Little gold box

These images feel very November to me - glimpses of sparkle sit happily with fading hydrangeas. This little brass box is a new treasure I bought with my mum a few weeks ago, it wasn't expensive but I love how it looks like it might hold some secrets. I used to fight the change in season but learning to embrace it feels so much better  - blankets are extra snuggly and is there anything cosier than coming into a warm house full of golden lights after a walk in the rain?

I can't believe December is nearly here, it catches me by surprise every time. I've started to add fairy lights around the house ready for a friends Christmas dinner at the weekend and I have a festive film on as I type. It's easy to get swept up in the busy-ness  of Christmas but I think it's important to take time out too. I love putting these images together - for the 45 minutes or so that they take, I think about nothing else and enjoy the process so much. December is the perfect month to create, be it, baking, wreath making, sewing - I hope you manage to squeeze some creativity into the month ahead. 

10 Recycled (but still beautiful) Christmas Crafts

The word recycled never conjures up images of anything beautiful but without realising so many of the tutorials I have written over the years make the best of unwanted materials, scraps of fabric and forgotten about ribbon. For all my Christmas making this year I'm challenging myself to use up my craft supplies and not buy anything new. As a maker I've always felt the need to have new materials for projects - I don't feel bad about it, it is often the materials that inspired me but as I'm not able to make as much as I used too plus seeing how damaging waste is for the planet - I want to consciously reduce the amount I'm consuming in this area. I've been sharing the process on Instagram Stories but today I want to give you a list of my favourite projects that all have a recyclable and reusable element. I know that this is just a tiny step but I figure a small step is better than no step.  I've loved looking through my stash - all the sequins and beads I've been saving for best are finally getting their time to shine. I can't wait to make this Christmas beautiful and I really hope you join me. Happy making. xx 

Top Project - Mollie Makes Christmas Wreath (best for using up wool, ribbon, baubles, the kitchen sink!!) 

Nature Inspired Advent Calendar 

Colourful Star Garland

 Lampshade Wreath 

Cashmere Stockings 

Simple Colourful Christmas Ideas 

Soy Candles

White and Metallic Gift Wrapping (use up fabric, tissue and small bits of ribbon) 

Fairy themed gift wrapping

Fabric Gift Bags  (a great alternative to paper ones and they use up small pieces of fabric) 

The last of the cosmos

I'm so happy with these photo's, I'd wanted to photograph in my greenhouse before the garden finished for the year and I managed just in time. If I was to recommend one plant to grow it'd be Cosmos. You can start the seedlings off as early as February and they produce an abundance of flowers from early August all the way through to November. If I'm being honest, I was always put off by the harsh magenta colour in classic cosmos mix but after realising there was more one type - I decided to try a few different varieties this year. Candy Stripe was my favourite followed by Purity, Pop Socks and Pinkie Sensation. I still grew a few classic white and magenta (which I have come to appreciate) and they have happily danced away in the garden for months. Because of the cold late start to growing season I grew all mine from seed in pots rather than direct sowing and staggered  throughout February and March and maybe early April - I can't quite remember.  I found some really great advice on @SwanCottageflowers  which I really recommend taking a look at if you're new to growing like me. 

It's bittersweet cutting the last of the flowers. Whilst it's exciting to gather seeds for next summer with so much more knowledge behind me its also a little sad to say goodbye. This year has been challenging and on the days when I've felt the full weight of motherhood lay solely on my shoulders its these (and all my plants) that provided so much support. Their joyful colours gave me the energy I needed after long nights, their softly curving stems calmed me down after particularly testing mealtimes. 

