About Me

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Hi, Welcome to my Blog. I'm an eclectic kind of crafter delving into many pots. I am just about managing to keep up my Scrapbooking Diary (usually about 6 months behind), plus any cards as required. I have a new found love of watercolour and Bible Journaling plus recently Junk Journaling too. Previously I've also dabbled in ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Mixed Media, Art Journaling, Décopatch, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery amongst other things. I live in Surrey, UK with my husband, our son has left home now. For exercise I usually play Badminton and go Ballroom and Latin Dancing, but am plagued by a bad back. I like walking which I couple with Geocaching and sometimes Bouncing on my Rebounder (mini trampoline). I guess I am officially retired now. I am a born again Christian, currently worshiping at my local Vineyard Church.

Wednesday 26 April 2017

WOYWW #412 - Joining the Dots



Gosh what a week!

Made my first flat jellyfish for a premature baby but have yet to do the eyes.

Mum sent me some more yarn so I will be able to do those now.
Mum has loads of yarn left over from her shop so said she could donate to the Octopus for a Preemie charity so I arranged for her to meet up with the South Wales coordinator.

I have just joined a new church and went on their church weekend away last weekend. What a wonderfully uplifting time we all had.

I took my embroidery so I could keep up with my 1 year of stitches too.

I got the Bic Cristal pens on recommendation from one of the girls there as well.

The swan was a late arriving Easter present from my husband.

The money from a badminton club for buying shuttlecocks for them.

Lots of doors seem to be opening for me and as the medication seems to be doing the trick I am able to say "yes" and not worry about being housebound each month!

God is Good

Joel 2:25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten"

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Thursday 20 April 2017

ROWAN - Yarn Test

There are quite stringent rules for making an Octopus for a preemie, the type of yarn being one of them.

They have an approved list of yarns but my Rowan cottons aren't on there so I have done a test wash at 60C but am unable to test in a drier as I don't have one!

I have used:-

Rowan Cotton Glace - Orange - 100% Cotton

Rowan Handknit Cotton - Pink - 100% Cotton and

Sirdar Pure Cotton Double Knik - Black - 100% Cotton as a control as this is on the approved list.



I also tested my Coats Polyester Filling.

So I stuffed them in a sock and popped in a 60C wash.

All the yarns were slightly longer when wet (above) but returned to original length after drying (left)

Hoping they get approved as I have quite a supply from my Mother as she used to have a wool shop and has quite a store of yarns left over still.

Wednesday 19 April 2017

WOYWW #411 - Octopus for a Preemie

I seem to have been taken by the need to make an Octopus for a Premature Baby.

So I joined the FaceBook group, Octopus for a Preemie UK and have been researching the requirements as they are quite stringent.



I have a sock stuffed with my stuffing and a few lengths of my yarn as they aren't on the "recommended" list and certainly don't say whether you can wash at 60C either! We'll see.

Other things I have been up to.

SWAP card using peel-offs.






Peel-Off Journal page as I discovered a lighthouse and have been wanting to do a lighthouse page in ages.




I did a scrapbook page inspired by a lovely WOYWWer although it isn't a bit like the original, I was inspired.






And here's my latest embroidery photo





Off to the dentist to have a broken tooth/filling seen to. It broke a month ago and it was not right for a while before that so looking forward to eating on both sides again!

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Monday 17 April 2017

Embroidery - Week 6

Picnic Time is coming along nicely, I finished the picnic blanket and flowers.

I followed that by the water and ducks.

Although I seem to have a ninja duck - can you spot him!



I'm now on the final straight.

I don't need to move my hoop again and just have the 3 children to finish.

Pondering what to do next now.

Wednesday 12 April 2017

WOYWW #410 - Painting!

So my husband got sick of all my flower things in his cable tie tube so he made this for them.

I laughed and said I'd have to paint it!

Woke early and decided to do just that!


It started life a piece of cardboard tube hot glued to a wall tile.











Still doing daily embroidery too. Weekly update here. I even stretched and finished my colour wheel embroidery so now have my large hoop to work with, much better.

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Sunday 9 April 2017

Embroidery - Week 5


I have made a good start with the "Picnic Time" Kit.

I did a search on the computer to see if this kit (P751) still exists but couldn't find it anywhere.

It is by Penelope of Wm Briggs & Co. Ltd. originally of Bolton Lancs. UK. which seems to relate to Coats now!


I started with my next largest hoop which is 6" (seem to have 2 of those) but needed to keep moving it so did a bit without a hoop. By Wednesday I decided to take my colour wheel piece out of my only 10" hoop and stretch it properly. I edged it with black braid.















I keep forgetting to photograph "Picnic Time" each day, probably because I am doing it downstairs in the sunshine of the conservatory and tend to put it away when the light fades, hence I forget to take a photo!

Anyway here are a few days work up until Saturday evening (above).
 

Wednesday 5 April 2017

WOYWW #409 - New Embroidery Project



I think I finished my colour wheel free-form embroidery last Sunday.

That makes 28 days/4 weeks worth or creativeness with colour.


My husband has cut a couple of MDF circles for me to stretch and mount it but I haven't dared take it off the hoop yet.


As we have been having some lovely sunny days I have decamped with my next embroidery project to the conservatory. The natural light is better in there so all my bits are in a basket.

If you wish to see the whole picture and backstory, pop along to my Many Moons Ago previous post.

And to add to my love of colour, some new socks. I have such wide feet that buying shoes is a nightmare, if near impossible so I buy lots of socks instead!

Happy WOYWW Everyone.

Monday 3 April 2017

Many Moons Ago

Many Moons ago
(approximately 444 )
I did a lot of embroidery.

I stitched kits of Victorian Children in various scenes.

The first three scenes were, "At the seaside", "At the Station" and "Feeding the Ducks."

My Mum has the first three but I gave the fourth away to the mum of my current boyfriend at the time as a Christmas present. It resides somewhere in France now, who knows as I said that was many moons ago!

My Mum was always sad that I'd given the fourth, "Picnic Time" away but I must have bought the kit again sometime in the distant past as it has been sitting waiting for such a time as this.

So my project for this month, or however long it takes, is to stitch it again.



The kit comprises of a printed design on a background of hessian fabric. A printed chart of what colour/stitch goes where, all the cotton threads required, 2 needles and a stitch glossary.

That ought to keep me busy for a while.

Sunday 2 April 2017

Embroidery - Week 4

Well my son thinks it is finished, so I added a bit more!!!







I guess I could keep adding a french knot here and there for a long time.






So what do you think, is it finished yet?