I juc me jodll

Time for a change

2007-06-01T09:56:00.000+01:00

I have been meaning to change my blog title for quite a while now but I couldn't just change it because the URL wouldn't match up with it.

So sadly I have had to leave this blog and start up a new one, so it's a tearful bye bye to I juc me jodll and Hello to my new home over at Sew-eco.Please come on over and help Christen my new home with a hello!

x

I'm in L-O-V-E !!

2007-05-29T23:02:00.000+01:00

A trip to the library to seek out pottery books for research resulted in me falling in love all over again and what is the object of my desire that made my heart pound, what was it that said to me over and over again, "you need me...you need me" Midwinter pottery from the 50s, 60s and 70s, just clap your beady eyes on these gorgeous designs. Sorry the pics aren't great still no scanner.

You gotta just l-o-v-e the matching mushroom fabric.

I think my nan may have has some of this blue lined range.

Cool veg range. I reeeeeally neeeeeeeed this range.

Not sure if I can sleep tonight without dreaming about these cute polkadot dishes.

Big Bright and Bold!! I adore the colours.

Night night.

It's a dish!!

2007-05-28T14:25:00.000+01:00

Yay! my first pottery piece, I am the proud owner of a square dish, NO! it is not an ashtray, ashtrays have grooves and as this does not have any grooves it cannot possible be an ashtray, What is it then? well It's a ............................Key dish. Its actually the intro piece, we had to experiment with various decorating techniques onto a piece of rolled out clay then we put it over a hump (no jokes) mold, trim it to size, bisque fire it, glaze it fire it again and hey presto one KEY DISH!

Now, I am a reasonable person but I do feel two and a half hours a week is not enough to play with clay, so when I was told that there will be no pottery this week on account of the school holidays I nearly threw a wobbly fit! OK I admit I have a very obsessive crafting nature, when I am into something I am into it in a BIG way.

What is a girl to do but take matters into her own hands and sneak some ( a large bag) clay home so she can get her Thursday fix.
And looky what I made (yeah I know it isn't Thursday yet, told you I was obsessive).
Hopefully If they turn out ok ie make it through the firing stages I should be able to show you the finished glazed items.

BIG! Latte mugs, made from coils of clay, they are still at the leatherhard stage I want to decorate them with slip before bisque firing then a spot of wax resist before glazing.

Embossed mugs, made by rolling out the clay then embossing with raised wallpaper, they need neatening up and painting with coloured slip before being bisque fired.

Not sure what this is, no its not an ashtray! I was just playing around, I might just put some holes in it so I can use it as a soapdish for the bath. This little fellow is from one of my designs in my pottery sketchbook. I am pleased with how he has turned out so far, I just need to colour him with slip then give him a glaze overcoat.
An impression of my 10yr old bisque fired initials stamp, in case you cannot read it, it says H.J.D.

Birthday treats

2007-05-24T14:50:00.001+01:00

Hello out there! I thought as it was My birthday I'd share a pic of me, kinda school ma 'am peering over the top of her glasses look going on there? Aaaaaargh! I know it's only part of my mush, that's cos I am the most unphotogenic person in the world. And don't get me started on my H-A-I-R!!! Now to share some of my lovely gifts, I have just taken to making my own family soaps, It was costing a small fortune buying handmade organic soaps.

How can that be for a mother of three boys, surely boys don't wash? Oh yes they do and they use up (waste) too much soap in the process, just like they use too much loo paper but that's another story.

If you have seen my previous post I have returned to Pottery evening classes, but i am a bit rusty, not for much longer though, this is a FAB! book, just up my street.

This is the technical one, I say technical but in a simple to understand kinda way, I like!

Oooooooooh! Shoooooooes! I just love shoes, I'm too embarrassed to say how many pairs I own but lets just say I need a wardrobe to hold them, but until that day happens they live (in their boxes of course) under the bed, in the bottom of the wardrobe and the pretty ones on shoe racks.

Anyhoo these are really comfy so comfy in fact I just had to buy another pair in white, yea! i know I'm a bad girl.

And finally my second Momiji doll, she is called dreaming and she likes quantum mechanics, Las Vegas and surprises, cute eh! apparently hidden inside every doll there's a tiny folded card for your own secret message.

Mixed feelings!

2007-05-20T22:13:00.000+01:00

I am feeling rather strange at the moment, you see Lewis my eldest left statutory full time education on Friday, It seems hard to believe sixteen years has passed already, where has the time gone?
He is on study leave, his first G.C.S.E is on Tuesday and the last one mid June. His plans are to go onto six form and even though he shouldn't have a problem passing his entry grades I'm flapping around like a headless chicken, stressing and worrying for him, call me daft, but I suppose that's motherhood for you? It's a good job he is so laid backed and focused, that's my boy! he is one cool individual.

Its my birthday on Monday (21st) I have been a very busy girl baking cakes for the gang at work. First we have Blueberry muffins.

Fresh Raspberry muffins, hmmmm! they smell g-o-o-o-o-d!

Lemon drizzle cake, this gorgeous cake is topped with crunchy lemon flavoured syrup.

And finally my most favourite, my famous Cappuchino cake! this cake is a firm favourite with the locust ahemm! the friends at work.

And do you remember that Built by Wendy top pattern ? well I have nearly completed it, I just have to stitch the neck facing , sleeves and hem. I am very pleased with how it is going so far, I'm just wondering if I should have made the side facings in the check print rather than the green.

Sew Autumn

2007-05-14T16:22:00.000+01:00

Yeh! I know it isn't Autumn but it certainly feels like it,wet, windy and COLD! so I raided my stash and found these fabrics, all recently brought at different charity shops within days of each other, I think they are meant to be together, don't you?
So I raided my pattern stash for a tunic type thingy.

Just the ticket! the floral will be for the yoke panel on the front, the main body the check and sleeves and side yolks the green, I was going to use the green as the main, but alas its just not the right shade for my skin tone.

As I was on a roll I thought I would counter balance my haste back into autumn and tempt the summer back with a summer top with this fabric I had left over from this project last year. I just loved the weird jungle flowers and the way some are coloured in and others just outlined.

And the pattern I have chosen is this flirty spaghetti (blitz those bingo wings) strap and it is one of the designs

From this New Look pattern.

