Prynhawn da

Hello, long time no blog and all that! We've been to Wales for a few days, D#1 is back to school after half term and I'm about caught up with the washing- where does time go to??

A VERY long over due thank you to the lovely most generous Clare who sent me Mr P a lovely little parcel just before we went away with not one but FOUR Super Stylish Tank Tops! Here is the cheeky little chap in all his glory!







And this is is special top for special occasions and to remind him of his roots! (it's got a black and white stripy back....hehe)


Doesn't he look wicked?! Thank you Clare - you're far too talented for you own good!!

Quilt Update #3

Well it's finished, sent and received. I think I can safely say Clare likes it (it's on her living room wall already!) It was a bit sort of free style abstract in Clare's favourite colours.


I also sent Clare a bag (and matching tissue holder) I made her from this clever tutorial from Ric-Rac as a little thank you for very generously offering to make Mr P some tank tops.



I can't wait to see if Lucy's going to do another swap I've had so much fun with the ones she arranged already - thank you Lucy!! I've just signed up for (eyes left) LucyKate's Toadstool Swap can't wait to crack on with that!

More Lovely Post

Retail therapy delivery day 4!!

A small clue in the packaging....



Another little clue in the wrapping (love the cacti print!!)



What who could it be?


I bagged Mr P aka Mr Pigeon 029 from Charlie via her Etsy shop, he actually came with his own little passport, name tag and knitting pattern for a super stylish tank top! I'm in the process of hunting down a knitter to bribe!



Look at that cheeky little face! Isn't he fab!!!

D#2 is convinced that because he's a birdie he can indeed fly - this my friends is not the case but that doesn't stop her launching him through the air every time she gets her hands on him, he now lives away from small children - pah anyone would think little fluffy items were intended for children!!!!

Yesterday brought more lovely post my quilt from Clare!!


Isn't it brill? I LOVE it! Just need to find somewhere worthy to hang it. The pic really doesn't do it justice.

I also had some fabric bits, ribbon, buttons


and a matching handmade card.....



Aren't I a lucky girl?! Thank you Clare!!

The owner of the legs now has a body but is still naked so in the name of decency I will wait until he has clothes before I show him!

Frogs Legs and Retail Therapy

I might have indulged in a tad of retail therapy of late, three days, three parcels Tuesday brought a parcel Buttonberry beautifully packaged felt like it was my birthday! (Yes I know I should have taken pics) I don't know if I'm really shallow and love to receive gifts or if I really appreciate the time and effort some people put in to make their customers feel special......let's go with the latter ;o) I only ordered a pattern and some fat quarters - made my day!! Wednesday brought therapy from The Fat Quarters in the form of more Melly & Me patterns.......

Can you tell what it is yet?

And today was this......



a few little bits a fabric from Japan courtesy of Etsy

Shamefully there is more to come!!

Quilt Update #2

A little sneak peak, don't think it gives too much away!


Thank you Lucy and Clare for your labelling advice, I accidentally stumbled across some inkjet fabric!! I didn't know such a thing existed but it's printed and ready to be sewn on. My quilt front is more or less finished so just a few little bits to do now, I hope Clare is going to like it!!

Quilt Update #1

Well I've actually started on my quilt! I usually work a lot better under last minute pressure but I really wanted to get on with this - probably cause I don't know how long it's going to take me to get it right!

I bought some fabric off Etsy - won't say where just yet just in case my swap partner Clare is as nosey as I am ;o) I didn't buy it for the quilt but it just so happens to fit in with Clare's colour preferences, I washed it (holding my breath nearly) and ironed it, looked at it and thought about it.......quite a few times, I planned it in my head (hoho) and cut it out, I was going to get my machine out but D#2 woke up from her nap so that put pay to that! I'm hoping she'll have another sleep this afternoon (mainly cause she was up half the night) I'm struggling as to when you actually do the quilting bit but I'm sure I'll work it out. I did find this really good binding tutorial from Heather Bailey not sure if I'm confident enough to try it yet being the quilting virgin that I am but I might surprise myself. I'm really really puzzled over how to do the labelling with all the info I'm meant to so if anyone has any top tips feel free to help me out of the mire share them.

