holiday how to - light box

looks better at night...it glows :)

here is a little festive decoration which is very easy to make as long as you have a few things handy...

you will need :

a box frame or deep picture frame (this one was from ikea a long time ago)

battery fairy lights

tracing paper and some nice patterned or coloured paper

scissors, double sided tape

1: take the front (glass) out of  the frame and place on top of the tracing paper, draw around and cut out...do the same with your chosen patterned paper.

2: draw a shape like a star or a tree on to the centre of the patterned paper and cut out.

3: put the fairy lights in the box, making sure the on/off switch is outside of the frame and replace the glass

4: lay the tracing paper and then the patterned paper over the glass...mine stayed put on its own but you could add some double sided tape to keep it in place.

5: turn on the fairy lights and you have your own little festive light box :)

you could do this with a little scene from a christmas card or wrapping paper and I plan to change out the tree after christmas for a non seasonal image and I'm thinking numbers for birthdays...hearts for valentines....

ps I just wanted to add...I had many more ideas for tutorials and makes but recently life has gone a bit left of centre and the first thing to suffer is my blog. They are still all there in my head and hopefully  I will be blogging them when I get the chance. 

Hope your weekend is a jolly one :) x x

pop up shop....

just a quick post to show off the lovely Oooh betty's vintage caravan... Maurice will be making his debut at Vintage Village in Stockport this weekend as a vintage and retro pop up shop. Much tinkering and titivating has been going on to get the van looking very festive and tip top. I am very honoured that Maurice will be stocking some littleteawagon prints, owls and  stocking fillers... alongside the best cushions, critters and vintage goodies from Oooh betty herself.
The pop up shop will be there Saturday and Sunday. I love Vintage Village it is the best vintage market around these parts, pop along if you can and say Hello :)
Have a lovely weekend all x x
ps a little note to say I will be closing up shop next week on the 11th December for a few weeks, just in case you have your eye on anything or like me you have sent a little list to Santa :)

christmas how to #1 neon tassels

step 1

step 2

step 3

step 4

step 5

Christmas how to #1 
Neon tassels 
You will need
wool in 4-5 different colours, scissors, needle with large eye, twine or string...plus something to wrap the wool around, I used a notebook but anything you can grab that is about 15cm wide.

step 1
wind the wool around the book many times...you can choose how small or big your tassels will be by wrapping more or less.
step 2
cut one end of the looped wool and keep the strands all together
step 3
tie a different colour wool around the centre point and knot.
step 4
fold the tassel over so the tied end is at the top, cut 50cm of the other coloured wool and wrap around the top to secure.Tie off and trim. Continue making the same way until you have 10.
step 5
arrange in order and taking your twine and needle thread the twine through the top of the tassel leave a gap and repeat until all are threaded on. They should move along the twine so you can arrange the spacing when you are ready to hang.

You can make these from fabric strips, tissue paper..I tried using gold foil for some shiny and bright ones just use the same method...you can also make the tassels longer or shorter depending on your preference and all one colour or many colours. It's a great way to use up yarn scraps and I think these are easy enough for children to try. 

little bundles...

after months of not finding any nice vintage fabrics...I gave up looking but then, as is always the case...they found me, I've kept a couple but the rest have been bundled up and are on the littleteawagon shelves...just in time for christmas crafting or gifts x x x 

available here

back soon with the first christmas how to....get your yarn ready :))

shops and things....

violet and percy

violet and percy

violet and percy

violet and percy

rubyrockcake

rubyrockcake

rubyrockcake

rubyrockcake

rubyrockcake

I'm thrilled to be sharing two lovely sites today who are now stocking my prints... violet and percy is a fab new online store selling a very lovely selection of gifts and home wares, do go and take a peek... my favourites include the cute travel guides, those bright coloured garlands and the typewriter stamps. Thank you lovely Flora :)
The other is my favourite bricks and mortar shop Rubyrockcake in Lyme Regis, I love visiting when we go on our holidays to Dorset and now the lovely owner Caroline has another shop 'Zeitgeist' in Bridport which is first on my list to visit when we go next year. There is also a great selection of things from the shop to buy online here. Thank you lovely Caroline x x
I'm hoping to add some more stockists to the list in the New Year when I expand the range into textiles and homewares...lets hope I can turn my dreams into a reality in 2014, thanks for all your lovely comments about my new makes, it took a little leap of faith to change direction slightly but I felt the time was right and just what was needed to get the sparkle back.

I'll be back soon with the first of this years Christmas How to's and for anyone who uses the tutorials page above I have added pictures now so it should be easier to find things...
have a lovely week x x

a handmade christmas....

 ...winter feels like it has arrived and I am getting ready for christmas early this year (ok I say that every year...) I'm planning a mostly handmade christmas...this works for some people but I guess I have to accept that when your 12 year old asks for a phone...a crochet squirrel might not cut it.
there has been plenty of activity inside my toasty little workshed...patchwork cushions, more owls...more cushions..a little bit of sticky back plastic action on the glass doors of my fabric cupboard...more cushions, more owls...the occasional visitor (the dog or the Mr)...folding piles of freshly washed vintage sheets ready for bundles, admiring my ever increasing globe collection...more owls...
my little shop shelves will be filled today and there is a discount of 15% off everything  with the code JOLLY15

I will be back next week to share some fab shops and then I'm planning some Christmas how to's for December x happy weekend x

a winner and some toys for the school run....

firstly thank you to all who entered the Woodland Friends Giveaway...after a little technical wobble (you think I'd know better by now) I randomly generated a winner....Sarah Evans! Congratulations Sarah I will email you shortly for your details :)

fab retro elephant by lovely heyhomewrecker

... onto this weeks news..it was my turn to host the re union crafty day (this involves some friends from way back when..college, work etc some nice lunch and some crafting) last year we made pillowcase dresses for here
so after seeing this we decided to have a go at making some little toys to give to the school run 2014 charity... we made foxes, owls and little doxie dogs... nice designs and quick to make. The fox toy is based on this idea and the owl is adapted from the same tutorial.
The dog is based on this tutorial but I simplified it a bit so we could make a few...
A good day was had by all with lots of catching up,stitching and stuffing and plenty of tea quaffing :) If you fancy making a toy for this brilliant charity or want to know more then take a peek over here

have a lovely week x x x x