French Knots

Drat, bother, *!**!!

Our PC has died, or at least is in need of major surgery, so I'm on the old laptop. The Big Sister got a pink digital camera for her Birthday from her Uncle and Aunt but when we loaded the disc so she could download her photos the PC crashed and continued to do so every time we tried to log in and uninstall the sodding camera software ( when I say 'we' I mean ,of course, my husband doing the work with me standing behind him helpfully wringing my hands!). It has gone to the PC Dr who will try and save the data, most importantly the photos which we have not yet backed up to the external hard disc thingy.

I've also got a  six month old version of my favourites on AOL now - which is odd as they are meant to be kept on their server so I don't know why favourites has gone wrong too...ggrr! So I have my little journal out and am playing 'can you remember the names of all the lovely blogs you have book marked recently and not got around to adding to your side bar '. It's a bit harder than the game we used to play at parties where a dozen objects were put on a tray then covered with a tea towel and you had to remember them, as the list stands at 64 so far! I don't use blog lines as I like clicking on a favourite blog and when there's a new post it's like a little surprise present ( do I sound like a saddo?!) but I do need to find a reliable way of keeping my favourites safe if AOL isn't going to do it for me. Tutorials, shopping sites, wonderful inspiration, cooking, knitting, sewing, gardening and goodness only knows what all gone.

Never mind I have the perfect reason to sit for untold hours at the screen now rediscovering them

Mmmmm....

What a lovely start to the day

It might be raining, again, but the smell of freshly baked bread and a slice of crunchy toast for breakfast is a great start to the day.

A lovely gift

I was lucky enough to win the draw for this fab magazine over at Raspberry

Okido - it has the most wonderful illustrations, I might even share it with the children if they are good! She also included some gorgeous vintage buttons, a Moo note card and some daisy ribbon. I bought one of Alice's linen shopping bags recently which was decorated with the daisy ribbon, as daises are one of my favourite flowers, how kind to send me some extra Thank You Alice! The Moo note card is great and I think I'll order some for birthday cards.

Not much creating over the weekend as Saturday was our school fete and as I'm on the PTA it was a very busy day and on Sunday we went over to Anglesey. I did manage to get these made for My Little Helper's birthday party ( which is the weekend after his sisters)

Pirate Treasure Maps! X marks the spot where I'll be having a large glass of wine when the fun is over!   

Twins

Typepad does not want me to post today as it has already lost this post twice...let's hope it's third time lucky!

I was asked to make a shadow box picture for twin girls which was great as it gave me the opportunity to try out some new ideas as the frame needed to be larger to fit in both girls' names

I drove over to Dad's today and came home the back way, one moment I was enjoying the cow parsley and rose bay willow herb on the verges and the next it went dark and the heavens opened. I had to slow right down as I could hardly see a thing, the roads were soon awash as the ground is totally water logged. So glad I've planned an outside party for The Big Sister's birthday next weekend, but as it's a pool party they'll be wet anyway!

Excitement

Great excitement over the last couple of days, a friend of a friend who has a shop asked to see some of my work. What to take, what to charge, would she like it??

So I put a few of my favourite things in a little suitcase and set off this morning, despite my nerves it went well. I forgot about things like a price list and or an invoice but fortunately she was really nice. We had a great chat and I was there for over an hour, she placed a small order so French Knots feels like it might be a fledgling cottage industry. More so than when friends order things from me somehow, not sure why one of my tshirts hanging in a shop seems more like a sale than a direct sale at the school gate, more formal perhaps.

I have an idea for another child focused item but need some nice towelling, I've been searching on line but with no luck. Does anyone know a supplier of attractive towelling by the metre?

Damp days

What a soggy week, I seem to have spent it chasing my tail and trying to get things done. What I find frustrating is that so much of what I do is invisible; tidy the playroom and it's messy again in no time, ditto hoovering, do the washing and bingo the washing basket is full again . Don't get me wrong, I enjoy making our home comfortable and welcoming but I prefer the things with a more visible end result. Spending time making something ornamental or unnecessary just because I want to is fine and pleases me.

Perhaps the horrid weather is dampening my mood; having to light a fire at the end of June as it is so cold, getting drenched endless times a day while doing errands or the school/playgroup run. We usually walk round to playgroup as it is only round the corner but this morning I couldn't face another soggy trudge so we hopped in the car - and my spirits lifted as one of my favourite songs came on the radio - Stepping Out by Joe Jackson, in fact I drove round the long way so I could listen to it all! I love the way that a song can connect you with happy memories and positive feelings. I'm going to dig out a couple of his CDs and indulge in some nostalgia.

The work room make over continues and will take sometime, but I have got a few projects finished. The little chair has come up well

I just need to track down a better table and I'll be able to sew without giving myself a crick in the neck. Once I'd got the staple gun out I couldn't stop so also revamped an old folding table that had been my Gram's with some spotty sage green oil cloth

The glass candlesticks are destined to become cakestands once I find a couple of pretty plates to glue on top and I liked the pattern on the pyrex dish, nothing like a bargain at the charity shop to cheer you up. I've also finished The Big Sister's Birthday crown

She likes it, which is the main thing. I like it too.

