OOOO My Gourd! It's a ghost!!

I know I'm a party pooper, but I just don't like Halloween. 

Horrible gruesome images, blood splattered everything - I think there's enough of that in the world already without dedicating a whole day to celebrate it. 

So when a friend of mine asked me to help with some halloween decorations, I was all set to refuse. 

But then she said "Kooky, crafty, decorations - nothing gruesome"... That was it, she had drawn me in. 

Here's a couple of ideas that I've made using gourds, one is spray painted and sharpie penned the other is a footless tight pulled over the gourd and decorated with ribbons! 
Enjoy...

  

Keep calm and "cosy up" your life this winter...

Feeling pretty chilly, I decided to "cosy up" my life as much as I could and thought I'd share a few of the ideas I've tried -

please feel free to add your own cosy up ideas here.

 

1. PJ's on the radiator...

A really easy way to feel toasty warm - pop your PJ's on the radiator when you get in from work and after tea snuggle into them while you lounge on the sofa with...
 

 

 

2. Blankets, eiderdowns and scarves...

 

All of last year I "thrifted" tartan bits in preparation for the winter, Tartan scarves/shawls, blankets and a ruby red eiderdown were all squirrelled away into my loft last summer - ready for wintry evenings -

Now if I get a little chilly - I just snuggle under one of the blankets on my sofa -

D R E A M Y!

 

 

3. Play in the snow until your hands/paws are numb...

 

I love to wrap up really warm and go foraging in the woods with my little jack russel (Mr Harry Grimwood).

On our walks, we collect kindling and rose hips (well, I collect kindling and rose hips - Harrys far too busy snuffling!), and I make silly things out of the snow until I am really cold.

Then, the minute you step through the front door it just feels sooooooooo good to be home!

 

4. Light an open fire...

(5. & 6.) and make homemade bread and soup...

I use the kindling foraged from the wood to light an open fire

(and sprinkle on some pine needles I saved in a tin from the Christmas tree - fills the house with a lovely fresh pine smell).

Then maybe I'll get down to making some proper, wholesome. REAL, soup and home baked bread.

One of my favourite winter soup recipes is Carrot and Chestnut soup -
try it - you'll love it

 

 

Ingredients:

1 large onion chopped
2tblspn Olive oil
3 sage leaves (plus more to garnish)
200g (7oz) of chestnuts (vac packed) - chopped
500gms (1lb) carrots peeled and chopped

800ml (1pt 8oz) vegetable or chicken stock

3 Tblspns creme fraiche

 

Put all the ingredients (apart from the garnishing sage leaves and creme fraiche) into a pan and bring to the boil.  patially cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Pass the whole lot through a food processor until thick and smooth. Add cream to taste and serve with chopped sage leaves on top and freshly baked bread.

 After not having any success with baking from scratch in the oven (I think due to the fact that we always seem to live in drafty old houses!), I invested £10 in a bread maker at a car boot sale a few years ago - it's kind of cheating, but we've had some lovely loaves from it and once you get the hang of it you can make all your own flavoured breads.  

Just remembered that many years ago I made a tomato flowerpot bread which was heavenly - baked in a terracotta flower pot - must look out that recipe -

D E L I C I O U S!!!

 

7. Invest in a pure wool rug...

I was amazed at the difference a wool rug made to our lounge - not only does it look warmer, its soft and toasty underfoot rather than cold laminate flooring or wooden floorboards

 

8. Save electric and cosy up with candles...

 

The room always feels warmer with candles - sometimes I gather as many as I can find together and squeeze them all onto the mantle shelf!

 

9. Craft some winter warmers...

Visit sites like http://www.craftster.org/blog/crafty-diy-ways-to-keep-warm/

were you will find loads of tutorials on how to get crafty and keep warm at the same time - sewing, knitting and lots of other craft ideas to keep you occupied and warm for when it's just too cold to venture outside!

 

10. Check on older relatives and neighbours...

If you have elderly relatives and neighbours - pop in to see if they are warm enough. There are lots of government schemes to help older people or families on low incomes with heating bills etc.

Perhaps you can make a trip to the shops for them or help them to cook a meal?

 

Oh and don't forget the birds this time of year - put your scraps out for them (apple/pear cores, oats, cereal, etc) or any nuts left over from Christmas as a real treat.

 

Helping others always makes you feel cosy and warm inside.

 

KEEP TOASTY :-)

 

 

 

Easy Recyclng Christmas Craft ...

 

This cute little Christmas Wreath is soooooooo easy to make - just had to share it with you!

Use an old curtain ring and glue around its edge.

Then tightly wrap some ribbon or fabric around it.

Cut out some holly shapes from some felt scraps and add these with

a red button or two for the berries.

Make a matching set or all different!

Try decoupaging the ring, or gluing buttons all around!

So many ways to use this simple idea!

Watch this space for more recyling christmas crafts!

Sunflowers

Helping out a freind in his florists the other day and wanted to share these beautiful, vibrant sunflowers with you... even with the rain pouring down outside, you look at these and you are immediately transported to a sunny day!

Don't be a waster!

If ever I write a book, it will be about upcycling/recycling crafts and I'll probably dedicate it to the rag picker children of Mumbai. These children pick through rubbish to recycle... and get paid just £1 a day. The recycling slums. The REAL Slumdog Millionaire. Where families live on the street, 10 to a room or actually on the the rubbish tip, ankle deep in sewerage and rats. People recycling EVERYTHING to make a bit of money just to stay alive. I probably waste enough "stuff" each day, to feed a family in Mumbai - paper, bottles, packaging, etc... so, maybe I will write that book, perhaps some of the proceeds could go to help people in Mumbai. I'll store it in the "future projects" file for now!
With this ub mind if I make one new years resolution it will be "Not to be a waster". This is very bad news for Mr H. It means that more of the loft space will be taken up with boxes, bottles, fabric, beads, buttons, paper, card, paint.............etc! He is already convinced that I am the love child of a Womble...and now it's going to get worse!
I've started already! Making something wonderful from an empty soap powder box and the inner wadding from my old ironing cover...
First, I cut and stuck it into the shape I wanted it to be.

Then I glued the ironing board wadding to the lid of my box and covered the box in some pretty "Sewing" themed fabric I had.

Now I need to carry on with it so I can show you finished product!

Found a use for those buttons!

Spent another glorious day in the garden today, with Harry, boiling his brains in the midday sun. (at least I sat in the shade and had sunscreen on!).

Had fun making button flower brooches (to see how to make your own design go to my folksy page at http://www.folksy.com/shops/anniefloribunda) - Oh, and I made clay and paper beads, (and some other things that I am not quite sure what they are yet)!

Wish I could STOP buying buttons!

OK - its been tough - but some of my vintage buttons, beads, etc just have to go - they are overtaking the house and I will never get around to using them all!

I am listing them on Folksy.com (a great new site I've found - if you like crafts - you will LOVE this!)

Hopefully then they can be recycled again and go towards making something beautiful.

E A S T E R E G G S

I hand colored some easter eggs for the charity shop windows display and put them in a basket with large chiffon scarf inside. The yellow bow was from a bouquet that I had, containing the most beautiful velvet red roses!

Take a look at the photos - they really are beautiful and so velvety to the touch.

What's AnnieFloribunda?

Well.. it's a kind of therapy...a way of getting back my creative side...a way of indulging myself in all things flowery and vintage!
Found this gorgeous antique lace in a charity shop today and need to find a project to use it in - so delicate - lovely.