Crochet update.....

Bit busy today.....but just wanted to show you how the crocheted granny square blanket is going.....

am really loving doing this..... I am still saving it for evenings as a treat!!!But I can't help looking at those scrummy bright cheery colours a thousand times during the day too......and asking anyone in the family who's passing - 'well, what do you think?' and 'Aren't they just the BEST colours ever?!!'

I think they might getting be a teensy bit fed up with me.

But I LOVE this blanket!! xx

A diversion....

Good morning everyone! I do hope you had a relaxing and productive weekend. For a change, I seem to have fitted quite a lot into one weekend - we had a lovely Burns supper yesterday with some fab friends, which was so pleasant that I still have a smile on my face (and that's not from the whiskey, wine and sloe gin I promise!) So a big thank you to Lisa for such a lovely evening.

On Saturday, in my small bit of free time, I sat down to make a bag from the lovely new cord but somehow didn't feel in a 'bag-making' mood.

I found myself still thinking about the tulips that S had bought me, and the photo that I took of them with the gorgeous bright colours....

so I made this little fabric picture -....
I have been experimenting for a while with various scraps of fabric, piecing them together, making little parts of pictures, but this is the first time I have made a picture just as a picture and not as a piece of applique to go on a cushion or a bag.

I was really pleased to find the spotty fabric for the jug - my lovely red polka dot jug is from Greengate, where if I hadn't spent all my money on yarn, I would spend a fortune on their beautiful things - go see, but don't say I didn't warn you - money will be parted with!!

The tulips are really blooming now - look at their gorgeousness, they just get better and better!

Then, still in a picture-making-mood, I decided to have a go at one that has been in my mind since our holiday in Cornwall last summer. The wonderful harbours filled with brightly painted jaunty little boats were such an inspiration...I got the photos out and had a lot of fun making this-

Well, I hope today is a good day for you......think I might tackle the bag-making today!!...

Some unexpected time...

I am surrounded by colour at the moment, S came home yesterday with these gorgeous tulips for me, saying 'I knew you would love these.' And I do, don't you?Oh, after all the blurry grey outside at the moment, and the bleak whiteness of the snow a little while ago, it's all a little dull dull dull outside right now.

I really think it's important to have some colour around....it feeds something inside you.....your soul maybe? It certainly does mine....it makes my heart beat a little faster...makes me feel like doing...making....something.

I find myself this morning with a couple of hours of unexpected time for myself.

S has taken the little 2 to the theatre - he managed to get last minute tickets for Cinderella and has taken them to the morning performance (never heard of this before - not a matinee but don't know the word for it) for some lovely 'Dad-time' with them.

The teenagers are still sleeping, so I have the luxury of some time with just the radio and the kettle for company. Yay!!!!!!!!!

So, having loaded the washing machine and unloaded the dishwasher and cleared the kitchen debris........ I am trying to decide what best to do with this precious piece of time.

What I would like to do is make some more granny squares.......with my lovely new yarn.....but that feels a bit like too much of a luxury.... I should do something more.... something more useful, bigger... I bought some gorgeous cord material the other day.... I might make a bag. Hmm, yes I think I will.

I want to tell you about my 'buying fabric day' the other day since it was a bit odd, but it'll have to be another time cos if I don't get on.....they'll be back!! I'll leave you with some more colour for a happy Saturday! xxxxxxx

Shhhhh..............

Now I want to show you something..........something that makes my heart flutter, makes me smile, and is making me very very happy even on this completely grey, wet day......

-What is it? I hear you ask - well, let me first say, that you are absolutely definitely NOT under any circumstances allowed to tell anyone about it. No-one, especially not anyone living in this house over the age of 17. Do you understand? You know who I mean, don't you?! He is NOT allowed to know.

Not yet...anyway... at this very moment, not until I can find a way of softening it for him.

Cos he won't understand, you see..... he won't experience the same happy lift that I do, just looking at it in all it's rainbow glory, fondling it in all it's cottony goodness. You will, though, I know you will. You'll get it, just like I do.

Okay.....is that a promise then? Great!! So now, just LOOK AT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooooooh!! Isn't that one of the most beautiful things you've ever seen?!!

Look closer.......

it is Rowan dk handknit cotton - and it's all MINE!!!!!! Look at those fabulous colours.

Yes, I have to admit it - I paid a visit to our lovely local wool shop and these scrummy balls of beautiful colours just jumped right out at me, begging me to take them away and make them into granny squares. What could I say? I had to bring them home with me.....

By the way, if you hear awful bad stories about 4 children being made to eat bread and butter for the next two weeks, don't pay any attention. It won't be true.

I can't afford butter.

Love-Birds

This is what the lovely fabric and ribbons turned into a couple of days ago.

They are my Love-Birds - hearts and birds at the same time.

I was feeling very lovey-dovey about Valentine's day at the time, and these birds just sort of happened.

I have filled them quite generously with gorgeous chemical-free French lavender so they smell so yummy.

Actually, I did have a bit of a headache when I was making them and when I got to the lavender-stuffing part, my little room filled up with the wonderful smell, and my headache went!!!