Sorry the pictures are all so dark but as it's June we can't expect sunshine can we??

WIP!

This is current wip and is likely to take weeks to finish, or possibly years! My work room has been in need of a sort out for ages and now that I've started it's an even bigger mess

I'm organising stuff into boxes and even putting tags on so I know what's inside

Then everything has to be moved while the walls are painted and the shelves are moving to the other end of the room and will be hidden with muslin curtains. I'm a dreadful hoarder and it's proving tricky to get rid of things but I have, at long last, sent the great big stripey office chair on it's way. I used to sit on it at work and brought it home when the office was being refurbed about 15 years ago. It was still fine to sit on so I put it on Freecycle and had quite a few people respond. A very nice lady picked it up yesterday ( after I nearly slipped a disc getting it downstairs as it is blummin heavy!) and I have more space already but what to sit on? I had an old chair that had been my parents, covered in black vinyl.

but underneath was this original green and cream. It must be at least 40 years old, I'm going to paint the woodwork and brighten it up.

I've unearthed all sorts of things that I'd forgotten about including this

The apron I made at school, in the first year seniors I think. It brought back memories, I really enjoyed the needlework classes even though the teacher was fearsome! I remember making a hideous blue wool seven gored skirt with matching waistcoat too. I don't remember how to do the smocking now but it must have taken ages

I went through a bit of a Goth phase, wearing nothing but black, which could explain the colour choice. Have a lovely, creative weekend.

 

Lovely felt

Inspired by Soule mama's lovely birthday crowns I fancied making them for the children. The local shop only has the most revolting colours of felt so I had a look on line and found Myriad. They have wool felt in a wonderful range of colours, I placed the order yesterday afternoon and it has already been delivered.....less than 24 hours later! What amazing service, I'll certainly be using them again

I also ordered the book of button games which I saw mentioned on Wisecraft and thought it would be handy for the summer holidays......I'm sure I've got a few buttons lying around somewhere!

How to look good naked....

Have you watched it?.....Never mind looking good naked, I'd like to look good with my clothes on! I'd like Gok to come round here and help me out, he is so good at making ' his girls' relax and love their bodies. Perhaps if a was a stone or three lighter it wouldn't be so hard, ah well maybe one day. In fact maybe one day before August next year as I will be 40 and would like to feel I'd taken myself in hand before then. 40 seems to hold more fears for me than 30 did, 30 I didn't mind at all but 40, not so sure. At 40 aren't you meant to be a grown up, in control, know where your life is heading?! I've only got just over a year to work it all out!

While we were away we went to the nearest town and found the most amazing shop, buttons galore! Sorry for the crappy ' through the window' photo. I nipped in for a quick look, leaving the family on the pavement. It was so different to the shops round here. A whole shop devoted to notions, staffed by three busy women with a huge queue waiting to be served. In fact they had a ticket machine like the ones at the deli counter in supermarkets! I suppose it was a good job I couldn't wait to be served or we'd have been paying for excess baggage on the plane home.

Success at Ikea over the weekend, we found a lovely bed for My Little Helper. A cabin bed up a little ladder with room to play underneath, we also got a tent thing to go on top of it with stars all over which goes really well with the rocket duvet cover and planets on the walls. He is very pleased with it and keeps inviting people to come for a sleepover in his new bed. I snuggled in with him on Sunday morning, savouring his hot little body cuddled up against me as no doubt the day when he no longer wants to snuggle his Mummy will come all too soon. No trip to Ikea would be complete without a selection of scissors, storage boxes and picture frames ' because they are so nice and so cheap'! I got some small wooden frames for The Big Sister's beach party which will be great for a craft activity if the swimming and splashing get too giddy as they can be covered with shells and glitter, all little girls love glue and glitter don't they?

Friday already??

I'm having trouble settling back into a routine since getting back from holiday, this week has slipped away somewhere and even though each day has been busy I've not done half the things I wanted to. This includes replies to those of you kind enough to comment recently so please accept a thank you instead and I'll get back on track next week. I have got a couple of orders finished which I'll deliver in the playground later and started gathering some thoughts for the upcoming birthdays. My Little Helper will be 4 and The Big Sister will be 8 in a few weeks, guess what these are for...

She's having a beach party so fingers crossed for a sunny day,but I bet they'd be happy swimming in the pool in the rain. ( No we don't have a real pool just one of those ones that's like a huge paddling pool)  I've got a big bag of shells and some picture frames for them to make some seaside photo frames and I'm going to make some large paper palm trees to decorate the garden plus bunting and lots of shells on the table.

We noticed how they are getting older while we were away as they were happy to do some sight seeing which a year or so ago would have been a no no for My Little Helper. We had a lovely wander round some of the medieval fortified villages

The warm yellows of the brickwork looked lovely in the sunshine and there were lots of lovely alleys leading round corners

to more lovely sights.

Have a relaxing weekend, I'm planning one apart from a trip to Ikea to but a bed for My Little Helper which will be anything but relaxing!