Bunting, blog design and pay it forward.....

Hello lovely people!

I had a lovely surprise sent to me today, but more about that later...

First, remember I told you it was my eldest daughters 15th Birthday last Sunday? No? Well, it was. And I finally got to do some crafty sewing! Yes, all these weeks without any craftiness at all, and Saturday afternoon I was in my element in the kitchen (!) with my sewing machine, iron, and ironing board -I try not to make a habit of using these last two items unless it's for crafty reasons!-

But, even if I say so myself, the skull bunting turned out just right for my daughter, and she was chuffed to bits!

The only thing I would have done differently was, I used muslin for the backing (as it was all I could find of black fabric in my stash), which slightly puckered in a couple of places. So obviously I should have used a light weight cotton.

Here's all the different fabrics I used for the bunting 'fronts'.

All with different elements that my daughters 'into' at the moment!

Here's me getting to work on the first one.

And here's the finished article.....

I used black cotton tape as opposed to bias binding for the ribbon, and this worked really well.

Anyway, it's something to decorate her new room with now it's been all decorated out for her!

~*~

Sorry if you regularly read my blog, and you have noticed I keep changing the design and the heading picture, I'm still learning, and for me it's a very BBIIIIIGGG learning curve! LOL.

~*~

On a more pleasing note... Look what I received this afternoon!

I was so excited when I received this in the post! Well, I mean, it's not often you get a parcel like this from Mr Postman is it, unless it's Christmas or your birthday!

I received it from this lovely lady http://ournewlifeinthecountry.blogspot.com
A few months back, I put my name in the hat for a Pay it Forward, and it was pulled out!

I couldn't believe it when Sue emailed me the other day to ask for my address!

And here it is. I thought I'd share it with you all as you're all so lovely and leave me such nice comments!

This was in the mauve wrapping paper that was beautifully done up with some lovely ribbon..

Look, I got given all this.... Doesn't it look scrummy..!

I got these beautiful Lavender Sachets -one to go in my drawers (the ones where you keep your clothes!), and one that is, at this moment hanging over the end of my curtain rail by my bed MMmmmm...



A beautiful handmade card with lovely patchwork fabric, and some lovely lavender bath salts in a little tin...

Some of Sue's (now mine) handmade lavender soap -which I can't stop smelling..

And, I'm delighted to say that I now have my very own Fairy Godmother which I could do with no end..... So I'm really hoping that if I wish hard enough, I'll get a few of my wishes that come true! Ok, ok, well maybe not a few, thast being greedy, but one or two 'll do!
Here's a closer look at the lovely handmade lavender heart that Sue gave me. This is the back..

And this is the front..

Now that I've received my first P I F, I will be giving away my first P I F in a few weeks when the children go back to school, as I'll have got more of my stash unpacked (hopefully) and I can get round to making a few things during the day. Especially now we only live 10minutes away from the schools instead of a 45mins journey!

~*~

That's it for now. You all take care, and help me pray for sunshine for the rest of the holidays! LOL.

~xxx~

P.s. I forgot to say, the teddy in my header is the first one I ever crocheted, and he is tiny! (I don't think I could make anymore -much to both my daughters disgust, because 1, I made him up and didn't write the recipe down, and 2, he was just ssooooo fiddley!) Just thought you might like to take a peep at him! Oh, and the ribbon and card are what Sue gave me. Bye X

All moved....

But still lots of unpacking to go!

Hello everyone! How are you all?
Well, I'm pleased to say we're getting used to our new home now. Unfortunately, all my craft stash is still packed away, so I haven't been doing any crafting, crocheting or anything crafty at all lately.... I have been doing loads of cleaning though!
I've been getting serious withdrawel symptoms from crafting. The trouble is with the three children on school holidays at the moment as well, the only thing I have time to do is really some cleaning and looking after them.

You'd think that as they get older they would look after themselves a bit more now wouldn't you? Well, as I'm finding out, they don't! LOL

I'm sure life was a lot easier when I had 3 children under four running (and crawling) around, than now having two teenagers and an eleven year old.

My eldest is 15years on Sunday! Goodness, doesn't time fly...

We have a much smaller garden here than at our old house, but here the garden is nicer. We've also inherited an apple tree which is absolutely bursting with apples at the moment...

I got the children to pick up a few windfalls the other day, and as we made a tart, I thought that I would take pictures of the first one in our new bungalow.....and with our 'new' apple tree.

Have no idea what type of apple they are. But I do know that they're eaters and not cookers. Does anyone know how you can find out what stock they are?

This is where they fell from....

These are some ('mouldy ones' as my thirteen year old son calls bruised apples)
apples that we put in the tart.
This is using cheats ready frozen shortcrust pastry....

