feeling wintery

Hello temperature drop! Suddenly I’m reunited with my mack and my patterned scarf collection and waking the radiators from their slumber. I’ve bi-passed feeling autumnal and gone straight to wintery. I’m sure it has something to do with designing cards for Christmas 2013 at work. I’ve been working on Christmas since August so at least the cool weather has stopped it feeling so weird. Drawing wreaths and penguins in a summer dress and sandals just feels bizarre. In the spirit of an approaching winter I’ve put together a little inspiration board of moody and misty hues. Chilly! 


From left to right going down... 


String lights photograph / wall art / swimming illustration / sweet apple triangles / woodland photograph / french plait / wooden box / paper heart confetti / long winter socks / vintage suitcase / framed needlepoint

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mr and mrs maycock

In June I posted the wedding stationary I designed for my friends Heather and Adrian. Here's a reminder. They had a gorgeous wedding with the reception at Rotherwick Village Hall back in August. The sun was shining and the hall was full to the brim with family and friends. I ended up getting quite involved in some of the creative details for the reception which I loved!

Their colourful summer fete feel gave plenty of scope for cute, creative touches. It was really lovely to help with more than just the wedding stationary and to be able to carry the same theme through into other elements of the day.

They decided to have a sweetie bar which I helped design and also helped eat on the day, yum! Every one’s favour was a sweetie buffet ticket to go and help themselves and I’m pretty sure that every one made the most of that little treat, by the look of the bulging pick ‘n’ mix bags. Sugar rushes all round!

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picnic 'how to'

1. hanging flower tins...

Peel the label off an any old tine and scrub to get rid of the stickiness. Then masking tape the area you don’t want painted, making sure the tape joins up. Then paint any colour you want. I used a paint tester pot from a hard wear store and did 3 coats to get the colour looking even, allowing each coat to dry in between. Once all coats are dry, peel off the tape and wrap some twine around the top. You can knot two pieces of twine either side and gather them up to make another knot. Make sure it hangs evenly and then tie another long piece of twine to hang. Then you can put a little bit of water in them, along with your flowers and tie to anything you want.

2. homemade guacamole...

• 1 large ripe tomato
• 3 avocados, very ripe but not bruised
• Juice of 1 large lime
• Handful of coriander, leaves and stalks chopped, plus a few leaves roughly chopped, to serve
• 1 small red onion , finely chopped
• 1 chilli , red or green, deseeded and finely chopped

Cut the tomato into tiny pieces, so that it turns into a pulp. Tip these into a bowl and then de-stone the avacados, and scoop out in with the tomato. Tip all the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and season. Mash everything together. Serve straight away with some fresh coriander sprinkled on the top or leave the avocado stone in the bowl along with the dip and chill in the fridge.

3. picnic lunchboxes...

Download my free printable template. To make one as photographed, print onto A3 or to make a mini one you can print the A4 version. The smaller template could make a sweet gift box as well. Then cut the template cut out and draw around onto some cardboard or card, depending on how sturdy you want them, marking where the fold lines are. Cut out with a scalpel and ruler and score down the fold lines. The box will then easily take on the lunchbox shape and can be secure the flaps with double sided tape. The handles should be able to bend into the slots so it can be carried.

4. picnic invites & labels...

I’ve designed these free downloadable printable labels and invites. The labels can be printed onto paper or card and then secured to your drink containers or the picnic boxes. Print the invite front and back onto card, cut out and then use glue or double sided tape to secure a lolly stick at the bottom. Then glue or spray mount the two front and back together, sandwiching the lolly stick in between and there you have your picnic paddle invite!

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late summer picnic

I’ve been gathering and making some things for a styled picnic for quite a while now but with an August full of weddings and disappointing weather in between, it was only last weekend that I got around to doing it. Sunday was a surprise scorcher which was perfect! So here’s a sunny idea for a DIY picnic and I’m sure the concept would work just as well in your back garden for a few friends. In my next post I’ll let you know how to make the bits and pieces and the labels and invites will be available as a free download. Enjoy!

There’s nothing quite like homemade guacamole on a hot day. That’s actually quite a bold statement but it really is up there. Mexicans know how to cater for heat. The chilli kick and zesty lime keep the dip really fresh. I’ve only found out why people leave the avocado stone in the dip. It’s to stop the avocado going brown! Call me stupid but I just thought it was for decoration.

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time flies

Today is our Anniversary! We were saying this year has gone so fast but at the same time can't remember what it was like not being married, except that it wasn't as good! I'm looking forward to another humbling year of growing and learning together as well as some exciting new adventures. As far as all my creativity goes, it's heavily encouraged by Mr Muncey so if it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't be doing any of this blogging lark at all.

Photos from Rebecca Wedding Photography

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colour and cheer

Here’s an Etsy shop that caught my eye. All the bold shapes and colours are a breath of fresh air. I really like the mix of wooden beads and neon, partly because it seems as if the two things shouldn't go together and yet they do. All the best combinations start that way. Here's a similar little DIY idea from Martha Stewart if you like that sort of thing. 

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merci

Sometimes it's nice to tell people you're thankful for them. I can't imagine any one not wanting to hear that. I often fell very blessed for the people that God has placed in my life, especially my husband. With that in mind I made him a little thank you postcard a few weeks ago. It's easy to be thankful and just keep it to yourself but why not encourage someone and show they're appreciated with a simple note. You don't need a postcard to say thank you but it's a good excuse. Download the designs here.

Print the postcards onto coloured card or use the coloured backgrounds I've created in the downloads. The envelopes need to be printed onto A3. You then cut around the edges and the mini diagrams will show you where to fold. Stick it all together with some glue or double sided tape and voila.  Happy making!

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