Oooop......sorry it's been so long!

............ exactly 3 months to be precise!!!

We have been so busy since our holiday to Portugal in May, our first 'proper warm weather do nothing relaxing sunshine' holiday in over 3 years!!!

I think we are doing things the wrong way round as we are in the middle of revamping our home, it's cheaper than moving but more stressful living in the turmoil that having your bathroom ripped out brings.........thankfully the loo is still plumbed in and we have only a couple more days upheaval. Mum and Dad will be relieved when we stop running up their water bill with our visits for baths and showers!!

I LOVE the new decking area in my garden......it has really made the outside space very useable..... I love to step outside on a morning with my cup of tea, best part of the day, so peaceful!

The living and dining area now has new fire place, flooring and storage ( for all my gorgeous craft necessities) and more for Richard's CD & DVD collection, not to mention the girls PS3 & Wii & DS paraphanalia!!

It all looks refreshed and light - I will add some photo's soon!

And finally I have a few hours to update this blog and my Folksy shop.....I am concentrating on Folksy rather than Etsy at the moment.

What a difference nearly 3 years makes................slow but steady and its stopping off!!!

This was taken the week before I joined Weight Watchers at the end of June 2006.

The next photo was taken May 2008 just under 2 stone lighter.

I don't have a more up to date one yet as our PC crashed and we lost all photos from August 2008 as we hadn't backed them up!!

Now lost just over 2 stone (29 pounds) and about ten pounds to go which I just cannot shift, hope all my gardening and walking in this lovely weather will kick start my weight loss again!

I Have Been Neglecting....

....this blog, Etsy, Folksy, eBay, online stuff in general and concentrating on the REAL things in life! I bought a new sewing machine which I have been getting to know with one of my daughters, Elenor. Megan yet to have a go!
I have been planning the revamp of our home, cannot afford to extend or move so having a huge clearout and new bathroom, carpets & flooring, furniture, curtains, light fittings........sooooo busy......ooh and the garden.
I am a hoarder so getting rid of 'stuff' has been difficult but I am getting good at it now!
Will try and update things I made soon, together with Elenor's turtle made from Sew Hip pattern.

I got featured in an Etsy Treasury

Just thought I'd mention it!!

eBay Listings

I listed these three Easter cards on eBay today £1.49 each (or £1.99 Buy it Now)

Decided to try a few items on eBay again because Folksy and Etsy going pretty slow, well not even sold anything on Folksy yet, though I did get my Kitty on the front page! Got to keep trying!! Need to do a craft fair so if you know of any in Wakefield/Barnsley area leave a comment please!

Busy, Busy, Busy........listing on Etsy and Folksy

Take a look, too many to post here!

Folksy

Etsy

Hope to achieve more sales soon, been slow recently, but not listed too much either, so no surprises there!!
Back in the swing of things now.

Goal Weights

I have been trying to lose my last stone for ages so with a holiday booked decided it was an ideal time to get focused and as it was 14 weeks to my hols a pound a week would get me to target. First week lost a pound, second week put on a pound.........so now still 14 to lose in 12 weeks.......get focused!!!!!

Live Music, Concerts,Gigs.....

Went to see the Ting Tings yesterday at The Academy in Leeds, got tickets last Nov for my husband for his birthday, and my daughters were asking how many 'live' bands/groups/singers had seen and I had told them about 15. When I started thinking back properly realised it was more so decided to list them (I keep ALL the ticket stubs!!) and our next 'gig' - Simply Red will be my 40th!!
So I have listed them over on my blog under 'LIVE', take a look.
Not sure what it tells you about my musical tastes but some of the ones I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much were THE best.
Madonna 1987 first my first ever.....was a fantastic experience.....think I cried!
A-ha we were about 5 feet away from stage, brilliant.
David Bowie we were outdoors,stood on top on the Milton Keynes bowl starry night breeze blowing, magical!
Bee Gees & Neil Diamond amazing shows.
Keane at small venue at Leeds University just as were getting more known, may have cried again as Tom sang!
Robbie Williams Leeds 2006 (outdoors), were given Gold Circle tickets which we had to collect on the night, were running all over trying to find the box office, finally got into gold circle just as Robbie came on to the stage, feet away again, fantastic!

