National Espresso Day

23rd November is National Espresso Day! Woohoo! As coffee fiends, think the body clock kinda fine tunes to national coffee days... this morning an extra coffee boost please!

So let's turbo charge our day with a double shot of espresso, for double happiness. Coffee Twinning eh? ☕️☕️👯‍♂️👯🙂🙃 Double Espresso = Coffee twins... yay! New formula.

Whether you spell Espresso with a "S"  or with a "X" Expresso, may we wish you an awesome caffeinated day and happily full of beans! 

Espresso pencils - part of Coffee Buzz Buzz pencil set

Tiny Pantones

Small is beautiful. Perfectly matched small objects with its perfectly matching pantone colour shade. Yay! Discover all things tiny from @TinyPmsMatch Instagram account by designer Inka Matthew. Particularly love the name of the object for colour match to Pantone 2036, "Chick Magnet"- tickled pink! 

I AM A X Shop At The Museum at Le Bon Marché

Bonjour Paris! Together with Shop At The Museum we have created 3 brilliant set of pencils for their Paris pop up at Le Bon Marché.

The pencils are all in French including our favourite things about France - pâtisserie, joie de vivre and the Paris Métro.

1. Joie De Vivre Pencil Set

The joie de vivre pencil set have many of the french daily life we love. This includes:

• Bruncher

• Bouquiner

• Paresser

• Danser

• Chiner

• Embrasser

2. Pâtisserie Pencil Set

The pâtisserie pencil set have all our favourite French pastries. This includes:

• Tarte aux fraises

• Paris-Brest

• Mont-Blanc

• Madeleine

• Macaron

• Eclair

In the process of designing these pencils and shooting the below photo, we gobbled many macarons from our all time favourite Pierre Hermé. They always have the most innovative and cool flavours of macarons - jasmine tea, mandarin and olive oil, chocolate and earl grey tea are divine.

3. Paris Métro Pencil Set

Our favourite Métro stations in Paris. The thing about Paris Métro stations, every Métro station has a different decor or different theme. We love cruising along the Métro lines, as some stations are just like visiting a museum, a piece of art in its own right.

Like our London Underground Pencil Set, the Paris Métro pencils the colour of the lines and their interchange foiled onto HB pencils.

• Odeon

• Saint-germain des Près 

• Opera

• Bastille

• Invalides

• Louvre-Rivoli

These are all Limited Edition designs, and could only be purchased directly from Shop At The Museum at Le Bon Marche between now and Christmas. A great souvenir and gift from Paris!

As the famous saying goes from the movie Sabrina by Audrey Hepburn - Paris is always a good idea!

Chocolate

Chocoholic dreams. Best treat for elevenses, in fact all day, from photographer Rachel Been.

Got Milk?

Hear, hear to Tony The Tiger, these vintage Japanese Kellogg's cereal boxes packaging - "They're Gr-r-reat!" from Kellogg's Japan.

Meet : The Clever Badger

Becca + Lewis : The truly Awesome duo behind The Clever Badger

It's our honor to have the cutest catch up with our stockist and collaborator : The Clever Badger an online gifts and greeting cards company supporting independent designers. You will never run out of fun, goof, laughter and warmness with this adorable couple : Becca and Lewis , the duo behind the brand and the brains behind the pencils which we collaborated with for The Clever Badger Boxes including "I NEED COFFEE", "FUDGE OFF" and "I HATE MONDAYS". 

Beyond the giggles, we explored a long admirable trait that we loved about The Clever Badger - running a business together as a couple. And then of course ... fun ... carpool karaoke ... sarnies ... upcoming trends... so read on.

I AM A : THIS MAY BE A CHICKEN AN EGG QUESTION - DID THE BUSINESS NAME "THE CLEVER BADGER" COME FIRST OR THE CONCEPT OF THE BUSINESS ?

Becca : We had the concept of a design gift shop first and the name came second. We spent many afternoons trying to concoct the perfect name, I remembered Lewis thinking of a really  good suggestion ( for the life of me, I can't remember what this was ) and so I rubbed his chin and called him a clever badger ! Cringey pet names are a big thing in this household I'm afraid. 

