July 31, 2006

Weekend Frolics

This weekend was spent sleeping a lot (yes I still have pregnancy narcalepsy), painting, dancing in the rain, going to the cinema and sorting out for the imminent arrival of number 2. When I say imminent I know I still have 3 months to go but after bringing down the first 6 months of Emily's clothes I realise what a mammoth sorting, washing and cleaning task I have ahead of me. that is without all the accompanying things such as bibs, cloths, sheets, pram, toys etc etc. But it has warmed my heart washing the ickle tiny clothes and seeing them hanging to dry. I am finally able to get a bit excited about it all. I know that sounds a bit bad, but what with feeling exhausted all the time and running around after Em I haven't had much time to focus on junior.

We have also been learning about colour mixing and painting within lines. I am all for Emily having total freedom when it comes to creativity as I want her to explore and not be stifled. But I realise that she still needs a little direction and once she has learnt she can be free again. Normally she mixes every colour together until she gets a lovely muddy brown so we got out a few tubs and had an exercise in colour mixing and learning new colours. She really loved it. So now I am going to have a few more structured sessions with her as well, find some projects and work on them rather than complete random play. This can only help to develop her focus and understanding.

Also check out the crayon cookies over at Kiddley! Maybe I am out of the loop and this is an old thing to do but it is such a great idea and one that I will be saving our crayon stubs for! Why I don't have Kiddley on my blogroll I don't know, but then there are a few great sites I don't have on there...some updating is required I think.

Posted by Maxine at 10:23 AM | Comments (4)

Latest Scores

I picked up these bits and pieces last week, partly from a car boot sale and partly from Oxfam. I couldn't believe it when I saw this basket for 50p! I know it sounds weird but before I went to the sale I had this image in my head of finding a cooking basket - the kind that Red Riding Hood carries if you know what I mean. So when I saw this you can just imagine! I snapped it up straight away. It will be perfect to hold all my sewing bits and pieces, as my sewing box is overspilling and everything is a mess.

I also picked up a wonderful green wool blanket and that grey-blue velvet, which I think will have to be used for softies and maybe even more purses. Although I can't knit that well (I certainly can't follow patterns) I got a great Rowan pattern book and some lovely cerise wool, which has been sent to my friend Sally. I kept a few balls for myself to see if I could knit maybe a couple of corsages and a skinny scarf - it'll not be that pretty just straight knitting but I kinda fancy giving it a go. I am sure Sally will create something wonderful.

You know, I have also missed another whole thrift score from a couple of weeks ago, but I think I will have to see whether I can be bothered to post about it now! It seems a bit late. Needless to say I got a whole lot of fabric plus an embroidery hoop!

Posted by Maxine at 09:57 AM | Comments (1)

July 28, 2006

Book Swap Anyone?

I was just having a sort out and clearing some stuff of my bookshelves and thought it might be a good idea to see if anyone is interested in joining in on a book swap. It would just be a case of exchanging books that you have already read for something you haven't read. This should probably be restricted to paperbacks as we don't want to spend a fortune on postage!

I will be getting rid of some of my books either way but I thought it might be nice to see if anyone is interested in doing this before I do. Let me know in the comments if you are and if so we can go from there.

Posted by Maxine at 02:37 PM | Comments (6)

July 27, 2006

Mosaic Night

This weeks crafty night was a day early as Susan is busy doing a mural at Belfast City Hospital (hopefully she will put pics up on her blog soon to show you just how wonderful it is!). As part of the mural she is doing a 'William Morris' inspired mosaic of birds and flowers as you can see from the image above. So what better for a craft night than to combine the two and have a night experimenting with mosaic.

As you can see I worked on some smaller pieces, partly to experiment and partly to use up some mosaic tiles I have had sitting around for years. I had a great night. It was so satisfying working on something different and I used simple shapes so as not to over complicate it. Susan devised a method of making a mould in order to use cement for the tile itself. The process is wonderfully simple and sparked many ideas, such as using found objects, buttons and beads instead of tiles. You can see my pieces after they have set above and the final result is trial and error as the leaf shape didn't work too well. They are not completely finished, I still have to clean them up and apply an acrylic wash over them so the cement is not so harsh looking.

