Crafts- Sequin Baubles

This is a really simple DIY for decorating your own festive tree. It's also a great activity to do with friends if you want to huddle up indoors with some hot chocolate and keep your hands busy as you chat.


Things you will need-

• Polystyrene balls
• Small pins (approx 1.5cm in length)
• Sequins
• Thread
• Glue
• Acrylic paint or Nail polish (optional)

Both polystyrene balls and sequins are available in various different sizes so you can have small delicate decorations that provide an elegant sparkle or you can have massive baubles that scream 'I AM SHINY HEAR ME ROAR!' from the other side of the room.

I am going for a simple black and silver theme to my baubles but you can go crazy with multicoloured, hologram or layering transparent sequins over the top of coloured ones. I recommend the cupped type of sequins rather than flat ones as they curve nicely round the balls.

It doesn't matter where you start if you just want a single coloured bauble. Place a sequin against the side of the ball and push a needle through the sequin hole. Placing sequins against the ball before you pin them will mean you don't get any small gaps between the sequins which can happen if you try placing the sequins onto the pins and them inserting them into the ball. Repeat this process moving out from the first sequin. 

Keep going until your sequin is completely covered. If you don't like the effect that is created by having different coloured pins to your sequins you can dab a small amount of acrylic paint or nail polish on the heads of the pins before you start.  

For my next bauble I want to use both black and silver sequins to create the effect of silver snow sitting on top of the black bauble. I just eyeballed my pattern but if you want you can draw a snow line on your ball to use as a guide before hand. Start at the bottom with black sequins and cover the ball up to just under the halfway point. From here pick a few places to continue the black sequins up past the halfway point until you are left with only the area you want to cover in silver sequins. I recommend a wavy line as that will give the most natural look. Make sure all your black sequins are in place before you start adding silver sequins as you want the silver to be overlapping the black, not black overlapping silver. 

Now all that's left to do is add a small length of knotted thread to the top of your baubles. I find the best way to do this is to wrap it around one of the pins a few times and then add a small dab of glue over the top of that pin to hold the thread in place. Always make sure that the pin you choose has other sequins overlapping its sequin so that the weight of the bauble is shared out among several pins. This spreading out of the weight should stop the thread pin being pulled out of the polystyrene ball when it is hung up. 

That time of year again

Guess the years really do go by faster as you get older. When I wake up tomorrow morning it will be the 1st December and we all know what that means- being freezing cold, living in near constant darkness and having to listen to the same inane songs every time we step outside the house.

All grumpiness aside I normally love the winter season but this year is looking to be an exception. 2016 has been a pretty rotten year and as was evidenced only a few days ago by the passing of Ron Glass it still hasn't finished beating the stuffing out of us. Now I have definitely had worse years during my life, 2008 and 2009 were pretty horrific both in terms of the global recession and the personal consequences it had for me and my friends. I think the key difference here is that the recession didn't shock me. It was obvious that it was going to happen sooner or later because economies were growing at an unsustainable rate and a collapse was the inevitable result. But 2016 did shock me. People are so much more racist, sexist and homophobic than I thought possible in this day and age and it has shocked me to my core. This year we have witnessed society regressing backwards and it has pretty much killed my seasonal goodwill toward others.

As such although I will be doing a number of seasonal themed crafting posts I will not be doing a month long post-a-day Christmas/Mid-Winter special like I did with Halloween. My heart simply would not be in it and I think it would be obvious that I was half-arsing my way through it. That being said if there are any specific crafty things you would like to see a tutorial for please comment below and I will do my best to include them in my schedule.

Wishing you all the best of luck in the cold weather ahead. Be good to each other and look after your elderly.

Jewellery Showcase- Butterfly Pendant

Now available in my Etsy shop- Lost in the Day

Crafts- Earring Holder

This holder can be used to display your favourite earrings.

Things you will need-

• Wooden ice cream sticks (9)
• Glue
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Varnish (optional)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Craft knife

This is another super easy project, you can either buy some new ice cream sticks (available from craft stores) or save up and wash sticks from ice creams you eat. 

Lay out your ice cream sticks in the same pattern as in the photo below. You want two vertical sticks at the back with five horizontal sticks laid down over the top of them. Once you are happy with the configuration glue the sticks in place.

Using your ruler and pencil measure out and mark the midpoint of one of the remaining sticks. Carefully cut the stick in half using a craft knife. If you don't feel comfortable using a craft knife for this a very strong pair of scissors should also work.

Place the remaining two sticks in the same pattern as the photo below and glue them in place. This forms the back support piece. 

