Surprise Gift..

On Monday I was handed this pretty parcel at the school gate.....

It was given to me by someone who outed me as dolly dollop back in January!!

(I think it was the bunting in my front window - she lives very nearby!!)

Although I do know this lady from the breastfeeding group we both went to - she wasn't a crazed stalker lol!!!

Penny made this for me because..well just because. A saw this and thought of you gift :)

All the pages inside are this fabulous, with pages for me to write too..ideas and inspiration for my next sewing projects. I love it so much....and for now it will be sitting on a shelf where I can see it and show everyone.

I am in awe of anyone who can take paper and trimmings and produce such wonderful things.

I tried to find you at school this afternoon Penny but I was too late (or you were! -oh ok more likely to be me!!!) so I figured I could thank you and share your handiwork in one go...thank you very very much xx

I was so touched by the thoughtful, generous and gorgeous gift.

As the saying goes crafters are very nice people!!!

(And if that isn't a saying - it should be!!!)

Penny doesn't blog at the minute..but I know she has one waiting to be used ;)...........

Giveaway Winner......

Thank You to everyone who has entered in my easter Giveaway.
This morning I counted and verified!!!
And asked random.org to deliver me a number between 1 and 45..
(46 actual comments, but 1 not entering!!)

And computer says.............
Number 12 is Crafty Helen.
So can you please send me your address, and I'll pop your box of tricks in the post this afternoon.

I was feeling springlike and even painted my toenails and put fit flops on this morning......then I opened the door..British Summer Time?? Pah!!! Think I'll dig out my easter decorations and see if that cheers things up........

Pamper Swap

I signed up for the pamper swap over at Michela's blog.....I thought it was a lovely idea and as it involved no makey business, I was all for it!!! 3 makey swaps on the go together are enough for anyone lol!!
You can see the swap 'rules' here...I chose Floral and Spice..with my faves being Rose and Ginger as I couldn't decide on just one...indecisive? me?!!
My swap partner Kelly has sent me the most lovely and generous parcel of pamper goodies......




I absolutely love everything, thank you Kelly, I'm ready to pamper myself after the last few weeks, and what better way?? xx

(Don't forget the giveaway...still time to enter....I'll announce the winner tomorrow xxx)

Thank You's

To all of you xxx
Big Thank You's!!!
I was overwhelmed by all your kind and lovely words, offering me lots of good luck with my new venture.
I had a great first day.....thank you to those of you who went to have a peep..and extra thank you's to those of you who placed your orders xxxYour parcels should be with you today, so do let me know what you think...about the important things like, is the colour of my tissue paper nice lol!!!
I got myself an early night last night.....dreaming of ribbon!!!I said the other day that I had been having some giveaway good luck...well I was fortunate to win Mel's giveaway.
It came yesterday...and made me have the biggest smile ever for the rest of my afternoon..
Mel you spoilt me.....CK wrapping - that alone made me smile...and I bet I'm not the only one who would have so so carefully opened the paper (cutting the stickers to minimise damage lol!!) -
Here is what Mel sent me

the fabbest buttons I now own!!!

Ck tissues...love the print....some cute pegs, will use them in my 'office', and a choccy bunny.
Inside my CK wrapping
was a fab handkerchief (I have a plan to turn this into something else....) and a pocket mirror in the new cherry print. Love the cherry print :)I live a gazillion miles from a CK shop, so I have to rely on the catalogue to see what Cath is up to..and we know how long those things take to get to us sometimes!!
Thank you Mel for my lovely card and all my fab pressies!! xxxx

Mel sent me the latest catalogue..and my favourite for a long time..it got my heart racing again...lots of circles will be going in this one!!!
(some pages and things I love)I only bought 2 new mugs in John Lewis last week (to replace the 1 lovely husband broke!!)

but I spied with my beady eye a new design, vintage cars,

...is on the wish list now..the boys in the house need boyish mugs!!!
Floor Tiles............aaaggghh!! Cowboy print. I am still wandering round the house wondering where I can have them....at £40 a square metre somewhere small!! The toilet maybe??? The bathroom???
In fact I love the whole of this boys bedroom....

Thanks to Victoria and Kelly - I also neeeeeed the wine glasses.

