Easter Treats

What a run up to Easter…my little man has had the pox!  Chicken pox…it seems to be doing the rounds. Better late than never and he’s had it so mildly we’ve been lucky.  No itching or grumpiness here.  Nursery shut their doors to the pox ridden, so Granddad came down to babysit so we could  work.  My little fella has been so well behaved and happy all week.  Our dog, Crumpet, also came to stay and all we’ve heard is fits of giggles where they’ve been chasing each other around.  Giggling is indeed a delightful sound.

It’s still freezing cold with no sign of spring. The men have been tackling outside jobs with regular breaks to re-warm their cockles.  Obligatory men-at-work shot…

All giving a hand fixing the guttering… There’s our gorgeous dog Crumps.

I’ve sought the comfort of crochet on the sofa this week – the warm, sociable kind of crafting.  I wanted quick projects, something small. Inspiration came through reading one of the blogs I follow Dinki Dots.  She posted a lovely pink owl that she crocheted following Bunny Mummy's Tutorial, and I just wanted to give it a go.  Here’s my attempt…

I’m quite pleased with it so it’ll be winging it’s way to a lucky little girl for Easter.

I then wondered if I could make it a little more Eastery…so I went for some Chicky Yellows and here it is…

He’s not too shabby.  He’s a bit beady eyed…but he’ll do.  I filled him with  lavender so he smells calming.  He’ll be going to another little girl for Easter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More…?!…

I know bunnies don’t lay eggs…but this one is nesting a rather yummy creme egg inside!The only downfall with this one is that once you’ve eaten the creme egg the bottom is too tight to go over the egg cup! 

So I had another go…this time making sure it fitted over the egg cup…but then it became too big to hide a creme egg.  What dilemma’s! I’m not so keen on this one at all.  This one turned out rather evil…and I think he looks a bit sad!  To be honest…I got a bit fed up by this stage, so I think his face probably emulates my mood!

They will all find a home somewhere this Easter.

Are you ready for Easter? There are hot cross buns on the side, a few mini eggs lurking here and there…we are ready!

Happy Easter!

Love from me and my little man x

Traffic Jams.

I have been terribly slow this week.  My little man’s been growing some more teeth which have led to some unsettled nights, so I’ve been feeling really tired…and believe me I’ve clocked up some sofa snoozing this week.  This has in turn made my crafting go at a snails pace.  I set about doing a little bit every night and soon things were falling into place with an end in sight!

I have enjoyed doing this project though…and am so pleased with the finished results.

My projects – two this time!  I have been asked to make:

1) A bag holder in Emma Bridgewater style,

2) Bunting for a one year old boy’s nursery with the theme of cars.

The Bag Holder –

Crumbs Emma Bridgewater’s designs are so yummy.  I have a few bits myself…a set of polka dot cake tins, and a blue starry night tin…and I think they are just lovely designs.  My favourite patterns of hers are Starry Skies, Pink Hearts, Sampler and Polka Dot’s. I think on my wish list would be one of her massive teapots, a few tin trays, storage caddies…. I could go on…but I won’t…my piggy bank has a bit of fattening before I can afford some of her goodies.  Here’s a link to her website in case you’re not familiar.

So one of my yummy mummies likes Emma Bridgewater also, although she has quite a few more bits in her collection than I!  I searched for fabric and at £24 per metre I searched again!  I looked for a similar style, but it just didn’t feel quite right.  I felt a bit like I was cheating.  Well my searching paid off, and I found an eBay retailer with just the right amount for me at a snippet of the price.  It came quickly and it sewed up a dream.  I used every scrap up so just the right amount.  I did have a few mishaps along the way…one of my needles on my machine bent and the other snapped in half!  We got there in the end though…and this is it….starry skies fabric…

 

The Bunting -

Bunting is so lovely to make.  Tedious to cut out, but such a joy to join them all together. 

So my yummy mummy friend wanted some bunting for her boy’s room.  The theme - cars, colour – blues…and she said she wanted it to be fun!

