What I Have Been Doing.....

Well, what have I been up to, hmmmm let me think....

I have....

Been buying pretty buttons. I often see pretty buttons like these and pay 15p, actually 2 were 42p, for each of them....

And I loved these little cards displaying vintage buttons on them, each card with buttons was 60p.

So when I saw X amount in a pack in a crafty store for £5.99, I thought they were really good value for money, I mean one can never have enough buttons. Mmmmm, or can they ;0) The X amount of buttons are in the most delicious candy colours, I almost want to, dare I say it, lick them.

If you are wondering why I am calling them X amount, it is that we had a little family game where we guessed how many there were in the pack. The lovely gentleman in the shop reckoned on there being 500 maybe. Well we thought there wouldn't be that many, so we all had a little guess. I went for 350, Miss. Poppins went for 320, Mr. P went for 250 and Master. P thought there was maybe 2, obviously didn't quite get the gist of the game ;0)

What would you have plumed for....

Well, altogether, including all the ickle ones, there was 413, so less than 1 and a half p per button, bargain :0)

I have also....

Been buying lovely fabric. I thought the caramel and soft pink would look lovely as a cover on a little footstool, hmmmm only need a footstool now ;0)

I have....

been given a new role. I am now a volunteer youth worker at the local youth group that meets once a week in our little village. The age group is 8-13 and I am really looking forward to my new role. I have met and know many of the children, Miss Poppins shall be there too and I am already known as the crafty lady, which is nice. I shall be in charge of the craft room and every week we shall be doing lovely little crafty projects, and the older girls especially, are really looking forward to it. It is lovely that I am volunteering, there is a feeling of giving something good back to my community, which is kind of special. I shall need all the relevant CRB checks and also my little chine has to be Pat Tested a legal requirement, and have thought of some lovely projects we can get on with, with a good olde fashioned needle and thread, whilst I have no chine there. There are also stacks of gorgeous fabric there which I can't wait to get my hands on ;0)

Of course it is always nice to get a little inspiration, and where better than from Emma Hardy's Sewing for Children book. I love Emma's Quilting In No Time and Sewing In No Time, so reckoned on me liking the children's book too. It is indeed, in my opinion, a lovely book with 35 crafty projects aimed at children, but I reckon on some projects us big children would like to have a go at too ;0) Highly recommended by me, and you don't even need a chine.

I can't wait to get on with some of these craft projects with the children.

Projects for crafty boys too :0)

As I am hoping to get back in the world of working soon, eeek, I thought this new role of mine the perfect introduction, and useful too, to pop on my C.V. 

I have also....

been buying pretty cards for framing. I had to have this one when I saw it.

I have been making pretty fabric wrist cuffs  for 3 crafty friends of mine. I love to wear wrist cuffs and think are quite the in thing this season. Mine are made in a very free hand kind of style, not meant be neat, perfect, symmetrical or even with straight lines. I used no template, and I quite like the way they turned out, shall have to make myself one now methinks.  

For someone who likes red.

For someone who likes green.

And someone who, like me, likes those pretty candy colours.

Hopefully my pals like them.

I have also been making more bunting and cushions for orders. All my customers are more than happy for me to display their wares that I have handmade for them, and I really appreciate it as I think it is nice to showcase one's work and nice to see the different fabrics and colours I use.

 Buntings.

Cushions.

The backs, using a retro 1970's fleece fabric I bought. 

I have also been wrapping up swap parcels and hopefully they shall be sent in the next couple of days, my one to Jozen has been sent and hopes it gets to her soon. Talking of swaps I received a beautiful  one from the ever so lovely Mrs Yappy Dog here it is all wrapped up so sweetly, it was a flower swap and boy I got some pretty treats, I shall of course let you all see in my next post. Hope you like the photograph I took of the pretty gifts, the sunlight was shining on them and then the shadows on the outer edge makes it look like a heart, very arty. 

 

Thank you so much B, your gifts are so special to me.

