Painting…

I used to enjoy painting, especially the pain staking preciseness of cutting in.

These days I find that I enjoy the thought of painting and transformation, but definitely not the doing of painting! I think this has come with having a little boy and learning to appreciate time.  Time that is better spent on more fun things, more fun than painting.  Short term pain, long term gain though – I spent one whole weekend single handedly painting our conservatory.  It was so desperate for a freshen up as condensation dribbles had marked the paintwork leaving it looking dowdy and dirty, and it has been so unwelcoming and un-inspiring.  I’ve painted it the same colour as the kitchen…a lovely fresh green which has instantly brightened up the room.  With a bit of re-jigging furniture and the addition of some new storage shelves it has become a more functional craft/office room. 

All this painting has taken over my crafting at the moment, and my sewing machine has only been used to take up our new curtains (first time I’ve altered something like this…it all goes a bit wobbly when there’s so much material involved!).  But now the room is ready.  (I have since found out that my curtain pole was put up on the wonk by my husband!…so I don’t feel so bad about my wobbliness now!)

I have also been painting the outside picket fence in the garden…I feel it’s all coming together slowly. I have the gate and the fence panels to complete yet so a bit more painting for me.  It’s not so bad outside as you don’t have too worry too much about the drips/splats, and even more enjoyable when the sun is shining.  I am looking forward to getting some bright flowers planted outside.

My little man also enjoys spending time in the crafting conservatory.  He uses the room to post pebbles and toys through the cat flap and of course to get his sticky mitts all over my clean windows!

I have a few plans ahead for some projects, I just need to set some time aside for myself and get cracking.

I trust you are all well.

Love from me and my little man x

Thirty Years Young…

I have a most fabulous friend (Crofty) whom I love with all my heart! She is the sort of friend that you always have instantaneous laughter with, who always knows what you are thinking and who you can be at ease with in silence. We have the same ridiculous sense of humour and we just kind of…get each other…!

We met at Uni as we were doing the same degree, and when we found out we had matching birthmarks we knew we were supposed to be friends.  We have now known each other for 10/11years and we haven’t got rid of each other yet.   We’ve had some really good times with lots of laughter.  She was one of my beautiful bridesmaids, is a great aunty to my little man, and my husband’s (just about) got used to the idea he’s got to share me with her!

Well she’s only gone and turned Thirty! Where did that time go?!!! We are getting old…

For her birthday she had requested I make her some green/floral bunting…so I set on my project and made her some pretty bunting. Here it is…excuse the bad photo…I have yet to find a nice place to photograph my bunting hanging up!

As a little extra, I wanted to make her something special.  Crofty loves reading and has always got her nose in some book at bedtime.  This year she’d got a kindle…so a much more portable library for her.  I decided to make her a kindle cover so I had to do a bit of sneaking to find out which version she had so I got the measurements right.  I then found this tutorial and set about making.  I wanted to get lots of pretties in there, so I turned my hand at my first patchwork (if you’ve noticed it’s the patchwork picture on the back of my blog).  I really enjoyed making this…and it killed me a bit as I made it so far in advance of her birthday that I have had to wait ages for her to have it.  Here are some pictures of her new cover.  Now she can make sure her kindle doesn’t get scratched at home or if she chucks it in her bag/car.  Or she can just use it for prettiness!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am pleased with it…the patchwork’s all a bit wonky, but I love it as it was my first attempt and I know she’ll appreciate that.

She had a birthday escape to the Big Apple, so I haven’t been able to celebrate her birthday with her yet. But we have a date in the diary for belated birthday treats. 

Happy Birthday Croft!  Love you loads you old hag!

Love from me and my little man x

The Easter Bunny brought some sunshine…

Easter has been lovely this year.  We’ve had so much fun along the last few weeks it has truly been non-stop.  My little man made it into nursery for one day before the Easter weekend following him having Chicken Pox, and I’m glad he did as he managed to fit in some Easter craft and an Easter Egg hunt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My parents came down to spend time with us (and to do a bit of babysitting!) which was very enjoyable.  We fit in a trip to Marwell Zoo on Good Friday which was a good day out.  It was jolly cold, but we wrapped up warm and made the most of it.  My husband and I then shot off to a friends wedding, and my little man enjoyed a trip to Longdown Dairy Farm with his Granny and Grandad.  They saw little chicks, goats, bunnies…  He’s been very spoilt! Along with roast dinners, chocolate cake, trips to the park…he’s a very lucky boy…

From one bitterly cold weekend with even days of snow in the week to…a weekend of sunshine! That Easter bunny had some sunshine dust hidden in his basket for sure!

So this weekend my little mans other Granny and Granddad came down so, to make the most of the sun, we went off to the aquarium at Bournemouth and then we played on the beach! It was most enjoyable and a bucket and spade was the perfect accessory.  I’ve put a few pictures on for you.  We are still finding sand appearing everywhere…but hey…who cares?!

We also fit in a spot of shopping (with some snazzy new shoes for him), a yummy roast dinner cooked by my husband, wine, chilling, walks with the dog…it’s been great.

A little bit of sun has been a welcome respite from the long overly drawn out winter.  A little bit of warmth on the skin and being able to be comfortable outdoors without wearing a million layers gives you a bit of a re-charge to the batteries.  It’s almost like we’re cold blooded lizards searching for somewhere warm to bask in the sun.  The sun’s made a little teasing appearance this weekend, but I think he has also decided it is too cold and has gone away again to hibernate. Hopefully Mr Sun will be back soon….!

We have had a wonderful Easter, surrounded by family and friends…now I think it is time for a rest!…time to squirrel myself away for some more crafting I think…

Love from me and my little man x

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