Bits and Pieces



Sunday's fair

This week is half term week and it has been busy with the trips to the dentist, doctor and shopping. Pickle-Lily attended three fairs at the week-end, the one on Saturday was very quiet and disappointing, Sunday was super (took four orders for my name plaques)  and Monday very windy. Monday was outside, in gazebos and we had to pack up at about 1.30 pm as we were in danger of taking off and going to Oz!
We still have a visit to the grandparents, a sleepover, the Big Gig for P-L and Mr P-L and son are doing a rugby referee course, to fit in before it's back to school on Monday!

This is one of my new dies  for the Big Shot, which I am having great fun with - a ric rac die! I love felt ric rac and have been buying it ready made up till now, but with this new toy I can make my own in any colour I want now!!

Bit catcher and pin cushion

This is my last bit to share with you - a bit big! I had seen these around and really wanted to make one of my own and now I have! It is so handy to put next to the sewing machine or where I am sitting working! A weighted pin cushion and an open bag to put bits in - genuis, if I say so my self!!

Today I held a cockroach

Or to be exact a hissing cockroach, and stroked a beautiful rainbow boa snake and a rat called Flash.

yes - it is real!

Today, as part of the day job I visited Bristol Zoo. We had a great time, despite the weather, hail, wind, rain and even a little bit of sun. We used to visit it lots, when Pickle-Lily and her brother were younger. But sadly big brother became too sophisticated for such places and I hadn't been for a few years.
I met lion cubs, my favourite the red panda was having his breakfast when we arrived - and lots of dinosaurs. They were a huge hit, especially the ones that squirted you with water!


cool!








 

The best part for me - I am just really proud that I held that cockroach!

And another new idea

This week I was asked to create a name plaque out of felt for a little girl. Specific colours were required - rose pink and purple. The creative juices started flowing, and this is my finished make.

personalised name plaque

Not a brilliant photo, but it has been very overcast here today, but hopefully you can get an idea. All the letters are hand stitched on, which took me a fair while.

blanket stitched letters

I'm so pleased with it that I think I may add these to my repertoire. So I'm now working on a boy's version with a glittery star as the motif. My only problem is (the eternal one ) how much do I charge?

work in progress

 I'm planning to join in with Handmade Monday this week, and catch up with everyone over the week. Why don't you join in too?

An apple for the teacher

Here in Somerset the sun has been shining for the past few days and it has already made me think about the summer holidays and end of term.

Hand knitted in cotton

So. I've redesigned my teacher gifts for this year, although the apple cosy has stayed the same, as it is still popular.

Apple keyrings

New notebook design

I'm really pleased with this design, and I hope these will go down well on my Folksy shop.

Monday Mini Make

I love those pretty tape measures you see in John Lewis and Cath Kidston, but when I looked on Saturday they were £8 - yes £8!!! So I decided to make one for myself, well actually I made two.

mini tape measures

I bought, from my local friendly haberdashery shop, a little tape measure for £1.20. I cut out two circles of felt (mine were 7cm wide), I decorated them with pretty buttons and then I roughly stitched them together. I did this by sewing a running stitch around the edge of the circles and pulling it up round the edge.I did that for the second circle and then sewed them together. The coral measure was made first, but I decided I wanted it a little plumper, so the blue one had a little wadding between the tape measure and the felt, to pad it out a little.


I left a small slit for the tape to go through



sewn together

notice how my felt and buttons co-ordinate with the ribbon!

Then I carefully stitched some button ribbon around the outside to hide the join. I started and finished at the small gap I'd left for the end of the tape measure.


Finally, a small piece of ribbon with a button detail to add to the end of the measure.
I love them, and I can see these appearing in Christmas stockings this year - now how's that for organised!!!

b... b... b....

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5319451/?claim=ezztrthjzqu">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

B is for Bloglovin and as Google reader is saying good-bye in the summer, Bloglovin seems to be the one to be on now. It was very easy to 'import' the blogs I currently follow, and I do like the daily email of all the new posts on the blogs that arrives in my inbox. I had to paste the code in at the top to 'claim' my blog.


Beach hut key rings



 B is also for beach huts!
Finally the weather has improved enough for me to think about warmer and sunnier days and I ended up creating beach huts!
I really like the red, white and blue bright colours together, and I'm thinking about a more 'girlie' colour scheme next.
Brave ... I'm going to go and peg my washing out for the first time this year, because knowing my luck it'll rain!!!

Three Little Maids

Dolly Mixtures

This week I have been busy cleaning - and feeling very virtuous. We didn't use the oven until today as I was determined to keep it clean for as long as possible!
I've also made some Dolly Mixtures, but with a difference as they now come with a teeny tote bag each, and in that tote ...

Cherry, Blueberry and Rosehip

a pretty dress!
I've had a lovely time making these, as I've been exploring the embroidery stitches on my machine to decorate the dresses (which can also be worn as a long skirt!). So they really are mixtures now, as they can mix up their clothes!

Blueberry

Making these has made my feel like spring might be on its way! I shall enjoy reading everyone elses blog over on Handmade Monday - I wonder if spring will have crept in there as well?
I shall leave you with a picture of work in progress - I'm loving these as well! You might spot someone's feet in the corner!