Fantastic Mr Fox Giveaway

I am going to be giving one of these lovely Foxy Loxy Journal covers to one lucky person.

It is made from black linen, has a fantastic Mr Fox appliqued (using a mixture of hand stitching and machine stitching) on the front...

... and comes complete with a hardback A5 sketchbook (white 150gsm cartridge paper).  A perfect size size for carrying around in your bag ready to create fabulous sketches, or write important notes you need to remember!

 

Once you have filled your pages, you can remove the sketchbook and add another.

Can you resist having this little fellow as your companion?!!

Okay, this is what you need to do to get your 'name in the hat'.  It is pretty simple.  Pop over to my facebook page and 'like' me, then share the Loula Belle At Home: Fantastic Mr Fox post on my facebook page with all your friends.  You must do both of these things to qualify!

Do you want an extra chance to win it?  You can gain an extra 'name in the hat' by doing one of the following (if you do both you will get two more 'names in the hat'!):-

1.  Follow me on my journeys in blogland by clicking on the follow button on the right hand side.

2.  Tweet about it by clicking on the tweet button at the bottom of the post.

The giveaway will finish on Friday 27th January.  I will announce the winner on Saturday 28th January. Please note that the winner will have to contact myself to claim their prize within 48hrs (let me know if you know you are going to be away!).  If this is not done, I will choose another winner.

Good luck everyone!

p.s.  These are also be available to buy in my shop.

Master baker at work!!!

I have had a lovely day with the little Tinker today.  We decided that we would make some gingerbread men (people) using the baking set he got for Christmas (he had been hankering after one for a while!).  I made up the gingerbread before he came into the kitchen, and left it to cool before he put on his pinny and set to work...

... rolling...

...cutting...

... popping on to the baking tray

... and putting in the oven to make these delicious little people (and they really are delicious!).

After lunch we set about icing them.  We used Royal Icing (the stuff you can buy from supermarkets that you just add water to) and some tiny little chocolate beans that I'd found in Asda.  I put spots of icing in the appropriate places, I used the pointy end of a teaspoon to do it, but wished I had an icing syringe (I love this Tala one!).  My husband informs me that some of their eyes are a little scary!  The Tinker then put on the buttons (I suspect more went in his mouth!)

The very last one, he did himself.  He was fantastic to watch, really careful about where he was putting his decorations.  I fully expected him to cover it in both icing and chocolate beans!

A lovely activity to do.  Gingerbread is a great dough for children to work with, it feels great, doesn't mind being handled and doesn't tear easily.  

The recipe I used comes (in disguise as a gingerbread man)with these lovely 'Budding Chef's Cooking Sets', which can also be personalized.  They are available to buy here.

And on a completely different note, tomorrow I will be letting you know what you need to do to become the owner of one of these lovely Foxy Loxy Journals that I will be giving away in my New Year Giveaway.  Don't miss out!!!

I'm really looking forward to 2012...

... but first, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and hope that 2012 brings you all health and happiness.

I would also just like to remind myself and share with you some of the things we have managed to fit in over the Christmas period. My house (and head) is in turmoil, and I am looking forward to the calm that will envelope the house once school is back.

During the build up to Christmas, we made...

... some lovely gifts of Hokey Pokey in some lovely origami boxes (you can find out how to make them here)...

... lots of mince pies, which my children love...

... and 'stained glass' Christmas Tree biscuits which we make and then share with the children's friends... 

Making Christmas Crackers also seems to be becoming a bit of a tradition in our house.  This year we ended up making paper hats (my sister was insistent that we should have them!?!) and writing jokes to put in them too (I think I enjoyed this bit the most, I'm not a fan of jokes, but the children has some corkers and they think they are soooo funny!). 

Since our visit from Father Christmas, we have battled with boxes and tried and tested presents.  The Tinker has spent a large amount of time making cars and planes out of lego with his daddy.  He is fantastic, I thought it might be a bit too difficult, but this is his 'city', he spent ages making this and when my husband 'borrowed' a piece he  noticed it was missing straight away!?!

The Fairy got a sewing book and has spent the past couple of days making and asking me if I have any fabric (!?!).  This was yesterdays creation, and she wanted to go to sleep at 7pm so she could try them out!!

So, what have I been doing in between Christmassy activities, chasing around after children, and making food?

Well, I have some lovely new cosmetic bags.  Most of last years have been sold, and I have some fantastic new fabrics. These are the first ones for 2012.  

Also, meet Foxy Loxy.  A fox I hope to use in some fabric later in the year, but that developed into some immediate projects. 

Firstly in a cushion that I made using a couple of pairs of trousers, my sister had given me a few years ago...

 

... and secondly in a book cover.  I have a small pile of these waiting to be photographed and put up for sale.  They have a lovely drawing book in them which are perfect for doodling, and also for writing things you don't want to forget.  I'm going to buy myself a diary to put in mine as I am determined to be organized this year.  We also have a family planner, so I have no excuses!?!  One of these lovely books is destined for a new home as a gift to one of my followers as a New Year gift, so keep your eyes open and ears close to the ground!

