A Not-So-Merry Pepperberry on this Christmas in July!
'Twas the day of Christmas,

And although it was in July,

There was no reason not to celebrate,

And call on that red suited guy!

Anyone who knows anything about me is well aware that Christmas brings out that special something in me. The joyous sounds of carols, the sparkle of fairy lights, and the delicious smell of Polish cooking really bring a twinkle to my eye. So what better thing to do than to celebrate it twice in the one year? Welcome, therefore, to this very Pepperberry Christmas in July, thanks to Maggi over at Kata Mommy!

I awoke on this Christmas in July full of anticipation. Would I receive something lovely in the post, perhaps?

Unlikely, considering my letterbox is 7378 kilometres away...

Maybe something would be waiting for me under the tree?

Nope. That's not only 7378 kilometres away, but also packed away tightly in a beautiful white box...

So what would it be? Well, this Christmas, my darling Santa brought me:
- a complete computer meltdown;
- a race around sweaty Bangkok to have my motherboard replaced;
- a complete Windows OS breakdown; and
- a lovely German man who temporarily fixed my computer until Monday, when I will race around sweaty Bangkok again to have my computer fixed... again.

Oh, dear! I think someone accidentally put me on the naughty list this year!

My Christmas cheer has therefore been slightly subdued... in fact, one might call me a downright cranky pants. With that in mind, I took this quiz to find out exactly which Christmas character I am, and guess what? I'm Mrs. Claus! Apparently, my unwavering support, hospitality, and comforting touch have landed me this important role. Further, I supposedly know how to take good cheer and deliver it wherever I go, spreading warmth even on the coldest winter days.

Let me just make it clear that that's not how chirpy I look at this very moment...

However, in the spirit of the day, I still wanted to share some bloggy joy with you. I have been saving this gorgeous tutorial until that special day in December, but I simply couldn't wait any longer!

The lovely Nikki over at Project: Domestic Bliss created this spectacular, simple and cost-effective Christmas Silhouette, and now you can too with her brilliant tutorial. The possibilities, however, do not stop at Christmas- this clever idea can be used with images of your family, friends, holiday spots, pets... anything!

I'm off to carve an image of a functioning computer now. May your Christmas in July be far merrier than mine- and don't forget to tell me what you asked Santa for!

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6:57 PM | Category: , , , , , | 32 Pepperberrians Said...

Just Call Me The Bag Lady
I was introduced to the world of sewing by a tote bag.

Ok, maybe not just a tote bag, but a tote bag that I was lucky enough to make with the help of the magnificent Cathy of Miss Marzie and Audrey & Maude fame.


I had such fun making this sexy, quick little number that I've been madly collecting tutorials for tote bags ever since. Of course, like with most of my bookmarked tutorials, I still haven't had a chance to make them! I thought I'd share them with you, my dear readers, instead- and perhaps now the pressure will be on for me to make one.

Oh, Fransson! has this whimsical Margaret Sling bag tutorial:


You'll find this rustic apple picking tote tutorial at Purl Bee:

Qamut has this tote tutorial for those of inspired by bold polka:


Grab the tutorial for this two-tone tote at Whispering Pine:


And finally, MmmCrafts has this gorgeous messanger bag tutorial:


I hope you enjoy playing with these super-simple crafty ideas! As always, let me know if you end up making one because I'd most love to see the result.

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P.S. GIVEAWAY WINNERS!: Thank you to all who entered my Tea Party giveaway and left such amusing and creative comments. I had immense trouble choosing my favourite entry, so with my magical powers, I've deemed that there shall be 6 winners! Lucky Vicki from Sew Useful Designs shall be receiving the Alice in Wonderland Passport Cover, and runners up Kami, Harley Dee, Ange Moore, Calidore, and Lizzie will receive a bookmark made out of the same fabric. Of course, winners may have to wait until I am back in the enchanting land of Oz to get their prizes... but in the meantime, please email me your postal details!
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4:29 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 19 Pepperberrians Said...

Inspired by Paris
As a constant traveller, I have found that there are endless places with which I fall in love, and even some that I love enough to live in; there are only two corners of the world, however, that move me to the core of my soul. Today, I want to celebrate the first of these: the magical, enchanting city of Paris.

Vintage, classy and chic, Paris is the embodiment of design inspiration. Poets, sculptors, writers and crafters have all found a creative kinship with the city of love, and nowhere is this more obvious than at the home of homemade goodness: Etsy.

A quick search for 'Paris' will reveal nearly nine thousand results, ranging from photographic prints and scrabble tile pendants to items of clothing and magnets for your fridge.

I undertook the horrifically difficult and painful job of having to admire all the beautiful pieces that are available to find for you the ultimate in craft that is inspired by Paris:


Does it not simply make you sigh contentedly at its whimsical delight? If you're craving further Parisian inspiration, head across to Petits Details, one of the most beautiful French blogs on the web.

