Bohemia

Wall Stickers, Oiseau Sur Branche

Trophy Deer, Glass Paperweight, 'Paris is always a good idea'

Wall Stickers, Printemps

La Tennis Liberty, Vert

This week for my 'shops i love' page, I bring you my lovely sponsor Bohemia. An award- winning lifestyle boutique selling bohemian clothing, accessories, bath and beauty products, gorgeous home furnishings, stationery, babywear, children's clothing, toys and gifts. Bohemia opened their first lifestyle store in 2006 in their home city of Edinburgh in Scotland. They source products that are exquisitely decorated or beautifully simple. Only one rule applies; they must love it!

I am loving the pretty Summery wall stickers, Miss Etoile bird weights and decorative bird cages. On my wish list is the ever so cute floral tennis shoes to wear on my Summer bike rides and a Trophy Deer head for my dining room. I am also lucky enough to own one of their Morrocon pouffes in white with silver grey embroidery, which adds glamour to my living room!

Have a sweet day!

Turquoise & Lime Interiors

Today in my series of posts "Inspirational Pins", I bring you a gorgeous Summery interior palette of lime and turquoise. For more gorgeous turquoise interiors check out my Shades of Turquoise Pinterest board!

• Amy Butler
• Stacey Willey
• Amy Butler
• Design Shrine via French by Design

If you are not already on Pinterest and would like to be, please e-mail me and I will send you an invitation.

Have a sweet day!

Pretty Crafting

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you pretty coloured crafts. I so need to organize my buttons! Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The beautiful colours in hand dyed cotton twine (: by { minna }
  
• The delightful Pillow Palooza by Trisha Brink
  
• The array of shimmer in Vintage Buttons by backhomeagainvintage
  
• The wonderful colour and texture in row of buttons by misslilamae
  

Have a sweet day!

Vintage Trims

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you a selection of some beautiful vintage trims from Bumbershoot Supplies. The vintage trims are so pretty and unique and I think would look fabulous framed or on show in glass jars. I am also loving the photography; so clean, bright and dreamy.

• Vintage cabochon
• Vintage beads. Brass filigree
• Vintage brass locket. Ball, patina
• Vintage rose montees

Have a sweet day!

Velvet Ribbon

On Monday I showed you some cute craft room inspiration. I loved the cute storage idea of the Mason ball jars on the wall. They looked so pretty full of trims and ribbons. Velvet Ribbon, who I discovered at the The Country Living Spring Fair, sells the gorgeous blue toned mason ball jars here in the UK. They also sell wonderful old rustic wooden crates that would look fabulous on the wall in my laundry room, like the inspirational ones featured in my Laundry Room Storage post.

Velvet Ribbon is an online boutique selling a delightful range of unique home accessories and vintage clothing featuring a striking mix of old and new. Each item is individually sourced from all over the British Isles and Europe for its vintage charm and beauty.

Have a sweet day!

The Tolix Chair

Tolix chairs graphics by FaddaSantos

Vintage Retro/Reproduction metal Tolix dining chairs

Tolix table by Graham and Green

Anthropologie

Skona Hem

I love the Tolix chair! How stylish did it look in yesterday's post, Craft room ideas? I would love one for my craft room in a silver steel or duck egg blue which I think would look great with my 1930's polished steel filing cabinet.

The Tolix Chair is a French café chair designed in 1934 by Xavier Pauchard. A visionary and inventive entrepreneur, Xavier was a pioneer of galvanisation in France and manufactured sheet metal domestic items. In 1927 he registered the trademark Tolix and started to manufacture chiars, stools and metal funiture.

The Tolix chair is well renowned for being rustproof, robust and stackable. As such, in the forties it was found inside factories, offices and hospitals and outside in cafés and parks. Now an icon of industrial aesthetics, it has earned itself a spot in Vitra Design Museum, MOMA and the Pompidou Center.

Have a sweet day!

Inspirational Pins - Craft Room Ideas

Today in my series of posts "Inspirational Pins", I bring you some gorgeous pics of craft rooms! I absolutely adore the cute button wallpaper and the clever storage ideas! It makes me want to go and decorate tins, jars and pots then tidy my craft room... well, almost! For more craft room inspiration check out my Craft Room Ideas Pinterest board!

• Chic crafts caddy
• Buttons wallpaper
• The Happy Home blog
• Button art on the cheap
• Mason ball jars on wall
• Recycled storage

Have a sweet day!

