Back to fabric this week

Well as much as i have been enjoying the paper cutting it was time to get back to fabric things. On the list are two welsh dollies and a patchwork wall hanging. I finished the wall hanging lastnight and i am really happy with it. I have never made one before with patchwork so i kind of made it all up as i went along.

I also started with the dollies. One of them has a face and has been sewn up, I shall stuff her this evening after everyone has gone to bed and left me in piece. I think she is quite a pretty little girl with her big brown eyes. Her name is Colette.

No paper cutting for me this week but i have to say although I am itching to have a go I am still enjoying all my fabricy things. Colette will be getting brown hair and a welsh girl outfit over the next few days and a dress to change into when she doesn't want wear her traditional outfit.

I am also eagerly awaiting my first design pack from the sewing boutique who picked me to be on their design team. What to make with the items is taking lots of  my thoughts. I love creating things but always get nervous for the reveal.

I have decided that i would really love to take a GCSE in textiles so will start looking around to see if any of the local schools do an adult course. I just hope i am still able to study after years of no study.

Well here i am again and its not the longest gap between blogs so i am quite pleased with myself. 

Along with this i am keeping myself busy with singing with Mello'D' and the other crafts i can't stop doing. I have started paper cutting. This is one of my first cuts. I have also just been chosen to be on the design team for 

http://thesewingboutique.blogspot.co.uk/ I am looking forward to getting my first batch and thinking about what to do with what i get sent. This is going to make my blogs a more regular thing. I do hope those that still visit will stay with me and even leave a comment or two. I might just get good at this.

Changing times

The regular blogs haven't quite worked out the way i planned. I am going to say that its because i have been so busy crafting, which is sort of true but i have also been trying to find a way to be one of those really interest bloggers that i follow.

I like to think that I am quite witty...my friends tell me i am...or maybe they aren't laughing with me just at me lol.

So March is here and I have had a few changes in my life. Sadly my mother in law passed away on the 1st of February after 9ver 8 years of fighting Cancer and the after effects. We will miss her so much. Its hard to talk about her in past tense, its sad to think my youngest son will never remember her or how much she loved her grandchildren. She was like a real mother to me for the 18 years that i new her. As we all morn her loss we also have to watch her husband, my father in law start his 2nd battle with cancer. Life is truly so unfair at times.

I am still trying to make my little at home business work. Now i know the time i put in to the items doesn't reflect the price in the way that some products are alot of work that if i worked out the hourly rate i would be on about 25pph, but i love making things and its nice that my hobby pays for itself with some left over for a few treats for the family.

The last change so far is the looking after me part. I am making more time to exercise and trying to make better choices with my food as often as i can. This has resulted in me shifting 5lbs over the last two weeks. I really enjoy the extra Zumba sessions and the few miles i have tried to walk once a week.

So hopefully this is the sign of things to come.

My new year begins tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the 9th of Jan but I am counting that as my new year. The reason for this is food, I have rubbish will power so not eating all the goodies that were left over after Christmas is NOT an option for me nor is throwing it all away. So i decided to extend my holidays until the food was gone.

I like to plan ahead so i have stocked the kitchen with healthier options for myself and have committed to getting 8 Zumba classes in by the end of the month. If you haven't tried Zumba i highly recommend it. If i had the time and money to do it every day of the week i would.

My other promises to myself are to be more organised around the house. As a crafter it is sooo easy to just leave what ever project I am working on across the dinning room table which doubles up as my work space. This isn't an option now as we have also committed to making sure we eat as a family around the table. Daniel does much better when we all eat at the table, he is even making less mess and staying put til he has finished now and that's after just 2 weeks.

My last task is to read four books on the British monarchy by the end of this year. i have two lined up...as soon as i finish the twilight series :-)

I am a mother to boys so have a little bug bear with shops of any kind. If you want it in pink not a problem but blue or green no chance. Boys clothes always have less floor space then the girl section. This has spilled over in my crafting too. I have been making bandana style dribble bibs for my little craft page. Material for girls is so easy to come by and doesn't cost the earth but boy fabric is like gold dust and just as expensive. Until today that is......ebay searching paid off and i have ordered some really cute fabric for my next batch of bibs. If you have the same problem and would like the link just let me know.

So back to the dining room table i go to do the thing that keeps me out of the kitchen ans away from the fridge.

A year in a day

I always have every intention of keeping this blog up to date then before i know it months have gone by and i haven't written a thing. Then i wonder if i should just give up as i have no idea if anyone actually reads it. Its like a vicious circle I want to be a loved blogger but if i don't post then why will people check back.