Oh if you are a UK pattern buyer and have trouble locating up to date McCall's patterns I get mine from here, quick delivery and cheaper than the UK even with the postage. I must admit it wouldn't cheaper if you only want a couple but if you're anything like me and you cannot stop at just one you should be able to grab yourself a bargain.

So watch this space folks!

Therapy

2007-05-13T22:25:00.000+01:00

I'm SICK! got a yucky cold, Aichoo!!, cough! splutter! bleugh!
And its raining and not very warm, so some therapy and pampering is needed.
Spring flowers and a roaring fire! hmmmmmmm! No it's not too warm to have a fire,we live in a 107 yr old (drafty) house. Come back tommorrow I'll let you in on my next project I have been planning in between sneezes and coughs. Achooo!

Oodles of doodles!

2007-05-06T20:53:00.000+01:00

I have been rather preoccupied with doodling and clay this past week. You see I enrolled onto an Adult Education pottery class one night a week and boy am I having FUN! My mind is buzzing with ideas of things to make, I so look forward to the sessions I am wishing the week in between away, so I thought I would share with you some of my ideas currently in my sketchbook(more pics on my flickr). This is a project I really want to complete, I made a simple one 9yrs ago when I last attended. (Sorry the pics are not the best quality, I would have scanned them if I had a working scanner @@%%!!**) Some pattern designs for some pots or platters, or maybe some wall plaques?

Also I have got this brilliant kids art book, I have been using it for our Monday art sessions, but it is so inspirational I have book marked loads of techniques and projects that I want to do all by myself. One of the projects was making art from doodles, like so.........

Another red and blue doodle.

I think I prefer green.

Lastly some rather nice thrifty finds. The burgundy sheet is an Yves saint laurent, and the others are Linda Beard printed curtains.

And now my fave!!

Thrifted!

2007-04-22T20:20:00.000+01:00

My head is not in creativeland at the moment, I have been a bit busy at the allotment planning and planting and loads of digging. Anyway here are some thrifty finds I would like to share with you.

A cute Embroidery book I found at a large furniture charity store.

...and look at this cutie, I really dig her retro jumpsuit. More pics can be found here.

These are my holiday finds, this is duvet cover, along the top edge are larger flowers, I also have this same cover in a beige colourway here I thrifted last year.

Both of these pretty prints are sheets, which I would like to add are virtually unused.

On the left is a duvet cover and the right a curtain.

I'm still here!

2007-04-13T17:16:00.000+01:00

Hi all, I've had an unexpected blogging break, things got a bit manic for a while, plus I've not been feeling so good, so much for healthy eating. So we decided to take a much needed camping (although not in a tent, and no! we hven't gone to the dark side and bought a caravan) break the first week of the Easter hols.

Where did we go? The New Forest in Hampshire. We had a lovely time, nice and relaxing and for the first time in about 6 years the sun shone and it didn't RAIN!

Now for all of you out there who do not know the 'New Forest' it's the place where wild horses roam FREE!.From a distance the look cute!

But close up they look moth eaten and flea bitten

This one needs a good haircut me thinks.

Its normal to see them in the woods and fields even wandering between tents and caravans, however when they are spotted walking down the street, grazing on the village green or hanging around the village pub they are a funny sight.

We went on a visit to nearby 'Barton on sea' it was sunny and very warm, but Tyler insisted on wearing his new coat, zipped up to the neck!. Apparently his coat had special zippers under the arms that when opened kept him cool, i think the beads of sweat on his forhead said otherwise!

Not much there but sea and rocks!

'found a fossil'

'show it off'
'Ill keep it safe for you in my pocket'

And to finish the week off a visit to the local potter was in order. There was so much I could buy, but alas no room in the car,(well not unless I left one of my boys behind hmmmm! there's a thought) In the end it wasn't too much of a difficult choice, I love having a salt pig on my work surface while I cook and this clay one looks much better than my plastic one.

Of course I couldn't go all that way and not do a bit of thrifting, after all the area is a bit of a haven for the more mature folk. I did manage to bag quite a few goodies I'll have to post them later.

MONDAY IS POST DAY

2007-03-25T22:30:00.000+01:00

These are custom purses I'm about to put in the shop, they are for a lovely lady who was my first ever customer, it's great when customers return.
Choice one.
.......and for the inside.

choice number two

.......and for the inside

I am so pleased about this,my first skirt sold on etsy and is about to embark on its long journey to Australia. I have sold quite a lot at fairs and festivals, but none (until now) via etsy.

And finally this parcel is on its way to Samantha at Plump Pudding she had on her stand at CL some very pretty cushions made out of vintage embroidered linens.

I promised I would send her some I collected a while ago, I was going to attempt to make a bed throw and use the embroidered parts to make a patchwork strip as seen in this book, but alas they ended up as just another 'to do' (in their case a forgot 'to do') on my ever increasing list.

A little bit of Country Living

2007-03-18T21:06:00.000Z

I have recovered from my day in London at the Country Living Fair. I met up with the lovely Samantha from Plump Pudding and her equally lovely sister, her stand looked wonderfully inviting with a fab range of goodies to buy, of course I couldn't leave her stand without spending some cash! I am now the proud owner of a washing up bottle pinny and a very pretty pegbag, no more carrier bags for my pegs. If you're reading this Samantha I promise I will send you the bits I spoke to you about, just give me a week or so.

My next show buy was this pretty pendant by a great young designer Jennifer Collier Its a resin pendant strung on ribbon with a vintage button fastening. I was spoilt for choice at her stand, she had the most delicate paper shoes and framed paper baby dresses, not to mention her printed collage artwork. She is truly talented and will go far.

And for a close up, as you can see there is a torn piece of brown silk paper, a vintage stamp and a piece from a vintage brooch all set in resin. In the summer I had a go at making some resin trinket set pendants but they didn't turn out as nice as the ones Jennifer makes, they were more like paperweight, plus the carcinogenic aroma left me in a haze for the rest of the day.

A visit to Hope and Benson's stand ended up with this little lady by Chocolate Rain D.I.Y going home with me. She is already stuffed and came with squares of kimono and spotty fabrics (more of each would have been nice) buttons and trims to make your own outfit. Don't you just love her painted on stripey stockings.

