Alluring Lighting...

Metal Light Cages - Various

I absolutely love these vintage style lighting cages... 

They make a wonderful feature in any home... both as a singular light or as a cluster...

Keep your eyes open at all vintage and antiques fairs... and even car boot sales...

Love To Visit... Home Barn...

Home Barn - Little Marlow

Home Barn is a wonderfully inspiring shop, tucked away in the quaint village of Little Marlow in Buckinghamshire...

Set in a fantastic 17th Century barn, the shop is full of beautiful vintage and antique items for your home...

You will always find something new and unique around every corner...

Home Barn source their items both internationally and through local crafts people, allowing them to hand pick the most exclusive items for their shop...

By far one of my most favourite 'Love To Visit' shops... and a must if you are in the area!..

Why not do a bit of online shopping and take a look at the Home Barn webpage , or pour over the gorgeous pictures on their blog...

They can also be found on Facebook and Twitter...

Home Farm - Thurs -Sat 10am to 6pm
Sunday 10am to 4pm

Little Marlow
Buckinghamshire

Picture Perfect...

Image - Kitchen, 

taken by daffodils & snowdrops

I love this ceramic egg-box style egg holder... a stylish addition to any country kitchen...

If you have an image that you would like to feature on 'Picture Perfect' please contact me at daffodilsandsnowdrops@gmail.com attaching your image and a little bit of info...

If you enjoy the daffodils & snowdrops blog please show your support by subscribing via google friend connect, twitter or facebook...

Em x

Perfect Breakfast Pancakes...

Breakfast Pancakes

- Homemade by daffodils & snowdrops

Happy Pancake Day :)

Each year I always look forward to pancake day... as it is a good excuse to indulge in one of my favourite sweet treats...

 This year I thought I would share with you this easy-peasy mini breakfast pancake recipe...

 

100g Self raising flour

1 medium egg

50g Caster sugar

A little milk to mix

Pinch of salt

 

Mix the flour, egg, sugar and pinch of salt... gradually add a little milk to mix, making a thick pancake batter...

 

Drop spoonfuls of the batter into a medium heat frying pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side...

 

Serve with fresh strawberries and maple syrup...



Love To Visit... The Oak Room...

The Oak Room - Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

Last week two of my very best friends came to visit...

We had a lovely girly weekend with lots of eating, drinking, chatting and of course shopping...

On Sunday we decided to visit the Stable Yard shops at the historic
Hatfield House...
where we came across 'The Oak Room'...

Set in an old barn, The Oak Room is a beautifully unique shop selling homewares, gifts and vintage furniture...

You will find enchanting items in every corner...

 It even has its own vintage style library of books at the back of the shop...

The Oak Room holds a quirky selection of stationary and cards for all occasions...

... and at the moment a colourful selection of Easter goodies!..

 A little hidden treasure in a magnificent setting...
My friends and I had a great day!.. and would definitely recommend a visit...

Take a look at The Oak Room webpage...
or send them a tweet...
... they even have their own blog!..

The Oak Room - 10am - 5.30pm Tue to Sun
Closed Monday (Except bank holidays)

Stable Yard

Hatfield Park

Herts

Tea-Time Treats...

Biscuit screen printed cushions 

- Nikki McWilliams

I recently came across these gorgeous tea-time screen printed cushions at the Ideal Home Show... and I just had to get myself some!..

These fabulous biscuit cushions are designed by the lovely Nikki McWilliams... 

I love the clean style and the simplicity of her prints... 

Nikki explores British culture and contemporary pop art through her fantastic range of homewears...

I chose my two favourite tea time snacks... Custard Creams & Tunnock's Tea Cakes...

I love their bright bold look against the neutral palette of my living room...

Take a look at Nikki's website for even more tea-time treats... 

or her online shop to buy one of her designs for yourself...

Winner... Mini Crochet Pin Cushion...

Mini Crochet Pin Cushion

 - handmade by daffodils & snowdrops

Last Monday as a thank you to all my lovely followers and as a little blogaversary treat I decided to hold a giveaway... 

Thank you to all of you who took the time to enter...

To choose a winner, I decided to use the traditional method of 'drawing a name out of a hat'...

 I wrote down everyones names who entered on little slips of paper... and put them into one of my little floral bowls to pull a name...

...and the winner is... 

Sara, from Sew Appetising blog... 

Please email me at daffodilsandsnowdrops@gmail.com with your address and I will send you your mini crochet pin cushion...

Hope you enjoy it!..

Em x

How To... Make a Crochet Valentines Heart...

Crochet hanging hearts 
- handmade by daffodils & snowdrops

You Will Need...

4mm Crochet Hook

Your choice of woolen yarn

Crochet Stitches...

ch... Pass hook under yarn and catch yarn with hook, draw yarn through loop on hook (repeat to chain) 

dc... Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw back through stitch (2 loops on hook), yarn over, draw yarn through both loops on hook (1 loop remains on hook)

tr... Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw back through stitch (three loops on hook), yarn over, draw yarn through 2 loops on hook, yarn over, draw yarn through last two loops on hook (1 loop remains on hook)

htr... Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw back through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn over, draw yarn through all 3 loops on hook (1 loop remains on hook) 

ss... Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw loop back through stitch and loop on hook

 With Valentines day just around the corner, I thought I would share some love and show you how to make your very own little hanging heart decoration...

Using different styles of yarn can change the finished look of your heart... so once you have mastered the technique, why not have a play around...

To begin... ch4 and join with a ss to form a ring... (as in picture)

ch2 and work 8dc into the ring

 ss into second chain of your initial ch2 to join...