It’s rather quite hard to pick materials for a project.  You’ve got to think of which patterns work together, which colours meet the brief, what they will look like with the applique’s on, being mindful to keep the cost down..so much to think of. You also keep saying to yourself “Now will they like that..?!” which feels like such responsibility (we are still talking about bunting here folks…anyone would think this was life/death decision making!).  In the end I picked some lovely blue materials in plain, gingham and starry patterns.  I decided to go for the pale blue patterned material for the flags ready for some brighter applique’s.  I wondered if it might look a bit too “baby boy” with the pale colours, but I think the finished result is brilliant.

Here are some pictures…

Three cars causing a traffic jam in my sewing room!

I love bunting all stacked up.

Ready, set, go! Traffic lights at start and end.

I’m awful…I can never wait to take a photograph in the daylight! I know it’d look better…but I’m so impatient!  Also it’s really difficult to photograph bunting all hung up…  You’ve got the distraction of my kitchen on there sorry!  I tried hanging everywhere…but this was the best option…but not a great shot.  My husband held it up for me to take a photo but it looked like he was showing off his guns so we rolled around with laughter.  You get a photo of me instead!

Still not a great photo of the bunting…but it’s the best I can do right now! If I get a shot of it in it’s new home, I’ll put it on here for you to see.

I hope you like listening to my making adventures?!  I’m rather enjoying talking to myself, so I’ll continue to witter on…

What will my next project be…?

Hope you are all well.

Love from me and my little man x

Under the weather

I thought I would introduce you to another member of our family.  Someone that my little man loves to follow around.  This is Timber our cat. 

He’s been around for a while.  We adopted him from a rescue centre when he was in a bad way.  He had to have his tail amputated (we’re presuming because he was run over), he had flaky paws and he had the most awful runny tum for months and months and months.  We welcomed him into our home when he was about 18mo – 2yrs old and we’ve had him about 6years now.  It was such a difficult start but he’s been completely worth it.  Tim’s got a lovely temperament.  He’s happy to chill.  He’s also happy to sleep right in the middle of the bed…and he has been known to sneak under the covers! 

At the moment he’s not so well. He’s got cat flu and is sneezing and dribbling like mad.  He’s also got a toothache so he’s got some medicine and he’s going to the dentist next week when he’s feeling a bit better.  He’s currently snoring on me.

Here’s another pic of him cuddling up to my husband..

I wish we could give him a lemsip…he looks like he could do with one… Poor Timmy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing else has really happened this week…  I did receive my prize from simply homemade magazine.  A massive cake decorating book, a crochet pattern, some glass beads, some bells, some heart shaped floral beads, bracelet kit, and two reels of thread.  It was very exciting to get all that through the post!

Well, I’ll keep you posted on Timber’s recovery.  I’ve also got a crafty post coming up soon!

Love from me and my little man x

Busy Times

Lots of other bits have been happening around here lately.

1) My nephew’s first birthday!  Yes…the year has whizzed around and St David’s Day marked his 1st birthday.  He has grown so much, and the boys are beginning to tolerate each other more and maybe even play together! We bought him a big top circus tent which went down a storm, and they were running in and out, reading stories inside and generally having fun!  The cake my sister made was of a cow and it was very professional.  She also made him a wonderful quilt for his birthday.  Here is a picture of her doing the finishing touches…

and you can find the finished quilt here.

We had lots of yummy food including the essential party rings and welsh cakes…yummy!
There were personalised party bags too with bubbles and all sorts in them…my little man got some funky wooden letters for his door which I’d been eyeing up for ages!






A fabulous birthday celebration!





2) Blinding Conundrums!  After washing the hideous kitchen blinds last year they ended up getting shredded in the washer, so I bought some fabric last year and asked my sister in law to make me some blinds.  She has a background of being a professional curtain maker so I was on to a winner!  The blinds she has made are gorgeous, and good quality.  We got them at Christmas and she was going to come and string/hang them for us, but what with other commitments our windows have been bare for a while! I’d been avoiding getting them out as I was having a blind panic (excuse the pun!) and had no idea where to start. Internet tutorials left me muddled.  So with my mum down we took on the challenge together.  It took us several attempts, but we finally got a blind that goes up and down!  It’s not perfect stringing…but it works (not perfectly) and it will do!  Here’s the pictures…and don’t look at my pile of washing up! 