Selvedge magazine had a stand and were giving away freebie button badges, these are made from vintage scarves and trimmed with diamante. Now I have been collecting vintage floral scarves for sometime now hoping that one day I will be able to save (unless some generous person wants to donate some cash) enough money for a professional button making machine so I can make button badges (minus the diamante though) none of my fabrics are as pretty as these ones.

I absolutely love Oat Cakes (partly because I have a bit of a problem if I have too much wheat in my diet) so when I saw the Nairns stand in the food hall I was in oat cake heaven. I will say the herb ones were not for me, far too herby for my taste buds, however the cheesy ones were dreamy and their new Mixed Berries and Stem Ginger biscuits are yummy! As you can see I didn't walk away empty handed and as part of the deal they threw in three packs of Oat Bakes, yeah! i know there are only two in the picture, I got hungry.

When it came to cereal I am normally a creature of habit and have porridge oats with honey and fresh fruit every morning, but when I tasted the Spelt and extra nutty muesli I knew my habit had come to an end, but I couldn't decide between the two, so I had them both and the four little boxes are FREE samples yay!

Week 2

2007-03-14T14:31:00.000Z

A measly 1/2lb, thats all I get for healthy eating. Not happy with that result I got the tape measure out, 1.3/4 inch loss, much better!

I'M SOOOOO! EXCITED

2007-03-08T18:52:00.000Z

They're here! tickets to the Country Living Fair Yay! I can't wait, counting down the days............

MONDAY ART CLUB- MONOPRINTING

I love Mondays, Oliver and Tyler and I get down and dirty with cartridge paper, paint and rollers (no not the hair type) I decided this week to concentrate on Monoprinting.

Flowers and birds in a DIY pink were the order of the day from Tyler, very pretty!

Oliver decided on funky bullrushes printed in yukky green (his words not mine) aptly named don't you think?

I am very proud of them and they really enjoyed the session,both pictures will be framed and hung on the wall for all to see.

Whilst doing a bit of research for monoprinting I stumbled across the site of Martha Marshall a very talented lady I think you'll agree.................and when the boys went to bed I decided to have ago at a layered monoprint, bearing in mind I used block printing inks it took ages to wait for each colour to dry before adding the next, but hey ho I was enjoying myself and getting to bed at 12pm isn't that bad? Well anyway here is the result.................

.................it somehow turned into a landscape? Not bad for a first attempt.

Wednesday weigh-in

2007-03-07T19:30:00.000Z

The computer says 2lb, hoorah! I am extremely pleased so far its all going according to plan. If I can keep it up I will reach my target, although my measurement are more important than my weight.

NO CRAFTING JUST NURTURING

2007-03-04T15:57:00.000Z

This morning Mr D and Lewis went hedge laying with the Parks Trust Conservation Group. The weather was not ideal, very cold and very wet. I knew when I arrived to pick them up they would look like a couple of drowned rats bless em! But being the caring person I am I made them wholesome Lentil and bacon soup hmmm!
OK I admit it's my favourite soup, I just love it! When the boys were babies I occasionally bought jars of lentil and bacon dinner and couldn't resist having a sneaky taster, you know "one for me.....one for you" or "mummy show you how to eat it mmmm! lovely! Lewy try? no?...ok mummy show you again"........ Yeah you can stop tutting now, I bet all you mum s have been there? Anyway here is the soup that warmed my men up.

Wednesday Weigh-in

2007-02-28T13:54:00.000Z

Give me a chance, my first official weigh-in isn't until next weds. But I did have a sneaky weight check, luckily the scales said -3/4lb (not alot I know but it has only been 3days. Now to take the batteries out of the scales until next week. Well Done goes out to Karen the creator behind the weds weigh-in.

YUM! YUM!

2007-02-27T15:02:00.000Z

The boys and Mr A went for a swim on Sunday, so I decided to make a scrummy pud. I remembered I had a recipe for Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding I got from another blog (sorry can't remember whos', but if you're out there THANK YOU!) so I got baking and here is the result. YUM! YUM!

"form an orderly queue please"

GOING!

GONE!

Even though this was a truly delicious pud, The boys found there was just one problem.............there wasn't enough!......... did you notice the dregs left in the dish? that was mine on account of the fact I am supposed to be reducing my fat and sugar intake, but you can understand why I had to try some don't you?

TIME TO WAVE THOSE POUNDS (lbs not £) GOODBYE!

The time has come to shift the extra 2st 6lb I have been carrying for the last 9yrs. I met up with a friend on friday and she has (over the last year) shed 2st and looks FAB! So on Saturdy I started my 'not a single piece of crap/junk/fatty/sugar loaded foodstuff shall past my lips for at least 6months the I read Little Pink Toes blog and she like me has announced to the world of her intentions so we are having a Weds weigh-in ,rather than pay a slimming club our hard earned cash. So if you don't mind I can do with lots of support and encouragement, I am very weak willed :(

Wish me luck!

I love wallpaper

2007-02-24T14:45:00.000Z

Before Christmas Mr A and I decided to wallpaper our aubergine painted fireplace to make the lounge look more cosy before we put our house on the market. There was so much choice out there but I instantly fell in love with this one.......from B & Q and a bargain at £14.99 a roll can you believe that?

And while I was catching up on my blog watching I see some one else was impressed with the range. I have now fallen in love with several other designs so until we move I will have to frame the samples so I can sit and oogle at them to my hearts content.

This week I mostly been...........Drypointing

2007-02-21T16:54:00.000Z

For the last 2 Tuesdays at the college I managed to skive off, ahem! I mean attend a 'personal development' session into the Surface Studio to revisit the art of drypoint.
In case any of you out there are thinking what the heck is she on about, I'm talking about a type of etching and if you are interested here is how you do it.

First you have to the draw or trace a picture then using carbon paper transfer the artwork onto a aluminium plate, then carefully scratch the design onto the surface of the aluminium using a metal etching tool ( a pointy thing made of hardened steel), next you bevel the edges away from the front,your plate is now ready for ink. et voilaThe next stage, (the most exciting as far as I'm concerned) apply your intaglio ink to the whole plate and rub in... then rub off! polish the inked plate with tissue paper and now it's ready to print, yay!

Select your paper, watercolour paper is my weapon of choice, soak it in a bath of water until nice and supple, then blot off the 'water shine' place your plate design side up onto the intaglio press bench, put your paper on top add the layers of blotting paper and thick felt and crank it up!! (turn the large wheel that feeds the plate through the rollers) Hey presto! One drypoint print!

