A Crafternoon at Hotter with Create and Craft TV

If you've known me a while or have followed my blog you may well know that two of my greatest loves are shoes and crafts, so when Hotter invited me to a craft workshop with Create and Craft TV I instantly said yes! 

With the Mothership (AKA Mum) as my plus one, we trotted on down to Hotter in Queensgate, Peterborough and were greeted by the wonderful Hotter team and introduced to crafter and presenter Mel Heaton plus the team behind Create and Craft TV.

The evening started off with bucks fizz and delicious nibbles followed by a talk on shoes from the Hotter team, explaining how comfortable and well made their shoes really are. Lots of styles were passed around from the Savannah sandals to the Hattie wedges to be oohed and arred at as well as the materials they use to give their shoes that comfort concept. Mum has always been an avid Clarks enthusiast but by the end she turned to me and said "why haven't I been here before?"

Then came the crafting… We were each given tools and various sizes of patterned paper to work with which Mel revealed were going to create a 3D gift tag. When I first looked at the vintage inspired tag my first thoughts were “ooh this is pretty” followed by “this looks hard!” but with the instructions from Mel, everything slowly started to come together to make a really effectively and beautiful gift tag. I got the chance to chat with Mel whilst crafting away and she admitted she was never particularly artistic at school but loves to make things, which just goes to show that anyone can have a go!

The tools we used were the floral crafters tool set from Tonic which I'd never come across and initially thought they could be giant nail art tools! Thankfully with a demo from Mel we were shown how to use them on the foam pad (which comes with the kit) to manipulate our circular card pieces into 3D petals and leaves. 

To add to the 3D effect of the paper layers, we went round the very edge of each piece with a foam pad dipped in ink. This really emphasised the edges and helped them to stand out from one another- something I would never have thought to do.  

To form the flower centres we cut some of the circular paper into spirals and rolled them up into the centre, securing with glue. We then used the tweezers in the tool set to hold them securely in place whilst they dried. This again was another little trick I picked up for future use.

During the workshop the Create and Craft TV team were snapping away with cameras (which made me glad I’d done a manicure) and asked me to say a few words for the camera. It’s so bizarre being filmed by someone else when you’re used to filming for yourself; editing out the parts you mess up/ don’t like but here’s how I got on and surprisingly for myself, I don’t think I did too bad! (I'll insert the footage or link to it once it's live.)

When the workshop had finished, the final result was a beautiful gift tag which when broken down into stages was quite simple and fun to do. Everybody’s was slightly different due to the way each individual folded, cut and manipulated the paper, giving a unique twist to everyone’s work. I thoroughly enjoyed the craft workshop, picking up lots of new tips and tricks as well as feeling inspired to create more paper crafts in the future. Watch this space!

Feeling rather pleased with ourselves, Mum and I had one last look at the shoes with Mum having her first Hotter moment! She chose the Tone shoes which of course are comfy and perfect for nurses. With nursing and being on her feet constantly, she found her perfect pair for comfort and stability.

All in all I had another fantastic evening at the Hotter store in Queensgate. (If you want to read about the first event click here. ) Both myself and Mum thoroughly enjoyed the craft workshop, both feeling inspired to create and craft more at home and to watch the Create and Craft TV channel which is on freeview channel 36. As always the Hotter team were also fantastic and I can’t wait get my hands on their upcoming autumn winter collection!

Once again I vlogged the event, this time with the help of Mothership so click the video below:

See you all again on Friday!

Updated Room Tour

So today I thought I'd let you have a nosey around my bedroom. I personally love watching these videos a) because I'm nosey and b) they give me ideas and inspiration on storage and decor etc. I did my first ever room tour video back in 2012 which I've also linked down below in case you're interested. I've since moved but you may notice things from my first tour in the second video.

My updated room tour:

My first room tour: (I say casual far too many times in this, it makes me cringe watching it back!)

Do you love your bedroom?

Running Race 4 Life - Tips from a marathon runner #high5wave

In 12 days time the 5k and 10k Race for Life event will be happening in Cambridge. Hundreds of women will be donning pink and running to help raise much needed funds to fight cancer. It's set to be a fantastic event with sponsors such as Scottish Power supporting the event with their High 5 Wave, turning 60,000 high fives into £35,000 for Cancer Research.

