A Wonderful Gift From Karen – My Very Own Knitted Nativity

Sometimes when the blogging gets tough something happens completely out of the blue that gives you such a boost and pick me up that you wonder what you’d been finding so hard ………

…….. which is exactly what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I was contacted by Karen a lovely, lovely, long term follower of both Fiddle Fart and Mums Monkey. She’d recently moved to the sea after years of longing and had something Nigel and Nigel might like, since her family had all grown up and she no longer had a place to display it at Christmas ……… only a knitted Nativity!

She remembered every Christmas reading  posts of Nigel gazing longingly at the Nativity scene in Motorworld, back in Wolverhampton each year and how ever since we’d moved he’s been constantly looking for that same awe and wonder factor in Evesham but without much success ………and she wondered whether I/we might like hers.  Well, it would have been rude not to have said a mahooooooosive YES PLEASE wouldn’t it?

Let’s just say a huge box arrived last week, that not only contained the nativity, but also a wooden stable with a mercury glass star, a background scene and two knitted carol singer mice and a knitting pattern to go with them plus a card and note that told the story of each and every piece ……… I hope you can read them despite my wonky photos as I really want Karen to tell the stories herself.

What can I say, except that it was emotional. Iris and Bertie were with me as I opened the box and their little faces were a picture, with Bertie proclaiming that we could make a play with them!

After reading each beautiful story I felt humbled and honoured that Karen had felt I was the one had she trusted with so many memories and in turn start new ones of my own. I have never meant THANK YOU so much in my life.

The Nativity and mice have now been safely put away until December 1st when the Nativity will be set out on my lounge window sill to sit in front of, in my minds eye, the window which will be painted like a starry sky.  The mice will go into the guest bedroom, under a bristle brush Christmas tree for Iris and Bertie to look at and play with very carefully after I have told them the story behind them.

As for the stable, I have left that out as I think I might be able to start it’s new journey at Easter, minus the star  ……..

…….. as I can see my Sylvanian Families Chocolate Rabbit family (£3, brand new from a charity shop in Weymouth) taking up residence for the holidays, a splash of bunting, a sprinkling of mini eggs, some Fimo carrots and a few daffodils and we’ll be away ………. so watch this space!

I can’t believe how thoughtful and kind Karen has been to me (and Nigel),  I won’t let her down ………. and wait until I tell Marc, he loves all things of a knitted type nature, he’s going to be sooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous.

XXXXX THANK YOU SO MUCH KAREN XXXXX

Simple Birthday Card Using Bright Wooden Letters and Punched Flowers

This card uses a 5ins x 5ins pre-cut, pre-scored, white card blank from a bulk pack from Hobbycraft.

Another card that’s no great shakes but at least I am crafting! I simply covered the front of the card with a lime green, wiggly lined origami paper (The Works) before adding the brightly coloured wooden letters (also from The Works) ...........

....... followed by the hand punched daisies in two sizes and layered so that they can be fluffed up, to bring it all together.  In the centre of each flower I added a clear, flat backed gem.

The wooden ladybirds (The Works, pack of 30 for £1.50) were an after thought, perhaps a bit of an overkill, however, it’s an idea that I think I can carry over to Easter. 

Although I have a lot of these coloured wooden letters, I need to come up with some other celebratory words to use on cards because “Happy Birthday” does use quite a few duplicate letters, I don’t want to be left with a pot of odd letters like K and Q that will be hard to place on future projects.

2020 Christmas Cards

This is a long overdue post, my apologies, home schooling is taking it’s toll, but nether the less, a belated humungous thank you to everyone who was kind enough to send me one of their beautiful 2020 Christmas cards, all of which took pride of place on my “special card shelf”,  which I thought would bring to you today.

I will admit, that in 2020 I was and still continue to be, very lazy with my cards, every one I tackle seems to lack a certain enthusiasm and spark, I am just hoping that having talented people’s work so close at hand will rub off on me.  How can I fail to smile at Christine’s card (above) ……..

I love Maisie’s too, especially as it is completely hand  painted, I don’t think I could ever be that brave but it will be put in my cupboard next to my paint box as a salient reminder to have a flipping go and not dismiss everything creative that scares me!

I also need to look at my dies again with fresh eyes, my Big Shot is sooooooo under used.  I think it has a lot to do with my current set up, it’s often simply too much trouble to get all the paraphernalia out for just one or two die cuts.  I have my new sofa bed in the lounge ready to move into my spare room, I am just waiting for the bed currently in there to be moved by my niece, but lockdowns haven’t helped  the situation any ………

…….. but seeing these cards from Krafty Karen(above) and Valery Ann (below)  which were both much admired and so clever, perhaps, when things are back to ‘normal’ and I have a  part time craft room, my Big Shot and dies can have their own space where they can be left out to inspire …..

