Round 9 completed

I set myself a task this week to finish the 9th round of my hexagonal blanket - and I did it but wow my hands are still aching. The hardest part was sewing in the ends, which doesn't help as my fingers always go tingly then numb when I sew for too long - dratted trapped nerve in my elbow. Anyway, look, I've done it and if I do say so myself, it looks great!!

Still got a very long way to go though. I reckon I need to do at least another three rounds before I can even think about straightening it to make it rectangular - that's nearly 200 hexagons!!

I made another batch of cupcakes this week, green with stars - very nice but not too many left now!!

I spent yesterday making cards with Edward - he really loved it. He made three Christmas cards and nine birthday cards with cupcakes on. He coloured them in beautifully. I managed to get some cards made too which I will hopefully be able to post tomorrow. I need to get on with some more birthday cards, as well as a Mother's Day card and a 21st birthday card for Mark's Goddaughter. Busy, busy!

Enjoy your day.

M x

It's a lovely day . . .

The sun is shining and it's not raining for a change. Edward and I have been out for breakfast. Bacon, egg and sausage for him, sausage baguette for me - mmm yum. Emily, typical teenager, couldn't be bothered to get out of bed and join us - her loss. We had a little walk by the river, it was beautiful. No photos though as Mark has taken my camera to Chester with him today.

Popped into the Oxfam bookshop for a little browse. Bought myself another Jodi Picoult as I am enjoying My Sister's Keeper, and two Roald Dahl books that Edward wanted. Did see a Chalet School hardback, first time I've seen one in there, but too expensive for me today. I can always dream.

Came home to find Emily still in her pyjamas sprawled in front of the television. No sense of urgency for her GCSE Science Module which is just round the corner - just as well that I bought her two revision books whilst I was in town.

Have finally got back into my hexagonal blanket - did some whilst watching the Brits last night (only watched it for Robbie, who was fantastic. Peter Kay was so funny, but the rest . . . well . . . rubbish really!!). Anyway back to the blanket - I am aiming to finish the round I am working on over the next few days - maybe 15 hexagons in to total. It's looking good, but it's getting really heavy.

I have to confess to this small purchase that I could not resist - Martha Stewart glitter. It's so beautiful. The colours are delicious with gorgeous names of jewels like lapis lazuli, peridot, carnelian, garnet and tourmaline. The problem is, they are too nice to use!!

I feel so pleased, I had a little count up of all the Christmas cards I've made recently, and guess how many. Go on guess. OK it's 76 - yes I did say 76!! How amazing! I think I am going to have a break now as I feel the need to make some birthday cards - got a really busy month coming up and I need to feel organised. I'm not sure what I am going to do yet, but I'm sure inspiration will arrive soon. Anyway - these are the final designs from the Joy paper range that I will be making for some time - hope you like them.

I hope you have a glorious day.

Lots of love

M x

Monday Monday . . .

Today has been quite a good day. A lazy start, a bit of crafting, catching up on some TV, watching a film and a little bit of reading. If I could just finish it off with some crochet - it will have been fairly perfect.

I have just started reading Jodie Picoult's My Sister's Keeper and I think I am going to enjoy it, if that is the right word given the subject matter. Lots of my colleagues have read this book and many others by the same author, but it has never interested me before. But I decided that I ought to give it a go and so far so good

I have been lent the DVD of the film which Emily and I watched today - if you haven't already seen it, have a box of tissues at the ready. It's very good but very upsetting.

Here's a picture of work in progress which hopefully will get finished tomorrow. Yes they are Christmas baubles and why not?! I'm on a roll now, although still quite shocked with myself that I am making Christmas cards at this time of year - I have never done it before! I am using Art Institute glue and glitter and I am quite excited to see the finished product. The stamps are from Craftwork Cards.

Here are some of the cards I made yesterday and today. The papers are called Joy and are from Craftwork Cards (as is everything actually). I'm really fond of these nine square designs, and have been making cards like this for years, although they can be a bit tedious to cut.

This card was inspired by Julie Hickey (can't work out how to do the link thing - Google her!).

I absolutely adore the colour scheme of these papers - I'm not such a traditional Christmas colour girl, myself - I like the unusual.

I am planning on making more cards this week and not only for Christmas. Watch this space. Hoping to get some more crochet done too - actually picked up my hook last night - first time in weeks - and made 6 stars. Would like to have a go at some Granny squares, but I should really get back to my hexagonal blanket. Heigh ho - so much to do, so little time.

Have fun!

M x

P.S The Valentines cupcakes went down a storm and only two were brought home, which soon disappeared today!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello - hope everyone is having a "lovely" day today! Here is the card that I made for my husband (yesterday!!). It's not the greatest of photos unfortunately - it'll look better when it has been scanned. The large heart is red shiny card, the middle one is glittered and the small one is red shiny embossed card (more about that soon). I have written around the hearts with a silver pen and the circular message says "thinking of you". He loved it.

My daughter Emily is going to a Valentine's party tonight, so I have made some special cupcakes for her to take. At least someone else will be eating them this time - we have had cupcake overload recently.

I used lots of glitter - red and silver, as well as mini marshmallows, silver balls, white sprinkles and pink hearts - cool!

Hope you have a day filled with love!

M x

Hurray - it's half term!

And not a moment too soon. It's not as if this has been a bad half term, workwise. I think it has more to do with the weather - all that snow at the beginning of term and it has been SO cold. Anyway I am looking forward to a restful week with nothing much planned except some card making, crochet and catching up on some reading and a couple of films.

