, affordable & eco-friendly. No tearing, no scissors, no sticky tape, no waste. Just one or two simple knots & even the oddest shaped object can look impressive. It's the wrapping revolution!"

Colour Spectacular!

2009-06-17T22:11:00.008+01:00

Our Corandr Express VIP at the moment is Debbs Elliman. Not only is this one of the most colourful shops at Coriandr it is also one of the well stocked. Debbs says "I kiln fuse my own dichroic glass for pendants, earrings and cufflinks etc.. I also make bracelets and earrings and I decorate jute and tote bags". I dont have a favourite as I just love ALL things beady and sparkly so below I have added some pictures of Debbs handmade work.

You can also read here a review of Debb Ellimans shop, very much worth a look!

Mrs Toad!

2009-06-12T05:09:00.002+01:00

And yet another VIP on the Coriandr Express. Mrs Toads shop at Coriandr is full of charm. Here is a little bit about the owner...
"Hi, I'm Catherine, an 18 year old student from Shropshire. I have always enjoyed making things, and have been sewing since I was small. For the past five years I have been designing and making beaded jewellery, as well as hand stitched felt brooches. Recently I have begun making my own felt, using wet and dry felting techniques and Merino Cross wool, which I use to create my felt cake pincushions."
Take a look at this cupcake sweet shop for wholesome handmade goodies!

Nicsknots

2009-06-09T22:10:00.007+01:00

I am excited to blog about the new Coriandr Express VIP Nicsknots. In her cute little shop you will find handmade bags, purses and knitting needle rolls. All the items are made using gorgeous fabrics and are just so girly!

Nicsknots also has a hilarious blog that I enjoy reading and here you can stay up to date with her new creations.

creativesque

2009-06-05T22:00:00.005+01:00

Our next VIP on the Coriandr express is the lovely Stacey-Ann with her colourful shop Creativesque. The sweet contents of Stacey-Ann's shop took me back to my childhood when everyone I knew had a handmade gift created by me.... always a bookmark. Everyone I knew read books and appreciated my thoughtful artwork (ok scribble...i cant draw). I personally think that sending someone a bookmark is a great idea. You can write a little message on the back that will be read every time they pick up their book! As you will see Stacey-Ann creates lovely handmade items simply for the joy of being creative with paper, including these bookmarks along with teeny-weeny envelopes and original watercolour greetings cards.

Coraindr Express VIP

2009-06-01T22:28:00.002+01:00

Kicking off the week with a fantastic new VIP on the Corainder Express! Below is a little gallery showing the gorgeous Shamus who has the improtant job of modelling his owners handmade goodies. His owner is Lynne of Pirate Pixie Crew (and the brains behind the Coriandr Express). With a fantastic sense of humour Lynne's shop is stocked with colourful items such as hats, purses, arm and leg warmers and even dreadlocks! Check out the handmade treasures this shop and find a 10% off for the whole of June!

Meet Christine

2009-05-30T11:24:00.004+01:00

Today on the coriandr express we have a very colourful VIP! She goes by the name of Kitty Ballistic and has a store full of quirky goodies sure to put a smile on your face!

Christine is Marlon's (see kitty's shop banner) younger sister. She might be a slip of a thing, but she has hidden depths. She doesn't like giddy people, and gets vexed when people make fun of the fact that her name rhymes. She longs to move to the U.S. or New Zealand, where this isn't a problem.*Christine is handsewn in felt, and lovingly stuffed with polyfill. Her determined gaze is thanks to safety eyes, but she is not intended to be used as a children's toy (but that's more to do with her personality/lifestyle than anything else). Christine is just over 4 inches (10cm) tall, and would ideally suit someone who enjoys reading or working at a computer whilst being watched by a small, intense felt vegetable. :-)

Below is a little gallery of some of Kitty's fantastic handmade items. As you know im a lover of all things beaded and her jewellery items are second to none with great colour and talent. Check out her shop for truly amazing bargain!

Tweet Tweet Tweet

2009-05-26T09:45:00.000+01:00

I have recently joined the thingy known as twitter! I have to say that although I cant understand properly about the twibes thing, I have been increasingly impressed with the way it helps me to keep in touch with whats going on. As I am one of the train riders on the Coriandr express (promoting handmade lovliness), Twitter has been fab to post links to many friends, keep in touch with fellow train riders and overall keep up with gossip and seeing what the rich and famous have to say too! Anyway....... As im in a twitterpating mood I would like to post a few pics of Julie Mills' gorgeous handmade scarves and purses.... Perfect for chic chicks!

