Random chaos!

Morning!!  I'm feeling unbelievably chirpy today, considering the dark start and the frost/snow I've no idea why but I'm making the most of it!  Today I'll mainly be sewing a new line for the Boutique, no spoilers yet, it's an idea that came to me yesterday and I'm keeping it under my hat so ner! 

I will share some of the fab fabric I'm working with though, my friends say I've picked out an eclectic mix, I just go with what catches my eye (sorry about the creased/inside out nature of some of the fabric, they were fresh from being pre-shrunk!)

Those who know me know this is barely scraping my fabric mountain but hey, at least I'm finally cutting into it, right? Just don't mention the new additions that pop up on a fortnightly basis please teehee!

Today I'm also on the hunt for answers as to what's playing havoc with my skin - I've been messed about with various contraceptives by my clinic in the last year so ended up going back to the depo injection but when they were playing switcharoo my skin started to hold a protest, I didn't have spots as a teen and don't really relish having them now!  I have a good cleansing routine (god bless Liz Earle's cleanse and polish!) and 7 months into the injections its still not settled, it also went from combination/oily to combination/dry so I'm on the hunt for a really good moisturiser that wont aggravate the teen skin further! If you have a recommendation I'd love to hear it.  Hopefully there'll be something in the Glossybox I received yesterday, but I'll be sharing all about that in another post :) 

Dont forget my little giveaway too! Check my last post - until then,

TTFN!

xx 

All change!

Hey! Long time no speak!! You may have noticed there's been a few changes since I last blogged (if you haven't then take a closer look lol)  You may recall I was getting ready to launch Adorable Little Extras, well I sat and pondered, got some advice, spoke to a lot of people and decided it was a bad idea.  If the logo and branding wasn't exciting me then how the heck was I going to get others excited about it?? So instead I decided to re-launch Miss Sweets Boutique!  I loved running it before and the challenges my lovely customers used to send my way, and heck with branding like this how could I not??

Excited doesn't cover it to be honest - I've been scouring my pattern books and files to decide what to bring to the store and I've got some fab things in the pipeline!  Of course, it wouldn't be Miss Sweets Boutique if I didn't offer my staple hair-flowers so I've been busy creating a few gems, including starting a range of budget hair-flowers.  

I'll also be offering my felt pill box hats (just waiting on a delivery!) and am pondering whether to bring back my fascinators, as seen here on the beautiful Missy Malone - what do you think?   If you'd like to take a peek at the store so far just pop over to http://www.misssweetsboutique.bigcartel.com 

While I'm re-stocking and making, I thought I'd run a little competition to win one of my very limited Rainbow Aloha! Hibiscus hair-flowers 

To be in with a chance of winning simply leave a comment below! You can earn extra chances to win by tweeting about my competition (if you're not following me just look for @Madame_Sweet) or by spreading the word on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MissSweetsBoutique), just let me know you've done it in the comments :) This competiton is open to everyone no matter where in the world so have fun and I'll pick the winner on Valentines day! 

Til then, happy crafting!

xx

I made that!

So, as Royal Fail have still yet to deliver anything I've ordered in the last 5 days and I still need to make a craft 'to do' list I thought I'd have a look back over the last 12 months at what I'd actually made (and remembered to take pics of!) and see what I could recall :)

OK, starting when the snow was down a year ago and I was busy creating something fabulous for the derby wife to wear on Christmas day - we are both all about handmade and to make this even more bargainous the fabric for this was found in the remnants bin at the local fabric store!  We had so much fun making this, I'd made one of these previously totally out of gingham fabric (so retro eh!) and to be honest I'm probably going to make another, its one of my favourite styles!

From there I went on to discover macarons.  Tricky little buggers that they are, my first batch totally stuck to the paper and some turned out the size of the saucer!  However I am not one to easily be defeated and after another bash they turned out beautifully!  ok I make them in some really weird combos (thai curry anyone?) but they are really yummy!

After that, I'd re-ignited my love affair with baking and decided to attempt to get a new business off the ground.  Unfortunately it wasn't to be, however it did lead to some fab creations! 

Including a big 'birthday present' cake and Pirate and Princess cupcakes for Cardiff based roller derby team Tiger Bay Brawlers that went down a treat :)

To be fair, I didn't do much crafting over the summer months, I was a bit busy co-founding the Valleys Roller Dolls, however I did make these rather fabulous helmet panties (if anyone's interested I'll do a tutorial on them, just let me know!)

Now things have settled down a bit I've started again and, well, you've seen what most of I've been upto since!  Oh, I did try my hand at knitting again - I now have vowed to only knit with either chunky wool or that fab frilly stuff, I don't have the patience to do anything else! 

Just a last pic I wanted to share as it is so beautiful! I hadn't made a hair adornment in a while but when I do make them I like them to look classic!  And so I give you 'Margot'  

Well, I hope I've inspired you to go and create something, anything! Don't be afraid of making mistakes, half the fun is in the creative journey 

Happy Crafting! 

