A blanket for my neice/nephew to be....

My brother and his wife are expecting their firstborn in December.. exciting stuff!!! I decided to make a blanket (easy?). I had been told that they are decorating the room in 'Gingerbread' so off I went on a yarn hunt. I found the most delicious chunky wool that I thought would be perfect colourwise and really snuggly. I don't tend to do 'baby baby' stuff so it was perfect. I couldn't quite decide on which of the colours would be best so what to do? Buy all 3 and do a stripey blanket (increasing the make time, but hey ho). So here it is in it's 50% finished glory. I need to edge it as the knitting in stripes makes for messy edges (well it does when I do it!!). I asked my oh so wise crafting buddies on the best way to go on this and got loads of great advice. Which I have chosen to ignore for a hundred and 1 reasons!!! On looking at the mamas and papas website I have discovered that the 'gingerbread' design has quite a lot of turqoise and red in it so i need to add those in to tie it all together. I'm not going to find any binding in those 2 colours so I need to buy a piece of fabric. The thought of making binding fills me with horror. All those thin straight lines to sew!!!! So I'm going to make a bigger sized backing blanket and back it and fold the edges over like a sandwich (and use my husbands protracter thingy from work to mitre in the corners!!!) It will also make the blanket a little larger. So for now a half finished project . . . .

My talented baby

My (just turned) 3 year old presented me with this yesterday. I think she's come a long way from squiggles and kisses that she did only last week. Obviously I asked her who it was. "mommy" she proudly announces. Oh dear time to put down the pringles . . . .

It may not be a flattering angle, but it is my favourite picture I have ever seen. (until daughter number two does one...)

Shoes shoes shoes.

No I didn't make them, but GingerMonkey was asking people to share shoe lovlieness with her and I felt obliged!!!!

The red ones are my latest purchase and I just want to wear them all the time. In fact I was most put out that on our recent trip to The Big Smoke. The Lovely (but sensible) Husband told me in no uncertain terms was I traipsing round London in them. I hate to admit he was quite possibly correct.

The smashing silver ones were my wedding shoes. They were very nearly as expensive as my dress!!! But I had to have them as I told myself. They're terribly practical I'll wear them all the time after the wedding. They will look great with evening wear or skinny jeans for pubbing/clubbing. Hmmm two toddlers later. Distinct lack of evening wear, pubbing/clubbing!!

The brown ones were a Christmas Present off The Lovely Husband. We had agreed to save funds and not buy each other presents and save the money for the children. Sadly (not) he saw me pining for these. Little face pressed up against the shop window. So my not so secret Santa saved me. Luckily I had also seen a pair of sunglasses that I knew he'd love so he got spoiled too.

The other half of the Toadstool Swap

I received my toadstool from my swap partner, Wendy. It's gorgeous. My favourite colours and the little beaded butterfly is just so clever. I just wish I could wear it as jewellery!! I may look a little funny with a toadstool dangling from my neck so I'll just have to admire it sitting on my bedside table.

Thanks Wendy, it was a pleasure having you as my first ever swap partner. Oh and I pinched your photo as mine was pants!!!

The Toadstool Swap

At last it is finished and posted. Wendy if you're looking - turn away!!

I joined a Toadstool Swap organised by LucyKateCrafts. I didn't follow the tutorial exactly, but the general idea is there. I also didn't learn how to do blanket stitch until after I'd finished . . . .

The little mouse was a flash of inspiration. I thought to myself I wonder if the basic premise of a finger puppet - but stuffed - would work? I'm really quite chuffed with him.

And off it goes to the U S of A!! I hope you like it Wendy.

It's In The Bag . . .

Finally!!! I have finished my knitted bag. It didn't take long to knit it, I didn't take that long to sew it together. What did take ages was the interim period where I just kept looking at it thinking "hmm I really should finish that".

That is probably my biggest fault. I start so many things and never quite finish them. See I have these flashes of inspiration or see a pretty little doo-dah that I just have to get and start something else.

This was my first attempt at knitting (well second if you count the matching little purse I did initially - but we won't count that!!!)

