A weekend of flowers and sunshine

Hi folks

This is my last post before I pack up my office ready to move house. We are not due to move for about three weeks but we are on holiday for one of those weeks and away to unfortunately attend two funerals, so I have to speed up my packing.

I have been putting it all off and working in the garden ….oh and finding things which just have to be made…now.

Anyway I can no longer distract my self and procrastinate, it must be done.

So I thought I would just show a few pictures of what we have been up to. It was my lovely husbands birthday last week so we camped out in the garden for the weekend, in the glorious sunshine, and me and the kids made him this….

We had to float it in the paddling pool to keep it alive in the hot sunshine, we made it out of roses and honeysuckle and it smelled fantastic. We hung it up in the tent after he had worn it, so we had the lovely scent as we went to sleep.

I also made him these slippers, remember last years bright orange ones?….well they are looking a bit sad, although I am quite impressed that they lasted a year. I made these ones with some felted blankets, which I felted noil to one one side to make them lovely and soft, then I made the outer from leather stitched with synthetic sinew. I hope the leather will make them last longer.

I ordered some shoe leather online and I am (at some point !) wanting to make myself a pair of cosy felt and leather shoes….goodness knows what I will look like walking around town in my stone age shoes! Perhaps they will just be for the garden in dry weather.

Oh and here is another happy customer, with her new hat scarf and gloves, I made myself a set too but don’t have photos yet.

Pheww! well that is us for a little while the next time I write we will be town folk!

We have such mixed feelings about leaving our beautiful country home, but home is where the heart is and as long as we are all together that’s just fine by me.

Cx

At the rainbows end

Hi folks

I just had to share with you all a particularly brilliant charity shopping mission. Just when I am becoming disenchanted with the whole process of trailing through charity shops after about five (cold) months of not being able to find a decent coat, I hit the jackpot yesterday!

I got both me and my boy a coat for £4!

I haven’t been without a coat but I have been looking a bit skanky in my gardening coat, it’s not that I wouldn’t have bought one new if I could have found a nice one anywhere!….perhaps I am a bit fussy.

Anyway the coat was not the only thing I found.

I bought this amazing old book from the early thirties I think, It’s in a bad way but has some amazing illustrations in it.

It’s called ‘At the rainbows end’

A lot of the black and white ones have been coloured in by children, but as they have mainly done a good job of it I feel It kind of adds to the appeal.

Here are a few of the coloured ones.

by Vera M. Hibbert

by Ruth cobb

I love this one “I’m not afraid”  that is something to be proud of!

The paper is so thick and creamy, it’s amazing.

I bought it to collage with as it really is falling apart but I’m still not sure that I could use it….we will see.

Cx

Felting in the sunshine

Hi Folks

It’s been lovely weather here, I have been busy felting in the sunshine. I’m glad I worked outside as the heat of the sun speeded up the process.

It might seem a bit odd in this weather but I have been making hat scarves and mitten sets for the kids.

I am so fed up with them having half sets of winter woollies, so this is my way of trying to bring order to the chaos which is our winter woollies pile, or should I say mountain!

It’s all part of me sorting out the house ready to move, making mittens is probably not a priority but it’s a good creative diversion and I will be glad of it come winter time.

Here is my cosy little one who thinks it is hilarious that he now looks like an elf.

He chose the colours by the way, very tasteful, If it was left up to me no doubt it would be some loud primary colour which all my felt work seems to be!

I used wool noil so it’s lovely and soft and not at all itchy.

I have also been playing around with this today…

Doing some printing onto fabric, it’s gone really well so far…..my printer is still alive and well, so I am counting this as a big success.

I will show results when there is something interesting to share.

Cx

cross stitch fairy and a bit of news

I spent last night going bog eyed on the computer preparing this…

I have a friend at my sewing group who is mad on cross stitch and she is going to stitch it up for me so I can make sure it works well.

It all looks good so far though so I’m hoping I can list some in the shop fairly soon.

I have had a bit of a spurt on listing things and making for the shop recently, probably because very soon we are moving house and the thought of packing up my work space just makes me want to work in it!

I’m really looking forward to our new family adventure and to the next stage in our lives together, I am going back to college to  complete my degree (after my 3yr year off) and the children are starting at Moray Steiner school after the summer, so it feels like we are moving into a phase of education,education, education!