I think there is only one concert which was a wee bit disappointing which I went to with a group of girls from work, but was particularly bad we laughed! Can you guess which one?

Mini Scrapbook...Golden Wedding Anniversary, Wedding etc..

Front of mini scrapbook, sweet romantic picture edged with ribbon and an ivory tag with simple greeting making it suitable for golden wedding, anniversary, wedding, engagement...

Ten inner card pages which I have edged with gold ink, so 22 sides ready to fill with photos and memories.

Back cover, all tied together with gorgeous gold and organza ribbons.

Close up of picture on front.

I think this would be a wonderful message book for lots of family and friends to add their own personal message to the happy couple!

Cards Made This Weekend

Some Bunny To Love Decoupage Cards






These are some needle felting and scrim samples I made and hand stitched and beaded:

The next few are some more mini needled felted art square samples:

Then some beaded handstitched felt squares:

All cards are 12cm square deckle edged cardstock and can be personalised if required.

Back to School.....

......and back to 'normality'!!

Got up nice and early so as soon as girls left to catch the school bus I took Tilly down the lane for a walk in the lovely bright sunshine, was still very blustery though, blew a few cobwebs away! Why does she insist on barking at EVERY car that passes by, she goes loopy, drives me mad!

So today catch up on email/blog/etsy/folksy etc whilst watching a garden makeover programme. Tackle the ironing, take a few bits n pieces round to local hospice charity shop, maybe pick up some fabric or beads. Post mail to Mark, my brother in law, who is spending a year in Melbourne.

Later will try and post some photos of cards made over the weekend.

Try not to think about going to work tomorrow...........

Here he is ....

Still no callback from freezer suppliers

Freezer was delivered 9th Feb with essential tool missing, rang them, was told would be one week and would call us, 11 days later no call still waiting........can I scream?!?
Then to top it all I was looking in the 'housey' box for car tax details and found a warranty for the PC which broke (spent £330 on laptop) then found extended warranty for freezer (spent £310 on new one) ............. we never take extended warranties out!?!
Makes me cry to think I could have spent all that money on a desperately needed sewing machine and loads of lovely fabric. Must organize warranties better!!
Just finishing off my first sock monkey, will post photos soon.

Mermaid on Etsy

Now for sale on Etsy......

Got a lovely book on embroidery, and have adapted some designs and made a couple of things from it.......first was one for the boys, a pirate photo in blog below, getting away from pink and cute!

Then back to cute, a pretty mermaid:

Hope you like her, she will be going on Etsy & Folksy soon........ I have just listed a few new items in my Folksy shop which I have just started stocking, more items soon.

Etsy

Nearly forgot, don't know how! I sold more items on Etsy including an alchemy request for an anniversary card. I was so thrilled to be asked to make a card on Etsy. Can't post pics due to blog below, PC died, take a look at my sold items on Etsy!

and two weeks later......

this is what I have been up to...


Easter Chick

Christening Card made to order

Felt Embellished Heart

Easter Bunny

One for the boys....a pirate

Apologies to myself for not blogging over the last two weeks, lots has been happening not least the weather!

I am so fed up of things not working......first the car battery on the day the snow came down thick and settled, my Dad drove me few miles to get another, we got back tried to fit it and found they had given us the wrong size so we had to go out again to a different shop as they didn't have the correct one. Just got that one fixed in and school rang to say they were closing and could I collect my daughters.

Next the integrated freezer packed in , ordered one online, delivered as promised a week later but with an essential part missing so now waiting possibly another week for that to come.

Last (hopefully) the PC packed in and we have lost all photo's etc since October, on the bright side at least now working but restored to factory settings, but it is so fast now!.......oh and I got a new lap top just for me only me, cos I couldn't do without my daily fix of blogs, Flickr and Etsy!!!

Shop Handmade UK - Update

I sold my featured item !!!! Not sure if it was as a direct result of appearing on that website or just through search on Etsy, need to find out and do more of it!

Rag Doll, my latest completed creation.

Just need a name for her now!

She is competely handstitched by me.

