WOYWW 530

THE INK IS BLACK, THE PAGE IS WHITE...

Well, I guess the best way to start off today is to tell you that Bert the Chimney Sweep came first in the competition last week - yay, I was very happy with that. Don't know if any more doll making is on the horizon though, it's not really my thing!

Take a good gander at the JanCave today as it's going to be derigged for a couple of weeks. We have some guys in to refit the main bathroom and they need somewhere to store the gubbins, the JanCave is next door so it seemed the obvious choice really. I shall relocate downstairs or to the guest bedroom when my son has gone back to Reading.

It's all monochrome this week! Can you spot the black and white sprigged fabric you passed on to me at the Crop Neet?  It's become a go-to for something different, especially when paired with the black and white polka dot. I've got a fabric basket in progress here....

The combo just works....

The usual glasses cases to restock at the cafe cos they're selling like hot cakes....

And this is what the basket was destined for:

A receptacle for keeping my crochet squares together!

It's been gorgeous weather here but thankfully not as hot as the folks in the south-east had it - Saturday saw the annual raft race held down the harbour. There's nothing much to it really but it's great fun and a good time was had by all:

The rafts are all put together by teams and start in the west harbour, making their way under the bridge to the main marina... we cheered on those six people on the tiny raft, they did really well!

After going up to the yellow marker buoy, they then returned to the finish line at the bridge. You can see the small D class lifeboat waiting to help!

The LBS (Llanelli Building Supplies) team were well organised with good face paint and purple smoke on the way back! They were the eventual winners..

The Tooth Fairies team (from my local dental surgery!) looked great but found it hard work, bless them...

And this team needed a little help to get back to the finish!! There was lots going on down there and it was a fab community day out.

Thanks for reading - I may or may not post next week, depends on what crafting I get done. I'm off with my brass band to compete in the National Eisteddfod in North Wales on Saturday. Wish us luck!

WOYWW 529

NEVER NEED A REASON, NEVER NEED A RHYME

STEP IN TIME, YOU STEP IN TIME....

I have had a poorly knee this week so my activities have been slightly curtailed - hence the craftroom has been quite busy!

This was the desk a couple of days ago...Rhys got me some black and white spot material in Lee Mills fabric shop in Swansea the other day, so I got making some more glasses cases and little purses - I was also asked if I could make a fabric tiara for a little girl, so was experimenting with that too!

Much better lining! I've now used that fabric up, should have got more....

Playing nicely with various trims - I attached two straps with velcro so it could be adjusted. Hope it fits the bill!

I wanted to make something Mary Poppins related as our speaker in yesterday's meeting was a chimney sweep and we always have a related competition. So out came the felt, I cut out a pattern and set to...

The bag of felt pieces came in handy!

Bert the Chimney Sweep - not brilliant as I'm rubbish with faces, but it's something to enter, lol! Don't think I'll get anywhere with this but I did ok in the County WI competition held last weekend.

This photo (taken from the top of Snowdon) was to be used as a book cover for The Wild Places.

And I came third in the Computer generated poster for a book club! Our group did really well, coming third in the whole county - excellent as we're such a new WI.

Catriona also sent me some fabric in the mail which I've just realised I haven't shown..it was on FB. Thank you Catriona for thinking of me, the fabric will be in use really soon raising cash for the RNLI (£160 and counting)

Have a great week everyone!

WOYWW 528

MY LOVE IS LIKE A RED RED ROSE....

I've had a lovely few days - yep. it's been busy again but with lovely things like visiting both of my brothers and seeing family. Back to the grindstone this week!

This is the evidence of trying to do too many things at once! You'd think I'd learn, wouldn't you?! The ever present barn dance bunting is still being made a few metres at a time. I'm into a rhythm with that now - it's quite Zen doing it because it requires no thought whatsoever. The coloured flags have already been sorted out so it's simply a case of picking a few up and zig-zagging them onto the tape. 

The clear box at the back holds a multitude of sins...zips, elastic. pom pom makers etc etc - it's extremely useful but a bit of a mess. I've been making glasses cases out of the new doggy fabric and am making another couple. The cardboard templates are for an idea of something to make for the RNLI craft stall at the Raft Race on the 27th July.

