What do you mean it's Monday again!

Yep, got caught out with busy-ness and didn't get to blog last week. So what's been going on?
Well, I've been away working in Orpington for a week followed by some more time in Wales, I've had some fun at my sister's and seen all my family while I was staying with her (one of the big bonuses of working near London!) and met up with friends. I'm ploughing through the writing on my desk(top) and it's also festival time here so loooaaaddsss to get up to - sadly most of it resulting in zilch photos!!

Anyhow, the sun is shining and I'm about to have a few days off so I might even get something creative on the camera.....

The week at my old school was good. As I mentioned it means seeing a lot of my sister, mum and nieces and some really nice social meals out - one of which seemed to involve a lot of Sangria - don't know who suggested that (eh Juds!). Juds and I also tried our hand at decorating mirrors with shells. As I left her place before the glue was completely dry I don't have any photos, still if they've worked and the shells are still stuck on I'll get some next time I'm up there!

I was also able to browse Hobbycraft as the girls (and Richard) had bought me a voucher for my birthday. Among my buys were these...

 

 

So now I can really have a good try with needle felting and hopefully save my fingers from the barbs. I did get some other stuff, but I can't show you or it won't be a surprise for someone....

 

While I was in Wales I did manage to get on with the merino that neds to be turned into a teddy, but this is as far as I got before running out of yarn.. just needed a bit more for the arms...

 

 

 

Hopefully I can beg some at spinning next week so I can finish it off. I've almost finished the dress for it too - that should hide some of the uneven spinning!

 

 

It was our wedding anniversary last week as well. Thankfully I had enough time to put a card together.... I had bought the wooden heart a while ago thinking it would be useful at some point - and it was!

 

 

As far as creativity goes there's not much else in the way of photos - although I've been writing plenty for work - sadly words don't work for the camera so you'll just have to take my word for it that it's been extremely satisfying, especially now I'm about halfway through the task.

 

It's also Exmouth Festival as I write - the website here shows last year's events - the video gives a flavour of what happens here - everything from Reggae to Sand Sculpture, clay modelling in the park to Soul Bands and fireworks.. all free and enjoyable - especially when the weather is as kind as it's been so far this year. We went down to hear Souled on Saturday night in the Gardens - a nine piece band that a friend's husband plays with. There's so much going on in and around Exmouth creatively that it makes me feel positively lazy!

 

That's about it I think - just off to Handmade Monday for a catch up and some inspiration.. hopefully I'll have time this week to comment on some of the lovely stuff there.....

 

Have a good week....

Home alterations - not necessarily intended!

Well, if last week was a bit full on this week started the same, only more so!!

On Monday morning I thought I'd spilt some water on the carpet so mopped it off and went out for a lovely run along the estuary and across the fields. I settled down to work on some teachers' notes for one of the Welsh context books on my desk and Graeham busied himself in the garden.  Later in the afternoon the water was back.. in mopping it up I felt a drip, looked up and realised it wasn't me dropping water, but the loft.... On examining the loft we discovered we had a brand new, unplanned water feature, one that had obviously been building itself over a long time. Thanksfully our friend across the road has done all our plumbing and despite it being a Bank Holiday came over to find out what was up. Having discovered it was the tank that was leaking we drained it and by Tuesday lunchtime Pete had installed a brand new tank, the loft had started drying out and there were no more drips.. What a result. Oh yes, and now I know that every piece of linen in the airing cupboard is freshly laundered as when we checked it had all got a soaking over the time that the leak had been developing so all of that's had to be washed!

Still, today's alterations were intended. We had an old lean to against the bungalow replaced with a lovely garden room and patio a while ago and the final task was to add railings to the edge for safety. 'The boys' came on Friday and now this bit of the house is complete.. just waiting on that long hot summer now to enjoy it!

I've managed to finish making my friend's bag from that wool she found in her dad's place. In felting it's changed colour - for the better I think and I'm realy pleased with the result. Just the decorating to do now and then I can give it to her. Hope she likes it!

And the skinny scarf is finished too. So good progress on the finishing front.