Oh, and before I depart from this rather long winded post.  Father Christmas came early for me (wearing a Royal Mail outfit!).  He actually came on Christmas Eve with this lovely gift (well, it wasn't a gift but I was very excited opening it!).

It looked intriguing...

... and inside were these fabulous vintage fabrics.

 I can't wait to use them!  But first I have a pile of fabric waiting to be made into some beautiful pinnies as lots were bought for Christmas gifts.

Happy Christmas everyone!

I just wanted to stop by and say a Happy Christmas to my followers, friends on facebook and fellow tweeters.  Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

We are all set for Father Christmas.  For some reason Father Christmas had to have a straw in his wine (!?!) and the children made mince pies and a Christmas Tree biscuits for him.

How to make a paper box - tutorial

I have been making these little boxes for years.  They are perfect for filling with treats and giving as gifts throughout the year, but I always make them as Christmas gifts for teaching staff that work with my children.  I love making them, and I love making little treats to put inside them.  This year we made Nigella Lawson's 'Hokey Pokey', I actually remember it being called Cinder Toffee when I was a girl (oh deary me, I sound like my grannie!), but it is more commonly known as honeycomb, and can be found inside Crunchie bars.  Apparently the name 'Hokey Pokey' comes from Cornwall.  What a fab name, I love it, and  it gave me the opportunity to sing the Hokey Pokey (while my daughter pulled her face at me!!!) whilst making it.

Okay, here's how to make the boxes:

This makes a box measuring 10x10cm

Materials needed:

2 complementing pieces of 12x12” paper*

scalpel

glue (not essential)

ruler

1.   Place the piece of paper that is going to be the bottom of the box in front of you and take a 1cm strip off the top, and a 1cm strip off one of the sides (you should still have a square!), to make the bottom of your box slightly smaller.

2.  Take one of the corners and fold diagonally across to meet the opposite corner (fig 1). Crease, unfold and do the same with the other corners so that when you open it out again you have a cross (fig 2).

fig 1.

fig 2.

 3.  Now take each of the corners and fold into the centre point (fig 3).

fig 3.

 4.  Leaving the corners in the centre, fold the bottom edge up to the centre line, crease and then unfold (fig 4).  Do this with each of the edges.

fig 4.

 5.  Unfold you sheet (fig 5).

fig 5.

6. Fold two opposite sides into the middle, and using your scalpel and ruler, cut along the crease to the edge of the folded sides (fig 6).

fig. 6

 7.Okay, now you should have two opposite sides with long pieces, and two short sides.   Place the paper with one of the short sides towards you.  Pick up the long end on the left and the long end on the right and bring them together (fig 7).  Still holding the two pieces together, take the short end and fold it over the top so that the triangular end fits into the bottom of the box (fig 8).

fig 7.

fig 8.

 8. Turn your box around and do the same for the other side (fig 9).  You can at this point put a little spot of glue under each of the triangles in the bottom of the box to hold them in place.  It’s not necessary, but they often pop up if you don’t.

fig. 9

 9.Time to make your lid.  Follow steps 2-8.

10. Fill full of treats and wrap a pretty ribbon around for a perfect gift.

If you are putting food in them, I recommend that you put a piece of greaseproof paper in, big enough to come up the sides and fold over the top too.

The past few years I have made truffles, what would you put in yours?

Sparkly Sunday

I can't say I am a fan of sparkle, but I guess at Christmas time, you just have to make exceptions.  This morning, we got out the paper, scissors, glue and glitter to make snowflakes for our window.

Do you remember making these at school?  I haven't made any since then, but thought it would be a simple activity for this morning.  We had great fun, and ended up with little bits of paper all over the floor.  Luckily the little Tinker still finds hoovering a novelty!!! 

Glitter was essential, and the little Tinker got really involved in this!

I know the picture is rubbish, but you get the idea.  They are very pretty.

Last year we made these birds for the window, and these were the snowflakes we made, I fancy making some more.  What have you been making, or will be making?

A Little Self Indulgence

I have been neglecting blogging recently.  Things have been so busy here, and both myself and the little Tinker have been suffering from horrible colds (with hacking coughs), and therefore sleepness nights and fuzzy heads!  I have also had so much to share, I've not known where to start... resulting in Emu syndrome!  Anyway, my head is out of the sand, and I've decided not to dwell on what I have done and what I have wanted to write about, and start afresh from yesterday.

As I have said, things have been very busy.  I have been doing lots of making ready for my stockists, and for the events that I have been selling at.  All this is done now, I had my last party (before Christmas) on Monday evening (another successful event), and thought I deserved to do something for myself.

So, after the children had gone to bed last night, I came into my room, and instead of getting my machine out, I picked up a piece of paper and started doodling...

... and then out came my scalpel...

... and a few hours later I had this!

I just love paper cutting!