Thanks too to Country In The Town for the heads up on where her lovely smelling lavender came from. I have been using my own stocks for about a year now and only have only one jar left so thought a good replenish of lavender was on the cards. If you click on the photograph you may see the ebay store I got mine from. Tis a lovely smell.

I have also been choosing new labels for my handiwork, as I am doing little makes for boys too, pink really isn't a cool choice for them and so am deciding what to go for. I don't want them too girly, but not too boyish, hmmmm as you can tell I am yet to choose, here is where I get my labels from and I have always been happy with them.

And I have also been buying crafty supplies from ebay.

And last but not least I have been unwrapping pretty Mother's day gifts, yes I know, we do things a little back to front here, don't ask ;0)

Hope you have all been having fun too. Miss. Poppins is off on her first school trip away for one night, and is ever so excited. boy do they have to take a lot of *stuff* for one night. I am sure she shall be fine. But me, I reckon I shall be crying into my cocoa. Think it may only be my 4th or 5th night away from her in 8 years. I shall be *sob* *sob* fine ;0)

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It Is A Fabric Thing....

As mentioned I visited a lovely fabric shop, the Copperfield Centre on the Isle of Anglesey whilst on my little holiday, I took some little snapshots and thought you may like to see. I have to say is a proper, as I call it, fabric shop, with proper prices ;0) I do think once in a while is nice to splash out on pretty fabric don't you think.

There is also a pretty shop owned by the same Family a couple of doors away, and is really beautiful inside.

Lovely displays....

Pretty quilts....

Ohooo I had fun mooching in there, and then it was off to the fabric shop :0)

Ohooo what pretty colours, lets have another look shall we.

The fabric was up, down, and all around.

Pretty ribbon and gifts too.

Mucho fabrico....

Ohooo now there was a little here I had to play with....

Can you guess which one I came home with....

I really did have fun there, apologies but can't seem to find any links to the lovely fabric store, so if any of you know of any do let me know.

I suppose you would maybe like to see what I came home with. Well apologies, am probably going to disappoint with my ickle stash I bought, but the good news is I am going back for the sales in a couple of weeks and also hoping to mooch with a new and very lovely blogger friend, won't that be fun. Not fun for my little wallet I bet ;0)

Well I bought some bondaweb, but that isn't very interesting to look at is it so haven't photographed that, but I have photographed my little fabric stash. Two really pretty FQs of floral fabric, and one FQ of my favourite Kaffe Fassett fabric.

    

A very CK Provence Rose esque moda fabric, I bought half a metre. What do you think, does it have that Provence Rose esqe look to you.

Pretty ribbon, and two gorgeous Daisy buttons I am saving up for a special project.

And some Ohooo so cute and pretty buttons.

So a lovely little purchase I thought to keep my crafty fingers busy as a little bee. One thing I have been busy with is getting on with making my Kitchen Diner projects with the lovely and special fabric you sent me, I am doing 3 special projects and here is a sneaky peak as I was having a play.Thank you so much again lovelies.

I hope it makes you as warm in your heart as it does in mine, seeing your lovely fabric being made into something very, very special to me. I truly have been very blessed to find as lovely a folk as you :0)

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Kaffe Fassett Could Be My New Fabric Love....

Popping on very quickly to let you know I am very grateful to all of you that left me very helpful and heartfelt comments on my last post. Both Mr. Poppins and I have read through them all, jotted down all the excellent advice given and hopefully can see things in a clearer light. I have found out that in my county, there were 83 appeals heard for infant places last year, and only 3 of those appeals were successful eeek. Being an infant class with only 20 places, it seems that getting ones application in a little late, again, we believe through no fault of our own, means maybe he was always going to be an automatic decline so appeal we must. I have spoken to the LEA, and have set the wheels in motion. Master P is at least on the waiting list now for the school his big sister is at too, so hey that is good. As I have mentioned in my last post I really want to pop and see you all to say thank you and when I get back to my own, quicker computer I shall.

