A Really Good Night In - Macmillan Cancer Support

Hello again! Following on from this mornings post I just wanted to let you all know about a great way to help raise money for a charity close to my heart, by having a night in.  Macmillan Cancer Support are asking for everyone to organise a really good night in on Friday 26 April, my sisters birthday, sorry Fay you'll have to stay in!  This new fundraising idea asks for you to donate the money you and your friends would spend on a night out and all stay in together instead.  So I thought this would tie in perfectly with the new book Girls Night In.  Macmillan offer a huge support to people and their families whilst coping with cancer.  We are lucky enough to have a Macmillan Radiographer in my placement hospital and I know how amazing Macmillan Nurses are as I am sure many of you are too.  I reguarly use the Macmillan website for my studies as a starting point in understanding the oncology and treatment part of my course.

A Really Good Night In is an easy way for you to help raise money for a fantastic charity.

Have a lovely afternoon,

Zoe

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Girls Night In Book Launches Today!

Morning, its a busy day ahead here, more stock to add to the shop, emails to read in response to yesterdays Workshop Wednesday post and children to supervise, nevermind some studying aswell! But I wanted to pop in and post about an exciting book launching today.  Girls Night In by Hannah Read-Baldrey looks to be a fantastic book and the perfect excuse to get friends together for cocktails and crafting.  Now that sounds like my kind of party! To celebrate the launch of her new book Hannah has a fab competition for you all on her Girls Night In website, where you can win a Vintage Hamper crammed full of wonderful things.  All you have to do to enter is share a photo of you and your girlfriends having a night in, with one of you preferably holding a copy of the book.

I am sure some of you have recognised Hannah's name.  She is aso the co-author of Everything Alice and Everything Oz. I reviewed Everything Alice a couple of years ago, whilst working as blog editor for Les Enfants  and am sure Girls Night In will be even better! Hannah's new book promises to help you and your friends have the perfect night in.  Complete with ideas for crafting, cakes, cocktails, party games, decorations, beauty and much more I feel this book maybe our new bible for many fun girls nights in.  I also highly recommend making a nice cup of tea and taking a look around the Girl's Night In website.  There are tutorials and videos and even a playlist put together by Hannah and her friends.

So what are you waiting for?! You can purchase Girls' Night In: Crafts, Cakes and Cocktails for the Ultimate Party from today from Amazon.

Have a fab day!
Zoe
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Workshop Wednesday

Morning!  The middle of the week or hump day is here again and whilst the promise of the weekend is nearer it still seems a little far away.  Whilst planning my new shop I also have spent some time thinking about this blog and ways I want to develop it.  I have always been keen to promote the work of designer makers here in the UK and from around the world, which I will continue to do in various ways.  But I also wanted to encourage us all to be more creative in our everyday lives and after much thought I came up with Workshop Wednesday.  I reguarly see courses mentioned on twitter, in magazines and in general conversations so thought I would dedicate Wednesdays on the blog to sharing great ideas for craft and design courses, mainly here in the UK.  Workshops and courses are a great way to develop our skills, indulge in a new hobby, spend some quality time with a friend or our mums or even our grandmas.  There are even workshops for hen parties to make things for the wedding, champagne and sparkles sound like a good combo!

This is where you can all help too.  Perhaps you run classes or courses and would like to be featured in Workshop Wednesday. Or maybe you have been on a fantastic course and would like to share it here? Whilst I write about courses I find or maybe even attend, (oh to have the time to take a screen printing class), I think it will be great for you all to be involved too.  So please do get in touch, my email is inspireddeco@gmail.com.  I shall look forward to hearing from you.

Have a lovely day
Zoe
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Inspired Decoration on Etsy

Hello, I hope you all had a fab weekend and managed to get outside and enjoy some sunshine.  We certainly did with lots of gardening, cleaning cars and a trip to Rendlesham Forest.  Today I am very excited to finally share with you all a new venture for me.....Inspired Decoration now has an Esty shop!

