Summer swap pt 1

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe it's August already. Steph and I decided ages and ages ago to have a summer swap. We decided to each choose two colours. I chose yellow and turquoise/teal/blue/green - so basically anything in that colour spectrum. Steph chose yellow and purple but more on that in my next post.

So this was the fabulous bundle of goodies that arrived on my doorstep today. When I opened it up it was wrapped up in a beautful crochetted granny.

Here are all the goodies together.

There were 3 beautiful brooches. 2 were crochetted and then embelished in a very Steph way! I now own 7 brooches made by Steph. I just love how they are so unique and original. The middle one is a fabric/felt one. Here is a close up.

Steph said a while back she hadn't swapped any ATC's so we decided to swap some with a summer theme. Steph made these 5 amazing ones. If you look carefully the bunting spells...BEACH. so clever.

There was also some incense cones for the smoking dragon Steph made Hubby and I for our anniversary in June, a box of jelly beans, some fabric charm squares and Cornwall postcards for my collection. I'll show you those in my next 101 round up.

There was an amazing cushion stitched on some of the most beautiful hand dyed fabric, I just love the waves of colour. It is so tactile as it has all the waves of beads and buttons and little gold dragonflies. It is beaded around the edge too.

The back was as beautiful as the front. It had so many french knots and lazy daisy stitches and then all the seed beads on another glorious piece of fabric.

There was also a very bright and bold biscornu with a pretty leaf pattern.

And here is the back, you can see how bright the fabric is. You can't miss it in my biscornu bowl!

I'll be back in a couple of days to show you my makes for Steph. It was a brilliant exchange. I had so much fun crafting for it. 

A very late Theme-a-licious post!

Ok so I'm 10 days late and I don't have a lot to show for the month. Heres the theme for June...

Jumanji June

Is it a jungle out there in your stash? Give some love to the projects with animals or birds.

More projects than I thought have animals in them so either of the Giraffe projects or the Sampler

Ok so not really a jungle - more a couple of doves and a pig! Apologies as you've seen both before but here they are again!

Ok so not strictly stitchinng and I didnt make the soft toy but Thomas went on camp in June and had to take a teddy in a space costume so here is Puppy in a space suit - A quick running up on the machine in very stretchy silver fabric add a sticky foil wrapped smint box and a yougurt pot...

So here is this months theme...
Jubilee July

It's time to celebrate! What are you celebrating this year? Stitch on your holiday-related projects, OR find some WIPs you know you'll never finish and set them free.

I'm not sure what I'll be stitching for this theme, I have a swap with Steph at the end of the month with the theme of Summer so I'm celebrating the arrival of summer. I'm celebrating my blogversary in a month too so I'll be making some bits for that too. Oh and what do you think about my new look blog. I'm so pleased with what hubby has done.

Thanks for reading everyone. Have a great day. x

Birthday goodies for Laura

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are loving this  glorious weather if you are in the UK. We spent some of Saturday at one of the parks in town at the splash pad. It's a great free activity and is basically a set of water fountains and jets for kids to play in. We went with friends and had a picnic and it was so much fun. I've seen the splash pad so full you can't see a spare blade of grass but  it was busy but not overcrowed so we could easily spot the children coming at us with cups and bottles of water to throw at us!!! Sunday was spent watching the Mens Final of Wimbledon. Awesome match. Go Andy! It got a little noisy in our house with all the shouting!


On to Laura's present, Some of you will know Laura from her blog Strawberry Mouse Crafts and as she celebrated her birthday last week I made her one or two bits and sent them down in a pretty tin and popped in some fun cup cake cases as Laura loves her baking, some chocolate and button tissues.

I added a little bit of stash including some fab buttons (on cards) which I found at an independant card shop in town, a charm pack of fabric and a few other buttons and some felt flower embelishment. The purple theme was all rather by accident than design.

So on to the makes... I stitched this no place like home cushion as part of the Needlecraft Haven monthly challenge. As soon as I saw it I wanted to do it for Laura as she is a big fan of the Wizard of Oz. The design was from here.

I made a friendly plastic brooch set into a metal frame. I really like how the FP looks in these frames.

No parcel would have been complete without a biscornu, so I made this lovely colourful one. The button in the middle is one I brought when I met up with Laura in February.

And personalised the bottom of it...

Laura has been very generous to my children so Thomas made Laura a pincushion, He sewed together on the sewing machine and sewed the buttons on too which were his choice. I also stitched the little piggy keyring from a pattern on Les chroniques de Frimousse. It was easy to stitch but a challenge to sew up!

Finally there was a charm bracelet, with lots of charms that 'are Laura' I have already used the beads to make Laura earrings so now she has a bracelet to match! (Thank you to Steph for some great charm ideas too.) Laura sent me a text to say she loved the parcel so I'm very pleased.

