WOYWW 141

ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING
REMIND ME OF YOU!
Sorry, but the raison d'etre of WOYWW, that of showing your desk, has fallen by the wayside this week. My work area has been dismantled and shoved unceremoniously in another room as we fill cracks, sand woodwork, wash down walls with sugar soap and prepare to redecorate! And yes, I AM doing my fair share of this, even though I hate prepping the room prior to painting!!
So instead, for your delectation, here are some pics taken on my phone at the craft fair..

Recognise some of the items?? I did really well - the big sellers were the shopping bags, six went and everything in that beigey doggy fabric as well. Some bunting, carrier bag holders and aprons went as well, so I was pleased. But best of all was being approached by a very smart lady asking if I'd be interested in taking stalls at some country fair events she runs on private country estates!! I was so chuffed :)  I don't actually know if I can do any of them until I receive the booking forms and dates as my diary is already booked up with band commitments and craft fairs....but I'm thrilled that she thought my stuff was good enough!
My friend Jenny dipped her toes into the craft fair water for the first time. Here's her stall

She handknits everything from mug hugs to cupcake pincushions to fingerless gloves. The chickens at the back are all handmade from felt that Jenny produced. Their expressions are priceless!

Slightly bonkers, like most chickens are!! She sold a couple of them as well as a good number of other items, so we were both pleased. Start planning for the next one now, 2nd March I think..


It was blooming freezing last week into Saturday. DH and I are still trying to get out every day and we enjoyed the briskness of the walks, even though our breath was taken away when we turned into the wind....Brrrrrrrrrr!

Not huge amounts of snow but enough to make it pretty - and very slippery when it froze later on...
My tree was looking handsome..

A detail of the moss and lichen on his branches..

There must be a few insects still lurking there as the long tailed tits have been having a field day seeking out all the nooks and crannies.
The sparrows, however, have been entertaining us in other ways...

We can see these from our living room. The squabbling that goes on is unbelievable - it's worse than any daytime soap opera!! But they're fun to watch :)
Hope you all have a wonderful week - I shall probably miss posting next week as I'm probably going to be in Wales looking after my mum. Fingers crossed, she goes in for a knee replacement tomorrow, so I'm going back to do what I can.
See you all soon! xx

WOYWW 140

AND IF YOU THREW A PARTY
INVITED EVERYONE YOU KNEW,
YOU WOULD SEE, THE BIGGEST GIFT WOULD BE FROM ME,
AND THE CARD ATTACHED WOULD SAY
THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND.
I am really enjoying being part of the WOYWW phenomenonomenon - sorry, couldn't stop spelling there! LOL. Thank you, Julia, for the inspiration (and also for being my techy helpdesk when I ring up and ask so many stupid bloggy questions... thanks, mate, you're very patient!) 


My desk, covered with sewing bits and pieces. Here are the makings of a bread basket..

I've made a few items in the same fabric for the fair on Sunday, reasoning that people might want some matching stuff..maybe.. The funny tubey thing is a carrier bag holder that seem to be popular - I've been asked to make these. I just keep my carrier bags stuffed in a cupboard, just like my pegs are in a plastic box!!

I had some oddments of the doggy fabric left, so decided to make a doorstop with some contrast fabric - there's a different pooch on each side!

And here's one I made earlier!! The pink ribbon looks a bit garish in the flash, it's a lot quieter in reality and picks up the pinky tones in the flower centres.

I love making soup! Along with baking, it's my favourite thing to do on a cold winter's day.  My boys like their soup/custard/porridge to be thick enough to stand a spoon up in - anything to oblige... :D

Sweet potato and red lentil soup - yum

And finally....

I was very touched to receive two nominations for the Liebster Blog last week, from Sue H and Sam. Thank you sooo much, girls - I was thrilled silly as it's my first ever bloggy award - yay!!

