Kind words.

I have been overwhelmed by all your comments both here and on Flickr and Ravelry.  Such beautiful up lifting comments!  Thank you soooo much everyone.  Blogland is such an inspiration to us all.  A picture that speaks volumes.  A sentence that is just right to get you going.  That nudge.  That push to get the creative spirit going.  To get your smile working and in turn to shine out to people you meet.  Your comments gave me the push to actually wear my scarf and the smiles have been spreading.  I have started my second one.  Not for me.  This one is for the Sun Shine School.  I have CMJ’s conference in July so my fingers are now itching to get some things made.  So thank you for that nudge, that push to get going!

My quiet time this morning looked at Proverbs 16.  Verse 24 jumped out.  ”Kind words are like honey – sweet to the taste and good for your health.”    Just like my friends in Blogland!!  Their compliments have been good for my health! and my smile!  So today spread a little kind word.  A compliment.  A word that says ‘I know’.  That touch on the arm.  That smile that says it all!  Talking of smiles, this little fellow brought a smile  yesterday….

He arrived strutting his stuff round and round the garden….

Looking all regal and kingly….

Really hoity-toity….., but doesn’t he make you smile!!!

Oh and the new scarf?  That’s for another time.

ThaNKKKK YoU!!

During the night the snow crept in and covered everything with it’s magical coat.  Icy fingers tickled leaves and foliage, and crystal stars joined up to stretch across paths and roads. Pretty, yes very pretty, but a little bit ‘ow’!  The telephone rang and little voices said, ‘I’m so sorry, but……’. Yes it did put people off coming to my Sunshine School coffee morning and some were coming from a far, but the few that came drank coffee and mulled cranberry juice, laughed and squeaked, and oooo’d and ahhh’d, and spent a delicious £310!!!  So I am very grateful to them, and give thanks to God for this year’s total of nearly £500!

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!

Atttiiissssshhhhhooooooooo!

Tissues and Lemsips have been the order for the weekend!  I had one of those tickles on Thursday nad Friday that just wouldn’t go and my voice went way down in my boots!   All husky like!  So after I finished work on Saturday – BiG favour as I don’t do Saturdays – I succumbed to the settee and snuggled down with knitting and hooking.  Finishing off bits for the Sun Shine school.  You know – sewing ends in, stuffing and giving snowmen personalities, hooking leaves for pretty little flowers, finding the right button to go in the middle and yes the pile on the back bed has grown!!

Busy, busy!!!

Safe and Sound.

Well our little home on wheels has been put away and all the things packed up – almost all the things!  We had one final outing in the pouring rain, visiting friends for a special birthday party.  Although we travelled and set up in the rain and travelled home again in the rain, the Saturday was beautiful.  So beautiful we ventured to the visitor centre of this bridge…..

Isn’t it beautiful?  Soooo elegant and streamlined.  Sitting pretty in the gorgeous sunshine.  The Humber Bridge is a classic.  A real feat of engineering.

Look at the wispy clouds.  It really was a pleasant day to stroll along the banks.  I hadn’t realised the river was so wide.

You forget you know as you get older!!!   But we danced the night away – not true – we watched others dance the night away! and had a good time with our friends.  Happy birthday Mr C!

On the crafting front I have taken stock of the Sun Shine School items and the back bed is again strewn with little goodies.  I am toying with the idea of holding the sale on an evening, with a fire in the grate and mulled wine and cider and nibbles.  Will people want to turn out in the evening?  Hmmm…. food for thought.  I still have a month to go to think and craft.

I have been busy with the hook for my twenty minutes sessions.  My knee has been playing up again.  Own fault.  Sat with my legs up underneath me in the caravan!  Silly girl!  So my time has been spent with feet up on a stool and attic24 bag with wool and cotton beside me, hooking away.  I think Lucy would like my rainbow coaster set…..

The jug mat needs blocking, but I was quite pleased with little mats.  Then I stumbled across a fan pattern for some book marks.  Working with the pearlised cotton was a bit fiddley at first, but as Inspector Barnaby solved his case, my fingers got used to holding something so fine….

One green and one purple…

Peach, pink and white to follow.  Some how I don’t think my eyes would cope with the black!!!   Nothing to do with age you know, the light!!!  A couple of hours saw this weird and wonderful scarf appear…

I saw the yarn in Heath’s Country Store when I was out and about choosing giveaway gifts and just had to have a go…

Can you see the stitches in the middle?  The ribbon comes in a normal ball but you open out and knit into its edge.  Very strange  but fun.  I won’t be making any more, and this one is going to a bring and buy accessory sale for the Pakistan Flood appeal, but I’m pleased I had a go.

So that’s all folks as they say.  Enjoy your weekend, and by the way, the said giveaways have left their base, as some of you already know!

Round and round the garden….

This little fellow was wandering round and round the garden last night.  Snuffling his way through the grass.  Obviously finding little grubs to eat.  Some tasty little things!!

Isn’t he sweet?  Aaaaahhhhh!!!

Something else that is in the round are these….

Nine little brooches to fasten on to coats and jackets, or bags and purses.  A button centre and a felt back.

A handful of goodies for the Sun Shine School!

Buttons, Bracelets and Beads.

Yesterday I was looking at the books page on my blog and realised I hadn’t updated it for ages.  Why?  Mainly because I forget to take the photos!!  Memories!  So I updated it to include a few of the latest books, and then having done that, I sat on the bed and had a browse – as you do!  Bead and button….  set my mind going.  It is  a fascinating book.  A book full of great eye candy!

A real ‘girlie’ book, with lots of different ways to make your  own jewellery.

So throughout the day I gathered together ribbons, cords, buttons and beads, and last night sat down for a ‘girlie’ session of ribbon jewellery.  (Mr A was at Hebrew!)

