I've moved web address!

After 6 months on Blogger I have made the switch to Wordpress! My new address is http://showeredwithloveuk.wordpress.com/ 

Hope to see you there!
Hayley x

Volunteers needed for future blog series!

Earlier in the week I wrote this post about some ideas I have for 2014. One of my main goals for this blog is to provide more resources and information for people planning baby showers. I also want to give the blog more of a community feel by including readers opinions and experiences. So I'm going to need some volunteers...

Could it be you?

Firstly I am going to start a feature called "Put it to the panel" when three people will be asked their opinion on a topic, for example "Should men be invited to a baby shower?". I will email the topic to the volunteers, then post their responses, with a link to their blog, twitter account etc (If desired). Anyone can take part in this, you don't need to be a parent or have hosted a baby shower.  

I would also like to hear your stories and experiences:

• Have you hosted a baby shower? 
• Or perhaps someone hosted one for you when you were expecting?
• Did you have an unusual theme?
• Or held the shower in an unusual place?
• Did you invite men or children?

If so I would love to hear from you!

You can contact me by leaving a comment below or emailing me at nappycakesandgifts@hotmail.com

Hopefully 2014 will be an exciting year!

Hayley x

Looking forward to 2014

The last few months seem to have flown by! Christmas is almost upon us (eek!) and after that its goodbye to this year and hello to 2014!

So before we descend into the madness that is Christmas time, I decided to post some of my aims for myself and the blog for 2014. If I write them down then I have to at least attempt to complete them! You are all my witnesses ;)

Photo from Fit Fab Cities

First up, I need to find volunteers for some blog topics I have planned. I need people to interview, people to give their opinions/debate on certain topics (most of them baby shower related) and I need some parent bloggers to question about various things. If you would like to volunteer please leave a comment and I'll get back to you and explain everything properly =)

My next goal kind of links with the one above. I want to provide a lot more information about baby showers: How to plan one, how to be a good host, games, alternatives etc. Baby showers are still very new in the UK, so I would like to turn this blog into the go-to place for information for Brits planning baby showers =) A big goal I know, that's why I want to get other people giving their opinions and experiences on here... Besides, I can't do all the talking ;) 

On the business side of things, I plan to keep going to craft fairs and events and get my name "out there". I'm also going to try to get better at juggling social media. Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, oh my!

This Christmas Santa is bringing me a camera. I currently use my phone to take pictures... No more! Once I get my camera I'm going to re-photo everything on my Facebook page and join Instagram (I've wanted to do this for ages but my photos aren't good enough!). Then I can start putting nice photos on here =D

So those are my aims, what are yours?

Hayley x

  

Theme Thursday: Flower Power

This weeks theme is perfect for anyone expecting a baby girl!

Invitations 

How sweet are these personalised invites from Priceless Kids? I love the colours and the cute floral print!

Decorations

I love this idea of making flowers out of different sized balloons! Image from Pinterest, unfortunately I couldn't trace the source.

Food

These fruit kebabs are cut into flower shapes and would make a fantastic table centerpiece. Photo from Baby Care Answers.

I have chosen the next photo for two reasons, firstly because the table is beautifully presented and fits right in with the theme. Secondly because it is simple buffet food that is easy to make. Another unsourced Pinterest photo.

  

 Favors

I have already featured these favors on my Star themed post but they perfectly fit the flower theme too. These plantable stars have flower seeds sown in so that each guest can grow their own flowers to remind them of the baby shower! Available here

As always, let me know if you decide to have a Flower themed baby shower or if you have any ideas for future Theme Thursdays!

Hayley x

Baby Showers: Theme or no theme?

When planning a Baby Shower, there is a whole plethora of things to think about. Invites, decorations, food, favors, the list goes on. So before you drive yourself mad, there is one question to ask yourself and/or the expecting mother who the party will be in honor of: Will there be a theme?

Once you have answered this question, it is much easier to plan the specifics. So what are the pros and cons?

