Five On Friday

This week has been busy mainly dealing with medical professionals so everything I have tried to do this week has remained unfinished.  I have a terrible earache, whilst there is no infection I have compact wax that needs to be loosed prior to having them syringed.  Dad is back to having the community services visit and my husband has had a increase in his medication which all takes time to order and have delivered.

 

Not a great week, who knew earache could be so painful.

 

Two

 

I have started to make cards that are needed for next month but still have a Fathers Day card to make and a Birthday card for me dear Mum to complete.

 

 

I did manage to use some buttons on a couple, which made me smile.

 

Three

 

My husband and I have finally got to work on the cupboard that we bought some time ago.  It is now painted and had the new handles put on.   Just some minor adjustments to the doors as they are not shutting properly and it will be complete, ready to be lifted  into the bedroom.

 

 

I posted about buying this cupboard on 16 Aug 2014 but am having trouble linking back so that you can see the before picture.  I am ashamed to say it has taken so long for us to do something with it.

 

Four

 

I have started to make a piece of artwork, using  printed burlap to cover an old canvas.

 

 

Some gold buttons and an old brooch completes the new look.  Just need to add the twine at the back for hanging.

 

 

Five

 

Finally I am in the process of making some hangars for the Grandchildren for little additions to their Christmas stockings.

 

 

A start has been made painting them and I have sorted out some Cath Kidston stamps and fabric to finish them, giving them a vintage shabby look.

 

 

A topsy turvey kind of week, with nothing really being accomplished. 

 

I am joining Amy over at Love Made My Home for the weekly get together.  Hopefully everyone will have accomplished far more than me.  Thank you for your wonderful comments and for your lovely e mails enquiring where I was, sometimes life just takes over like this week.  I will catch up with everyone as soon as can.

 

See you soon.

The First Snow And The Start Of Christmas

We have had the first snowfall of the season...damaging winds, followed by freezing torrential rain that led into a couple of hours of snow.  Thankfully it didn't stay around for long but it was pretty in the short term and encouraged thoughts of Christmas.

The organizer is out, so the lists have started.

 

I work well with a list.

 

I have been busy in the kitchen replenishing meals needed for busy/lazy days for the freezer,  quiches, soups and a couple of casseroles.  I have also made the Christmas puddings and mincemeat.  Quite a boozy mincemeat this year with nuts so not really suitable for the children but they prefer ginger cookies anyway.

 

 

I have been busy in the craft room helping Santa with some gifts and sorting all the bought gifts out.  They are all now ready for wrapping.

 

My husband and I have once again joined forces to make tags/gift toppers, we certainly had lots of fun and filled a couple of cold wintery afternoons making them.

 

 

We have also personalised some for the children, which will go on their own little trees another year.

 

 

They were the wooden ones made, there was also a stack made from card stock.

 

 

Sometime ago I bought a big bag of old dolly pegs with a view to painting them to store some of my vintage lace.  We have finally made a start and will paint a few each day until they are all done.

 

 

I have made the girls a throw each in preparation for the colder nights.  Frozen is still one of their favourites.  I have also made them a fleece cushion with a photo pocket to put a picture in of meeting the Princess's.

 

 

Babies are still featuring on a daily basis, we now know that Amie and Matt are expecting a little girl, a baby sister for Bertie.  He seems to be alright about having a sister and said he will buy a baby brother from the shop, not quite sure how that works!!!!   It certainly works for a 4 year old.  He had a birthday while we were in Florida, so everything now is about being 4. 

 

I have added to the pile of burp clothes and crochet for a couple of hours each evening.

 

 

Every girl needs a little Cath Kidston... 

 

Where would we be without somewhere for our shoes?

 

 

I am working on a couple of storage bags.  Are you getting ready for Christmas, or are you a last minute type of person?

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Car Boot Sale/New Home Gifts

We were blessed last week with a mini heat wave which I must admit I really did enjoy.  I am obviously a sun worshipper and loved the warmth on my skin.  It brought the crowds out as people from inland flocked to the coast.  I have to admit to taking full advantage of the good weather and finally stood at a car boot sale selling my wares.  I had sorted out all my clothes that were too big since I had lost weight, books, toys that the children had grown out of and umpteen other bits and pieces that were no longer needed or wanted.  One mans rubbish is another mans treasure I sold such a lot of things raising over £300.  I was so pleased with that and intend to go again when we have some half decent weather once more.  The mini heat wave was indeed MINI and has come to an abrupt end, once again bringing rain to the East coast and a cool wind which is normal for us.  I did however manage to get the bedding washed and dried this afternoon.

 

I love the smell of sheets that have been  hung to dry outside.  I have also been busy altering a dress that I came across in the pile for getting rid of as I didn't like the neckline.

 

 

Instead of discarding the dress, I decided to make it into a skirt ready for my trip to Florida in the Autumn.  I cut out the zip and cut off the top, then simply re stitched the seam and turned over and sewed the top edge.  A few simple adjustments and it is now an item of clothing that I will wear.

 

 

Amie, my daughter and her little family moved home a couple of weeks ago, so we are going down for the weekend to visit.  I have some Cath Kidston fabric that she adores so I have made them a table cloth and a runner for their new home. 

 

 

I have edged the cloth with some vintage lace to give it a luxurious feel.  I have also stitched a plain runner for the coffee table in the same fabric.

 

 

I hope they will be very happy in their new home.   The rain has certainly saved us a job of watering today and has given some of the blooms a renewed lease of life, the sun was giving them a hard time and making them wilt.  They are coming back with a renewed vigour.  What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?  I am certainly getting the impression that there are some unusual weather patterns about at the moment.

 

See you soon.

 

 

 

 

Weekend Trifling

Remember these?  Well to finish off that package I made some wide bias binding out of the blue spot Cath Kidston fabric and edged a bath mat.

I impressed myself with that.  Finally the big reveal, my daughters made over bathroom....

I think she's done a pretty good job.

My husband and I spent the weekend catching up with odd jobs that needed  doing and then planting up a whole load of seeds.  The end result seed trays everywhere, at one point they even overtook my dining room.

There isn't a window sill that hasn't got a seed tray or pots on it.  This to me is the signal of spring, of the promise of what is to come.  Not long and we will have a glimpse of them, pushing through the soil.  It certainly is one of God's miracles giving us food from a small seed.

 

Finally I thought I would share this:

Not just any old trifle....

A trifle topped with Colman's mustard chocolate, a feast for the eyes and for the taste buds.  A surprising little kick to the sweetness of all that cream.  A very nice Sunday afternoon tea treat, made all the nicer because the chocolate was a gift from our eldest daughter who actually lives in Norwich where the Colman's mustard is made. 

 

 

Have a great week.

Working Together

I have had quite a busy few weeks crafting for the fairs, fulfilling orders, the wedding (exciting times) and opening a shop.  My main priority for the moment is to take better photographs and be more competent on the computer, one small step at a time.

I have enjoyed working with my husband on a couple of projects, one of them was a small stool stripped and painted and then using a library green ink stamped.  I think it looks really cute and is a useful thing to have in a kitchen/bedroom to rummage in all those hard to reach places.

 

Several stamps were used so it looks a little like decoupage - it makes quite the statement.

 

Next up is a selection of mini noticeboards - ideal for the office/kitchen.  Brilliant for business cards or memos.  They were made using picture frames, wadding, fabric and natural twine.  Finished off with some mini pegs.  Not forgetting the hessian for the backing.

 I have another 4 ready that are Cath Kidston floral print fabric that are waiting to have the hessian stitched onto the back.  Too cute for words.

Have a great Sunday.