Squint Cushion Giveaway Winner!

My contest ended yesterday and I just picked a winner using random.org and I am delighted to announce the winner of the Squint Cushion Giveaway is...

Drumroll please? Without further ado, the lucky winner is...

Birdie Blue, of the gorgeously sweet interior blog Birdie Blue who guessed correctly that Lisa Whatmough is the brain-child behind Squint . Please e-mail me your details.

Congratulations Birdie Blue, you will receive a $300 bespoke Squint Limited cushion courtesy of the My Deco Boutique US!

Thank you to all of you sweets that entered, to my loyal followers and new friends.

For all my UK readers, you can still enter to win a gorgeous Silver Leaf Mirror by Juliette's Interiors by commenting here.

Have a sweet day!

Crafting Bright

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you gorgeously bright crafts. I so need to learn how to crochet! Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The wonderful colours in Stitching.. just because.. by Carina » Polka & Bloom
  
• The adorably cute jewelry inspiration by {JooJoo}
  
• The colourful crochet in working... by Emma Lamb
  
• The beautiful Assorted Crochet Frames by Coco Rose1
  

Have a sweet day!

Hand-made chocolate butterflies

Chocolate butterflies
What you will need:

• Butterfly chocolate mould
• White chocolate drops
• Pink dusting powder
• Blue dusting powder

Instructions

1. Temper (melt) white chocolate
2. Stir in pink powdered food colouring a little at a time until you have desired colour. Stir well so colour is even
3. Spoon chocolate into icing bottle or bag fitted with a small nozzle
4. Squeeze chocolate into moulds
5. Lightly tap moulds so chocolate lays flat and air bubbles are removed, and leave to set
6. Turn out chocolate butterflies
7. Repeat steps 1-6 with blue food colouring

I displayed my chocolate butterflies in my perch glass apothecary jar with pink and white Easter M&M candy on my Easter table this year. I love how bright and colourful they look and will definitely be using this idea again on my candy tables and not just at Easter!






Have a sweet day!

Cute Laundry

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you a selection of some cute laundry-inspired finds from Etsy. From the chic 'keep calm' poster to the pretty bright patterned ironing board cover, they are sure to make laundry day more fun!

• Keep calm and laundry on
• Scandi clothespin peg bag
• Ironing board - peacock feathers
• Laundry room art

Have a sweet day!

Cape Henley

Before I visited the Country Living Spring Fair I loved Cape Henley. They love France and New England so they've combined the two and put together a range of home and garden accessories, and furniture that captures the essence of this style. They have lots of whitewashed wooden furniture, distressed rattan and the prettiest vintage floral and check cushions.



I love their weathered rattan trunks, which would make really good laundry baskets and the ceramic bird napkin holders are the cutest!



Have a sweet day!

Gluten-free mint choc chip cupcakes

Gluten-free mint choc chip cupcakes (makes 12 muffin size cakes)

Ingredients

• 90g butter, softened
• 80g Hotel Chocolat dark chocolate buttons
• 160 ml (2/3 cup) semi-skimmed milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint essence
• 220g (1 cup) brown sugar
• 100g (2/3 cup) gluten free self-raising flour, sieved
• 2 tablespoons Hotel Chocolat organic cocoa powder, sieved

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F)
2. Line muffin tray with paper cases
3. Place chocolate and milk in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth
4. Beat butter, eggs, peppermint essence and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
5. Stir in flour, cocoa, and warm chocolate mix until mixed thoroughly
6. Divide mixture among cases
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes
8. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool

To decorate (24 cupcake size cakes)

What you will need

• 24 fondant blue butterflies
• 56 small fondant flowers
• Vanilla buttercream
• Grass icing tube no.233
• Icing bag or bottle

Instructions

1. Spoon green buttercream into a piping bag or bottle fitted with a nozzle attached
2. On top of the cakes, starting at outside edge and working in circles, pipe buttercream by squeezing a small amount onto cake at 90 degree angle, pulling up and away when icing strand is long enough (about 3 cm) stop squeezing and pull tip away at various angles (see pics for how-to)
3. Push fondant flowers and butterfly lightly into iced grass

Have a sweet day!