Actually if I'm honest I need new wine glasses like a fish needs a bicycle!! But they are so lovely. And reasonably priced...John Lewis had similar glasses when I was there last week and they cost more ....can you spot the spiel I give my husband to justify them lol!!!
More post pressies to show you tomorrow.......

Will you join me???

(logo designed by gem, )

Patch Fabric and Haberdashery is a new website which will provide you with a one stop shop for fun fabric and fabulous trimmings.
you can find it here....and the website is open now selling fabulous ribbons and trimmings for all crafting purposes, with a shop full of fun fabrics following in May. Patch will be stocking fabrics by Michael Miller, Clothworks, P&B Fabrics and Red Rooster.
(Here is a teeny peak of some of the fabric....)



So how do I know about this new venture???? Well...Patch is my new baby!!
It was time for me to go back to work....time for me anyway, if not the rest of the family. It has all happened so quickly, the idea is not 'quick' thats been floating around in our conversations for the past couple of years...but I am still spinning a little!
I have stepped back slightly from plan A...which involved a pink painted shop with a huge pine table in amongst the fabric and trimmings, where people could come and chat and craft...but plan B is still a big committment for all of us, financially and time wise, but one I believe is worth it, thankfully my lovely husband thinks its worth it too, as did our bank manager!!!
My 2 eldest boys have agreed to share a bedroom for another year while we see where the business goes so I have an office......come store room!!
I have had a very unenjoyable few weeks choosing stock..purchasing stock...taking delivery of stock...as you can imagine lol!!! Unfortunately, the fabric takes longer to arrive than I anticipated, so I am just going to open for ribbons and trimmings until they arrive...of course you will be the first to hear!!!
But here we are...nearly...ready to rumble.
I have learnt more computer skills in 2 weeks than the last 2 years, I hope my website is straight forward to use.....
I'm going to be blogging over here too. And I would love it if you joined me.
I hope not to neglect DollyDollop too much!!! But bear with me over the next few weeks!! Of course I'll definately be back on Monday to announce the giveaway winner.........
I hope you'll come over to Patch and see what I'm up to...the champagne is on ice lol!!!
xxx

for me.....

When my lovely friend and blogshop owner announced that she had made some wrist cuffs, I emailed her 3 times to say I needed one!!
Not just any one...this one....
I did wonder if I was not a little too old for a cuff, but then decided swiftly that of course I wasn't!!! I just love the colours Beki is using at the minute, and cuffs are so easy to wear, she has others listed in her blogshop or in her Folksy shop, aswell as other lovely items made in the same gorgeous neutral shades.
I've been very lucky in the giveaway department lately...today I received a really cute badge from kittyeden,

I was her 175th follower on facebook and won a prize!! The kittyeden website can be found here, where there are more lovely items just like mine...

Tomorrow I'll be letting you all know what I've been up to for the past month or so......

round up...

Thank You all so much for your happy birthday wishes. I had a great mothers day/birthday 24 hours!!!This week I have eaten way to much cake...something that will have to stop after my shopping trip on Friday where I discovered I am getting rather too round to where nice clothes!!
I opened more lovely pressies, including one of thesefrom my friend who knows me so well!
I have been sewing....a birthday gift for a friends son's 1st birthday.
I decided that this year part of everyones gifts for birthdays etc will be handmade. I have been 100% successful so far...bunting for a friend of C's...candles for mothers day...this softie for afore mentioned baby!!!(Mum's birthday is next and I am going to make her a bag, and get her a cake stand I think..she was eyeballing one in John Lewis on Friday!!!)I have also made some things for the colour swap and flower swap I signed up for. So can't show those...but looks like I'll be ready to send ON TIME!!! (Be a bit embarrassing if I was late sending my own swap out hehehe!!)I have added a couple of things to the Easter Giveaway parcel...I have made a cute spring/easter tote bag and you can see a wooden chicken on a stick peeping out!!There is still another week before the computer chooses...time to get your name down if you haven't already!!And thats been my week!!
I am still busy working on my new job, I think I will be able to make a grand announcement this week!! But for now I am going to have an early night..read my new magazine (failing on the no mag buying rule I set myself....although only sewing mags are finding their way home with me!!!) and enjoy my 80p reduced roses in my 50p thrifted jug.........

