Innehållsförteckning för August 16 från Prima UK

Our cover girl this month, Kirstie Allsopp, has achieved so many things and is such a fantastic inspiration. In the Prima office, we’re addicted to all her TV shows; just how brilliant was the recent series of Love It Or List It? More than anyone, Kirstie has made crafting cool again by showing how it’s done – on TV and also through her live event, The Handmade Fair, which takes place at Hampton Court Palace in September. If you haven’t been before, I urge you to try to fit it in your diary – you’ll love it, and may just hit on a new hobby, too! As Kirstie says, ‘Working with your hands is so good for your mind. Like a lot of people, I get real therapeutic pleasure out…

INVEST IN AN ELECTRIC RICE COOKER. You can buy one so cheaply. Switch it on, put in rice, salt, pepper and a bit of coconut oil and it will cook and be perfect whenever you’re ready to eat it – even hours later. DECLUTTER LIKE CRAZY. Pack the children and pets off for 24 hours and throw away what you don’t need, want or like. That dress has never been worn for a reason. Those shoes that were too small when you bought them won’t miraculously fit you tomorrow. Getting rid of your junk is very cleansing. ALLOCATE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING and make sure that everyone in the family gets into the habit of putting things back where they belong. Knowing where to find things is a stress-buster. DON’T…

From just 90p! Rev up neutral outfits with zingy brights Team with a colour-pop pedi!…

‘I arrive frazzled and leave calm and in control’ Natalie Brown, 35, is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives in Hove, East Sussex, with her husband Rob, 38, and their children Bluebell, four, and Maximilian, 18 months. ‘Driving to my allotment every Saturday, a sense of euphoria sweeps over me. It’s the one place where I can just be me. Not Mummy, not a wife, not an employee, just Natalie. I have no responsibilities, there are no demands, and my time is my own. Ironically, the original plan was to visit the allotment as a family. Rob and I have always lived in flats, but once our daughter was born, I craved some outside space – just a place to have a picnic, play in a paddling pool, grow…

‘This summer, do something for yourself: buy a cheap notebook and start writing things down. It doesn’t have to be pricey or have a fancy cover – it’s what you’ll be putting in it that counts. I can hear your excuses already. You can’t spell? It doesn’t matter. Your handwriting is terrible? Who cares? You don’t know where to start? Start on the first page – today! I know the transformative power of putting pen to paper better than most. I’ll never forget my first journal: a Letts leather-bound, five-year diary – blood red with a brass lock. It was a necessity growing up the eldest of four in a noisy, crowded house in Basingstoke. Aged 15, I was an argumentative little so-andso who, according to my mother, “loved the…

Watching Olympic athletes line up at the start of a race, waiting for the starter gun, you might think that their world is a million miles away from your own. But the mantras they use to get them to the finish line can be applied to everything – from getting out of bed on the right side in the morning to nailing that job interview. These former and current Olympians reveal how all of us can be the best version of ourselves. LIFE LESSON Give a task your full attention ‘If you’re going to do something, do it properly,’ advises rower JAMES CRACKNELL OBE, who won gold in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. ‘It takes as much time to do something half-heartedly as it does to do it…

L’Occitane is delighted to offer all Prima readers a FREE Verbena Shower Gel, worth more than £5. Among the aromatic herbs that grow in Provence, it’s verbena’s invigorating lemony freshness that’s renowned for reviving the body and mind. Energising the senses, it helps banish fatigue and relieve stress, while softening and soothing skin. The shower gel within this collection is also bursting with added extracts of orange, geranium and lemon tree, making it the perfect mood-booster to start your day. AND THAT’S NOT ALL... As well as claiming your free shower gel, L’Occitane is offering all readers an indulgent hand and arm massage when they visit the store. What’s more, if you spend £15 or more, you will also receive a FREE Hand Cream Duo, worth £5! HOW TO CLAIM…

Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and expert in complementary medicine, offers advice for when exercise results in ouch! Taking regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. As well as helping you to maintain a healthy weight, it can lower raised blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve blood supply to your heart and brain. Exercise is also an excellent stress-buster. However, if you overdo it, haven’t warmed up and cooled down, or if you’re using the wrong techniques and equipment, you can end up injured. STRAINS AND SPRAINS Caused by A sudden twisting movement or fall. A strain is caused when a muscle is overused or suddenly stretched, so the muscle fibres tear, or pull apart. This is more likely if you haven’t warmed up…

Decadent raspberry mousse cake Make up to a day ahead and store covered in the fridge. SERVES 10 PREP 30min, plus cooling and chilling COOK 10min • 100g pack brandy snap baskets, crushed • 400g (14oz) frozen raspberries, defrosted on kitchen paper • 2tbsp icing sugar • 8 gelatine leaves • 225ml (8fl oz) whole milk • 425ml (14fl oz) double cream • 4 large eggs, separated • 200g (7oz) caster sugar 1 Line the sides of a 23cm (9in) spring-form cake tin with baking parchment. Cover the base with the crushed brandy snaps. 2 Set aside 100g (3½oz) of the best raspberries. Put remainder into a pan with icing sugar and 2tbsp water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit softens. Sieve into a bowl – you should have around 250ml…

SHIPSHAPE Upcycle a junk-shop find into a stunning piece of furniture YOU WILL NEED • Cupboard • Sandpaper • Primer • Flat brush • Blue matt acrylic eggshell paint • Two ovals of MDF 1.5cm x 32cm x 18cm (buy on eBay or have them cut at a builders’ merchant) • White matt acrylic eggshell paint • Paper and pencil (for the template) • Small paint brush • Darker blue acrylic eggshell tester pot • Wood glue NOTE If you use special furniture paint, you don’t need to use a primer. Annie Sloan and Rust-Oleum have good ranges. Finish in a day! TO MAKE ❶ Remove any dirt from the cupboard with a damp cloth. Rub the cupboard all over with sandpaper, so the paint adheres to the surface. Paint…

KNIT in just one weekend! STRIPED TOP MEASUREMENTS To fit bust: 76-81(86-92:97-102: 107-112) cm; Finished measurements: Bust 86(96:108:120:134)cm; Length 51(53:55:57:59)cm MATERIALS 3(3:3:4:4) 50g hanks of Erika Knight studio linen in each of Milk (A) and Bone (B) and 2(3:3:3:4) 50g hanks in Neo (C). Pair of 3.75mm knitting needles and one 3.75mm circular needle. Stitch holders. Large-eyed blunt-tipped sewing up needle. TENSION 22 sts and 30 rows to 10cm square over st-st using 3.75mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS alt alternate; beg beginning; cm centimetre(s); cont continue; dec decrease; foll follow(s)(ing); inc increase; k knit; m1F pick up strand between st just worked and next st with tip of left needle k or p into front of it; p purl; patt pattern; rem remain(ing); rep repeat; RS right side; st(s) stitch(es); st-st stocking…

Books editor Cathy Rentzenbrink’s favourite page-turners to enjoy, whether you’re at home or away Three journeys into the last century DAUGHTERS OF CASTLE DEVERILL by Santa Montefiore (Simon & Schuster, £12.99) It’s 1925 and the Deverill’s castle is in ruins. Celia, having married into money, is determined to restore her home. But then the stock markets fall... Out 22 July THE INVITATION by Lucy Foley (HarperCollins, £12.99) When Hal Jacobs is invited on to a luxury yacht bound for the Cannes film festival, he meets the beautiful Stella – a mysterious American who’s hiding a dark secret. Out 14 July THE MUSE by Jessie Burton (Picador, £12.99) A lost painting with a secret history binds together the two strands of this sumptuous tale set in 1930s Spain and 1960s London.…

