Sleepy...

Yesterday was the last day at work for a friend of mine, so I went to his leaving meal and drinks last night - had an excellent time, but have been sooo tired at work today!  31 is clearly too old for going out on a work night - worth it, though!


Something tells me it won't be a very productive evening tonight!  Although, I did receive this in the post today...

What on earth is that?!  Dried lavender!  I ordered it about a week and a half ago and it finally came today - I haven't been having much luck with receiving post lately!!


Well... it's not a very pretty picture, but soon I should be able to show you what I am using it for - and hopefully that will be a pretty picture!


Also... I just wanted to say:

• Thank you to those of you who follow my blog - those who've been following since nearly the beginning (which wasn't that long ago really!) and those of you who have started following more recently - it's so lovely to know that you are all interested in my crafting!

• Thanks for all the answers to my boring post yesterday - they were good to know!

• Finally... thanks for all the lovely comments on my African Flower hanging!  They are really appreciated!

No more about the African Flowers... ;o) but here is a random picture of some cut-off ends (for no particular reason except that it looks colourful!) and you may recognise those colours...  hehe!

Bye for now...

Quick Boring 'Layout' Question for my Readers...

Just a quick one...

Last night I published my post showing the African Flower hanging and the layout all looked right on my home laptop.  When I got to work today and popped in for a quick look on my work laptop (because I'm addicted!) two of the pictures were side by side - with one of them overlapping into the Blog Archive list on the right hand side.  That isn't how it looked at home!  Very annoying!

I've now edited the post so that it looks right at work (when I get home... who knows how it will look!)

I was just wandering how it appeared on everyone else's screens last night?  Was the layout right, or were two pictures side by side with one overlapping into the right hand column?

One other question... when I edit posts do they appear in your Reading List again?  That could be annoying if the same post keeps re-appearing because I keep editing it!

Thanks!  (And sorry for the boring post - I just had to know!)

What did I turn my African Flowers into...?

I made an African Flower with the extra two double-crochet borders around... and this is the result...

In total I have made this big one, and five smaller ones...

Five lovely African Flowers...

 

Don't they look pretty...?

Put all six together, with a few beads...

... and you get a lovely African Flower Hanging!

That big flower at the top is hiding a crack in the corner of the mirror, which has annoyed me since I moved into my flat.  Well, it only took me five years to sort... but now it is hidden with this lovely hanging!  Yay!!

The pictures of the hanging aren't the best, as virtually no light ever gets into my dingy flat!  Usually I take my crafty bits to windowsills to try to get some light on them... but I couldn't bring any light into my hall I'm afraid!

I can't claim credit for this idea... I spotted it on Meme Rose's lovely blog, here.  Although, her hanging is not covering any unsightly mirror cracks and is in an utterly beautiful home I could only dream of!

My next post will not be about African Flowers - I think I've done this to death now!  I do so love them, but I don't want you all getting bored!

African Flower - How To

Thanks for all the lovely comments about my African Flower!  It now has some friends...!

To The Krafty Cupcake and B... give crocheting a go!  I struggled a bit with it at first, but once you practise a bit, it does start to make sense.  My Swedish friend, Anna, is brilliant at crocheting and she got me started on it.  It does help to have someone with you to show you what to do, but there are some great tutorials online.


Heidi Bears is brilliant - really detailed step by step instructions with clear pictures:


Chain Stitch and Single Crochet
Double Crochet


Those are the only stitches you need to be able to make this African Flower, which is actually really easy... especially using Heidi Bears' African Flower tutorial!  For Kandi, this is the tutorial I used (I meant to refer to it yesterday, but forgot!):


African Flower Tutorial


I only crocheted up to a point - I didn't do the extra borders round the flower.  This pattern is so easy to follow (even for a novice like me), with such clear pictures, that I recommend you all give it a try!!  You'll get addicted - I am now considering how many different things I can make with them - cushions, throws... the list goes on!


For those who need a bit more incentive to start crocheting...

Wouldn't it be worth it just to own a set of these colourful crochet hooks?!  Ordered Friday afternoon off ebay, arrived on Saturday - excellent!  Hopefully I am now prepared for every crocheting eventuality!

Colourful fun!

African Flower Crochet

I must be addicted to Blogger - I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself with it being down lately!  Looks like my last post has finally re-appeared, although the comment is missing.


Well, I've had a little go at crocheting an African Flower - and I love it!

So pretty!  I love the colours!

I will definitely be making more of these!

Hanging Bunny

This is something I've been meaning to put on here since the felt-egg-making mania (for my Easter Tree).  As I mentioned previously, there was a bit of an egg-making craze amongst some of us girls at work, and my Canadian friend Dawn made this cute version:

She adapted the egg shape, by adding ears, and embroidered features to make this cute little bunny!