Happy Birthday ....

....to me!!

I am having a lovely couple of days, Mothers Day was perfect, breakfast with all my boys, great cards and gifts - both bought and handmade and a nice pottering sort of day....it all happens at once for me....Mothers Day and my birthday are very rarely more than a week apart..it has been known to be on the same day.........I was in such a good mood yesterday I wasn't even mortally wounded by the sentiment on my new mug!!!!On my dresser, aswell as some uncleared up soil from a pot plant, you can see some of my birthday pressies, including the gorgeous wooden erm - planty carrying thing filled with primula's from mum....she suggested that once I have planted out these plants the planty carrying thing would look good filled with herbs...I said bottles of wine at the same time, which as mum said...speaks volumes!!!My new Cath goodies, tins were from son number 2 and the bowls from the babies...though I'm sure daddy helped...and I'm sure sending him off to work with massive circles round the items in the catalogue helped even more!!

lovely perfume (hehehe!!) and the remains of yesterday's chocs.

I also got 2 new cd's chosen by, ordered by and paid for by number 1 son all by himself...even though one of them was given to me with the words..play it when I'm out :D!!! (it was Robbie Williams, nothing that terrible!!!)My 2 favourite birthday cards....and cutest words of the weekend...

Me: thank you for my mothers day present

C: thank you for growing me in your beautiful tummy..................

(I am still smiling xxx)

I'm now off to return the camera I bought the other week...its faulty (hence the dodgy mobile phone pics....) then round to a friends for coffee and cake, then on to mums for birthday tea and more cake, its good to be spoilt once a year!!

Don't forget my giveaway here.....

And how is the colour swap making going??????
I know at least one of you has posted your colour swap out...wow..now I'm really panicking!!!
Don't forget to upload your pics to the flickr group.....
I can't wait to see what everybody has made.

applique

a recent make....appliqued and embroidered on a linen backing and then framed....but I'm thinking she would look good on a cushion or a wallhanging......

(I'll add it to the list hehehe!!!)

Easter Giveaway

Mothers Day hasn't been and gone yet but Easter is very much in the air (and shops!!!)...its just a few weeks away. And as I missed the momentus occasion when I passed 100 followers, I have put together a little Easter themed giveaway.....There is a lovely Easter bunny mug, a cute tin filled with jellies, some springlike dusters. Eggs to decorate (they are polystyrene..I plan to fabric cover mine...), more bunnies - chocolate and jelly, and a little hanging chicken decoration made by my fair hands.....there could well be another make in the pile if I get my act together ......
So to enter, UK only due to time restraints sorry x , just leave me a comment.

I will get the computer to choose somebody on Monday 29th March, enough time to get a parcel to you before Easter.

xxx

pottering

** my apologies to those who have read my written in advance post that got published when my battery died - oops!!! (its not my birthday yet lol)**

You lot are really lovely bloggy friends, thank you all for your anniversary wishes.

We had a lovely night, and got a full nights sleep lol...how sad that a good night is now measured by unbroken sleeps!!! (the little gitbag slept through for Grandma!!!)

And you were right......the other stuff was still waiting when we got back!!

The start of this week has been spent pottering in the house...I am busy busy at the moment working a tiny bit, so not much time for craftiness..I have cut out a few more projects, the non completed project total is now in double figures(actually thats an idea for a blog post..it might spur me on??), I sewed some more hexies whilst watching telly on Sunday night, and I have made another couple of smelly candles.

These are mothers day gifts for the mums! Scented with cinammon buns fragrance and 'fudge' coloured - I love them, I love that they look like a (very weak) cup a tea!!!

I've also rejigged the spare bedroom again...more on that another day, but you can just see the desktop covered in the CK oilcloth I bought back here.

It looks amazing..I want to save up now and put it on the dining room table, and cover it in plastic so it doesn't get ruined by yukky boys!

So very much an all quiet on the eastern front kind of post lol...unless you want to get me started on the arrogant teacher at parents evening at high school tonight - grrrrr!

