Reins in!

Thank you all for your comments on my last post.  It's been a tough old week, torn by run-away dreams and miniscule finances ;o).  The solution to the problem of me taking over the house with my stuff - you know the only rooms that don't have Handmade Haven stuff in are the boys bedrooms (and that includes the bathroom!!) - is to convert the loft into my work room.  A less risky option until the business has a more stable cash flow...hmph.  How horrid to be sensible!  So, once the kitchen is finished then it's onto the loft...that is going to take alot of sorting I can tell you - there's still un-opened boxes from when we moved in 5 years ago.

Anyway, distracting me this week has been 'proper rain', sunshine, hot rods visiting a house in the village.  We grabbed the camera and went to have a nosey - I'm sure our youngest boy has petrol running in his veins just like his Dad.  I've also been working on a new line of Make Your Own, with a flower brooch being the first one. 

I've got two fairs at the end of the month so I've been working on stocking up the cards too.  We've been watching some of the jubilee celebrations and then attending a garden party.  Today I even managed to get in the garden.  Ooh, I have missed that.  We got someone in to cut the grass as I broke the mower but then the grass got so long because of all the rain, it just never dried out.  Anyway, I've spent all afternoon in the garden which was fab and just what I needed.  Awoke all those sleepy muscles that I'd forgotton I had ;o)

Thank you again for your support, it really does mean an awful lot.

A little bit of....

If you read my other blog you will know that my days are mainly consisting of soaps,..... 

 card making,.....

 my first visit to a trade fair, and booking craft fairs.

I did manage to win a give-away on this lovely blog.  Just look at all these goodies!  Thank you Louise.  Right, off to try and design a bird hanging for the next craft meeting.  Hope your all busy too :o).

Sharing....

.....these prayers and blessings with everyone :o). This lovely lady brought some back for me so they are now fluttering in the wind in the back garden. They look stunning. Thank you again Ruth.

It's my brother and sister's birthday today so here's the cards....

.....and a star hanger thingy for my sister. She also received the crochet scarf that I made at the beginning of the year. She thought it was a table runner but hey ho! :o).

Oh, and I just have to show you these. They are my first ever lasagnes! I've never eaten lasagne as I've never liked it, which meant that no-one else got to eat them either. Well today I was going out for dinner with my sister for her birthday so I thought I'd have a go at making one for the boys. I made that much that I have one for the freezer too...and even better...I tried a bit and I loved it!!!!! Think I shall be adding that to our menu then (and buying myself a proper lasagne dish).

Don't forget ;o)

My shop blog where you can see my new items :o)

And don't forget to enter the give-away either.

The good and the bad

Three birthday cards down, three to go!

Foraged chamomile.

One more tin for the shop.

-0-

And the bad...wild rose petal jam. The petals wouldn't dissolve, I stupidly added a bit more sugar when I shouldn't have so it's crystalised, so a bit of a disaster really. It did smell lovely while it was cooking though ;-)

-o-O-o-

I'm currently making some more elderflower cordial and the green parent summer season swap, plus three more cards to make before the weekend, and more stock for the shop. Off to see Green Day this weekend, I'm so excited!!!!!!!

Handmade Birthday

First of the birthday presents and cards this month. Since I have a few female cards to make I thought I'd make two of these. Got the fabric in the charity shop last week (double sheet for £1), mounted it onto yellow felt, then added buttons to embellish. The bath melts are cocoa/mango/shea butter with ylang ylang essential oil added to it. The bath salts are a blend of epsom salts and sea salt, with olive oil then lavender essential oil and dried lavender added as well. This is the first time I have given these as a gift and they were very well recieved so I was pleased.

These I made while I was doing part of my season swap gift. I've been saving the empty tea light holders to use with local beeswax. After burning one of them I don't think I'll be doing it again as the wick with this wax burns too quickly and doesn't use all the wax up.

A bit of everything

New labels which are shorter than the others.

40th birthday card for a green man loving brother-in-law.

A prize from a fabulous blog give-away. Check out paper-and-string.

A couple of cards for the shop.

A long-awaited Handmade Home book and another (weekend sewing) to keep it company in the Amazon box ;-).


They'll be more tomorrow, but I'm still trying to catch up from being away at the weekend.

Up and down sort of week

After Monday's bereavement counselling session, Tuesday was definitely a down. Wednesday was up with the Suma catalogue and the food boxes. Thursday was the dentist so that was definitely a down. Friday was a bit of both (above cards are for my Sister-in-law and Nephew's birthdays) and today is definitely a down. Stressed about lots of things as well as the counselling - can't quite put my finger on them all yet. I still have the tub that my Mum's ashes were in, can't bring myself to get rid of it. If it wasn't in the house I don't think I would be bothered about it - we scattered Mum's ashes on her birthday 3 years ago - but it's sat on my wardrobe opposite the bed. I know I should recycle it (she liked to recycle) but something stops me. Think I'm clinging again.

Needed to make something for me so I made these liners for our old fruit basket. I'm going to use it to display some of the smaller items I make.

Just realised it's Father's Day tomorrow and I haven't made a card yet.