So, for my part of the bargain, I have to nominate five of my favourite up and coming blogs that have fewer than 200 followers. Blimey, that was hard because I like and follow so many. But a decision had to be made. So here, in no particular order, are my five nominees:


1. Katie   I like Katie's carefree attitude to life and crafting. Her blog makes            me smile a lot!!


2. Mary Ann  I deeply admire the astonishing work and creations that Mary Ann produces. Her Russell Crowe steampunk crow was AMAZING!!  She is very talented :)


3. Princess Judy  A relative newcomer to WOYWW, Princess Judy's wacky, offbeat sense of humour appeals to me - she also does some great crafting! Just don't mention origami...lol!


4. Jaki  So much of what Jaki writes resonates with me; I like her humour and the fact that she's a fabric fiend as well :D


5. Lisa Jane I like the fact that Lisa Jane tells it how it is! Having met her, she has a fab sense of colour and design - AND I like that she has a go at stuff :)


As instructed, I've posted the award on my blog - thanks to ALL you lovely people who comment every week, it means so much to me xx


PS. The lyrics were from the theme tune of The Golden Girls (Dorothy was always my favourite!)

WOYWW 139

AND THE ECHO FROM THE GREEN HILLS

RUNS THROUGH THE CITY STREETS

AND THE SUN WHEN IT SHINES ON ENGLAND

WELL IT LIFTS THE HEART IN ME

(Ralph McTell)

It's a patriotic workdesk this week! I've got an apron cut out ready to have the toning neckband and waist ties attached. Also featured, on the left hand side, is a heap of fabric to fold and put away...

I've been making a variety of items for the craft fair (in 10 days time); as I've said before, this doggy fabric usually goes down a treat!   

Do you remember citrus/flower fabric from last week? Well, here's the other colourway which looks more floral, not citrussy at all!! Isn't it amazing how colours deceive the eyes and brain :D 

The ribbon was bought a week later at Shopkeeper Gal's place in Tidworth, Kraft Krazy and very reasonable it was too. It goes really well with the fabric, don't you think?

Now, all this lovely lot was dug out after I visited Mary Ann's blog and started following links. Firstly to Needles and Threads blogspot (like WOYWW but for fabric fiends in Canada) and then onto gogokim.blogspot for her amazing cathedral window pincushion tutorial.

And this is what I made!! I love it and am quite impressed with myself. But, the tutorial was so clear, it was fab and it was easy to follow the stages. Most of it was done by folding and ironing - fabric origami!!

 G3 suggested I do one like a Union Jack - this was the only blue and red fabric anything like. It's turned out nicely but I think the red needs to be where the blue is and vice versa. They took hardly any time to make - I love 'em!!

Thanks again to Mary Ann (Cloth Doll Makers Diary) and GogoKim for the links and tutorial. Brilliant!

I've been walking a lot recently as I'm trying hard to shift some flab, so here's a couple more pictures from where I live...

Seymour Pond is in my village - it's called that for the Seymour family (Jane being the third wife of Henry 8th) who lived at a manor called Wolfhall which is a mile away. You might have read the novel of the same name by Hilary Mantel. The heron in the pond is a decoy by the way, cos we've got loads of the real things around!

Here's some signs of Spring..

I love snowdrops, so pure and white! Unlike these chaps...

 A smallholder keeps old British breed pigs! I'm not sure what the one above is - looks like a wild boar to me!! It was fast asleep and dreaming, twitching just like my cats do :)
I know this one is a Gloucester Old Spot..it was so enjoying riffling through the mud, snorting away!

But this Berkshire Black is my favourite...

'Can't a girl get ANY peace around here??' 

Porky heaven.....

Hope you all have a fab week!

WOYWW 138

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
THAT LEADS TO YOUR DOOR....

I am extremely fortunate that I can step out of my front door and walk in any direction and I will end up in glorious countryside. This is one of the favourite family routes - this was taken last week when we'd had a frost one morning. You see that puddle in the mid distance?? Great fun was had, jumping on the ice listening to it crunch :D  LOL. As my DH says, growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional! I think we're regressing... *grin*

My desk this week is covered in the fabric that I bought in C&H Fabrics in Winchester last Wednesday.