Podsock Tutorial

Ya didn't think it was coming did ya? eh? eh? Hehe well its not an overly complicated post but a nice easy tutorial for a Sunday evening that can be completed in very little time! I've made these for both myself and my youngest firstly as a little bit of protection and secondly so I can find the damn thing when I put it down!!  Have to thank the Mr for the tutorial name too "ooh it looks like a little podsock!" 

Off we go then! You will need

• felt
• template
• Needle
• Embroidery Thread
• Scissors

First of all cut out your pieces, you will need 2 of each of the back and front template pieces (I know there's only one template but the back is just the front piece without the windows cut out!)  I've done mine in contrasting colours but you feel free to have fun with it.

Put the two front pieces together and blanket stitch around the windows and the top only as my dodgy arrow on the pic shows! (Yes I know mine already has the back on and sewn all around but I forgot to take a pic, sorry!)

Put the two front and the two back pieces together and blanket stitch all around the edge (except for the top back piece which only needs sewing at the top!) Don't forget to leave a small gap at the bottom for the headphones jack plug!

And there you have it! a little felt podsock for your iPod to nestle in.

Its easy enough to make a template for your own version if you don't own the little squat version like me, simply draw around it, add a little extra around the edge for the stitching and, well, I'm sure you get it.

Happy crafting! 

yeah, yeah, yeah....

You got me! I *still* haven't posted up the promised tutorial - it will be up tonight without fail! Ok, happy? Phew!


To be fair, its only because there's been so many exciting things happening here - I decided that maybe it would be a good idea to finally do something with the two years of college/uni training I did and actually do some pattern drafting/designing! HA! Betcha didn't know I could do that did ya!  I can't reveal much at the moment as I'm working on something I'm hoping to release for 2012, nothing too fancy but its a babystep and babysteps lead to bigger bits of awesome!


I need to go and get more coffee now, after partying with my roller derby team last night I'm a little worse for wear and want to make sure the pics for the tutorial come out in focus!!


See ya in a bit ;) 

Out with the old...time to renew

Morning :D If you can't tell I'm trying to keep on top of this blog thing now lol!  I know, I know this should have been the promised tutorial post but that can wait til later today (maybe tomorrow? teehee!) 


So, I've got a few 'personal issues' to work through, not this side of the holidays though - its not the done thing really is it?  Instead I decided to sort myself out - I was getting up in the mornings and getting more fed up with what I was seeing, I needed to become more 'me'.  Recently this has involved ditching the crazy hair colours and the black hair and going back to a lovely red colour (it suits my skin tone more) and as of Monday this also  involved me going for the chop!  Now, this time last year I had shoulder-ish length hair, ideal for rocking the pin up styles I loved and throughout 2011 its gradually gotten shorter (complete with undercut either side back in January) and as much as I liked the idea and had been talked into growing it again by the other half - I couldn't cope with the messiness! Well, that and the fact that, at one point my other half told me I looked like Hayley from Corrie (did wonders for the self esteem I tell you!).  I know my style, and heck, I can still pull off pin up with short hair - so I went from short bob shape to messy crop! 

I love it! I can dress it up or I can go for my slouchy style - but more importantly I feel happier in myself as I don't have to faff!!  I'm even tempted to make myself a Christmas dress now :D

Yesterday bought some much needed fun and crafty shopping with my friend Ceri.  She is ever so slightly mental in a fabulous way and we had a scream!  We hit all the fabric shops on City Rd in Cardiff and I think I managed to buy something in each one of them! Ceri is also a veeeery bad influence and I ended up buying one fabric which cost me £25 for a metre! She was right, I would have kicked myself if I'd gone back for it next week and it had gone - and on the upside it is over 2 metres wide so I'll get a few projects out of that one!! Problem was, I'd already picked out 3 fabrics that were £10 - £14 a metre each - agh! I really should use my mountain first but hey ho! I WILL use these before the new year!  Ceri was also slightly shocked and delighted that I'd never visited Inkspot and couldn't wait to take me there - and *poof* there goes more monies! Although, in all fairness, it did remind me how much I love Tim Holtz stuff! After stopping for a much needed sammich (just one sammich!) which was both filling and gorgeous we ventured forth in the hail/rain/lightning/thunder headed for 'Big Knitters' - Ceri determined to fill at least her mums part of the shopping list.  Much ooohing and aaaahing over Llama wool and other softness occurred while I was busy raiding the ribbons (yup, more spending!) and a quick detour into Shaws for some circular knitting needles and we were done and homeward bound!  I do love meeting up with Ceri, our randomness works so well, even to the point of me having tea come out of my nose (don't ask!).  Wanna peek at my purchases?  Lol thought you might! Apparently some of my taste in fabric is a little 'Juicy Couture' but its all good to me!

25p a metre? rude not to!

so much fabric!

a bit 'Juicy'?

That's enough from me for now, I guess I better go and actually *make* something!  Might see you later, but for now - happy crafting! xx