Melt chocolates

Love this hot chocolate packaging from Melt Chocolates - yum.

Happy Weekend and a Royal Bake-off

Happy Weekend everyone! I don't know if it's just me, but it's seemed like the slowest week ever... I will spend this weekend searching for spring {there are already snowdrops on my walk to work.}

Just a few links for your weekend;

Love Pia's new website,

And this flower project...

And also this Royal Wedding Street Party cake by Jane Asher in yesterday's Times {they are also running a bake-off, if you fancy something more adventurous than my straw styling competition.}

Photo used with permission from The Times on Facebook.

Kyle Bean

Some photos from the portfolio of super-talented paper engineer and prop stylist Kyle Bean, whose work has also included windows for Selfridges and this brilliant display for Hermes.

Photos by Owen Silverwood.

Blue sky balloons

Very tempted by this blue sky balloons painting {£120} by Sixteen Eighteen on Folksy. I bookmarked it to share later in the year, but I'm too impatient, and in my {possibly disillusioned} mind spring and summery blue skies are almost here...

Friday Links and Happy Weekend

Some Friday links, which I haven't shared for a while, so these may go back a while...

A very poignant poem, for a much-missed mother-in-law

Love this East End etching

A gorgeous English wedding

Sounds like a perfect Sunday

Love these business cards

Oh my, an amazing French cafe themed party for a one year old {via Melanie.}

Have a lovely weekend, whatever your plans. I'm hoping to shake my cough in time to visit some friends this weekend, and their little baby, so it's an early night for me.

Photo: Spring Letter by Provincijalka.

Goodbye, my friend

Au revoir to one of my favourite items at Papermash, the mini pink doily, sadly discontinued by my supplier. This was one of my favourite photos, and I was pleased with my results as an accidental stylist. I loved the droopy flowers.

Below is a sweet drawing of a bird on a pink doily, which one of my French customers featured on her blog. Isn't her blog header adorable?

Thanks Hélène {some more delicate drawings on doilies here.}

Farewell, my little friend. You have served me well.

PS There is still time to enter the straw styling competition - I will be posting off the straws this weekend.

British art: Alice Stevenson

Love these prints by London-based illustrator Alice Stevenson; Sea and Woods (both $27.50); and also the name of her blog, We gathered in spring. I'm convinced that spring is here, as I just bought my first bunch of daffodils {am ignoring all reports of snow} and am so joyful that it is still light at 5pm!

Wednesday workspace

A little slow on the blogging front recently, but a normal service will resume shortly, and I have some new series coming up. I'm home sick this afternoon, so I have no excuse for not rustling up at least a Wednesday workspace.

Photo by Lesley Williamson {thanks, Helen.}

Straw styling competition: Royal Wedding Street Party

I've decided to hold another straw styling challenge this year, {see last year's entrants and winners}, but to make it interesting, I am introducing a Royal Wedding party theme. I'm quite excited about the Royal Wedding {having had little interest in the couple until they got engaged} and thought this would be fun! Are any of you planning a street party?

I don't have one single idea myself, but I hope you can think of something, which doesn't have to be too complicated - perhaps just a red, white and blue theme, or a special celebration cocktail with straws?

The rules:

• The competition is to style a photograph, using my striped paper straws.
• You can submit two entries each, by uploading them to this Flickr group; feel free to link it to your blog in the text.
• I will send each person 6 straws - 3 blue and 3 red. Please request straws by sending your name and address to teaforjoy@gmail.com with the subject 'straw styling.' Last date to request straws is 20th February, 2011.
• Competition closing date is 20th March.
• International entrants are fine.

The prize:

• The winner will receive a £50 voucher for Papermash.
• Two runners up will win one box of red, and one box of blue straws.
• All entrants {who actually upload photos to Flickr, and which integrate the Royal Wedding Party theme} will receive a £5 voucher for Papermash, valid on orders over £15.

{Photo from last year's competition, by Kiwi Rose.}

Tea of the week: tea for two

Teatime by Jols Ariella. Source found using this amazing tool, Tineye, found via Design Sponge.

Love Potion

I love the little bottle of this L'Artisan du Chocolat Love Potion hot chocolate {£6.50} - very tempted by everything in their salted caramel range, too.

Homes and Antiques

A lovely spread from March's Homes and Antiques - accompanying a feature on collectible sewing antiques. I'm trying to cull my magazine subscriptions, but I love the styling in this magazine so much that I'm definitely keeping this one.

Valentines Day at Papermash

A few love-themed Rifle Paper Co items from Papermash; Heart print {£20}, {also available as a card, £3.25} and my favourite, the Love card, also £3.25.

I need a new laptop asap {hence the poor collage above, from Picnik} - any recommendations? I don't think I will move to a Mac, as I use Excel all the time and it doesn't run that well on a Mac.