Altogether a satisfying night!

Posted by Maxine at 09:07 PM | Comments (2)

Getting Things Finished

So many people around the crafting blog community are taking part in 'Work in Progress Friday' and I have thought about it each week but I seriously have that much I would need to be 'Work in Progress Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday' so I never take part! But I had a burst of energy the other night and decided to try finishing off a few things. The first was the monkey purses, which I had cut out ready to go. Two of these are now accounted for but I still haven't sold anything on Etsy. I am trying not to let this bother me too much as the last thing I need is to start getting paranoid and down on myself, but it would obviously be nice to make one little sale! I will keep on with though as it is early days and I have lots more things I could put in there such as, more bags, more purses, aprons and my prints to name a few.

I also put together a couple of drawstring bags for an order that I am way behind on. I still have to get the ribbon to finish off the drawstring part, but at least the bags are made. I have also been asked to make a matching belt for the bag, which could be cute so I also have to think about this too.

But sadly this project I couldn't finish. Just as I suspected the wool, when folded together is much too thick for my machine. I still intend to finish it somehow as I think the end result could be really nice. So before I result to dodgy hand sewing does anyone have any advice? Is it possible to get a shorter needle/foot or will sewing this potentially wreck my machine?

Posted by Maxine at 12:52 PM | Comments (4)

Shopping Game

I bought this Shopping List Game from a car boot sale a couple of weeks ago for 50p and it is most definitely money well spent. This is now Emily's favourite game and she gets it out at every available opportunity.

Basically everyone gets a shopping trolley and shopping list and the rest of the counters, which are items from the lists are placed face down. The object of the game is to find the items on your list and fill your trolley. Simple fun. I don't know how old this game is, but if anyone comes across it I would definitely recommend it.

Posted by Maxine at 12:12 PM | Comments (2)

July 23, 2006

Look What I Got!

Look what I got in the mail yesterday - how exciting is that!? I missed the first round of pattern books but as soon as Hillary reprinted them I placed my order. She makes such wonderful things and her design and presentation of everything is just lovely. It was her blog (and Loobylu) which inspired me in the first place to start a blog of my own and she has been an inspiration ever since.

I am not very good at following patterns or at making softies for that matter, but I sure am going to give these cuties a try - I just hope I don't botch them up! Even W said he is tempted to make one, which is just fantastic! I would love him to have a crafty night with me sometime, it would certainly be a change. I bet he would be great too heehee.

Posted by Maxine at 11:35 PM | Comments (5)

A Big Welcome To My Lovely Friend Sal

Finally my lovely friend Sally has started her very own blog. I am so excited that she has because it means that not only can I keep up to date with what is happening in her life but I can also check out her wonderful knitting and gardening! You should see her fantastic veggie patch, it is incredible - they practically never have to shop for veggies as they have plenty in their garden to feed them and their neighbours! It would be wonderful to have space and dedication to to provide your own food.

So check out Sallys blog and be sure to leave her a comment!

Welcome to blogland Sal! Sorry I didn't get you a mention earlier but I was just waiting for you to settle in. :) x

Posted by Maxine at 09:08 AM | Comments (1)

July 21, 2006

Sock-Monkey Purse

I was so excited when I got this cheeky fabric and finally I have made something with it. 5 little naughty sock-monkey purses, the outside is made from felted wool and it has a snap closure. I am really pleased with these and I will definitely be keeping one for myself!

I am surprised I managed to get anything made with how tired I have been feeling. The doctor gave me some iron tablets yesterday so hopefully these will kick in and start boosting my energy. I still don't like the idea of taking anything so I am just going to take them for a while and see how it goes.

If you would like some cheeky monkeys looking after your money, the purses are now available in my etsy shop! :)

Posted by Maxine at 01:57 PM | Comments (6)

July 18, 2006

I Love Summer

Just look at my sunflower?! This makes me so happy I can't tell you. Although I didn't grow it completely from seed (thanks to Karen) I did nurture it to its current full glory and its really cheering up my otherwise barren back garden.

