***Belated Happy New Year***

This is a little belated, but I just wanted to wish all my blog followers a

**VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR**

 I hope you all had a festive Christmas and a very Happy New Year.  After a cancelled flight on the 21st I managed to re-book another one for the 23rd and just got to Norway in time for Chritmas celebrations with my family. I had a wonderful time, although it was - 25 degrees!!!  Here are some photo's of my wonderful snowy holiday :-) 

Christmas day walk

Family photo

Gaskell family photo

Bro preparing for a ski

Featured in Not on the high street mailer

Yippee!!  I had an email from Not on the high street on Friday saying that I was going to be featured in the next customer emailer which went out today.  The theme for today was crafts and my Cupcake Brooch was featured.  I have made some stock in anticipation for a few orders - fingers crossed!



Cupcake Brooch



THE perfect girlie weekend

I have just spent a lovely weekend with two of my greatest friends Lorna and Kath.  Lorna lives in London like myself and my best friend lives in Nottingham.  Kath is 8 months pregnant and decided she wanted a girlie weekend in London before her second baby arrived!  So Lorna, Kath and myself spent a blissfully girlie day together yesterday. 

We started with a trip to 'Britains Best Sweet Shop', Hope and Greenwood on Russell Street.  We were like three very excitable children!  Between us we managed to pick out flying saucers, confits, pink shrimps and the lovely guy who works there also gave us each one of their best selling Earl grey tea and lemon chocolates - delicious.  You can buy their sweets online so make sure you check out there website if you don't live in London. 



Kath with our goodies from Hope and Greenwood

We then strolled onto Somerset House.  We had planned to go and see the Courtauld Gallery but then decided to go on the free guided tour of the house.  None of us had any idea just how much history was involved in the site and building of the house.  It was a fascinating hour and we got to go to areas only open to tours including The Dead Room - a bit spooky!


Lorna, Kath and I in the courtyard at Somerset House

 It was then on to much needed traditional afternoon tea at The National Dining Rooms at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square.  This was the highlight our of day.  We each got a beautful 3 tiered stand, on the top layer were four scrummy little sandwiches, on the second layer was an enormous fruit scone with clotted cream and then on the third layer 3 divine little cakes.  And of course your choice of tea.  I would highly recommend this to anyone.  It was such a lovely atmosphere.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pie was the best!

We then retired to my flat and settled down to a night of Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor!  And despite how much we ate at tea we still managed to squeeze in a few pizzas, some more sweets and some popcorn. 

Kath and Lorna sipping their tea at The National Dining Rooms

So, the next time I see my best friend she will have another baby!  It was wonderful to have this time together.  She is glowing and looking as wonderful as ever.  A truely perfect weekend. x

Facebook giveaway - winning prizes!

I recently had a facebook giveaway to celebrate reaching 200 fans. Two of my new square felt 'Tea Cup' brooches/badges were up for grabs including your own hand stitched message of choice for the tea cup. Two winners were randomly selected and they were a very dear friend of mine, Harriet, and Nina Wood. Nina has her own company offering handmade stationary and accessories for special occasions. Make sure you go and check out her website, Macy Molly's.

Harriet chose a cerise brooch and Nina chose a red one. Now that the girls have received their brooches I can now show you a picture of them.

Having had such great ideas for quirky messages/wording from people who entered the giveaway, I have been inspired to use some of them for products in the future. In particular I loved 'I Love Earl Grey', 'Milk no sugar' and 'Fancy a brew'. Anyone's ideas who I use may get their very own original brooch as a way to say thank you x

A beautiful little gift from Austria

I met up with an old friend this week who was over from Austria for a few days. Anna-Maria and I used to work together at Andrew Martin and I haven't seen her for three years. It was so lovely to see her and she bought me this beautiful little box of chocolates all the way from Vienna, her home town. I haven't wanted to open them all week as they are so gorgeously wrapped up but when I finally opened them up this evening they were even prettier inside. They are really mini too so I don't feel bad if I have one too many! And they are DELICIOUS! xx

***Facebook giveaway***

To celebrate reaching 200 fans on my facebook page I'm doing a giveaway :-) Its a brand new product so make sure you all enter. I've taken my Tea Cup design and made it into a square felt brooch. Its larger than my round brooches so allows more room on the cup for personalised messages. All you need to do is leave a comment below the post on my Jim Jam Sandwich facebook page saying which colour is your favourite and the message you would want stitched onthe front. I've made one for my housemate Helen, who loves tea :-) xx

Jim Jam Sandwich abroad!

Another few months has whizzed passed and I've been so busy that sadly I have neglected my blog. Firstly I want to say thank you to my new followers who've joined me over the summer. Secondly I want to let you all know I'm going to be doing a mini giveaway from tomorrow on my Facebook page so make sure you all go along and enter

I've been very fortunate to manage to squeeze in two holidays this summer. Firstly 5 days in Granada with my Mum taking in the incredible views and history of The Alhambra, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and indulging in too many churros and tapas!! I then had a wonderful weekend at a festival with housemate Helen, followed by 4 days soaking up some sun, reading until our hearts content and consuming some of the most amazing cheese and wine you can imagine in St Cyprien in the South of France. So here's a few photos to feast your eyes on. Sorry they're all a bit jumbled up, I can never seem to work out how to move them around!!! I'd love to hear what you've all been up to for your holidays so please leave your comments to let me know. x

Views from inside The Alhambra

Beach at St Cyprien with the Pyrenees in the background

Hall of the Mexuar, The Alhambra

Geraniums in Pampaneira

Helen and I sheltering from the rain at Camp Bestival

Mum and I at the Alhambra

Colourful flags at Camp Bestival