I've been tagged

23 Beech Hill has tagged me :-

1) What was I doing 10 years ago? 1998....?Probably something naughty. . . I didn’t settle down until I met DH. I was temping in offices etc in the mornings, college in the afternoon, Bar work 1 night a week and working in a Chinese on a Saturday night. The rest of the time I was staying out, riding motorbikes, drinking too much, pulling unsuitable men!!

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)

1 – Taking the girls to nanny and granddads for the afternoon
2 – Watching some tv I’ve recorded
3 – Eating see below whilst doing above
4 - Catching up on a bit of zzzzzzz (I work nights)
5 – Possibly a little crafting (unlikely though today)

3) Snacks I enjoy:

All of the snacks I like are cholesterol nightmares –
Cheese
Mini scotch eggs
Ham (quite disgusting, but I dive in the fridge and munch on ham while I look for something healthy – but then funnily enough not hungry any more!!!)
Crisps – my biggest downfall. Especially like sweet chilli ones. I used to like Pringles, but they hurt the corners of my mouth!!!

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:Stop working bloody nights!!!
Build/sponsor refuges for abused women
Be involved with a children’s charity
Open a hotel.
Buy a Subaru Impreza and a Lotus Elise and a Aston Martin DBS and a Mini Cooper S wrx. And a motorbike
Build my dream house.
Buy a ham factory!!!

5) Places I have lived:Staffordshire
Derbyshire
Northamptonshire
West Midlands
Essex

6) 6 peeps I wanna know more about ...

Sorry if you've been tagged already or don't want to be now, but your on my favourites list for a reason!! (flattery gets one everywhere!!)

http://theblackapple.typepad.com/inside_a_black_apple/
http://www.overmilkwood.blogspot.com/
http://thepigeonloftuk.blogspot.com/
http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/
http://imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/
http://chickadeecards.blogspot.com/

I didn't make it but it is beautiful . . .

I have the loveliest husband in the world ever . . . . On a recent outing with him the 2 baby geckos and my mom we came across a lovely little jewellery shop. I was admiring a rather beautiful necklace when the little ones discovered the mini train track. Not a mommy to disappoint her little cherubs we duly went for a ride. (It was great fun - and my mom managed to pull some old guy who went off to collect pine cones for her . . . sorry I digress). Hubbie feigned grumpy tiredness and sat out the train ride. When we got home sometime later he sent me on a mission to 'fire up the laptop' which I duly did. What was nestling in the laptop case . . . . . . Bless him. What a guy.

Inspired by the beauty of this one I have a list of crafting I need to do:-

1 x bag (knitted but not sewn up)

1 x necklace for my mom.

1 x toadstool for lucykates swap.

1 x bag charm for above bag (the knitted one - not lucykate, she's not a bag!!!)

1 x fairy scene to paint for the girl's bedroom.

many x fairies to grace the above painting (it's going to be a 3d thing)

I need to stop listing and start doing!!!

Cards . . .(. . .tantrums and tiaras)

Next month my brother and my 2 dearest friends all celebrate wedding anniversaries. I thought it better to make the cards slightly early. How I hate leaving things for the last minute . . . .

I'm really rather pleased with them. Ok so it took an age to doctor photos and the dress may have been more stunning had I used a template from somewhere, but I like freehand damn it!!

And what were my princesses doing whilst I was crafting away? Making tiaras of course!! (and throwing tantrums . . )

Playing Tag . . .

I don't actually have anything to show (yet) watch this space . . . But I have been tagged by a vintage kitty kat (with a bag lining fetish!!). sooooo . . .
4 jobs I have had
Office Administrator for an Autoelectrical Company - dull you may think . . . well yes apart from never knowing whether the director was going to come in in one of his moods and punch a hole in the wall above your head (yes really)
Call Centre Operator for a flower delivery/plants/audio books company. Again very dull, but some of the customers?!!?!? There was a company that really needed mute buttons on the phone so you could p&*^ yourself laughing without offending someone.
Waitress in a Chinese Restaurant - back when I was a student. A customer put his hand down my blouse as I was serving coffee. Served entire pot into his lap. Didn't work there anymore an hour later!!! he he he - Lesson - don't take revenge when boss is serving at table next to you.
Bag 'Monkey' for Royal Mail - Not the official title, but pretty much sums it up. This is what I do at night whilst the little ones are in bed and husband is 'washing up' (and I suspect watching football!!)