TIMELESS JEWELLERY FOR ALL OCCASIONS Eternal Collection offers beautiful costume jewellery and accessories at prices you will love. They have a fantastic selection of enamel, exquisite pearl, Venetian glass, gemstone, fashion and Swarovski crystal jewellery to suit all tastes and a vast range of clip-on and pierced earrings. No quibble guarantee and free returns. For your FREE catalogue call 03453 707071 or visit www.eternalcollection.co.uk 10% OFF your first order when you QUOTE PR56. *Excluding Postage & Packing. Not valid with any other promotion EXQUISITE NIGHTWEAR COLLECTION Nothing is nicer than a good night’s sleep and nothing is guaranteed more to give you the very best nighttime comfort than soft, finequality nightwear that has been designed and made in England by David Nieper. Better still if it’s easy to pack, lightweight…

Look after yourself LOOK YOUNGER LONGERTM Regentiv’s The Specialist Seru (with Retinol) Lines, wrinkles, crepey eyes, neck, sun and skin damage can all benefit from this potent formula. Developed by leading Harley Street specialists with concentrated Retinol, Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and sunscreen. Users say, “Since starting with The Specialist Serum my friends have asked what I am using and my skin has never looked better”. To order visit www.regentiv.co.uk Tel: 01923 212555. 30ml £29.95, 50ml £44.95, 100ml £79.95, 200ml £149. Free P&P. Regentiv Specialist Skin Care, PO Box 400, Herts, WD17 3ZW. THIS IS NO ORDINARY DINNER PLATE... Eat what you love to cook and lose weight! Eat the same as your family. Portion control is the easiest way to change your lifestyle. The female Diet Plate® and calorie…

When Gaby, our esteemed editor here at Prima, suggested I write about the forthcoming Olympics, I broke out in a sweat. Not because I’d just finished the 100m hurdles, but because I know nothing about sport. I was thrilled when London hosted the Games four years ago. It was great for the capital and for the country and, when my husband got tickets on the internet lottery, I tried my best to look delighted. I knew that they were hard to come by and that lots of people, desperate to go, weren’t lucky enough to get seats. I crossed my fingers and prayed for synchronised swimming... My prayers were not answered. The day came for the first event and we headed off to the Olympic park to see women’s hockey.…

GO FOR GOLD! Set off your outfit with this fun Estella Bartlett Midnight Jungle Pineapple pendant, £19, John Lewis, or this stylish Rio v-shaped fan necklace, £19.50, Oliver Bonas TOTALLY TROPICAL Cover-ups don’t come nicer than this embellished kaftan, £38, Butterfly by Matthew Williamson at Debenhams SMELLS LIKE SUMMER A gorgeous citrussy scent with a hint of gin and tonic! What’s not to like? CK One Summer EDT, £33 for 100ml, Boots JUMP TO IT Keep it cool day or night with a sassy, wide-legged, halterneck jumpsuit, £65, Simply Be COSTUME DRAMA Be queen of the beach in this fabulous Fantasie Kuranda asymmetric swimsuit, £76, House of Fraser PLAY BY THE MULES Keep your tootsies cool in a pair of on-trend denim mules, £77.43, Soludos TUTTI FRUITY This stylish, striped…

‘I help people get back on their bikes’ Lynn Bye, 49, from Ilkley, Yorkshire, knew that finding the right cycling gear could be a struggle, which set the wheels in motion for a new business. ‘Over the years, I’d spent a lot of time outside the changing rooms in bike shops, waiting for my husband, Richard, to emerge. He would gingerly pull the curtain back, revealing a less-than-attractive sight – a 6ft 3in man squeezed into a pair of tiny Lycra shorts, which left nothing to the imagination! Richard has always loved to be active, but his size meant that he’s always been “the fat lad at the back”. On cycling trips with his mates, he’d be puffing up hills, only to whizz past them all on the way down…

