I am loving...

You know when you really love something and you just want to share it with people...well I thought I would do that with some of my favourite things right now!

1. Grey's Anatomy - My Mum and I are currently working our way through this medical drama and are laughing and crying frequently! We are at the end of season 5 (so no spoilers people!) and if you like good drama set to a great soundtrack with great characters that you can get behind, I really recommend this series!

source

2. Hot Crush Cards - These are hilarious! I have already bought this one for my friend Tori (they make a great 'just because' card). There are cards for several different celebrities and are really great friendship cards. They are 40% off at paperchase which makes them a steal at just £1.40! (July 2013)

source

3. Starting a new chapter in my life with a new organiser. I am a sucker for organisational things and I remember when I got a job at 16 I went out and bought my first diary. It was tiny and I covered it with sweet stickers (literally they were candy canes and other sweets!). It was big enough to fit one activity per day but at this point in my life it did a fine job. When I started university I bought photo diaries which had more room in them and were a little more grown-up looking. And now I am graduating, I am heading towards the real word so I decided it is definitely time for a grown-up organiser, with dividers and space for addresses and notes. I found this organiser from paperchase and it was perfect - like a filofax, you can personalise it by adding inserts for sections you want/need! Perfect for organising my new life!

(Note- I am not paid by paperchase to endorse their products. It just happens to be one of my all time favourite shops!)

source

4. Daily Odd Compliment on Tumblr - because some of these priceless and will be making their way to my best friends very soon!

source

5. Bargain-Bin-Fabric - We went to Ikea on Thursday to start shopping for my flat and, of course, we paid a visit to the bargain corner. I love this fabric that I think was a display curtain previously. It only cost £1 and I am excited to come up with something to make with it!

What are you loving right now?

Love Rebecca

Blog Love: Made With Hugs and Kisses

You know when you stumble across a blog and fall in love...almost instantly...well I did that and I wanted to share with you one of my favourite new blogs...Made With Hugs and Kisses.

Made With Hugs and Kisses (great name right?) is written by the lovely Hannah who is almost finished with her teaching degree. She is a self-taught dress maker and sews beautiful garments like this gorgeous dress - you should definitely hop over and check this post out - you will never believe where she sourced the fabric from!

Not only does Hannah share her creations but her series I Spy With My Sewing Eye is one of my favourite things to catch up on. She features creations from loads of great blogs and this is a great source of inspiration.

And...she has started a new series called Spring Clean Your Sewing Space - I am looking forward to reading the guest posts over the next month and pick up some handy hints!

This last month I was a blog angel for Hannah, and I must confess I struggled thinking of things to do this month without blowing the secret...I loved reading her posts so tried to comment regularly, I followed Made With Hugs and Kisses so I wouldn't miss post and I pinned some of my favourite creations she has shared. 

I really wanted to do a massive shout and point you all in the direction of this fabulous blog, so hopefully, today's post has managed to do that. Now I am off to write Hannah a lovely email, come out of the blog-angel closet and hopefully get to know her a little better!

Happy Angelling!

Love Rebecca

Mid Way Blog Angel Post (a little late)

Well, its been pretty quiet here at Heron's Crafts for the past week, it wasn't planned but just kind of happened! But in my time away I completed my first version of my Dissertation (ready for supervisor's verdict), hung out with my family and did some sewing as well.

I looked at the calendar today and realised that I missed the midway Blog Angel post. So I am going to catch up now! 

I have really enjoyed reading and trying to support a new blog this month. What have I been doing?

Commenting on posts

Following on different media

And for the rest of the month I plan to really step it up a notch and try to get to know my blogger!

Hope you are all well, I will be posting again this week, I didn't mean to take such a break but I definitely needed it!

Love Rebecca

Different Ways to Follow Heron's Crafts

As I am sure you are now aware, Google is discontinuing Google Reader this summer and at some point GFC as well. I love all of my readers and would hate to lose you!
If you want to follow via BlogLovin then please click on the link below...

