British Cream Tea : Delicious British Felt Food Sculpture

Walnuts...for your Stocking!

Traditionally British Christmas Stocking toes are stuffed with walnuts, satsumas, and sweets...

Cracking walnuts is a holiday tradition in many parts of Europe. The tradition of filling stocking toes with the nuts in their shells probably stems from this tradition.

Also the most famous Christmas ballet is named "The Nutcracker." It's from a German story about a nutcracker doll that comes to life and takes a girl on a fanciful adventure. Not really relevant but lovely all the same!!

The practice reminds me of my nanna who always included the traditional walnuts in our stockings...in memory of this I will, this Christmas, be stuffing my son's and family stocking toes with felt walnuts, felt satsumas and little bags of felt sweeties ;)

they are so cute...I am really pleased with how they look!!

Satsuma Stocking Filler

Traditionally British Christmas Stocking toes are stuffed with satsumas, nuts and sweets...

Whether it is because satsumas and other citrus fruits were once highly prized and expensive as they could only be grown in glasshouses in our cold climate and were extremely rare in winter...or because the satsuma represents the world and the segments each person's little portion of it...

I don't know, but both explanations are quite lovely!!

The practice reminds me of my nanna who always included the traditional satsumas in our stockings...in memory of this I will, this Christmas, be stuffing my son's and family stocking toes with felt satsumas, felt nuts (coming soon!!) and little bags of felt sweeties ;)

I tried scenting the satsuma with a little pouch of oil scented polyfil in its tummy...I have been meaning to try scented pieces for a while now so this was perfect to try out the method ;)

It even has the little green stalk on its bottom!

British Cream Tea's New Blog!!

Welcome to my new blog home!!

I am still working on it so please excuse some of the images and links...I will be fixing and prettying everything over the next few days....

I have moved all my old posts over to this new blog but the comments seem to have disappeared...never mind ;)

Enjoy!!

Another mad week!

This last week I have completed and posted a wholesale order to a new boutique in Hong Kong, completed 2 blog interviews (one complete with pictures) and been featured in 4 more, have been in 7 Etsy Treasuries and sold 17 items...and developed a felt colour chart for an upcoming customisable stick of rock idea...

*phew*

I am loving it!

I am taking a break at the end of this week to spend time with my Mum but I know deep down I will miss little online boutiques, even if it is only for two days (without a computer or internet!)

I am looking forward to helping in the garden, walking with the pram in the park and having someone to sit outside with Toby whilst I sneak into all the little second hand and charity shops in the village that I usually cannot get the pram into ;D

Plus this week I won a Cath Kidson shopping tote *squeel*

and bought myself a cream tiered cake stand for my pieces, a matching bowl for my orders ready to be posted and a brightly coloured stripey fabric box for my sewing stuff..as well as tons of pink tissue paper, pink tiny envelopes, la parfait storage jars and jam jars, all in the name of storage *double squeel*

Remembrance Sunday

Today I remember my Grandparents. My beloved Grandpa who signed up in the first week of WW2 and served in Africa, Europe and, after Dunkirk, Burma; My Nanna who served in the land army at home waiting for him to return; and the Grandfather I never knew who was sunk in WW1.

I was given the green beret of the Burma star after it was removed from the coffin at my Grandfather's funeral. I keep it in my wardrobe with one of his pipes, the smell of which can reduce me to tears, my Nanna's land army badge and the bracelet he brought her back from Africa.

I named my son after my Grandpa. I still miss him. And seeing the last few Burma star veterans in the parade this morning made me cry as it does every year.

He was always so proud on Remembrance Sunday.

Seasonal Scrubbing

This week I have undertaken a scrub of the flat before the Christmas season really takes hold and I don't have time to scrub behind the fridge or above the cooker hood.

It has, however, not been as successful as I had planned due, in part, to a teething baby and some lovely orders!!

but I have tidied cupboards, made draught excluders, bought essential and fragrance oils as well as a powder blue scales and enough natural cleaning product ingredients to last a long time...and the flat is definitely looking brighter for it ;)

A flowery china ball, a scallop shell filled with pink roses and lavender and my oil burner.

Wild flowers, some of my work and my Grandparent's silver cruet set on a starched table cloth

A hyacinth bulb, hopefully ready to sprout

Two terracotta pots on the kitchen window sill with coffee and lemon plants (Billy says they will never grow!!)

A temporary draught excluder made from a fleece blanket and pink ribbon

My essential and fragrance oils in my china cupboard

The cupboard under the sink!

Almost a week....

I cannot believe it has been almost a week since my last post! I really have to get more organised in my postings, and find out where the time is all going!

This week has been busy. Toby is now teething so is extra grippy, cuddly and has been waking during the night for the first time in weeks; I have started to sell in both my Etsy and Folksy shops, which is ridiculously exciting, so I am making friends at the post office and have discovered that the best time to avoid lines in 9.15am on Saturday morning (now all I have to do is sell loads each Friday!!); I have worked out my packaging and branding (newly designed and hand cut business cards and thank you cards, bright pink crinkly tissue, striped paper sweetie bags and gold crowns...check); I am on a Autumn Scrub week so am making green cleaning products, scrubbing places I had forgotten existed and creating lovely new wintery room sprays and vanilla extract (yum) with abandon; and I am approaching 500 hearts fast ;D

Oh and I designed liquorice allsorts and a chocolate birthday fairy cake in a pink lace felt case topped with icing, chocolate sprinkles, silver balls and a lit pink candle ;)

Does life get any better than  a life punctuated by calorie free yumminess!!?

Oh and happy Birthday James :D Toby sends snuggles and I hope you love your cakes!