My next big project is a summer swap with Steph. I've lots of ideas so should be fun!!

Thanks for reading

101 update

So I've managed to progress a little with my challenge and even tick one off.

So this is where I'm at

Days left: 674
In progress: 28
Completed 14: (13%)


The big tick on the list was to get down the lane for one of the last matches Worcester City played at their home ground. City need a new ground and despite lots of attempt by the club they haven't secured a new ground but will share with another local club (and bitter rivals). City's ground has been sold off to raise capital. my late teens and early 20's I could be found on the terraces watching City and on the away coaches too, so the first thing to go on my list was to see city play for a final time at St Georges Lane. I missed the last league match and didn't think I'd be able to tick this one off, until they announced a legends match v Liverpool (who City famously beat in the 1959 FA cup) Well I got a ticket and spent a lovely warm June afternoon watching the blues. Liverpool fielded a team of former players including John Barnes.

I tried out another restaurant for my '5 new restaurants thing' Altafs is a fairly new curry house and I had a lovely lamb pasanda, and shared pilau rice and naan with my friend. It was very good and makes me realise we have some great restaurants in the city. So that is 2/5 completed

I'm going fairly well with books and I've read over 1/3 of my height in books now (about 2")

I completed another RAK as I sent a parcel of goodies to Laura as she was having  a very hectic few weeks at work. Chocolate and fabric always make you smile and I made a pair of purple beaded earrings too.

I've challenged myself to collect 101 postcards too. I've been buying them whenever we have a day out or a holiday. I've got 28 postcards now and I have been lucky that some of my penpals, blog friends and friends have sent me some too. I've put them all in an album to keep them nice. It has inspired my son to collect them too. If anyone would like to send me one please let me know.

So there we have it, another update. I'm pleased things are moving along with my 101.

Anniversary Pt 2 and a tiny owl

Hi everyone,

 It has been glorious this week and I have spent most of it on the sofa when I've not been working as it is Wimbledon fortnight. I really love the grass court season so I do watch a lot of it, much to the frustration of my children. The fact there are 2 grand prix in 2 weeks has added to their frustration!

More anniversary gifts for hubby and I, this time from Laura who sent us this fab and funky bunting. It wasn't until Laura posted on her blog that it was one star for each year of marriage that actually put 2 + 2 together.

She also made us this lovely Celtic knot biscornu.

And here is the bottom, it has a lovely knot in each corner and is finished off with silver buttons and a charm.

Laura also made my Daughter a Tiny owl. Lottie saw the one Thom had out of the travelling box and really wanted one for herself. Laura kindly made her one and Lottie and I added the beads from my stash.

I'll be back over the weekend with an update on my 101 challenge.

Have a great weekend. x

Bloglovin'

I'm all rather confused by all this google reader business and bloglovin etc...so to 'claim my blog' here goes...

Bloglovin

Kerry

Anniversary!

Hi Everyone,

It is my 10th Wedding anniversary today and we've blessed to receive some fabulous presents in the post from Steph. I knew Steph was making a couple of things as she had been dropping hints for a couple of weeks! I was amazed when I opened this huge box. A HUGE, HUGE thank you to Steph. xxx

She made each of us an Ami - including my children and put some lovely little gifts in too along with an amazing smoking dragon.

Charlotte was sent the amazing bunny and a little soft monkey.  She has a really cute ruffle skirt on and Lottie has put into the ami basket to live.

Thomas had the cute little sausage dog on the right and Andrew had the Direwolf from Game of Thrones. There seems to be a little ami competition between the family at the moment, Andrew is losing though. He has 2 ami's, Lottie 3 and Thomas has 7. That's pretty amazing since I can't crochet for toffee and just shows how wonderful my blogger friends are.



I had an ami too, introducing Lady Lavinia Giraffe. You all may get up from your curtsy's now. Underneath her couture she does have her giraffe spots. (although we shouldn't really know what is under a Lady's dress). She sits very regally on the fireplace surveying her court (the ami baskets).

Another present to both Hubby and I was one of Steph's smoking dragons. We've not made him smoke yet. I really must get some incense cones. He now lives on our fireplace.

Steph did one of her sweet memory boxes, this one is memories of Cornwall, We honeymooned in Cornwall and had planned to go back this month but a few things came up so we haven't been able to go. Steph also put in a little giraffe, a handmade soap and a little green man charm into the parcel too.

We also had 2 of Steph's fabulous Wee Witchy cards. The first is the annivesary card...

And the second a notecard...I've opened it out so you can see the front and back. They're amazing drawings.

I didn't manage to get the Game of Thrones stitch completed for Andrew, but I am hoping to make him a couple of bits today with some fabric I've had ages. We're off out for a meal tonight and  both have today off, although the weather is a far cry from the glorious sunshine we had 10 years ago.

Well I'm off out for morning coffee with hubby. Have a lovely day all. xx