I couldn't just stop at one, I got the drypoint fever and printed this smaller one as well.

I am more or less pleased with how they turned out, but I shall try them out with other colours, the last time I had a go at etching was 20yrs ago, but I had forgotten how to do it. Well that's it for today, I managed to acquire another plate to play with ......I haven't got a problem............ i can stop whenever I like............ honest!

More goodies in the shop

2007-02-15T15:52:00.000Z

This retro wristlet/purse was once a placemat, cool eh!

This is a funky miss marple design. I really love the polkadot seersucker backing fabric.

This scarf is fairly lightweight, ideal if you didn't want a chunky scarf ie. ideal for light breezy evenings. I love this scarf, the backing fabric is a gorgeous soft ribbed velour knit, hmmm! nice and cosy, I'm almost tempted to keep it for myself, must reisist!....must resist!.....

Some cute applique button brooches.

Yet more distractions!!

2007-02-13T22:08:00.000Z

I have finally got around to updating my shop with some cute coin purses. Follow the link if you're tempted.

Phew! took me much longer than I thought it would to list just five items, I convieniently forgot about the dreaming up of names, descriptions and the picture editing, which , I am not best pleased with, the daylight is pretty crap at the moment. Next time I will have to get a bit more organized I still have a shedload of other recycled goodies to list. Watch this space!

YIPEE! it's SNOWIIIIING!!!!!

2007-02-08T10:02:00.000Z

Woke up at 6.30am and saw this scene out of my bedroom window.

The boys schools have cancelled, my college has cancelled, looks like our half term holiday has started early, roll-on snowball fights, the snow may not last the weekend.

I just love snow!, crisp and cold just right for me to cook up some lentil soup and get a nice log fire going.

TO EASILY DISTRACTED

2007-02-03T16:36:00.000Z

Things to do, things to do! but first I need a cup of tea to keep my energy levels up. Ouch! a tad too hot to drink, while I let it cool a little i'll just have a quick peek through one of my new Christmas books.
......ohhh!......ahhh!.....slurrp!......Three hours later I worked my way through this lot (below) and a couple more cups of rooibush tea!, how rubbish am I? don't answer that! LOL. Ok! I know I said in my last post i'm a very busy girl, but I bet you lot are no different. Now to distract you a little! more picks on my flickr.

Vintage Fabric Style
There is so much I love about this book, a total country chic fest. There are loads of ideas for using up your stash, but I am drawn to this table setting. I love the mats, the mis-matched bowls , the pretty glasses, the jug cover and the bright Sunday afternoon this picture evokes.

QUILT
I'm not into black and white interiors, but I do love this quilt, it would make a gorgeous classic statement to a crisp white bedroom.

The Home guide to craft
I love the simplicity of these crochet twine vases and would you believe it I have both crochet hooks and an assortment of twine. I may just have to have a crochet session pretty soon!

I'll have to post picks from the Collage Source book, House Proud and Contemporary Quilts another day cos I really have run out of time.

THE BEST SURPRISE!!

2007-01-28T15:31:00.000Z

My Inlaws are the best!! If there is one thing I can rely on with them is, if I ask them to look out for particular things at the many carboots they attend, they will find said items and at knock down prices to boot. But one of the best things I love about them is they sometimes will find little gems, often things I have not asked for but they know I will love and that is exactly the surprise I got today after a suicidal trip to Ikea.
What is this gem you are asking?
SURPRISE!!!! (sorry too excited to iron before taking pics)

And now for a close up!!

Isn't it FAB!!! all neatly handsewn, from (I believe) vintage Laura Ashley fabrics. Further delving in the bag I found these extra sets, I have already decided to use one these as a centre panel for a table runner.

And the other sets. And can you believe they only paid a £1 for the lot?

Apart from one of the long blue sets I'm not sure what I am going to do with the rest, I have got rather a lot on my plate at the minute, hence the lack of posting. We are in the process of trying to get our much loved home ready for putting it on the market, (the boys aren't getting any smaller and I need a workshop IN the house, i'm fed up with sharing it with Wildlife on One !) Also I need to list loads of unwanted stuff (incl.vintage 50's fabric and a bakelite telephone) on ebay not to mention updating my etsy shop with more goodies like cushions, slippers, notebooks, girls dresses I think you catch my drift.

GREETINGS!

2006-12-30T16:05:00.000Z

Just thought I'd post pics of our decorated house, this is the dining room, it looks very pale in the picture because of the flash. The table decoration is a bunch of silver twigs adorned with feather birds, glass droplets, beaded stars and frosted baubles.

Simple art,Christmas flock wrapping paper in a frame.

And now for the lounge, the birds are made of air drying clay and painted with acrylics and the hearts are wooden.

Recently papered chimney breast.

Seasons Greetings to you all, and have a Crafty, Creative and Inspiring New Year!

Nearly there!

2006-12-15T15:42:00.000Z

Phew! I'm finaly starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just a few more orders to go.
As this is my first working Christmas for 6 years plu being car-less I have been really disorganized I am hoping to be free by Sunday so I can do some Christmas creating with Tyler, and then of course there's the hosuse decorating to finish..

Now on to things i've been up to. These slippers are for a special order, the brief was for a Country Living/Shabby chic meets Shaker pair and a black and white ballet style with ribbons for hanging. I think i've fulfilled the brief, what do you think?

And finally these funky coin purses' have been a great hit, I have sold bundles of them, but due to the hetic schedule only managed to photograph the ones I have left. Rubbish pics I know, it's dark, miserable and our window frame and sill needs a lick of paint.

Busy! busy! busy! and poorly!

2006-12-11T10:01:00.000Z

Wow what a month I've had! It's been completely manic, making new stock and orders not to mention trying to source christmas presents and then there's the day job, I'm exhusted.
I was so busy I managed to fend of the winter bugs that were doing the rounds, however as soon as I stopped I ended up coming down with the lergy, just in time for a jolly dayout to visit the Christmas Market in Lincoln. Still I wrapped up warm , dosed myself up and did the only thing any sensible person would do, drank loads of mulled wine and grazed on fine foods all day!! Ok it didn't do much for my head cold but made me feel happy!

