Doodle.

OK, here we go.  My first post with photos from my new camera.  I’m not sure what they will turn out like but hey ho!!  My Son gave me this beautiful card for my birthday and a special sketch pad for my doodling for Christmas.  PURPLE!  Wow… now I like purple!!

Can you see the little paisley designs on the card?  I seem to remember posting about paisley swirls sometime last year.  Saying how I loved them and then seeing them everywhere!    Well what do you do in a doddle book?  You draw swirls – paisley ones….

and they become addictive…..

and then branch out…

and swirl some more…

Yes you could say I am hooked!  But I’m not just going to leave them there.  I have a big sketch book that I design in – ha, ha!  I was going to do so much in it last year and did very little!  Well I discovered this lovely lady and her beautiful leaf brooches, and I felt sooooo inspired that I am gathering things together to make some ‘me’ brooches.  Some with a Paisley design.  It will be a basic start I think, with plenty of room to grow.   OOOOOoooooooo!!!!   (note the subtle change from Oh to ooooo!!!)  so as they say watch this space!!

As far as my camera is concerned I am learning.  I am adjusting and altering, and tweaking the pictures that I took over Christmas.  And when I have tweaked, all will be revealed!!

Ready, Steady……

Well hello there!  A whole month has passed by and I’ve been busy, busy, busy.  Click click click, clack clack clack, in and out, and through and pull; busy, busy, busy, BuSy!!!!!  Tomorrow is the day for the Sunshine School Coffee Morning and yesterday afternoon was spent cleaning and altering the lay out of my little home.  Photos were put away, cupboard tops were cleared.  Even the ivories on the old piano had to hide.  In it’s place?  Well in it’s place I have positioned very carefully……

Snowmen and stars.  Very topical!

Dangles and gift tags.

Cards and notelets.

Christmas goodies, from egg cosies to cosy hats, stockings both large and small, and hens.  How Christmassy is that!

Bags and coat hangers, carefully covered by MIL and prettied up with a few flowers.

Things to hug and squeeze.

Things to pretty up that party frock.

And lots and lots of little stocking fillers, plus a few plants…

And finally my special notelets.  The Christmas card that is just a little more.  Left blank for that special Christmas letter.  Designed by me, tweaked by the Son, and kindly printed by Conservatree.  And I love them…

So tomorrow it will be go, gO, GOOOOOO!

Mended!!!

Yes we have lights, camera, action!  The problem?  A whole new pack of 8 batteries that were all flat!  Mr A thought it was a little suspicious so he tried the batteries out of the oofa doofa – you know that thing that turns the telly on! – and my little camera buzzed into action!!  Yippee!  Jump up and down!  Dance all around!  I knew my little camera hadn’t taken the huff.  I knew it wouldn’t mind me getting a new one – yet to be bought.  I knew it would like to continue being carried around in my 4* handbag!  So without further ado I’ll show you my treats.

A bowl, full of after Easter Jellies to accompany…

the magazines to read while slurping a cup of  hot frothy coffee, before opening…

a little present from my special brother and his wife.

Don’t you just love the bag?  What with Emma Bridgewater’s bag from the earlier post, I ‘m starting to collect a range of these strong paper bags.  They are so much nicer than the carrier and friendlier too!  Tolo is a little jewellers shop in our village.  She sells really quirky styles and individual ones too.  There, I’ve given the game away now….

She takes such care in the packaging…

Beautiful or beautiful?!

Oh and 20 minuting…

Some ribbon and bead necklaces…

an outline ready to fill with back stitch aka comfort stitching . I can’t decide how much to in fill yet.

Some fruits of the Spirit from my sketch book..

And last but not least, I have been playing around with sticky address labels, marker pens and scissors.  So that is me – Happy as Larry!  Who’s Larry????

Getting Ready.

I have been getting ready for the Sunshine School craft stall in July and my little stock is growing.  Slowly but growing.  I have a bundle of Lavendar Bears already in their little basket….

Peeping out here, there and everywhere….

Cards are starting to mount up in their little cellophane bags…

These are really just cut and stick.  Perhaps not inspiring, but very therapeutic to do, and I need a bit of therapeutic!!!

My hooky business is continuing and taking the form of jug and bowl covers.  I have been looking all over the place for a pattern, but couldn’t find a simple one.  So I came up with my own and I quite like it…

The top has stretched quite nicely.  A bit of cold blocking went on and I was amazed at the difference it made…

Cover number 2 is on the hook and I have been writing the instructions down as I have gone a long.  Cover number 3 will provide the photographs and I will put it on my Let’s Get Busy page. Yes I’m really chuffed with this!!

The warm weather also brought this little beauty out to get ready for a new life..

A new life at Easter  - mmmm, something to give thanks for!

Flowers and a rainbow.

Flowers can bring lots of messages.  They can say ‘I love you’

and show how much you care.  They can say ‘I’m sorry’

and be a peace offering.  But for whatever message they bring they will always make you smile, especially next to a cheeky duck!!  Can you see his grin?  This little fellow sits in my hall and grins at me when I leave the house, or come in, when I tread wearily up the stairs at bedtime, or skip (ha ha!) down them first thing in the morning!  No matter what, he is always there…grinning!  I bought the flowers a week ago and they are still shining.  I chose them because of this….

Dad painted this picture for Mum and it hung in  their bedroom.  Now it is waiting to go up in mine.  A bouquet of happiness!!  Other flowers have been squeezing into my cupboards too.  Like this…

and this…

Delicate patterns that are pretty, but hopeless for keeping a hot cup of tea hot!!!   Still, little treasures.

I have been continuing the green and white theme with my little Granny flowers.

It is growing, but very slowly because of these other little goodies…

Hair bobbles adapted from Lucy of Attic24′s flower pattern.

Birthday cards for adults and children…

All neatly packaged in their cellophane bags ready for the Sun Shine School fund raise.

The needles have been clinking too…

Rainbow Babies, pattern courtesy of Jean Greenhowe.  I love their little bobble hats…

(sorry about the hand shake!!!)  Then finally my first Christmas card design for this year.  One with a message…

‘Light and life to all he brings.’

Happy crafting!