A lump in my throat

I have been awarded the 'Nice Matters' award today, by Cedar Junction. I am surprised at how touched I am by it. I never thought I would be part of a community like this - I have always been a bit of a hermit, and yet somehow blogging has let out a part of me that I thought would always have to be hidden. The part that people mock (yes, you know who you are!).



I don't care anymore though, so I am going to do something that is not nice and stick my tongue out to all of them!

Who needs sleep?

What a fantastic weekend! 48 hours dedicated to all things craft, with no small children to interrupt proceedings. The Etsy UK retreat in York, hosted by the extremely generous Tinyisland, was a little bit of heaven.

Hand bound notebook - a present for number one

There was so much to do: screenprinting, machine embroidery, eating flapjacks, felting, bookbinding, drinking cider, painting, ceramic sculpture, eating chocolate, chatting, hand casting, rummaging through well stocked supplies cupboards....

Machine embroidered and beaded needle felt seascape

I need a rest now. Not to mention some fruit and vegetables.

Go UK!

The Etsy UK street team has recently launched a store to raise funds for promos and to visit the Etsy Labs in NY. Members of the team have generously donated items for sale, with all the money raised going into the kitty.


Please support the UK street team in their fundraising activities!

Summer holidays

We are heading off for our summer holiday this week, and I realised that I need a project to take with me. Something small, portable, and simple (because, let's face it, I am unlikely to be able to concentrate on anything too complicated!).


These little flower brooches seemed like just the thing. They are crocheted from Debbie Bliss Pure Silk yarn (half price in the sales - putting it in the 'just buy it and see what you are going to do with it later' category) in gorgeous jewel bright colours. They are beautifully soft and covetable. Numbers one and two grab them and run away as fast as I can make them.

Of course, if you are taking a project on holiday, you need a little chuck-it-in-the-suitcase project bag to go with it. Here is mine, sewn from some furnishing fabric that I have had staring at me for months, and a coconut shell button that I am very pleased to have found a use for. It made me buy it - you know how it is!

I will be away from the computer while on holiday, so no more posts for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how I will manage without my laptop - another reason to keep my hands busy.

The doctor prescribes sewing

It is challenge time again over on the Etsy UK team, and this month the theme is medicine. In keeping with last month's transforming pumpkin, I made a capsule shaped sewing kit and contents. I like things that are not what they seem - at least when it comes to crafts, anyway.


See all the great entries here.

Monkeying around

Today I made my first sock monkey. He is a crazy stripey thing, and number one is besotted. I now have to make another two for the others. Luckily the socks came in packs of six pairs!


If you want your own you can buy similar (but infinitely more professional) ones from the amazingly talented Siansbury's. Of course, family members can just ask nicely.

Time wasting anyone?

I am unfortunately, deeply, and utterly addicted to all things Etsy. This applies twenty-fold to the current contest they are running, here. It gives all Etsy users a chance to create their very own treasury list (a list of their personal favourites) - something that can be very elusive! I have submitted mine, but I am sure I won't be able to resist making a whole load more. Cleverly, they limit entries to one per person, otherwise I have no doubt that the inbox would be completely swamped within minutes!


click to enlarge.

This list is based around the theme 'hope', because that is what a lot of people have for Etsy. If you haven't looked already, check it out, and remember - buy handmade!

A room of my own

I am so happy today. After much persuasion and a fair amount of pleading, I finally have a corner of the house to call my own. We have taken away a little used spare bed, and I have filled the resulting space with shelves, boxes, and a big table.


I can't quite believe my luck, although I'm not sure any visitors will feel the same way.

At least they will have something to read.

Leave it all behind

Today was the end-of-school-year concert for number one. She is leaving her cuddly warm infant school and heading for the not quite so cuddly and warm, but nonetheless lovely, junior school next door. Needless to say there were tears all round.


It is at times like these that ice cream is a positive requirement. As a celebration for the children, and as a salve to advancing time for the parents.

Fabs for everyone, then.

Half done or half to go?

I am at the halfway point with my ocean ripple, finally, after many evenings spent rippling away, generating the mother of all repetitive strain injuries. I really love the way it is coming along - the colours work together even better than I had hoped, and it is already satisfyingly heavy to sit under. Luckily the weather has been pretty bad here, so I haven't been getting overheated while working away under 25 tons of cotton yarn.
So the question for the day - am I halfway there, or do I have half to go? Am I an optimist or a pessimist?
Contrary to my normal feelings, the glass is definitely half full on this one, although the sheer number of stitches to be completed does overwhelm me at times. The weather man promises more rain, so there is no excuse for not cozying up underneath and getting on with it.