Pro theme:

• Having a themed shower can be a lot of fun
• Can make the shower a more memorable occasion
• If the gender of the baby is unknown, a unisex theme can be more interesting than having everything in neutral colours

   

A theme can be a lot of fun!

Theme cons:

• A theme can mean spending a lot of time searching for coordinating decorations, tableware, invitations etc
• Some people may not want the added stress of choosing and implementing a theme

So what will it be?

If you decide you would like a theme, check out my Theme Thursday page for tons of ideas.

If you don't want a theme then simply stick to a colour, for example pink for a girl, blue for a boy, lemon/cream for unisex.

Or if you would a theme but don't have time to do all the running around check out my animal themed Baby Shower Kit. Everything you need is included and the introductory offer is still on!

Hope this has been useful! So what will it be for you, theme or no theme?

Hayley x

Theme Thursday: Prince/Princess

This week the theme is prince or princess so there will be a lot of pink or blue! Although you can adapt the theme to any colour you wish =)

Invitations

I have picked my two favourite invites, one for a boy and one for a girl =) Photo's and links are below. Both are personalised and printed off from your own printer.

Gorgeous pink invites from Freshly Squeezed Cards

Blue with chevrons from As You Wish Creations

Decorations

You can make your own tissue pom pom decorations in blue, pink or whichever colour you are using. These look so effective and are quick and cheap to make! The tutorial is here

Food

Here are some of my favourite examples of prince/princess/royal themed food from the interweb =)

Princess finger food from Kara's Party Ideas

Prince sweetie centerpiece also from Kara's Party Ideas

Crown sandwiches from Betty Crocker

Party favors

Here is a link to a fab free printable! Use it to make your own cute favor boxes. Just add a thank you note and some sweets/treats and you are good to go =)

Free printable here

As always let me know if you try any of these ideas or if you have any suggestions for future themes!

Hayley x

10 unique new baby gifts

There are so many fantastic gifts out there to celebrate the birth of a new baby! However a lot of gifts on the high street can be boring and unoriginal as well as being manufactured in their hundreds! So here are 10 unique new baby gifts from crafters and small businesses.

I think this applique wall art is such a sweet idea! Baby's name and date of birth framed for a perfect keepsake. Available from A Sisterly Stitch

Why not get baby his/her first pair of Converse?! This adorable blanket and bootees set from Phoebe's Crochet is available in any colour and looks super comfortable!

For a unique and practical gift how about these motorbike nappy cakes? Complete with cute elephant toy. Available from my facebook page

I love the owl print fabric on this coordinating storage bucket and blanket. Useful and gorgeous! A fab gift for any new baby boy! Available from The Crafty Owl

How sweet is this hat from Tatjana? Perfect for any baby girl.

This personalised initial hoop would look great in any nursery! Available from Box Room Bazaar

This Bird Mobile would be another great addition to any nursery! Available from With Hugs and Kisses

This adorable changing bag set from Just Jess is too cute for words!

This George Pig hat and nappy cover is perfect for baby's first photos! Available from Nonny's Knits

Last but not least, this fairy tale quilt would be a childhood favourite for any baby girl! Available from Crissys Crafts

So there you go! Ten unique baby gifts and ten reasons why handmade is better than mass produced ;)

Hayley x

Babies should sleep in a cardboard box

I realise that the title of this post might make you think "Sorry, what!?" but bear with me. This post is based on an amazing article I read the other day. You can read it here. It was a look into "The baby box". This is a gift that the Finnish government give to their pregnant citizens, it contains clothes, bathing products, nappies and bedding. There is a small mattress in the bottom of the box, so once you take everything else out, it is baby's first crib!

The box contents!

   
Finnish infant mortality rates are among the lowest in the world. Therefore it stands to reason that a cardboard box such as the one in the photo above, is the safest place for a newborn baby!

I would love to know what you think about this. Would you use a box like the one above for your newborn? If you have a spare 10 minutes I urge you to read the whole article, it really is fascinating! Its a tradition that has been going for 70 years!

Bye for now,
Hayley x

Theme Thursday: Sweets

Today's theme is Sweets! This theme is particularly good for girls, "Sugar and spice and all things nice!". Of course there's no reason you can't do this for a boy too!

