Chocolate Chip Crumble Muffins

Chocolate Chip Crumble Muffins

 Just a quick post as I had to share these with you....
They are sooo good, especially eaten warm from the oven. I found the recipe on PuppyFly Boutique's blog and made a dozen big muffins and a dozen mini muffins from the recipe. The mini muffins are perfect for putting in a Pickle-Lily lunch box, the big muffins ... well there are only two left!

17

17 presents

OH at last I've worked out how to add captions to photos, all this time I've been writing my blog in 'Edit HTML' mode instead of compose, which lets me do all sorts of things - I am daft!

It was our babysitter's 17th birthday, so Pickle-Lily and I got together 17 (mostly) handmade presents. They were ...

• a finger of fudge - a finger of fudge is just enough to give the kids a treat (she looked at me very strangely when I sang it to her).
• smarties - got to have choccies on a birthday, and of course because only smarties know the answer.
• a flower drawing pin - from Paper and String
• a funky chicken - P calls her Mrs Chicken, inspired by After Hours ( I wanted to buy one from here, but couldn't organise it in time.)
• bath bombs
• bath confetti - both bought from some lovely ladies at Weare Street Fair.
• body butter
• soap - because you have to have smellies for a birthday gift.
• a painted birthday girl stone paperweight
• a painted slate decoration - both from a lovely lady I met at a fair, who sadly doesn't have a blog or website!
• a party popper
• a packet of lovehearts
• a pot of bubbles - you are never too old for bubbles!
• a phone sock from Pickle-Lily
• a felt keyring
• a student survival kit
• all in a pretty bag made by Pickle-Lily herself for Mrs Chicken!

We had great fun finding and making 17 little presents together.
Once again a big thank-you to Wendy for hosting / organising Handmade Monday.
Jo x

Spirit of Wells

I just love these pictures! Top one is P the bottom one is called 'Toothache'.

On Wednesday I was invited to the Spirit of Wells day with Pickle-Lily and the rest (well all 7 of them) of the year 6's at Wells Cathedral. It is something they do every year for all the church schools in the area, as a way of passing the end of primary school and looking forward to secondary. What a fantastic day, the weather, as now sadly seems to be the norm, was rubbish, the journey a little long winded (to avoid all the Glastonbury traffic) but we all had a fabulous time.

There were lots of different workshops to take part in, I did storytelling, drumming and being a cathedral guide with my group. The cathedral cat, Louis, casually strolled down the aisle during the opening worship as if to greet the children. The children sang their hearts out and at the end the organ filled the cathedral as they opened the big double doors at the front and everyone poured out onto the cathedral green. Even now I still get goosebumps remembering the emotion, the joy, the feeling of well-being as we left that incredible building.

I took lots of photos - of course! Including the gargoyles that just are everywhere, we were told that during the winter the workmen couldn't work on the exterior so they would create hundreds of gargoyles for the inside.

I do apologise for the quality of photos, but it was difficult taking them. I was also a very proud mum as P was chosen to carry the school banner. The other thing that was amazing, all the people of all ages, who gave up 6 days (it takes 6 days to accomodate all the schools) to help with the Spirit of Wells.

'Summer' 'Fairs'

This title should be Summer Fair, but I haven't worked out how to strike out in the title bar. Saturday was Cossington Country Fair, I should have realised how grotty it was going to be, as stall holders were packing up as I arrived! In between the downpours with very little, grumpy help from Pickle and lots of help from dad we put the gazebo and stall up. During the day the rain was so heavy at times it was coming through the roof, the gazebo was rocking and lifting in the wind and I did not like it! I wimped out at 2 o'clock and phoned for them to come and help me pack up! It was a shame as a lot of effort had gone into organising the day and if all the stalls had been there, would have been a great day out for the family. I do hope they raised lots of money for the Children's Hospice Southwest.

Sunday morning was an early start for Coldharbour Mill. A quiet day visitor wise but Pickle-Lily who came with me had a brilliant day. In the room next to the stalls a lady was demonstrating wet felt making, so P made a flat piece of felt, a felt string and three felt balls and is going to make them into a bag when she puts the spindle down.

The stall next to mine was Sara's Texture Crafts and it was full of beautiful wool in various stages. During the day she taught P and I how to spin using a wooden spindle. I, of course, bought a kit to spin some of my own yarn (lovely ice-cream colours), but Pickle-Lily has hogged it ever since Sunday, and is using the purple tops I got her for felting to spin and knit her own wool. She is knitting it straight off the spindle.

By the way, after turning the house upside down, I found the missing hoodie wrapped up inside her camp blanket, stuffed in a carrier bag. But I did find it!
Have a good day!
Jo x

Unbirthday Swap

I have just joined in with The Undomesticated Scientists Unbirthday Swop - who could resist with a title like that! Have a look on her blog - it looks great fun.

Hoodie hunt, Knit Club and other things ...

Sitting at the computer with a mug of steaming tea and two plain choccy biscuits means I can update my blog - before I get back to the great hoodie hunt.