(amazing how a child can be described as 'lovely' and ' one of the reasons our school is 15th in the country' and 'a joy to teach' etc etc...by 7 teachers, yet 1 tells me he is full of himself and thinks he's a bit special!!!!)

(he was stopped in his tracks by me - I refrained from saying woah woah easy tiger!!! - and a complaint has been made...)

oh how I love parents evening!!!!..for the record..there have been issues with A and this subject, but far from being full of himself he thinks he is rubbish and has no confidence in the subject...grrrrr!!! (again)

(on a happy note my 4 year old is getting on great at full time school...shame really as I'm only one bad report away from home schooling the little ones!!!)

Happy Anniversary

Its a year since I got married..how time flies when you are having fun ;)

I told lovely husband that all I wanted was him to book a meal out and sort the sitters out...I'm sure I'm not the only one who tires of doing all the 'thinking' for the family!! So that could be my gift.

Well I take back everything I ever said..tonight a hotel is booked in the city and we are off for a child free break :)

I'm delighted he has done this but I am biting my tongue trying not to say things like but can we afford it...I wanted to sow my sweet pea seeds...I need to do some work online.....I wanted to sew...I needed to iron etc etc!!

(Obviously I'm not good at the being surprised thing..be careful what you wish for lol!!!!)

I was out last night at the cinema to see The Lovely Bones....I'll try not to spoil anything!!!

It was beautiful. The acting was faultless, the photography was stunning, but.....

4 out of the 5 of us who went had read the book and we had niggles!!!

They missed out a few, in my opinion vital bits, and my main problem was the casting of Ray...he was a wonderful actor and delicious eye candy ;) , however he was supposed to be playing a teenager and he looked like a grown man preying on a young girl and I was uneasy with it!

Anyway, let me know what you think!!

I had a lovely surprise package this morning..a while ago I won a giveaway over at Mollycupcakes, I had completely forgotten, so it was a lovely anniversary present! Thank You x

Have a good weekend!

Marching in...

The new month that is, I'm creeping in quietly. I have slipped back into bad blogger territory.8 days since my last post, and after I was posting daily too..tut tut!!!

Anyhoo..there hasn't been much to say..the lack of proper daylight and complete boredom with life in general, meant I was so miserable I was not liking my own company, so I doubt anyone else would want to hear about it!!

March is my true start of the year, my birthday is in March, and my wedding anniversary now too which gives something to look forward to, (then April is Spring, May is almost summer, June, July, August - summer..and then September means I can make festive plans..and October and November too..December brings the festivities, so just January and February to be miserable!!!), and I was delighted to see the sun on the 1st day of my year :D

So as I said I haven't been up to much so not much to show and tell.

There are some works in progress.....

also a couple of swap makes started, that can't be shown ;)

little peep of a gift made for someone special.....

some new technology to get to grips with...a new camera - a replacement for the one lovely husband dropped last month whilst under the influence....thank goodness for replacement product insurance :D

No idea what I'm doing with it..I need point and press and its not playing nicely. I need to read the manual I think.

And this...

(I got it so that I didn't have to be a slave to the laptop,...but I think I shall be becoming a slave to the blackberry instead!!! Mine is purple not black..its stunning...and I'm not a gadgety person!!!!)

This week has been a busy one..parents evening with an hours notice - thank you W, letters from school need to be given to mum!! Parents Forum meeting at A's high school and a scary but exciting meeting with the bank manager. I also spent a morning doing some housekeeping on my laptop, someone had downloaded about a trillion games onto it!! Tonight the work is not over, C's school celebrates the event that is World Book Day....please dress up your child..oh joy!!

(jaded mother I'm afraid., this is my 3rd time round, so apologies to any teachers who may be reading..I am all for parental involvement, I listen to my Reception aged child read daily...but making costumes...nooooooooooo thank you!!!!)

I made a bear costume for C to wear tomorrow, but his class is using the Harry and his bucket of dinosaurs books in Maths - I say Maths, he is 4..its counting!!!!, so he wants to wear a 10 year old dinosaur costume from our dress up box!!! (there is always next year!!)

My old time management problems are rearing their ugly head again, but I am hopeful that I can be back in a day or so with more awful pics off the new camera....