Invitations

These invites from From Head to Toe Designs are so adorable. I love the funky colours and stripes! These invites are personalized and you print them from your own printer.

Decorations

This is such a simple but brilliant idea! Attach balloons to sticks and wrap with cellophane to create giant lollipop decorations. Just add colourful banners or paperchains and you're done! Photo from Indulgy

Food

This theme is the perfect excuse to indulge your sweet tooth! Here are some great ideas and examples.

Sweets galore from Style Motivation

Pretty pink food from Miss Milli World

Party Favors

Why not have a go at making your own washcloth sweets? I made several of these for a friend and they were well received =) Simply roll up two baby washcloths and wrap with cellophane and ribbon to resemble sweets!

As always let me know if you try out this theme or if you have any suggestions for future Theme Thursdays =)

Hayley x

  

Organizing a tiny craft space

Its no secret that my craft space is a desk in the corner of my small bedroom. A few weeks ago I was despairing at the amount of stuff littering my desk, I was running out of space to put things and for me, cluttered space=cluttered mind. It felt like my creativity was literally sapping out.

So I decided enough was enough and spent over a week sorting, organising and storing, trying to create more space for myself. It definitely wasn't easy but I did it! I now have a lot more room to work and find it much easier to find what I'm looking for! So if you have a small craft space that is overflowing and want to sort it out, here is what I did =)

• The first thing I did was decide where the main problem was. For me, it was my ribbon, I had reels and packs of the stuff everywhere! I also had large packs of scrapbook papers that were too big to fit on a shelf or in a draw. By identifying the main thing that is causing the clutter, you can look for a solution.
• This step took me ages but it was so worth it! I sorted through everything in my bedroom. Not just my craft stuff... Everything. I went through my wardrobe, my chest of drawers, my desk, my shelves, the boxes under my bed. Everything went in 3 piles, Keep, Bin or Charity Shop. During this step I realised that I hoard Birthday and Christmas cards... You can read about that here.
• Once that mammoth task was over, I removed the bin liners that were for going in the bin or to charity, then looked to see how much "new" space I had. I was thrilled, I now had 1 big drawer, 1 little drawer, 1 shelf in my wardrobe and 1 large box under my bed that were completely empty! 
• I found a place for everything that didn't yet have a home. Apart from my ribbon and scrapbook papers, I had a plan for them...  
• I enlisted the help of my Grandad to fix rails on the top compartment of a "double storage cube" I bought from Argos. Pics are below and the full post is here.

Before

After- Ribbon on rails and my big paper pads fit in the bottom!

So my craftroom/bedroom is finally sorted! I'm working hard to keep it that way! If you want to have a go at this too my top tips are:

• Use clear storage boxes and jars so that you can see what is inside
• Use files and labels to organise papers and documents
• Make the most of wall space, put up shelves
• Be creative!
• If you can't find the right storage DIY!

If you do this, let me know how you get on! =)

Hayley x

Life at a craft fair

I have done a few fairs now and as my crafty Facebook friends who haven't taken the plunge yet keep asking me what it is like, I decided to keep a diary! Today I was at a Christmas Fair at my local church hall so here is how it went =)

9:10am- Packed the car and set off. I take my mam's car to craft fairs as it has a much bigger boot than my little car. My mam comes too to help me out, I'm really glad of her support, it sounds silly but I would be really nervous if I went to a fair alone!

9:30- Arrived and set up my stall. I try to place some of my items on cake stands or on top of boxes so that I don't have everything at the same height. The trick is to get the right amount of items on the stall, not too many and not too little. It can be a delicate balance. I also place children's items near the front of the table so that the little ones can spot them!

10:00- The fair opened. At first it was fairly quiet, just the stallholders, organisers and their families looking at each others stalls.

10:30- There was a sudden rush and loads of people appeared at once! I was really glad to have my mam with me as we served multiple customers at once. I sold several of my snow flake chocolate boxes and post-it notepads in the space of 15 minutes!