Now tell me: where in the world do you find you have a creative kinship with?

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12:53 PM | Category: , , , , | 14 Pepperberrians Said...

Crafty Kuala Lumpur!
Hello, my gorgeous global friends!

I write to you from Tasik Kenyir, a intensely serene and sensationally beautiful lake system in the middle of Malaysia. From where I sit, I can see thunderous mountains covered in lush tropical rainforest, a lake so blue it sparkles like sapphires in the sun, and that endless stretch of sky that can only be seen when one is on holidays.

Fear not, however; this is not going to become a travel blog! You can find that over at The Adventures of Sharon and Sandra, a blog I have started so that you can follow our 3-month journey across the wonders of South East Asia.

What I have done for my Pepperberrians instead is sourced some gorgeous creative inspiration from the streets of Kuala Lumpur, where we have spent the past 5 days. Today's crafty roundup comes in the form of patterned paper, and should hopefully tickle the fiddles of paper and fabric fanatics alike:

Aren't they simply gorgeous? Such vibrant colours and unique styles. I can't wait to see what else Malaysia has on offer!

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P.S. I have succumbed! You can now follow me on Twitter, and find my pics on Flickr.

P.P.S. To all my lovely bloggers: I may be a tad busy over the next few months, and therefore be unable to comment on your wonderful blogs. I am, however, still reading as many as I can, and would absolutely love to receive emails from you with updates of what you are up to. I promise to write back!
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1:53 PM | Category: , , | 16 Pepperberrians Said...

Why, There Is Magic In The Air...
In the land of tomorrow that was thought of today but will not exist until yesterday, there was an ordinary tea cup called Mr. Teetally Tea Cup.

He lived in an ordinary house on an ordinary street with an ordinary little old lady, who had one magical secret...

She could cook extraordinary Magical Scones.

She would order her minions to gather her piles of wood and set her stove alight, making very sure it heated up to exactly 220 degrees Celcius, or 428 degrees Fahrenheit if they were travelling through the magnificent land of Ah-merr-icka.

The minions would then collect 3 cups of self-raising flour, 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, 1 cup of soy milk, and 80 grams of vegan butter, perfectly cubed; for if it was not, the ordinary lady in the ordinary house on the ordinary street would turn into an extraordinarily evil Queen of Hearts.

Once the ingredients were accumulated, the little old lady with the extraordinarily evil streak would snatch her broom and chase her minions wildly from the depths of her kitchen, as they could never be allowed to discover the Top Secret ingredient within her Magical Scones.

With a beastly cackle, she would combine the self-raising flour and caster sugar in a medium-sized bowl; using her fingertips, she would rub in the room-temperature vegan butter until the mixture resembled fine breadcrumbs. She added the soy milk all at once, and used a round-bladed knife to mix the flour and sugar together with a cutting motion. She would be sure not to over mix her mixture, but simply mix until it was mixed together evenly.

It was at this stage that she would add the most important and Top Secret ingredient of all... a potion of Love, Sweetness and Delirium.

The extraordinarily evil Queen would bring the dough together with her hands on a lightly floured surface and wickedly work it until it was smoother than the Cheshire Cat's smile. She then used her weapon of choice (an evil rolling pin) to roll out the dough to exactly 2cm thick, and once she had captured her 5cm pastry cutter, would cut out perfectly round circles before placing them on a baking tray exactly 1cm apart.

They would then go into her preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the Magical Scones were golden brown on the top and sounded hollow when she tapped the bottom of one with her bony finger. To serve, she would drench them with lashings of vegan butter, rich strawberry jam and thick, whipped vegan cream.

One sunny Sunday in September, she was making her extraordinarily Magical Scones with her Top Secret ingredient in the ordinary kitchen of her ordinary house. Unbeknownst to her, she had accidentally left Mr. Teetally Tea Cup, the ordinary tea cup, in the room with her... and he overheard her entire Magical Scone recipe!

It was in that very moment that he knew he needed to escape, before the ordinary lady in the ordinary house discovered his presence and turned her wicked ways upon him. To escape, however, he needed one very special item... a Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover.

He racked his small pink brain for hours, and in a moment of genius, knew where he could get one- from the bewitching world of Pepperberry & Co. To get there, he only needed to squeeze his eyes very tightly shut, poke his handle harder into his hip, and wiggle his nose five-and-a-half times. Within a second, the Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover appeared inside him, and he was off! Flying through space in a whirlwind of madness and kitten toes.

When he landed, it was with a thump. Dizzy and slightly sore, he rubbed his eyes and looked up into the face of the most beautiful young girl. 'Hello,' she said kindly, 'my name is Alice'. She lifted him into her arms, and gave him the sweetest rub all over his little face; suddenly, he turned the brightest of bright pinks and a blinding sparkle began to shine from his newly-golden handle. He was no longer an ordinary tea cup- he was the extraordinarily pink Mr. Teetally Tea Cup!

