Finished

I didn't actually think I'd get it finished today but I did - yay - first time I've added tassels too.

Winner and knitting

The winner for my website giveaway was drawn at tea-time by my youngest. Pippa, I shall be contacting you regarding your bag.

I got so fed up with the cold weather yesterday I started knitting the scarf with the alpacca wool. I'm doing it the cheat way (knitting with two balls of wool and bigger needles) so it shouldn't take too long! Got 40ish cm done yesterday evening. Back to the san pro and bags after this evening ;-)

Swaps

A post went up on the GP forum for a Christmas stamp swap - what a great idea. So here's mine that I received yesterday, along with some extra crafty bits that will definitely be put to good use.

Another swap is the Season Table Swap. After sewing all my sisters stuff yesterday I wanted a break from the san pro bits so I thought I'd start my swap item. I LOVE IT! I really want to show you it, can't believe how well it turned out. I'm definitely going to have to make another one just in case this one ends up on our table ;-).

Wonderful friends

Thank you so much Pippa for the gorgeous surprise belated birthday present - it is absolutely gorgeous. Go and see the very talented and generous Pippa on her blog.

A pile of san pro pockets waiting for their inners. Only 10 to go.

Manic

Just a quick update to let you know life is quite manic at the minute with san pro orders, excitement about the website, sewing to do for my sister (who is still loaning me her sewing machine!), a fab idea for the GP season swap swimming round in my head, new ideas for the shop, kids, the hubby, cats, ducks, chickens, the dog, the house, more ideas for the shop, visitors - well life. Hopefully some piccies soon, but need to get on.

I'm sooooooooo excited

It's done, it's finished, it's live...................my website - Handmade Haven. I spent all evening yesterday adding, deleting, changing, cursing, stressing, grinning, trying to get everything how I wanted it...going to bed at 12.40am only to lay there an hour while my head still whirred, then to get up this morning and have to go straight back on to get the bits done that had been going round and round in my head. Anyway, it's done and I'm very, very pleased with it. To celebrate I will be having a give-away on 31st August - so if you want to leave a comment on the guest book of my shop (that sounds so good) I will be making a bag for the lucky winner.

Tah-dah...

...the finished article! I'm quite impressed - the colour/smell is gorgeous - although it is rather thick (which is why it's taking ages to settle). Because I'd got a mixture of soft, stoned and hard fruit I used 400ml of water but next time I think I'll use a little more depending on how much soft fruit there is. Anyway, I used the crab apples, plums, brambles, sloes, haw-berries and elderberries (quantities in descending order) to make this cordial. I'll let you know how it tastes once it's cooled down.

Edited to add: Tastes gorgeous :-)

Drip, drip, drip....

Got started on the 'hedgerow' cordial this morning. JJ and I went out to gather a few more bits - got more plums, haw-berries and a few elderberries then went to the park on the way back and found loads of huge brambles! Fantastic - since moving here we've been rather disappointed with the brambles as they just don't seem to do very well - but now we know where there is a great stash. Anyway, following the recipe on the GP forum (2kg of fruit, then 100ml water for soft fruit/300ml for stoned fruit/600ml for hard fruit) I have begun the task. It is now hanging precariously from my kitchen cupboard door as my straining bag is lurking in the depths of the loft. It's going to take hours to drip through so I'll keep you posted.

More foraging, gifts and books

Forgot to upload this picture yesterday - isn't it great when people actually pay attention to what you like! This is from the in-laws.






Crab apples and sloes/plums which I'm hoping to use for a hedgerow cordial - I'll let you know what it tastes like!




A couple of treats bought with earnings. The doodle stitching book it just gorgeous and only £5.49 from Amazon. Hopefully good things to get me started with 'proper' embroidery. The other is for me to carry round in my bag as the foraging books I have in the house are far to big really. The ladies at GP forum recommended this.

It's all very exciting on the website front - the name I wanted is available so I'm very very happy. Just got to wait a couple of days for it to be set up - in the meantime I've been having a little play with how it will look. I get butterflies just thinking about it :-).

Birthday gifts and bits

It's been a very busy few days (with a few more to come) but I wanted to show you two of my birthday gifts - a huge basket for collecting/putting things in and a gorgeous handmade bracelet from the gorgeous Claire - thank you very much it's just lovely.

Plum jam made today with the plums I got from my sister's garden. It tastes lovely - quite sharp but sweet as well. These are the plums I still have left to use.

A pile of san pro inners to go in the pockets I'm making. I had to order more poppers as I'd run out.

And finally - the thing I'm very very excited about - my very own website kit. This was recommended by Sarah at paper and string so I went to investigate and thought 'woohooo, I could do that' - so anyway, here it is. Hopefully I'll get to have a play later. Can't wait.

Something else for me

.......bunting. Inbetween doing the san pro pockets I decided to make this for my birthday tomorrow - then I can save the blue bunting for the boys. I'm not girly, by a long shot, but sometimes we need something alittle more feminine don't we? Back to the san pro then :-).

One down.....five to go

I've managed some crafting today - woohoooooo. First set of san pro pockets done - only five more to go.

Urgh

For the last few days I've had a tummy bug. It was actually really mild but I have felt so drained it's been awful! I have a long list of things I'm supposed to be making for people but have not had the energy to do it. Hopefully by tomorrow everything will be back to normal (fingers crossed).

Fabric, bags 'n pads

Well here's the stash of fabric and bits that hubby found in the loft. Included are poppers, binding, stuffing, a cross-stitch that I started years ago and got bored with, a bag full of cotton strips that were leftover from making Aaron a mummy costume with for halloween when he was 7, and a whole load of fabric. All now sorted and amalgamated into the rest of my stuff (which seems to be taking over the living room, bedroom and the kitchen!).

Anyway...onto the reason for my ever-growing stash of crafty items. I'm sure the lovely mama who acquired this order for me won't mind me showing you them before they are despatched. I loved the flower when I did it, and then when I made the owl I loved that even more! They will be sent off tomorrow.

Lastly, the first two of the san pro pockets made for the GP orders. I've made some more templates as well, as I've never made postpartum ones before. Only 23 more to go!

Right, off to make a birthday card now for a birthday tomorrow.

Lots to do

Pictures tomorrow hopefully - been sewing like mad. The pink bag just needs lining and the brown bag has most of the decorations done, then the lining as well. I also put an add on GP Lets for my san pro pockets, and I've got 4 orders! While hubby was in the loft today he also found a box full of material (we moved just over 2 years ago and the loft still has many, many boxes that need sorting out), so I've got to sort that out as well.

Cot quilt

I finished the cot quilt to match the curtain hold backs this morning. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but hopefully my sister will be happy with it. She actually wanted a something different stitching to the back of it, but I wasn't happy with how it would look - so I cut one of our bed sheets up!! Well, it was the perfect colour to match the brown teddies on the material she had. Anyway, hopefully she'll like it.

The other thing is a poopy bag holder. Although we are 'greenies' I don't really want to be picking up poop with anything other than a bag so we have to use them. I made this to practise with the fabric stiffner stuff (not going to try and spell it again!) - I ironed a square patch on the bottom, hemmed the 2 edges that make the opening, turned it inside out to stitch together, then turned it back the right way - voila! It does the job anyway ;-)

Promised piccie.

Here's the picture of the girlie bags that have arrived safely.