…… and I will no longer have that same old, same old excuse.

I also don’t stamp enough and there’s no excuse as I love my small Tim Holtz stamping platform which prints perfectly almost every time after years of frustration trying to do it “by hand” ……….

……. something else that needs to be left out and on view when my room is sorted me thinks!

Yes, I have much to take inspiration from, as well as kicking my lazy bum when thinking about Christmas 2021.

A special thank you too for this beautiful handsewn brooch, I am so sorry but in my excitement to get it put on my coat I completely forgot to note which card it came with, how BAD is that?  I think it may have been from Krafty Karen (?),  but just to say that I love it and it will be a treasure that will come out year after year.  XXX THANK YOU XXX  

It’s a little to early to think too much about this Christmas, however the craft stick nativity tree decorations I sent this year seemed to go down really well, although their depth meant that they had to be sent as a large letter. So this year I want to continue with the Christmas tree decoration theme, Monkeys included, but whatever two ideas I come up with will need to be flat enough to go as an ordinary letter to help save on postage …….. I am thinking craft sticks, with a painted, stamped or even die cut snowman, ……. hmmmmm, we shall see.

Simple Easter Bunny Wreath

Woooo hoooo hooo I’ve been crafting ……… nothing fancy, it was only a very  quick glue gun jobbie, but it’s a start and I have to admit to feeling a little more inspired than I have been since Christmas.

Like I said, it’s nothing fancy, just a re-jig of the spring wreath that hung on my front door from Easter to Halloween last year.

It had served it purpose but I was loathe to totally discard it which is why, in part, I ordered a pack of 20 little 7.5cm jointed white and pink rabbits from China (£11.99) with Easter crafting in mind, not being able to find anything in the UK at such a reasonable bulk price at 69p each.

After adding a tiny, yellow ribbon to the four rabbits, I glue gunned them onto the already flowery wreath (white wicker wreath £1 from Poundland's Christmas 2020 craft range)

The flock carrots came from this years Home Bargain range (pack of 4 for 69p, I think) and the wooden ladybirds came from The Works (£1.50 for a pack of 30).

Now, as you all know I have a humungous “thing” about proportion and, to be honest, everything is totally out of proportion on this, even down to the rabbit's bows, but I think I may have gotten away with it on this occasion, so what if the carrots are bigger than the rabbits and the ladybirds are equally out of proportion, it gels (??? doesn't it ?????), it’s just fun and whimsical ........

......... especially when I think of Iris and Bertie’s reaction when they see it, to be honest, if everything was in proportion it just wouldn’t work, well, on a wreath at least.  I think I may add to it in time, as more Easter bits and pieces become available, I am thinking some small, painted wooden eggs and what about a couple of butterflies to make it completely over the top?  Watch this space!

Iris's Secret Act Of Kindness

Last weeks home schooling was tough, but we got there in the end, I was away from home for three nights ......... so as a reward I bought myself a new camera as the shutters on my present one are absolutely shot, it's the same Canon camera, as it's a good one, only this time in black and not red!

One piece of work Iris had to do for her Leadership Award on Friday was on Secret Acts of Kindness, she completed the task, which I then downloaded to the school work site (SeeSaw) and to be honest I gave it no further thought, but obviously Iris did ............

........ as this is what she secretly put , later that evening,under Auntie Lulu's pillow, who was down on a child-care bubble visit to learn how to home school in an absolute emergency.

VERY Simple Birthday Card Using Glitter Alphabet Letters.

I am really embarrassed to post this really simple 5ins x 5ins birthday card, using an idea you’ve seen a million times before, but it’s all I have been able to muster since Christmas, my deepest apologies!

I put in an online order from The Works, just after we went into this current lockdown as there were a few things I wanted, that I thought I may not be able to find again if I didn’t act quickly ………..

……… this bundle of 144 glittered letters reduced from £6 to £3 was an impulse buy, but reasoned that they were perfect for a quick and easy card like this. They are a decent size and don’t really shed,  but I found that the self adhesive element to them came off with the plastic peel off covering, so they had to be glued to the card rather than just plonked on, but that’s neither here nor there.

By placing each letter at a jaunty angle it makes fitting biggish words on a small card much simpler especially as you then don’t have to worry about getting everything perfectly level and evenly spaced out, something I don’t have the patience for!

A variety of matching stars in various sizes with clusters of three black dots help fill the empty white space and draw the letters together.