Typical

Apparently yesterday was No Housework Day!! The thing is I only found this out from JL after he came from work, I asked him why he didn't tell me early to which he replied 'Why have you filled the dishwasher or something' *gasp* cheeky @*#@, I really have no idea what he's on about!!!!!!


You may have noticed a little colourful addition on the left hand side, lovely Lucy is arranging another swap! I wasn't going to join having no clue whatsoever about making quilts, mini or otherwise but Lucy managed to twist my arm, I'm excited and nervous at the same time but very grateful for the encouragement so thank you Ms Locket!!

What more can I say?

We popped to Meadowhall today and I stepped inside a Paperchase for the very first time, I've always had a obsession liking for stationary but wow! I managed to contain myself and only bought this postcard



I will be returning very soon!

Meet Blossom

I don't ever remember waking up on an Easter Sunday to find a covering of snow! I wasn't quick enough with my camera to snap it before it all melted, I may have been up just after 6 but wasn't planning on venturing outside at stupid o'clock freezing my tits off so you'll just have to take my word for it!

I can now share Blossom (aka Crash Test Bunny #4) pics as she safely arrived yesterday




Her dress is an adaption of this very easy, simple tutorial from Molly Chicken and the flower attached to her 'name tag' is a brooch,



JL suggesting giving her two heads, how cruel......funny though!



Happy Easter!

Hunny Bunny

Firstly happy birthday to Jim Lad for yesterday! We didn't do very much but someone had a rather nice lie in (not me) and breakfast in bed (not me!)

1st day of the Easter holidays I only hope the rest won't be as stressful with the two young uns squabbling, D#2 seems to be having a rather frustrated phase with lots of ear piecing screaming when she wants something or doesn't get her own way, then D#1thinks it funny to mimic her so D#2 screams more then it's a screaming game - once a day I could put up with but not every time D#2 wants something - just hope it's a short lived phase!!

Apologies to Diane for not posting about this sooner.....


Arrived on Thursday, what could it be?


????


Well hello there bunny! (sorry for the rubbish dull pic - blame the Yorkshire weather!)

I'm surprised she didn't nibble through these on her journey


Yum! Lindt my favourite!!!!!

Look at these beautiful books Diane sent for D#1 and D#2, they are keepsake editions of books first published in the 1950's!


(They are both looking at them as I type!!)

Here is Diane's cute Easter handmade card



And a better pic of Hunny Bunny!!



Isn't she sweet? Thank you so much Diane, I wish I'd had a camera when the girls saw her for the first time, she's already been to bed with D#1 but I managed to retrieve her from her bedroom (oh I'm evil ) but I did wait to the following day (I'm not that evil). Thank you also to Lucy for arranging such an enjoyable swap! I'm hoping there might be another one soon ;o)

Crash Test Bunnies

It was my dad's birthday yesterday (not that he can even use a computer and he wouldn't know what a blog was!) but happy birthday dad anyway! These days I'm a smidgen taller than him!



Thank you for your lovely comments about my bag, I think if I did steal the birthday bag back my bro's girl friend wouldn't even notice!

Here are the Crash Test Bunnies


From left to right CTB #2 (it is meant to be just a head but is a bit freaky) CTB #3 (generally a bit freaky - think it's the eyes) blurred out CTB #4 (on route to New Jersey as I type) and CTB #1 *snigger* (what can I say?!)

I finished my course today, I was very apprehensive about putting D#2 in the creche but she absolutely loved it, as did I and I'm quite sad it's finished - I got a certificate and feel quietly chuffed with myself! I'm hoping the school will host some more very soon!

The lights are on but is anyone home?

Well chickens I return from my fast and hard living life of traveling the world......oh no.....sorry that was while I was still asleep ;o) Not had much energy to blog lately but I'm here now!

Have you seen Hana's Helpline? It's a kids program on Channel 5 (so you may not have!), softie fans should really look out for it - the characters are fantastic!

Are you a little animal with a big problem?

Then phone Hana on
Moo, Baa, Double quack, Double quack…

Love it!!!






Muzzy Mouse and Owen Owl are my faves I think - so cute!