So, pretty and pratical - can't be bad!

I'm going to put these little birdies in the Etsy shop to spread a little love around. xx

OH YES! YES! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could skip around, I could jump up and down, I am squealing and making all sorts of giddy noises!!!!!!

And why? Are you asking? What is it that has got me all of a quiver?! To a point of such excitement?!

Well, luvvies, I'll tell you - after six months of wishing and trying so very hard, of frustrated evenings and lots of good intentions - after the purchase of seven lovely books with lovely pictures and diagrams galore..........

I HAVE LEARNED TO CROCHET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my!!!!!!

Yes, really..........me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and LOOK!!!!!!!!!! I made this!!!!!!!!!!

I actually made a Granny square!

My lovely friend Lisa bought me this book for Christmas, and it was this that started me off - I had yet another go, I have tried and failed miserably countless times in the past, but this time, something clicked!! And I found I began to understand it. I did have to have three or four goes but something was different this time, what I was making began to look like proper crocheting!!! The beautiful pattern I used was from here from the lovely and talented Lucy. Isn't it beautiful - it's called the summer garden granny square.

I am so happy, can you tell? And not only that, I think I might actually have become addicted. Because before I could stop myself, I made another, then another, and another, and another.......

And when I'm not making them, (because I have had to limit myself to only doing it in the evenings, otherwise I'd be hooking away all day long), then I'm thinking about making them, and what colours I'll use,

and when I can get to the lovely yarn shop in the local town..... and how I can justify spending some money on some more yarn when I actually have no money!!!!

Maybe we can live on beans for a week? Hmmmm...have to think about that one!

Oooohhh!! I am definitely HOoKed!!!! (sorry about that but couldn't help it!!) It's exactly the same feeling when you've got a really good book that you can't wait to pick up again. something wonderful waiting for me when I've done all the stuff I HAVE to do. And it's brilliant!!!!!! I love love LOVE it. Can you tell? xxxxxxxxxxx

******

Oops, I almost forgot in my excitement, my LOVE cushion has been featured in an Etsy treasury!!! Thanks to WhatIsee.

Oooooh, almost too much excitement!! And far far too many exclamations marks! But I do like to use them!! Because it tells better than anything how I feel!! Yes Indeedy!!!!!! xxxxxxxxxxx

Craft Hope for Haiti...

Just a quick post about Craft Hope for Haiti.

Craft Hope has set up an Etsy shop to collect money to benefit Doctors Without Borders.

I have donated a button bracelet like this one.

Please think about contributing if you are a crafter or maybe buy something instead!

A lovely surprise!!!

Well, a very mediocre day ended fabulously when I discovered I had been given my very first blog award by the gorgeous Pink Milk. It is the Sunshine Award. How fab is that!!

So a very big THANK YOU to Pink Milk, I am so happy I am jigging about!!! Honestly!! Made my day!!!

Now, I have the lovely task of nominating some blogs to receive this award - blogs that bring sunshine into my day.....well, as you can probably guess, there are lots and lots of blogs that qualify for that - such a lot of lovely talented people out there in blogland. But the rules are that I can only choose 12, so here goes:-

Lil' Sonny Sky - for being so all-round brilliantly inspiring and talented

Jane Foster - for such wonderful eye-candy photographs

Syko - for total and utter daily inspiration

hop skip jump - for the warmth that exudes from your wonderful blog

Sparkle Petal - for such heart-warming, interesting words and pictures

crzylady - for a blog that is so upbeat, enthusiastic and uplifting to read, I love it

Bluebell - another inspirational warm read

Rainbow Love Farm - this is my ideal life journey !

Dandelion - I just LOVE this blog and the warmth and love that comes shining out.

Attic24 - what can I say? Probably got every award going, but you HAVE to look at this blog - you'll be hooked!!!!!!!!! Wonderful!

That Crafty Fish - again, this talented lady has probably got every award going - but her lovely blog is addictive

Cupcakes for Clara - lovely, lovely images and words

Well, phew!!! that was harder than I thought - there are soooo many blogs I love out there!!

I must just also add that I really wanted to give CupcakesandBiscuits the award too, but she has just been given it by Pink Milk too, so I couldn't. But check her lovely blog out too.

So, the conditions when accepting this award are as follows -

* Put the logo on your blog or within your post.

* Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.

* Link the nominees within your post.

* Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

* Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Thanks to all of the above making my day, every day. xxxxxx

Teasing..........

I am busy today with a new idea.......which I'm so far very excited about......but I'm not going to show you..........yet......sorry.........except for this little photo

of what I'm using - yummy huh?

Messing about...

I've been knitting. Hmmmm, wonder who these could be for?I've been practising writing with my sewing machine...
and I made a picture that's been in my head for a while.

Umm, lot of love going on here!!!!!!! xx

Things that are making me smile.....

Well, dear readers, (if indeed you exist beyond the one or two lovely people who leave a comment now and then..and a very grateful thank you for that - nice to know I'm not alone).....Er....sorry.....where was I?