I have lots of lovely photographs geared up for you all, I have been shopping, thrifting, fabric buying, so as with the rough we must always have the smooth, so look forward to showing you some pretties. One lovely place I have been to today is the Isle Of Anglesey, 40 minutes or so away from where I grew up.
 
We went for some lovely lunch here

And not too far away from this pretty beach in Trearddur Bay....
 
 

Is the most wonderful fabric store, it is called The Copperfield Centre. It is a secret little hidy place that if ever you stumble on you must go in. I had wanted to go for ages and was on my to do list. Not long ago I got chatting to a lovely blogger via email about it, who had been, and made me want to go even more. I can't seem to find a website or links, is that much of a secret you see ;0) So if any of you know of any links or websites I would be very grateful if you could let me know of any. It really is very lovely and hope you look forward to seeing the pretty photographs I took inside and think I may have found a new fabric love. I know not everyone's cup of tea, wouldn't that be dull, but I am now the proud owner of a little Kaffe Fassett I have been playing with the fabric all evening and guess what, it has grown on me and now I want to go back for more. Is Kaffe Fassett one of your fabric loves....  

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Perfect Tonic....

Hello lovely friends, I thought you might like to see some of the delightful fabric squares that have been fluttering their way through my letterbox. I have been so touched by your offerings, and of course I adore all your pretty fabric that you have been kind enough to send me. Though it is also the cards, the letters, the words of encouragement that you have sent along with your beautiful fabric that have really touched me.

RL stuff is playing on me again, like many, I don't really do these cold winter months and truth be told, have been a little down. Well you blogger friends have been the perfect tonic and I really wanted you to know that. For me, this is much, much more than sending a little fabric for someone to make a little, or big, as it now seems curtain. It runs much deeper than that. Not only have you taken the time to send me some of your precious fabric but you have taken pen to pretty paper or card and sent me the loveliest of messages of support. It really has been so uplifting reading your letters and cards :)


So now for pretty fabric....


Thank you to my lovely and always makes me smile friend Claire One of my favourite CK prints....





Thank you to a very, very talented Bag Maker one can never have enough bags, I say. I love the patchwork effect of the fabric....





My lovely dear blogger friend Stitchery Pokery who was kind enough to send me some of her very famous fabric!....





The delightful Lemonade Kitty sent me some of her finest Liberty....





Made with Love did me a fine piece of machine embroidery on her fabric, perfect for the kitchen I thought and so sweet....





Lovely Lululiz sent the most gorgeous floral fabric in the prettiest of colours....





I love Vintage Vicki's polka dots, perfect....





Tanya Whelan is one of my favourite fabric designers, Contented may have known this when her pretty fabric popped through the letterbox....





Rose&Bird sent the loveliest of lilacs and florals....





My good pal Mitmot sent me some of her bestest vintage....





Lovely Lissy Lou sent me the cutest florals....





And last but not least my sweet friend Elaine, who does not have a blog but wanted me to use a little of her fabric for my kitchen project, sent me some pretty Laura Ashley in a cute check print.





Thank you so much, I aim to show and tell about all the pretty fabric that I receive and am going to be using, and now I have a little plan that I may have enough fabric to make up some smaller squares to makes a little curtain for the window too.


Thank you to Stitchery Pokery for the sweet handmade fabric coasters, they are utterly adorable, and are scented so smell divine too !





I am loving my new book, purchased from Rose&Bird how could I resist such a pretty book.





And especially when the inscription from years ago reveals the book was a gift to a young lady named Mary, Ohooo I am a sentimental olde fool aren't I.





Before I go I wondered if any of you had see Lissy Lou's heartwarming post here. A subject very close to my own heart as my three year old has a heart condition, you wouldn't know it at all, as his cardiologist has worked a treat on him and he seems as fit as a fiddle :) So it was with great care and love that I made this oversized heart corsage, and it shall be wining it's merry way to Lissy and hopefully make a pound or two for a very worthy cause.





Of course I had to incorporate one of my special heart buttons too.





A handmade heart sent from the heart, what could be better :)

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