4 Favourite Films
x-Men trilogy (does that count as 1 or 3?) - I am a little of a sci-fi freak and also used to love graphic novels (never to be described as comics). This trilogy really did stay true to the novels.
Dirty Dancing - I have a dreamy girly side too. How I longed to be baby and be (literally) whisked off my feet
Labyrinth - David Bowie - tight leggings - singing - fantasy need I say more
The Princess Bride - So wasted on children. Possibly the funniest film ever, not to mention brilliant, exciting, whimsical etc

4 places I've been
Barcelona - For a day as part of a med. cruise. The best day of my life (barring marriage and kids) It peed down all day. Proper rain. Soaked to the blimmin skin. We walked 15 miles to the cathedral (and then back again!!!) Went all that way to eat a McDOnalds!!! Got accosted by loads of street sellers trying to sell us umbrellas (errr for what we are SOAKING already!!) I knackered my bum knee. Husband dislocated a toe. But god how we laughed. And the Cathedral really is spectacular.
Amsterdam - With an orchestra (I played cello) as a student. No more needs to be said.
Normandy - with school. to go and see the beach where our troops were massacered. Totally lost on me then. Pains me to think how little regard I had for it at the time. Oh and I fell over a concrete bench in the middle of the street (I still bear the scar on my leg)
Aberdovey, Wales - A LOT!! We had a caravan there when I was younger. We went all the time. I still love the place now.

4 places I've lived
Cannock, Staffordshire
Northampton
Derby
Essex

4 favourite tv shows
Bones (david boreanaz - yum)
CSI (but NOT the miami one. Horatio just makes me wanna slap him into finishing a sentence. Is he trying to be a Smith from Matrix or what?!)
Buffy/Angel (yes I know that's 2, but they can't be separated) much the same
Dr Who/Torchwood

4 favourite radio shows
erm I can only get radio 2 (or something which i think is french) on my car radio and that is the only place I listen to it. really so
Janice Long (late on my way home from work)
Some chap does a Country and Western slot on a Thurs evening
Ooooh no on a fri night we listen to Glitterball on the laptop - Its actually broadcast in Leeds at a totally different time, but its 70's/80's disco and is fab for while me and dh cook together once the kids are in bed (its our alternative to going out)

4 favourite foods
anything from a chinese (oh god heaven)
cheese ( extra mature cheddar especially)
My husbands Chilli
Pizza from Pizza Express

4 places I'd rather be

bed (always, such is the life of a night shift worker!)
Somewhere hot
In a nice restaurant/hotel having a date with my lovely husband
10 years ago so I could laugh at myself.

Now who to tag? . . . . .

At last something to show . . .

These are some things I made (fairly) recently.

I made a door plaque for two little fairy princesses and rehashed an old necklace clasp, beads from a bracelet and various other beads hanging around and made it into a wearable necklace. I'm really quite pleased with it.

I'm currently working on a knitted handbag. All I need to do now is sew it together and add a few embellishments. I'm also knitting away at a . . . . erm, well it will either be a little gift bag for jewellery or perhaps a lavender bag. As ever I'm not quite sure what I'm doing with it.

Hello!!

Hi there, an introduction...
I'm a mom of 2 girls and love making stuff. Cooking, sewing, card making, etc. I've just recently discovered knitting and am practising hard.
My biggest problems with making stuff are:-
I've never actually been taught to do any of the stuff I (attempt to) do.
I never follow a recipe/pattern or if I start to I get bored so consequently
It's never quite 'professional' and if it does turn out really well (usually only applicable to cooking) then it's really hard to re-create!!!
I'm also a 'rusher'. I can't wait to complete a project and get carried away, forgetting to eat, sleep etc and rush my way through. Especially at the crucial finishing off bit!

I'm sorry there are no photos just yet. This blogging lark is new to me. My friends at MN are all bloggers and I thought I'd better throw myself into this 'Brave New World' and have a go.

So now I have another addiction . . .