I am a facebook addict and i see lots of blogs on peoples craft pages that i enjoy looking at and then the green eyed monster comes out and i want to be as clever with words and crafts as they are.

So today i will do a year in a day with the promise to myself that i will blog more often in 2012.

I decided that I couldn't take one more year without my boys having a headstone so i spepped up my crafting efforts. I also came in contact with a group on facebook call Ambers Angel World. The ladies who run it were really supportive and held an auction to help myself and another lady get the final funds needed for our children's headstones.

I organised another walk to remember and it was attended by lots more people. It was sad that these people had to come together because it meant they had lost a child or children but it was good that we could all get together a support each other. For many of these families it may have been the first time that they had heard someone else say their childs name.

My husband, son and father ran a 5k to raise funds for the items we buy for the hospital and we were able to supply Nevil Hall with a new camera/printer, moses baskets and more.

We will be trying to raise funds for a cold cot for the two local hospitals over the coming year/s.

I learnt some new craft skills this year and gave quite a few handmade gifts at Christmas, I hope the people liked them. I learnt to make jewellery, intricate hand embroidery and book binding. I will do more of it this coming year if people take an interest in it on my page.

I am meant to be on holiday from the sewing machine but as i had asked for a few accessories for Christmas i have been naughty and started some of my orders for the new year early. I put an idea in to a facebook page that was looking for a vintage style banner, i was so chuffed when they decided to commission me to do the job because it meant they liked my idea. So this week I started the job and learnt how to mitre a corner when joining a boarder with four different materials to the main panel.

Once i am able to plug the printer in when the children go back to school i can start crafting again.

The ABC's of Me.

Wow three posts in one day.

I have seen this everywhere, so I thought I would participate as well.

The ABC's of me

A - Age: 35

B - Bed size: King Size

C - Chore you hate: ALL of them, but any type of housework

D - Dog's name: Lucy but that was years ago, it was short for lucifer as she was mental.

E - Essential start of the day item: Toothbrush & toothpaste, can't eat or drink a thing till i have cleaned my teeth.

F - Favorite colour: Any shade of purple.

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'5"

I - Instruments you play: None however i do sing in a ladies harmony group.

J - Job: F/T Mother

K - Kids: 5 boys, two who walk on earth and three who wait for me in heaven.

L - Living arrangements: In own home

M - Music you love: Take That, Michael Jackson and anything i can dance to.

N - Nicknames: Used to be called Cookie as a child, Lenny as a teen and now because of my married name and maybe because its true i get called Lippy.

O - Overnight hospital stay at hospital: Yes lots first one when i was a little baby and needed an operation at just a few days old. Last one was when i had my youngest son, i was in for almost a week.

P - Pet Peeve: Rude people, theres just no need.

Q - Quote from a movie: Two weeks!!!!!!

R - Right handed or left: right

S - Siblings: Sisters 2 , Brother 1 all older then me.

T - Time you wake up: When my 2 year old wakes.

U - Underwear: comfy pants

V - Vegetable you dislike: Parsnips Yuk!!

W - Workout Style: Loving Zumba as its not like a workout. I like to feel like i am hanging after a workout.

X - X-rays you've had: Not sure, not that i can remember.

Y - Yummy food you make: Hungarian Goulash.

Z - The best place to visit: I can see the twist...Elland Rd home of Leeds Utd.

A few crafty things

I have been making a few bits and bobs this past month and thankfully some of these have been orders so i have been paid for them. This means we are a little closer to getting the boys their headstone. I have even got the knitting needles out this past few weeks and although i have had to frog one item several times due to knitting while tired i have really enjoyed knitting again.

This is a little craft bag i made for a friend who likes cats.

This my first attempt at an angel cape for little ones who are born too soon and too small for clothes. I hope to make a few more before Easter.

This is a weighted blanket. A friend ordered it to aid the sleep of her son that has ADHD and although he's not too happy with it, it works and they are both getting some much needed sleep now. I was really pleased with this because i didn't have a pattern for this i just got to see a sample for about 10 minutes and took a few photos.

I made the this one for my niece on her 13th birthday.

This one I made for my friends daughters 10th birthday.

Finally my first attempt at making welsh cakes turned out rather well. The recipe made a few more then i was expecting though 96 in all although you can't see 96 as we all had a few as the were coming off the bake stone. Most of these were for my Father in Law's birthday.