Once the front and back pieces are dry you can then paint them. I watered down my acrylic paint so that I would be staining the wood rather than coating it completely and covering up the wood texture. When the paint is fully dry you can then glue the back and front pieces together at a roughly 70-80 degree angle depending on which position you prefer. To hold the structure in place while the glue is drying you can use objects such as glass jars or tea mugs to prop it up in place. 

Once the glue is fully dry you can then varnish your earring holder if you want. I haven't bothered doing this with mine as it isn't going to take much abuse being a stationary display object. You could also use this holder to hang bracelets over the top or if you vary the design and remove the top horizontal ice cream stick you can stack rings on the vertical sticks on either side of the top of the holder.

All of the above earrings are available in my Etsy shop- LostintheDay

Crafts- Dragon Eyes

These glass eyes can be used to make your own jewellery or for customising trinket boxes, photo frames or anything else you want to add a unique element to.

Things you will need-

• Glass beads
• Acrylic paint (or nail polish)
• Thin paintbrush 

As with all glass projects first make sure that your glass beads are clean and grease free otherwise the paint won't stick to them properly. Start by painting on the pupil using black paint on the back of the glass bead. 

The pupil can be any size or shape you want. Circular pupils will make the eyes look more friendly whereas slit pupils will give a more intimidating appearance. 

Once the pupil is dry you can then paint in the iris. You can use different techniques to get different appearances. Remember that when painting these eyes the first layers you put down will remain visible from the front of the eye. 

Eye 1

This effect is achieved by using a single colour of paint. I used a metallic paint to gain a shimmery effect when the light hits the eye.

Eye 2

First dab on a thin layer of darker paint, make sure that this layer is thin enough to be transparent in places so that the second layer of paint can show through. Once the first paint layer is dry you can then coat the glass bead with a paler or contrasting colour. 

Eye 3

Apply a very thin transparent layer of of metallic paint to the whole eye. This will result in a subtle shimmer effect when it is hit by the light. Once that layer is dry spot on dots of brown paint and allow to dry. Then dab on some strokes of yellow paint and again allow to dry fully before coating the whole eye with a layer of red paint. 

Eye 4 

Start painting at the pupil with pale or bright colours and work outwards to darker colours around the rim of the iris. For this eye I used bright green, yellow and dark green. 

If at any point you make a mistake or don't like how your eye looks you can wipe the paint off while it's still wet of scratch it off with a pin or your fingernail when it is dry. 

Lifestyle- Pocket Dragons

These adorable little creatures were a gift from my Nanny well over ten years ago. They currently live in my craft room window where they get to enjoy views of the magnolia tree out of the window and views of my 'concentration face' as I work across the desk.

I absolutely love dragons and these were the first that I got given. Now I have collections of dragons of all shapes, sizes, colours and temperaments in almost every room of the house. 

Sadly I'm not sure that Real Musgrave is creating new Pocket Dragons these days as whenever I search for them they just seem to be second hand ones on ebay. And there's nothing wrong with getting these cute little critters second hand but it is a shame that there don't appear to be any new designs available. 

Jewellery Showcase- Black Rose Pendant

It's been a little while since I made any new jewellery as I have been focusing on our new doggy. But she is now settled in enough that she is happy to play with her toys in the hallway while I work on some new things.

This pendant is now available in my Etsy shop- Black-rose-pendant

Crafts- Apple Roses

This year we've gotten a really good crop of apples from our tree. Last year we got crate upon crate of tiny sour little things, most of which ended up going to our friends to make cider so we're thrilled to have plenty of edible ones this time round.

This pile is only about a quarter of what came off the tree. Apples that were heavily bruised or had already been partially eaten by birds or bugs went straight to the chickens. Some of our apples have already been chopped up and put in the freezer for making pies and crumbles throughout the year and some have been pickled in some leftover pickle juice we had.

I wanted to use some to make a batch of apple roses. I'd actually never heard of apple roses before yesterday but my partner thought they looked delicious and they are all over the internet so I thought I'd make him some as a surprise.

Things you will need-

• Apples (x6 small-medium size)
• Plain flour (225g)
• Butter (100g for pastry & 50g for syrup)
• Water (4 tablespoons for pastry & 2 tablespoons for syrup)
• Cinnamon or Mixed Spices
• Sugar (100g)
• Knife
• Mixing bowl
• Pan or double boiler 
• Muffin/cup cake baking tray
• Rolling pin

If you really don't want to make your own pastry you can buy ready made stuff instead but it's so simple to make you might as well save yourself some money and make it from scratch. First dice up the butter into a mixing bowl and add the flour.