I was hoping that I would also be able to find a few more packs of these wooden fences (£1) from The Works site too, but alas no. Regretfully I only bought one pack when I saw them in town, but now realise their potential, not only for Christmas tree decorations but a few Easter ideas too, agghhh!  I can’t find anything similar anywhere else, so fingers crossed they will replenish their stock or I can find a few random packets in store, when we can finally go shopping again. 

Adventures In Home Schooling - Castle Grey School

Oh my life, what can I say, except that’s my first “proper” week of Home Schooling done, yes,  I survived, with two certificates that really ought to be framed, to prove it!

Let’s just say it’s been quite a rollercoaster ride!

On Wednesdays Iris and Bertie are able to come to me as our two households make up a support bubble, this helps give them a much needed change of scenery. Thank goodness for fresh air, walks along the river and a flask of hot chocolate drunk on a bench, in the park, just a few hundred yards away where they can run, climb and let off steam to their hearts content. Being at Nanny’s, for even a day, I hope, still feels a special and safe place for them to be, even if I have to come all over all Miss Trunchball when we have to get back to our lessons.

From Wednesday evening I stay at theirs until Friday teatime, I am now a dab hand at packing my My Little Pony case, with clothes etc. washed on a Friday night and a few essentials replenished, so that everything is repacked by Saturday evening. My laptop, camera, notebook, tablet and a couple of monkeys plus my can’t do without Chai Latte are then packed after “school” on Wednesday afternoon ready to go.

Last week was a steep learning curve, with each child having to log into two Zoom meetings per day, lasting between 20 and 30 minutes, where work is set for the morning and then, after lunch the afternoon.

All their timetables, worksheets and activities are then accessed via a programme called SeeSaw …….

…… where photos and videos are used to evidence completed work/activities via the same programme.  Thank goodness taking so many photos and uploading is second nature to me through blogging ……

…….. this should be done, preferably, by their next Zoom session for teacher comments where anything else that may need to be added or corrected can be done.

On top of that there are physical activities …………

…….. having to make a den in the middle of my dining area was a bit of a shock to the system on our very first morning but thank goodness we’d done it before ……..

…….. we’ve also done Cosmic Yoga, practiced riding our scooters and chalked complicated obstacle courses on the path outside their house as well as taken part in countless races of a running, hopping and jumping type nature!

And then ……… did I mention creative activities to fit in too?

On a Friday afternoon there is “Care Time” session for Bertie, where everyone can chill with someone special after a hard week. One of the suggestions is a spa treatment……. so I have already booked for Monsieur Bertie to give me a hand massage, as “other” Granny Denise has given me some very lovely pots of beeswax hand cream that will just fit the bill …… before ….. I get back on the treadmill again for some work on the Star of David with Iris.

Happy Days

Another Rainbow Jumper For Bertie …….

Tomorrow I have scheduled a post about my first week of Home Schooling, let's just say it's been quite an adventure and an extremely steep learning curve, but I am afraid that due to it's totally knackering nature any crafty posts for the next six weeks (at least) are going to be of  a meager and very simple nature, like today's ........ however, I will really try to make sure there is at least one post of "some sort" on a Monday, this flipping virus aint going to stop me blogging!

I knitted, for the first time in goodness knows how many years (20 plus?) when Bertie asked, in his most pitiful, plaintive way if I could make him a rainbow jumper, that was back in April 2020, a present for his 4th birthday and to be honest, it hasn’t been off his back much since ……

Then, just before Christmas he told me that he had something very important to tell me ……. his beloved jumper was getting a bit small, could I make him another one, just the same but bigger.

Fortunately, I think I bought enough wool to knit at least another four jumpers, although I did buy another ball of a darker orange for even more rainbow effect (see on the sleeve cuffs) although it does look pink in a  couple of these pictures, so within about two weeks I’d got all the parts knitted.

I quite like the knitting part, but I HATE the sewing in of ends and all the seams. I used to be quite good at it once upon a time, but now I am just pants, it’s an art I’ve sadly lost!

Needless to say, just before Christmas old Bertie was thrilled to be wearing it, but, although I thought I was knitting it with plenty of wiggle room in the body, goodness only knows how, I found that I’d only added about an inch in the length ……. doh, I am sooooo cross with myself.

So it looks like yet another jumper is on the cards, but not before I start on a cardigan for Iris.  She wants a buttonless cardie in yellow with orange spots, but if I can’t do spots, stripes will do. She even drew it for me!

I am a little too far gone to knit spots again, but we’ve compromised, I will knit it as best I can, but with added crocheted flowers in yellows and oranges (eBay) that I will scatter all over it once it’s all put together.  I can see it in my minds eye ……. but you might have to wait a couple more weeks to see if I can pull it off  ……..