He wandered down a green grass lane with Alice, towards a meadow of bright pink poppies. On the way, he began to think about the Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover that had saved his life; now that he was safe as safe can be, he wanted to pass it on to one of the wonderful people who lived in the magical world of Pepperberry & Co. So, he decided that anyone who wanted to win his Magical Beyond The Looking Glass Passport Cover simply needed to become a Follower of the Pepperberry & Co. blog, and leave a comment describing the most magical journey they would want to take with its help.

Oh, and whatever happened to Alice and Mr. Teetally Tea Cup? Well, they found a thick, brown trunk made from oozing vegan chocolate, and there they lived together, eating Magical Scones full of Love, Sweetness and Delirium and living happily ever after.

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9:36 PM | Category: , , , , | 36 Pepperberrians Said...

Cute Softie Attack- Including Tutorials!
The best thing about having bloggy Followers is that of being introduced to a whole new world of creative goodness through every reader. When people leave comments, I usually check out their blogs, often end up Following them, then get introduced to other blogs through them... and the world becomes my crafty oyster!

Throughout my exploring of Crafty Blogland, I have found some incredible creations that I am just dying to share with you all. These are a group of softies that have struck a cord with me due to their uniqueness, quirkiness, and the pure joy they bring to my heart when I look at them.

First up is the super-talented Dotty from The Dotty One, who pops out spectacular new softies so many times per week that I think she's secretly a softie machine! In the past few months, she's created these adorable disco fish, multi-legged monsters, sweet little owls and Clive the Carrot. Check out her blog and shop for further inspiration!

Next up is the amazing Nikki from My Black Cardigan, who also bought you Tango the Magnet. Now, Nikki is always impressing me with her crafty talents, but there was one project in particular that blew me away: these softie replicas she made for friends who were celebrating their anniversary. If the miniature beach towels, pyjamas, bedtime toys and laptop don't make you squeal, then you're a hard-hearted wonder!

The talent must run in the family, because Nikki's sister Truj has also spoilt us with some softie sensations. Apparently, it all started with a mama pig and her bub, but then came a donkey, some chicks, a pair of womats, and a whole other array of gorgeous felted animals to make you never need a pet again. Too precious!

And finally, no list of Softie Inspiration would be complete without the Queen of Softies herself- the marvellous Jodie from RicRac.The imagination that this crafty wonder possesses has to be seen to be believed! A few weeks ago, she introduced her lucky blog readers to Parsley and Beet, the most handsome elephants to have ever gumbooted the Earth. Don't forget to check out her blog and shop for further cute attacks!

Surely after all that inspiration you're hankering for some tutorials? Yes? Good! For I have six delights to share with you today, and I can't wait to see the versions that you create!

First up, we have a delightful Dachshund and a lovely Lamb:

Then a cute Cat and Hoot the handsome owl:

And finally, a delicious Donkey and some mini Mice:

If you've ever wanted to create a soft toy and didn't know where to start, you've now run out of excuses. So, go! Create! Each of these tutorials is super-simple, well written and includes all pattern pieces and instructions. Enjoy!

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3:19 AM | Category: , , , , , | 20 Pepperberrians Said...

Swappy Love
Is there any such joy as opening one's letterbox to discover bundles of crafty packages?

I think not!

Since starting my own business, and in particular my own Etsy shop, I have come to understand the joy that supporting handmade brings- not just to the seller, but also to the buyer. As a crafter, I cannot tell you how high and happy I get whenever I make a sale; however, I have also started buying nearly everything I need through Etsy and Made It, and the pleasure I get from supporting fellow crafty types is just as good. The other glorious thing about it, of course, is that I have a permanent Christmas happening in my letterbox!

There is something even better than receiving purchased goodies, though, and that is receiving handmade gifts that have been made just for you. Back in May, I signed up for a lovely Coaster Swap through Kindred Crafters. I was lucky enough to receive the super-talented Kristy as my swap partner, and we quickly figured out that we had an incredible amount in common: we're both lovers of Autumn, are inspired by neutral and warm colours, take great joy in sewing, and live in gorgeous countries (she lives in Italy, the lucky thing!).

Imagine my joy, then, when I opened my letterbox to find a big, fat parcel all the way from Italy. I ripped it open with excitement, and then you should have heard the squeal that emitted from my lungs when I saw...

My very own, personalised, hand sewn, quilted Autumn coasters. Are they not simply sensational? There is no way in the world that I will ever use them, mind you. They are purely works of art that I will pat, admire and whisper sweet nothings to.

Just in case that wasn't wonderful enough, she also popped in a handmade vegan soap and a gorgeous letter. I'm telling you- if you can ever partner with this clever lass for a swap, do it! You will be spoilt beyond belief.

Thank you so much, Kristy! I'm in love.

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3:58 PM | Category: , | 16 Pepperberrians Said...