Yes, it is that time of year when Stampin’ Up! Retired Product List is announced! There are many amazing stamp sets, ribbon and embellishments that are being retired. Wh… Read More
Oh My Goodies! It’s Sunday and you know what that means… I’m over at the Can You Case It Challenge Blog for the Weekly Challenge! Come on over and c… Read More
Welcome to this months RemARKable Stampers Blog Tour! On the 2nd Thursday of each month starting at 8 PM EST, we feature a new theme.
This months theme we are continuing t… Read More
Welcome to this months NC Demos Blog Tour! On the last SUNDAY of each month starting at 8 PM EST, we feature a new theme. We invite you to also check out our … Read More
If you are looking for an adorable Baby Shower Favor then I have the perfect idea for you as I share the Popcorn Box Baby Shower Favor I created for the Stampin’ Up! Only Challenge thi… Read More
It's a good thing I love these colours....I am using this palette in class too....I am surrounded at the moment by baby pink, soft greens and all things pretty. Once upon a time, in ano… Read More
Stitching a story, (my current class) is inspiring these stand alone pieces of embroidered cloth. One will become a veil like piece to drape, to fondle, to lay on a chair or a bed… Read More
Aside from classwork these are my ''in progress'' pieces. You saw the white for the first time here and the floral piece is to enable me to extend this piece and if you remember, to scratc… Read More
I received this email today, such lovely words. (and I didn't pay her...lol)
It came at a very appropriate time too as today is the day I list my new class, wrapped and bound in stitch.
You… Read More
Piles of little scraps, embroidery offcuts, samples, all stored carefully and neatly, kept safe on a shelf. Thing is you can't really ''see'' them, can't be inspired by them as they are… Read More
First picture, top left corner......the next piece for this coverlet which I fall in love with a little more each day. This latest piece needs more embellishment, more cutwork, more app… Read More
The final panel for my pink and gingham coverlet has been put together. Two tiny, spotty pockets have been inserted into two of the seams and one seam has been embroidered with a mass of… Read More
Here is another Sneak Peek for you featuring a Spooky Fun Halloween Card I created for the Paper Craft Crew Card Sketch Challenge #207. Yes, It’s Wednesday and I’m over at… Read More
On today’s card I’m featuring a cute cuddly Bella and Friends. This puppy dog is adorable. If you’ve been following my summer adventures, you may… Read More
More work on the paper piece from a couple of days ago. Scraps of blue and white embroidered cloth are now secured behind open space and inside defined areas. beads have been added to… Read More
Gimp secured with bullion knots, strips of French knots, French knots seams, pockets, lace.....surface adornments on the final panel of my gingham coverlet. I mustn't forget the cutwork… Read More
36 x 25 inches refers to the size my coverlet will be when this final strip is added. For the sake of cohesion and consistency I have continued with the applique/ cutwork theme here. T… Read More
Here in the Staple’s household we love our pets so I’ve been having fun creating Bella and Friends h
andmade cards. That is also why I’m so excited about this week… Read More
There aren't any problems in the embroidery department of Ruane Towers but there are plenty in the camera department. Two cameras, two non functioning cameras means photographs taken wit… Read More
Travel Bug: Ring In The New Year at Saybrook Point
Ring in 2017 at Connecticut’s premier shoreline resort destination and celebrate the New Year with rejuvenating getaway pa… Read More
Reaching Thurlestone hotel in south Devon is like going down Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole. You plunge off the main road along one of those high-hedged, single-track lanes which De… Read More
There is something gloriously untamed about the British seaside on a blustery day and when I arrived at The Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the hotel building was receiving a severe b… Read More
There is always a worry when it comes to revisiting a hotel which you totally adored on the first visit – what if it’s not going to be as good as you remembered it? I know people… Read More
When it’s hot in the city, your first instinct might be to run for the hills (or the coast) but just steps from the sweltering heat of Tottenham Court Road tube station, The Bloomsbury… Read More
Just when you think you’ve stayed in the best hotels in the Cotswolds, along comes Whatley Manor luxury hotel and tops the lot. From the moment the gates opened to reveal a beauti… Read More
The view from the top of the five star luxury hotel ME London is a tourist’s delight, taking in the essential sights of London, from the London Eye to Big Ben, St Paul’s, To… Read More
Sexy Fish, the newly-opened £15 million restaurant from Richard Caring (The Ivy, Le Caprice, J Sheekey) doesn’t actually look very sexy from the outside. It’s rather… Read More
Note: my review of The Grove hotel near Watford was first published in 2015 so some of the details might now be out of date
There was nothing around to disturb the peace of my morning stroll… Read More
Note: this review of Rabbit Restaurant Kings Road Chelsea was first published in 2005 so some of the details might be out of date]
It promises to deliver ‘British wild food’ and… Read More
Note: this reivew of my stay at Compleat Angler Marlow hotel was published in 2015 and some details might be out of date
The Compleat Angler, Marlow, is proof that some hotels don’t ne… Read More
[Note: this review of Four to Eight in Covent Garden was published in 2015 and the restaurant is now closed. I’ve let it up here though as my blog is like my diary!]
The ever-changing… Read More
Cannizaro House in Wimbledon. Sadly that isn’t my car.
Note: This review is from Feb 2014. Cannizaro House is now owned by Hotel Du Vin so will have changed since my visit. If you&rsqu… Read More
When I first arrived at Gravetye Manor, the Michelin-starred country house hotel with award-winning gardens, I soon decided that this was one of the best hotels in West Sussex and when I was… Read More
It’s officially the spooky season, and we hear no argument regarding whether it’s too early to start talking Halloween. Instead, allow us to present you a spooky-romantic Hallowe… Read More
The major site of megaliths in Europe, Brittany (or Bretagne in French) is famous for its megalithic monuments and mysterious art vestiges. As a historical and cultural area in France, Britt… Read More
One of the perks of being an editor at UrbanMatter is the opportunities it presents you to try restaurants that might not otherwise be on your radar. Over the weekend we had the pleasure of… Read More
It’s finally here! The much-expected celebration of Chicago’s food scene. The grand return of a tradition no Chicagoan could ever forget… Yes, you know what I’m talk… Read More
The classy Chicago neighborhood of Gold Coast is the perfect spot for your next workday lunch. From relaxing cafes to upscale dining rooms, the Gold Coast area provides a place to decompress… Read More
The classy Chicago neighborhood of Gold Coast is the perfect spot to get lunch or dinner while you are in the city. From relaxing cafes to upscale dining rooms, the Gold Coast area provides… Read More
This book is a travelogue about the cities of northern Spain.
I travelled to Valencia, Barcelona, Pamplona, Burgos, San Sebastian, Valladolid, Segovia, Leon, Gijon, Oviedo, Santiago de C… Read More
This book is a travelogue about the cities of northern Spain.
I travelled to Valencia, Barcelona, Pamplona, Burgos, San Sebastian, Valladolid, Segovia, Leon, Gijon, Oviedo, Santiago de C… Read More
Use water beads to make this ocean sensory bin for kids! Learn all about how to use water beads and how to make your own ocean-themed sensory bin.
Much like my colored rice sens… Read More