Can you spot the difference???

I had fun doing that! Although now my skin feels really dry. I'm afraid as of 4:18pm I haven't done a lot of crafting today! I've had a bit of a disastrous morning. First I forgot the way to Hobby Craft and not having a map in my car was a bit of a problem! I had to phone my dad to help and his rubbish small print map was no use! Got there in the end and got a few much needed supplies. It was lunch time by the time I got home. I ate then went into Solihull to find some leads J asked for to finish setting up the new surround sound oojamaflip, hopefully I got the right ones - he drew me a picture of what they should look like! I'm rubbish with that sort of thing!!!

I've mostly been sorting out some more brooch cards for the batches of penguins, robins and bunnies I made earlier in the week. I want to get it all sorted and tidy in a way where I can just look and say 'ooo, I could do with a few more penguins' or whatever. I will do a spot of sewing later. J is having a few days off to make a nice long weekend and we're off to another wedding Saturday. Back to work on Tuesday...BOOOOO!

Peek-a-boo......!

Hallo, Hallo! The sun has been shining here again today so I've had a bit of a potter in the back garden this afternoon. The giant hedges are looking a little less giant in places. To finish them I need my helper to hold the ladder while I balance on top! I have done a little crafting too, but first I totally forgot to show you what I bought with my last batch of felt. All this Christmas crafting has got me starting on my yearly hunt for new and lovely tree decorations....This cutey was from Sarah's shop! 

And here is what I've been making

Robin and Penguin brooches all finished and in my shop! The penguin photo makes me chuckle!

Star hanging decorations and bunny brooches will be in my shop tomorrow along with some trees!

This evening I will be making a better start on my robot swapsies. I've made lots of doodles and been having ridiculously impossible ideas of things to make, but I think I'm finally at something I can at least make a start on today and hopefully finish off tomorrow while I wait for the new surround sound stuff to arrive.

A few days to be catching up on today. Friday we went to the funeral and all went well, sad but nice to see family. Saturday we had friends come over with their baby for the night. William was a bit freaked out by the whole experience and spent all his time either hiding under a bush in the garden or hiding under a bed. Sausage was more relaxed about the whole thing! Sunday we went to the park and Alice really wasn't that bothered about the swings! However, Pete and I both had a go on the big kids swings and he *just* managed to get a little higher than me! I'm cursing Fran and Pete as they decided that rather than repair our TV we should really buy a new LCD one before we have kids. Damn them! Pete and J went off to get a TV while I caught up with all the gen from Fran and did some of my knitting. I made Fran get on with some knitting too! Here's what she made this weekend...I might start sending her random items in the post that she has to make something with!

Today was dry and at times sunny! We decided this morning to crack on with what we lovingly call the great plum massacre. Between ours and next doors front garden there is a massive wild plum hedge and every year it needs to be controlled so it doesn't get tangled in the phone line. Last year J's dad helped with this task, today was J's turn to get up the ladder and he did a great job.

Before and After - much neater!

I have done quite a bit of sewing this evening but its now too dark to take good photographs. I made a batch of penguin brooches, rabbit brooches and almost completed a batch of robin brooches. We also got the PS3 out of its box!!!!!!!!!!!! We've had the bloomin' thing for almost a year and never really had a reason to get it out, but now with a new HD TV J decided it was time so we can watch DVD in much better quality(?!). I was holding out until THIS GAME gets released - I can't wait!!! I'll leave you with this shot of the internet on our TV.....It's my blog! How cool?! (I'll just add that I'm a bit of a technophobe, I have a phone I have no idea how to use and I'd only just got the hang of our last TV remote! J deals with all that sort of thing, I just agree the budget!)

Back tomorrow with lots of crafty photos!

Today has mostly been a very nice day! I woke up to a little etsy sale and the sun was shining! I spent the morning pottering around sewing a few white blood cell brooches (above), baking and relaxing. I waited until the postman had been to see if he had my felt parcel and at 1:47pm he never. Boooo! Then I decided to pop to the post office as it looked nice out, on the way home I got soaked. Double boooo! I popped my brolly in the utility room, freaked out one of our cats with it (not on purpose I'll have you know!) and then had to grab my camera to get this photo...He's so cute - this is Sausage, our tabby. He never usually poses for photographs!

I then spent the rest of the afternoon sorting out all of the brooches I've made recently. Printing cards, cutting them to the right size, stamping and fixing the brooches on! So quite relaxing!!! The big batch of holly leaves are the ones I've made for the Handmade Oxford goodie-bags and will be posted off once I've got some postcards printed to go with them!