Ah yes, well...... today I battled with the shovel and dug out the car which had been buried blissfully for two weeks, found enough gloves, hats deemed cool enough to be actually worn, scarves, wellies, shoes, extra socks, and coats for all 4 kids, then avoided the mad drivers who hurtled along towards us where there was really only room for one car at a time.

I dropped the big boys at their school, then parked in a very icy car park to walk Floss up to her school (horrid steep hill with even madder drivers).

She, like her mother, has a awful fear of being late, so we walked a little quicker than her mother would have liked. Still it was good for the old heart!!

Then, alone, I recovered the car, only to be stuck behind a large van sliding backwards towards me when it couldn't get a grip! Eventually, we both did. Get a grip that is, and I arrived back home, never more pleased to be back and kind of threw the car back into the snow edged space waiting for it.

At half past two, it all happens again, but in reverse. Until then, I have four and a bit hours, which after a bit of a tidy, have already shrunk to three hours. What is it with child-free time - is it on a different time scale, why does it always fly by?

As I pottered about this morning, enjoying the peace of our house after a snow-extended Christmas holiday where the children have had an extra 6 days, I took some photos of some of the things that made me smile.

Since it's cold, we'll start outside and be quick about it....look, we had a bit of an icicle sculpture going on near our front door....
I particularly liked this weird ice plant....and the light fit for an ice palace.There, now quick let's get inside - that's better, oh yes, despite loving the beautiful peace and quiet, I did feel a bit sad when I saw the place where Floss has hung out a lot recently, her cushion now empty. (For those of you new to the blog, Floss is my daughter, not our cat. Just thought it could have been misconstrued!)

Made to miss her even more when I downloaded the photos for this post and found one she'd taken of her teddy, Maxie, and the lovely sweater she made him. How sweet is that!!!

For those of you wondering, yes, I do miss my boys too - but being boys, they don't talk much, they emerge for food, but they go off into their fab imaginary worlds and I don't see much of them really. (They are happy though, I've checked.)

But Floss, being the only girl, and the youngest, spends a lot of time near me, reading, playing, but she likes to be around. And I like it too. I know it won't last.

As I unloaded the dishwasher, just thought how pretty my vintage plates looked all together.

And it was very satisfying tidying the kitchen knowing it won't be messed up for at least four hours!!

This brilliant poster was from here and was a present to me from me for Christmas. Well sometimes, you have to, don't you? And I love it.As part of having 12 people for Christmas dinner, we had a bit of a switch around in the kitchen, the units above were in the middle of the room, and now the table is. I also got a bit tired of getting splinters from the old top, so gave it a new one.

We all liked the table in the middle, so that has stayed. I also really liked the mini bunting I made last Christmas, and since its not really Christmassy, I decided to keep it.

Let's hope so, eh? xx

Treasury!

YAY!!! Many thanks to Emili from shamsandcoverups for putting my LOVE cushion in her Etsy treasury.You can find it in full here.

Thanks Emili! xx

Getting organised...

Along with many others - it's that time of year!!!! - I am getting just a little bit organised.

Today, I spent ages photographing all the things that should be in my shop but aren't!! And then I put them in the shop.

Yay!!!

The sense of achievement is hidden somewhere under the tiredness from all that computer work!!

But still, you can now find them here including some cushions I made from some gorgeous vintage fabric that my Grandma had kept, like this lovely geometric one,

and this bark cloth one - I love the soft apple green background -

I can only bring myself to part with little bits, but for now at least, I'm willing to share!!!

Hot pictures!

Morning all!

I said I would show you the results of my 'very restrained' London trip to Cath Kidston, so here goes:

one very pretty pin tin to add to my little collection. (I must tell you, it took me a while to work out how to open this one - I twisted and turned, I pulled - but you have to press it in the middle - duh!!!)

Then I couldn't resist this Union Jack pincushion - like a miniature version of my Union Jack V for Violet cushions!!
and 2 new tea towels in bright colours - cos you always need tea towels - right? Yes, extremely justifiable, thought so.Then the Cath K version of these - I am already a big fan of re-washable cleaning cloths and these are really pretty. and lastly, this beautiful bag!!! Yes, I know I could have made it myself - it did occur to me, as it often does these days, and actually if I had made it, I would have put a fastener at the top! But, I fell in love love love with the rich velvety softness of the fabulous material. And I had wanted a red bag, honestly. I love it.

Now, for those of you who left lovely comments the other day about my gorgeous eldest son, and how wonderful his present and our day out together was, there is a little footnote.

When we got back home, he cooked for us the next day - and before you say it, I know, he's wonderful!!!! He actually loves cooking and for a time wanted to be a chef!! And sometimes, he cooks our evening meals and they are great!!

This time though, he left one of my new Cath K tea towels (2 days old) hanging perilously close to the stove top flame!!!!

This is the result, luckily my hubby noticed as the flames began to leap up towards the extractor fan.

Oh well, I'll have to cut around it and use the spotty fabric for something else!!!

Oh yes, a whole load of new Pipples arrived yesterday and after cavorting in the snow, (er..them, not me) I had to bring them in to dry in front of the fire. They did look quite cute.

especially when they went to sleep - obviously exhausted!! Bless them.

Sweet dreams. xx