(9stitches around the outside of your circle)

  Then... Work 5tr into 1st stitch, 1 tr into 2nd stitch, 1htr into 3rd stitch, 1dc into 4th stitch...
(this is what your work should now look like)

Next... 1tr into 5th stitch, ch2, ss into 2nd chain from hook, 1tr into 5th stitch...

Work 1dc into 6th stitch, 1htr into 7th stitch, 1 tr into 8th stitch, 5tr into 9th stitch...

Then cut your yarn leaving enough to make a loop for hanging...

Insert your hook into the inward point at the top of your heart (see picture)

Yarn over, draw loop back through to front of heart and through loop on your hook...

 Pull the end of your yarn to tighten and form the inward point at the top of your heart...

Then pull the yarn back through to the back of your work...

Taking a darning needle work any loose bits of yarn from the start of your heart into the back of your work...

Then snip off any loose ends...

Lastly... Form your hanging loop by darning the end of your yarn into the back of your work...

...and there you have your little hanging heart...

 Use it as a decoration or even attach it to a card for your valentine...

Happy Valentines Day x

Don't forget to check out my mini crochet pincushion giveaway...

My 1st Blogiversary...

 On Monday it was my 1st blogiversary...

I can't believe I have been blogging for a whole year!.. doesn't time fly when you are having fun :)

I absolutely love writing my blog... sharing with you my crafty creations, homewear inspirations and daily musings...

I would like to say a big thank you to all my lovely followers on 

blogger, twitter and facebook 

for supporting me along the way...

To mark the occasion I have made a little collage of some of my favourite d&s blog posts...

Which has been your favourite?..

Don't forget to check out Monday's crafty giveaway post...
for my fantastic followers...

Mini Crochet Pin Cushion Giveaway...

Mini Crochet Pin Cushion 

- handmade by daffodils & snowdrops

On my last post I shared with you 

'How To... Make a Mini Crochet Pin Cushion...' 

in my very first crafty tutorial...

I hope you all enjoyed it and will have a go at making your own!..

As a thank you to all my lovely followers on 

Blogger, Twitter and Facebook, 

I have decided to 'Giveaway' my own mini crochet pin cushion that I made for the tutorial post... 

To win all you need to do is:

• Please add yourself as a follower of my blog, using the Google friend connect button at the left hand side of my page... unless of course you are already following :)

• Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think of the tutorial, I would love you hear your thoughts!?...

My little giveaway is open to UK residents and will end midnight Sunday 12th February. 

The winner will be announced on my Monday blog post...

Em x

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED

How To... Make a Mini Crochet Pin Cushion...

 Crochet pin cushions 

- handmade by daffodils & snowdrops

You Will Need...

4mm Crochet Hook

Woolen Yarn, I used;

Lousisa Harding 50% Extra Fine Merino Wool, 50% Cotton

1x Vintage Button


Crochet Stitches...

ch... Pass hook under yarn and catch yarn with hook, draw yarn through loop on hook (repeat to chain) 

htr... Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw back through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn over, draw yarn through all 3 loops on hook (1 loop remains on hook) 

ss... Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, draw loop back through stitch and loop on hook

As you all know I love craft and handmade and am often blogging about my own little creations...

Well... I thought it was about time I share my craft love and write my very first 

'How To...' tutorial...

 How To... Make a Mini Crochet Pin Cushion...

To begin... ch4 and join with a ss to form a ring...

 then... ch2, and work 10htr into the ring 
(as in picture)
ss into second chain of your initial ch2 to join...

(11stitches around the outside of your circle)

ch2 (see picture)
then... work 1htr into first stitch, then 2htr into next 10 stitches

ss into second chain of your initial ch2 to join...

(22stitches around the outside of your circle)

 (what your circle should now look like)

ch2, 1htr into first stitch

then... 1htr into next stitch, 2htr into next stitch, repeat (ending with a 1htr)

ss into second chain of your initial ch2 to join...
(33stitches around the outside of circle) 

(your circle should now look like this)

ch2, 1htr into first stitch

then... 1htr into next stitch, 1htr into next stitch, 2htr into next stitch, repeat (ending with a 1htr)

ss into second chain of your initial ch2 to join...

(44stitches around the outside of circle)

 

To Finish... snip yarn, pull through loop on hook to fasten

 (Repeat these instructions to make the other half of your pin cushion)

 Once you have your two half's go on to make the inside of your cushion...

 Take a piece of plain fabric and roughly trace around the shape of one of your crochet circle half's...

Cut x2 of these (with a small seam allowance) and sew together leaving an opening for stuffing... 

 Turn inside out (raw edged on inside) and stuff (packing your stuffing tight) to create your pin pad... then hand sew the opening closed...

This is your the inside of your pin cushion...

 Now... join your two crochet circles... 

You can do this by sewing with a matching thread or crochet together as explained below...

First... Place together your two circles (right sides together)

Working in the outside loops... push your hook through two of your outside loops and draw your yarn through both loops...

(you will now have a loop on your hook)

Then (working from right to left)... 

Push your hook through the next two outside loops, yarn over, pull back through both loops and the loop on your hook... 

(repeat this step working your way around the circles, leaving an opening big enough to allow to push your pin pad inside)

To Finish... snip yarn, pull through loop on hook to fasten

 Now... turn the right way and insert your pin pad... 

Then... using a matching coloured thread carefully stitch up the opening...

 You can then decorate your pin cushion with mini crochet flowers, vintage buttons or whatever takes your fancy...

I added a mini crochet circle with vintage button to mine...

Hope you enjoyed my first tutorial!.. 
I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback, so please leave a comment below...