Tomorrow won't be a craft day as sadly, we are going to a funeral. We have friends staying for the rest of the weekend. Normal service will resume Monday. See you then!

It's only the 3rd official day of my holidays! Blimey, it feels like I've been off forever! Today the sun has been shining so first thing, well, after a couple of cups of tea, I decided to tackle the mess that is our garden shed. Our shed is small but we can't half fit a lot of things in it! Here are some before and after photos.

Much better! And there is even room for the ladders now :)

I only managed a little sewing today as it was still sunny this afternoon so I grabbed the lawn mower (from it's new spot where I can get to it!) and gave the lawn a trim. It was starting to get a little wild in places. Must be all this rain were having! I completed 6 new monster brooches and they have been split between my shops: half are in my etsy shop and the other half in my folksy shop. I'm going to try making small batches of things so I can put a little in both. I love these monster brooches, they seem to come to life when I sew their funny little faces! They'd make great Halloweed treats for anyone that way inclined!!!

Can it really be long sock weather???

I like skirts. When I was young I was never a skirt wearing kinda-girl, but over the last few years I've grown to like them. I have nice summer skirts and thick winter skirts that I wear with long socks.....today......in AUGUST.......I had to wear a pair of my fetching long socks and I dug my lovely warm sheepskin clogs out too! I can't believe the great British summer. I'm really hoping for a super autumn so I can catch up on all the garden jobs that have been 'rained off'. I don't usually complain about our weather, I love that we have rain, sun, thunder storm, hail and snow at crazy times of the year, but when I haven't been able to garden for 2 months, well, it's just not cricket! ;)

That's more than enough sock/weather rambling from me. Here's what I did this afternoon. These were already cut out you will be pleased to know so I wasn't putting my hand at risk! Here is a set of 3 felt star 'baubles' and some cute little trees with cute little buttons. More colour combinations on the way! I was a little bit of a naughty girl and started cutting fabric for my robot swap gifts, my hand did start to ache after a while so I stopped and moved on to the above sewing! I'll get the rest of that done tomorrow and start on the sewing!

Well, technically I cut out all the felt shapes last night while we watched Hell Boy and today I'm paying the price. 17 holly leaves, 6 penguins, 3 robins, 3 white blood cells, 6 monsters, 3 rabbits and a snow monkey later my wrist hurts and there are more holly leaves, Christmas trees and amoebas to cut out! I've tried to be good and not really craft today but I just couldn't help myself....I just had to tear all of those mulberry paper squares - I've glued them to the cards since taking this photo! I promise to be good for the rest of the evening. The only sewing I'm allowing myself is a quick go on the sewing machine to repair the sofa bed cover!

...Holly brooches! This morning I cut out as many holly leaves as I could from half a large felt square - then managed to make 17 brooches! 3 are for a family order and the rest will be going to oxford. I'm contributing some freebies/advertising stuff for the goody bags that are being given out at the Handmade craft fair on November the 9th in Oxford town hall - I thought it was a little too far to travel to take part but we are going to pop down and have a browse. I'm going to send about 20 so have a few more to make once I've received some more vintage buttons I've ordered.

Speaking of things I've ordered. Here are the lovely things I've bought from etsy this week. Both from UKetsyteam members. Some super-cute fabric magnets from creamrose and 3 peg doll making kits from incywincy. I saw the peg doll kits and asked Sam if she could make me up a couple of boys ones for my nephews. I'm making a start on some craft kits for them for Christmas!

And I've been at it again with the pincushion making. This time I've made a couple of wrist watch pincushions! The blue one is available in my etsy shop and the pink one is in my folksy shop for those wanting to buy in £ rather than $.

Here he is! Monkey Pirate Wrist Pincushion. He's been listed, bought and shipped to his new owner!

J wanted to keep him so I had to cut a deal - I could have monkey pincushion back off his wrist if I'd let him have rolley penguin for Christmas if no one buys him by then! I can't help thinking I got a bit of a bum deal there...hmmm?!

I've mainly been making pincushions this week, I don't seem to have had the energy to do anything else, I've been so tired - I could have a snooze right now! I really enjoyed making pirate pincushion as a special request but I think the bee one is still my fave. There are lots more pincushions in my etsy shop - I'm sure they would make great stocking fillers! ;)

I've got some etsy purchases that I need to show you, but that will have to wait until I've taken some photos and I now have TWO WEEKS(!) off of work in which I plan to sew, relax, bake and garden! Expect more frequent updates :)