That’s probably another reason why I am getting into making things for the shop, because once the new term starts I don’t think I will have much time for it!

I am very excited about having the time and space to develop my art work and am seeing lots of paint and stitch and fabric and stories in the future……hmmm can’t wait.

It feels like all I have had time to do lately is clean the house and keep on top of washing and feeding people and animals, so it is requiring a bit of faith not to get into a panic about how I will fit everything in after summer.

My friend reminded me today that sometimes something has just got to give and apparently as long as there are no frogs jumping in the house, then you are ok… lol!

With us it would most likely be mice as the cats are bringing in a constant stream at the moment and depositing them under my desk.

Anyway I am going to continue to have faith that somehow it will all work out and that I will have enough time to nurture both mine and the children’s creativity and still live in some degree of comfort and order, without sharing our home with frogs!

Cx

Sewing and dolfins (not in that order)

Here I am again, I made it back..Yey!

You can imagine me now giving myself a pat on the back.

I’ve had such a great day today as my son and I took my dad dolfin spotting, he’s never seen one before and he is mad on wildlife so I was really pleased when they put on a fantastic display for us.

No pictures I’m afraid, not with my old camera!

Here is a bit of what I was doing last week.

I used some of my transfers to make this….

Taddhaaa!

It’s a gift set for the shop.

A little zip up bag with four hand sewn post cards and a little broach.

I really like it and will definitely make more.

This one was made with the idea of the whole thing being a nice gift for someone, but I’m toying with the idea of making bags containing a kind of gift stash, you know so you have a nice little bag full of small gifts to give at birthdays and then you get to keep the bag.

Any comments on that being a good or rubbish idea are welcome!

Bye for now.

Cx

Hello

Hello ello ello

I have missed my little space here, so I thought I would pop in to post a few pictures of what I have been doing today.

Sorry the pictures are a bit dark, I am out of practice!

I hate getting in a fluster every time it’s someones birthday so I decided to make some small gifts this week, to create a kind of home made gift stash.

So there we go, a bit of effort and I now have a few broaches and some wobbly felt bags.

I actually feel very glad to have made a few useful things, and one of the bags is already in the post to one of my daughter’s friends.

Cx

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho!

And lots of jingle bells to you all!

This is the last post I will make before Christmas, and maybe the new year, so I thought I would give you a taste of how the festivities are going down in our house.

Plenty Christmas cake!

I am sure this will last all year, as it is so rich you can only eat about a centimeter square of it at a time! LOL!

Anyway the fire is roaring the slippers are on and we are all set to kick back and relax.

I predict many musicals will be watched, much heather ale will be drunk and a good time will be had by all!

Oh here are the slippers finished by the way.

I wish you all  a wonderful Christmas and new year, and safe travels for all of you venturing out to visit loved ones.

I am really excited about 2009!!!

See you next year!

Cx

Cozy toes

Hi Everyone

We are all getting so excited in our house about Christmas!!

Our tree is going up this weekend yey!

My daughter and I did some festive felting over the weekend which I thought I would share.

She finally has her cozy slippers!

She also got a lovely soapy foot rub, as I tried out this method of making slippers for a change.

I actually really enjoyed making them totally by hand.

I will share the finished results soon. I don’t have them to photograph as my proud little daughter has taken them to school to show and tell!

She is pleased as punch : )

I also received an amazing felted gift this week from the talented Monika of Red2white.

She made me the most beautiful candle holder, yes that’s right a felted candle holder!

I tried to take pictures but could not do it justice so take a look over here to see them, they are just exquisite!

I am such a lucky girl.

I hope you are all enjoying the Cristmas madness!

Cx

Winter in the woods

Hi folks

I just wanted to show you all this little ilustration which I did a while ago. It’s called ‘Winter in the woods’

It was inspired by the story of Vassalisa.

Can you see the little doll in the pocket?

Transfers and ACEO’s are available in the shop now!

Cx

Hi All

I spent much of my day yesterday making this little flyer to go in with the packages I am sending off.

The bear was supposed to look inquisitive but now I’m wondering if he looks a little cross!…. hmm oh dear, nobody likes a grumpy bear.

I may have to go back to the drawing board : (

Hope you all have a great weekend.

We are all very excited in our house about the Xfactor final!! Shhh don’t tell anyone!

CX

P.S many thanks for your votes on the card contest over at dabbled!

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