BEAT THE SHINE Is there a way I can stay shine-free all day? There’s a big difference between a glowing complexion and a shiny one. Make a few easy changes for a mattifying result… 1. CLEANSE CORRECTLY Firstly, you need to get the prep right. An oil-free formula gel is best when it comes to cleanser. We love bareMinerals True Oasis Oil-Free Replenishing Gel Cream (£29), as it gently cleanses the skin of excess sebum. 2. MOISTURISER SWAP Changing your regular moisturiser is key. Vichy Normaderm Anti-Blemish Care (£14.50) is great for balancing skin that’s prone to breakouts. For instant shine control, you’ll love Caudalíe Moisturizing Mattifying Fluid (£23). 3. GO OIL-FREE Lighten your coverage with an oil-free formula. The Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser (£34, Space.NK) is loved by…

Head-to-toe treats from our beauty editor SABINE WIESEL 3 OF THE BEST ON THE BEAUTY DESK 1 CLEVER COVERAGE I’m obsessed with cushion compacts that hold liquid foundation, and now they’ve arrived on the high street. L’Oréal Paris Nude Magique Cushion (£14.99) creates a fresh, dewy finish when you’re on the go. 2 QUICKER CLEANSING Waterproof make-up can be a pain to take off at bedtime – but help is at hand. Cleansing oils are fab for the job and break it down quickly. I love Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Cleansing Oil (£6.99, from 5 July). The grapeseed oil-based formula feels gorgeous and all you need is a couple of drops. Brilliant value! 3 LIP SERVICE Finding the perfect red lippy can take a lifetime. We put Lipstick Queen…

Forget what you hear about those high-flying heroes who only need a few hours’ sleep. There’s nothing heroic about scrimping on shuteye. In fact, experts believe that getting enough slumber is as important to your health as a sensible diet and regular exercise. A lack of sleep causes levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin to rise, leaving you craving more sugary foods, so a few nights of tossing and turning can add inches to your waistline. More worryingly, it can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia and cancer. ‘Women who do night shifts for three years have 65% more risk of developing breast cancer because their natural sleep pattern is disrupted,’ says Dr Neil Stanley, one of the UK’s leading sleep experts. ‘What’s more, you’ve a similar risk…

CREATE A WATERING PLAN Unless you have a fantastically well-planted garden, you’ll find that there are times in the summer when it starts to look a bit dull and droopy. This is easily remedied with an inexpensive, easy-to-fit watering system – the ‘drip system’ varieties are the cheapest (visit hozelock.co.uk). With one in place, all you have to do is occasionally buy colourful, reasonably priced bedding plants throughout the season and you’ll have a garden fit for the queen. It really is that simple! FLY THE FLAG I love to see a national flag in the garden. And it doesn’t have to be a Union Jack – I’m a big fan of Brazil, as I have family there. A flag in support of any other country you favour during the…

Try this For a smoky flavour, start burgers on the barbecue, then put in the oven until cooked through. The ultimate cheeseburger A classic recipe you’ll turn to time and time again. Succulent and delicious! MAKES 4 PREP 20min, plus optional chilling COOK about 20min • 500g (1lb 2oz) good-quality steak mince • ½ small onion, finely chopped • 1 medium egg • ½tbsp Dijon mustard • 100g (3½oz) fresh white breadcrumbs • 2tbsp sunflower oil • 8 Cheddar cheese slices TO SERVE • 4 sesame burger buns • Gem lettuce leaves, optional • Tomato slices, optional • Gherkin spears, optional 1 Put the mince into a large bowl and mix in the chopped onion, egg, mustard, breadcrumbs and plenty of seasoning. Divide the mixture equally into four and shape…

DIP-DYE SARONG YOU WILL NEED • Tape measure • Single white sheet • Scissors • Iron • Fabric pen • Sewing machine or overlocker • Bucket • Fabric dye • Salt • Measuring jug • Stainless-steel spoon THE STEPS ❶ Use a tape measure to work out how long and wide you want the sarong to be. It will need to be wider than you are so you’ll have enough fabric to tie in a knot at the side. ❷ Cut or rip the sheet into your required dimensions. ❸ Iron out all the creases in the fabric and fold it in half vertically. Lay it on a large table. ❹ Using the fabric pen, draw a large curve to create a rounded edge for your sarong. Starting near the…