I do like this fabric very much - I'd like to put a black with white spot lining in but don't have any. A trip out is in order possibly ;-)  These have sold well down at the harbour cafe.

My brother and SiL took G and I to visit Brockhampton House in Worcestershire. It's a small timbered manor house with an incredibly long history. It was a really marvellous place, very warm and welcoming in feel, very different to some stately homes. The front was covered in the most glorious red roses and also house martin nests. It was fun watching the parents swooping in with beaks full of bugs and hearing the chirpy cheeps of the babies in the nests!

One of those buildings where you can feel the weight of history.

It had a moat and a small gatehouse, which was used as a chicken coop by the last tenant in the 50s!! There were huge dragonflies and moorhen chicks, so pretty.

And some more crafting in the house:

Samplers always get me - feeling that connection down the years with another girl. This isn't the earliest I've seen but it was in amazing condition. I think young Alice caught the woodland animals perfectly. don't you? It made me smile especially the squirrels' tails!!

Have a great week xxxxxx

WOYWW 527

THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES...

I'm simply not going to comment on how quickly this last week has gone...so there!

The desk:

There's some new fabric nearest us - replacement sausage dog and then a new half metre of the Scottie dog...both off ebay. See that heap of yellow cotton tape? There's 25m of it but it doesn't look anything that much. I'm making a whole heap of bunting for the WI Barn dance in September, and thought I'd do it in odd moments.

Doggy related things seem to be the best sellers down in the cafe so I thought this was worth a shot. I've just remembered that I've got a grey with white hearts cotton somewhere, must dig it out as it'll be a great lining!

Another desk last week was the WI craft club:

A smaller group gathered to do decoupatch decoration on bottles..we had a good selection of wine/gin bottles of differing shapes. It was a hard job drinking the contents but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do ;-)  I only took two bottles for your information!! There was mod podge and napkins, so you chose what you liked and got gently ripping and sticking. This was Janet's example:

The 'cork' was attached to fairy lights in the bottle, it looked really sweet. I forgot to take a photo of mine, it's upstairs in the JanCave so will show you next week ) if I remember....!

I was out with different bands three times over the weekend, so instead of being a Brass Widower, G took himself off to the Wales Air Show in Swansea - he had a grand day, lots of amazing planes to watch but the favourites, as always, were the Red Arrows.

They always get such a great response..

Good pics huh? It's a happy coincidence that this week's topic in the 52 week photo challenge is Trains, Planes and Automobiles!!

Have a good week and keeeeeeep crafting :-)

WOYWW 526

A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT....

Lots of crafting to share this week! It started off well when we made £100 on the craft fair last Wednesday - thanks to Annie (Wipso) and Debbie Rock for their contributions. The RNLI girls are doing another stall at the town carnival this Saturday, unfortunately I can't help as I'm elsewhere playing with my band. Let's hope we raise some more

This is going a way towards the total too:

Yet more specs cases and little purses as the Harbour Lights sold all the previous stock!  This is the last of the Sausage Dog fabric, I've got a lot of things made from the original metre. I thought this would be the last five cases but my mate Helen pointed me to an Ebay site selling it - woohoo!

With an appropriate lining!

And others in the fabric I bought in Shrewsbury while up for the Crop. I'm very pleased to tell you that the current total raised for the RNLI is £140. Not bad eh?

I was going to cut out some more bunting (am making metres of the stuff for a WI Barn Dance in September) and found this remnant of a tablecloth I got from a charity shop:

And decided that it was just too nice to use for its intended purpose...

So I made a tote bag as a shed warming present for Mary, a friend! It's a very high end shed, got wallpaper and everything but it's at the top of a very steep garden. I thought she could put things in the bag to carry up the 45 degree slope!

The climb is worth it though, this is her view:

Looking over the town and harbour to the Gower peninsula. Good eh?

Hope you have a marvellous week, whether it involves crafting or not!! xxxxxxxx