Anyways here are some of my buys.
A tin heart my first find after a mulled wine and a glass of German wine. ( I did have a large pretzel to soak the booze up) The stall was wall to wall scandinavian Christmas decs, but i had to resist and be a bit selective. You can find some scandinavian stuff here!
I am amazed at how real the tree looks in the pic, this is the first year in 16 yrs we have had an artificial Christmas tree.
I have always wanted a set of Matryoshka dolls, I brought a traditional set first and as I had some extra cash at the end of the day I couldn't resist these cute folks ,chosen by my youngest.

I just had to buy these sweet decorations for my tree

Now for my latest thrifted bargain. I was so pleased to find this wonderful retro apron, just look at those pockets! I'd love this fabric as a skirt.

I have been having fun making these handbound fabric covered notebooks. The binding and cutting of the papers are a bit time consuming but you do get a better sense of achievement.
(excuse the crap picture it's just so dark in our victorian house I had to go outside to take the picture)

Wear 4 less

2006-10-30T15:48:00.000Z

Yippee! I finished sewing the last parts (handstitched hem and self covered buttons) Saturday night. I am very pleased with the results. Plus I have a huge (31/2 yds) chunk of fabric left over. Because it was over 60" wide I was able to juggle with the pattern pieces, so it infact only cost me £5.35, res-ult!

And for the back, it pulls in nice and tight with the ties.

I really l-o-v-e the cuffs, although for the next dress i may use smaller buttons and more of them.

Are you ready to see how it fits?

Sorry about the headless shot, I was having a BAD! hair day, plus I am the most unphotogenic person in the world, I have been known to frighten children and animals with my mush and wild hair combo hee hee. Seriously though, I may have to shorten the hem a tad? I think it looks a bit (mumsy) long! What do you think?

Dress 4 Less

2006-10-28T21:01:00.000+01:00

I have been looking for a dress in the stores for months now, I wanted dress with a brown floral pattern, being the cheapskate I am (I hate paying full prices for anything) I have had no luck.

On my trek through John Lewis's, I noticed the New Look Patterns were half price, well, I couldn't resist, and, I found the perfect pattern, now for the fabric. £8.75 a yard you're having a laugh!!! I not paying that! So of to the market. Result! I found the perfect poly/cotton blend for.........wait for it...............£1 a yard, yes you heard me correctly £1 a yard yay bargain!! Total price (incl zip etc) £8.75
Mind you I ended up spending £25 on a selection of fabrics, the thing was the fabrics are already cut into lengths and he doesn't cut them down, mind you the longest piece was only 5 yds long and at that price who can grumble?

Skirting around!

2006-10-19T20:43:00.000+01:00

I have finally updated my shop with the first batch of skirts, hopefully (weather permitting) I will be able to take some more pics atfter my next sales event (27th October), well actually I hope I won't have any more to list because I've sold them, hurrah!!

Thank goodness for half-term, someone has stolen my creative mojo!, I feel like a bit of a zombie at the moment. Life at the college has been totally hetic since we started back in September, you know the feeling , like your brain has been replaced with a wedge of gouda and all your creative thought are falling through the holes.
I have so much to do this coming week I have my Saturday workshops flyers to design and print out and I need to make some more stock all for next Friday!! "Must get mojo back!, must get mojo back!"

Random act of kindness bounced right back!

2006-10-17T15:23:00.000+01:00

A while back I was visiting Rebecca's blog where she was wishing she had a duvet cover to go with a pillowslip she had thrifted. And would you believe it I had that duvet, well half (the half she wanted) of it anyway . So after contacting her I sent (Doh! forgot to take pics) the parcel off, with a few extra goodies.
And to my surprise she sent me this wonderful bundle. I received it before I left for work, I opened the main packaging and when I saw how pretty the contents had been wrapped I realised I needed to savour the unwrapping with a cup of tea when I got home.
I totally love the wallpaper wrapping (well I think it's wallpaper) and the name tape is wonderful!
Sorry about the crap lighting, the rather weak sun mean't I was trying to hold a mirror in one hand ( to reflect as much light as possible) while taking the pictures with the other hand.

And inside there are these individual parcels all banded up with more of that fab paper and shabby chic rosettes.

Oogle at the wonderful goodies gorgeous fabrics, buttons and black lace and just look at the fab! card, Rebecca must be psychic I have been searching for some old scrabble chips to make myself a new banner for my blog.

And a close up of the pretty rosettes.

Every thing was perfectly yummy!Rebecca this was a wonderful surprise. I am a very lucky person, especially as you are having to re-adjust into work mode, and have a lot on your plate at the moment. Thank you so much!

Cosy Feet!

2006-10-11T20:03:00.000+01:00

Firstly I'd like to thank you all for your kind comments and an extra thank you to Rebecca for the expectant parcel I'm all excited its like Christmas already.
Now as you all asked so nicely, I have spent the afternoon fighting, and cussing my ancient bulky scanner to give you what you want. So get your mince pies clear and have a good gawp at these pics.

My inspiration! i loved the gingham, but alas i have none!

These are oh so sweet!

Luvly jubly! so simple to make too!

Is it wrong to like these? especially when your the wrong side of sixty, talk about passion killers!

These are just some of the patterns there are loads more on my flickr and a couple of extra ones i didn't get to scan, OK the scanner won the battle!

How to make your feet look dainty

2006-10-10T14:39:00.000+01:00

I received my first Japanese craft book last week, jam packed full of lovely slippers! Now I have to admit, I have always quite fancied owning a pair of Mary Jane style slippers, so I rummaged through my textile stash and came across the gorgeous Laura Ashley lilac upholstery fabric and lined it with a yellow fabric with blue flowers, add pretty buttons on the side and there you are one pair of dainty slippers for my clumsy feet!

A little peek at the sole, hardwearing beige leather.

You can see a better peek of the inside on flickr.

Pretty things

2006-10-09T21:24:00.000+01:00

Yay! First dry Sunday in the UK for weeks, so of to the carboot! There are bound to be loads more sellers. Lots of profit starved sellers = more bargains for me to buy woohoo! Fifteen minutes into it and I found this pretty jug and glass set, only 5 glasses but hey ho! I only paid £1 for the set and you never know I may find some more.

But that was it, 2hrs of looking and that's all I could find, boo hoo!