LOL! I don't know how to get pictures off my blog yet (big learning curve for me this 'blogging lark') so if I accidently repeat a picture, or put it in the wrong order, I just have to leave it at the moment, so bear with me for a while....

pastry all rolled out...

A small amount of brown sugar, and a lot of sprinkled cinnamon.... I love cinnamon, and the name cinnamon. Trouble is, there seems to be lots of Indian restaurants called 'Cinnamon', so you couldn't really use it for a business project, otherwise people will just think you own an Indian restaurant! (Not that theres anything wrong with that, it's just not very crafty of vintagey now is it?)



Add your cut up apple to the pastry, and gently heat some apricot jam..

And this is the end result ! LOL 'Cept this pic should be at the end and not here! So bear with me again as the rest of the pictures are after this one....




Heated apricot jam...

Jam spooned over the apples....More cinnamon added, and popped in the oven for about 20mins...

(Pretend that the photo of the tart with custard is below..)

MMMMmmmm... Yummy! LOL

Anyway, at least I got some photos on here, even if they're not of crafting (well not fabric or paper crafting anyway!)

I have got to get my sewing machine out on Saturday though, 'cos I've got to make some 'skeleton' bunting for my daughters Birthday..... (Yes, she is into things with skeletons on at the moment..)

So I'll let you all know how that goes, and hopefully I'll remember to take some before and after shots too!

It's so good to have the computer up and running though. I've missed looking at all your blogs so much over the past few weeks.
We've got a new computer too, so I'm having to try and remember all my favourite blogs. Which I've not finding that hard as I was such an addict...

Anyway, I think I'm chatting too much now, so I'm going to give you all a break and sign off.

Have a lovely weekend every one, and lets hope the sun shines again!

*~*

Abandoned blog....but good news!

Well, it's a long time since I've been on here!

But the truth is, I have just been so busy it's unreal!

We have at last got our bungalow! YIPPEEEEEee!

We will be moving in just a couple of short weeks, and we are all so excited.

This means that at last my eldest daughter will be able to access her own bedroom and the bathroom as all the rooms are on one floor.

No more sitting at the bottom of the stairs waiting for one of us to walk her up them.

Fabulous!

I know this probably seems like something small, but to her (and us as a family) it's a giant leap forward, and being 14years, it will be nice for her to be able to go to the bathroom or her bedroom without asking!!

Anyway, that's what I've been up to ..packing, packing and more packing! (oh, and cleaning -lots of cleaning!)

So I'd just like to say to all you lovely bloggy people (whose blogs I am very much missing!!) I won't be around again 'till the end of July time!

Have a gorgeous month and enjoy the sunshine.

Take care. x

OOOOoooooeeeeeerr...

....Look what I've done!!

Sorry, you haven't a clue what I'm on about have you?

Well, look down there on the right hand side of my blog...

See it?

Yes, not only have I actually listed in my DaWanda shop (only one item I know, but it's a start! lol) but, I've managed to link it to my blog! Hows that for clever? LOL :0)

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Have you ever heard the saying 'Little things please little minds?'

That's me!

Have a great day everyone ;0)

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Well, do you know....

I've been really busy since my last post. I named my blog and my 'shop' BizzyDays' 'cos I'm always so busy, but I didn't realise that I would be much too busy to blog anything, or to list anything in my shop!

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First picture below is of the 'obligatory' free Cath Kidston bag that came with style magazine this month. I love this floral print -I loved the other option too, but I had to choose! LOL

The next picture is a cutie! It's my birthday today, but we celebrated it yesterday as the children were at school today.

Last week, I made some 'boy-bunting' for my son's birthday which is at the end of May, (I'll put a picture on here on his birthday) My youngest daughter watched me make it, and kept asking for all the odd bits of fabric that were left. Off she popped to her room, and here is the result!

(She's kept this hidden since she made it!)

She's crocheted a ribbon chain, and made me my own 39th Birthday Bunting!

Sorry the pictures aren't too hot! She's tied the 'flags' on to the ribbon chain with mohair yarn.

It was a lovely surprise to open my eyes to it yesterday!


***

This is where we went yesterday, to a little town called Shaftesbury.

It's the place where the 'Hovis' bread advert was filmed. Do you remember that ad?

It's the one where the bread delivery boy is pushing the old fashioned delivery bike up the hill.

Well, this is the hill.

Pictures not too sunny 'cos it was raining there.

There's a beautiful view there normally, but even though it was raining the view wasn't too bad.

This Wisteria was in the carpark on a wall entwined with the clematis 'Montana'. It looked so pretty growing together, I had to take photos :)

***

Unfortunately, I still haven't had time to list in my DaWanda shop yet, but hopefully I'm going over there when I've finished this post to list some items!!

