Wonderfully feminine jewellery

All Beth Quinn Designs. Check her inspirational charms, too! I love her work!

Home-office organiser

Clever, compact and customizable. Daily System from Pottery Barn Via Unclutterer.

Cute as an owl

From Buttercup.
(Couldn't resist to this name:"Cuff for a Cloudy Day". Check it out here)

Blogger of the day and an eco-trip

Today's Blogger blog of note is Betz White.

I wondered where I had come across her before when I rememebered that she is the author of Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials, with beautiful, fun to do, eco-conscious projects.
What a lovely, peaceful place! A very well designed, easy to the eye blog and website.

Apart from the beautiful pictures and kind wording, Betz is generously offering a lot of useful tutorials including the one below on making a neck pillow out of a pair of sweat pants.

I think I shall have to try this one asap. We have a big road trip coming up this week! I shall let you know about this later. Hint: It is very exciting, believe me, and very eco-conscious, and it involves making something big!

Tablescapes

I love those summery country ideas! What I love most? The combination of delicate beauty and pleasurable informality.




(Tablecloth and napkins fabric by Designers Guild, available from The Happy Turtle upon request. Pictures Country Living).

AD Viewer’s Choice

Architectural Digest, the leader in stylish, international, upscale living, is hosting its first-ever online design contest. I appreciate the plethora of styles and choices. These are my favorite designs.

Cosy and welcoming.

Chic and upscale.
Cheerful and elegant.



Original and fun.
Artisitc and special.




All different, all interesting. Cast your votes here. The winner of AD Viewer's Choice will be announced on July 31.

Top 100 blogs

Twitter is publishing the top 100 among the highest authority tweeting blogs. Here are the ones I follow:
#1 Huffington Post
#14 Seth Godin
#21 Treehugger
#26 The White House
#39 The Pioneer Woman


#58 Apartment Therapy
#66 Zen Habits
#69 The Sartorialist



You may also follow this blog on Twitter here.

Hampton Court Flower Show 2009

What would dear England be without the love of flowers and the spectacular flower shows?


I miss them so much that I took a trip to the most famous ones running this year, with pictures of the most beautiful flowers, gardens and arrangements, and I am sharing them with you, dear friends. Enjoy!


The Chelsea.

From The Old Walled Garden, rare plant nursery.

South African Disas from Dave Parkinson for disa plants.

I like the posters, too. So very now, in their own ways!
To enjoy more beauty (be warned, you will be surfing for long!)visit the RHS website.

Martha Stewart stenciled pillows

I like the colors and patterns in this bedroom.

Here is the "how to" from Martha Stewart.

Tools and Materials

2 copies of template
2 sheets of 11-by-17-inch waterproof paper
Drafting tape
Cutting mat
Craft knife
Japanese hole punch
Pillowcases
Small sheet of glass (palette)
Palette knife
5 to 7 ounces water-based permanent textile paint in white, black, pink, and orange
Natural sea sponges
Colorless extender

To Create Stencils
1. Affix each template to a sheet of waterproof paper; secure with drafting tape to cutting mat.

2. On first template, cut out large circles and V-shaped notches with craft knife. On second template, cut out leaves with craft knife, and use Japanese hole punch (with attachments for different-size perforations) to punch graduated dots.

3. Remove templates, and discard; the waterproof paper will serve as the stencils.

To Stencil White Pattern
1. Affix pillowcase to a flat, covered surface using drafting tape. Lay stencil with circles and notches on the upper-right corner of pillowcase; secure with tape.

2. Prepare palette with white paint. Use a sponge to apply paint to stencil. Let dry 3 minutes.

3. Shift stencil to the left until only a few painted designs register in the far-right holes. Paint as in step 2.

4. Repeat until front of pillowcase is complete.

To Stencil Black Pattern
Prepare palette with black paint. Lay stencil with leaves and graduated dots over painted white design, so leaves cover white circles. Use another sponge to apply paint to stencil.

Let dry 3 minutes. Shift stencil, and repeat until front of pillowcase is complete.

To Stencil Pink Pattern
Prepare palette: Mix 1 part pink paint (we blended in a touch of orange for vibrancy) and 3 parts colorless extender. Align stencil with circles and notches over white design, then shift stencil slightly for an off-register look. Use a new sponge to apply paint to stencil.

Let dry 3 minutes. Shift stencil, and repeat until front of pillowcase is complete.

Sources
Japanese paper screw punch with 3 mm tip, $44, plus 1 to 5 mm tips, from $7.60 each, nycentralart.com

Colorless extender, $7.59 for 8 ounces, by Jacquard, dharmatrading.com

When stenciling, pat the sponge in a dab of paint, and blot excess on the palette. Then apply paint in thin coats, taking care that it doesn't drip or pool, until the area is covered. If a design requires several colors, use a separate sponge for each. You may opt to adjust a paint's transparency or mix hues.

When using thin fabrics, insert a piece of waxed paper inside the pillowcase before stenciling. The completed projects can be washed and steamed or ironed.

Inspiration Monday I

New week inspiration from Poppytalk Handmade. Can you see a pattern there?

Bathroom Ideas

Add shelving to your powder room to hold pretty toiletries. Remove the back of an old wine crate or wooden box. Make shelves to fit inside the box, then add a bit of glamour by fastening a gilded frame onto the front of the unit. For an antique finish, spray-paint with Krylon Crystal Color.

(From Country Living)