I AM A : WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 TIPS YOU CAN SHARE WITH US ON RUNNING A BUSINESS AS A COUPLE ?

Becca : Our top 3 tips are :

1. Remember to have some down time. We normally go for a walk in the woods near our house if we're getting a bit stir crazy !
2. Always listen to each other and spend time checking in with each other. Our TCB ( The Clever Badger ) mostly meeting always features a slice of cake .
3. Always remember to have fun together. We do tend to have a weekly nerf gun battle !

I AM A : WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SANDWICH AT ALL TIMES ?

Becca : Fish finger sandwiches with mayo have to be my favourite!

Lewis : Roast beef & onion baguette!

I AM A : WE ARE JUST OVER 3 MONTHS AWAY FROM CHRISTMAS . WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE KEY CHRISTMAS GIFT TRENDS THIS YEAR ONLINE ?

Becca + Lewis : We do believe the pin and patch trend will carry on going. It really seems as if it's here to stay for 2017. Another big trend is the hygge way of living, any accessories or lifestyle gifts the encompass the relaxing nature of the Danish living style will be key for Christmas. 

I AM A : For carpool karaoke, which song / songs will you be singing ?

Lewis : Dolly Parton (any song) or Majestic by Wax Fang

Becca : Anything Abba related or KISS! I think we might have the weirdest taste in music ever…

I AM A : Which is your favourite : Rainbow / Unicorn / Fries ?

Becca : Rainbows! I’m a colour magpie

Lewis : Fries !

I AM A : Favourite Quote of the Day ?

Lewis : I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul

Becca : Not today Satan! (You can tell who the intellectual is) haha ...

Thank you to Becca and Lewis , for all your time for the interview. It's been such a pleasure and nothing but fun. Thank you for the pictures too. We love them !

#Dontmissout on all the curated colorful goodness from this adorable duo by following their store and social media updates : 

• Website :  http://www.thecleverbadger.com
• Instagram : @thecleverbadger
• Twitter : @thecleverbadger
• Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/thecleverbadger
• Pinterest : https://uk.pinterest.com/thecleverbadger/

Best piece of wisdom : "Always remember to have fun together" + have Cake ! 

DIY Sandwich Wrap

With the Queen's 90th birthday this weekend and the picnic season in the loom. Sandwiches are much called for. It will be one of the street party foods served during the street party at the Mall at the Patron's Lunch. Many neighborhoods across the UK will also be celebrating with their own street party or having a picnic. We had a peek at Marks and Spencer's website on what will be served at the Patron's lunch to 10,000 people celebrating along with the Queen - all we can say it is definitely nothing short of YUM and will be an absolute fun outdoor affair. Rain clouds... please make way for the sun. ☀️

We love picnics. One of the best past times we enjoy. With the sandwich featured in most picnics, afternoon teas and parties, let's dress them up and make them fun.

This tutorial is perfect for any sandwich shapes and sizes. Whether the sandwiches are finger sandwiches, baguettes, wraps, rolls, baps, triangular sandwiches etc., these wrappers will be applicable. Yay! ( We hope Nigella, Delia and Mary Berry - the domestic goddesses which totally inspire us will approve of this. )

Ingredients : 

• Sandwiches of your choice 
• Scissors
• Sandwich wrap template downloadable from this link
• A4 paper
• Printer
• Washi tape or Cellotape  

Method :

 1. Download the template and print it. Each sheet contains 3 strips in 3 different colors. If you are making a mixture of sandwiches, we have made 3 in this tutorial including Cucumber Sandwich, Coronation Chicken Sandwich and Egg and Cress Sandwich, it's a good way to differentiate the sandwiches by color coding them via three different color strips. 

2. Depends on the size of your sandwiches, roughly each paper stripe is good for 2 small sandwiches for example finger sandwiches or baguette, or 1 large sandwich. 