I finished the bag and purse (my first commission) and my customer was really pleased with it, and has now ordered another one for someone else! I hand cut out and sewed on all the letters which took a while as I wanted them perfect.

The rest of the week has been spent looking for P's Guide hoodie, ironing (I was going to post an 'arty' phot of my ironing volcano but it was too depressing!) and making stock. I am doing two fairs this week-end, Cossington on Saturday and Coldharbour Mill on Sunday. Pickle-Lily is away with the Guides at Exeter on Saturday (which is why I am now turning the house upside down looking for the hoodie. The problem is none of us can actually remember when she wore it last, and when something like this happens I have to find it, I won't stop looking until I find it as it will annoy me until it is found.) So Pickle (big brother) and the P's dad have been volunteered to come and support me. I've no idea what to expect so watch this space... P is determined to come on Sunday, despite the early start, as there are supposed to be llamas at Coldharbour and she really wants to meet a llama (actually so do I).
This means I will miss Knit Club on Saturday. I love Knit Club - it is run by the lady who taught Kirstie Allsopp to knit. Suzie is great fun as are all the other ladies who go, and it's a chance to knit, drink tea, eat cake, chat and knit. It really soothes my soul. I love knitting and crafting - that's how Pickle-Lily came about (the stall not the girl!), when I stopped teaching full time, so many people encouraged me to make things and now sell them instead of giving them away. But Knit Club is also about the atmosphere and the friendliness as well. Hark at me wittering! So - I'll miss it tomorrow.
Anyway, tea finished, back to the hoody hunt.... I will find it!

Handmade Monday

I'd hoped to do Handmade Monday last week but Sky broadband was down all day and evening, so I didn't get time. I managed to pick up some work on Tuesday and spent the day with a delightful class in the Quantocks. Then the rest of the week was spent making stock for the fair on Saturday. Unfortunately not at all busy - too many village fairs going on around us I think.

Back to Handmade Monday - I promised Pickle-Lily last week that the next one would feature all the things she'd been making, and to be honest I'm feeling rather proud of her with all her crafting.

She is especially proud of the apron made on her sewing machine all by herself. it was put into use on Saturday as a money apron. Brilliant - playing shops in real life!

Now I must get back to finishing a commission for a friend, I hope to post it on here later this week.
Jox

Two good things!

First ..... I've made my first sale on Folksy, five apple for the teacher keyrings.

Second .... Caroline from redneedle sewinghas awarded me 'The Versatile Blogger' award

So now I have to ...
Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award.
Share 7 random things about yourself
Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won.
7 random things about myself
- I hate vinegar!
- I was an Akela in a Cub Scout Pack for about 20 years.
- I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 21.
- I want to learn to crochet.
- My favourite film is 'Bride and Predjuice' - the Bollywood version.
- I've been on holiday to Taiwan.
- I love Troll beads!
Now I would like to pass this award onto
Cuckoo at talesfromcuckooland
Keri at Bella-Boutique
Tina at Bella and the Moo
Wendy at 1stUniqueGifts
Little Cotton Rabbits
Suzie at The Wool Sanctuary
Louise at Sew Scrumptious

Phew done it!
Jo x

Shopping and teachers

On Wednesday Pickle-Lily and I took big brother shopping. He didn't want to go - but he had no choice1 I'm not really happy at leaving him alone for over a couple of hours - when he's plugged into the xbox he wouldn't notice the house burning around him, just think it was part of the game! I also said he could have the new Rick Riordan book if he came. Brilliant book, yes I know it's meant for kids but I read it in a day totally hooked!

Anyway, back to shopping, we went to the big shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway, he was fine in the first few shops we had to visit, we even went into Game and HMV for him, but it was John Lewis that was the problem! There is just sooo many lovely things to look at. I did suggest he went to the electrical department, but I don't think he trusted us timewise, that we'd take even longer. Still, armed with my list I went to haberdashery, again soooo many lovely things. P and I loved showing each other all we'd found as someone got crosser and crosser! Then we went to pay, and the queue was enornmous, around two walls of the department. Someone was now ready to explode and was muttering away. The problem was he was so funny, P and started to laugh and so did some other ladies in the queue. In the end I thanked him for entertaining us and suggested he waited by the escalators ready for a quick getaway! Then we went to Hobbycraft ... he stayed in the car with his book!

When we were in M&S P and I were looking at teacher cards and talking about a present for her teacher in July. So as I drove home the brain went to overdrive and this is what I spent Thursday and Friday creating...

Apple for the teacher keyring and notebook
(both are on Folksy if you're interested).

Folksy Friday

When I checked my emails this morning, I found a message from a lovely lady Jane Lightfoot. She has included my baking bags in her Folksy Friday. I am really excited as this means people are liking my things! A lovely website full of beautiful things including delicious looking cakes, as you know I love baking too and that coffee cake is saying 'bake me, bake me...'
Why not visit her?