Did you always want to be a writer? No, but I always wrote. My main aim in life, from about five to 25, was to be an actress. I achieved that, to a degree, but then writing took over. What are the best and worst things about the life of a writer? The best thing? The parallel lives you can have. Ideas that interest me but I can’t have in real life – such as imaginary people, fantasies, dreams. I can live them out in my words and make them a form of reality. The worst thing is when what you see on the page is not what remains stuck inside your head. I also don’t like the sustained isolation, but you can’t write a novel by committee. Who or…

It’s so easy to win! Enter by phone, text or post A feelgood spa getaway The award-winning, four-star Whittlebury Hall Hotel & Spa in Northamptonshire is giving one reader a two-night spa break for two, worth £1,000†! This fab getaway includes daily breakfast and three-course dinners on both nights, plus use of the Heat and Ice Experiences, spa and leisure club facilities. Not a winner? Buy an Escape and Spa Stay this summer and get a complimentary express treatment on us††! Visit whittleburyhall.co.uk/escapeextra. Call 0905 789 1001 (80ppm)*. Text PRIMAGIVE1 to 88600 (£1.50)**. Write to Prima/Whittlebury Hall GVPRAL16063. †,††For full T&Cs, see page 161 Time for a cool down Keep your pet refreshed during the summer months with this Scruffs Cool Mat from petslovescruffs.com. There are 25 up for grabs,…

Presenter, property expert and Queen of make do and mend Kirstie Allsopp, 44, lives with her partner, Ben Andersen, and their two sons, Bay, nine, and Oscar, seven. She is also stepmum to Ben’s sons from a previous marriage, Hal, 14, and Orion, 17. She’s back at the helm of this year’s Handmade Fair in September at Hampton Court Palace. It offers a hugely enjoyable weekend of skills workshops, on-stage discussions with handicraft experts, including Sewing Bee’s Patrick Grant and decorative paint expert Annie Sloan, and also features 250 stalls of unique handmade items to buy. The joy of craft Working with your hands is so good for your mind. Like a lot of people, I get real therapeutic pleasure out of craft and doing even the simplest stuff with…

THE RUT YOUR WARDROBE IS STUCK IN NEUTRAL THE FIX Feeling colour shy? Adding just one accent shade will give your neutrals an instant boost! Orange is a great starting point as it flatters most skin tones and pairs beautifully with black, navy, grey and white. Bright heels are an amazing mood lifter! THE RUT YOU LIVE IN TRACKSUIT BOTTOMS AT THE WEEKEND THE FIX Tailored, dressy joggers have the same comfort factor but with more sophisticated fabrics and cool details. Team yours with silk tees and metallic trainers for an up-to-the-minute take on casual. THE RUT TRAINERS WITH EVERYTHING! THE FIX Loafers and brogues are comfortable yet super chic, and add instant polish to every look. Treat your feet to buttery soft lace-ups and luxe leather loafers and step…

WORLD TRAVELLER From holiday-ready maxis and billowy peasant blouses, to glam party dresses and luxe embellished dresses – the Artisan collection at Monsoon is ideal for stylish summer days. But what makes it extra special is that all items are handmade by skilled artisans from across Asia as part of Monsoon’s commitment to craftspeople and their communities. Style solutions from our acting senior fashion editor WENDY RIGG MAKE IT PERSONAL Mark special memories with Dower & Hall’s new engravable jewellery. Add names, initials, dates and messages to silver or 18ct gold vermeil pendants, bracelets or charms for a truly personal gift or keepsake. Prices start at £30. Shake your pom-poms Oh-so-pretty pom-poms are popping up on our favourite accessories. Add a fun flourish to outfits with rainbow-bright bags, sensational sandals…

