A Rainbow Jumper For Bertie

I have started knitting again! Well, I have just completed the back of a jumper so far.

Bertie loves wearing bright colours and said he'd like a rainbow jumper, so I decided to take the plunge. The pictures (above and below) don't do the colours justice, as the dark blue is actually purple and the cream, lemon.  About 30 odd years ago, when Tom and Lu were small, I was never without some knitting on the go, but as they grew up hand knits weren't what they wanted to wear, so I started crafting. However I kept my knitting bag, needles etc. until I moved to Evesham when I gave them all to a charity shop along with all my patterns .........

......... except for my hand knitted by Helen Geddes labels and two 1950s patterns, that were knit for me and my brothers way back when (the cross over neck style) and then I knitted, after tracking the pattern down on e-bay for Tom. It was so easy to knit and sew up and looked so stylish and just a bit different. I might even knit another for Master Bertie yet.

I bought the 100 gram balls of wool from the Crafters Companion store  up at The Valley, just outside Evesham.  It cost £1.99 per ball.  I cadged the knitting needles of other Granny Denise.  However, if I decide I still rather like knitting there is a charity shop in Evesham that has hundreds for just 20p a pair.

The pattern is also from Granny Denise and is as old as the Lovely Laura, in fact I am pretty sure I had the same pattern which I used adapt for my two, using my own designs rather than Thomas.

Hopefully this project won't take me too long to complete, though I have to admit it's not entirely been plain sailing with quite a few dropped stitches needing to be picked up plus a few rows having to be undone and reworked ........ so watch this space.

Felt Easter Carrot Brooches/PIns

This is just an Easter idea I am playing with using the self adhesive carrot embellishments I found at The Works this year.

There are sixteen carrots per pack for £1 and measure very approximately 4.5cms at their longest by 2.5cms at their widest.

My first initial was they would make cute pin badges for Iris and Bertie to wear at Easter and I think they worked out pretty OK.  As they had a self adhesive backing I simply stuck self adhesive cotton fabric scraps on the back and then applied a couple of coats of PVA glue to help stiffen it.  I then used E6000 glue to attach the small bar pin fastenings to, hopefully, really secure them.

The final touch just had to be a pair of googly eyes each  ......... I think they will go down well with the dynamic duo.  I might make a few more, but if I do, I would most likely put them on a small presentation gift card to make them look a bit more professional!

The carrots have a "certain""potential for card making, but for the moment I am looking to Pinterest for that inspiration for ideas beyond Easter.

Iris's Half Term Holiday Homework .......

I have had these pictures ready to post since November last year, but have just not got on with it until now.

Iris had to write all about her autumn half term holiday for her homework. It had all been very exciting, for the first few days she had gone to France with her mum to stay with a friend and when she got back there were another few days in Salcombe with all her family, staying with friends...... 

......... but bless her, according to her mum, The Lovely Laura, she was absolutely determined to be back in Evesham for my Halloween Sleepover!

Her picture shows Iris and Bertie, the bunting and the all important, brand new, especially bought for the event, Pick 'n' Mix sweetie dispenser!  

....... but it was the drawing of me that made me howl ...... the kid just got it so right, come hell or high water, my (Primark) reading glasses are ALWAYS perched on the top of my head!!!!  What is she like?

Easter Rabbit Brooch/Pin

This wooden brooch/pin is a bit of an experiment ............

I like it as it is, plain and simple, but I can also see how it could be embellished a little bit more, by adding perhaps tiny eyes, bows on the necks, a tiny white tip on the tails and some faux stitching round the egg???????

However, this first effort was to see if the wooden bunny and eggs shapes had the potential I thought they might have after seeing them on The Works website.  There are thirty shapes in each pack in three graded sizes.

For the brooch I chose the largest egg along with two middle sized rabbits.

I covered the egg with a spring type patterned paper and coloured the rabbits with a Sharpie pen, before gluing them in place in front of the egg, and then sealing it all with several coats of Gloss Lustre Modge Podge.  When everything was dry I turned it over and added the pin fastening.

The brooch measures 7.5cms at its widest, from tail to tail and stands 5.5cms tall.  

I think the idea works, I am thinking of making them for all the staff in Bertie's nursery class for Easter, using different coloured rabbits and papers, after experimenting a bit more with the aforementioned extra embellishments, so watch this space ........

Small Easter Card

This card measures 5cms x 10cm and is part of a pack of 50, including envelopes from Papermill Direct........ because of its size I think it's going to end up as another gift card to pop on an Easter egg or small Easter gift.

