Caroline Burke | Burkatron

nothing excites me more than the arrival of a new batch of STATIONERY!! 

I won't lie a slight squeal accompanied the sight of the new kirstie allsopp stationery range from ryman.. it's an absolute beauty.

vintage inspired floral motifs reminiscent of old patchwork quilts and pastel hues had me itching to put pen to paper.

there is quite a selection from vintage ball point pens to little notebooks the perfect size to slip in your handbag.

the box file is seriously pretty with it's pink ribbon and clashing ditsy print patterns, I've thrown in all my loose paperwork to keep my desk tidy! 

I think my favourite piece is this notebook, the cover is just so gorgeous.. I'll be writing many a list in this puppy (if I ever get around to flexing some culinary muscle I'd be tempted to use this to write down some recipes)

a magazine file for all my fashion mags (also rather handy for hiding *ahem* storing those pesky household bills)

this 7 day planner is a blogging godsend! I know the other members of the 'to do list' fan club will enjoy this little rascal.. 

kirstie allsopp vintage collection*

the whole collection is so darn pretty. as a lover of ditsy florals, shabby chic and all things vintage I think my little brain just imploded with excitement 

I'm not sure I'll ever shake my nerdy obsession with notebooks and this collection hasn't helped; if you want a closer look I'd recommend popping over to ryman to snap up something here as availability in store is limited... consider yourself warned!

do you like the look of this collection too?

caroline x

I love simple summer dresses, if I'm nipping out to do some shopping they're an easy option for me. I picked up this dress from h&m a few months back, I like to wear it alone or with a sweater if the weathers cooler (plus its covered in tiny heart prints and I'm really loving blue at the minute so it suits my mood aha!)

I was browsing in urban outfitters and saw a really cute  picture frame made from newspaper and string, rather than adding to my increasingly horrifying overdraft I decided to make my own! I'm quite pleased with it, if you fancy trying it yourself this is how I made mine...

I brought an A4 glass clip frame for less than £1.50 plus some assorted coloured string and pva craft glue.

I cut up a cardboard box into 1cm strips and fashioned them into rectangles (with a bit of sellotape assistance) I made 5 rectangles in total gradually decreasing in size.

now it's the fun part, cut a newspaper into strips and cover each card rectangle in layers using pva glue, I layered the newspaper until the rectangles were about the thickness of my index finger. once dry wrap the individual rectangles roughly with string (I wanted some of the newspaper print to be visible)

fit the rectangles into each other like a jigsaw and glue them together. then glue the finished frame onto the front of the glass clip frame. again leave to dry and pop in your favourite picture.

hope you like it!

bunting. random I know but I fancied making something at the weekend and bunting looked easy! plus I'm sure its the queens jubilee later this year so I'm already ahead on the celebration decorations aha. here's my easy peasy guide to getting your bunt on!

cut out a triangle from card to use as a template. using your template cut out rough triangles from a selection of fabrics leaving at least 2cm sewing allowance (two triangles of fabric make one piece of bunting) I wanted 15 triangles so cut out 30 fabric triangles. 

take 2 triangles and sew together (right sides facing) along the sides, leave the top seam open. repeat on all triangles and then turn them inside out. see above pic!

I used 5 meters of cotton binding to attach my bunting. place the top of the triangles with the unfinished seam onto the cotton binding and fold over to cover any rough edges. pin the cotton firmly to the triangles and stitch along the cotton to finish.

 repeat with all the fabric triangles at regular intervals and voila your bunting is finished. I managed to make mine whilst drinking cider and fending off several of my sisters adorable children so you shouldnt have any trouble. enjoy!