I have been lent the DVD of My Sister's Keeper which I have been told is very upsetting. I haven't read the book yet so I don't really know what to expect.

I haven't even made Mark a Valentine's card yet, nothing like leaving things to the last minute! So after taking Emily clothes shopping tomorrow (what joy!!) and making 2 dozen Valentine cupcakes for the party she is going to on Sunday, that's what I'll be doing. I need to get organised anyway as March is a busy month for me with lots of birthdays and anniversaries.

Look at the beautiful flowers that my colleague gave me yesterday, and the yummy chocolate. She is so kind. If anyone could let me know what the flowers are though, I would be very grateful. I love flowers but I'm hopeless at identifying them! Thanks.

Have a great weekend.

M x

A weekend of family, friends and food

It's been a really busy weekend, but enjoyable. At times, a little stressy trying to get everything done in time, getting Emily where she needs to be, when she needs to be there (teenagers - no sense of urgency!!), getting Edward to do his homework, not to mention all the housework that really needed doing, but we got there in the end.

Saturday evening we had three friends round for dinner. Mark cooked a lovely meal - pork fillet in a port and redcurrant sauce with dauphinois potatoes - yum!!! It was really delicious. Our friends are off to New Zealand soon for three weeks and we won't see them for a while. Am very envious of them and hope they have a fab time.

Today was about family. My sister, brother-in-law and nephew and niece came for lunch, and for my brother-in-law to work his magic on Emily's computer which is slower than slow! He has managed to really sort it out and now it is responding so much quicker. I cooked today - Neapolitan meatballs in a tomato sauce (from Gino D'Acampo's book Buonisimo - I recommend them as a good family meal - if Edward eats them, they must be OK!!).

I made a double batch of cupcakes in anticipation of them coming, and used my new sprinkles and some new colours. The lime green ones are a bit jazzy, but still delicious.

I think the mauve ones look very classy - love the chocolate brown stars.

I think I may have to invest in a new icing set. The one I'm using is a plastic one that I have had for years (from Bettaware I think), but it is starting to crack. I've seen a metal one on Lakelands, so I may have to treat myself - or drop big hints for Mothering Sunday!!

Am feeling pooped now after such a busy weekend, so maybe it's time for a cupcake and a sit down - need to be chilled before another busy week at work - but it's half term the week after - 5 more get-ups!

Have a good week everyone.

M x

Mmm - the smell of baking!

Saturday morning, Pixie Lott on the IPod, the scent of vanilla and cupcakes baking in the oven - bliss!

M x

So Exciting!

I'm really happy today because I have had my first comment on my blog. Thanks so much to Vanessa at Coco Rose Textiles, whose blog is one of my favourites. It's really good to know that I'm not just talking to myself (and my parents who follow my blog!) - you never quite know if anyone out there is reading your posts. I have been too shy to comment on all the other blogs that I read - apart from when Lucy at Attic24 had her baby recently - but I was very excited by the beautiful mugs on Vanessa's give away, and it galvanised me into action. Fingers crossed!!

Today I have received an exciting box of goodies from Cake Craft Shop - new sprinkles for my cupcakes - pretty hearts, flowers and confetti, as well as some silver and gold balls. I've also ordered some stars and butterflies from another supplier - Cupcake Style. This will keep me going for ages (or so I keep telling Mark!!). I generally make a batch of cupcakes each weekend - the children love them so much and I try to vary the colour scheme each time. Lots of scope now.

Gosh, this week is going slowly. It feels like the end of the week, not Tuesday. I think it might be because the weekend was so hectic and we didn't really have much time to recharge our batteries. This weekend isn't going to be much better unfortunately, and there will be precious little time for card making - I'm really going to have to make up for it at half term.

I'm off to watch a new series - Vampire Diaries. I've read the books, they were OK. They're no where near as good as the Twilight Saga and the Sookie Stackhouse series though. We shall see.

Until the next time.

M x

Can't believe it's February already . . .

but I'm not sorry that January is over. It hasn't been the best start to the year - quite a depressing month really. I was really annoyed that there was a thin covering of snow on Saturday morning but luckily it didn't hang around - I'm so sick of the white stuff.

Our weekend was really busy, and not very productive in the craft department unfortunately. Mark took Edward to play football while I spent Saturday morning ironing and chivvying Emily to (a) get up, and (b) do some homework. Only succeeded with one of those LOL!

Took Emily for her radical haircut in the afternoon and then did the only bit of crafting of the whole weekend, which was finishing off a birthday card that I needed for a party that night (nothing like leaving things to the last minute!!).

The guy whose party it was is a hot air balloonist hence the balloon collage. I've used this design plenty of times with various themes - quite versatile.

The party was in Mildenhall (I might have already told you this - sorry if I'm repeating myself!), and was quite good. Not a big turnout, which made us glad that we made the effort to go. Nice to catch up with old friends. Well it must have been OK cos we didn't leave til 11.20pm.

We were all a bit pooped the next day. No one felt like doing much - just making sure that both children finished their homework. Emily went out with her friend for the afternoon - oh, I did a bit more ironing. Honestly I feel like a laundry woman - all I do is sort washing, load and unload the machine, put it on and take it off the airer etc etc - how boring!

Mum and Dad came over in the afternoon and treated us to a lovely Chinese takeaway - no one felt like cooking. We didn't stay up late after they went home - still recovering from the previous night.

Well, it was back to work today - hopefully the next two weeks will fly by and then it will be half term. Nothing planned - just intend to chill. Bit of crafting hopefully and probably running the children about. That will do nicely thank you.

Ta ta for now.

M x