I'd like to thank you all for your comments and emails. It appears I'm not alone with my nasty migraines, which although it doesn't stop the pain, it does make me feel a bit better to know other people also suffer as much with them as I do! (I mean this in the nicest way possible !:0))

And I'd especially like to thank Jennie for not only all her hints and tips on getting my blog going, but also being a fellow migraine sufferer ! ;0)

Have a good week everyone, and lets hope we get some sun!

***

Over the forest....

...We go every morning and every afternoon (and sometimes in the middle of the day as my eldest daughter is part-time!). This is the New Forest, and I have to admit we probably have one of the nicest 'commutes' to school, even if it is 20 miles each way! (at least 80 miles a day, -sometimes 120!)

These are the sights that we meet every day, which in the spring time when the foals are out, and I have both girls in the car (my son's not too bothered) takes us a while to get past, because obviously we have to go extra slow to look at the 'latest' new foal to be born....

This little darling we have named 'Star' :) And he was the first one we have seen this year...He's a couple of weeks old now though.

They are darlings though, and so are the little cows!

Photos a little fuzzy as it was taken through my windscreen!

***

I got a single duvet cover out of my stash......

Can you guess what I've made with it?..

It was a beautiful old vintage one that had lovely bunches of roses on it ...

You know the type, lovely cottagy (is that a word?) roses, in beautiful cottagy colours...

With some lovely pale blue stripes to add interest when I had cut it up..



I have made a new bowl :)

About 8" diameter...

And about 2" high.

I've decided to start listing things I make in one of my many (see previous posts!)online shops. I'm going to try DaWanda, simply because it's free to list and money is tight at the moment what with moving.....

This is going to be the first item I list..then I'm going to add a few trivets and little bowls and I've got something up my sleeve as a signature piece....

Does anyone else have any signature pieces?

***

I still haven't finished my lavender pillows yet, so I'm afraid I can't show you them...I've been busy sorting me eldest out who now has a cracked rib.... During one of her seizures, she fell against the bath...That's the trouble with her Epilepsy we have absolutely no warning about her seizures, and she has really suffered some horrible injuries from them...Still, that's life eh?..

On the moving front, we have found a chalet bungalow that is beautiful, and it is already adapted for someone with disabilities, how about that??... I don't want to say too much in case I jinx it, but I'm going to keep praying (although I'm not religious, does that count?) and keep everything crossed...Can you as well please? :0)

We won't be able to move into it yet though, as there are still tenants in there, but we're hopeful...

Anyway, better go now to get the children to bed, then swith telly on to watch Aly's Edible Garden, and Cracking Antiques...One hour of my telly a week isn't bad is it?

Take care everyone...

Speak soon...x

Uuuurrrgh....

I HATE migraines!!! I haven't posted in ages, and I've not been able to feed my 'addiction' of reading other bloggers blogs due to the fact that in 8 days I have had two of my migraines-they're not just the sort that are over in a couple of hours either...Oh no, mine last for two/three and sometimes even four days! And most of that time I have to spend in bed....UUUuurgh!

Now, rant over... :) (sorry about that!)

***

Because I haven't been about much, I was unable to fulfil my promise to send some items to 'Cupcakes at Home' .

(I hasten to add that I will now be sending the items off on Tuesday morning:) )

This is a blogger who has a small animal charity. Unfortunately, I'm not clever enough to have worked out how to do 'links' (lol), but you should be able to find it by looking :)

Tracy who owns the charity has just rescued some abandoned sheep, and one of them was in such a poorly way that it no longer has any ears left!! And when one of them had been sheared, they had sheared all her teats off but one, so she can't feed her lamb herself.... Oh, my heart went out to them when I saw the photos on Tracys blog.

She is going to be having a raffle in June/July, so any items that you can send she would greatly appreciate them to put in the raffle.

I'm sending the items in the photo below, - a few trivets, flower appliques, a set of crochet edged tags and a couple of crocheted corsages.

Hope these help! :)

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I found the plates below in my local charity shop. I'm sorry to say, I had to leave them there... As we're moving, I just can't buy anything that's not immediately usable till we've moved. Still, I took some photos to show you :)

I love the 'retro' look, and such saucy ladies! ;)

I know you're saying I'm mad leaving them there...only £2.50 each!

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Here's a picture of of our first big butterfly that we've seen in the garden this year. He liked all the colours on the washing line..

And here's our lovely bluebells (and white bells) out in the garden.

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We have a guest who has been staying in the garage all winter...He gets in under the door, and comes out in the evenings to go and feed.

Just thought you might like to say hello!

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Hopefully by next post I will have made some lovely little lavender cushions that I've started on to show you..

And I'm experimenting with some new appliques for my pin cuchions which I'll show you next time..

Would love to receive all your comments/ideas...

And any advice on 'linking' would be greatly appreciated! :)

Don't forget to have a look at 'Cupcakes at Home' blogger if you get a minute.

Take care everyone...x