BlogLovin

Alternatively, to stay up to date with Heron's Crafts, there are a few other ways that you can follow...

(just click on the link below)

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

(or by email - click the envelope symbol below)

Have a great day!

Love Rebecca

Featured at She Can Sew

I am so excited that today my tutorial for a Freezer Paper Stencilled Lunchbag has been featured over at She Can Sew. If you haven't visited the gorgeous website I recommend you do - there are some fabulous tutorials featured!

Have a great weekend!

Love Rebecca

Blog Angel Reveal

Unbelievably, February has ended and so too has my time being a Blog Angel. I really love being part of Rosie's fantastic project because I like trying to get to know a blogger and supporting her in any way I can.

I found it tricky when I first started 'angeling' to know what to do, but this month I found it easier. I have been...

Commenting on blog posts

Following by various methods

Tweeting about giveaways

I also decided to send some snail mail because everyone loves post right?
(see below for more!)

So,without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Holly from Sunshine State of Mind.

Holly is UK born, living in Orlando with her husband and adorable daughter. She is a photographer and blogs about her life.

I have really enjoyed getting to know Holly and love reading her blog.

***Update - looks like the parcel has arrived now so I will tell you what I did! Basically I attempted to ask slyly (and probably failed) to find out if there was anything from the UK that Holly missed. Well she said exactly what I would have said - Cadbury's Chocolate - so I found a cute card, gathered some chocolate and shipped it off, hoping to brighten Holly's day!***

I hope you had a good Blog Angel experience and if you weren't involved this month, why not join up next time round?



Love Rebecca

Blog Angels - Half way post

Have you heard of the Blog Angels project run by the lovely Rosie over at Craftbotic? It is such a fantastic project and a great way to encourage us to connect more with each other around the blogosphere!

This is my half way link up and as much as I want to, I cannot reveal who I have been an angel for just yet. But I can fill you in on what I have been up to in my efforts to be angelic!

So far this month I have been doing the following...

1. Following my blogger via GFC and Twitter
2. Commenting on posts
3. Trying to get to know my blogger

I really love the blog and feel like we have a lot in common!

Over the next couple of weeks I would like to try and get to know my blogger a bit more and maybe even send a snail mail surprise her way because we all like getting surprise post right?!

I am looking forward to seeing how the other angels have been being angelic and maybe get some ideas!

Do you like the sound of this fantastic project? Why not join in April?

Have a great weekend

Love Rebecca

Amazing Jumbo Blueberry Muffins

If your mouth isn't watering having seen this picture then who are you? 

And this picture doesn't even do these muffins justice - they were HUGE! 

I am completely in love with Sally's Baking Addiction - her blog is full of heavenly recipes accompanied by pictures that make me want to run to the shop to get ingredients even if it is 6.30am!

I decided to go all out for these jumbo blueberry muffins and bought myself a jumbo muffin tin for the occasion - I was so glad I did - they are epic! I served them for my Dad's birthday breakfast with a fresh fruit salad - my Dad declared it was the best breakfast I had made him - high praise! 

Sally herself is absolutely lovely and always takes time to answer my e-mails which I love! So if the sound of these muffins has tempted you ... be sure to head on over and check out her other completely awesome recipes!

Love Rebecca

Top 10 posts of 2012

This is my second end of year since I started Heron's Crafts, but last year I didn't feel I had enough content to write a top 10 post. However, this year I am delighted to say I do so I am jumping on this bandwagon and sharing my top 10 posts of the year!

I love looking at the round up of posts from the year that people post around this time - there is so much talent and creativity, and it is great to be reminded of some of my favourite projects and some that I missed first time round! I am sharing my posts in terms of the most page views! 

At #10... No Oven No Problem - a round up of great slowcooker meals we tried out when our kitchen was being redone!

from American Family

# 9 - Step by Step guide for designing an embroidered cushion.

I shared my cushion previously and got several requests for a tutorial, so, happy to oblige, I produced this post.

