Thrifty But Glam

Spring has well and truly sprung in the South of the UK and I cannot deny that my thoughts have already turned to Summer.  I am currently serving a long term work placement as a receptionist and as I am not nursing I can have my nails painted :) I do love a bit of nail art, but there is nothing more depressing than spending hours on a design and then having to remove it the next day for work :(  The last few weeks have allowed me to enjoy some cutsie, easy ideas that are definitely inspired by Spring (and the colour pink!). Polka Dot Pink I am a big fan of polka dots and this isn't the first time I have done this design, it is a firm favourite.  But this is the first time I have used pink and white together (inspired by my Harajuku doll). Start with the base coat in your preferred colour and apply two thin coats Make sure to wait until your polish is completely dry before moving on Use the end of a paintbrush dipped in white acrylic paint (really m...

The hardest thing for me cutting out dairy has been losing my beloved cakes and chocolate.  A few weeks ago I was about to give in, when I thought I would have a bash at making Vegan Brownies - not wanting a disappointing bake, I researched lots of recipes and then decided to tweak them to my liking.  The result is the best brownies I have ever tasted - this is not an exaggeration!  I am an absolute snob when it comes to cakes, bakes and chocolate - if it doesn't taste divine, I am not wasting the calories on it ;) I have a lovely friend who went vegan at the same time as I went dairy free, he is also Coeliac, so will provide instructions to make these not only vegan, but gluten free too - just for you Sam! x These are oozing with chocolate and have the depth of flavor that you can only get from plain chocolate - the secret ingredient adds a subtle chewy texture that most egg free bakes lack - who would have thought the exotic fig could be used in such a wa...

Time and time again in the Etsy forums, there are people completely over-whelmed with the whole photography process.  I was there once, and although still a million miles away from an expert, I have learnt a thing or two along the way. Imagine you are planning an online purchase, one of the joint most important swaying factors will be a products image - the other is usually the cost.  There are plenty of examples of bad shop photography on Etsy - heck, just check this one that I took back in November 2011 - It was sadly one of the 'better' images that actually made it into the shop. Besides the actual bracelet, lets discuss what is wrong with this picture; Background Unless the item being photographed is extremely bright, dark coloured or busy backgrounds are a no-no.  You should aim for a clean, uncluttered background that is devoid of anything that may detract from the item you are photographing.  Your item should be the main focus, get rid of anythi...

So after getting re-addicted to pinterest a few weeks ago, I decided to set myself a challenge; find a DIY tutorial that was completely new to me, and try it out! I came across a pin  about painting ceramics and pottery, I was hooked! I still had a glass/pottery pen left over from my wedding Mr and Mrs Glasses that I did last year; I knew that I wanted to start with something simple that wouldn't take too long to make, I turned back to pinterest for further inspiration! When I first saw this, I couldn't stop laughing!  My poor husband has had to put up with me singing it to him for the last few weeks - his patience is wearing thin.  I knew that if I were to make the actual cup, I may find myself drowned in the sweet nectar after my singing finally pushed poor Chris over the edge. I wanted a witty, but simple cup.  After a bit of brain storming (and some rather un-ladylike inspiration swearing) I came up with "Mean Mug-a Cuppa".  I know...

I have a confession, I am a butterfly crafter. I flit from one project to the next, usually before I have actually completed anything. I like shiny new crafts and am often tempted away from current tasks by the siren song of a Pinterest trend. On a personal level this can be thought of as quirky, on a business level it is downright irksome! Off the top of my head, I currently have at least six crafts in progress. Most are new items for the shops that have either been finished but not photographed for listing, or are just incomplete! In November last year I decided to do a papercut just for me. It may end up in the store, but it would be designed exactly how I wanted. It was to be inspired by Alice in Wonderland (still one of my favourite films). I spent hours tweaking the concept and then got distracted. It has sat unfinished for months until I finally decided I selfishly wanted it finished for me, me, me! After all I get so many lovely comments from over-joyed recipients of my w...