of teddy bears playing guitars and little chicks

zippered pouch

*trumpet* do you see this here? this is a zippered pouch and I sewed it! its wonky but straighter then most of the other things I have been making, and I am pleased as punch that it turned out so well for one of H's little school friends birthday party this weekend. Its not lined, give me a bit before I even attempt to do a zippered pouch that is lined but I think it turned out fab. M says I shouldn't have given it away, that I should have sold it in my etsy shop instead. I can only hope that it will be well received by the little girl. H has requested that I make him a zippered pouch for his treasures with the small scrap of robot fabric he has been eyeing in my modest fabric stash.

zippered pouch at a different angle with one of my mini moo cards

H and I also made this little lavender and rice warm bag for his "buddy" at school. She leaves to go to junior school and H is sad and asked if we could make her something special to remember him by. I think that about broke my heart it was such a nice thing for him to want to do. He picked out the fabric, and helped me to sew it on the sewing machine, and then he scooped out dried lavender and rice to fill it up, as it had to be just the right amount. We will be working on teachers gifts later this afternoon when he gets home from school.

chick lavender and rice warm bag

The last few weeks seemed to have been very long and stressful but today had been a good day and have Book Group later tonight. which is a good excuse to have a chat over a nice cup of coffee and to try to ignore the fact that Friday is H's last day of reception year. That means I best start thinking about activities to fill the summer days.

cute chicks

Vintage Doily Warmbag

vintage doily warm bag

Today I made this and uploaded it to my etsy shop, I think that has got to be a first, I'm never that organized. I think it looks great, anyway and maybe if it sells I can buy a new note book or journal, because a girl can never have too many notebooks, or pens!

Acid Toadstools and a Magical Mystery Tour

you knew I meant fabric right?

I made this little toadstool fabric lavender and rice warm bag, and matching pincushion for Katy. Now Katy's birthday was quite awhile ago, and I really meant to send her something but no matter what I made it just never seemed quite imperfectly perfect enough to give as a gift. I here worriedly this morning waiting for Katy to open my bag of goodies. I even had back up lavender and rice bags to substitute if she didn't like this one. Luckily she did so that was a big relief.

In addition to the pincushion and warm bag I gave Katy a bracelet made with onyx, and green jade, with a cute little apple toggle clasp. I stamped her name on a small jute bag, and made a card which I forgot to take photographic evidence of because I'm a total dork. But it doesn't matter as we had a fab day out. Katy drove and I navigated us to a lovely little quilt shop in Darley Dale, followed by lunch at Caudwell's mill and then a mooch round Scarthin Books in Cromford and a cup of tea. It was a fun outing and next time I promise to be more organized and get a few more local crafter's in the mix and convoy ourselves around Derbyshire's pretty (and crafty) places. Chatsworth anyone?

green apple bracelet

tattoo lavender and rice warmbag

Sewn using the smallest piece of tattoo fabric cut from the edge of the half yard of fabric I bought on Bainbridge Island, WA. I was too cowardly to cut a larger piece just yet so practiced with a small piece and made this small lavender rice warm bag, a perfect little warmer for your hands or small aches and pains. I plan to make another with the fabulous tattoo fabric, I think I may be in love with it its so cool, and far less painful that a real tattoo, unless I manage to sew my fingers together. Which is always a possibility with me.


I started the bag with the intent that I would make it for Katy, in the umpteenth time I have attempted to make a present for Katy and it ending up being not quite right. I'm probably my own worst enemy in that regard, and imperfect perfectionist, if such a thing even exists it most definitely is me.

M thinks this is one of the best ones I have done, I mumbled that its off center as it was on the edge of the fabric, he said he liked the stars along the edge. Which I guess I do too, I may be popping it in my etsy shop a little later and see if anyone is interested in it. I suppose I best go get something useful done in the mean time, like putting the kettle on, a very useful thing.

back home and back dated crafts

tea towel drawn by H and hand stamped with a little help

Were back from our holiday to visit my parents in Idaho, jet lagged all to hell and H currently having a major hissy fit as there is cheese on his sandwich...? We had a great time, though not enough of it and I will blog pictures later on in the week when I have stolen them from M, and can be bothered to sort them out. For now I will show you a few things I made the week before going away and didn't have a chance to blog.

lavender and rice warm bags hand stamped with Pappy and Grammy

H helped sew the lavender and rice bags, picked out the fabrics himself, and filled them with the aforementioned dried lavender and rice, then together we stamped the ribbon with "PAPPY" and "GRAMMY" least they forget, as well as getting him to draw a picture to trace onto a simple cotton tea towel from ikea, and then stamped it with my alphabet stamps and fabric ink.

a slightly better picture of the warmbag for my Mother

A few days before heading to the airport was my friend Flamesparrow's birthday, so in an effort to cheer her up I sent her a parcel of books, with a homemade card (which I think is one of the best I have ever done) and a small faceted onyx bracelet. The parcel didn't arrive until we were at our airport hotel so i never blogged about them either. I suppose I could have set the posts to post at certain dates then things would have been secret until my creations were in the hands of who there were meant for but the week before going away was chaotic to say the least.

onyx bracelet for flame

I know in my last post I promised a giveaway, but you will have to give me a few days as I have nothing made to actually giveaway. I did buy some crafty treats, fabric and stamps while away so I do have supplies to make some lovely things, and hopefully inspiration to get them made as well. And I have a lot of writing to do to, somebody kick me up the backside please, in a day or two though when I'm not so lethargic and jetlagged.

Flamesparrow's birthday card

M's Birthday

awesome coffee postcard

Yesterday was M's birthday so along with a amazon order of a book, a CD, and a box set (that still hasn't arrived *waves fist at the fluffy haired postie* I made the above card, well post card actually as I used the last card to make a birthday card for Flamesparrow (which I cannot post on here until she receives it as she will snoop). The card was made with a vintage music sheet hand stained with black tea, I drew a the coffee cup with pencil and my favourite ink pen, and stamped Awesome Coffee with my new alphabet stamp set and cherry red fabric ink (the only kind I have) then I used my little sewing machine to sew the music sheet to the recycled fiber postcard ( from a packet sold at Paperchase).



It was very important to H that we make something handmade for M, he said that it had to be a warmbag because that is what I make best, so he had a rummage though my small box of fabrics and dragged out some raspberry gingham from Laura Ashley (we have some cushions that were made with the same fabric that sometimes live in the lounge and sometimes migrate into H's room). I cut the fabric and sewed three sides then H helped to turn the fabric right side then fill it with high quality lavender and rice, then we used the ABC stamps to mark ML on a piece of natural coloured sewing tape. H then helped to sew the bag closed, pressing the pedal and listening carefully.

H was over the moon with excitement to give M the warm bag yesterday morning, and he made sure M took the bag with him to work today in case it is cold at the studio, bless. Instead of a cake H and I made some very decadent brownie cupcakes ( a slightly richer recipe than the one found on my blog here if anyone wants it I can write up the recipe and blog it for you) . I have some sewing to attempt to do now (doubtful) and I need to get at least one suitcase down from the attic before the day ends, as well as taking care of H who is home from school due to a rather chunky sounding cough.

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and I must have a shout out to Gill of Hollingdale Designs who made the beautiful button ends of Kerry's black Glitter (Midnight Meridian ~wink~ ) knitting needles in the previous post.