Double figures.

On Tuesday, our little Floss was ten, the big 1o!! Excited was NOT the word!!

She had a great time, laughed a lot and loved her presents and all her visitors...

and even the completely strange but oddly edible Giant Jaffa Cake was a weird success!!!!!!!

And just look at this fabulous card that my eldest son's gorgeous girlfriend made for Floss......

How fantastic is that?!!! Even though the Pipples are causing me a massive headache at the moment, I LOVE that card. So sweet.

And on the Pipple note, can I just say a big thank you to all those of you who have emailed and left messages with potential names. I am still searching, and researching since I don't want anything similar out there!!

It could run and run forever, so I have decided that I must have found a name by Sunday to put an end to the torment. If I find one not suggested by anyone, then I will put all the names of kind people who have offered help into a hat and draw out a winner that way. So either way, someone will win a Pip....Thingy of their choice!! You can look here for the ones currently available.

SO, PLEASE KEEP THINKING!! It's not easy, especially when you start looking at similar stuff and find others have got there first!

I keep having to go and do something else as it's driving me mad.

On a happier note, I spent some time on the very therapeutic task of making felt rainbow piles and my felty customers might like to know that the felt packs are all replenished in my shop here and here. I always love playing with felt and the colours always make me happy so it was a lovely change from thinking about Thingy names.

I think my head is going to explode!

Okay, so, first I'll lull you into a false sense of normality. Look at this beautifully colourful and restful-looking chair. Doesn't it just make you want to sit there and read, or crochet?

Yes, it makes me want to too. But I can't. Because I have TOO much going on.

Now I know that a lot of you who come here do so for the happiness and colour. Well, okay, look at the picture above.

Okay, ready? I really need your help!!!!!!!!

I have been thinking too much and I can't do it anymore. My head is about to explode. I have discovered something. There are no NEW ideas. There are no words or names that haven't been thought of ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

Okay, deep breaths!!!!

I will explain........ it has been brought to my attention as I get my various projects onto a more business-like (ha, ha!!!!) footing, that a similarly-named set of creatures to my Pipples is currently on the telly and since I don't have any children under 5, I had no idea. It isn't the same name, just sounds similar and begins with the same 3 letters.

I have sought advice and it will cost something to use any option other than to CHANGE THE NAME!!!! Yes I know!!!!!!!!!

I love the Pipples and their name. I love Pipple World and Pipplepost and everything!!!! (sobs like a snotty child).

BUT I don't want to pay or fight, so since they are quite new, okay, I thought to myself, I'm a creative person, I'll just think of something else.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!

I have thought for 3 weeks, I have put words into google a million times and found other people have thought of it or something similar, because you see, this time, it has to be UNHEARD of, nothing similar, nowhere!!!

I have discovered wordoid which is actually quite addictive, and makes up new words, but haven't found anything that sounds like these little creatures.

On top of all this, my eldest has now got shingles and is in loads of pain, and its Flossie's 10th birthday tomorrow so I have to make a giant Jaffa cake (don't even go there!!!!!! I'll show you tomorrow if, IF it works!)

So, my wonderful bloggy friends, I DO apologise if you were checking in for a bright and colourful start to your week. You might want to go and get a cup of tea, like I'm going to!!!

I will leave you with a picture of the begging, beseeching soon-to-be-not Pipples. I have set up a competition on the pipple blog to think of a name. The winner will be able to choose one of these little creatures to come and live with them.

How could you choose?!!!! xxxx

Will return tomorrow fully bright and cheerful now I've had my rant. Thanks for listening, you're the best!xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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

Busy busy busy....AND A GIVEAWAY!!!

Yes, it's all going on here at the moment. So many things to do....

Of course that's good. And also a little worrying- I don't really like that little panicky nagging feeling that I have 168 things to do and only five minutes to do it all in!

I spent the whole weekend at the local craft market as it was the Christmas market and the local lights were switched on. A big Hello to all the lovely people who came and saw us all there. There was a good atmosphere - we even had mulled wine to warm us!

I took a basketful of Pipples along to join in the fun. I did let them out when we got there - they were starting to squabble as they were a little squashed!

They absolutely loved seeing all the people - although I couldn't bring myself to leave them alone on the Saturday night and had to bring them home with me!

Lost it? What is that you say? Hmmm, maybe never had it!!!

I've also made some new baby Pipples and they are so cute!! Read more about the Pipples here.

Now onto the end of November GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I enjoyed last month's giveaway so much that I'm going to try and do it at the end of every month.

This time, there will be another THREE giveaway gifts -

1) BECAUSE THEY WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY - a whole handful of smiley face buttons, 6 yellow, 6 pink and 6 turquoise happy smiley little faces for you!

2) BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH COLOUR IN YOUR LIFE -

20 sheets of felt in 9" squares this time and YOU get to choose the colours - from all of these!!!

and 3) BECAUSE IT'S NEARLY CHRISTMAS - 20 gorgeous polka dotty spotty star buttons -

choose colours from blue, orange, yellow, green, purple and pink.

How will you choose?

To enter simply leave a comment at the end of this post. There you are - lovely crafting bloggy people - my Christmas gift to 3 of you at least! xx

Creating ........

is a peculiar process sometimes, don't you find?

For a long time now, I have wanted to make something that had a personality.

A little life of its own.

Something I could grow a little bit fond of.

Something I could maybe make lots of and they would look cute together.

I tried dolls at first. And fairies.

But there was something wrong with the scale. And the fact that there are lots of doll creatures out there.

Then I thought about teddies,

but there are even more teds than dolls I think. Then rabbits, mice, monkeys, even snakes.

Nothing felt quite right.

Then the other day, whilst messing about with a sock, and squeezing it and filling it with just the right amount of filling, I almost accidentally made a creature.

This creature looked up at me with soulful eyes, willing me to make some friends for it, and stared even more soulfully at the lovely new wool I had put to one side for the day I finally learn to crochet. The very expensive wool than was meant to be a beautiful crocheted blanket. Or something.

But the little creature was cold. It really needed a scarf. Out of the lovely new wool. And so I gave in.

Then Flossie came in. She exclaimed and LOVED the creature so much that I gave it to her. So then I had to make some more.

What were the creatures called? she asked. I'm not sure, I replied. They're a bit like people, but not.

They're Pipples then, she said, matter-of-factly, like the wise child that she is.

And so the Pipples arrived.

Every day a few more arrive.

They are very friendly creatures and don't take up much room.

Today a Flug came too. He was supposed to be a Pipple but half way through the making, he informed me that he was NOT a Pipple but was in fact a Flug.

Sometimes I do wonder who is in charge here........

My creative space....

this week is almost edible!!!!

Happily, one of our Pipple friends is leaving today for a lovely home in Scotland, so I am making him a Jammy Dodger biscuit for the journey as he is rather partial to a biscuit or two! Safe journey, Trevor.

There are also rainbows as I am making more pencil rolls. Very satisfying, putting together a rainbow. xx

See more creative spaces here.

What's Hot and what's Not.....

Is it me, or are the weeks on fast forward at the moment? I'm joining in with Loobylu again this week.

HOT

The Pipples are Here!

Very exciting news! The Pipples are here, with their own blog and a little shop on Etsy.

I've had such fun with these! Soon they will be joined by the Flugs and goodness knows what else will find it's way out of the woods to join us!

Craft fairs

Busy busy busy - lots of fairs and markets in the next couple of weeks. I am happy about that but also a little concerned that looking after the Pipples has put back my making of bags, cushions and doorstops!!! Ooops!

Silly Rude Vegetables

A very silly rude potato made its way out of the bag today. It was sooo rude that we couldn't cook it but just had to take a photo instead. There was much sniggering and some debate but I think it's definitely a bottom! Classic!

Glorious Felt Rainbows

Even though I pack and sell felt every day, it's been a while since I sewed with it. It was just so lovely to cut and sew some rainbows for my pencil rolls this week. I do love the vibrancy of the colours and the feel of it, so soft....so strokable....so....ahem! Okay, back with it now!

Caterpillar Birthday Cakes for Big Boys

Now, it's not that I can't make cakes, honestly, cakes are my favourite thing to bake, but the birthday boy this week wanted this caterpillar cake for 'old times sake'! I told him it's probably the last time he'll have it. "No way," said he, "I'm having one next year too!"

NOT

Rainy Days and Windy Days

Now, I'm a big fan of our British weather, I love it! I don't usually moan about the weather, really. I do like a lovely bit of rain, with my cagoule and my wellies on, but this is getting a bit monotonous just lately. Just a little tired of the wind too, I'm afraid. My hair is sporting that 'OMG what happened to you? look lately just a little TOO often.

Even the Pipples are getting fed up.

Late Nights with Teenagers

I can't keep up. With a 17 and a 15 year old eating toast at ten o'clock at night and not feeling tired (until the morning!!!!), going to bed like a grown-up AFTER the children is becoming difficult. I am actually tired enough to go at 9 - I have got to get a grip on this situation, reassert my authority, either that or teach them how to lock up!

My Total Lack of Self control

Not hot is my total lack of ability to have a few of these and then PUT THE PACKET AWAY! Hmmm, well, it seems silly when there's only a couple left now..........xx

See more HOT and NOTs here.