Inspired Decoration on Etsy

I know it seems a little empty at the moment, but fear not, I have plans.  This shop will be me indulging in  my love of haberdashery and I will also be adding crafty kits that I have designed aswell as embroidery patterns and kits.  For the past few months this idea has been whispering to me but I just felt like I couldn't do it, not now, not when I'm studying.  But the idea just wouldn't go away so I started taking it a little more seriously, looking into suppliers, planning kits and curating packs.  Suddenly I realised I could do this, in between everything else I can do this! As many of you will know I love curating things, I love making things and love sharing ideas for making things.  This shop is me, pure and simple, no frilly packaging, although my parcels will be pretty.

So the next few weeks, months, years, will be busy as I add to stock in the shop and build this blog, alongside everything else, but do you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way!

Have a lovely afternoon,
Zoe
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DIY Fabric Frame

Morning! It's Friday and we've made it through another week.  It's certainly been a busy one here.  I've busily been working on something in between being mummy and keeping the children amused as the weather has thwarted many plans for the school holidays.  But I am hoping by Monday I will be ready to share an exciting new venture for Inspired Decoration. Perhaps you have seen some sneaky peeks from me on Twitter or Instagram this week? Right back to this mornings post!  As it's Friday I wanted to share an idea for a diy project for you to try this weekend.  Maybe you will be spending the weekend trawling charity shops, flea markets or auctions and come across some sturdy picture or mirror frames but want an interesting way of upcycling them.  Well how about using some of your fabric scraps stash to adorn your frames?  This fab tutorial to make a fabric covered frame from Moda Bake Shop has all the details of how to do this.

Fabric Frame Tutorial on Moda Bake Shop

Be sure to share your projects with me as it's great to see people trying out the diy ideas I've shared here.
Have a fab weekend,
Zoe
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Crafting Kits for Children

Hello again, I hope you are all enjoying the school holidays. Kitty and Amber have braved the windy cold garden to practice roller skating again, having customised their retro style skates earlier with fabric glue and sequins! I have always encouraged my children to be creative and reguarly have crafty afternoons with my three daughters.  Sadly my sons are no longer interested in glue and paint, but are great at helping in the garden.  A few years ago I ran and taught craft sessions for preschoolers and then for children aged 3-11 in the school holidays.  I always loved planning these as much as running them and spent hours cutting out templates for some of the activities.  Perhaps you are not lucky enough to have sessions like these near to you or actually just want to stay cosy indoors making and creating with your children.  There are many tutorials available on the internet for childrens crafts but today I wanted to share some crafty kits for children.   The ones I have chosen are probably aimed at older children rather than preschoolers, that allow them to practice sewing.

1. Paper & Stitch  2. Gemima Craft Kits  3. Sparks Living 

4. Clothkits  5. Cupcakes For Clara  6. Sophie Tilley Designs

7. Kitty Kay  8. Sock Creatures 9. Random Nicole

This is just a tiny selection but I am sure will inspire your children to get sewing and making.  Be sure to share photos of any items stitched and sewn by your children with me on Twitter or Instagram.

Have fun

Zoe

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Mollie Makes Handmade Wedding

Hello lovelies, I hope you have all had a fab Easter and got to indulge in some delicious food, family time and maybe even some crafting too.  We made some very cute easter egg garlands from card, tissue paper and pens, which I have shared on Instagram over the weekend. They were very easy to make and it was really fun to sit with my daughters and get creative.  Also over the weekend I was very excited by an email from the lovely Mollie Makes team about their latest publication, Mollie Makes Handmade Wedding.  I have sat and looked at the preview available here on Issuu and cannot wait for the printed edition be available on 4 April, just three more sleeps!  I was also thrilled to see a very dear friends wedding featured.  Emily Quinton of The Start Up Wife is a very talented lady, busy juggling a young family, teaching photography courses, writing a gorgeous blog and expectantly awaiting the arrival of baby number four any day now.  Her wedding was full of many handmade features and I look forward to reading the full feature later this week.

So if you are busily planning your wedding or helping your sister or best friend I am sure this magazine will be a very welcome addition to your plans.  Personal touches and beautiful handmade creations really do make your day extra special, quirky favours or decorations created by you and your family and friends will make it truly a day to remember. 

Enjoy the rest of the bank holiday weekend.

Zoe

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