Using your hands rub the ingredients together until the mixture becomes crumbly. Then add the water and knead it all together. Place the pastry into the fridge to chill while you work on the apples. 

Core your apples. If you don't have an apple corer you can slice the apples into quarters and cut out the core instead. Next slice your apples as per the photo below. 

Place your sugar and remaining butter and water into a pan and heat until it is all melted. Be careful not to burn the sugar when you do this. Now you can either add your spices to the syrup mix or you can sprinkle the spices on top of the apples. I decided to mix mine in. Add the apple slices to the syrup and stir it thoroughly but carefully to ensure all the slices are coated properly. Let it simmer gently for 5 minutes to soften up the apple slices.

Set aside the apple slices to cool and take your pastry out of the fridge. Roll out a thin sheet of pastry and cut out circles to fit the base and sides of each cup cake slot in your baking tray. Make sure you dust your surface with flour first or your pastry will stick to the table. 

Once your apple slices are cool lay several of them out in a line and roll them up to create a rose. This can be a bit messy due to the syrup but it will be worth it. Keep going until your rose is the correct size to fit inside the pastry cup.

Place the rolled up apple slices inside the pastry cups and put them into the oven to bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. 

If you didn't add your spices to the syrup don't forget to sprinkle them over your apple roses once they are baked. 

Crafts- Wardrobe Sachets

This one is a simple project that's great to get started on if you don't have much experience with sewing.

Things you will need-

• Fabric of your choosing (make sure it's breathable so that the scent can escape)
• A needle and thread or a sewing machine
• A ruler
• Tailor's chalk or a pen to mark your material
• Pins
• Scissors
• Ribbon or other drawstring
• Extra ribbon, lace or buttons for embellishment (optional)
• Smelly stuff, ie: dried lavender, cloves, rose petals, etc

I've chosen a black and silver spiderweb netting material for this. I will also be hand stitching rather than using a sewing machine as it's a small project so it won't take long.

Lay out your material flat so that the right side of the fabric is face down, if it's creased you may want to iron it first to smooth out any wrinkles. Using your chalk and ruler draw out a template for the sachet. I have drawn a rectangle that is 30cm by 7cm. The template will be folded in half before sewing so a 30cm long template will become a 15cm long sachet. There will also be a 1cm seam allowance on each side so a 7cm wide template creates a 5cm wide sachet. After you have drawn out your template carefully cut out your rectangle of fabric.

Fold over a 1cm seam along the two 7cm wide edges and pin in place. Double up your thread and tie a triple knot in the end. If you are using a netted fabric like I am you will need to push the needle through the fabric and then loop it between your two strands of thread as per the photo below. When you pull the thread tight the knot will be kept in place by the thread and won't be pulled through the netting.

Use a simple running stitch to secure the seams. This is done by weaving the needle in and out of the fabric and then pulling the thread through.

Fold the fabric in half with your newly stitched seams facing outwards. Make sure your edges match up evenly and pin the fabric in place to stop it moving about as you sew. Starting at the top end of your sachet work your way down one side using the same running stitch as before. Tie a secure knot in the end of the thread once you get to the bottom of the sachet, then stitch down the other side starting at the top edge again and working your way down. Starting at the top on both sides will help prevent your fabric becoming skewed as you sew.

Tie a secure knot in the end of your thread and then turn the sachet right way out so that all the seams are hidden inside. Now loosely weave through a piece of thin ribbon or decorative cord for the drawstring roughly 2cm down from the top edge.

If this sachet is to go inside a chest of drawers then congratulations, you are finished. Fill the sachet with smelly stuff and tie the ribbon in a bow.

If you want this sachet to hang up in the wardrobe then we just need to thread one last piece of ribbon through the back for it to hang from.

These sachets also make great gifts if you want to DIY your xmas presents. 

Lifestyle- Meet the Chickens

We've had our 4 lovely chickens for a little over a year now. These rescue hens were adopted through the British Hen Welfare Trust, a charity that re-homes thousands of ex-battery hens every year in the UK. When battery hens reach the age of 18 months old they are usually slaughtered because they are no longer deemed profitable. Chickens generally live for about 8-9 years though some reach the grand old age of 10-11, so the fact that they are killed at 18 months is pretty horrifying. But what's even more horrifying is the way they are treated on the farms.

