Nearly there.......

Another week of getting ready and finishing off.. I think I've just about done all the cards..

And wrapped the presents - as we're off to Surrey for a present drop at my mum's and sister's. We're also having a brithday lunch for my husband - can't show you his card - just in case he peeks, but I'm quite happy with the idea - hope he will be!

There's one present that won't make it into those we're dropping off - it's still at this stage

 

so it'll have to be a nice New Year gift..

 

Then it's back to work - I've still got a bit of writing to get done next week - and then get ready for  the festivities. The tree is up with the lights on, but it's waiting its full trim up for when we return.

 

This week also saw the end of the washing machine, but luckily a new one was available, delivered and is now installed and working its way through the last of the laundry pile.

 

Then it's action stations for next Saturday when my stepson gets married - Graeham picked up his posh gear yesterday (quite surreal going from the local derby football match on the terraces and then into the calm that is Moss Bros!).

 

 

Phew - roll on Christmas when we can just walk down for the swim (no, I'm spectating only!!) and then put our feet up with a glass of something!

 

 

My trip over to Handmade Monday may be delayed until we return! But to everyone there - many thanks for the lovely comments each week - I get a real kick out of receiving and reading them... I guess my New Year's Resolution muct be about commenting more on all of yours!

 

Have a lovely Christmas.....

On the road..

No blog last week - I was doing a lot, but didn't have anything to show! Work saw me travelling a bit - to Bristol and then twice to Wales with overnight stays.. It seems like there's lots of work happening so I'll be back and forth to Wales quite a bit over the next few months! The school staff I'm supporting there are lovely so I'm looking forward to it, although the winter driving will be a bit tiring...

Anyway, I haven't been idle, but can't show you everything in case the recipients are peeking! So here's a sneak preview...

 

Then I had a craft fair which went reasonably well and my tree decs seemed to attract some nice comments. Here's one final one for home that just needs neatening up - it's a wooden curtain ring that I found lurking.

I also decided on some festive knitted bunting!

And I've been playing with beads again - here's a bag charm I made 'cos I felt like it!

Then I found some of the clay shapes I made and popped some magnets on the back for some simple fridge magnets..

This week is all about catching up with some writing - no nice picture books this time - I'm mapping out the links between the Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish and English curriculum and the mateials provided by the organisation that I write for... Just a little bit of work before we start on the festivities..

Anyway that's a brief run down - I'm off to Handmade Monday - task avoidance tactics before I get started

Soakings, Soaps and a Submarine..

What a week it's been down here in the West Country.. not that I was around in the middle of the week, but we've still experienced some wild weather!

We drove up to Kent on Tuesday in torrential rain to stay with my other brother-in-law and his wife - and to take in the Gillingham v Exeter City game. It was so riveting that the soaking we got was bearable especially as we won... and even though Graeham's brother was undercover with the home fans and wasn't as drenched as us!

On Wednesday we went to Chatham Historic Dockyard - us, a school party and about 6 others I think! It was fascinating and we went on this submarine...

Quite a feat for me as I get very claustrophobic - I even enjoyed the experience - although I was only on board for about half an hour  with a handful of others - not quite a full tour of duty with 69 submariners for weeks/months on end.

We finally left for home with some samples of my sister-in-law's bath melts and shea butter moisturiser -

she runs a handcrafted soap and other bath product business and I'm always happy to explore her workshop and wares! You can see more at Fentons of Kent.

It was a good thing that we didn't try to come home a day earlier, apparently Exmouth was cut off - and it happened again on Saturday night!

Anyway once we got home and dried off there was another book waiting for me to work on...

I'm trying not to see it as a warning for a much worse spate of weather to come!!!!

Oh, yes and I haven't been idle with some more boxes (told you they were addictive) and bracelets ready for next Sunday's craft fair and these fingerless mitts - an attempt to diminish the stash a bit further. These just need blocking an sewing up - they should be nice and warm as they made from some more of my homespun...

Right, time for Handmade Monday to see what everyone's been up to - hope you'll forgive my lack of comments last week - will try to make up for it a bit today!

See you soon...