 11:00- The fair continued to be really busy, with loads of local people that I know coming in. By 11am I had made my table money, yay! The table fee for this particular fair was higher than I normally pay because it was raising funds for the church hall. Anyway it was well worth it!

12:00- Locals continued to stream in. I sold a lot of stocking fillers and gift sets. I also had some great conversations with customers about how I get my ideas and why I started crafting. Its a great feeling when people make nice comments about your work =)

12:45- The fair started to die down, most people left but I managed to make a couple of last minute sales. Had a great talk with two young girls about my post-it notepads, they had bought one each and wanted to know how I made them. They were fascinated, although I think when you are 5/6 everything is a bit more exciting! =) 

1:00- Home time! I packed up and said goodbye to everyone. The lady who organised it has taken my number and will let me know if she arranges another fair.

I sold lots of items today. Its a fantastic feeling knowing that you are taking home less than you came with! Although the table fee was higher I made a good profit and wouldn't hesitate to do another fair at this location!

Hayley x 

Racing Car Nappy Cake

Some of you may remember me talking about a custom order that I couldn't wait to show off, back in September. Well I can finally unveil it! So here it is: F1 racing car complete with Jensen Bear ;)

 
It contains 7 nappies, 2 muslin cloths, 1 bottle, 1 body suit, 1 pair of socks, 

1 bear and a pair of scratch mitts.

 
I actually used a picture of Jensen Buttons F1 car to get the shape and colours as accurate as possible.



I really enjoyed making this little guy, I'm really proud of how he turned out!

Unfortunately the customer who ordered him has disappeared from the 

internet... But I'm sure I'll find him a new home soon!


Thanks for visiting!

Hayley x  

Theme Thursday: Cars

Today's theme is cars! Perfect for a baby boy, although there's no reason you can't throw a cars baby shower for a girl too!

Invitations

These car postcard invitations from Hindland are so cool. They are personalised and you print them from your own printer. I love the chevrons and the cute car image!

Decorations

What about making some racing flags to hang on the walls or getting red, yellow and green balloons to symbolize traffic lights? It can be as low key or as over the top as you want! Here is an example from Catch My Party

Food

These car cakes put the biggest smile on my face. I don't think I could bear to eat them! They are mini cakes with smarties for wheels, being driven by a shortbread teddy! Amazing idea from Paperblog!

Favors

How fab is this idea for party favors? Take mini baby bottles and fill with sweets. Attach a thank you note around the neck of the bottle and you're done! Idea from Catch My Party

As always let me know if you try any of these ideas or if you have any suggestions for future themes!

Hayley x

Theme Thursday: Circus

This weeks theme is Circus! I really loved researching this one, so many great ideas!

Invitations

I adore these personalised printable invitations from Hello Love Designs. I just love the vintage style and the cute wording!

Decorations

This theme is the perfect excuse to go over the top with the decorations! Just buy or make colourful bunting, flags, banners, paper chains and balloons. Go crazy if you want to, after all it is the circus! Here is a fab example from the De Su Mama blog

Food

When I was researching this theme last week, I fell in love with all the brilliant ideas for Circus themed food! Here are the links to my favourites!

Mini circus food from To Be Consumed

Fab ideas from Making it Sweet

Party Favours

As simple as they come, popcorn boxes! Fill with little treats and thank you notes. Photo below from Beau Coup

As always let me know if you try out this theme or if you have any suggestions for future Theme Thursdays =)

Hayley x

Light up wooden Christmas decoration

I was in my favourite craft store last week when I spotted this gorgeous wooden house. It has a colour changing LED bulb inside and looks great when it is lit up. However I couldn't help but think that it needed some colour...

So out came my Promarkers! I did colour in the walls but it was a similar colour to the wood so it hasn't changed too much. I coloured the roof red and yellow/gold to go with the colour scheme in my living room =)

I coloured in the couple outside the house

With the light turned on =)

When the light changes colour =)

I really enjoyed doing this, it's been a very long time since I last used my Promarkers! Let me know what you think =)

Hayley x