After my disappointment I decided to go on a unplanned thrifting session. For some reason I was drawn to these house dress/kaftan patterns, So bohemian don't you think? I can see myself wafting around the house in a Kaftan on a Sunday, arranging fresh flowers from my garden, baking bread whilst listening to something mellow on the stereo hmmm.........But which one shall I make, a difficult choice me thinks.

Stroke of Luck! I was looking for some hand embroidered linens for a project I have planned, so I was more than pleased to find this lovely selection of tablemats! My luck is changing! but I need plenty more, but its a good start.

...and I love these pretty tiny buttons, which I have plans for already, shame I only have five. You'll see why I need six tommorrow.

Best of all I spotted these pretty fabrics before they went on sale, I love the crisp fresh white bed linen, there's a blue spotted cord, an old ladies polyester dress fabric, a lilac and white polkadot seersucker, a 'blue and white' japanese style print and for the more observant a Liberty print (4th one down).

Ahh! I feel much better now!

'Earth Mother'

2006-10-04T14:58:00.000+01:00

Did I mention we have an allotment? We have had it for about 12 years! Here are is a tiny selection of our crop. See the freaky large courgette who thinks its a marrow?

Well its destined for some of these! Yummy!Yummy!

And since I was in a pickling/preserving mood I thought I'd better stop eating the 4lb of Victoria plums we were given and make some of this! slurp! slurp!

And (if I do say so myself) it's totally delicious. Now where are my homebrew books? I can feel a wine making session coming on.

Time to explain

2006-10-02T21:40:00.000+01:00

I have been asked on several occasions where I got the title of my blog from? Well its from here! Anyone who has been around little folk can relate to this. (Translation at the bottom of the page) For a bit of FUN! try saying it in a West Indian accent, kept us in stitches for weeks!

This funny story was written by my youngest Tyler when he was about 3. The piano shape is actually a gerbil activity frame, not sure I can remember Harvey and Dexter looking that menacing?.

A completely cheeky monkey

2006-10-01T15:02:00.000+01:00

I was just browsing around H & M when I saw this stripey t-shirt it matches the colours of the shoes perfectly, well I just had to buy it didn't I? Then add one cheeky monkey applique and 'Bobs your uncle' a cute outfit to be worn by a cute little boy! (pics of him wearing it to follow)

I just l-o-v-e! this furnishing fabric, found at a carboot, the colours are really vibrant, on my screen the pink areas look more purple? i cant decide what to make with it though.

I found this great quilting and patchwork techniques book at a carboot . It has been one that I have been tempted to buy from Amazon on several occasions, I'm glad I didn't I only paid 50p for it, result!

Lickle, tiny shoes

2006-09-28T14:56:00.000+01:00

Inspired by this blog (and a few others I can't remember who?) I decided to have a go at making my nephew a couple of pairs of shoes. He is still quite small ( 1lb 11oz at birth in April) and barely has socks that fit. So using some of my fabric remnants, I came up with these!

What do you think? The cheeky monkeys were first, I was so pleased how they came out I made him pair of trainers as well. I think I may have a problem, they are extremely quick to make hence very addictive!!

I'm an eco-supplier!

2006-09-24T18:06:00.000+01:00

Yay! They loved all of my collection so I am going to be an eco-supplier when the shop opens in April. I was quite surprised when i arrived as there were prospective suppliers there with products that were neither recycled, organic or sustainable?
The park itself was FAB! all the wood'n'natural stone of the buildings (hmm! love to self build, sorry couldn't take pics) which are going to house the Eco-shop, cafe, workshops (which I would love to be able to rent) and activity area. Then there is the park itself with lifesize dinosaurs, assorted rides, tree walks, dinosaur digs and eco-allotments (for kids to pick veg to cook. its going to be interesting to see if enough people will visit.
One of the many good things about the park is that the shop will be open as a gift shop all year round, so I can send customers to the shop as an outlet rather than my home.
Thank you Caroline and anyone else who wished me luck.

Wish me luck!

2006-09-22T13:57:00.000+01:00

I am of to a new Eco-park preview later this afternoon to show my wares. A local mini theme park was advertising for Eco-friendly, recycled goods or organic suppliers to stock their new shop, I sent details of my products and I (along with a selection of my wares) have been invited to the preview along with other prospective suppliers. Gulp! I hope I don't have to give a speech? It's not the right time of the month for too many questions:( :( !!

I'll let you know how it goes.

NEW! Goodies in the Shop

2006-09-19T22:06:00.000+01:00

I have finally, after much hair pulling (due to having to upload my pictures at least 3 times each) added some new items to my shop . I still have skirts, belts, brooches and more bags to add so keep popping by.

Look! how they've grown!

2006-09-14T14:34:00.000+01:00

While checking out our August holiday pics I was stopped in my tracks by one of the photos, its a staged picture we always take when we go on a static caravan holiday. We round the boys up and get them to pose together outside the caravan. I know they are growing up but for some reason they look so much more grown up! Just so you can see for yourselves I have scanned in the previous holiday pics.

1995 Aww! what cuties

1999 It was raining outside!, and what was I thinking with that hair?

2001 Butter wouldn't melt!

2003 The year of the combat

2006 The pic that started me blubbering!

2006-09-10T08:48:00.000+01:00

On Friday evening we took the boys to an open air production of Wind in the Willows by these folks. What a brilliant evening!, the weather was fab! however, because of clear skies the temp did drop a bit, but not enough to spoil the evening. I must admit I was glad my eldest two Lewis 15 and Oliver 13 enjoyed the production, my youngest tyler 9 was totally in the groove, he was down at the front joining in with all the other little people. We took a picnic including a bottle of wine but they supplied a FREE Hog roast, Pimms, OJ and Apple Juice and then at the interval Haagen Dazs Ice cream hmmm! The event was put on by the Parks Trust to thank everyone associated with the trust (Lewis is a volunteer, its part of his service for his Duke of Edinburgh Award) for their support. It was the BEST! evening I have had out for along time! The Illyria Open Air Theatre Co., ROCK!

Miss Kitty

2006-09-03T17:43:00.000+01:00

I'd like to introduce Miss Kitty and baby Blue, my first softie for my baby Nephew. Inspiration for these creations was from the flickr softies group

Sunday treat

2006-08-27T18:15:00.000+01:00

Sunday treat
Originally uploaded by HazeyD.