Help - Addiction Warning!!

I thought I'd just try one or two boxes as featured on the Craftseller Calendar (another good idea from Wendy Massey!). I dug out some of the craft papers from various Craftseller magazines and started to experiment, but this should carry a health warning as it became a bit addictive and I soon found myself taking other gift wrappings apart and making new templates, then more boxes and then.....

 

 

 

I did actually get something I promised finished... my sister-in-law rather fancied a hand spun hat that I'd made for my husband when we visited recently and I said I'd do her one.  Luckily I had some alpaca that I'd spun a while ago so whipped this up - it's ever so soft and lovely and warm too. I posted it off and she rang to say it fits the bill!

 



The craft fair at Mum's village went really well, despite the grotty weather! I've got another one in a couple of weeks and as I'm back and forth to Wales a bit for work I thought I'd get ahead with some more mini children's bags.. hopefully I'll empty a bit more of my stash!

 

 

No book phots for a while as I'm working on some American materials that are great, but don't have very photogenic covers - they explore a range of reading skills with specially written text - it's easy writing, but lots of repetitive typing!!

 

Right that's it here for today - I'm off to Handmade Monday to catch up with everyone else - see not only a box addict, but task evasion expert too.. I will get down to work soon - promise!!! 

Being Good!

I've been good and knuckled down to some work over the last ten days or so - hence my absence last week!

Firstly I had two more sets of teachers' notes to write.. the first on Cliffhanger

the usual thoughtful and fun read from Jacqueline Wilson and then a great book - The Bog Baby.

It's a really good story about two sisters who find a Bog Baby and take him home to keep in the shed, but he starts to get sick and has to released back into the wild...

Then I had to pop into Wales to go to a school in the Rhondda where I'll be supporting literacy. The drive up was foul with driving rain and horrid conditions, but the following morning driving over the top of the mountain was breathtaking and the staff were lovely. I'm going to enjoy going over there - I'm back again at the end of the month!

Then I got on with some finishing off - the grey scarf I posted about last time and some bracelets that I promised to a friend for her to give as Christmas pressies.. I also found these lovely sparkly bags in the loft for them to go in.

Then there's the purple bag that I spun and then knitted up. It went into the washing machine on a nice hot wash and came out like this...

I've just got to add a button and a length of yarn for fastening - I'll do it later while I'm sitting at a craft fair in my mum's village - my sister and I have a stall there this morning - Mum is on sales pitch!

It's really nice to do this fair as it means coming up to see my Mum, sister, nieces and 'nephew-in-law' and we can relax and chat aplenty..

Oh - and I really was soooo good on Wednesday as I parted with a Jacob's fleece that was stashed in the attic. I decided to be sensible as I still have two alpaca and two shetland fleeces up there and it could take a while to get to the Jacob. (It'll probably take a while to get to the others too.) So a friend at spinning took it ready for her husband to weave it into a rug. Win-win I say!


Oh, Thrift collection Number 4 - this one occured to me ten minutes ago as I was stitching the hem of my niece's skirt and battling with a hole in one of her favoured cardis... Spend an evening learning how to hem, darn and stitch a button - it'll save you a mint in clothes that might otherwise need professional sorting or (horror) be thrown away before their time. There's plenty of stuff on the internet to show you how to do it and it just needs a bit of practice. I'm not saying I go round darning cheap socks or that sort of thing, but just think of how much you can save when it comes to buying something off the peg or from the charity shop that just needs a bit of mending or button changing or curtains that simply need altering!

Well, that's me done - just off to Handmade Monday to see what everyone's up to - although comments might have to wait till I'm home tomorrow as we need to pack our bits for the fair!

Chat soon.....

Can You Guess What It Is Yet?

Have been having fun starting stuff this week, but not necessarily finishing it!!!

I began with this

it's some handspun merino and silk that I want to knit into a bag and then felt in the washing machine..


Then there was this

 I'm about half way through this scarf


and this

the infinity scarf I started - I saw a video clip of how to do it and then low and behold another version appeared on the Craftseller Calendar that came recently.  I haven't quite finished it yet and the edges didn't curl under like I wanted, but I think I'll make a fabric flower to cover the seams...