I planned to copy the idea (as it looks so good!) and make some of my own, so was going to show this as the source of my inspiration when I presented mine... but time ran out and I didn't make any!

The little bunny deserves a bit of limelight, though... so here it is!

Now, onto answer how I made my new header...  I was thinking about what I wanted, and just started playing around in Word to get some ideas.

• I inserted a few of my photos into Word and adjusted the sizes, arranged them etc to see what I could come up with.
• I ended up liking what I'd done with my playing around, and wanted to use it!  So I selected all the pictures that made the arrangement and used the group function in Word to make them one picture.
• There is no way (that I know of) to save something from Word as a picture, so I copied what I had and pasted into Publisher.
• From Publisher I could right click and save as a picture.
• I then uploaded the picture as my header in Blogger.  (Although I had to keep going back to the picture and re-sizing it in Picture Manager until it was the right width for my blog - a bit of trial and error!)

I'm sure there are many far simpler ways of doing it than this - I tend to do everything in the most long-winded way!

I need to get back to showing more pictures of my crafting - these last posts have been pictures of other people's crafting!  I've been making quite a bit, but they've been presents/cards for people so I need to wait until they've got them before I show them here!  Hopefully soon!

Cath Kidston Shoulder Bag

Look...!

Wow... I'm so fast!  Cath Kidston bag made already?!  But no... this is one that my little Mum has made, and sent me pics of!  She also bought the book, but didn't have the palaver I had in receiving it!

She added polka-dot lining (it doesn't come with the lining fabric)...



Isn't it great?!  Well done Mum!

I'm off out to a fancy-pants 3-course meal with Rohan and friends - due to a brilliant Groupon deal!  (Always searching for a bargain!)

Mmmmm scrummy food...!!

Oh, and thanks for all the lovely comments about my new header!  I've been asked how I did it - so I shall reveal all tomorrow!  (It's not very complicated, and there are probably better ways of doing it.  I just kind of cobbled it together, but it seems to have worked!) 

The food is calling me... I need to get ready!

New Header

I've changed my header - what do you think?!

Now I'm off to see if I can fit in a bit of crafting before Cougar Town at 8pm - I LOVE that program!

Cast of Cougar Town

I think I'll accompany it with some chocolate...

Excellent!

Finally!

Finally my Cath Kidston book 'Sew!' arrived today!  Something to cheer up a Monday back at work... and the start of the first 5 day week I've done for a while, what with all the bank holidays - this week is going to feel long!


I don't think I'll start work on anything from the book tonight - I've got other things in progress!  (Yes, after all my impatience, I'm not even going to make anything straight away!)

Rohan is away for work tonight, so I'm home alone.  Plenty of time for crafting then!  Although, I'm feeling a bit lazy so may end up just sitting around, reading through the book, and watching TV.  Maybe I can find a nice chick-flick to watch while I'm on my own!


I'll relax with a nice cup of instant fruit tea from Whittard:

I love these - they are not healthy fruit teabag teas - they are in instant powder form and nice and sweet - just my cup of tea!!!  (Sorry!)  You can have them hot or cold.


I had a voucher for 25% off when ordering online, and free delivery, so I thought I'd treat myself!  Don't you just love the tubs they come in?  Surely there is something crafty I can do with them when they're finished...!

New Home Card

Here is a New Home card I made this week for Rohan's cousin and his girlfriend.  This has now been given to them, so I can reveal it here... ('reveal it' - that makes it sound a lot more exciting than it is!)

The letters on the bunting spell 'THE COTTAGE' - the name of their new home.

The verse inside:

And a little something to go with it, before we get them a proper house-warming present...

What more does any house need - than love, friends and laughter?  Perfect!

Wrapped in tissue paper, with a bow...

Is it just me, or does anyone else get addicted to taking photos for their blog?!  I can't seem to stop...!

Shrek the Musical!

We had a family trip to London to see 'Shrek the Musical' last night!  My Mum loves Shrek, so my brother and sister-in-law got her tickets to the opening night of the musical for her birthday, back in September - it's been a bit of a wait!  We all bought tickets too, and made a nice evening of it, with dinner, a couple of cocktails and the show - great fun!  We really enjoyed it!

Lord Farquaad was VERY funny!


I made my first item for the button swap today - and I'm pleased with it!  Fingers crossed Kandi will be too!  Obviously I can't show you until after the swap...


Lately I've been working on the border for my crocheted stripy mini-blanket:

I'm doing a border of single crochet, also in stripes... it's taking a long time!  I love those colours...

Grrrrr!!!