As you can see I am also finally starting to see some results from the tomatoes too. I am really developing a passion for growing stuff, especially the edible things! Thanks for your all of your inspiration and contribution to my small patch of loveliness Karen & Sal!

Posted by Maxine at 08:46 AM | Comments (4)

July 16, 2006

Fun in the Sun & Feeling Exhausted

The past week and a half has been really hard work. I am realising that I have entered another extremely exhausted phase in my pregnancy (I remember it well from the last time). You think you have turned a corner and are starting to feel more like yourself again then like a slap in the face the tiredness hits you again. This is the most frustrating thing about pregnancy for me because I am such a busy body and always have things I want to do, even if its boring domestic chores. But I can hardly walk upstairs without having to have a lie down afterwards and I just want to sleep all the time. It is doing my head in let me tell you.

W has been off all week thankfully, so he has been great, taking over with Em and generally looking after me - complete with scrummy homemade pancakes with bacon and maple syrup this morning - YUM. But I feel sorry for Emily, when she asks me to go with her to do something or just when she wants to play and all I can say is 'in a minute sweetie'. So yesterday as the day was a scorcher, W blew up the paddling pool in the front garden (not very private but our back garden needs a total overhaul and is covered in stones and nettles, so not good for paddling). He pushed the bench up next to the pool and Em splashed away while I sat with my feet in it. She had a ball, especially when we turned the hose on her and she squealed with delight. It made me much happier to see her having some fun and eased my guilt a little.

Sleeping has also started to become a problem as I am feeling so uncomfortable and to top it off this morning Emily decided to come into our room at 5am. She got into our bed, along with her stickers and this is what my leg looked like this morning when I got up. My resistance is so low she could've painted me and I would've just lay there!

So folks if you don't see much posting around for a while then you know why. Also for all you friends out there I am sorry I have been a bit rubbish on the contact front but I will make it up soon. x

Posted by Maxine at 08:34 PM | Comments (2)

Labels

I finally got my very own labels! I find this very exciting and feel like attaching them to everything. W reckoned I should attach one to Emily as she was also 'lovingly handmade!'. I have only hand sewn this one in, as I couldn't wait and getting the sewing machine out was going to take far too long and I just wanted to see it in place now!

I am really pleased with how they turned out and they were very reasonably priced too. I think the baby blue is fast becoming my signature colour. I can't wait to get using them properly.

Posted by Maxine at 08:28 PM | Comments (6)

July 14, 2006

Monkeys are Lovely!

Just look at this totally amazing fabric that Sara sent me! This is only a snippet, I am almost too scared to use it until I find the perfect project. If there is one thing I can't resist its monkeys, especially sock monkeys! You just can't get fabric like that over here so I was so excited to receive it. Thanks Sara!

I am such a bad girl and I have had Sara's fabric sitting here all week (and more) to post, but with one thing and another, as well as the post being closed most of this week I still haven't managed it. I promise to get it mailed next week!

On a separate note I seem to be getting a bit behind with things. I realise that I haven't posted about a big fabric thrift score i got a few weeks ago, I still have late birthday gifts to send (plus swaps), I have a zillion projects that I want to do with no energy to do it, I spent two days this week spring cleaning my kitchen with the rest of the house falling apart (is this the start of the nesting kicking in? hmmm a bit early) and the following day laid up on the sofa because I did too much 'in my present condition'. Also, I am not kidding, one day last week, while I was in Dundee I got over 200 spam comments! 200!!!! W has now put a stop on new comments on really old posts to try and stop the spam, so if you have commented and it doesn't appear please let me know.

Posted by Maxine at 09:32 PM | Comments (1)

July 12, 2006

Another Night Crafting

This is a bit late, like a few other posts that will be happening shortly! As you can see we had quite a good night crafting last Thursday. We decided to make it a 'make things from wool blankets' night. There really is so much scope when working with a good felted wool.

Susan decided that she was going to make a softie pig as she had a pink wool blanket. I thought she was very brave considering that she was new to the whole sewing thing, she certainly dived in there at the deep end. I made a simple tote and matching purse, using some of the lovely fabric I received recently to decorate the front in a simple patchwork style. I am very pleased with the result of this and I think I will have to make a few more of them for the shop!