Will keep you posted (!) as I get them finished...

I've also had a lovely time in and out of bookshops in the last 7 days.  I've been given a nice pile of writing to do - some of which is rewriting teachers' notes for books to replace some that are now out of print.  The first part of the process is finding the replacement books.. a super excuse for browsing through stacks of children's books.  I found this lovely new one that doesn't quite fit the bill for the objectives I need to cover, but couldn't resist buying it for future use - especially when the author was on hand to sign it too!

 

The one I've been working on today is this version of Rapunzel.  What a lovely way to earn a living!!!!

My biggest kick in the last week though was through my link to Handmade Monday.  I had some super comments on the blog.. it's brilliant that it's being read, but even more exciting that others are willing to spend time commenting.  I'm still browsing around the links on the Handmade blog and getting round to commenting, but until I get to everyone - thank you - it made my week!

Right - I'm off to Handmade Monday to check up on what everyone's up to...

Back soon....

It's Monday Again!

Good morning all...

Another good week ahead I hope.. Last week carried on upwards just like the previous one so all's good here..

Firstly here's that sewing I mentioned - I found some scraps of Christmas fabric left over from some project or other in the dim and distant past.  I decided to sew them onto some felt with a little bit of wadding for stuffing and 'hey presto' some decorations.  I also had a couple of sheets of felt in red and white so they too got the tree decoration treatment.  I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy this sort of sewing.. think I'll have to invade the loft for a root around and find some more felt to play with!

 

 

 

Then on Wednesday I went to my spinning group and (at last) finished weaving the cushion pad I started ages ago to finish up all the odds and ends of spun yarn I had hanging about.  It may not look much, but it's a lot easier on the rear when sitting on a plastic chair for a while when spinning!

 

 

Then I made some more progress with those thrifty steps - Number 3 saw me pursuing my 'wear everything once' campaign.. I'm trying to go through my wardrobe unearthing stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a while and then wearing it or disposing of it.  This week's finds were a t-shirt dress that's lost all its shape and a t-shirt that's a bit short.  I've put them to one side as I want to try making an infinity scarf or something.  Once I've done it you'll be the first to see it here...  I want to continue with the pruning and thinning of my clothes etc. I'm sure everything will last longer when it's not all crammed in, plus you never know what you might find.. I did uncover a really nice dress that's only been worn twice that might be perfect for a 'do' later this year - I might otherwise have been driven to buy something new when I don't really need it!

 

I've also been having a browse around the crafty blogs and reading my new Craftseller magazine.  Both of these featured one of my favourites - Wendy Massey - and her great ideas.  Her Handmade Harbour blog is great and a fabulous source of both her work and ideas and links to other creative people.

 

On Friday we decided to have a little trip out to Torquay.. while I was there the phone went with an offer of some work to take me through to February only to be topped on the good news front later by a permanent job offer for my niece - good day all round.

 

To finish off the week we went to a quiz last night with some friends and won for the first time..

 

Some week eh.. wonder what this one holds?????

What a difference a week makes!

Phew! The weeks rattle on at a pace..

Last week I finished off creating some English tests and thought that was the end of my work for the forseeable and then the proof reading started appearing - yippee..

On top of that, last week's fair was fairly quiet - lots of people looking and making nice noises about things but not buying and then at this week's fair they started buying stuff too...

It just proves you can't predict what's going to happen.. Perhaps it's just that I seem to have more energy this week - look what I've been up to!  I decided to use some materials lying around

beads

 

 

and yarn

 

 

 

and some sari silk I spun ages ago

and other ideas that had come free with magazines -

 
even if these aren't quite finished!

I even got as far as getting the sewing machine out (more of that next time) and found a stash of felt to hand stitch (I'll do some photos of that for next time too)..

Oh yes and having got the photos to load onto the blog I found that I'd got some comments as well.. (a while ago), but I hadn't taught myself about finding them until I stumbled across them - so I know there are people out there reading my ramblings.. quite a week..