I needlefelted her pretty rosy cheeks and added a few beads.

Her hair is needlefelted and her eyelashes stitched with sparkley thread.

I attached a blanket stitch edged heart with a little button.

Next to that is a gingham pinking circle with a fabric flower and button.

Just next to that is a sweet little pocket with a felt baby attached with ribbon.

Finished with one of my new 'pinkliliboo' woven labels.

She is the first one I have made, so any comments appreciated!

Shop Handmade UK

Ooh................ I'm so thrilled to have an item featured on Shop Handmade UK, a valentine heart, take a look at it here, my Etsy shop where it is available to purchase, if nobody got there before you!!

Creative Breathing Blog "A Picture Meme"

I have a few blogs that I follow daily and this is one of my favourites, tho I am a bit of a lurker and post comments less often than I would like .........don't know why ......anyhow I was reading this post and just had to have a look at my sixth picture in my sixth folder of 'my pictures' and then spent a good hour browsing the other folders .........made me smile, happy memories.

This is my sixth photo: my lovely Mum in April 2006, in the pool of the villa we rented for our first and, so far, only holiday to Florida. She is age 60 in the photo and I think she looks fantastic, I hope I have her 'age genes'!

We started a savings acount when our first daughter Megan was born in 1994 and then came Elenor in '97 and we kept putting a bit away each month for our Florida fund. We decided 2006 the girls were the right age to appreciate the holiday so it was booked! Can't find the words to describe it, so mush better than we expected, we were told you'll either love it or hate it ...............well we LOVE LOVE LOVED it. Don't know when we will be back but we WILL .......something to dream about!

And here we all are me, Elenor, Richard, Megan, Mum, Dad. Here are my two girls, I love the sunlight sparkling through their hats.

I've had a lovely morning reliving my Florida Holiday in photo's, Thank you Creative Breathing!

3rd Sale on Etsy!!!

Hip Hip Hurray!!!!!

Made me smile when I dragged myself out of bed this morning having been up in the early hours with an anxiety attack.......'@#*@ things...aghhh!!!!!'

Tutorial: Handmade Gift Boxes

To make a box which measures 5.3cm x 5.3cm x 2.7cm you will need:

For the base, a square of white card, not too stiff, 14.5 cm square.
For the lid, a pretty piece of quality scrapbook paper 15cm square.
Double sided tape or glue.
Ruler, pencil, eraser, bone folder (optional), scissors.
Embellishments.


1. Take the square of plain white card.

2. Lightly mark each diagonal with pencil and ruler. This will be the inside of the base of the box.

3. Working on one corner fold the point to the centre of the card (marked by pencil). I use a bone folder to ensure crisp straight edges to the box.

5. Open this fold out and then fold the point to the fold you just made.

6. Fold this over

7. and over once more, so the edge lines up with the centre line. Then unfold completely.

8. Repeat with the other three corners and you should have something like the photo above, with and unfolded square in the centre which is the inside of the base of the box.

9. Now we need to cut so we can fold the box into shape. Cut four slits as shown in the above photo. I find it easier to mark four dots so I remember to stop cutting!

10. Rub out the pencil markings from what is the inside base of the box, the rest won't be seen when folded.

11. Now we fold the wider sections, point over first

12. over again

13. and the outer edges inwards, both sides of the box.

14. Your box should look like this photo above now.

15. Push the folded edge upwards to form sides, and stick the little triangle bits down if it helps. Then fold the points of the remaining 'sides' in once each. Attach a piece of double sided tape along the edge ( glue can be used but you will need to hold or clip the box until it has dried).

16. Fold the taped edge in, over the 'sides' of the box ,and squeeze to attach the tape firmly. Your base should be like this above.

17. Now repeat the above instructions with the paper to make the top of your box.

18. Don't forget to rub out the pencil lines (I did), if you do you could cut a small square to line the lid.

19. Hopefully your box will be something like this!

20. The lid fits quite snuggley, if you need it a bit looser increase the size of the paper square used by one or two mm only.

21. I have added some liquid pearl dots and a tag. Fill with tissue paper or shredded cello,

Hope this was successful for you if you decided to try it, any comments appreciated!