In my absence I have been productive! Four crash test bunnies for the Bunny Swap, #4 will be the one getting posted to Diane in New Jersey tomorrow! She has an essence of Frankenstein's Monster but I think she's the best I could come up with. She's been hanging around for a few weeks now and I think I've come quite attached to her - I'll be sad to see her go *sniff*

I've also made a Tiny Happy bag I love these bags, so simple and the tutorial is brill, it's the second one I've made the first one was last year for my brother's girlfriend's birthday, she's a big bag fan in general but it seems not of my bag or maybe just not of handmade - gutted to say the least but I'm sure it's very happy at 'the bottom of the wardrobe' *sigh*



I've been making some brooches too like the one on the bag, will share more another time.

Guess the postie brought me today??


My Valentine swap!!

I don't know where I found the will power to actually take it upstairs (D#1's room is the lightest to take pics) and take a picture of it before I ripped it open to find this lovely lot....


Where to start? Firstly I think Juliann my swap partner must be phycic! Apart from this that she may have had a sneaky suspicion I had a thing about

(It is amazing - Cranberry flavour? Organic? I've only had one 'application' and I think I'm addicted to it, smells lurverly) it was hiding inside this cute little pouch

With this


Juliann blogged a few weeks ago about these sweet little strawberries she was going to make, I secretly hoped she might have been making me one for the swap (oh is that naughty?)

And then there was this



It may not be unusual in the States but pink....that's pink if you missed it the first time hot chocolate!! I spied some on Heather Bailey's blog and had a shifty but couldn't find it anywhere - now I have my very own! Will have to hide it from D#1.......hehe

So other than the above mentioned there was also a hand quilted heart, some lovely fabric, some hand died silk ribbon and and bag full of Valentiney themed buttons, beads and charms and to top it all everything was PINK!!

Thank you so much Juliann - I'm feeling really special about now and lovely Lucy for arranging the swap.

I was going to tell you about crash test bunny #2 who turned out a whole lot better than the first one!! And the teddy ears and badge I made for the teddy bear's picnic D#1 is going to at school tonight.....but that will have to wait for now!

Raggy Doll Reject

Ever do something so stupid you wonder how on earth you managed it? Namely doing a wash load with dishwasher tablets!! My knickers will have a lovely glass finish! *Insert stoopid face here*

Make a softie bunny - how hard can that be?! Oh dear......ohhhhh very dear.

I scoured the net for some sort of help but didn't find much, so I set to with scissors and paper (ho ho) to see if I could come up with some sort of pattern, in theory it seemed like a good idea, the 'pattern' looked quite good, but then I'm not sure what happened......

I couldn't be bothered to get my camera out so I wodged it's head on the scanner

Remember The Raggy Dolls?



If my 'bunny' was a doll it wouldn't even qualify for a Sad Sack


Oh well back to the drawing board!!

Half term is over - I was really looking forward to us girlies spending some time together and doing some nice things, what happened I really don't know - I think I blinked and missed it, back to early starts and ironing uniforms already!

Tomorrow I'm starting a numeracy course at school, something to do with helping your kids with maths in year 1. D#2 will be going into the crèche which is going to be held in the school nursery - she's never really been left with anyone other than her daddy while I've popped to the shops or gone to the hair dressers - I can't imagine she'll be too impressed, me neither! :o(

Bunny-hop-Bunny-swap

Lucy's doing another swap, this time for Easter. The swap will be a handmade bunny and a handmade card, I eagerly signed up but seeing as I've given up making cards and I've no idea about making a bunny I may have a slight challenge on my hands! If you fancy joining in hop (hoho) on over and sign yourself up!

Special Delivery

And not of the Valentine's variety (happy Valentine's day by the way) I have a had some very special post today........



Any ideas what who it could be?




Might have something to do with a raffle somebody organised for a very good cause!

Someone got their greasy little mitts excitedly onto the case



Please note the blurry image is due to speed unwrapping and not just my poor camera skills!



Friends were made........



And gifts were given........



HP22 took a moment.......


And remembered it wasn't all a bum deal........




The two pink bums weren't my idea! Neither was this random moment......



Thank you very much Monkee Maker - you make damn fine Monkees and really brightened my day!!!




Also with today being Valentine's day a swap parcel got posted, to a lady very far away


That's just packaging so don't think that will spoil anything, I hope it doesn't take too long to arrive.

Hope you all have a lovely Valentine's evening - I think mine will be sipping wine alone as JL seems to have fallen asleep on the settee, much similar to this minus the small child who is safely tucked up in bed