Number 8 - Hunger Games Cake Pops -These were made in celebration of the movie release!

Number 7 - Just in Case Pouch - one of my personal favourites, post includes full tutorial!

Number 6 - Olympic Friendship Bracelets, from my London 2012 series

Number 5 - Jacket Cushion Tutorial - My Glee Warbler's cushion was the first project I ever posted on Heron's Crafts and in January I produced a tutorial for it, along with a Harry Potter School Uniform cushion

Number 4 - Macarons - my first, and I have to admit only attempt at making this tricky sweet treat, I really must give it another go sometime

Number 3 - Olympic Ring Cake Pops - these were so much fun to make (mainly because me and my housemate got rather hyper on sugar and had a laugh!)

Number 2 - Olympic Keyrings

And...drumroll please...Number 1 - Friendship Bracelet Tutorial!

So there you have it...my top 10 posts of  2012

I cannot wait for 2013, and another year of blogging!

Love Rebecca

Joining the World of Facebook

This week I have been inspired by the lovely Rosie over at Craftbotic to start a Facebook page for my blog and join in her fabulous Facebook Follow Fest!

Rosie also featured a great tutorial this week on how to make a simple Facebook header - this was perfect! It literally took me less than 5 minutes with Rosie's help!

I would love for you to visit me in my new Facebook home and say hi!

And while your at it, why not join in Rosie's Facebook Follow Fest!

Are you ready for the weekend? I wish I could tell you about all the interesting things I am up to but I am off to the library. Again.

Hopefully your weekend will be better than mine!

I would love to hear what you have for planned!

Love Rebecca

October Round Up

Here we are again at the beginning of another month! It is now 10 months since I started my 2012 goals and I am pleased that I am making progress!

October's been pretty hectic getting back into University work and life in York - had a couple of 7am library stints to try and get my work done - I have this thing where I really struggle to work after dinner but if I wake up at 6am I can get a couple of hours of reading in before my 9am seminar - I get some strange looks but it works for me!

So...how did I do last month?

1. Learn to crochet and crochet some Christmas Decorations for next year

I joined my university's knitting society and someone taught me how to crochet! I am not great but I managed to produce a granny square. Don't laugh! It was my first attempt!

2. Run 6 miles

3. Read 25  50 books

source

I really enjoyed reading this month. However, the first book seemed to take me ages and I wasn't overly impressed with 'The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals' - even the title is a mouthful! 

Anyway, once I had plodded through that I read 'Fracture' in a day. It was of those books that really grabbed me and I had to read and read to find out what happened. Based around two teenagers, Delaney falls into a frozen a lake and is rescued her friend only to find that she has defied normality be surviving. She is drawn to those around her who are dying... I could not put this down!

After this I read 'Catcher Caught' about a teenager who is obsessed with 'The Catcher in the Rye'. When he is diagnosed with leukaemia, his parents reject chemo in the hope of more wholesome treatments. This was a really interesting book. I really enjoyed it and it was another page turner!

'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is coming into cinemas with Emma Watson and I wanted to read the book before seeing the film so I downloaded it and read it in less than a week! I really like the style of the book, written in one sided letters and am curious as to how this will translate into a movie.

Finally, I finished 'The Goddess test' last night. This book has been sat on my kindle for ages and I finally got round to reading it. I really enjoyed it! Mixing the real world with that of Greek Mythology, it truly was a page turner and the ending completely got me! You know when you read it, and then it is NOT what you expected at all so you have to go back and read it again! It was like that! Brilliant!

Also so happy having just found out that it is the first in a series...must restrain myself from downloading the others right now!

4. Cook a new recipe every week (52 in the year) including at least 25 from different countries

This has been going well this month now I am back at University!

