Dotty about Spots



Love that bag!

 This week has had rather a spotty theme to it! I've treated myself to a new handbag for winter from the lovely Nicky at Love that Bag!


I've also made up lots of  kits, using the dotty bags that Becky from Dots and Spots supplies, as opposed to the old plain bags. I think they look brilliant if I say so myself!

Spotty bags

We also had to have a new kettle as the old ones switch had stopped working. and it was good-bye to the old spotty kettle and hello to the new!

Pickle-Lily and I have been busy making things for next week-end, as we have some really lovely events that we are looking forward to.
Saturday we are at Mells, for Christmas in the Barn . P and I visited it in the spring for their spring event and it was such a super event. Full of beautiful things to buy (which we did) and a gorgeous location. This Christmas we have been lucky enough to be invited as sellers and we are so looking forward to it!
Sunday I am at Exeter Castle for the Craft Hub's Christmas Craft Jam, another amazing location and it will be full of beautiful things to spend my pennies on!
Finally, Monday is the amazing Blackmore Farm Christmas shopping event. I was lucky enough to be there last year and have been invited back this year.
Today is Stir-up Sunday, the day when traditionally you make your Christmas pudding, and we have made ours today. A handy cooking tip - don't use your finger to clear the blender when making bread crumbs and then switch it on! It doesn't do fingers or blenders any good!
I'm off to check the water in the pudding pan, but should be back later in the week. In the meantime why not visit Handmade Monday and see what all the other bloggers have been up to?

Summer of Love

Photo from The Craft Hub

It's 5.30 in the morning and I am sitting here writing my blog! Life has been so busy that this seems to be the only time to fit something else in!

In the Pickle-Lily household we have had poorly children (the latest virus doing it's rounds) - I had forgotten how much sleep deprivation really knocks you, probably why I can't sleep now! At some points it has  felt like we were backing in 'teething times'!

School life has been very busy, I've been driving between schools in some lunch times and turning work down as I was already booked! I also had a couple of interviews, and the result is I have been offered a permanent post (teachers out there will appreciate that these are rarer than hen's teeth) for two days a week - brilliant news, exactly what I was hoping for!

On the crafting front, there have been lots of fairs of differing sorts - school, village and street!  Some have been very quiet, lots of people looking but not buying, some have been wet (thank goodness I invested in a proper gazebo this year), some have been scary - a street fair where the wind was sailing my gazebo along the tarmac - and some brilliant!

Picture from The Craft Hub

I had a great Sunday at The Summer of Love with The Craft Hub where I met some lovely people - and treated myself to some lovely hand cream from Aromatika, visitors would come wafting in after trying the free samples. I wish this was interactive so you could smell it too! P sold some cushions and tidgy totes so she was very happy and we bought lots of yummy cakes and cookies from Kiss and Bake up. I am now looking forward to their Christmas event. Thanks Pip and Hannah for a very well organised and supported event!

It has also been very busy in my Folksy shop as some of my goodies were featured in the Teacher's gift guide and I have been visiting the post office every day! But I am not complaining!

What new things have I been up to?

Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been?

A friend asked me for a cat keyring as a gift and after much cutting out - I like to cut out paper patterns, re-cut and trim when I'm being creative (very messy!), here is my cat! I'm now making them in lots of lovely cat like colours and then will add them to needle cases and note books and hopefully make little ones as brooches, as there are lots of cat lovers out there!

Hopefully - life will be a little more routine this week - I have a Family Fun Day to start getting ready for today (I'm hoping the BBC weather is right - there are these funny yellow circles on the page!) and I can knit and sew during the week! I also want to visit all the other blogs over on Handmade Monday - I have really missed visiting blogland and want to catch up with everyone!

Jo