Wedding craft: Lace tea light holders

The problem with finishing all of your wedding crafts early, is you start looking for new ones...

Mr S sensibly suggested we finished all the wedding projects before my hen-do (which was last weekend), so my heirloom bouquet, stationary, and several other little surpizes for the guests have all been finished  ... but now I'm seriously twiddling my thumbs with 10 days to go.

After 2 years of planning the only thing I felt we were seriosuly lacking were table centers for the evening do, as our day reception centers are too big for the evening tables. Mr S wasn't convinced we needed any, but it's been playing on my mind a lot lately and was thinking maybe a simple tea light. A while ago I saw THIS cool jam-jar idea by annaboo's house, loved it and filed it away on pinterest for another day. Fast forward to today, searching bargin basement shops for candle holders, and instead I found packs of four glasses or 99p and decided to get creative.

This is such a simple craft I did it in one afternoon (including time to go and get the lace). It doesn't really need instructions, but here is my technique:

All you need is:

Glass jars, cups or vases

 A selection of lace

PVA glue

A paint brush

Tea lights

1. Simply lay out your lace on your glass to work out position and spacings, cut your lace to size (allow a little overlap).

2. Paint the outside of the glass where you want the lace to go.

3. Wrap the lace around, patting it down as you go.

4. Trim away lace if there is a large overlap.

5. Dap more PVA between and ontop of any overlaping lace.

6. Finish your pattern and leave to dry.

7. Put a tea light inside, light and enjoy.

 Above are mine, drying on the windowsil. I've not told Mr S about them yet, verdict when he gets home from work, but hopefully the fact that it only cost £7 for all 12 will win him over ;)

Obviously I can't post many of my finished wedding projects, without spoiling our guests reaction, and I've been dieing to share, but this quick project was soo simple and effective I just had to post!

Jubilee Birthday Party!

Little lady turned 2 at the start of the month and despite having originally planned a Minnie Mouse Party I couldn't resist changing the 'family' leg of her celebrations into a Jubilee/Britannia party, fitting for the patriotic climate of the weekend.

.

"So, the Minnie Mouse Party idea went out of the window?" I hear you ask. No, of course not. We ended up hold the jubilee party on the Saturday, having visitors over Sunday, Zoo on Monday and then a Minnie Mouse Party for her friends on Wednesday.

.

OK, so I admit, with a month to the wedding, twelve cards to do and two kids to run after, I probably didn't need to make more work for myself - but sleep is for the weak ... idle hands ... and all that!

An easy idea we've used for a few kids parties are these simple iced sugar cookies. Basically: simple round biscuits, topped with white sugar paste, and finished off with sugar paper 'cake' toppers. You can buy sheets of them in all sorts of themes very cheaply from places like eBay or you can print your own using edible inks.

.

I decided attempt a seemly fitting 'Crown' cake for the occasion. I was inspired by an article from Daily Mail on line. But adapted it to fit our red, white & blue theme, and added more children's party friendly confectionery decorations.

Considering the reduced time frame I don't think it came out too badly. Lots of compliments on the taste too (just a basic 5 egg recipe, filled with buttercream and jam).

As well as the cookies and cake, I made red-velvet cupcakes (topped with candy striped red/white/blue icing and sugar paste cameos), sausage rolls, and my Mum made scones. To finish the look we hung store-bought bunting all over the ceiling and along the sides, union jack paper plate, napkins, even red white and blue straws.

Considering the late notice of the theme change I don't think we did too bad. Given more time and supplies I would have liked to have made paper pomanders, made our own bunting, made solider cookies (or at least got them into the theme somewhere).

Happy Birthday to both our Mum's

Both our Mum's celebrate their Birthdays at the end of May. And although it would be rather simplier to produce two identical 'Mum' cards I think it would be a little lazy and inpersonal, so here is the two contrasting cards:

My Mum's card, using giftwrap of a print she likes, with a stamped tree on the front embelished with punched out flowers.

Mr S's Mum's card was a little more country kitchen, using Laura Ashley paper and aging effects.

Belated "Happy Birthday Mr S" Post

Between planning two birthday , countless birthday cards and wedding crafting (only 5 weeks to go) my blog writing has been suffering - and certainly not down to lack of material. There is so much to do I have found little time to write anything down about what I've been up to, but as I've got a few minutes I'll try to whizz through some updates.

Several weeks ago it was Mr S's birthday, and as my Mint Chocolate Cupcake recipe is his favourite I decided to make an XL version as a surprise. It took forever to get him out of the house so I could make it, he them came home early and my son met him at the door shouting "Daddy, we made you cake!" lol, it went down rather well.

Fun in the sun and cress heads

This week we've been mostly enjoying the glorious and unusual British Sunshine, popping in only to cool off, get snacks and finish off last minute cards for friends and family :) There have been so many I'm not had chance to post them all so I'm planning on a photo montage of them in June.

.

On top of this I'm planning two parties for my little girl (one family and one for her little friends) - and for some insane reason I've decided to have 2 different themes even thou they are only a few days apart.

.

Wedding stationary progress has also suffered thanks to this glorious weather, however my wedding day tan is coming along a treat :) Six weeks to go, so excited, but I am suddenly reminded of how much there is still to do.

One craft I can share with you today is a playgroup activity I set up last week: Yougurt pot cress heads. Above is the result of our efforts, guess who's is whose?

Whats on your workbench?

I think I'm on a crafting binge .. not that you'd know from my blog. I have a rule, if it's not finished it doesn't make it to the page and currently I have about 6 half finished projects so near (but so far) completion. Mr S literally thinks I'm crazy, he can't see why I can't start and finish one project and then move on to the next, how can I explain that that isn't how my mind works? In the moments where craft is possible (nap times, bed times and rare moments of quite) I grab the project that most appeals to my frame of mind at the time and go with it ... but should some new idea steal my interest in the meantime I'll chase it till my time or my craft supplies run out.

.

Currently on my work desk ... and ironing board (which doubles as a workspace when I need to spread out) are: 2 handmade cards, wedding placenames for 70+ guests, a bracelet, party invites, 3 sets of quiet book pages and 4 dummy clips, lol.

Bank holiday fun

What a lovely bank holiday weekend. We took the kids to Longleat Safari Park - where the kids hand fed the deer, roared at the Lions and climbed all over the inside of the car pretending to be monkeys (as the real ones climbed all the outside).

Mr S. has decided we need a summer holiday, so we spent some time looking at tents - the kids loved running in and out of the big 10 man display tents (and falling over the doorways). Whe  we got home we even got out one of the old tents for the garden - JJ wanted to sleep in it but was glad he didn't when it started rainning. To be honest I'm not sure if they're quiet ready for camping, might opt for a lodge instead this year.