Inspirational Pins - Laundry Room Storage

Today in my series of posts "Inspirational Pins", I bring you some new pics of cute laundry rooms! We have decided on the layout for our new laundry room/cloakroom and I have started making my bird trail fabric blind for the window. I have my pretty Housekeeper's box , laundry tin and ironing board cover sorted so now I am looking for fresh pretty storage ideas to match. I have a few white wire hangers begging for a make-over and some bird trail oilcloth left over from my washing machine cover that needs to be turned into something!?! For more Laundry Room Inspiration check out my Laundry Room Ideas Pinterest board!

• Cath Kidston
• Smile and Wave
• Country-style utility room
• Clarke and Clarke
• Modern laundry room shelving
• Open strapping basket

Have a sweet day!

Turquoise highlighted craft room

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you some gorgeous inspirational pics of craft rooms with turquoise highlights. Check back soon for some more of the most inspirational photographers on Flickr.

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The delightful wall art in little work table by Ms Julia B
• The gorgeous shabby chic Mirror on the Wall by *Heather Bailey*
• The quirky framed Butterflies by jasna.janekovic
• The creative Fruitbox filled with fabric by jasna.janekovic

Have a sweet day!

Silver Leaf Mirror Giveaway by Juliette's Interiors

I'm so pleased to announce a giveaway of a 97cm silver Camilla's Hat® mirror, worth £449.87, courtesy of Juliette's Interiors.

Framed in a whirlwind of silver leaf, a 34 cm diameter bevelled glass mirror, has been dubbed 'Camilla's Hat®' due to its striking resemblance to the flatteringly feathered hat designed by Phillip Treacy and worn by Camilla Parker-Bowles on the day she married HRH The Prince of Wales.

Juliette's Interiors was started in 2005 by Juliette with the aim of producing well priced, design led and above all, seductive, show stopping luxury furniture and mirrors which you will be proud of showing off. Each gorgeous item can be tailor finished to you and your home by customizing the size, finish or fabric giving you a unique piece to treasure. They also sell a host of gorgeous home accessories from stunning ruffled bed throws to sleek chic faux crocodile bottle holders.



To enter the Juliette's Interior giveaway, leave a comment below letting me know 'Where you would hang the Camilla's Hat® mirror' if you won. The giveaway ends on Tuesday, June 14th at 10pm (BST) and I will randomly select and announce a winner on Wednesday, June 15th.

To increase your chances of winning this fabulous prize, you can gain one additional entry for doing each of the following:

• tweeting about this giveaway
• blogging about it
• following/subscribing to the Torie Jayne blog/twitter

For the first two, please leave a comment below with the link to your tweet or blog post.

This giveaway is open to UK readers only but don't worry as there's still time to enter last week's US-only giveaway of a Squint Cushion!

Good luck and have a sweet day!

Gluten-free banoffee cupcakes

Gluten-free banoffee cupcakes (makes 24 cupcake size cakes)

Ingredients

• (4.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon (1/6 ounces) natural vanilla extract
• 250g (2/3 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 250g (1 cup) self-raising flour
• 4 fresh bananas, mashed
• 130g extra small fudge chunks

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F)
2. Line muffin tray with paper cases or baking tray with silicone cases
3. Beat butter, eggs, vanilla extract and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
4. Stir in flour, mashed banana and fudge chunks
5. Divide mixture among cases
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes
7. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool

To Decorate (24 cupcake size cakes)

What you will need

• 56 large fondant flowers
• 56 small fondant flowers
• Green vanilla buttercream
• Grass icing tube no.233
• Icing bag or bottle

Instructions

1. Spoon green buttercream into a piping bag or bottle fitted with a nozzle attached
2. On top of the cakes, starting at outside edge and working in circles, pipe buttercream by squeezing a small amount on to cake at 90 degree angle, pulling up and away when icing strand is long enough (about 3 cm) stop squeezing and pull tip away at various angles (see pics for how-to)
3. Push fondant flowers lightly into iced grass

Have a sweet day!

Felt cakes

This week on "Wonderful World of Etsy" I bring you a selection of the cutest felt cakes and sweet treats from Milkfly. My mouth waters looking at the banana cream pie with its thinly slices of banana and peaks of cream and the nutty coated chocolates look so real! Pure genius! I would love to get some of these for Molly's new playhouse!

• Banana cream pie
• Mix match batch-o-cookies
• Sprinkles donut
• Sweetheart chocolates

Have a sweet day!

Hand-made honeycomb chocolate bunny head

Last Easter I made chocolate bunny heads filled with home-made honeycomb and they went down such a treat with my friends! This year I made them again but this time I made their faces with white chocolate and coloured their eyes with blue chocolate and their noses with pink chocolate.