3. Trim strips from template with scissors. If you have crimping scissors, it will be fun to give the strips a border. Scallop edge scissors are used in the example.

4. Take a ready filled sandwich and using one strip to wrap around, measure to size roughly how much paper strip you'd need. Measure and cut to size enough strips to cover the sandwiches you had prepared. 

5. Wrap paper strips around the sandwiches. Securely with cellotape, sticker, washi tape or even twine or a piece of string.

So here it is - all done! Bring out the bunting, or picnic mats, or some nice China, feast and have fun with your friends and family whether it's an outdoor picnic, afternoon tea, or home parties.

P.S. Using a mixture of different breads for example multigrain for one type of sandwich or rye on another. Same goes for filling the sandwiches in different bread shapes will be fun too.

We are curious to know what's your favorite sandwich fillings. Feel free to tag your sandwiches #iamacrafts to be featured. Bon appétit ! 😋

DIY Picnic Menu Cutlery Holder

It's the picnic season! Yay! With unpredictable weather fronts (Yup! We Brits love some weather chin wag ☀️⛈☔️), we should have a picnic regardless. Apart from waiting for the weather to turn sunnier, the alternative is to bring the outdoors in and have an indoor picnic - why not?

Whether it is indoor or outdoor we want to maximise the fun. With plenty of very cute and lovely picnic plates and accessories around, for example Tiger Stores have some rather sweet stripey paper plates and dinky paper plates which are amazing for cakes 🍰 - perfect to fit a slice of Battenberg cake and Bakewell Tarts as we did in our picnic photo shoot. Also at Tiger Stores look out for some pretty cool fries holder which we have used for holding carrot sticks. Marks and Spencer has a lovely confetti pattern paper plate set and of course Meri Meri they have some very sweet flowery Liberty print party paper plates.

To compliment the cute cutlery, paper plates we have a tutorial where we will make some cutlery holders or chopsticks holders with a hidden menu. This is also perfect for dinner parties at home when you want to tell your guests a little bit about the food or even include a pre dinner game. So let's begin the fun!

 Ingredients :

• Book of wrapping paper for Small Presents or any wrapping paper or A4 paper you have
• Scissors / Cutter
• Cutlery / Chopsticks
• Ruler
• Cutting Mat (if you are using a cutter) 
• Printer if you are printing the menu / Pencil or Pen if you are handwriting it

Method :

1. Write or print the menu on to the selected sheet of wrapping paper. If you are using our wrapping paper book one sheet of wrapping paper will yield 2 sets of cutlery holders. Take note, we did mark a guide in the middle of the paper to make it easier to split the paper in half. It's also just as easy to fold the piece of paper in half to mark the middle line.

2. Split the paper with the menu written on it into 2 halves. We have found using a cutter easier in this case as have created a split line. Scissors will just be as straight forward.

3. Take one of the split sheets, with the pattern side facing down and menu side facing up, fold it in half.

4. Fold once more in half. 

5. Fold the opposite side in half. 

6.  Open up the sheet. Turn the sheet lengthways and fold a triangle, starting from the bottom right hand corner to the second fold line.

7.  Fold down a small triangle, starting from the top right side of the sheet to the first line of the fold.

8. Start from the small triangle side, fold over once.

9. Repeat the fold, by folding over one more time. 

10. Using the bottom right triangle, fold up to form a rectangle.

11. Rotate the rectangle left, i.e. Have the rectangle facing upright. Then fold up roughly 0.5cm from the bottom. This will help create a seal for the cutlery holder.

12. Flip over the rectangle and here you go! A cutlery holder with a surprise hidden menu is made. Start slotting in your cutlery! Repeat the above steps to make more cutlery holders. 

In Central London, here are a few places we love to have a picnic :

• Hyde Park
• Coram's Fields
• Lincoln's Inn Fields
• Primrose Hill
• Regent's Park
• Victoria Park
• Green Park
• St. James's Park

Have  a yummilicious and fun picnic - Happy feasting! 😋🍽