21 go down to the sea...

annual summer camping trip time again...our largest group outing to date...11 adults and 10 kids all went down to Dorset for a weekend of fun, frolics and fossils...

...chesil beach in the mist...

we managed to celebrate two birthdays

with home made cake...now a pre-requisite for any camping trip for me I'm afraid

...fit in some walking...

there be a baby in that there purple scarf refashioned into a sling apparatus

we visited some rocky beaches

the girls jointly invested many weeks pocket money in an inflatable

(versatile that scarf!)

and my lovely friend Jane (one of the Birthday Girls) even made a dress over the weekend...
a rather small dress, but a dress, nonetheless

go camping...it rocks!

a post about other people's blogs...some swap goodies received...and an attempt at cake...

just a quickie...

MeridianAriel is hosting a vintage swap, it'll be fun so go on over and sign up. You've got until Friday to do so...I can't wait to get started...

Meanwhile Dana over at Old Red Barn Co is doing an amazing handmade quilt giveaway really soon...the rules will be announced in her 200th post (next couple of days I think) and I don't think you'll want to miss it (plus, if you go there from here I get extra chances to win...a master at viral marketing is Dana!)

Here is a belated picture of my Easter swap goodies from Whizz



Gorgeous, aren't they? The pretty little keyring is now brightening up my large set of office keys and making my entry to that hallowed portal at 7.30am each morning an absolute pleasure...okay, that was a slight exaggeration I'll admit, but certainly has been less grim of late and the keyring is the only new component in the whole morning ritual so...

My parcel has finally gone in the post to Whizz so once she's received it I'll show you what I made...here is a sneak preview though...



Now, so many crafters are also great cooks and bakers. I love to look at the recipes on their blogs (MeridianAriel and JuanitaTortilla amongst many others spring to mind - hey those guys are wonderful jewelery makers too....hmm, is there some connection between the two types of craft I wonder?) Never being one to shy from a challenge I thought I'd try my hand myself, the kids are still poorly and in need of diversion so today we made....

drum roll....

Ta Dah...

chocolate rice crispie buns....

well our oven is out of action so I couldn't do anything more demanding really (sign of my lack of baking skills being that it has been out of action for months now and has it bothered me once? nope, not even a tiny jot)

Hang on a sec, what's that teeny but malevolent looking van doing there?

Sinister plans for my buns methinks...better run and save them right away...(eats 4)

if anyone wants the recipe let me know, I'm sure I can turn this into a recipe blog with a little application (please note, I am NOT being serious...I have not taken final leave of my senses, yet...)

hmm, turned out not to be a quickie after all...apologies!

waiting for the light...

I have made a softie...my first...and I love it...but it is so dark and grey in London and I work hours like a mole during the week (into work out of work in pitch blackness) so can't photograph it yet as the light is so awful...I will be home tomorrow so will post it then...watch this space...(her name is Mitzy, oh yes Lisa and Alan, in memory of the furkid that nearly was!)

In the meantime, I was going through my photos and found this one of the bunnies I made for the kids Easter Egg hunt last year. They sit on eggs to keep them warm you know. It made me laugh so I thought I'd pop it up here, while waiting for the light...


and here, similarly out of season but just spotted as I found the other pic, is the Easter/Birthday cake...


amazing what you can achieve with some chocolate and a couple of shredded wheat!

have I gone quite mad posting about Easter less than a month before Christmas, or am I just in severe denial? it's an interesting question...one I couldn't possibly answer...