Kick up the backside

These last few weeks/months have been difficult while the builders have been in. Time has been spent away from the stuff I like doing or sat at a computer wallowing! It's been sending my hormones haywire (and bringing with it a shouty mummy!) so I've been trying to give myself a preverbial kick up the backside. I know I'm not alone in this things - many of the blogs I read are saying the same thing.

Right, lets get down to business ;-). The above is a piccie of 2 sheets I got in the charity shop for £1.50 each - ones a double and ones a single. Absolute bargains.

With the aforementioned fabric and some canvas that I dyed I sat and made this bag last night. I've been meaning to make myself a new bag for ages, one which goes over my shoulder, and this is perfect. It only took a couple of hours too.

This was made by the lovely Dawn over at Raising Seedlings.

I've made some dandelion cordial over the last 2 days as well, inspired again by Dawn. Tastes lovely - a bit honey-y. Quite sweet, so next time I'll add an extra lemon. I've got ginger cordial infusing and plans for a nettle cordial?! hopefully. I've also been fishing round in my freezer and found some elderberries and blackberries from last year - I'll add this with some rhubarb from the garden and some apples and make some mixed fruit cordial too.

Oooh, and the soap will be ready to try this weekend so I'll let you know how that is. I've still got to do a tutorial for you all, so now my butt is in gear and the end of the building/decorating is in sight, you shouldn't have to wait too long.

Happy New Year - 2010

Happy New Year everyone. Lets hope that this year brings more joy and happiness - I have a good feeling, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and being positive. The above picture is all the baubles from the tree. I do love vintage glass baubles - I have managed to find quite a few on car boot sales and in charity shops, plus we have a few new ones too. They are all now packed away safely into boxes and are residing back in the loft. Time for other things.

I have been thinking about resolutions, or hopes, as we have decided to call them on the GP Forum, for this year. Last year (in fact the last 4 years) brought alot of sadness, through death and illnesses in the family and with friends. But in a funny sort of way, it also brought about alot of good - we have met family we haven't seen since I married 12 years ago, and we have resolved to stay in touch. We have resolved to 'do' more as a family with hubby's VW club and make more of an effort with friends. We have also resolved to end relationships with the people who cause us anger and sadness. I wasn't going to do resolutions but those last ones are all resolutions :-). Anyway, my hopes for the coming year are:-

* to do more as a family.
* to stay as calm as possible while the long awaited extension is built.
* to be calmer generally - I don't want to shout as much as I do any more.
* to continue to look at alternative/complementery medicines.
* to continue with handmadehaven.co.uk and hope that it remains a joy.
* to continue with my crafting.



And on that final note, here's a new bag for the shop.

Keeping busy

Well, Friday turned into one of those days after I posted on here. My Nan rang to say my Grandad had been rushed to hospital as he had had a massive stroke. He already suffers terribly with alzheimers and is in a care home...anyway, we are now playing the waiting came, so I am keeping busy.

Above is the sewing I managed to do Friday afternoon - 3 cloaks and 1 bag inner. I'll show you the finished articles properly once I had added the elastic and finishing touches.

A flower can for an order.

JJ didn't have a tin for his pencils so I asked him yesterday what colours he would like and what he wanted on it. No stereotypes in this house :-).

My sister wanted two pen/pencil pots for her house warming gift, so I did those last night.

I have also been looking at order books and things for logging commission orders that I get. I couldn't find anything that was exactly as I wanted it so I thought I would design my own.

Right, back to waiting, and keeping busy.

Getting back into it.

Starting to get back into the crafting after the last few weeks' of turmoil. Here's the 'cat in a garden' bag. I just need to add the liner now.

My sister has moved into a new home, so here's the card.

I've been experimenting with more felt food. Can you tell what it is??

Today I also harvested the rosemary from the garden. I didn't get it done last year so the plant is looking rather straggly. Anyway, tomorrow's post (hopefully) will be full of rosemary.

Don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance in the draw.