What a way to start the day - I dropped my bottle of foundation on my creamy/beigey bedroom carpet this morning, making a right mess!  I had to leave for work, so only had time for a rushed cleaning attempt, which didn't help much.  :o(

So tonight's project is going to be a desperate attempt to get my carpet clean!!!  (That does NOT sound like a fun way to spend an evening!)  I've sprayed stain remover on it, and am waiting for it to 'break down the stain' before I start scrubbing again.

In other annoying news... I ordered the Cath Kidston book 'Sew!', from Play, nearly two weeks ago and I still haven't got it...

It includes everything you need to make the bag on the front, as well as instructions for other projects.  I can't wait to get my hands on it!

I thought it would go through the letterbox so had it sent to my home address, but I guess it didn't fit through, as they tried to deliver and left me a card.  Therefore I needed to get the delivery address changed to my work address - which was quite a palaver!  To cut a long story short I've had to order it again to be sent to my work address, and they will refund me for the original book once the courier company returns it to them as undelivered.  Madness!

So, I'm STILL waiting!  I just want to get started on that bag!

Well - sorry for the moaning!  Let's brighten things up a bit... here is a nice cheery picture of a Cath Kidston cherry mug that I just found in the online shop:

Don't you just love that pattern?!  Some Cath Kidston patterns are a bit old fashioned for me, but some I love!  I don't actually have any of her stuff - but I will have once I get my book and make that bag!

My lucky sister-in-law managed to get a gorgeous oilcloth carry-all in this pattern, but with a light blue background.  It was from the new Cath Kidston factory shop just opened in Portsmouth.  She got it for £12.50 instead of £25!  Bargain!  They don't seem to make the carry-all bags in that pattern anymore, so I can't find a picture to show you.  It is lovely, though!

Well, I guess I'd better get back to that carpet...  :o(  (Sorry for the moaning!)

I've signed up...

... for a swap!  I mentioned before that Lemonade Kitty is running a button swap.  I ummed and ahhed (for some reason I was nervous!) but in the end I went for it!  You've got to try these things!

Now I'm really glad I did, as the pairs have been announced, and I'm feeling excited about getting to know Kandipandi (my swap partner) and trying to get together some things that she will like!

I will, of course, share pictures with you all once the swap has happened!

I've made a couple of cards lately, and I plan to make another one tonight, but I will have to wait until they've been received before I show you pictures here.  (Annoying!  I want to show you now!)

So... in the meantime, I thought I would share with you pictures of a New Home card I made for my brother and sister-in-law when they moved into a new house last year.  My lovely Swedish friend (hi again!) came up with the great idea of making an exploding box card, shaped like a house.  A great idea, but quite troublesome to make!  I cursed the whole idea a number of times during production!

Here is side 1 of the house, including a front door.

Side 2, complete with their two cats!

Side 3, including a back door.

Side 4, complete with their rabbit (no longer with us, sadly) - and a giant flower box and butterflies!  I decided against sticking with the correct proportions!

Different angles:

Then... pull off the roof, and this is what you see!

When you looked inside the roof there was a little message for them too.

It took forever to make (maybe I'm just a slow crafter) but I think it was worth it in the end!

Fabric Notice-board

Well, it was the first day back at work today, after my lovely 11 day break.  Hearing that alarm clock this morning was no fun!  The day wasn't too bad, though, and at least it's only a four day week this week!

Back in March I showed you a glimpse of the notice-board I had made and said I would one day show you the full thing.  Well, the time has come!

Unfortunately I don't have elegant fancy things pinned/pegged to it - I'm just not that classy!

To make it... I bought a normal cork notice-board, and (with Rohan's help!) removed the top of the frame to remove the cork part.  I covered that with the pink spotty fabric, and the two strips of green ribbon, and we put the frame back together around it.  I used a hot glue gun to attach the little silver pegs to the ribbon.  This way things can be pegged to the board in the top section, or pinned on the bottom section with my home-made fabric covered drawing pins!

I love my pins!  There are a few more there than I showed you last time.  A bit more of a multi-coloured bunch!  (I also make bigger fabric-covered magnets for fridges or magnetic notice-boards, which you can see/buy here.  There are some pretty colour combinations available).


I wasn't sure whether to paint the frame.  I haven't done, but it might be something I do at some point!

Coffee

I'm feeling a little tender today, after going to a friend's birthday party yesterday!  It was a nice way to end my break from work, and I've got today to recover before going back tomorrow.  After 11 lovely days off, it's not going to be fun being back in the office!


Yesterday morning we started the day with an espresso coffee in my lovely little espresso cups!  I bought these before we even started drinking espresso - I just needed them in my life!  The stove top espresso maker came later, to give the cups a purpose!  (Although, bringing me joy is surely purpose enough!)

I'm currently working on the border of my mini crocheted blanket (as mentioned in this post) - so I'm getting near the end finally!