Thrifty Finds.. almost

Well on one of my many charity shop scours I came across the sweetest little coffee set, 6 little cups and 6 little saucers in the sweetest range of colours, all for the tiny sum of £1.99.  The sales assistant and I carefully wrapped each one up in newspaper and I handed over my dosh!  Within 3 feet of the counter I dropped the bloody lot, still don't know how and this is what remains :0(  I know they were less than £2 but I loved them.

 

 Just look how dinky they are next to my Cath Mug...

... RIPieces Pink Lemon and Orange little cups and saucers... *gently weeps*

On the plus side though I have finally won a little family battle!

See this monstrosity, well it's a rather expensive electric Baby Grand Piano belonging to my beloved husband...

... yes it lives in my lounge!  I don't hate it per se, the only tune I get out of it is when I lean on the keys when I dust the bloody thing each week.  But it is a proper eyesore, not sure if you can tell but it's huge and it takes up a big corner of my lounge (please pretend not to notice the clothes I pile up on it waiting to be taken upstairs).

Well, now it's gone!  Woo Hoo, it's been moved upstairs to the attic room, still available to play but out of my sight.  It's taken almost 10 years to get shot of it :0)

Now I have a big corner to play with and it's quite exciting, not sure how it will end up but I'm thinking a glass fronted vintage cabinet stuffed with old china and a cute little chair?

I found my cute little chair on Saturday!

I know it's a little grubby (even after lots of cleaning by me) but I love it's shape and it's really comfortable, it's by the Thomas Glenister Company.

There is a good chance I will re-cover it in something yummy and change the colour of those legs but for now it's making me smile in a piano shaped hole in my lounge.

In other news, have you seen this?

Yes it's Advent Swap Time!
I didn't join in last year as I already had too many commitments but I am determined not to miss out this year.

Could you fancy it, have you joined ~ pop over to LaaLaa's and see what it's all about.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~ 

Nothing's quite ready...

I've not got much to show this week.

I am half way through a scarf and 7/8 of the way through a crochet cushion.

I've not had much free time this week with one thing and another but I have managed to make a few more candles

(it's a little distraction from making cushions!).

I have made a couple of little bits but I can't show them yet as they are gifts for Birthday Swaps and I am also preparing for the Easter Swap organised by Hookin' with LaaLaa so I am gathering and making things for that.

I did manage to knock up a little pair of earrings for my Knitting Guru Lynda;

On the subject of Lynda I received more lovely gifts in the post from her this week, just because (arent they the best sort of gifts?) want to see what I got...

A wonderful stash of unusual knitting magazines from the USA with some fab patterns and ideas, I won't show you all the ones I love, so here are just a few of the treasures within the pages,

Eeeeekkk gorgeous cushions!!!

Anyone need a knitted goat?

Isn't this stunning, imagine lounging on this on a warm summers day

Fab or what?

I am now the proud owner of this lovely little cross stitch and felt mirror pouch for my handbag.

It's just cute as butter and far too good to get slung into my bag and lost in the morass so it's now living on my shelf of messy wonderfulness in the lounge.

These little beauties look too good to use, but I have had a stressful week at work and I do love a soothing bath; how beautiful would it be to soak with these...

... I bet I drift off.

Thanks again lovely lady xXx

In other news; I can't quite belive that it is almost one year since I started my blog, so in honour of such an auspicious occasion I have a giveaway planned, I will blog it on Saturday!

~ ♥ TTFN ♥ ~

~ ♥ Mothers Day Makes ♥~

~ ♥ Happy Mothers Day to all you Mothers out there, especially to mine ♥~

As I took the handmade pledge last year I made most of my Mothers Day Gifts.

First up is the RICO loopy scarf I knitted, this was quite fiddly but I like the effect.
Look at the pile once it was finished, it looks like a pile of fishing nets in need of detangling!

Fat Scarf
Skinny Scarf

There was enough wool for one thick scarf (cast on 7 stitches) and one thin scarf (cast on 2 stitches).

I bought the wool at the fair last Friday but it's from www.blacksheepwools.com.

Remember the fugly fabric I made Mum's heat pad cover from; well I quilted it and made her a glasses case from the same stuff, it's an 8 inch nightmare, with freaky buttons, I know she will adore it. I just can't bear to post photos of that fabric again!

I made her a little candle too. I didn't use one of my vintage teacups due to the fact that she changes the colour scheme in her lounge like normal people change their socks, so I opted for the only neutral container I had which was this little crystal pot I got from the charity shop for 50p yesterday. The scent is Clean Linen, which smells divine!


I also bought her some flowers too as she loves them, and she's worth it!

I got breakfast in bed this morning made by my little one (assisted by my husband), bless him.


He also stole a daff from our garden fresh with dew, but I had to forgive him :)


Lunch was made for me today and this afternoon we went to the local bootsale and I hit the vintage teacup motherlode, and got some amazing fabric too, I'll show you in the week when I get them photographed.

Oh I almost forgot; here is my little 'Sleepy Ewe' finally finished from the slipwork workshop I took last Friday. Lots of little black french knots on black felt = sore eyes!
You can't really tell from the photo but he is only about 2" long.

He is sweet though.

~ ♥ 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 ♥ ~