Christmas card and Christmas presents

These are my Christmas presents for my mum and sister - hope they like them. Mia designed them and I transfered her designs into these little hoop pictures. Mia's just finished a book about mermaids - so that's her thing at the moment.

So - here it is, our Christmas card, drawn by Mia (age 10), coloured by me (aged 44 - I think?!) printed by Andrew and stuck to card blanks. Now all I have to do is write them.

A friend said "It must be cheaper making your own" - where does this myth come from? Making things yourself is never cheaper on time or in money. But that is just what makes made things more special. Please world start to get it!

Christmas craft

It's time for more Christmas craft and today it's my latest make, for a friend - 'Merry Christmas' bunting. Each flag had an appliqued letter on it and then there are three appliqued pictures. My friend was really pleased with the finished item, and I'm now onto making a cushion for her (a little less complicated perhaps!)

A little something for Christmas

I've just taken a few photo's of these little bags I've made to sell on my stall (and I'll list them on Folksy too.) The light was really bad today, it was so wintery and rained most of the day. These were my best pictures.

Each little house contains a sugar mouse, the idea is to keep the bag year after year and put in a new treat to be hung from your tree. Me, being my usual cynical self thought maybe the kids of today would rather have a Big Mac and fries hanging from the tree. However I sold a couple at my last fair, so maybe there are still some sweet kids left!

A collection of owls

I have a lovely friend, Sharon, who has recently opened a sweet shop and I have been helping her by making 'one-off' unusual things to add to her shop. I made these owls for her halloween window and I'm now onto stockings (to fill with her sweets) and tiny bags to hang onto a Christmas tree. (more picture soon) Hopefully (!) a few may sell and I then I will have some pennies to spend on Folksy - wishful thinking!

Bunting finished!

At last I finished the happy birthday bunting for Louise, actually I would have finished it earlier, but I loved it so much I didn't want to let it go. So I had to take lots of pictures of it, and with a tear in my eye I let it go. Luckily its new owner is lovely and was so pleased with it (she's taking it into work to show it off) so I knew it would be okay. Bye bye baby.

New projects all-round

I'm making bunting at the moment, it's nearly finished and it's especially for my friend Louise. It's going to say 'happy birthday' plus have 3 special picture flags included too. They are a big sailing family so I have included a sailing boat.

I've included my pencil drawings for you to see and a few of the letters and finished felt pictures. All I need to do next is the bias binding (which I need to buy) and then it's finished and I'll have to find another project.

...Ahhh, I love a project.

I don't know if you can read the small print, but this a new arty venture. A group of crafts people have got together and are taking over an empty shop in Newcastle. They are called 'Made in Newcastle' and I'm going to have to check it out. The idea is to sell your makes without any overheads, in return for your help in running the gallery, running a workshop or cleaning. The shop is theirs until the owner finds someone who wants it to rent and then they have 28 days to pack.

I believe the gallery will open on Saturday 10th July GOOD LUCK to everyone involved.

1950s chocolate cake

I just had to take a picture of this cake I bought from the fruit and veg shop (!) the other day. It's so old fashioned and 1950's I just had to buy it, it's not little, its a proper big cake to slice up - everyone loved it (even Mia, who swears she doesn't like cake, well not mine or Mr Kipling's anyway) - it did make me smile.

panda's and pussy cats

I've been working on these little animals for quite a while now, and at last they are finished and friends. So now all I have to do is put them in my Folksy Shop. I've also been working on my beach theme, which I talked about a while ago, but it's taking me a while to get going these days. I think its because I have a few different things I'm working on and I'm no good at multi tasking. Especially with kids to sort out too. Too much homework and clubs and tidying! Oh what a moan!

happy birthday to me

It was my birthday last Friday, so I'm showing you this lovely card I was given. It is, of course from Mia, with one of her great drawings - a robin and mole dancing!

when the boat comes in

I've spent a lot of time making and taking apart, then making again these boats. I'm quite happy with them now. I'm putting together a beach theme - so I'm going to make buckets next. I've booked a fair later in the month (26 and 27 June) so keep your fingers crossed and I may sell something!

I'm working on a cat at the moment, trying to get her legs right, so as soon as I have finished her I'll post a picture. I have lots of ideas at the moment - it just takes me so long to do them (I do a lot of thinking)

LOOK 10 followers! I've hit double figures. Thanks to you all. Above is a picture of my new bag, I've made it for myself and I now need to go somewhere nice to use it (and over the bank holiday I'm going pond dipping and on a little hike to a pub nick named the mucky duck - so perhaps not to either of these great events.)

If you are wondering about the crates - well I have made so much stuff (for all those fairs I'm going to do so well at) I've had everything in plastic bags all in my bedroom. So I had an idea and went to the fruit and veg shop and found some crates and now no bags in my bedroom - just fruit crates. How tidy, How FREE! Mia of couse now wants fruit crates in her room too. Oh dear what have I started.

So there they are lots of owls, mice and rabbits all waiting to be bought. Their time will come.