Butterflies

Another ordered bag - nature inspired with a purple liner.

The other red bag

Now, this is a scheduled listing as I'm away for the weekend so hopefully it has worked. It is hopefully Friday evening and the above bag has been received by Claire who ordered it.

Give-away bag

Here's piccies of the give-away bag from my shop, which was won by the lovely Pippa. I have it on good authority that it arrived safely, so I can now show you the piccies.

Next red bag is virtually done so I'll be able to show you that as soon as I know it's landed safely.

Right, off to finish said bag and make some cushions for our splitty.

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.

Finished

Finished the second bag last night. This one seems to have taken ages but I'm really pleased with them. They have been quilted but the pictures don't show that up very well.

I found this book in the charity shop the other day for 25p. Its got some really good bits in it - I don't care if it's meant for kids ;-).

Thank you all again for the lovely comments that you leave me. I find it quite astounding that people that I admire and respect actually like the things that I do. Oh, and the bootsale in York where the beeswax came from is held on the racecourse.

One down...

This is the first of two bags finished. The picture is from one of the cushion panels I got a few weeks back. I have put wadding underneath then quilted round the cockerel and stitched around the edge of the panel. The inside of the bag is from a quilt cover I found in a charity shop.

Birthday cards

I made my middle son's birthday last night (it's his birthday today), loved it so much I made another one as well. I'll make some more of these, I think, as they are quite simple to do and look lovely. I've also added the new keyrings to backing cards and priced them so I'll be sticking them in my shops. Oh, I got an order today for another bag, and a fabric covered tin for my niece's birthday. I also need to make another card, preferably tonight, as it's my father in laws birthday tomorrow ;-).

I seem quite calm at the moment and enjoying things again so I'll try and get alot done over the weekend before Monday comes round again.

Promised piccies

The bag with the extra greenery round the door - undecided whether to add flowers to it as well.

And the lace. I love it. It is sooo delicate and dainty. The photo just doesn't do it just at all. I don't know what it's made from but its definitely not the usual stuff that makes modern, cheaper lace. A bargain at 90p for 1.5 metres.

I also bought a cotton pillow case for 10p which I'm hoping I'll be able to make a couple of pairs of shorts for Ds3 to wear in the summer (wishful thinking with regards the summer I think). It was a white pillow case so we shall tie-dye them if they go ok.

I also have some good news for a change - I've been asked by my niece to be one of her godparents when she is christened in October. I am so thrilled to be asked...such an honour.

Snippets

Firstly, apologies as we didn't do Free Food Friday last week because it rained Friday and Saturday so we didn't get out to pick anything.

The above piccies are of a couple of bargains that I found in the charity shops the other day. I actually got a metre and a half of gorgeous lace (looks handmade) which I'll have to photograph in better light as it's so dainty.

My cousin's funeral was today which I wasn't looking forward to, but it actually wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Bless you Tony.

Something about that cottage didn't look right so I've stitched some greenery around the door. Photo tomorrow.

Also got another bag order, and I've been informed today that the lady I'm making the other 2 bags for wants some more - I think she needs to see, and hopefully be happy, with the others first, but anyway - think positive :-).

Right, I seem to be waffling so I'll see you tomorrow with some more piccies.

Loads to show and tell you

I made this crochet cuff last week but forgot to show you with everything that was happening here. I also did the lip balm, but again, forgot the photo before I delivered it.

Last night for tea we had the last of the wild garlic in a prawn, pea and wild garlic rissotto with some more wild garlic bread.

Though I'd have a couple of days rest from the crocheting so I sat and made these yesterday.

This is the blanket so far. I've got 9 more blocks to go (5 x 4) then I will put an edge on it.

I've just sold my brown bag off Misi, and then this morning I have got an order for 2 more - yippeeeee. Right, off to do some sewing, then I need to update the shop later.

One for Etsy/Misi

Just finished the bag I was making so I thought I would show it to you all before I put it on Etsy/Misi. I haven't put anything on there for a while - hopefully that will change now.