It's Creative Crafting time!

Time to pop the kettle on, sit back and relax with the latest edition of Creative Crafting, our fabulous free online craft magazine.

Enjoy!

Put a spring in your step with CRAFTfest

Yes CRAFTfest is almost upon us again. With a whole week of stalls online selling everything from patchwork to pet accessories, there's a whole world of fabulous handcrafted goods just waiting for you.

 So pop the dates in your diary to do a spot of sofa shopping. Or, if you're feeling crafty why not grab yourself a stall? With prices starting at just £5.00 for the whole week you'd be mad not to.

For more information on booking a stall visit the CRAFTfest website

I'm Back!

Oh my poor neglected blog, how I've missed you...

I've been very busy indeed since before Christmas moving house and having the resulting lack of internet access until Tuesday but now I'm back and raring to go.

Curtains are the order of the day at the moment. I'm in the middle of a lovely order for a customer in New York who has been buying lots of fantastic fabric remnants for me to make closet curtains for her apartment. I love orders like this; make and invent as you go along. So watch out for the finished products and see what I've managed to eek out of the left over pieces. I'm thinking cushions, bags, rucksacks...

Shabby chic - practical and pretty

I've been making some new padded fabric memo boards this week in some gorgeous retro florals.

Fondant blue

Cream and jam

Strawberry jam

These memo boards make lovely gifts and they're so useful too. Pop one up on your kitchen wall for your shopping lists, or why not use one as an earring holder - you can pop your earrings over the ribbons or through the fabric.

Or if you have a little bit of fabric of your own going spare, why not post it to me and I'll make you your own special board. All you need is a piece of fabric 50cm x 60cm and I'll provide the rest!

Padded fabric memo boards £9.95 each. Click here for details 

Time to feed the Christmas Cake...

Greedy things Christmas Cakes; they do like a little drinky. So it's time to bring out the brandy:
use a skewer or cocktail stick to make some holes in the surface of the cake and drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of brandy. Wrap the cake up well again and pop it back into its cool dark storage place until next week. 

And next time, turn the cake over so that you feed it from the bottom too - that way you'll be sure to have a lovely moist well fed cake.

Three weeks to Christmas Day - hurrah!!!

Kitchen Capers with Gill!

Time for the latest fantastic issue of Creative Crafting magazine with my new feature, "Kitchen Capers with Gill".

So, grab and coffee and take a break with the mag. This issue I've broken down Christmas Lunch to make it less of a mountain to climb with some tips, a time plan and lots of delicious recipes. And there are loads of other articles and makes for you to get into the festive spirit.

Read and enjoy!

Handmade Christmas making progress

How are you all getting on with your handmade Christmas presents? Here is the framed antique housekeeper's key I've made for my sister for her bedroom.

I made this by covering the board with vintage style paper using spraymount for a bubble free finish. The key is attached using galvanised wire fed through tiny holes in the board, tied off at the back and covered with masking tape. Then the passe-partout and board were secured into the frame using the frame's integral clips. 

I have four of these framed keys on my bedroom wall in shades of duck egg - they complement my crochet and ticking cushions perfectly.