A sad end to 2012.....

The honey jar is empty.....

Roll on Summer 2013 for the bees to produce a bumper harvest!!!

Happy Flowers: Ta Dah

These little gems have been ongoing for a wee while.  I enjoyed the making of these enormously .... button, beads and of course Crochet.  I hope my enjoyment in making these little gifts are equally enjoyed by the recipients!!

I would love to take all the credit for the design of these Happy Flowers but of course they have come from my favourite blog site Attic24 - link here - Happy Flower.

Colour, colour and more colour...

Glue, glue and more glue - I have to say I felt about five years old painting with the glue!!



Button, beads and more button - my fun keeps getting better!!!

And here we are....



Some of the QQ are more set in their ways as far as colours are concerned ... at this moment in my life the more the better but for some its purple all the way!

A Sunflower was mentioned some time ago....

One more....

And finally.....

A whole garden of happy flowers.... Ta Dahhh  (Goodness - I really should have ironed that sheet before taking the photo!!)

All wrapped and ready to go!

Polka Dot Pegs: Ta Dahhhh

Christmas is here - over the last few weeks I have been busy with Santa's elves making gifts - yes, that's right - I did dress up in green tights and a red pixie hat.  I love to make my gifts but working full time does limited my creative hours!  Next year I will start creative Christmas activities in September!!

Grab some pegs - I found the 'best buy' was Wilkinsons.

Paint heads with gloss paint - I purchased some Humbrol  paint (as I wanted some special colours) but pretty sure a gloss spray paint would work or any gloss paint you have left over from house painting would be good enough.  I gave two coats and the result was much better than just one.

Could just leave as they are, but I went onto add some white polka dots.

Made my dots with a plastic Chinese chop stick.  Came out pretty well!

Ta Dahhhh.  

I just love them ..... just wish I had made more!!!! 

Forgive Me....

Forgive me father... it has been over a month since my last confession... blog post!  (Well other than the frosty morning picture posted 12 days ago!) Busy, busy, busy!!!

We are now back in the BH, as of November 11th - a real birthday treat!!.  There are still some issues to be sorted, the kitchen to be refitted (again), minor plumbing problems when the plumber returns from holiday!  Lots of small snagging problems that we need to put right (in our own time).  We have been very busy 'moving' back in, cleaning, sorting.  beds are made up, curtains hung, sofa unpacked etc etc!!  All very time consuming.  But I am very happy that 'officially' it is all over.  I really do feel I can get my life back.  I don't think I'm going to be any less busy but it will be on my terms now.

The shop was broken into a few weeks ago, a brand new bike taken.  Up all night, sorting with police, clearing up glass outside for fear the small children would cut themselves while walking past on the school run the next day.  Glass everywhere - four days to clear up and in the end gave up and put a rug over the area!! 


I will not be sorry to see 2012 go.  2013 has to be better!

I did find some time last weekend to enjoy a small amount of hooky.  Gifts in the making, so you'll have to wait for full details after Santa has made his delivery!

In between making up the flat pack furniture!



Last week I made a start on the cross stitch I received for my birthday.  I've only ever done a small amount of cross stitch prior to this so enlisted help from H on our Wednesday night get together.  I made a small start - hoping to complete while watching TV over the Christmas period!!

The frost which came at the end of November has not disappeared - in fact some days it been very heavy - and one day last week we even had our first snow.



And this mornings very heavy frost brought its own special delights..

Who would have thought webs could look so amazing.

Right off to finish wrapping gifts for Christmas, finish making gifts for Christmas and finish decorations..... Just think two weeks and it'll all be over!!!



Wonderful...

Some days I REALLY love my walk to work.

Somedays nothing, somedays bursting .....

Some days I have nothing planned (not very often can I just add - especially this year!).  Other days are just full to bursting!! Saturday was one such day....full from start to finish.

The week has not really been that good -an awful lot of chasing stuff for BH and getting nowhere. A viewing on Friday and meeting with the builder had not really gone as well as I'd hoped but Saturday a QQ meeting to get ready for, brought relief at the end of a hard week. I have to say it did feel a little strange to be getting the house ready to the QQ as I don't think I have hosted since February - when we started on the crack in the kitchen.

Just missing Taggy this week it was nice to see everyone and catch up at long last - I have missed the last two because of BH commitments and  it was finally nice to have a day to forget the 'other stuff' going on.

My aim for the day was to quilt as many stars as I possibly could. I achieved just under half - with the machine having a bit of a huff and puff mid afternoon - I think it had just had enough for the day.  A quick drink of oil and a tickle from the de-fluffing brush and it was happy to continue for another hour or so!!

We had birthday celebrations for both myself and E - who had her birthday two weeks ago.  Cake and presents all round!

Cake - Honey Cake -courtesy of H and her bees - I would just like to say - this may be the best cake I have eaten - it was just fab - not sure if it was fab because it was fab or fab because H had raised the bees to produce the honey herself to make the cake!!

Gifts from the QQ - such wonderful gifts from my friends - such kindness and thoughtfulness.  I loved every gift and will very much love making and using my gifts!

Within an hour of QQ leaving I had arranged the house for our overnight guests and was off to a firework party.

 

Fireworks, small....

And large.....

Round ones....



Wellies all round.... not just normal ones either proper posh ones!!!

Sparklers, for the big people and the small people .....

And finally a big bonfire to sit around and chat, catch up and toast marsh mellows to much excitment from little people.

A fab day ...... if only everyday could be this good! 

Lavender Parcels: Ta Dah

 


Three little lavender parcels - smelly, colourful goodiness to make you smile - a birthday gift for one of the QQ.

Select your fabric... top and bottom,

Sew around the edge - leaving a small opening to allow the parcel to be filled with lavender..



Turn inside out...

Push corners out and flatten....



Press, and choose some ribbon and a button....

Fill with lavender ... take a minute to smell, and smell once again....

Sew opening, attach ribbon, and sew on button.... Ta Dah!!!



Experiment with embellishment....

Experiment with colour....

A small gift for my firework host for Saturday night...