New Ventures and Revamps

Well ladies sorry I've been AWOL, but I have been working through my list of things to do.

Besides the things I planned there have been unplanned things too like a broken oven and dishwasher on the same day! And an impromptu trip into work!!

Anyhoo, I have been able to tick some stuff off my list, I did finish my coffee table re-vamp,

Before, nasty orange pine:

and after, shabby cream legs with natural waxed top.

Poor hubby stood looking horrified after I spent 5 hours sanding and waxing and painting to get the sander out again and take bits back off!

I am really pleased with it and it's bigger than my last coffee table which gives me loads of room to spread my crafting crap out all over it!  I did toy with the idea of Farrow & Ball Dimity, but all my other woodwork is Crown Period Eggshell Parsonage Cream, so I went with that.

I also wanted to try making wax melts.  Lovely Laalaa put me onto the idea and I love them, they smell divine, this little pile are lemon meringue pie!

Another thing I managed to tick off my list was to open my Folksy shop.  That was a greater task than I had anticipated.  Digging through my stash, photos, descriptions etc. it took many, many hours but I have listed a lot of my stuff.  I was amazed at what I found.  As I have made things through the year I have boxed them away for gifts and such and found that there was still a plethora of things I have made, hence Folksy.  I still have lots more to add and will continue to fill it up.

Pop over and let me know what you think.

 Anyhoo I must dash and dust off my best hat for the wedding tomorrow!  

I wonder what her frock will be like?

~ ♥ TTFN ♥ ~

A new obsession in embryo?

So you know how I am addicted to cushions, well I have had a little break from cushions this week and have finally embarked on making candles.

I've fancied trying this for ages now as I have seen pretty teacup candles for sale and thought, I bet I could make one of those, so I did. I rummaged under my bed for one of many teasets I have stashed away and created my first ever teacup candle. It turned out quite well, it was a little more of a faff than I had anticipated but it's not terribly complicated and the result is quite good (plus you get to pick dripped wax off stuff when you slop it ~ which I enjoy ~ I am a bit warped). This was my first attempt (apologies for the dark pics, I took these at night). Candle making bits and bobs, I used Blackberry scent for this one at the request of my friend

Candle in embryo, you can't fill it up first go, you must let it well then poke it and top it up (I'm sure there is a technical term for it),

And the finished article. I gave this to my friend as my 'guinea pig' and apparently it's lovely, it even looks a bit tea coloured :)

I snaffle pretty tea sets up when I'm in the local charity shops and recently one of the lovely ladies said to me after my third tea set that week; 'are you planning a tea party?' to which I replied that I was planning to try my hand at making teacup candles and she was rather intrigued. She quickly talked me into making one for her, or rather for the shop as a donation. This little one is the one I made for the Marie Curie Charity Shop, it's 'Lemon Meringue Pie' scent and it's beautiful. I had some wax left and make myself a tea light and it smells divine.

They were really pleased to recieve it yesterday and she told the staff it was not for sale, she want's to keep it close as it smells lovely ~ bless.
I might knock a few of these up for Mothers Day which is not too far off now.

So there you have it, perhaps another little obsession in the making? Oh and on the(tenuous)subject of Marie Curie Cancer Care just a quick photo of my daffs on the kitchen table; making me smile at the minute, they just scream Spring with the promise of longer lighter days to come.


I think the miserable weather has got me down,I have been feeling really fed up these past couple of weeks. Last week lovely Lynda sowed the seeds of 'time for a new haircut'; and having a rare day off and a mini mid life crisis I went and had my hair all cut off today, this is the shortest it's been in a long time but it feels kind of liberating and a bit grown up!

(how do you ladies take photos of yourselves it's hard!)


p.s. Just wanted to note that I bought some safety labels for the bottom of the candles just to be sure my backside is covered should someone lose their mind and set fire to something ~ it was not my fault...honest :)

~ ♥ TTFN ♥ ~

Little Gifts and a Big Gift

I have been rather lucky these last few weeks. My charity shopping has picked up and I have had two blog wins!