Work this week means I'm away till Friday so I need something portable to take with me. The same friend who gave me the green wool also found some baby wool in her mum's stash so that's going with me. That's mostly because I've started a shawl with it and it's on circular needles because of the intended finished size.



I'm so glad I was introduced to circular needles! Not only are they perfect for avoiding seams in bags (when added to a three needle cast off and integrated handles like the one above I can abandon sewing up altogether!), but they are also much easier to transport without poking holes in bags, and they alleviate the weight of large items so are so much easier on the wrists...

With that I must dash - working near London means I get to stay some of the time with my sister and see all the family.. Sunday roast awaits and I need to pick Mum up along the way so this has to be a brief this week... Will catch up next time.

Mind you - I'll be checking out Handmade Monday tomorrow as usual - need my fix of inspiration!

A Satisfying Week All Round..

What a nice seven days that was! You know what it's like when all of a sudden a series of things go well or slot into place, and although it's nothing super-sensational you get that feeling of calm satisfaction.. well that was last week.

I started off by raiding my craft boxes in the loft for some bits and pieces for our local club's charity do. The club/gym had been suffering on a number of fronts - financial, organisation and so on when one of the members took the bull by the horns and worked hard to get it back on its feet along with constant support from his wife. Sadly in the autumn he was told that his cancer was back and this time terminally so. He died a few weeks ago and so one of the committee organised the auction in aid of the hospice that supported him and his family at the end. I didn't have anything big to auction or raffle, but she did say that she could have some items for sale - hence this selection. I haven't heard how it went yet, but hopefully we've all raised a bit to contribute to the invaluable work such places do.

 

 

I then took a day off for my birthday! It started with the usual Tuesday morning run that my friend, Karen and I try to fit in each week. It was glorious as we ran across the golf course, along the cliffs and past the beach with sunshine and great views all the way. Then Graeham made a special lemon curd cake to accompany the card opening and we wandered down into town for a leisurely lunch in one bar followed by coffee overlooking the beach. It doesn't matter how long we live here, it's still a novelty being able to walk on the beach any day we like! Then we went racing at Exeter Racecourse and I even managed to pick winning horses in four of the six races - Howzat! Now I've got the fun of deciding how to spend the pressies from my family. Good fun all round.

 

 

Now about that finishing off, well, I did eventually manage to get the sewing machine out so I got this kit done..

 

 

and this bag...

 

 

and this other kit for a card wallet that was lurking in the pile. Not all of them showcasing the most skilled of stitching, but I enjoyed myself.

 

 

I found a couple of felt hearts that I had started needle felting so finished them off into a brooch as well.

 

 

Wednesday was spinning and our little group is getting a group exhibit ready for showing in the autumn. We're making teddies from some merino. I even managed to get about half of mine spun up - it was a nice break from the alpaca which is proving a bit of a nightmare with carding as much of it is very short and so fiddly to spin. Anyway this merino was a dream, so hopefully I'll get the rest of it done this week and get started on my teddy.... Watch this space!

 



 

I did some of the other stuff I showed you last week... The green bag now looks a bit different as I got just so far and realised that I'd made it too wide and the proportions wouldn't work. So I undid it all and started again giving it integral handles so that I don't run out of yarn before the end.

 

But I did get going on some of the other yarn from the stash.. here's the thin scarf I'm making from some silk that I had spun a while ago and plied with cotton. I haven't got much of it, hense the 'skinny' nature of the scarf, but it's lovely and soft - and growing quickly too....

 

But what about work, with all these days off and finally getting to grips with making things? Well, having caught up with all the proof reading and teachers' notes that I was doing as emergencies I was about to settle down to writing the notes for books that have been waiting for ages. Then the phone rang. A while ago there was a task that I was supposed to be completing, but it didn't eventually come my way in its entirety for a number of reasons. Now, it would seem, those who wanted to do the job have found out that they don't have the time to do it - so I've got it back. So that seems to have ended the week on a high too!

 

I wonder what this week will bring?????? Enough of me now - I'm off to Handmade Monday to see what everyone else has been up to......