Think I mentioned the idea of 101 tips for pulling the horns in financially so I'll start on those, while I'm on a run..

Number 1 I've mentioned before.. Having read a book by someone who wanted to try a year without buying anything I was stunned when she suggested started with her kitchen cabinet containing 11 different types of rice - I couldn't begin to name more than 4 or 5!  Still I've been literally raiding the larder.  We're on a mission to finish up things in the cupboards before buying too much food.. I may not have 11 different types of rice, but tea.. hmmmm...

and that leads to Number 2.. Now the freezer has been virtually emptied it's now being defrosted as I type in order to make it work more efficiently.  It's the second appliance to fall under my beady eye. Hope it meets with more success than the washing machine.  The recommendation for ours is that if you use lots of low temperature washes you should run a high temperature programme every so often.  I have, but sadly it seems that the snail hotel in our pipes was at maximum capacity - so now the utility room reeks of boiled snails!!  eerruugh...

Anyway - that's enough of me for now -

Have a good week....

Did you miss me???

I know this is a bit bereft of photos - but they're just not uploading grrr! but I've been away for so long that I want to get this live so I'll come back later and try and solve the graphics problem!!  Problems solved! Don't know how, but it's all here now....

It feels like I've left the planet a bit here I know, but life just sort of crept up on me!

I started off with a bit of work in Kent back in May and stayed with my sister - we had a great night out to Legally Blonde - my niece bringing her very apt work bag with her!

And enjoying a particularly nice looking cupcake... (her name's Rebecca, but she gets called B a lot..)

We had a lovely, sunny day out in Lyme Regis for our wedding anniversary..

Next it was the Exmouth festival with plenty of fun and exhibitions - some from my talented neighbours Sarah

and Mo..

After that I had a few lazy days in Majorca with some ex-work colleagues and got a nasty surprise when I tried to drive home - the car made all sorts of creaking and expensive sounding noises so I nursed it home - a broken spring apparently and me due back in Bristol for a meeting the following day! Thanks to my husband's car and Dave, who tends our vehicles I made it to the meeting in Bristol and the car was back the following day.. Just as well as two days later I had to go back to another school in Bristol...

The summer brought a great week with my mum, sister and nieces down in Sidmouth to celebrate firstly my sister's birthday and then (once Rebecca's husband joined us on the Thursday) my mum's 80th.. Don't hink I've ever had so many cream teas in one week!

Then, gripped by Olympic fever and my sister's phone calls about watching the cycling (which virtually passed all my family's doors) we decided to make a couple of trips up - first for the triathlon (don't blink at this video clip or you'll miss them!)

 

And then again for the marathon... What an experience....

Finally, it was back up to Kent to set up the files, etc. that I'd got ready for my old school to start term with ...

So what with all that the last few months have sort of rushed past!

Now I need to settle down and organise myself.. with no work in the pipeline at present I've been hatching some plans..

I've done some work on Maths vocabulary cards to get them ready to sell, booked in for a couple of craft fairs in October and started to advertise for a bit of tutoring just to see if I can get the ball rolling.. I might even get organised enough to sort out the Etsy and Folksy shops that I never got around to filling when I was busy working.. who knows...

Anyway I'm concentrating on tidying up the finances too.. perhaps I'll start on 101 ways to tighten the belt ..

Back soon with some more - promise!

Flowers and Showers!

Hi again!

I've no idea where time has gone again, I didn't seem to have much to post, but I think I've caught up a bit now... I'm still not quick enough to whip the camera out I suppose..

Last week was fun - I got the train up to visit my mum and sister and had a nice relaxing journey finishing these flower brooches... 

I was going to make some red, white and blue ones for June's craft fair on the way home, but I just flicked through some magazines and gazed out of the window drinking coffee instead!  So I'll have to make them later along with some of these cross stitch bits that I've started...

I finished the last of the teaching materials I was writing on a book about Everest climbers - it gave me plenty of time to look at some amazing video clips about expeditions, climbers and so on.. very interesting and thought proviking.  It's also left me with a nice clear desk, so I can catch up with lots of non-work stuff - getting straight is one of my favourite feelings!