Julie is a talented lady and whilst using high quality fabrics for her items she has a keen eye for wonderful colours. Go visit Handmaid and see what Julie has to offer in her super shop on Coriandr.

Time out

2009-05-22T19:49:00.005+01:00

I have had a stressy week so took some time out this arvo with my lovely camera. Here are the results.

Bluefish Handmade

2009-05-22T10:36:00.004+01:00

The Coriandr express has the talented Izabela from Bluefish Handmade. Crochet is something I just havent been able to get my rough fingers around, so bluefish is just like a heavenly delight to shop from! It oozes handmade smushyness, comfort and cosyness. Izabels jewelly items are elegant and sophisticated and I doubt you will find a match on the high street. This is the beauty of Coriandr..... so much talent and uniquness that you will always find something to your liking. So take a few minutes to browse as I am sure you will not be dissapointed.

Listing frenzy

2009-05-20T14:50:00.018+01:00

I have got so much jewellery made and have tried to have a blitz listing them today. My Coriandr shop is looking a little better for it but I still have lots to list!

Coriandr is a fantastic place to buy and sell handmade crafts where there are hundreds of amazings items for sale. I am taking part of the Coriandr express that is a train full of people helping each other to promote their craft, the coraindr site and the amazing handmade goods on offer. Our friend in the VIP carriage is Kev of Dig the earth and his cards are not only colourful, quirky and fresh but are eco-friendly too!

Concentricity Card in Rubine Red
digtheearth
£1.00

Carousel Card No.1
digtheearth
£1.00

You cant get better HANDMADE value than this on the high street!

Birds nest

2009-05-19T16:51:00.004+01:00

I have really loved making my sweet little nests pendant and earrings.

As I sit making more of these with different coloured eggs I ponder..... I have never seen a bird making a nest! Have you ever wondered how they start to build? How do those first beaks full of straw and sticks balance there without dropping to the ground? What about chicks making there first nest....if they cant get the hang of it they can hardly go to a nest seller? This is the kind of daft musings I have whilst working on something! So off to youtube I go. There are lots of vids on there to explore but after being captivated for and hour this has to be my fave.....

This is quite a long vid but also quite funny.... Mr and Mrs have a few disagreements on what goes where!

Dig The Earth

2009-05-18T11:15:00.005+01:00

"to forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves" - gandhi

Good Morning!

I have a shop on the ever-growing site C oriandr where I sell my jewellery (and eventually other handmade goodies). I am excited to be part of the coriandr express which is a promotional train with its own blog. Here you can find amazing handmade items for all tastes and budgets. One of my favourites is Dig the earth. The artist (Kev) produces cards retro style in his geometric illustrations.

*****TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF CORIANDR EXPRESS (http://coriandrexpress.blogspot.com/) ALL GREETINGS CARDS ARE HALF PRICE DURING MAY*****

Kevs work is vibrant and he is the "king of Ecofriendly"! As he describes his cards himself.... Litho printed in Yorkshire on 100% recycled white board. Each card comes with a 100% recycled C6 brown craft paper envelope inside a clear biodegradable bag. The bag is made from corn starch which is fully biodegradable and compostable, breaking down to just CO2 and H2O – as green as you can get!

Other gorgeous items that Kev produces are his line of ornate mirrors with detailed hand drawn designs.

This 10" square pine mirror frame has been lovingly decorated with hundreds of tiny hand drawn spirals, using waterproof permanent ink.

Coraindr is a fantastic site for all handmade items and a very friendly community for sellers too.

Lost in the WWW

2009-05-13T11:35:00.003+01:00

As you will see I have now opened my online shop to sell my creations. This was the easy bit! I have spent HOURS and hours sifting through pages and pages of appropriate websites to help me out with marketing etc. Needless to say I have been going to bed and dreaming of a clicking mouse! I am a bit of a techo-hijit and learn as I go along but boy do I get lost with all! Anyway Im plodding on and trying to cut down on the hours I spend sitting at my computer and spending more time creating.....and erm catchng up with housework (suppose).

How do you organise your time with having an online shop? Even if you have no sales?

My new shop!

2009-05-05T10:22:00.003+01:00

Well here it is..... I am still listing items so bookmark the store and please keep checking. Soon to be filled with lovely goodies for gifts or something special for yourself.... without breaking the bank!

Click here to go straight to Sweet Treat Shop

Thank you for looking...... Have a great day!

New Website.... under construction!

