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...

Lofts, Creatures and Egg Cosies!

It's been busy here as usual, with plenty getting done I'm happy to say!
With an Easter craft fair booked I thought I'd better do something Easter-y so I've been in mass production mode with egg cosies and egg decorations - here are the egg cosies - the eggs are waiting to be stuffed/felted/decorated - well finished really!

We spent some time at the beginning of the week getting the conifers alongside the fence all mulched up to look a bit tidier.  It wasn't long before the first cat visitor found out and decided to sun herself on the nice soft surface - this was the best photo I could get. 

She wasn't the only one either - the word seems to have gone out on the local cat network - they all seem to approve.

Mind you, once the sun comes out we do tend to gather visitors - this one turned up not long ago on the front doorstep....

He sat there quite happily on the ledge of the door and seemed to quite like the motion every time the door opened and shut, swinging gently on the ledge for quite some time!

We've also sorted out the top border a bit - we're trying to put in a number of shrubs and ground cover - it not only makes life easier, but it seems to look better for longer..  This is one of the borders we did over the last few years to disguise the fence...

The border we've been doing lately has a bit further to go to catch up - especially with the ground cover being put in at this size!

I've also finished the teachers' notes I was working on and sent them off - that was the end of the work on my desk, but before I had a chance to worry I had a phone call with three more to do - so I'm not unemployed yet, phew!

And then came Wednesday - I had one of those sorting out days.. in the loft.  I decided to go to town and get organised up there so I've thrown and repacked and tidied and I now know exactly what's up there, what's for the Boot Sale and not only where the Craft Sale stuff is, but know that it's all priced up and ready to go with table decorations, banners etc.

That's me happy - so it's back to the computer as I want to get ahead before my trip up to Surrey for Mothering Sunday, stay with my sister and then go on to my old school to catch up there... not to mention football tomorrow - the Grecians truly need some good luck - it's been a difficult time at Exeter City with injuries and results so fingers crossed, eh!

How come it's March already?

It's happened again - another month has just vanished!

Still, can't complain as I seem to be managing to get things done....

Remember that jumper that drove me crazy?  Well here it is all finished with a much longer body, better fitting sleeves and generally a much more wearable item - apologies for the photo as usual!

I've also been working on some of the pieces from the Debbie Bliss book.. here's some flowerpot covers...

an ipod/iphone sock..

and a lavender bag!

I also had a great time at feltmaking last Tuesday and was even pleased with the bag I made.. here it is



 and this is it with the flap open so you can see the colour inside

what I love about it is that when the flap is closed it actually looks like the pattern on the front is designed to meet up like that.. I'll let you into a secret - it was sheer fluke, but I'm chuffed with it anyway!

I've also had a ruthless look at my wardrobe - and then put everything back again -I'm rubbish at throwing stuff away.  I am going to try, however, to thin it all out.  I reckon I'm going to wear everything once.  If it doesn't fit or looks dreadful or I just can't face wearing it then it can go.  I think it could be at least a year before I get back to the beginning again, either that or I really will be making progress with decluttering it all. At the very least I'll be developing my thrifty gene and not buying anything new with so much stored away in there!

Right, what else was there to tell?  Ah yes, I've investigated a new monthly craft fair down in town - it's on the first Saturday morning of each month so I've signed up for next month to see how it goes!

Phew!  Will have to dash off now - I put a whole heap of stuff on Ebay that had been hanging about in the loft and amazingly it sold so I need to make it to the Post Office.  The cash from all of it will do nicely to pay for my (much needed) hair cut on Thursday and begin to contribute to the car's service and MOT....

Until next time.. Have fun.

Now where was I..?

Apologies for going AWOL... went up to visit Mum and Juds on Monday, came home feeling rough and the rest of the week disappeared!  So how have you been?

Here's what I've been up to (in shortened form!!)

Firstly there was the second part of my feltmaking course.. 3D needlefelting.. meet my bird!

Tomorrow night we start work on scarves.. can't wait to see what happens with those!

Then I finally got to finish some of the knitted items from the Debbie Bliss book I borrowed from the library..

I made a box..

a hat...

and a brooch..

Then, as I said, there was the trip up to Surrey to see Mum and Juds, now I'm not naming names, but someone had an enormormous banoffee pie..

while Juds and I had coffees.... say no more!  But we did have a good meal and a relaxing afternoon...

I then got a couple of trains over to Kent to meet up with Graeham at his brother and sister-in-law's for the night.. I got to Waterloo at the same time as Jenny, my niece, but just missed her as she went to catch her train home.. better luck next time..

Roz, my sister-in-law, makes super natural soaps and was at a Farmer's Market in Hildenborough on Tuesday so we popped in on our way home to have a look.  We now have a lovely rose oil diffuser scenting the lounge and bought some great homemade chocolates too - I'd show you a picture of the latter, but somehow they didn't last long enough to get to the camera.

The rest of the week disappeared in a round of cancelled stuff due to my hacking cough, but I did manage to get some work finished... so it can't be all bad

even if one of the things I missed was five goals at St James' Park and a win for City.. grrrr....

So now it's back on track.. I'm doing a book called 'Roman Chronicles' this week... just the thing to exercise my lost classical muscles..  I've been enjoying a book myself called 'The Hemlock Cup' that my sister bought me for Christmas in 2010 and that I've only just awarded myself enough time to sit and read properly.. all about Socrates and Athens.

It's amazing isn't it - the thought has only just occurred to me over the last two or three matches that it's quite a coincidence for someone who decided to study for a Classics degree should end up supporting a football team called 'the Grecians'!!!

Until next week.. Have fun!