Don’t you just love the colours.  They look like jelly beans!  Anyway, this is what I came up with….

I quite like the construction process.  It is very therapeutic threading and twisting and tying.  I’m not completely happy with my ‘doing’ of the process. Perfectionism reigns I’m afraid!!  So I shall only put a £1 per necklace for the Sun Shine stall. Overall they’re OK.  Here they are with some I made before….

And some bracelets,  some thrifted from my jewellery box, some made….

Bracelets 50p.  We will see what happens.  It is good to get the books off the shelves and rediscover them.  Go on have a go.  You never know what your next 20 minute session will produce!

Whistle while you work!

I love working in the conservatory.  It is so bright and so airy. With music in the background playing gently away, I played, on Wednesday, to my heart’s content.  Finishing off little purses and bags.  Adding bright ginghams to their interiors.  Finding pearlised buttons in my tin of old buttons.  Stitching with tiny stitches and viola!

Yes they are Granny Squares and it has probably been done before, but this is my twist!  Three little purses.  Want to see in side?

And around the back?

Now comes the crunch question.  Do I add a little strap or do I leave it as it is, to pop inside a little girl’s bag?  To do or not to do, that is the question? Hhhhmmmmm……

Eight little Granny Squares went into the little bags too.  This is the yellow one….

with its pretty gingham lining….

I really do love my hook.  It is so easy to pick it up and crochet a few stitches.  Disappearing off to do a job or two and knowing exactly where I am when I come back to it.  Lots of 20 minute sessions.  Passing it by but hearing it shout ‘Yooooohoooo!  I’m here!’  And then coming back to it and adding a stripe.  Yes my ‘Blankie’ is coming along nicely….

And that red I was so bothered about?  Well it is really working in quite nicely.  I love it’s stripiness.  Love it’s rainbow of colour.  I just love it!

But I did promise to sew on Wednesday.   So sewing is what i did making two journal covers.  I have made these before but having bought the Sew Hip magazine I thought I would take note of the instructions inside it’s cover.  So with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, out came these two….

They are now sitting on the back bed waiting for their price tag.  Two more little things for the Sun Shine stall.  Oh yes!  I nearly forgot!  The monkey.   Remember this….

Well time ran out on Wednesday, but it did get as far as this…

A little light sewing today?   Possibly.  A short burst of hooking?   Definitely!  So whatever you get up to today and over the weekend …… enjoy!

Sssshhhhhh!

Yes, ssshhhhh……  don’t tell anyone, but I have a day to myself today.  A whole day!  In fact a day and an evening!  Mr A is away at work all day – well apart from his lunch hour when he usually nips home – and tonight he is at his Hebrew class!  Yes, that’s right his Hebrew class!!  Languages were never his forte but he is really enjoying taxing his brain and learning how to speak, write, and read this complicated language.  So good on you Mr A!!!  But it means that Wednesday night is a ‘me’ night and today I get a ‘me’ day too!

So what will I be doing on my ‘me’ day?  Well there is the usual – washing, ironing – of which there is a mountain! – hoovering, tidying, etc. etc……  But there will be the odd 20 minutes to break up the jobs! Yes, yes, yes!! Now, it takes me about 20 minutes to get across my blanket so there will be some hooking going on…

And later there will be some finishing off to be done on the Sun Shine School things. The craft stall is getting nearer.  But even later, I will be setting up my sewing machine downstairs.  Carrying it down the stairs, through the hallway, through the lounge and into the conservatory. Why?  So I can spread myself out.  Cover all the surfaces with fabrics and beads and cottons and silks and….?   And get ready to sew.  Sew some more rainbows of colour…

Cover these books with the fabric from my fat quarter basket…

And turn these stripey socks into the little character on the front of Sew Hip….

Except my Crafty Monkey will have my ‘twist’ to his face!  So I can’t wait to get started!  But… oh yes there are all the other jobs to do first!  I remember!  Enjoy what ever ‘me’ time you have today.

Peace and quiet.

It has been a while since I last went tap tap tap on the keys.  A while since I last said ‘hello there!’  But I have not forgotten you.  I have been visiting.  Looking at what you have been up to, and some of my blog land friends have been very busy.  Busy with their fingers and hands making beautiful bags and things.  On the other hand some have been quiet.  Hiding away, cocooned safe and sound in their own little private world and if that is you – I have missed you.  I have missed you but understand the need for space, so take care and come back soon when you are able.

So what have I been up to?  Well we have been sitting in the garden ’til late at night.  Listening to the birds and watching them fly around.  Darting here, there, and everywhere!  Watching the sun play of the flowers….

The clematis at the bottom of the garden is absolutely ladden with blossom….

And the Granny Bonnets are nodding their heads….

Both of these make me jump up and down, as do rainbows of colour.  Yes I know we have not had any rain, but my back bed is a wash with colour. All the colours of the rainbow….

I have laid it all out.  All those 20 minutes worth of love.  Just to see where I am going.  The time for the stall is approaching fast and I needed to look and see where the holes are, what was needed to fill the gap.  And I was pleasantly surprised!  I really like all the sewing and knitting and crocheting that I have done!  Take a peek …

A rainbow of hessian bags all with a button trim…

Three little hens…

with gangly legs and knobbly knees…

An explosion of flowers with hair bobbles and slides….

And last but not least a new little Granny Square bag for little hands to carry…

(Sorry – a bit dark!)

So with all this brightness around I thought I needed jazzing up!  I bought this linen skirt last year.  Why I bought a black one I will never know!  It has been hanging in the wardrobe and only seen the light of day once, but now…  Now, it is no longer plain.  No the flower explosion has happened again!  I have embroidered some big flowers all the way around it.  In a rainbow of colours…

They float and move just like they are in a breeze.  One wearable skirt!!  Happy crafting!