As the race itself is split into a 5k event and a 10k I decided to interview London Marathon 2015 runner Roger Holmes to get some tips and advice on running. If however you won't be running but want to donate, check out the end of this post for a fun photo way to get involved!

Roger has always been a keen runner, doing Cambridge and Peterborough Parkruns on a regular basis but had always wanted to run the London Marathon and follow in his mum's footsteps. His mum Gillian is also a keen runner and has completed numerous marathons over the years. I think it runs in the family, (ho ho ho I'm so very not funny.)

How did you start off your running training? Did you have a set goal per day or week?

I was doing a 5k park run every Saturday which helped. On top of that I'd try to fit in other runs as well as entering 10ks, half marathons and I even did a 20 mile race.

What mistakes can newbie runners make?

They start off on a run at a faster pace than they are used to. Also running a longer distance than they are used to too.

Why did you choose to run the London Marathon?

I'd always wanted to do it and my mum has done it several times so I wanted to follow in her footsteps so to speak!

How did you motivate yourself to push yourself?

I was doing it for charity so I didn't want to let down all my sponsors and the charity. I also wanted to complete it to say I've done it!

A lot of runners have that dreaded moment of hitting "the wall." How did you overcome that?

I just had to push on and not let everyone down that had backed me! I also wanted that medal so badly!

What inspires you as a runner?

Seeing how fast I can do a certain distance in and then seeing if I can beat it the next time. Also just getting miles on my feet and racking them up!

What advice can you give to the Race For Life runners?

Just enjoy it! Don't start off too fast at the start and pace yourself. Don't drink loads of water before the race, sip just enough. If you start feeling tired, just think of the people that have supported you and that you can't let them down.

Thank you Roger for some fantastic tips and advice on the running front. It's always good to seek advice from experienced runners.

Now, as I said earlier to you about donating via photos, you can help Scottish Power reach their high five target by adding a photo or video5 to the High 5 Wave, by liking their Facebook page, sharing a video or image, nominating a friend to high five or by getting involved with activities at their High 5 Wave marquee at the Cancer Research UK Race for Life event attended by Scottish Power in Cambridge on 19th July.

Or if you're feeling really awesome, you can run and be part of the High 5 Wave!

Are you running Race for life?

#TuscanyNominate You deserve a break…

As the title of this blog post states, you deserve a break and right now, I know someone in particular who could do with some time to breathe and relax. That person is my husband Chris.

The wonderful people over at Tuscany Now are running a Nominate to appreciate competition over on their blog to give those special people in our lives a well-deserved rest. I instantly thought of Chris, what with his hectic job within the military and the logistics of his crazy lifestyle.

With the work Chris does in the military, he forever lives out of a bag and is always on the road. In the week he works all over the country from the Isle of Sky to Devon and leaves for these places at the drop of a hat. When he’s not doing that he’s being posted to jobs in places like the Falklands, Minhad and Afghanistan for months at a time. Earlier on in January, in the middle of our house move Chris was told he was off to the Falklands- he was gone for two months. Despite all this and when he’s in the country, Chris will travel home every weekend. He takes a train from where ever he is to Cambridgeshire to spend some time at home with me and our pets. He never grumbles and just gets on with it which I find truly inspiring as well as selfless. He’s never thinking of himself, never gives himself a real rest and I think a break would do him the world of good!

In the past we've talked about visiting Tuscany and in particular Florence with its wine tours and spectacular architecture to marvel at, oh and of course food! Chris has a particular weak spot for Italian food, as do I. I would love to give him the opportunity to unwind in the quaint 18th century cottage that is Limonaia, situated on a hillside with spectacular views of the city of Florence. It'd also be great to explore Florence, tasting the local food and wine and to try out the bike tours of the city. When he has the time, Chris loves to get out and about on a bike, so this would be the perfect combination (and serious wife points!)

I know I am biased but I truly think that Chris deserves a break which is why I entered #TuscanyNominate. As I've already said he never grumbles and he always has a smile on his face but it'd be fantastic to see a true grin spread across his face if he found out he'd won a holiday. 

Regardless of winning or not, I'm so pleased I've done this post to let Chris know just how much I appreciate him. I don't think he'll ever realise quite how much.

Who would you nominate?