These are the delights I won this last week they both arrived the same day for double the pleasure, first off is this delightful little pin cushion from the very talented Rachael of Clever Cheshire Cats; in all my favourite colours:

Isn't it divine ~ thank you Rachael x

And then this beautiful bracelet; hand made by the rather clever Hazel from Sewn Up, Stuck Down, the little frames have Cath Kidston paper inside:

I love it ~ thank you Hazel x

Now remember my coffee table buy from the charity shop on Monday; this is it:


Not terribly inspiring and I couldn't take a decent photo as it is HUGE and I couldn't find anywhere to put it. It's rather orange and a bit skanky at the minute but given some time it will be fit for the lounge ~ honest.
I was looking for some wool jumpers yesterday in my lunchtime to make some cushion backs when I found these two little tea sets, I had candles in mind for them but it seems a shame to use them, I really like these two:Well onto the big gift, 6ft to be precise! My darling Son Adam is 16 today. I can't quite believe it, it seems I cradled his tiny 5lb 2oz body in my arms for the first time yesterday; I blinked, and he is now 16! He is the most wonderful teenager I have ever known; everything a parent could wish for, loving, thoughful, kind, handsome, funny and smart.


Happy Birthday Baby.

We bought him this cookie in lieu of a cake...


... and on reading it he said 'I didn't realise you had 15 other Adams' ~ told you he was smart!

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

Weird and Wonderful Finds

The patron saint of charity shops (Our Blessed Lady Vix) must have been smiling down on me today as I got a nice little haul, it's been a while since I found anything.

First up this little beauty, control underwear! Sexy or what, in that popular shade 'skintone' ~ now it's not going to make hubbys knees quiver but it might stop my tummy wobble which can't be bad. I hasten to add it has never been on and still has all the tags and the modesty crotch strip plastic sheet thingy, and as it was in my exact size I snaffled it up for £1.50. It has a little bell attached between the boobs, not sure what that is for, perhaps to warn bystanders that I might explode out of it at any point?

It's nicer on the inside:


How about these little honeys, Hornsea Salt & Pepper Pots from early 70's, the rubber seal is still there but it has perished ~ £1.


Little trinket tray for my rogue earrings ~ 50p

A bag stuffed full of mostly unused DMC and Anchor Tapestry Wool ~ £1.75


1972 Christening Gown Knitting Pattern ~ check out the mother's knitted frock ~ wonderful; 20p.

A bag of hair! It appears be from a hairdresser that has had a clear out, they had a job lot of it in, I thought it might come in handy, maybe as hair for the Tilda dolls and angels ~ 50p.


A canny little brand new Heidi Seeker tote bag ~ 50p

Oh almost forgot, and a coffee table £15, I don't have a photo of it it's still at the shop waiting for hubbie to pick it up. It will be cleaned sanded and painted before going in the lounge, but I have been on the lookout for a new (read second hand) coffee table for ages now, I hate the one I have and can't wait to get rid.

So there you have it a weird and wonderful haul, be back with some bead and woolen makes later in the week.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

Completed Scarf and Christmas Excitement

Well, I finished my scarf here it is, it's not easy to photograph a long scarf but here we go:

I am a good way through the cream one and it's lovely, there is fluff on everything I wear whilst knitting it.

I think this might make a nice pressie for my Niece who is 19, lovely Linda from Hookin' with LaaLaa pointed out that there are similar scarves to this currenly in Accessorize for about £20.

I ordered some new labels to sew into my handmade makes, I don't want all of my family to know about my blog, not sure why really, but it's my little place and many of them are not 'into' the same things I am and I am not ready to expose myself to them all yet, does that make sense or am I coming across as a bit of a paranoid nutter?

Anyhoo the labels I have are Kandipandi ones so these ones are mainly for family makes, this is them; they are from Woven Labels UK and I have spent a couple of hours this morning sewing them into my little makes that I plan to give for Christmas.

I'm getting right into the swing of Christmas now.
I have booked a day off work just to go into town to do my shopping and see Fenwicks Christmas Window Display, this is a North East thing you can see last year's photos here, they really go all out and you can hardly get near for little kids faces pressed up against the glass, magical!