Thanks Shey! They look fab!

3) Mother’s Day! My mum lives in Wales, and if you don’t know they charge for carrier bags over there! I always get caught out and end up carrying my purchases out of the shop un-bagged…it does make you feel like you are stealing!  She asked me for a carrier bag holder, so I thought I would make her one…but I’d obviously have to fill it for her with free bags! So I’ve been hoarding plastic bags like they’ve been going out of fashion! They don’t photo well as they always look a bit life – less but here is her present…she really liked it. 

My little man has also been busy showing me how much he loves me.  I received two cards, a cute bought card and one home made card.  The home made one is the best of course!  Here they are…















Happy Mother’s Day to all my wonderful mummy friends. You all do a fab job.

We’ve had a busy and entertaining couple of weeks!  I’ve been crafting in the background on and off, and I have a bag holder ready to go and bunting cut out…now it’s snowing (again!) I think my crafting will pick up speed again!

Love from me and my little man x

PS I almost forgot to congratulate my husband on completing the Bath half marathon in memory of his best friend.  His training only consisted of 3 or 4 40minute runs so I am extremely pleased and proud that he completed it. X

Garden Transformation

A week of transformation here.  We’ve been living in our house for 3 and a half years and it’s been loved and neglected at the same time.  Things in life sometimes take over the menial maintenance works, and restoring and upgrading in the home.  We are quite busy visiting our family and friends living all over the country, so we often travel on the weekends wide and far.  In the weeks we work, and of course now look after our little man …so our poor house needs some TLC!

I love the fact that our little man is now getting more and more confident on his feet.  He can get up by himself so now there is no great need for the cavalry to be glued to his side so he has a bit more freedom to roam.  In fact he demands the freedom as he doesn’t like holding my hand anymore, and is quite eager to go in the opposite direction!  This project is to make a nice outdoor space, safe for him to play and be happy.

I love our garden and it was one of the selling points of the house – it is split into two sections. The upper section (nearer the house) is landscaped with circular patios, pebbles, shrubbed borders and has an ornamental blossom tree.  This part of the section needs a bit of pruning, planting of some more interesting shady border plants, but in all this part of the garden is here to stay.  I cannot wait until the blossom tree erupts into glorious pink flowers sprinkling confetti everywhere – the sign that spring is here!

The lower section is laid to grass with a small barked area which had some neglected raised borders in.  Where the winter flowering jasmine died away on the trellis, the small picket fence beginning to rot, the grass dug up by rabbit and dog.. it needed some attention.  So we set to work. 

Firstly we lifted all the grass (or should I say 30% grass : 70% the most humongous weed coverage!), I forked over the whole area weeding diligently as I went.  Then with my parents help we laid a small patio at the rear (the shady section where the grass had no chance of growing) that we plan to put a playhouse/den/cubby/sheriff’s house – ahem…NOT a wendy house! We then laid 29 square metres of turf – like unrolling a green rug with instant transformation.

		Garden Work VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We then laid the small area to bark ready for the bench and planted pots to add colour, and then replaced the small fence to make sure all secure and safe. It looks so good and we are pleased with the result.  I now have a renewed sense of ownership of our garden which gives you the motivation to look after the things you’ve worked hard for.

Thank you to my parents for all their hard work and help…they even bough us a wheel barrow which I think saved our souls! Thank you to my husband for his patience and hard work!

Here is the end result…

All I have left to do now is to paint all of the fencing, position the bench, buy an erect a play house and plant some colourful flowers.  It doesn’t look like much change…but it definitely has transformed the area.

My little man looks pleased with the results!

We have ached, had blisters, got muddy (Very muddy with all the persistent rain!), had tea, had cakes, even had some heated debates – but it has all been worth it.  Gardening is definitely not a glamorous affair, so I shall have to save the glamour for when one is sunbathing on one’s weed free, well maintained lawn!

Love from me and my little man x