2009-05-04T13:56:00.008+01:00

For the past week I have been photographing and listing some of my "Sweet Treats". The website isnt ready for launch yet but watch this

space! Here is a sneak preview .....

Forget the marriage proposal....eat choclate!

2009-04-25T12:40:00.008+01:00

Whilst getting carried away on my hunt for a recipe for an "economical" chocolate cake recipe I stumbled upon.....this... THE most expensive chocolate cake!

Businessman Angelito Araneta Jr, 21, commissioned his catering service to create a chocolate cake topped with 15 African diamonds and covered with 24-karat gold leaf.
Mr Araneta says he plans to sell the cake in Manila at 124,000 pesos ($13,480) to men for use as a marriage proposal gift.
(Source: MyPaper)

A bit out of budget for me.... so I will settle for Gail's Outrageous Chocolate Cookies or her oozing warm chocolate cake pudding....mmmmm!

Gail's recipes are irresistible at her In all the ways blog.....Will let you know the results after the weekend!

The Beehive Cottage

2009-04-24T22:49:00.013+01:00

I just have to tell you about the sweetest Etsy store... The Beehive Cottage. This cute store is owned by Maryjane and she creates beautiful paper goods.... cards, tags, and journals.

The love letters journal is one of my favourites and is a whopping 100 sheets (200 pages)! Click on photos below to go direct to its listing on Etsy.

Maryjane also knits beautifully and I adore her colour schemes for the 100% cotton dishcloths.

Heres a thought.... how cool would it be to use these items to produce a wonderful gift, practical, chic and special! Check out Maryjanes store for more great bargains!

BASB Challenge #11

2009-04-24T02:22:00.006+01:00

Today I made this scrapblog so that I could take part in my first ever crafty-challenge. At the moment I am addicted to scrapblog and have spent many hours in this peaceful playground! I see that the ladies that have submitted to the challenge have produced fantastic "real" layouts...I hope they don't mind my digi contribution. I have a passion for old photographs and the one I used is of my mum (in her mums arms) with my grandfather and her brother and sister at a day out at the seaside. The other is a picture of my mum with her "new" grandchildren.

The theme for the challenge is Some old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
The old - photograph
The new - So many new things for me; scrapbooking,blogging and new friends!
The borrowed - erm...my partners lap-top (ssshhh he doesn't know)
The blue - well that would be the slightly blue hue elements

I would also like to dedicate this scrapblog to my sweet Nana as it would have been her 93rd birthday today and we miss her so very much.

Todays scrapblog

2009-04-22T21:40:00.003+01:00

Below is todays little creation using Scrapblog, an easy to use drag-and-drop format so that everyone can tell their stories and create beautiful multimedia scrapbooks. A fantastic way to save or present your digital photographs. You can even use the printing options to produce albums, cards and even calanders. There is a free download that lets you create your account with a profile and is jam-packed with free elements. Once you get the hang of the site you can purchase credits to buy premium embelishments etc, but there are oodles of free themes, backgrounds and stickers for starters! There is a forum for help when you get "stuck" or want to contribute some ideas. The great thing about scrapblog is the great community of fellow scrappers... full of praise and inspiration....a great way to meet new friends. Click the Scrapblog link on the left and give it a go! BEWARE scrapping can become addictive! x

I will be showing off more scrapblogs and posting hints, tips and disasters too! Soooo stay "posted"

Good Morning & Welcome....

2009-04-21T07:38:00.000+01:00

...to my brand-new Blog! The kids are back at school after the Easter Holidays and I am raring to go with lots of new projects. Here is where I will log/blog their progress or lack of etc. The biggie on the list is my stopping smoking....once and for all this time! Other things include, re-shaping my home...i.e organising and decorating, creating more harmony in my home, major landscaping my yard (yeah right...well lets call it re-vamp then).

Unfortunately I'm a bit of a "start -stop-start-stop" kind of gal and have lots of projects on the go at once. Plus all of the daily doings are never planned, they just happen when the mood is right.... so this no-smoking thing....mood...erm....

OK think today would be best spent in the fresh air so I will head into the garden to take a few "before" pics. Will post them later today or tomorrow.

Meanwhile here is a simple collage of my budding Delia making Easter themed cakes with extra crunch. I used a tool in Picasa to make the collage. Picasa is a free digital photo organizer and editor. As a beginner with digital scrapbooking I have found it invaluable and will be posting lots of ideas, hints and tips soon! Download Picasa for free by clicking the link on left and get your pics organised. It is quick and simple to use and the effects you can create are brilliant.