For the love of teacups...

This week has seen me enamoured by the art of tea cup candle making. If somehow you have managed to avoid the probably slightly annoying photos of my makes previously, here’s a photo especially for you-hoo!

Using some pre-waxed candle wicks complete with sustainers (check ebay for plenty of job lots) some used candles, a jam thermometer (£1.99 in my local hardware shop) Some tongs, an old camping frying pan and a cooking pan.

I double boiled by simmering water in the frying pan and placing the cooking pan (along with old candles inside) into the simmering water, letting the candles melt into the melting wax, making sure with the thermometer that the temperature did not exceed 200 celsius.  Once melted, using the tongs, I took out the old wick.

Once wax was ready to pour I trimmed the wicks (with sustainers) to a size which only just looked over the rim of the tea cup and I then carefully taped the top of the wick to a pencil and balanced on top of the teacup, making sure the sustainer was flat on the bottom of the teacup and the wick was straight.

Dipping the sustainer into the wax, I then placed it and the wick back into the teacup and then (carefully) poured the wax to the desired height in the teacup.

I made sure an old tea towel was placed underneath the teacup to avoid a waxy work surface!

Leave to dry for around half an hour and voila! A lovely teacup candle, to burn yourself, or give away as a gift!

Also – another option you could try is to drop some essential oil into the melted wax before pouring to give it a lovely scent.

Enjoy!

On another note, I met up for a cuppa and a vintage/upcycling related chat with Jen from My Make Do And Mend Year. Jen is spending a year, from September 2012, making do and mending by upcycling, re-purposing, buying second-hand. Not purchasing anything new (with some exceptions)  She is doing wonderfully well and is exceedingly creative in her project!

One of the topics of conversation was about a possible Upcycling event in Wiltshire. Keep your eyes peeled for news!

Jubilee Loveliness

Last monday, the rain decided to stop for a day and allow us to celebrate the jubilee relatively rain free!
Everyone on our street and our friends and family grazed on food most of the day, drank pimms and watched the children play, as well as gossip of course.

A little deflated about the day though, it was a very 'them and us' party, some neighbours on one side and another on another, and despite a little effort from me by going to talk to some of the ladies on the 'other' side, it didn't really help. By about 7/8pm we decided to transfer away from the ongoing party and carry on in my garden, with my friends. Bit of a shame really!

Hope you all managed to celebrate in a dry fashion! xxx

What a difference a day makes, really. After a beautiful couple of weeks, with the sun blazing, spending evenings pottering in the garden, kids having water fights, and now...this. Today it hasn't stopped raining, and it's almost as if somebody is chucking buckets of rain at us. Anyhoo, this weekend is jubilee weekend, marking the 60 year reign of Elizabeth. Our street party is tomorrow *does a sun dance* the bunting is up and ready, cakes baked. Just the potato salad, Etonian mess and jelly to make in the morning. Stuff the rain, we're British. I'll be out their in Kagool & wellies if necessary! Have a wonderful long weekend, whatever the weather xxx

Good to be British

Yesterday the primary and secondary school's finished earlier to allow parents to take their children to see the Olympic Torch pass by.


I took the 9 year old to the morning event in the village next door to ours. The sun was shining brightly and the villagers were out in force, including the local preschools, young adults with their cold beers and barbeques sizzling in their front gardens, pensioners shading beneath trees and parasols, flags flying, a wave of excitement and cheer in the crowds. Everyone was smiling. The local policemen were tooting their horns and encouraging our cheers and the local bobby was mingling with the public. 

I feel like ringing old Mr Cameron and directing him to do an annual 'Proud to be British' day every year!

Compared to the days of yesteryear, where everyone pulled in together, helped each other, jollied easch other along. Was part of the community. Now it's hard for people to even look their neighbours in the face in some areas. What gives? 

Yet we were all out together yesterday, and we all enjoyed that feeling of community and being nice to one another, and being ultimately proud of who we are and where we come from.

When we came home, the boys were in a water fight mood so out came the old scissors to make holes in the lids of bottles and off they went in a mischievous mood!

Today, the sun is shining once more, and I've been making the most of my time in the garden. 

As I shall miss it...next week....when it will most probably be raining. Or snowing. Or suchlike. Hmph.

Enjoy the sunshine people. Put down your laptops and phones and go out and gaze your eyes on the blue skies :)

A good weekend...

What a wonderful weekend that has passed. I managed to spend the day in the garden on Saturday weeding and fixing up my vegetable plot, everything is thriving really well. Though had to resort to the non-organic way of stopping slugs eat my mange-touts! I cleaned the decking, potted some geranium and sorted the shed. Nothing like a potter in the garden to make my heart sing. Simple pleasures and all that.


Sunday I got up very early and went on my lonesome to three of the local booty's. I got a good swag bag of bargains. I'll try and put some photos up on here, seeing as I'm sorting vintage and photographing in the garden today (making the most of the delicious sun and blue skies out there!) 


I got some nice vintage haberdashery items, including some 1940's girls dress patterns, 1940/50's Woman's weekly and various ephemera, buttons, threads, fabric etc as well as other bits and pieces.


I had my friends over on sunday evening for a lazy takeaway evening. Despite it being a school night. And it was yum and I felt over bloated in the morning, a perfect way to start your monday, not! So I've started back out running again. I need something to balance out the good living! Hoping for motivation and willpower. Wish me luck!


Until my next update xxxx

Once again, I am looking out of the french doors into the garden and the skies are grey today but I'm not shivering today. I'm hoping its a sign the sun might make an appearance and I can brave the garden and do some more planting.

Charity shops finds, including chunky wool for my knitting!

Yesterday I had some errands to run in Warminster so whilst there I popped into my favourite charity shop (I'm not naming my sources!) and came out with a couple of old ladybird books which have obviously been well loved so I'll be upcycling them into pictures, cards and envelopes and a gorgeous book called 'The Map That Came Alive'  - all for 20 pence each. Bargain. The last book I mentioned is really lovely indeed, with gorgeous illustrations and a simple plotline, I'll show you a few pictures from a website called full table which has the illustrations scanned:- 

Its very rare I buy something vintage from a charity shop now as they normally charge a lot so I was excited to get this little lot!

In the afternoon I spent quite a lot of frustrating time attempting to make an advert for the Vintage & Handmade market which was a bit of a failure! So I crashed in the garden for a bit to try and chill and took some photos of the blossom on the trees before it drops all the petals...

Roll on summer! xx

As I'm writing this, I'm looking out of the french doors at the sunshine pouring onto my garden making it look green and vibrant. Absolutely beautiful. What crazy weather we are having! I spent yesterday morning shivering around the house and then the afternoon pondering at the hail and thunder, mad?


This weekend was about the same, crazy weather. Though we made the most of the sun when it decided to come out of it's hiding place. 


We visited Erlestoke woods, the bluebells were just about done but I was pleased to catch them in their splendour. The boys (minus one teenager who jaunted to Bath with mates) happily ran about and found gun shaped sticks and powwed each other with them, stuck cleaver plants to my back and collected pine cones in their pockets.

I hugged a few trees!

We finished the morning off with lunch at a local cafe and a cake from the bakers. A lovely end to a free morning's entertainment, who needs to pay to keep the kids happy?

Sunday was MY day, I set off early equipped with change and lots of spare bags and ventured to the local bootys and then went further afield to Yeovil where I bumped into lovely Sophie from Fading Grace. I came back with lots, including baskets, ceramics, fabric, tins...and more! 

Happy lady!

Have a great week everyone xxx