Bath - Time

In one of the last few days of the holiday, Pickle-Lily and I hitched a lift with Mr P-L to Bath for the afternoon. We had a lovely time wandering around the shops, and must have walked miles!

First we found The Makery , much smaller than expected but full of pretty things.

The window was full of those little milk bottles that I used to have school milk in when I was small. Each one had something different in - buttons, ribbons .. and was tied with ribbon. So out of nostalgia I bought three! They are now sitting on my kitchen window waiting to be filled and every time I look at them I think of Miss Cass my infant teacher. I'm, also thinking they would look great filled with fairy lights at Christmas.

Do you remember these?

We also found the most amazing fabric shop - Country Threads Patchwork . Now this shop was an absolute surprise, it looks like a house from the outside, but inside ... I have never seen so many fabrics packed into two rooms. Literally floor to ceiling.

We had such a good time shopping and came back laden with goodies, including new outfits for P so she was very happy. If you ever go to Bath I can recommend these two shops.

This week has been very busy with getting back to school for all three of us, and today is my last day of 'freedom' as I am working full-time up until half-term, this could be a real shock to the system! Luckily Mr P-L can work from home and so will be about at times and can hopefully do all the doctors appointments and staff meeting afternoons. It does mean not so much crafting time, but I'm sure I'll sneak some in!

One final thing to share today ...

Made by Pickle-Lily

My beautiful birthday cake made by Pickle-Lily herself!

Have a good week-end.

Geek cushions

Can you guess what it is yet?

Monday 23rd is Mr PL's birthday and Pickle-Lily and I hatched a plan, a very cunning plan for a present. Some time ago Mr PL admired the computer key cushions on Walden's sofa in 'Two and a Half Men' tv programme. So P and I have made him some!. We used grey wool mix felt from John Lewis to make three envelope style cushions and I cut out Alt, Ctrl and Delete from black felt and blanket stitched them on.



Computer key cushions

So a great present for any computer fan! We have now decided that we can make one for Grandad for his birthday and that you could use text speak as a teenager gift!
I will visit all the other blogs at Handmade Monday this week, so why don't you? I'll be announcing the winner of the Surprise, Surprise giveaway in the next couple of days, it is open until midnight on Mr PL's birthday.

Best Sellers

The geraniums are looking bright!

Hello to another wet and wild day here in Somerset. It's been a funny old week here busy with family life and consequently not much crafting going on and I really miss it! Yesterday was P's birthday - she had lots of crafty type presents and a huge chocolate cake (most of which is now gone!) and spent the evening sewing a cushion and then went to her tap lesson. Her dancing school are doing a show in the autumn and her tap class are doing a stomp number, it sounds like a great deal of fun and I'd quite like to have a go myself!

This is one of her presents - I want one too!

Today I am trying to finish off lots of things - some Union flag baking bags and baby bunting kits.
 A little while ago Fiddly Fingers asked me what my best sellers were. Now to be honest I haven't kept track of how many of things I'd sold, but rather did a stock take type approach of topping up items as they sold. I know all the seasoned craft sellers are now probably tutting and shaking their heads - so I started a simple tally chart of my sales.
My best sellers are ... Lucky dips!!! I started these as at many fairs, children come clutching a pound coin of their very own to spend and there was not much around for them to spend it on. So P and I now wrap up little parcels for little people to spend their pounds on, and they love it! We don't 'make money' on these, but it also means lots of adults look at the stall while their child is choosing and I can often make a sale as well!


Baby Blossom Bunting kit



Red, white and blue owls with baby bunting in the background.

The other best seller (at the moment) are the baby bunting kits. I made four up as a trial run last week-end, and sold them all, so I have spent evenings cutting out felt flowers to make up another set for this week-end. I've also created a red, white and blue version for all the summer's festivities and thought it would be more manly as well.
I have also been given two blogger awards! So firstly thank-you to Christmas Pie Crafts and Fiddly Fingers for the Versatile Blogger Award. I now need to pass this award on ..... I think this will have to be a whole post of its own, so watch this space ... as I have to chose fifteen blogs!
But I'm going to finish this post with

Happy Birthday P!

