Category Archives: Uncategorized

More Christmas Decorations

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It’s really felt like winter is coming over the last couple of nights, I’m freezing, having to wrap myself up in fleecy blankets. My knitting needles and crochet hooks are keeping my hands warm in the chill. I guess it’s time to put the heating back on!!

I’ve really got the Christmas vibe over the last week or so. I’ve been expanding my range of Christmas decorations to include more crochet items as well as the knitted stockings from last year. I found a lovely little pattern in LGC Knitting and Crochet magazine and have made up a number of snowflakes. Now all I have to do is decide whether to make them up into a garland or keep them as individual decorations for a tree.

Crochet Snowflakes

I hope you like them. I’ve also made some in a cool blue and am working on some in a slightly off-white yarn too. To go with them I’m making some more red crochet hearts. I think they work quite well together.

Hearts and Snowflakes

I’m going to add them to my range of decorations at £1 each or 6 for £5. E-mail me if you would like to order some. I will make them to order too, just choose your colour and I’ll get working on them for you.

Hope you all have a lovely day.

Happy crafting
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Rest In Peace

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Today I have said goodbye to a beloved pet. Bob was 15 years old and a real character. He filled a hole for my Mum and Dad after my brother and I left home and he has been a loving companion.

Suffice it to say we are all very sad and will miss him greatly.

Bob

Rest in Peace Bob
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Birthdays

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Like many families, I have a run of birthdays in certain times of the year. We have loads in January and February and then again in August and September. So the last few weeks I’ve been trying to fit in making some cards for my own use! It’s not always easy finding the time to make cards for us to use as a family, particularly in the Summer holidays. Every time I get some things out to use, my daughter wants to use all the same stuff! Typical I suppose, it doesn’t matter if I gave her some things for her to use, she just wants to do the same as me. It’s starting to get very expensive!!

Anyway, I have a few male birthdays in the family around this time of year and they all have their hobbies. Not all of them are easy to find relevant toppers for either. My brother turned 40 this year and he loves football, so I dug out some footballing paper. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of being 40, but I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. So I made this explosion card using lots of different papers and then cut out the numbers and added them on small paper springs, so that they popped out. I like the effect, not to sure he was as thrilled with it!! Ha ha.

Exploding 40th Birthday Card

Next was a friend that I used to work with, he’s fairly recently bought a small boat and likes to spend his weekends, messing about on it. Finding boats to add to cards is reasonably straightforward. I hope he liked it!

Sailing Birthday Card

Next week is my hubby’s birthday, but he’s off to the USA on a work trip. So this year , for one year only, he’s having his birthday early this weekend. He is a major cycle fiend and loves both watching track and road cycling, and road cycling himself. He’s been taking part in the Global Corporate Challenge this Summer and has been out on his bake even more than usual. Trying to find good quality road bike toppers and papers is really difficult. I found a small set a few years ago and that has come out again for his birthday card. This one was chosen by my daughter.

Cyclist Birthday Card

I hope they all liked their cards, as I had some fun making them. It’s good to have some card making time again. I have lots more ideas for some cards that I hope to be able to fit in over the holidays!

Happy birthday crafting
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Work-in-progress

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I’ve got so many projects on the go at the moment that I thought I’d share them. I think it’s the heat and humidity that’s been taking it’s toll on my ability to finish these (well that and the fact that it’s school holidays). I’ll get there though!

First of all I have my next baby comforter. It’s in shades of pink for a girl (obviously).

flower granny square

comforter pieces

I should finish the other 2 squares soon and then I can have this one finished. I’d like to make a blue one as well, although I have a lovely soft green yarn, so it might end up in blue and green!

Next is a present for my daughter. She asked for it quite a while ago and after her fabulous school report I decided I would get round to making her something.

Dinosaur body

It’s going to be a dinosaur, a stegosaurus I think. The pattern is from LGC: Knitting and Crochet issue 62. They have loads of free patterns on the website too and they knit up fairly quickly. My daughter has been bonkers about dinosaurs for ages, so this one seemed very appropriate.

Finally there’s my latest granny square blanket. This one has been in progress for some considerable time as I ran out of blue yarn. But I’m on the final lap of this now, just finishing off the frilly scalloped edging.

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blanket close up

This is my largest blanket to date and looks good for a cot, or as a small throw. It’s inspired me to make a more colourful blanket with different granny squares. I have a bag of other squares and a couple of half finished amigurumi rabbits and chicks too. I wish there were more hours in the day to do everything, but it’s hard finding the time when you’re entertaining a 5 year old!

Happy Summer Holidays
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Crafting in the sun

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I can’t believe how hot it’s been so far this Summer.  And it’s the school holidays too!  I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been struggling to do anything let alone any crafting.

My house has a South facing back garden with the patio is raised above the garden and it’s been like a sauna sitting out.  I’ve been hiding inside as much as I can but that hasn’t been easy either.

I struggle to knit in the summer as my hands get very hot which often makes my needles stick or worse, squeak.  But this year I’ve been using my bamboo knitting needles and I’ve managed to start a new knitting project as a well done present for my daughters’ brilliant school report.

I have also managed to do a little crochet, but I’ve found using yarn a very hot business, so I’ve been making some cards ready for personalisation and orders.

