Knights & Castles - Making Fairytale Props for a Baby Boden Shoot

Earlier this year, I was approached to make lots of heraldic props for a Baby Boden shoot, which I was very excited to do!

I also then assisted with the props on the shoot, which was a Winter shoot in London, just so happening to coincide with our heatwave earlier this year. So aside from a few slightly overheated babies in snow gear, it was a great shoot!

Here are some photos of some of the things I made...

A Cinderella Carriage

Some regal shadow puppets

Play Houses

A velvet sword

Velvet Cinderella horses, mouse and carriage

A shadow theatre

A knight teddy bear

Frog Kings

Making mini crowns

Mini throwns

A clay castle, castle crown and some toy soldiers (I didn't make them!)

Temporary regal wallpaper - goes on like a giant sticker, and just peels off after you're done!

Cinderella pieces in action

Wallpapering dragons

Adding some roses!

Turning books into fairy houses!

A castle canopy

Dragon wallpaper, with a reupholstered velvet headboard

Labelling the laundry

Shadow theatre in action

A Mini Break to Newquay

In half term, I went for a much needed mini break to Newquay. I thought about taking some work with me, and in the end decided not to, and to just have a proper break from all work.

We rented a cute little house from Air BnB up on Pentire Head, at one end of Fistral beach and it was fabulous. The view was stunning and it was walking distance down to the beach.

I haven't surfed for years, but we hired boards and spent hours in the sea every day, perfecting our falling!! We had cake for breakfast on the beach, and came back to the house all tingly with cold, in time to go for a walk along the beautiful headland, and sampling a lot of the local cider.

All in all, it was a fabulous mini break, and Cornwall is just so stunning.

Here are some photos:

The view from the house - stunning

My new wetsuit that I bought this summer has been fabulous!! So so cosy!!

Mmmmm cider! Stable restaurant has the fabulous position of being actually on Fistral beach. The food and drinks are amazing, let alone the views!!

I love body boarding with my fabulous Mum (in the middle). She asked for her wetsuit for her 61st birthday present and has worn it so many times. Isn't she awesome??

Recreating our photos from Nicaragua last summer - only this time we're in wetsuits. It's harder to handstand in a wetsuit than it is in a bikini!!!

Look - I can stand up!! Haha, and then fall off straight away!!!

*New Mobile Idea* Hot Air Balloons

So the new mobile designs just keep coming this year!! I keep getting very excited and coming up with new ideas. This latest one - inspired in part by my visit to the Bristol Balloon Fiesta - for the first time in years - features lots of different coloured hot air balloons, some clouds, and a sunshine.

What do you think?

Malta Adventures

I managed to drag my boyfriend away from work for a week at the end of August, and we had a fabulous last minute holiday to Malta. Coincidentally, some very good friends also booked the exact same hotel, and were there for 5 days overlapping us which was great!!

We always try to go to at least one new country every year (although my boyfriend had already been sent to Finland and Barbados with work - grr I know!!) so Malta seemed like a fab new place to explore, and more importantly, so so hot and sunny!!

As it was so hot, we did mostly live in the sea and pool, but we did also manage a lot of sight seeing too. 

Here are some photos:

The pool at our fab hotel. We stayed at the Seashells at Suncrest Hotel in Qawra and it was gorgeous! The food choice was insane!!! Also there was an adults only pool....what's not to love!!

Visiting the beautiful old walled town of Medina. So nice and cool to wander the quiet, narrow streets.

On a boat trip to the Blue Grotto. Going in and out of caves around the rocky coastline was fab!!

And then jumping in for a swim afterwards!!! The sea was so lush and warm, it was dreamy to float around in there for hours!

Our view from our room. Such beautiful buildings. We were at the back, so didn't have a sea view, but got the evening sun on our balcony, after the pool had closed, which was lovely. 

Wandering round Valetta. Such windy, old streets, and very tall buildings. I hate to say it, but it was almost too hot in Valetta, so we escaped to the war museum, which was thankfully, mostly underground!!

The view from the old town in Victoria, on Gozo. So much fun to wander around. 

Swimming in the Blue Lagoon. Heaven! Just look at the colour of that sea!! We swam away from all the crowds and went over to the quieter side. 

I also went exploring and snorkelled into a cave!!

Beautiful fishing village of Marsaxlokk. So quiet and colourful. 

I would very much recommend a visit to Malta, and we will definitely be going back. There is so much more to see, and everyone was so friendly. Plus the sea was warm, the sun shone every day, and the food was delicious, so what's not to love?!?