Hot Water

Good morning everyone
Especially if you are visiting from Wendy at Handmade Monday .
Not much to report this week on the crafting front as I had four fairs booked and managed to teach everyday.
Unfortunately when I woke up on Sunday morning, bright and early to go to the day's event, I discovered that the hot water tank in the airing cupboard was leaking and all the old towels I stored on the floor in there were absolutley soaking wet! So I spent Sunday waiting for the gas man to arrive (we have one of those home breaksown plans, thank goodness). We need a new hot water cylinder and it can't be fitted until Thursday. I now realise how lucky I am to have hot water on tap and how many times in the day I use it. We are having baths by filling the bath using the kettle, it is incredible how many kettles full of hot water it takes for a couple of inches of bath water! Roll on Thursday!
So to finish off, why not enter my Birthday Giveaway before you leave!

Birthday Giveaway

Jo x

Birthday Giveaway

A year and exactly 100 posts has now gone by in the life of Pickle-Lily, so it is time for a giveaway!

Giveaway Goodies

You could win ...

• a spring coloured fat quarter
• 4m of co-ordinating ribbons - the daisy ribbon is lovely!
• a daisy votive holder
• five balls of white fluffy yarn
• and a chocolate bunny

All you need to do is....


Follow my blog and then leave a comment to say you have done this. If you are already a follower (thank you) please just leave me a comment.

For extra chances to win you can....

'Like' me on my Facebook page and leave a comment on my blog and on my facebook page to let me know you have done this. If you already 'like' my FB page then please just leave a comment here and FB!

If you would like to blog about my giveaway this will give you another entry. Again leave me another comment here on my blog.

Please ensure that I am able to contact you.


I will keep this giveaway open until March 16th when I will then put all names into a hat and get Pickle-Lily to choose a winner!


I will post internationally so all welcome to enter.

Jo x
P.S. I thought you might enjoy my entry photo for the teacher's reading competiotion at school for Book Week!

Not very flattering!

The giveaway is now closed.

Drawing bags

One of my 'best sellers' have been baking bags. These are a little cotton shopping or storage bag with an apron, recipe card, cake cases, rolling pin, wooden spoon, whisk and a cookie cutter.

Baking bag

I've made them in all sorts of fabrics and hopefully they'll continue to do well. Last week Pickle-Lily and I created our newest product - Drawing bags. These are a cotton bag with a packet of pencils, sketch pad, palette of paints and a choice of felt pencil case with a pencil set in it. I'm hoping they will appeal as presents or something to take in the car or just for storing all those arty bits in.

Great fabric for the bag!

Some of the pencil case designs.

I've got quite a few events lined up this week, for some reaon they've all fallen together, so I will see how they sell.
Now for something different, I have realised it is our first birthday and the next post will be the 100th, so for the next post we will have a Birthday Giveaway! P and I are busy creating a party bag for the lucky winner, so watch out for the next post.
Inbetween this all I will be visiting all the blogs over at Wendy's Handmade Monday - it usually takes me all week, but I enjoy the later visits as I get to read 'more' blog if that makes sense!
Have a good week!
Jo x

Unbirthday Swap

My unbirthday present!



Check out the cute button.



This morning the postman delivered a parcel. It was my unbirthday swap from the lovely Gill at Dosie Rosie. This is a swap organised by the Undomesticated Scientist and Gill and my parcels travelled from the east coast to the west coasr!

In my parcel - which Pickle-Lily had to open as well - was a lovely bar of Norfolk lavender soap, a very pretty shopping design fat quarter, a bar of yummy chocolate, some pretty stickers (I've hid them already!), some lovely smellies, a lovely little zip up purse and a lovely wallet with cute little dog button detail on it.

P has already laid claim to this! I'm a real push-over at the moment as she is moping around with me. Still I've managed to move her hospital appointment forward as she didn't get to go to camp.

Detail from the card

There was of course an unbirthday card to go with the swap.

Gill is a very clever lady.

Happy Birthday!!!

Today is P's birthday.
She spent the first part at the MIU having her arm x-rayed (we were there at 7.45 am!) so present opening is now this evening. It was good that we went so early, as we left at 9 am there wasn't an empty seat in the waiting room.
But two lots of good news ....
It isn't broken - so no more cast! Yipee!
and ....
We won the Bella Boutique giveaway!
Thank-you very much Bella Boutique!