25 September 2014

Hobbycraft Haul

Hello lovelies!

How's tricks? 


Yesterday evening I realised a childhood dream of starring in my own crafty version of Supermarket Sweep, but without a time limit. This seriously magical experience was all thanks to my ex-colleagues, who gave me a Hobbycraft gift card as my leaving present. 

I had no way of knowing how much it was worth until I got to Hobbycraft, so finding out I had £70(!) to spend on crafts was a rather overwhelmingly brilliant surprise! Naturally, being a lover of all things thrifty, I'd already signed up to the Hobbycraft Club to get the 15%-off discount code to use on my first in-store (or online) purchase, meaning I actually had £83 to spend!!!


After I'd recovered from my excited squeaking, I grabbed a wheely basket thing, and got stuck in. This is what I ended up with:




1. Fillable Christmas Baubles

I'm already excited about trawling Pinterest for inspiring ways to fill these beauties to go with the as yet undecided colour scheme for this year's tree. That said, there's no reason they have to be Christmassy - I might fill them with different things (/snacks) for every holiday! 

2. Boodles t-shirt yarn
I've wanted to try crocheting with t-shirt yarn for ages- it feels so cosy! If you've got any project recommendations, I'd be very grateful for links in the comments below!

3. Springform cake tin

I'm looking forward to the luxury of freeing cakes from their hot tins without having to push the loose bottom out with an oven glove and catch the tin on my arm and/or set up a cunning upside-down pudding-bowl system. My arms are pretty excited about it too.

4. Glass beads

These were probably my most impulsive buy because I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with them. They're just so colourful that I couldn't resist! I'm considering stringing a few of them on a simple chain to make a necklace, and perhaps using the others to decorate Christmas presents. I'm feeling strangely psyched about Christmas today!

5. Leopard-print Duck Tape
Because sometimes you need to fix things in a damn classy way.

6. Pompom trim
I've got so many projects I want to use this for! I have a sneaking suspicion that this weekend will mainly revolve around trimming anything I can reach.

7. Screme Eggs
These were my final, only-got-£2.39-left choice. Mostly because they're delicious, but also because they remind me of Dr Seuss.

8. Felting wool
My Mum mentioned last weekend that she wanted to learn to needle-felt, so I decided to get her a kit and some wool to get started. She chose natural colours so she could try and felt a hare. 

9. Homemaker magazine
I wouldn't normally spend £5 on a magazine, but as this one was free to me I grabbed it to be the perfect accompaniment to a cosy evening on the sofa. With a screme egg or two too, obviously.

10. Paintbrushes
Something I actually needed, as all of my current brushes are at least 10 years old and so scruffy-haired they look like this:

[image source]

Obviously not EXACTLY like that, or I would marry them never replace them.

11. Needle felting mat
Again, for my Mutti. Although once she's perfected felting I'm definitely putting in a request for a homemade version of these beauties

12. Crochet hook
This beast is seriously chunky, but apparently it's what one needs for crocheting with t-shirt yarn.  

13. Putty rubber
My Mum asked for one. Seriously, a whole warehouse of glitter-encrusted, neon-trimmed, leopard-print crafty goodness, and she wants a putty rubber. Sometimes I wonder if I'm adopted. 

14. Felting tool
AKA a plastic handle with four needles stuck in it. 

15. Embroidery thread
Because cross-stitch is quite possibly my favourite craft. Mostly because it's easy to transport and work on while watching a film. And I plan my patterns with graph paper, which makes me feel all smart and maths-y.

I'm feeling very lucky indeed after gathering all these treasures :) What's the best leaving present you've ever received?

