Vampyre, vampyre!

 

Wishing everyone a very Happy Hallowe'en!

Collingwood Sofas pops up at Manor Walks...

A new venture for my partner and me this week: a pop up shop.

My partner Peter's company Collingwood Sofas is running a pop up shop for three weeks in a busy North East shopping centre. And as I'm helping out for a few days here and there, they've very kindly allowed me some floor space for my goodies too.

All of the sofas, chairs, storage boxes and headboards made by Collingwood Sofas are designed and handcrafted in our home city of Newcastle upon Tyne. They are excellent hand built quality and offer superb value with all items offered at trade prices. And as all of the products are made and delivered in around four weeks, you could have a fantastic new look just in time for Christmas.

Here's a taster of what's available...

 

So please do drop by if you're in the area. You'll find us at Manor Walks Shopping Centre, near Cramlington, Northumberland. We'll be there until Sunday, 11th November 2012.

 

Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9.00am - 5.00pm
                          Sunday 10.00am - 4.00pm

 

Click here for a map and directions to Manor Walks 

Vintage joy...

Browsing my favourite blogs has taken the place of reading the Sunday supplement. I always used to look forward to something colourful and glossy amidst the inky newsprint. Now, in this digital age I don't even have to brave the cold to collect the paper. I simply pop the kettle on, make myself comfy (in PJ's and fleecy robe of course), fire up the laptop and away we go!

So what did I find this morning? A fabulous post from one of my favourite blogs: Vintage Living. A gorgeous guide to vintage delights available from Etsy. Here are my favourites.

I'm not normally one for girly and frothy but...

 

 Vintage 1950s Bombshell Strapless Dress

 

 And these stylish beauties couldn't help but catch my eye

 

 The Surya Chairs

 

  

Now, if I could just fit into that dress I could be sat at one of those chairs sipping a violet martini. Bliss!

  

Click here to read the Vintage Living blog

Christmas CRAFTfest opens early for Black Friday...

Black Friday, what's that all about I hear you say...

A post Thanksgiving sales day originating in the US akin to our Boxing Day. The trend to have a pre-Christmas sale day is catching on here in the UK too so, not wanting to be left behind, we've decided at Creative Connections to get on board and have a CRAFTfest preview day on Black Friday. So we'll be opening our virtual doors for a whole nine days for CRAFTfest! Just think of all the lovely goodies just in time for Christmas...

So here's a little post it for you to remind yourself to come online and check out CRAFTfest on Black Friday - 23rd November 2012.

You never know, you might just pick up some special offers...shhh, you didn't hear it from me... I'm saying nothing...

Click here for CRAFTfest

The secret of CSS is revealed...

I wonder how many hours I've spent tearing my hair out trying to make the header image on this blog central. Far too many I suspect. Well tonight I finally admitted defeat and searched for the answer and discovered the magic that is CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). Why didn't I just ask the question in the first place instead of  a) making myself massively frustrated, and b) resenting myself completely for all the hours I've wasted faffing about? Answer - because I'm tremendously stubborn and determined to make things work, that's why. But never mind I got there in the end!

So for anyone else out there being stubborn and determined but ultimately frustrated, here's how I did it.

Go to "template designer", then "advanced" and select "Add CSS" and add the following code:

#header-inner img {  margin-left: auto;  margin-right: auto;}

Like this:

And hey presto - one lovely centralised header image. Hurrah!

I'm always looking for ways to improve my blog, so any comments or suggestions would be welcome. And any other little snippets I discover, I'll share with you all.

Christmas CRAFTfest is just around the corner...

Walking through town the other day, I noticed that the Christmas trees and decorations are now out on display. Funny the affect this has on me - I somehow now feel justified in playing with felt and knitting little red and white stockings.

And with Christmas looming ever larger, it's time to get into gear again for the mega CRAFTfest event:

Yes CRAFTfest is here again, bigger and better than ever! There's still time to book a stall so why not dive in and have a go. For £5.00 per stall per category you can be part of our virtual market place, join in our fantastic crafting community, meet new friends online and learn loads of really useful stuff about promoting and selling online.

I'll be around as a team leader again this time, so if you sign up for a stall you might just be part of my purple group. We all help and support each other throughout the event and work together to promote all of our fabulous stalls. It really is a brilliant event and we all have such fun, and the odd sale too if we're lucky!

So what are you waiting for? Get on board and grab a stall!

 

Christmas CRAFTfest 24th November - 1st December online 24/7

A new foodie haven discovered...

I've just come back from a weekend away in my favourite city - York. I love everything about York; the architecture, the rich tapestry of history, the shops, the pubs, the atmosphere and of course the food. I've eaten some fabulous food over the years and this time I discovered a gorgeous new deli cafe that I must recommend to anyone who, like me, is a bit of a foodie - Mannion & Co.

 

 



We only popped in for a coffee but having seen the deli counter with its array of enticing olives, meats, cheeses and artisan breads we just couldn't resist. We ordered the tapas sharing platter for two and were stunned by the bounty of quality produce we were presented with. And what excellent value at £10.50 for both of us!

There is a lovely selection of nibbley foods, sandwiches and main meals on offer with a daily changing board reflecting the fresh produce available. The drinks menu is well thought out too, with quality leaf teas and barista coffees which were also delicious.

So next time you're in York, pop in to Mannion & Co, 1 Blake Street. I guarantee you'll leave feeling very contented!

Visit the Mannion & Co website here