This month, the bikini turns 70. But I won’t be celebrating. The garment was the brainchild of French designer Louis Réard, who came up with the concept after witnessing women rolling down their swimsuits on the beach, and it rapidly went mainstream. I can’t help but wonder how much anxiety he could have saved womankind if he’d never bothered. If only he’d turned his attention to, say, the bottom-shrinking trouser or the hip-hiding skirt, instead of sending generations of women out into the world in their bra and pants! Where bikinis are concerned, we seem to lose all reason. We talk about becoming ‘bikini-ready’, shunning cake while wittering, ‘Oh no! It’s only a week away!’ as if that longed-for holiday was a terrible medical procedure we’ve been dreading. Nothing makes…

‘We ate ice cream and kissed’ When Rosie Blake’s friend dragged her to a Christian camp one summer, she thought she’d be bored. Instead, she met her first love. ‘My summer of love began at an English holiday camp. My best friend had dragged me there and, as it was a camp for Christians, I imagined it would be more Songs Of Praise than Dirty Dancing. So nobody was more surprised than me when, on a north Devon campsite, I experienced the stomach-churning feeling of love for the first time. Before that summer, I’d had little interest in the opposite sex. But when, sitting round the campfire, I saw him for the first time, the feeling was utterly overwhelming. I was a fresh-faced 15 year old experimenting with tie-dyeing my…

Beauty expert Kazia Pelka gives us a masterclass in how to work some magic into our make-up routines. So if you’re stuck in a rut, see how a few tweaks can get you gorgeous – fast! Claire Roberts Claire, 44, works on a paediatric ward and is from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. She has been using the same make-up and techniques since her twenties and it’s all starting to look a bit heavy. She thinks her skin looks tired and she has some uneven pigmentation on her face and neck and wants to know what she can do about it. With a wedding coming up and a day at the races planned, she’d like a whole new look. KAZIA’S VERDICT Make-up formulations and techniques have improved so much in recent years. For…

Feeling a little less-than toned right now? Maybe your waist has kinda vanished, tum’s a bit puffy and those arms too jiggly? Before you try some deny-yourself diet or sign up for an endless gym slog, hit the great outdoors with a new fitness move that gets you hooked while the sun shines. Trust us, by autumn you’ll have a fab new figure, bags of energy and be so into it that you’ll carry on regardless of the weather! Just match your shapechanging must-have to an amazing all-over fitness move! Turn on to tennis for toned legs, arms and shoulders! Okay, we know that Wimbledon tickles our tennis gene every year, but this time around give in to the urge to pick up a racket and go for it! Why…

Q My husband snores like a train, but he refuses to believe it. Ear plugs aren’t sufficient to block out the cacophony. What can I do? A Record the evidence! We can just about survive on two consecutive nights of bad sleep, but on the third night, your husband needs to give you a break and sleep in the spare room. ‘We always recommend that the snorer is the one to leave the bed, as his sleep is more or less guaranteed wherever he is,’ says Sammy Margo. Q How can I get back to sleep after I wake in the middle of the night? A Even if you take a sleeping pill to get off to sleep, most will only work for four or five hours, says Dr Neil…

‘When it comes to choosing a house, I’m a firm believer in fate,’ says Penelope. ‘I really think that if you’re meant to live in a certain house, then you’ll find it eventually. You just need to be patient.’ This is just what the Carnells had to be once they had set their hearts on finding their dream home in a lovely coastal village in Devon, while living in a restored bungalow in Exeter. Five years passed before their present home – an 18th-century townhouse – hit the market. ‘The moment we stepped inside, I knew this was the one,’ says Penelope. The previous owner had lived there for more than half a century and, despite the ancient, rust-coloured carpet and peeling blue paintwork, the couple felt the house had…

Fab home and garden ideas from associate editor GARY IRWIN Make it mono The black and white look is one we’ve seen in the home and now it’s big in the garden, too. Outside woodwork, fences and sheds all look amazing painted in daring black (it’s another Scandi trend that’s taking off here) and contrast brilliantly against white walls. Add pops of colour and lots of greenery to soften the overall effect. Decking painted in Sadolin Decking Stain & Protector in Ebony, £33.99 for 2.5L; chairs and table in Sandtex 10-Year Exterior Gloss paint in Hot Mustard and Smokey Grey, £23.52 for 1L, all B&Q ALL-WEATHER PLEASURE You might not want to chance taking your best cushions outside, so have a look at these fab outdoor versions, made in durable,…