Actually, the photo doesn't do it justice - it's fresh and zingy in 'real life'! I'm cutting out a peg bag and a tote at the moment.

It's an optical illusion pattern - sometimes I see citrus slices, when in fact, they are stylised flowers. Two for the price of one, like it!
Julia and I had gone down to Winchester to meet up with Lisa-Jane for a couple of hours. What a lovely lady she is! We had fun browsing around C&H, then whom should we espy in the haberdashery dept but Janet (aka Fairythoughts). It was like a mini WOYWW convention!!  It was fab to meet you both, ladies :D
This is how the pegbag/tote turned out...

I really like the tote bag, you can't see it but I've done a double line of top stitching around the edge and it's made all the difference. Think I'll do one for me!  I bought the same print but in a different colourway which both Julia and Lisa Jane liked but which I forgot to photograph...duh...


I found the tutorial for the tissue covers!! Huzzah!  It's Cut the Scraps by a WOYWWer called Jane H aka HappypaperCrafter. Thank you Jane, I've really enjoyed making this lot up for prezzies..

Ever so easy to do and a good way to use up those scraps!


I do have serious ribbon envy when reading some of your blogs, but don't buy masses myself. I think it's because I tend to match it to the fabrics I have at the time. Here are two that were part of a Christmas Box of Bits from my mate, Sue. They're almost too nice to use!

Nah, I've got over that now.  I'm going to start making some bread baskets and they'll look lovely tying up the corners!


Hope you have a fab week, all you lovely WOYWWers. See you soon xx

WOYWW 137

WHEN WINTER'S SHADOWY FINGERS FIRST PURSUED YOU DOWN THE STREET,

AND YOUR BOOTS NO LONGER LIE ABOUT THE COLD AROUND YOUR FEET,

DO YOU SPARE A THOUGHT FOR SUMMER WHOSE PASSAGE IS COMPLETE,

WHOSE MEMORIES LIE IN RUINS AND WHOSE RUINS LIE IN HEAT?
WHEN WINTER COMES HOWLING IN...

The weather has decided that perhaps it will become a proper British winter after all - we've had some cold starts in the morning with lots of frost, blue skies and sunshine. It's good to be alive sort of weather...

Here's my parsley covered with hoar frost...

Some rose leaves backlit by the morning sun...

Frost on the black grass...

Frost patterns on the green grass!!

And my favourite...

My fence with a crew cut!!  I had fun taking these shots the other morning :D

Anyway, my desk, in all its glory...

I love this funky Union Jack fabric - this is going to be a shopping tote bag.  I'm making quite a few different items from it. Expect to see a lot of this and other flag-type fabric this year. I'm a proud Brit and am going to enjoy the celebrations throughout 2012!

 And here's a peg bag in the throes - different spotty lining this time. I bought a job lot of different coloured spotty cottons from Fabricland. Blimey, they've been used hard and fast!! They don't seem to run out either!! I think I've discovered everlasting fabric, lolol!! I wish....

Doggy fabric, all cut out, ready to be a shopping bag - look, spotty fabric again. I tell you, it goes on and on and on.....

And last, but definitely not least, this cute little tissue holder..

Now, this was made following a tutorial on a WOYWWer's blog - and can I find it again to credit the author?? No, I blooming well can't. So sincere apologies to whoever posted the original. It's a fab idea, easy to make, uses up scraps  and I'll probably make a few more as prezzies.  If you read and recognise the design as yours, PLEASE message me and I'll credit you in next week's post. I really don't like using other folks' ideas without permission.

So, no horrible manky tissues rolling around the bottom of my handbag from now on, no sirree!!

Whatever you're up to, hope you're having fun... :D xx

PS The lyrics at the beginning are by Alan Hull (of Lindisfarne fame) but memorably covered by Def Leppard!!

