A quick update

I really don't know how I did it!!!
This week has been the first full-time week I have done, in the same class, for over two years and I am shattered! It's not the teaching, I'm loving having my own class, it's all the other stuff - washing, ironing, cooking, the kid's social life... I just don't know how I did it before.
Fitting crafting in has been a real struggle. To be honest all I've been able to do is finish off two Dolly Mixtures for lady who wanted them for her grown-up daughters as a Christmas gift.

My fingers are itching and I have loads of ideas whirling around but everything needs to go on hold until I get better organised. I've put my Folksy shop on holiday and luckily I've no fairs booked for the rest of the month. This is good, as last week I was at an outdoor event with Pickle-Lily, we'd just set up and I was talking to a lady when she fainted, onto my table and sent the whole lot crashing to the ground! Luckily the lady was fine, but the folding table was badly damaged and I may have to get a new one, if Mr P-L can't mend it. Right back to marking!

More Geekiness

Happy Handmade Monday!!
After an absence (due to Sunday craft fairs) I can at last join in with Handmade Monday again and say hello to all the fabulous bloggers out there. If you would like to join in, please go and visit Wendy's fabulous Handmade Harbour page for all the fun.
I am now back at school, so crafting has slowed down - although the ironing mountain never seems to diminish! This week I have worked on some more 'Computer Geek' ideas. Last year I struggled for gifts for the men in my life, but after the success of the computer geek cushions I've added more to 'the range'!
Introducing ...



key - rings

 and ...

Note books

I'm rather hoping I can get away with giving these to all the men in my life for a while! They're also for sale in my Folksy shop, but no sales yet.
A short post as I have to get back to the ironing :(
Have a good week!

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.

Penguin tutorial

 

Penguins on parade


As many of you know Pickle-Lily's favourite animals are penguins and she is amassing quite a collection. A little while ago she asked me to create a penguin keyring (or it could be a Christmas tree decoration) for her.
Using the lovely patterned felt from Sew Sweet for their tummies I ended up with four! I shared the tutorial with Emma on Sew Sweet and she has published it today. So if you would like to make one or more visit her blog page.
Now we can't decide which one we like best!

Swanning around

Another week has gone by of the summer holidays - I can't believe it!
It's been a busy week, even though we haven't gone far. Son is back in a boot on his ankle and the weather has been rather wet here in the west.
On Friday Pickle-Lily and I decided to carry on with her swan hunt. The city of Wells, to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee created a swan trail of 60 very large swans, decorated by local artists and schools, and over the past months P has tried to see them all.

We have managed about 50 so far, they are all very different and we both have our favourites. If you do get a chance to visit Wells it is a great way to explore the city.

I also seem to have spent a lot of time cutting out - both felt and fabric, and making a lovely mess all over the floor!

P has helped by using the big shot to cut out lots of gingerbread men for me to use in the new kits I am creating for Christmas, and I couldn't help make some decorations as well!

 I know it seems rather early for the Christmas, but I just couldn't resist them!

I'm linking up with Handmade Monday again this week, and looking forward to visiting the crafty blogs on there. 

Have a lovely week! 

Gingerbread Men

Blueberries

Blueberry muffins

Last year I bought a rather sad looking blueberry bush from the reduced section in Homebase - I felt really sorry for it! I popped it into a pot and watered it occasionally and this is what happened ...

My reduced price plant!

I got blueberries! I have to admit my garden is really unloved this year, after all the rain lots of green grew into triffid proportions and none of my annual flower seeds came up. At the moment all I have is lavender and buddlia in my garden in flower, so I was amazed by these. Pickle-Lily picked them, I gave them a wash and made them into blueberry muffins this morning.
The recipe originally came from the lovely Helen at Made from Scratch who emailed it to me many moons ago. I tend to write recipes down on the back of old greeting cards that I particularly like, and then as with everything I do, amend it and usually simplify it, so it may not quite be your original recipe Helen. So here goes ....

You need

75g butter / sunflower margarine - melt in a pan on a low heat.

200g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb
2 teaspoons baking powder
75g of caster sugar - Mix these all together in a large bowl.

200ml milk
1 egg - mix these both together in a jug

the crop!!!!


 And blueberries - here I can not be too precise as I use a punnet from the shops or the bowl P had picked!

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well - it can be rather lumpy, but don't worry!
Add the blueberries and then share between 12 muffin cases.

Bake at 180C fan assisted for about 15 - 18 minutes.

Yum!!!
Son has eaten three already! On a news note he is now back in plaster as he went to cadet camp, lasted three days before he fractured his ankle (same one, same place) again, and Mr P-L had to drive all the way up to Stafford to collect him and bring him home early.
I am linking up with Handmade Monday this week, so go and visit all the other lovely blogs, I will! I wonder if there will be a baking theme as The Great British Bake Off is back on this week?

Now I know this is boasting ...

Photo by Unwin photography

But look at my little girl, she looks amazing!
Last Sunday she was a model at a vintage fashion show, and if I say so myself was brilliant!
there are more photo's on Flickr here.