Asparagus, pea and broad bean salad A perfect light lunch for summer, using tasty vegetables. With several stages – roasting onions, as well as making a basil sauce and a salad – this recipe looks more complicated than it actually is. SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE; 6 AS A STARTER (USING HALF THE SAUCE) 548 calories for 4 servings; 365 for 6 servings • 160g freshly podded peas (frozen are also fine) • 200g freshly podded broad beans (frozen are also fine) • 1 bunch of thin asparagus (about 220g) • 1-2 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil • Small handful of basil or mint leaves • Julienned zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1 lemon • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling • Sea salt…

❶ With its figureflattering fit and knockout colour, this fab frock is the perfect occasion piece – that’s all those garden parties and summer weddings sorted! ❷ Little ones will love this easy, breezy dress – perfect for picnics, parties and day trips to the seaside. ❸ A must-pack for a summer city break. Glam up your dress with a pair of heeled sandals, or keep it casual in flats. ❹ Comfy and casual, this pretty top pairs perfectly with cotton shorts or skinny jeans. It’s a little girl’s summer superhero! Need to know Create and Craft TV is your one-stop shop for all your sewing and knitting needs! Head to createandcraft.tv to find out more. WOMEN’S SIZES 10-20 GIRLS’ SIZES 2-8 The woman’s V-neck dress can be made sleeveless…

Get creative with SUE McNEILL, editor of Prima Makes HOME SWEET HOME This sweet cross-stitch kit contains everything you will need to complete the picture. Frame your handiwork and hang it on your wall, or give it as a house-warming gift to friends or family. £3.95, Dotcomgiftshop. The finished cross-stitch fits a 13x18cm frame, try Ikea for similar. A special thank you These new birthday and thank you cards from Papermash can be easily personalised. Simply add a few strips of colourful or patterned washi tape to a paper insert that slips into the card. £3.95 for three (in brown, black and white), Papermash. AUGUST DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 4-7 August Countryfile Live Blenheim Palace, Woodstock; tickets at country filelive.com 26-29 August Chilterns Craft & Design Show, Stoner Park, Henley-on-Thames;…

FARAWAY PLACES Chilled, tropical THAILAND THE BEACH Nang Thong BEST FOR Castaway bliss Thailand is renowned for its golden-sand beaches – just like those featured in the film The Beach. Phuket is a hot spot and the Sands Khao Lak resort sits right by the gorgeous Nang Thong Beach where you can chill out and gaze at the turquoise sea or take part in activities, including volleyball, scuba diving, yoga, walking programmes, giant chess or even watch movies under the stars! BOOK IT Emirates Holidays offers seven nights’ all-inclusive for the price of five in a Sands Room at Nang Thong Beach, including return Emirates flights, from £1,095 per person. Call 020 8972 8949 or visit emiratesholidays.co.uk. Dreamy Boa Vista, CAPE VERDE THE BEACH Praia de Cruz BEST FOR Spotting…

For that special someone SAVE 12% ON THESE SIZZLING SUMMER BOUQUETS! Fingers crossed for some ‘real sunshine’ this Summer! The kind that makes you want to wear hot, bold, proud and loud colours, just like those you’ll enjoy when you choose one of our gorgeous bouquets. ‘Vibrant Summer’ just sizzles with sunny heat, whilst the perfectly twinned pinks of ‘Summer Rose and Freesia’ will appeal if you prefer a less exuberant style! Send your favourite to a loved one and your gift is sure to delight. Great news too, as a Prima reader, you’ll get an exclusive 12% SAVING* on all orders! To claim your discount, please use code PRIMA0707. We’ll even include FREE delivery and a FREE pop-up vase with your order – we’ll give you the same offer…

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