Saturday saw the Grecians relegated, but I guess that just means next season will be a promotion push and an excuse for another party!

Yesterday the rain stopped.  We took a trip to Otterton Mill Craft Centre and I got some shots of the flooding around the mill.   This is the car park!

It's difficult to believe that around this time last year I parked just where the water is the deepest and sat outside with my mum, sister and youngest niece in the sunshine munching scones..  I took this one from the bridge you can just see the bench that's usually sitting high on the bank, almost submerged now.

Then just as I was snapping away, I remembered that this phone takes videos!  So here's my very first attempt at phone filming.. sorry about the bumpy start and any seasickness feeling induced!

Then after lunch in town we trundled off to Bovey to the Devon Guild's Craft Centre for more indulgent browsing - well it was my birthday!


Oh and then last week I started running again with my friend Karen.  We did really well last year, but sort of lapsed so we've started again on Tuesday mornings - there's no excuse really, the area round here is so runner friendly with plenty to see along the way and lovely views to keep you going.. especially as you run down towards the sea.  Anyway this morning's run was the first anniversary of our successful Great West Run last year.  I'd always hankered after doing a long, public run, having completed one or two 5ks (it's great to be able to say 'I was in the same race as Paula Radcliffe - even if she did finish the whole race just as you were completing the first third!).  I didn't think though that I'd ever do it, and still can't work out how I said yes, but anyway, I did and we both finished the 13 miles around Exeter before they reopened the road to traffic!  Slow, but successful...


Hey ho, enough from me.....
Enjoy your week....

All Easter-ed out..

Good morning!

I can now put these photos on as all the family have had their Easter goodies..
These are the cards I made - I'm only just getting re-acquainted with my sewing machine, but on the whole I was quite pleased with how they turned out - and I know what I'd do differently another time!

Then I made some of the egg cosy bunnies from the Debbie Bliss book I borrowed from the library..



And it's not just me being creative either.. Graeham has been having a cooking bonanza so here are the lovely hot cross buns he made...

and the super Simnel cake - what with that and the wine and chocolate egg for Easter it's a good thing I'm off to badminton this morning!

On the work front I've finished another set of teachers' notes so I've just got to find a biography for the last one on my list.. I've been trawling bookshops and have started looking online, but I think there might be a gap in the market here!

Oh and I did my craft fair... it was a bit quiet, but I didn't come away at a loss - and everyone was so nice.  It was a bit of a celebration too as the local community radio station (who were running the fair as a fudraiser) have just found out that they can broadcast full time, not just during our festival and special events..  I can't do the next one (it's Exeter City's final home game), but have booked in for June when the festival will be on - and it's the Jubilee weekend too so there should be plenty of people in town.....

Finally, City managed a win - not by one goal either - by three.. so all in all it's been a good Easter...

Now where was I..?

I know, it's been a while, but the time just seems to woosh by - don't know when I had time for a 'normal' job now!!

I'll not go into all the stuff I've been up to - just one or two highlights I guess...

Right, I needed a card or two quickly so I decided to use my newly learnt skills at feltmaking!  I also had some ceramic buttons I made last summer to finish them off.. I was quite pleased ..

I might get brave and do a tutorial on how to make these!

Then I had a great trip up to Surrey for Mothering Sunday and stayed with my sister.. 
Of course it meant I could play with my niece's new shoes..
(Luckily for her they were too big - and I'd never have balanced on them long enough to walk!)

When we settled down for our meal my other the other niece's husband produced this zuggarat of a chocolate cake - just captured on film before Jenny tried to kidnap it!

The following day I spent in the garden with my sister and mum tidying and chatting before another nice meal together...

I got some more writing work - teachers' notes on three more books - so I've settled down to that since I've been back.. then I rediscovered crochet.. hooray!

I'm still battling with corners rather than going round and round, but it's very soothing...

Oh and I had a finishing off session with some beads..

and some knitted brooches!

So that's me just about up to date..

Craft Fair this Saturday - if all goes well it could be a monthly event so fingers crossed...

Will report back with photos next week..

Have a good one - and enjoy Easter...