Card insert

I’ve taken a liking to ripping paper!

I’m looking forward to some slightly cooler, or at least less humid weather so I can get on with some more crafts.

Happy crafting
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Summer Reading Challenge

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The first week of the school summer holidays and we’re at the local library to look at the summer reading challenge.  We found a flyer in the school reception area and it’s all about myths and legends this year.  It seems there is a challenge every year to encourage children of all ages to read even though they aren’t in school.  My daughter is a very keen reader and the theme has really captured her imagination as she loves dinosaurs and dragons!

Mythical Maze

Having registered with the library staff, she’s been given a little pack of reading puzzles and accompanying activities to do in the library, at home and online. It’s a great use of different technologies, with an app and website as well as paper activities to do. So we’ve spotted Leprechauns and Minotaurs, Mermaids and Dragons, and Spiders and Medusa! She’s been colouring in loads of pictures and we’ve chosen 8 books for her to read, covering a variety of subjects. There are prizes along the way for the number of books read and she can’t wait to get to 6 and get a set of stickers! So keep an eye on the facebook page for what we get up to with those!

Happy Summer
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Jam Tarts

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This weekend was the Summer Fair and I made plenty of scones and biscuits. I didn’t have quite enough ingredients for another batch of fruit scones so I decided to take the plunge and make some jam tarts. To most people this wouldn’t seem a particularly daunting task, however, I have managed to get into my 40’s without ever having made pastry! Watching countless cookery shows and the Great British Bakeoff has completely scared me off making pastry before.

I always remember my Mum making fruit pies when I was little, and her pastry was great. She used to make a jam tart for me and my brother with the offcuts. So no pressure at all (not..)

Anyway, I had a quick look through Delia’s Complete Cookery course and remembered the ‘half fat to flour’ regimine that had been drummed into me at some point. Out came the butter, flour and a little bit of lard (Mum always swore that lard made the best pastry). I added some water as directed and ended up with a lovely ball of pastry dough. I made a second batch and put them in the fridge to rest, while I went out on a last minute panic shopping trip to the corner shop as I didn’t have any jam to fill the tarts with.

After a half-hour rest, the pastry was cool and ready to roll. I used my new pastry cutters to make the cases and each batch made a dozen tarts.

Blackcurrant Jam Tarts

Strawberry Jam Tarts

I overfilled a few of the cases, but they looked ok I think. And oh what joy, no soggy bottoms!! They tasted good too and were very much appreciated by the kids after school and at the Summer Fair. I think next time I shall try to roll the pastry a little thinner and not overfill the cases.

Happy summer crafting
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Baking

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Tomorrow is the summer fair and although I’m going to be attending as a community member, I am also doing my bit by baking for the cream teas and cake stall.

So today I have a list of plain, sultana and chocolate scones for the cream teas and a batch of biscuits for the cake stall. It’s a busy morning for me in the kitchen then! I’m just hoping I don’t run out of milk, butter and flour, or I’ll be on an emergency trip to the shop.

Chocolate Raisin Scones

I love making scones and in particular the chocolate ones are so delicious. The recipe I use is on a previous blog post and I would recommend you give it a try. It’s a simple recipe and always goes down well at the local fundraiser (and at home). My only problem is that I have to give myself a talking too so I don’t eat any. What I want to know is, why, no matter how big I make the scones, do I always get left with a tiny piece of dough? Is it a subconscious decision I make so that I have to have a bit to try?

Easter biscuits

Well I ‘ve got all my ingredients out ready for the scones. I can’t decide whether to make lemon and fruit biscuits or ginger biscuits, so I’ll have to see how I feel when all the scones are made.

Time to get baking!

Happy baking
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Loom Bands

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I suppose it was only a matter of time until my daughter discovered the craze for loom bands.  It was one of the girls in her dance class that mentioned them to her a couple of weeks ago, since when we’ve been inundated with requests for bands and a loom.

It is a brilliant concept.  A bit like crochet with the little hook and the loom makes it look a bit like the dolly knitting I did as a child.  As she’s only 5, she needed a bit of help to get going and we made the first couple of bracelets without a loom.  She’s now very proficient at this simple style and has made several bracelets for her friends at school.

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So I’m now investigating different styles on You Tube.  She would like to get the most out of using the loom and make a bag!  She saw the dress that has been sold on e-bay and is very inspired for me to teach her how to make more things.  I have managed to teach how to do the fishtail and she’s again doing very well with that.

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I love the simplicity of the materials and equipment with this craft.  The only problem for me is that I find it as addictive as she does and I don’t know where the time goes!  I’ve stocked up her tub of bands ready for the summer holidays next week and now need to find some more instructions for her.

Any ideas or links to good tutorials would be gratefully received.

Happy crafting
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Summer Fair 2014

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It’s that time of year again. All the kids activities and school are finishing this week and the local community group Summer Fair is on Saturday.

This year we are having a summer party without a major fundraising. And I’m going to be able to attend as a member of the community instead of being on a stall. I’m really looking forward to it.

So if you’re at a loose end on Saturday afternoon, pop along for a cream tea. It would be great to see you.

FOWV Summer Party

Happy Summer
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