I'll miss them for sure but nature doesn't stop during winter, it changes and slows but is no less beautiful. I'll continue to take a daily trip around the garden - chatting to the worms and looking optimistically for signs of spring. I've started to make a list of all the plants I want to grow next year and I have to say cosmos are right there at the top. I hope you enjoy these photo's as much as I do, I'll put some more garden links at the end of the post. x

The Garden Before
A beginners guide to growing flowers
A simple guide to growing sweet peas
My dahlia experiment 
Dancing Flowers

Autumn Flatlay

A moodboard to reflect the change of seasons today. Whilst these pumpkins have already been used for halloween fun, the colours and tones are still keeping me inspired.  I'm naturally drawn to light bright colours but this time of year has me seeking darker, richer shades. I always like to set myself a project during the winter months and this year I really want to experiment with my camera's a lot more. I'm really curious about light and what it can do, I have some basic knowledge but its only by playing that I can really understand it. Flatlay's are perfect when time is short or when little hands are close by. I put this together in about 20 minutes using the autumn light to bounce off the pumpkins. As the light was quite harsh and yellow I edited these in photoshp to give an almost painterly effect which I'm really enjoying. 

I used to dread going into winter as I was always looking for an even light to shoot tutorials but as I'm not able to post as frequently as I once did, it's time to use the change for gathering new skills and giving myself permission to try a few new ideas. 

Do you change your projects in Summer and Winter, I'd love to hear if you do. 

The creative process - making a wall hanging

I love seeing behind the scenes of a creative process - any glimpse into a working studio or a work in progress has me hooked. I snapped these as I made my wall hanging, inspired by the 'journey' as much as the final piece. 

DIY - Fairy themed gift wrapping

For this gift wrapping tutorial I wanted to create something really pretty and ethereal for Milly's first birthday. Following a subtle fairy theme (see her wall hanging) I hand painted wrapping paper and used up all my leather supplies. It's occurred to me over the past few months just how much I've spent on craft supplies over the years, whilst I love everything I've bought, I'm not in a position to buy any more. Instead I've started to challenge myself to use up what I've got - I have to say it's fun to revisit old supplies to come up with new projects. I really hope you enjoy this one...

To start use (my favourite) Ikea drawing paper as a base to paint different designs. Mix blue, red and white acrylic paint to come up with a lovely lilac colour and then keep it simple with spots, stripes and the birthday girls name - I painted about one and a half metres of each design. I really like using acrylic paint as it dries quickly and doesn't absorb into the paper. Leave to dry completely before wrapping all the presents. 

For the Milly paper I wanted to keep the focus on the name so used one leather star and a natural coloured chiffon (ribbon would also work). First cut out a star shape in the metallic mauve leather (this is similar to mine and actually a faux leather), punch four holes in the very centre. After wrapping the present in the paper, tear two 3cm wide strips of chiffon and wrap around the present threading the ends through the holes in the star. Work out where on the present you want the star to sit and knot the chiffon to secure. To finish tie a bow with both pieces of chiffon. 

For this wrapping the spots and mix of metallic and natural leather works really well. First cut 9 star shapes - 3 natural leather, 3 silver leather, 3 mauve leather and punch a singular hole in the centre of each. Tear three strips of chiffon 3cm wide and long enough to wrap around each present. Starting with the central strip, thread three stars in the following order - natural, silver and mauve - wrap around the present keeping the stars in the front centre, knotting at the back (out of sight) to secure. For the left and right strip, thread mauve, natural and silver stars and secure as before. Cut off any excess chiffon and fix the stars so they cluster together. 

This one is so simple, I used a left over tassel from my wall hanging and I couldn't resist this little gold crown which was part of Milly's birthday present (she's going to have to wear it every birthday until she's at least 16 so I don't feel so bad about buying!). If you don't want to buy any extra supplies,  add more stars in place of the tassel and crown.

Tear a piece of chiffon 3cm wide and long enough to wrap around the box (front to back and securing in the centre. Cut two star shapes from mauve leather and punch a hole in the top. Tear another piece of 3cm wide chiffon and thread under the knot of the chiffon that is around the present. If using a tassel remove the orange thread and thread onto one side of the chiffon length tie another knot to secure. Thread a star to either lengths of chiffon, tie a knot to secure and cut off any extra length  - you want these stars to fall off the side of the present but not get lost. To finish, clip the crown over the knots.