Still on the subject of Christmas the fabulous Annie the Felt Fairy put me onto these little beauties in Wilkinson, I'm not a dog person as such (I'm badly allergic to em :( ) but I do love doggie bits and bobs:

80p each - you can't fall out with the price. They are rather CK esque without the CK price. They had some other nice bits in too I picked these up:

And whilst scouring the Charity Shops I got some of my Christmas Cards, I had bought a load in the Barnardos sale last January but I can't fine em anywhere, I am convinced that they will turn up now I have bought these.

I was scouring the charity shops for something bright to wear next friday at work, its a charity day for Brake - from their site 'Brake exists to stop the 6 deaths and 62 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. '
Unfortunatley in the business in which I work; several of our colleagues have been injured or killed so we are doing our bit. The shameful thing is when I opened my wardrobe I had nothing bright to wear so went on the hunt, I have not found anything yet, I will have to think of something by Friday.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

A day off and a little Shopping

I have taken the plunge and despite being run ragged at work I have booked an ad hoc day's annual leave, as I was in desperate need of a day off!!
I intended to quickly take something back to the shops and post a couple of parcels off as I had an appointment in the afternoon and I intended to craft for the rest of the day for Christmas but the charity shops called me in.

My local charity shop has just recieved a bit of a craft haul donation this week which I quickly snapped up:

My favourite was the Fiskars pinking shears almost brand new for 50p, I have been looking for some reasonable pinking shears for ages. In addition to these beauties was an assortment of vintage buttons, needles,trim, zipper foot, bias maker and bits and bobs - the whole lot came to £2.75, I am a happy bunny.

I came across this little tea set for 2 for £2 so snaffled that up too, they wrapped it in so much tissue paper that it will last me forever!

Ain't the little flowers sweet?

I spied this bracelet under the counter and fell for that too, 80p - its from Tunisia apparently

Then on to Evans and had a quick shuffle through the sale racks and bought floor lenght black sleveless maxi dress (£15 was £35) and I love it but ... in November - mmm I haven't thought this through have I?

Ooohh and this morning, my soaps turned up, there were a few more that are pressies so I didn't photo them as the recipents might see em here. The smell from the box was devine.

I have spent a good hour sorting and wrapping my Secret Santa Swap goodies and I am starting to feel all excited about Christmas now.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~

Future Knitting Antics

I had a quick shuffle round the charity shops at the weekend and came across these lovely knitting patterns. I am not a knitter as such, I can knit, but have not made anything substantial since I was at school, and even then it was a one armed angora jumper (I got bored).

I plan to get back into knitting sometime soon and I just had to have these when I saw them for 20p each. There was a whole box full of patterns that someone had donated and I wanted them all, but settled for these:

How cool are these, mosters to knit, Frankenstein's monster, mummies and witches:

This is one of my favourites from this booklet, can you see him...

...of course not it's the invisible man!

I got ten of these Beatrix Potter Nursery Collection Patterns, here are just a few:

I checked google and these are selling on ebay for £25 each!!!

And this cushion and blanket pattern:

I got lots of these doll patterns including this one which is similar to a rag doll I had when I was a kid, this is Cinderella:

Who flips to show, Cinderella ready for the ball!

Ain't she pretty?

Some christmas makes:

This one made me think of Char, knitted dinosaurs:

There is a full book of those topsy turnabout dolls:

This little guy bears a striking resemblance to Peter the Disabled Duck from Harry Hill's TV Burp:

I generally find clowns spooky, bit these ones are quite sweet:

Here is another moving doll, here she is sleeping:

and on the other side...

She is awake!

How about a knitted Sunday Lunch, most odd?

These may be a bit ambitious but I will get there I'm sure.

On a different note following my post about getting healthy the other day I have decided to get to grips with the healthy living and have made a start by joining Slimming World. I joined on Wednesday night, I was stunned to see how heavy I was I must have had my head in the sand. Anyway I am up for this and ready to make a change, so I might bleat on about it from time to time.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~