Hand-made honeycomb chocolate bunny head
What you will need

• Mini non-stick cake pan, 6 cavity - bunnies
• 100g White chocolate drops
• 400g Milk chocolate drops
• Half a batch of home-made honeycomb
• Pink powder food colouring
• Blue powder food colouring
• Aluminium foil

Instructions

1. Temper (melt) 2 tbsp white chocolate
2. Place 1 tbsp of the melted white chocolate in small bowl and stir in pink food coloring until colour is even
3. Place a small drop of pink chocolate into nose of bunny moulds
4. Place 1 tbsp of the white chocolate in small bowl and stir in blue food coloring until colour is even
5. Place a small drop of blue chocolate into eyes of bunny moulds
6. Lightly tap moulds so chocolate lays flat and air bubbles are removed, and leave to set
7. Temper (melt) rest of white chocolate
8. Pour into bunny moulds so white chocolate is about 1 cm deep and leave to set
9. Fill bunny moulds with chunks of honeycomb
10. Temper (melt) milk chocolate
11. Pour milk chocolate over honeycomb to fill the moulds and leave to set
12. Turn out chocolate bunnies and wrap in foil.

The pretty pink rabbit aluminum foil is from Daiso Japan a Japanese 100 yen ($1, £1) store. I bought mine from Jusco, the Hong Kong equivalent of a £1 store, back in November of last year on a work trip.




Available in my store.

Have a sweet day!

Home-made honeycomb

Honeycomb (makes about 10 bags)

Ingredients

• 600g (3 cups) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 2 tbsp liquid glucose
• 100ml water
• 100ml liquid honey
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 400g Hotel Chocolat milk chocolate drops

Cooking instructions

1. Grease and line baking tray with non-stick baking paper
2. Place the sugar, honey, water and liquid glucose in a heavy based jug
3. Heat on full power and using a candy thermometer, heat until the temperature reaches 160 deg C
4. Remove from heat quickly
5. Add the bicarbonate of soda and whisk immediately
6. Pour onto a greased baking sheet and leave to cool down
7. Break into small chunks
8. Temper milk chocolate
9. Dip the chunks of honeycomb into the chocolate
10. Place on a sheet of baking paper and leave to set

Floral printed paper bags from Zonart and Kamika, tops of bag folded over and punched with a ribbon punch and gingham ribbon threaded through holes and tied in a cute bow

I have added the candy thermometer I use to my new Amazon shop - a place where you can find lots of items I have and use here on Torie Jayne to make candy, cakes, sweet treats and more.

Have a sweet day!

Inspirational Pins - Playhouse

Today in my series of posts "Inspirational Pins", I bring you the prettiest play kitchens and houses. I started my playhouse Pinterest board a few weeks ago when I found out that my cute little niece, Molly, was getting a playhouse from her sweet parents. How exciting!

They plan to paint and decorate the little play house and place her hand painted jungle bench I gave her for her birthday last year inside along with her pastel wooden kitchen. I can't wait to help by making pretty pastel curtains for the windows, decorative bunting for the walls and pom pom trimmed cushions for the floor. So stay tuned for updates on Molly's little cottage!

For more playhouse and play kitchen Inspiration check out my Playhouse Pinterest board!

• A pretty, little playhouse!!
• The Playhouse Company peppermint cream playhouse
• Via Elena Valdés
• Play kitchens
• Play kitchens
• A pretty, little playhouse!!

Have a sweet day!

Kids Play Kitchen

This week on Flickr Faves Sunday, I bring you pretty kids kitchen pics with these gorgeous pics. My cute little niece Molly is a lucky little girl and has just been bought a playhouse for the garden by her Mommy and Daddy. I am so excited! They plan to make it super cute and pretty and I have offered to make curtains, throw cushions and bunting in sweet pastels. She will be having her adorable pink kitchen from the playroom put in there, so I am hoping to make her some fabric cakes and more, for her Birthday later this year!

Some beautiful shots from my Flickr favourites (clockwise from top left):

• The gorgeous artwork and tea set in Annie's new room by Craft & Creativity
• The ever-so-cute polka dot saucepan in kitchen by sara.seeton
• The pretty artwork and bunting on the walls in Play house by little em 2010
• The adorable wooden cakes in Annie's new room - cakes by Craft & Creativity

Have a sweet day!