Australian Damper Bread and Squash soup

Sweet Potato Burgers

Sweet Potato Dahl

Brazilian Panquecas

5. Continue to develop this blog - more posts, series and ideas!

This month saw me following my new blog schedule which is really working! I like sticking to a timetable as it helps me plan my posts and fit in all the work that I have to do! The Storybook Crafts Project is continuing this month and I will also be sharing some Christmas Present Ideas!

I have a lot to look forward to this month with my Birthday this weekend and starting the buildup to Christmas! 

What have you got planned for November?

Love Rebecca

New Term, New Schedule!

It has finally arrived. Tomorrow is the first day of the FINAL year of my Psychology degree! To be honest, I cannot wait until this time next year when I will (hopefully!) be starting a PGCE in Primary Education and beginning my journey to becoming a teacher (I apply on Wednesday - Fingers crossed!)

But I still have one year to get through. A year filled with a final project, essays, exams and enough reading to make my head explode!

So with all that on the go, I thought I would set a blog schedule to a) help organise the content on the blog b) help organise me! So (subject to change!) here is the blog schedule I plan to stick to over the coming months - please forgive me if I slip up here and there!

Monday - The video of the week is a new feature I am starting. Do you ever stumble across a youtube video that you absolutely love/find hilarious/cannot get enough of? Well I seem to do this all the time, one way or another and I always want to share what I find so here is my chance! Every Monday, I will share a video with you in an attempt to beat the Monday Morning Blues!

Wednesday -If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know what this is about. If not, firstly, nice to have you! Secondly, It was my News Years Resolution to try a new recipe every week and post it on the blog (25 of the recipes had to be from different countries!) so this is where I will post the recipe.

Friday - The Storybook Craft Project is in full swing and each week there will be a new project inspired by a book. I have some great guest posts lined up but if you are still interested in posting, let me know, there are still spots in November or December (email me at rj (dot) heron (at) hotmail (dot) co (dot) uk ). Also, if you have an idea of a book you would like to see featured, let me know!

Weekend - This is my chance to share with you any other crafts/recipes that I have been working on! (some may also crop up on Tuesdays/Wednesdays - but only occasionally!)

So there you have it! Hopefully this will work - I have so much I want to share with you all!

Also - I posted a sneak preview of next week's Storybook Project on Twitter...if you can't wait until Friday, check it out!

I hope that you have a great week

Love Rebecca

First Year Blogaversary

One year ago today I started Heron's Crafts on a bit of a whim - a friend told me I should and I did! And now here I am, a year later, with 178 published posts sharing my creative and culinary efforts with lovely people from all over the world! I have made some great friends and have discovered some incredibly talented people.

So, heres to another year full of craft, blogging, friends and fun!

PS. It was my Mum's Birthday on Friday hence the above cake - this was actually the third attempt - I was having major issues but my favourite standby sponge recipe from bbcgoodfood.com came to the rescue!

Also, just discovered Tagxedo - I love it and thought it would be a perfect summary of my first year in blogging!

Love Rebecca

A Week Off...

Sorry that the blog has been quieter over the summer months...I don't seemed to have stopped! Just got back from London a couple of days ago and I am off to New York in the early hours of tomorrow.

This has meant that time for blog posts has been limited which is frustrating because I have some great tutorials, recipes and projects to share with all you guys! So bear with...I will be home in a week and Heron's Crafts will be back in full swing!

Olympic Stadium, London 2012

Love you all

Rebecca

Blog Angel - the big reveal!

I just want to say thank you to Rosie and Katlyn for organising the blog angels project. I think it is a great idea and certainly encouraged me to comment and interact with fellow bloggers more.

So the big reveal...I was angel to the Jenny's blog Heavenly Blossoms where she is documenting her experiences of motherhood, army life and crafting - head on over and read her 'about me' page - I love it!
I think that due to army commitments, Jenny hasn't posted a lot this month which made angeling a little tricky! However, I enjoyed reading her past posts, leaving comments on her fabulous photos and following her on Facebook and Twitter! She really has some great posts that you should check it out!

Love Rebecca