WOYWW 136

THERE'S A PARTY GOING ON RIGHT HERE,
A CELEBRATION TO LAST THROUGHOUT THE YEARS,
SO BRING YOUR GOOD TIMES AND YOUR LAUGHTER TOO,
WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE  YOUR PARTY WITH YOU..
I reckon Kool and the Gang were right - let's celebrate friendship, support and love.
The UK has a lot to party about this year and, as my first craft fair is in 4 weeks' time, I though I'd better get cracking. So here I am picking up where I left off before Christmas with the Union Jack bunting on the go..

 I thought I'd have a good sort out of my bunting that's already been cut out - I didn't realise I'd done quite so much but at least I can crack on straight away. It's one of my consistent sellers, so that's why I seem to make rather a lot of it!!  I do make other items, honest.. :)

There's a right old hotch potch there - shabby chic, seaside/boys' room blues, sophisticated spots. Hopefully something to appeal to every taste! It's quick to run up anyway - instant gratification!!


My brother - the one who gave me Herman, the friendship cake starter - bought a job lot of these kilner bottles before Christmas...

He's filled a couple with homemade sloe gin and blackberry whiskey but has quite a few left over. I suggested he try doing oils or vinegars but don't have many different suggestions. Do you have any special recipe you wouldn't mind sharing with him? It's got to be something that would store for a long time as it's for his consumption/odd gift here and there. Thank you in advance!

And finally, here's Ron checking out the three bags of sorted out clothes for the Salvation Army..

The white sack was posted through the letterbox the other day, which prompted an attack of the 'Sort Outs'! I really got the bit between my teeth and enjoyed clearing out our wardrobes.  But the thing I'm most proud of is the fact that in one of those bags sits an absolutely gorgeous pair of Russell & Bromley shoes. Imagine if you will...black satin, pointy toes, heels, diamante around the back.. a real class act. Except, I haven't been able to fit my feet into them for about 20 years. I hung onto them for many reasons, harking back to my youth, when I worked in the TV industry, before kids, when I earned a good salary (!!). I would take those shoes out and have a Proust/Madeleine moment.

But when I was sorting out this time, I was ready to let them go. I don't know what's going to happen to these shoes but I hope, I REALLY hope, that they go to someone who will love them as much as I did! And the Salvation Army are an amazing bunch of people who support the many who have fallen on hard times. They are going to be my charity of choice this year.

Have a great week! xxxx

WOYWW 135

IT'S JUST LIKE STARTING OVER!!
Happy 2012 everyone - Blwyddyn Newydd Dda for those of you reading this in Wales!  May this year be healthy, happy and exciting :)
After a very quiet New Year's Eve - we should have been partying but couldn't cos of illness - it's back to the normal humdrum routine from tomorrow. Back to school/university/sewing, delete as applicable! It's been an incredibly quiet Christmas for our family - we haven't been anywhere or done anything much..and it was FAB not doing it, if you see what I mean!!


This is a scheduled post. Julia popped over today (Tues afternoon) to bring some wood offcuts from Mr D to give to G3 for his woodwork GCSE project. There is now a heap of beautiful oak bits and pieces in my garage, like a huge jigsaw to be assembled. Have fun with that little lot, Rhys!

But I don't like to see her idle (!) so while she was here, I put her to work drawing circles onto some fabric scraps. I was cutting out while we chatted. The semi circles are going to end up being flower petals for corsages or bag charms. Pretty AND it uses up my scraps, love it!!
I had a bit of a splurge before Christmas and bought a whole load of toning fabrics...

I'm going to have fun with that little lot!! Think I'll make some more of the bread baskets with ribbon tie corners, they were quite successful and some doorstops and pegbags maybe. We shall see where inspiration strikes!


My friend Lynne and I both love knitting - she's so clever that she recognised the yarn I was using in last week's post! She found this amazing site all about radical knitting, here's my favourite pic from it..

Isn't this AWESOME!!!! Try cutting/pasting this address to see more...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=176572965771351&set=a.142484345846880.27891.141668129261835&type=1&theater
I hope that works, I just cut and pasted it from our Facebook page. There are such talented people out there...*sigh*....


I'm off to knit me a Harley Davidson, I may be some time!!! See ya :D