Just a few pics of some of the tiny things I made over the weekend. The hearts are to dangle from some make up bags I have made, and the bee and cup are to be used - hum, I don't know where. I've actually made myself a bag (!!) so maybe I will dangle them from that, who knows. Maybe a bit too arty for the mums at school.

I've had a lovely weekend, actually going to a few places as part of The Late Shows. We went to Seven Stories which is a lovely museum in Newcastle dedicated to children's books with exhibitions of Judith Kerr's work and Lauren Child. Beautiful illustrations. I was interested to find that Lauren Child had once made lampshades with a friend (they were of course gorgeous) but stopped because they never made any money (hum).

After Seven Stories we went onto The Shipley Art Gallery where we made bonnets for the garden party theme they were having. Fraser was extremely happy to win a prize for his! We did enjoy ourselves - and of course - and most importantly - ALL FREE.

Look at me! with my band of followers. I've always thought I was talking to myself. I'll have to buck my ideas up (or as my mother says 'pull your finger out') and write some interesting stuff now.

I'm actually excited this weekend, because there's a free (yes FREE!) cultural Saturday ahead. The Late Shows are happening in Newcastle. Lots of galleries, libraries and museums are opening from 7-11pm and all for free. So I'm taking Andrew and Fraser to it, we all went last year and luckily one venue was selling sausage sandwiches so it kept the lads happy.

I'm sneaking to a fabric shop this afternoon (as I have the car) I'm telling myself I'm not going to buy anything, just going to have a sniff around. Yes, right.

Mia's day

I've mentioned my two children a few times, but I have never shown any of their work. Today I'm going to introduce you to Mia's pictures - she's a very busy little star. This picture of the caterpillar and the strawberry tree is on flickr and has far more views than any of my creations. However, I've told her not to be an artist when she grows up, because artists are always poor.

More presents

I've made a couple of presents - firstly for Mia, and her mobile phone. After the success of the case for my sister, Mia decided to jump on the band wagon and asked me to make her one too. I think my payment for this will come in the shape of a tidy room and hopefully less fighting with her brother. Anyway, she loved the case, with the bugs on it.

It's also my mum's (as I'm up north - I'll correct myself - my mam's) birthday on Saturday. I have made her a little denim bag/make up bag, from a new Japanese pattern I bought the other day from etsy. I MUST now make myself a bag, but I'm busy taking photo's and trying to list things on Folksy that my present just keeps getting pushed to the bottom of my list. Poor, poor me.

And on the subject of poor me - I've just added a followers gadget to my blog - why not be the first to follow me!? please then I'll follow you, because I've not put my name on anyones blog either (remember I'm quite new to all this malarkey!)

Bright idea

Hey! I'm on Folksy.
After a bit of a push from these two:
quernuscrafts
cowclosebarn
I've spend all week sorting it out (I'm very, very slow) but now I have a shop and Ohhhh 7 things listed. WoW. Go on have a look, I know you want to!

A bit about quernuscrafts I met Kirsten at the art and craft fair I did at Easter, she make THE BEST wee animals and is also the deputy editor of ukhandmade, she's my new friend who is really, really clever (to be said like Victoria Wood) and Nikky from cowclosebarn is fantastic, she makes jewellery, grows organic veg, and rears pigs and lets you bring your caravan/tent to her farm (for a very small fee) in Wensleydale. I'm soooo jealous whenever we go there, but don't tell her that.

dinner lady

Well, the kids are back at school and I'm back to my secret life as a dinner lady (or rather lunchtime supervisor) it's all part of my long term plan to get myself a place as part of the United Nations Peace Mission. Everyday a new problem, but it's all character building. But, in the meantime here's a little quilted picture I did based on one of Mia's drawings. I have a feeling that these rabbits are off to get married. Mia has a thing about weddings and likes to ask me "are you and Daddy going to get married soon?" "Why not?" So, in the meantime, as she tries to break my resistance, she draws pictures of animal weddings, much better, I think.

Beamish

We went to Beamish yesterday. My free pass does not run out until June, so I thought we should fit in a few more free visits. It was actually an excellent day, with lots of steam rollers and traction engines out, they now have the passenger train on the line (after a 20 year absence - I remember it being there when I was around 13).

Of course I came home cold and tired, I was ready for a kip but the kids were still bouncing.

Anyway I must go as I've blogged twice this week, don't know what's come over me!

I've been doing LOTS since the last time I wrote (January!!) I did a couple of craft fairs, where I met some lovely people - I made new friends (most unlike me). Mia, my daughter (age 10) was my best ever sales person! She was fantastic.

The kids are off school, so they are just messing about, Fraser and I are going to make some Flapjacks soon - I think we'll make a mega mix and just pop in lots of different ingredients from the top cupboard into them (taking the basic recipe from the good old Be-Ro book, my 70's copy)

I'll leave you with this picture of the mobile phone case I made last night for my sister, Deb's birthday, which I'll have to send in the post today, along with a homemade birthday card (no expense there! sorry Deb, but I'm not in a shopping mood.) Hope she likes it (also hope her phone fits! - just had to guess!)