When they first came home they looked like this-

Pretty awful right? Many chickens in the Egg Production Industry are either 'Barn' or 'Enriched Cage' hens and as you can see from the photo the conditions they are kept in are far from healthy. The only thing that will improve welfare standards for industry hens is constant pressure from consumers to force both supermarkets and their suppliers to change their ways for the better.

These four hens are now in a much better place, both literally and metaphorically. They've grown back their feathers, their beaks are no longer crooked, their combs are bright red and their claws are short and sharp. They get to go outside every day in the fresh air and love to eat slugs and dandelion leaves. They also have awesome names- Margo, Edith, Ages and Gru!

Sadly though many hundreds of thousands of chickens are still being kept in terrible and inhumane conditions before their lives are ended prematurely. Please help make life better for chickens by checking how your eggs are produced and only supporting farms with free range hens. 

The American Election

Today's blog post is a little different because I feel I need to address what has just happened in America and how this affects us all. It seems Donald Trump is going to be the next President of the United States. I thought things had hit rock bottom when Britain voted to leave the EU, but I was wrong. I had so hoped that all those racist, sexist, awful people on TV were just a tiny minority with very loud voices. How wrong I was.

Today hatred won. Today racism won. Today religious intolerance won. Today sexism won.

My partner stayed up all night to watch the results come in and when he finally came to bed at 8am this morning he broke the bad news to me. Since then I have spent most of the day giving in to despair. If in 2016 a vile person like Trump can win an election what hope is there for the human race? Has society truly not made any progress since 1945? How can such views still be acceptable in modern society?

I am not ashamed to admit I am scared. I do not live in America but the actions of people in such a powerful country will undoubtedly affect other countries. I have Muslim friends. I have gay, lesbian and bi-sexual friends. I have transgender friends. I have friends whose skin tone is not a gleaming white. And I have friends who are women. These friends are good people. People who deserve the basic rights straight white males try to deny them. This morning I was filled with despair. This evening I am filled with rage. As a woman I know all too well what it is like to fight a never ending up hill battle. I have had to work twice as hard as any man just to be seen as half as good. I have suffered through discrimination, bullying, harassment and assault. I have been told repeatedly that as a woman I should expect and accept such treatment. And I am tired. Having to fight constantly is exhausting and this morning I was ready to give up. But then I saw a headline, one among many terrible headlines today. And that headline was about the terror that American Muslims are currently feeling. And I thought of my own Muslim friends. Hard working and kind Muslim friends. Muslim friends who are intelligent and work as doctors saving lives in our NHS hospitals. And the thought of those friends being too scared to leave their homes filled me with a renewed energy. That energy might be in the form of rage, something that's generally considered a negative emotion, but right now that rage is what I need to keep going. That rage will keep me fighting. I will fight for my friends and I won't give in to despair.

To all the haters out there you haven't beaten me yet. Yes I am scared. I am scared for the people I love as well as for myself. I am sure that with Trump's victory there will be men who renew their efforts to harass and assault women. I am sure that white supremacists will attack ethnic minorities. But that fear won't stop me from fighting for what is right. To the people out their being denied their basic human rights please don't stop fighting. I know it is hard and I know it is tiring. But your lives are worth fighting for. Don't give up. xxx

Lifestyle- Vivarium Skull

I got this amazing super large skull from one of my friends (no idea where they got it from but it was cluttering up their house) and thought it would be badass inside one of my snake vivariums.

The skull is made from polystyrene so is non-toxic to snakes and it's hollow so will provide a nice new hiding space. My partner did suggest that I cut out holes in the eye sockets so that the snakes could crawl through but I think they would prefer solid eye sockets so that the hiding places feels more secure. There is a little bit of damage to the front teeth but I got given this for free so I'm not about to moan that it's seen better days.

I put my fist into the eye socket to illustrate just how huge this skull really is. If anyone knows where these skulls are available from please leave a comment so that I can let others know where they can buy them.

Make Up- Carnival by Seventeen

I love nail polish but I hardly ever wear it, my day to day grind of activities means that any polish I can afford gets chipped, scratched or dented within a few hours and it just isn't worth the bother. However last month one of my friends recommended that I try out some of the Carnival range of nail polishes by Seventeen at Boots.

This shade is called Deep Red Sparkle, it comes in a 10ml bottle and costs £1.99. My first impression is fairly positive, I've had it on my nails for 24 hours and so far it has not chipped though I do seem to have a scratch on one of my nails, but that's still a lot better than my old polish!

The polish doesn't actually 'sparkle' as advertised which is disappointing as it looks more shimmery and glittery in the bottle than it does on my nails.