Posted by Maxine at 05:09 PM | Comments (2)

Trip to Dundee

Last weekend we took a trip to see our lovely friends Sally and Paul in Dundee. The journey took us on a ferry crossing of 1.5 hours and a further drive of almost 6 hours - although we did stop for a picnic in a castle for and hour and a half on the way. Emily was so good in the back of the car and didn't complain once, it was great.

As you can see from the photos we had lots of fun, you can see a few more photos here but apparently I have reached my upload quota for this month on Flickr so I couldn't get them all up (hmm I really don't like flickr, its so cumbersome and takes AGES to upload). I even went on the teacups with Emily at the fair, its so great having kids to have an excuse for doing things like that!

I have to say, the thing that warmed the cockles of my heart the most was seeing Emily playing in their garden. Especially helping Sally harvest some of the vegetables - picking potatoes, carrots and peas and eating wild strawberries as she went along. That to me is what life is all about. In fact the house next door to them is for sale and we spent the first day being tempted by it - not that its at all feasible but the idea just seems wonderful.

But back to the real world and despite our teeny weeny back yard, next year we are determined to get some big planters to try and produce some veggies ourselves. Also you should see the wonderful things Sal has been knitting, we have to try and talk her into a blog so she can share all of her wonderful creations.

Posted by Maxine at 10:12 AM | Comments (1)

July 05, 2006

A Little Girls Birthday

I am over a week late getting this to our friends daughter, Cordelia. I wanted to make her something but I just didn't seem to get the time last week. So here it is finally made. I am loving using this Holly Hobbie fabric, as you have probably guessed from the various things I have been making and I suppose it is good to use what I have available.

I am really pleased with this little set. I wasn't too sure about the name on it at first but it is growing on me. I added a little ribbon around the wooden spoon and I was gonna fill the bag with cookie cutters and cake sprinkles. I have yet to find these goodies so it will inevitably be another week before it reaches its destination. Hope it is worth the wait!

Oh and thank you for you kind comments about my shop! :)

Posted by Maxine at 10:53 AM | Comments (6)

July 04, 2006

Up and Running

Well I have finally managed to put a couple of things up on Etsy, after the initial problems. The photos are ok but not perfect by any means, but today I figured that I should consider this much progress positively as trying to get anything done with a demanding hyper (but lovely) 2 and a half year old is near impossible. Most evenings I am good for nothing and could sleep as soon as Emily is in bed too. How do those super crafty moms do it?!

There is not much on at the moment, just my corsages, a couple of bags and purses. But go ahead and check out my shop, I will keep updating it when I get the time.

Posted by Maxine at 07:52 PM | Comments (4)

July 03, 2006

Is it My Birthday?

Seriously, I have been receiving so many packages lately that it really does feel like my birthday. It is so exciting receiving something in the mail, especially as the days of writing letters to friends are almost gone with email being so handy. There is nothing better than getting something more tangible and there is certainly nothing more thrilling than finding out what's in the surprise package!

I got this wonderful and very generous package from Jenn, as a swap for some of my fabric. Thank you so much Jenn, you really out did yourself! Just look at the wonderful fabric she sent and wow all that embroidery floss! Not to mention the fabulous little pins - the crochet bunny pin is so cute - you can check out her Etsy shop for more cuties.

This parcel was just so lovely to receive, Cynthia is such a sweetie and sent out a bunch of stuff to different people to celebrate her blog birthday. No return parcels required. I was one of the lucky ones to get more of her lovely goodies - just check out that cheeky card - I know who I'll be sending that too! I filled that pouch up with my spare change to go thrifting on the weekend, but I am sure it will get better use than that soon. Thank you so much Cynthia, it was a wonderful and thoughtful gesture to your readers!

Honestly I have so many new bits of fabric that I don't know how I am going to find time to make good use of them all!!

Oh and on a separate note, I managed to get one of my Etsy accounts fixed, so hopefully I will get organized and add a few things soon. But it really will be just a few things until I get myself in gear and start making more things!

Posted by Maxine at 11:11 AM | Comments (6)