Ok! I'm sorry I couldn't wait until next week, i'm just too! excited.
This morning was the first dry Sunday for 2 weeks and I needed to get my car booty fix. We got more or less to the end and low and behold I spotted a cool kistch black fabric hiding in a box, pulled it out only to find another rather tatty set of banana yellow kistch curtains, "how much", "a Tenner love, they're vintage you know"said mr stall holder, hmmm me thinks? a lot of dosh for 2 half length of frayed and faded curtains and a piece of black fabric, kistch or not, so i thought i'd try my luck with just the black, "will you take £2 for the black fabric"? at this point he frowned and I thought he was going to send me off with a flea in my ear, his wife laughed nervously, i fluttered my eye lashes as fast as I could, "oh go on", Yay! SOLD to one very happy girl!!!
I had no idea it was a Marian Mahler design from 1952 until I looked it up when I got home, it is called 'swinging crib' and I have 2.75mtrs. I have no idea what the other design was, it looked just as old, missed opportuniity?.
Now for my dilemma, When I saw the fabric I wanted it for a new bag, but now I know the fabric is a collectable do I get it valued and sell it to add some sheckles to boost one of the following worthy causes:

Saving for my much wanted Apple i mac?.
Trip (much needed) to Italy for hubby and me ? We haven't been on a trip away from the boys for 6yrs.
Savings for a Coverlock machine?.
My very own digital camera, to tote around with me daily?
Make my bag then one of the above?

Decisions, Decisions!, I can't make up my mind . What do you think?

Thrift bargins

2006-08-24T15:17:00.000+01:00

I think i am going to be a totally erratic blogger, how many times have I posted this week? Ah well, if you got someting to post you just have to post it. Anyhow, looky what I found this morning, 2 FAB! craft books and a mixture of enamelled, glass and brass vintage buttons. I previously had a copy of the Craftwork in colour but sent it to a friend who fell in love with it, so i was well made up when I found another copy:)

closeup of the buttons.

Want a peek inside? Go on you know you want to. You've gotta check out the elephant from the embroidery book, and what about the fried egg pincushion, don't you just love novelty pincushions? I must apologise for the quality of the photos, the light here is bad and my scanner is on strike :(

Mr Robin came to visit

2006-08-23T12:58:00.000+01:00

I was helping the boys make a camp in the garden this morning when this little fellow appeared on the branch of our eucalyptus tree. Mr Robin was only about 5 feet away and stayed for about 10 minutes luckily I had my camera handy and was able to take few snaps.

MY FIRST AND LAST BESPOKE COMMISSION
A work colleague commissioned me to make her a bespoke skirt for a wedding she was attending. She did a rough sketch on a scrap of paper while we shopped for the fabric.
Here is the mock up I translated from the sketch, made from a thrifted white sheet and some tiny shell buttons. The Result! I am really pleased with the outcome, although I shan't be making any more bespoke items.
Made from dupion taffeta, with organza brown ribbon, taffeta braid and taffeta roses. The shell button shimmer blue/cream/green and look great against the braiding and roses. The skirt is lined and the bottom of the lining has a gathered chiffon trim.
Close up of the detail, and hemline. The gathered chiffon on the lining was an absolute nightmare to work with, it kept moving around, thank goodness for my overlocker, it saved the day!
And finally a matching padded hanger decorated with chiffon ribbon and shell button, the roses are not attached, one is a brooch and the other is to put on a purse.
Rather cute don't you think?

A crib for a precious babe

2006-08-22T21:23:00.000+01:00

This is not exactly a new project, it's about 2 months old, I found a missing memory card from my camera and this was one of the many pics on it.
My nephew was born just before Easter 2006 @ 29 weeks he weighed in at 1lb 11oz. It was touch and go initially but he is a fighter and made great progress with one minor glitch. He was able to go home weighing just 4lb a week before his due date , but alas had no crib to sleep in next to mum and dad, well I just had to do something and made, with hubby help, a crib using the same design we used for our three boys. Hubby Andrew set about making the frame while I made up the padded and quilted crib from a fantastic thrifted duvet cover, the pillow case was a perfect fit as top sheet.

In his bright yellow room it looks absolutely great and fits perfectly with the animal theme. They will get a lot of use out of it as he is still so tiny I expect the crib to be used for quite a while.

I have been busy, HONEST!

2006-08-17T17:13:00.000+01:00

I am a BAD! BAD! Blogger!, how long has it been! Regular paid work and creating lovely goods for the festivals just took over. I haven't had time to craft or sew for myself since MAY Boo! hoo! Still it hasn't been all bad, I did very well at the last festival, I took several bookings for my recycle workshop in October and had great feedback, which I really needed all those weeks of sewing I began to wonder if anyone would want to own one of my creations, that naughty little self doubt demon crept into my head during my late night sewing sessions.
GOOD NEWS! I am hoping to open a etsy shop pretty soon, my darling hubby is dragging his feet setting up my new look website and I have customers waiting to shop so I thought etsy will be a good option. There will be a link from here, my current website and my flickr profile so please visit and let me know what you think.

Heres one of my many recycled skirts I made, I am please how it turned out, The centre panel and pocket are from a dress, the waistband a remnant and the side panels a duvet cover.

If you would like to see the rest of my skirt collection click on the picture or follow my flickr link. Some of the items are available for sale and will be in my new etsy shop soon.

2006-05-16T14:22:00.000+01:00

Well things are starting to get hetic around here, I have booked a stall space 3m x 3m at the Togfest in June, and I have nowhere near enough stock for such a huge event eeeeek! 4 bags down 156 to go, plus clothing (well mainly vintage fabric skirts, reconstructed t-shirts and jackets) and jewelry, not to mention the accessories, oh and did I mention I work part-time?
Looks like the family are going to have to fend for themselves. And as for my website! it's driving me mad!!!!! I am no longer able to update it, every time I try it goes all weird on me, so it will have to close while a new shop is created I think.
Well here are some new bags heading for the Togfest, three are made from old jeans/cords, and the fourth has been constructed using t-towels and placemat, I especially love the t-towel one the colours work well and will be great for summer. What is your fav?

Here's a peek of the insides of the bags, I used vintage bedding/curtains for all of them. I really like the orange one with the bold white flowers, I think I need a skirt made out of it? Do you think it will look too much?

Here is a new design, created using an old t-shirt, tie, buttons and fabric. I have put a zipper in the top in a contrasting colour and added some buttons and cotton ruffle to give it a more feminine urban look, I think it looks kinda 'urban beach girl', what do you think?