Katie xxx

23 comments:

  1. Very nice!!! I'd gladly spend £70 in Hobbycraft. Putty rubber, shmutty rubber-I agree. The thinfs she could have chosen....
    Pompom trimmed toilet, oh pleeeease! The moroccan/Irish tiles would be so pleased!!! X

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    1. Haha- I'm sure the loo would look beautiful but I'm not sure that would be very hygienic :p xxx

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  2. What a lovely gift and I'm glad you enjoyed spending it! I've only really left 1 job and my gift was a book called 'how to be an amazing teacher' (useless now!) and about £80 worth of Amazon vouchers - they make me very happy as I'm always buying books and have about 400 on my wishlist!

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    1. Amazon vouchers are definitely a good leaving present- although it must have been tricky to choose which books to buy first! xxx

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  3. Great haul! I love scrème eggs so much and this post has made me want to just go out and buy a load! :)
    theemeralddove21.blogpot.co.uk

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  4. Errrr best ex colleagues and purchase choices evvvvver! Particularly keen on the duck tape!

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    1. They were rather excellent! I'm definitely never going back to silver duck tape xxx

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  5. Seriously great haul! It's so lovely that you got stuff for your mum too - what a lovely you are!!
    Can't wait to see what projects you come up with and oh yes - you would do right to marry those Depp lookin brushes!!!

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    1. Thanks Rhia - I'll make sure to share my makes :) My Mum might even share her felting if I ask nicely! xxx

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  6. Amazing - desperate to go to hobby craft now! Looking forward to seeing all your makes. I got lots of gorgeous Cath Kidston goodies when I left my last job which was overwhelming as I know Cath Kidston isn't cheap! Xxx

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    1. That must have been rather overwhelming(ly lovely)- how sweet of your coworkers! xxx

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  7. Oh how I would love to be able to spend that kind of money in Hobbycraft! Love everything. Looking forward to seeing/hearing what you do with it all.

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    1. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime, living-the-dream kind of experience :) xxx

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  8. Wowsers! That's one darn good leaving present! You certainly got a good load of stuff, loving the baubles and the pom pom trim and springform cake tins are the best - can we see some pics of the fabulous cakes you're going to bake please? :-) xxx

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    1. I'll certainly try and share any future bakes but I haven't been baking much this year. I'm planning to use this to cook spanakopita first :) xxx

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  9. Were you in a real world version of the end of Supermarket Sweep? But in Hobbycraft...with crafting stuff. Also you don't want to be throwing around hooks and needles. It was a bad comparison.

    What I wouldn't give for £83 to spend in Hobbycraft and how much did your colleagues like you eh? Unless there were like 1200 of them. in which case £70 seems stingy and this just got awwwwkward!
    Anyhoo, you spent it well I see, will you show us what you made with the yarn, I want to see!

    Very lastly in this saga of a comment, where would you like me to send my photo too? For the baubles? I assume that you want to feature me in there...
    M x

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    1. I know- I was a little overwhelmed! I worked with about 50 people on a regular basis, so £70 was a rather lovely surprise :)

      I will definitely show you whatever I end up making with the yarn. I'm currently thinking cloud-shaped rug. Then again, I'm also thinking about breakfast, cookie cutters, and stripy socks- so who knows what I'll end up choosing.

      I would like four photos, please, in a range of seasonal outfits- Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Valentines. I've got four baubles to fill after all! xxx

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    2. On it. Stat.
      Also sorry about duping the Supermarket Sweep references. I'm blaming the snot and there's nothing you can do about it. Incidentally the snot features heavily in the valentines snapshot winging it's way to you.
      M x

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    3. No need to apologies. It just proves we're basically the same person (except you have much nicer eyelashes). I'm off to wait impatiently by the letter box for your photos! xxx

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  10. Wow, so much stuff! How long were you in there for?! I really want a needle felting set (Christmas present list already being made here!!), I feel a trip to Hobbycraft is on the cards for me too... x

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    1. About an hour and a half!! I think I circled the whole shop three times :p Good work on the Christmas list making- I always leave mine to the last minute and end up writing something in a panicky haste which has items such as "olive oil- because we've nearly run out" :p xxx

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  11. WOW very good blog and very useful for all . Keep sharing and posting

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