Let the crafting begin!

2006-05-09T21:43:00.000+01:00

I would like you all to meet some new (temporary) members of our household.

From L to R Hugo, Bruno and Flo, they are mischievous, happy 6" Anime bears. Typically the boys are leaving all the housework to Flo whilst they create havoc, so, I am separating them and making them all a home each! When their homes are decorated according to their personalities they may find their way to new owners via eBay?.

And below we have Juney, she is 6"very insecure anime bear, I am not sure if i like her as much as H.B.F, They look exactly as I imagined them to look, but Juney isn't quite as rounded as I would like her to be and her head is a bit big so I may have to tweek the pattern a bit.

Bizzare Brit weather

2006-05-04T19:56:00.000+01:00

We decided at Easter to book a long camping break in the Cotswolds, yes we are mad! and also Hardy outdoor types thefore the usual slightly chilly evenings didn't worry us. As it turned out the weather was rather sunny, lightweight jacket kinda weather. On the last day we decided to visit Stow on the Wold, It was a beautiful warm sunny morning we were enjoying the quaint shops and then ventured into view some artworks by local artists, when it came time to leave we couldn't believe our eyes, it was hailing!! I have never seen such a flurry of activity as everyone tried to shelter from the onslaught.

Here is the evidence.

OMG!
Still hailing!

Finally stopped! We can now get back to our Camper.

Can you believe it! Well actually I can, our weather is amazingly fickle, I expect this particular day didn't disappoint any tourist in the area.

By the time we got back to the campsite it was totally clear and sunny again, BIZARRE!

Mind you we seem to attract weird weather, 31/2 years ago we were down in sunny Devon, just pitched up our flimsy tent and having our first cupper, enjoying the scorchio 25 degree weather, 2 hours later Thunder! and Lightning! Rain!Rain!Rain! for about an hour! I can tell you it was no fun.

More thrifting

2006-05-02T17:39:00.000+01:00

These are result of my more recent thrifting.

Beautifully illustrated fairytail book and an Alice in wonderland illustrated byArthur Rackham.

Some great tins and a Kandy book I absolutely love the characters in this book, I only wish I discovered it when my son was younger, I would love to have made him a bunny-babe suit.

Despite the lack of girls in my household I couldn't resist these cute patterns. They will more than likely find themselves flying off to new homes.

This is my jewellery stand in my bedroom. I originally wanted a candle stand but couldn't find one, so I came up with this idea, which I think works better. Although I neeeed! more jewels don't you think?

Whos a happy bunny

2006-04-24T22:06:00.000+01:00

I finally saved enough pennies, my overlocker is finally here YAY! I am as pleased as punch, I can finally add a reconstructed clothing line to my shop, although I have to find a space for a tailors dummy?
Looky what I found, lush vintage fabrics to add to my stash the colours are way more vivid in real life esp. the orange, yellow and green ones. I am still undecided about the orange tulip design, it may find itself on ebay, as much as I like it I am not sure I would use it for my bags, although some retro cushions for the shop would look cool!
Finally I thought I would join in all the fun and include a pic from a Corner of my Home, well actually it's from my workshop. In the pic are my special paints, art materials, necklaces to be uploaded to my shop and of course my scrapbook walls covered in inspirational bits and bobs.

I knew that!

2006-03-14T17:27:00.000Z

Your Brain's Pattern

Your brain is always looking for the connections in life.

You always amaze your friends by figuring out things first.

You're also good at connecting people - and often play match maker.

You see the world in fluid, flexible terms. Nothing is black or white.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Lush Goodies!

2006-03-03T20:29:00.000Z

Box of goodies
Originally uploaded by HazeyD.

I only work part-time, in a job I really love, but it still doesn't stop me wanting to go home,today has been a very lethargic one. So you can imagine my excitement when I arrived home to find a collection card from Royal Mail on my doorstep.Feeling like a child at Christmas I was chomping at the bit to collect my goodies the 45mins I had to wait felt more like 2hrs. 50mins later I had this in my arms.

Lovely yarn
Originally uploaded by HazeyD.

75mins later looked like this! Lovely yarn to knit a fab modern cardigan. The pattern and yarn are both by Berge de France. Pattern 106.48, yarn Toison colourway Lord.I am now itching to get started, if it turns out as the pattern I shall knit another one in a red or purple shade.

And to complete my day I managed to find these lovely goodies from a thrift store.

Thrify bargins
Originally uploaded by HazeyD.

First Post

2006-03-01T14:17:00.000Z

I have spent the last xxyrs creating, making and baking with only my sister remotely interested , so, it is now time for my pursuits to reach a wider (appreciative) audience, I decided to create a blog about my hobbies, specifically sewing, knitting and cooking. I hope you will stick with me as I shall be posting the odd tutorial, as well as keeping you up-2-date with my shops new stock.

I juc me jodll

Time for a change

I'm in L-O-V-E !!

It's a dish!!

Birthday treats

Mixed feelings!

Sew Autumn

Therapy

Oodles of doodles!

Thrifted!

I'm still here!

MONDAY IS POST DAY

A little bit of Country Living

Week 2

I'M SOOOOO! EXCITED

Wednesday weigh-in

NO CRAFTING JUST NURTURING

Wednesday Weigh-in

YUM! YUM!

I love wallpaper

This week I mostly been...........Drypointing

More goodies in the shop

Yet more distractions!!

YIPEE! it's SNOWIIIIING!!!!!

TO EASILY DISTRACTED

THE BEST SURPRISE!!

**GREETINGS!**

Nearly there!

Busy! busy! busy! and poorly!

Wear 4 less

Dress 4 Less

Skirting around!

Random act of kindness bounced right back!

Cosy Feet!

How to make your feet look dainty

Pretty things

'Earth Mother'

Time to explain

A completely cheeky monkey

Lickle, tiny shoes

I'm an eco-supplier!

Wish me luck!

NEW! Goodies in the Shop

Look! how they've grown!

Miss Kitty

Sunday treat

Thrift bargins

Mr Robin came to visit

A crib for a precious babe

I have been busy, HONEST!

Let the crafting begin!

Bizzare Brit weather

More thrifting

Whos a happy bunny

I knew that!

Lush Goodies!

First Post

GREETINGS!