I've used scraps of paper in spring colours to create a background and then simply added foam effect, puffy Easter stickers to finish it off, with a little faux stitching and clusters of three dots here and there, using a black, fine liner pen

I'll be honest I am not that over enamored with it, but I am sure Iris and Bertie will appreciate it  (..... a lot more than me)  I was determined to work my way through the two sheets of stickers I had used for this idea, but I/they have exhausted my creativity, so what I haven't been inspired to use so far will be passed on to Bertie's nursery., where I am sure they will find a use for them.

The Crafty Adventures Of Sam's Study - Cabinet 2 and 3

Another two cabinets down in my great Sam's Study adventure ......

...... fortunately these two didn't prove to be as taxing as the first one which, I have to say, almost did my head in!

I found the fiddliest part was cutting and bending the drawer handles, it would be lovely to be a total perfectionist and make them truly square, but I am afraid life is too short!  It was a little disappointing to find that one of the beads that go on the handle wasn't originally pressed perfectly, so bits were missing, but I am sure once the whole thing is put together it won't be that noticeable.

The drawers/cupboards don't open, they are just fronts, and to be honest the sizing of the pieces doesn't give much for any margin of error ....... so I am just grateful that the glue is pretty slow to set.

The small pink shelves proved to be really easy to put together, however when the time comes I need to very carefully remove some of the glue I seem to have managed to smear everywhere!

When I put cabinet 1 and 2 together I discovered that they don't exactly line up straight when put together, I don't know how that happened .......

........ but I think I can get away with it, because  I am pretty certain that I going to glue each cabinet in place when I come to put the study frame together. It's not a toy but not one to be too precious, I am sure it's something that will fascinate Iris and Bertie so I reckon the more key pieces I can  battened down the better!

Two Snowflake Christmas Tree Baubles

It's never too early for a couple more Christmas baubles!

I already had a box of medium sized, translucent baubles from Paperchase from way back when that needed to be used. So far this year I've used four to put wired beads in them, these two will make six, which then leaves me with two for another idea ....... and I am already thinking Halloween!

The slightly puffy, glitter, snowflake stickers came from Lldl, picked up at the till without a second thought and then not used in time for Christmas 2019, but then you can never have too many snowflakes.

From past experience I knew that they have a good stick to them, so I simply placed them straight on to the baubles.  I think they should last the distance, but if they should start to peel at the ends before they get used this year, a dab of clear, strong glue should fix it.  I was quite surprised that just two smallish baubles used up almost the whole sheet.

I then added a clear, flat backed gem to the centre of each snowflake to complete the effect.  I know I am on a minimum crafty spend this year, but should I be so tempted, a few really sparkly Swarovski crystal gems would be a good investment for projects like this.

I am so chuffed with how they have turned out, the pictures don't really do them justice, but they really do look expensive and top end, if I do say so myself!

Two Small Easter Bunny Cards

The cards measure 10cms x 7cms and are pre-scored from Papermill Direct (pack of 50 with envelopes for £10 https://www.papermilldirect.co.uk/card-blanks/7-x-5-white-plain-card-blanks)

Another pair of small Easter gift cards for your delectation today.

The self adhesive, felt bunnies and frames came from a Hobbycraft sale, I can't remember when, but now they are used, they owe me nothing.

I can't think what possessed me to buy the Express Yourself stickers as they are always soooooooo expensive, I guess they must have been reduced to a rock bottom price for me to have bought them, but after being tucked away in a box for quite a while they have finally come into their own.

The cards have both been put together very simply, no great skill required, just plonk, plonk, plonk to be honest!

The size of  these little cards make them perfect to pop onto an Easter egg or Easter gift ...... it's a size I don't think I have ever used before, I think I bought them to make up a bundle in order to get free postage or something ..... however after being in my cupboard for at least 18 months they are beginning to grow on me!

Heads Up - Matalan Easter Decor

You know I love to "dress" my flat with Iris and Bertie in mind for Halloween and Christmas, but although I usually have a special lunch, followed by a few Easter games etc., I don't usually put anything else out other than a wreath on my front door, a few ceramic bunnies and chicks here and there and an Easter egg tree and to be honest, that's probably as far as I would ever go ..........

HOWEVER, I couldn't help but be inspired by a few things I saw in Matalan's home department section on the Malvern Retail Park, which I thought I would share with you.

The duvet sets are quite lovely, perfect spring designs and colours for an Easter sleepover, but also suitable for a child's bedroom at any time of the year and at £10 for a single set, not bad value.

I thought the tea towels were cute too.  I have tea towels for Christmas, that just get hung, more for decoration than to use, but then again I am pretty sad!  £5 for 3 - the other design features hedgehogs.

I liked the rabbit cushion too, which would certainly bring a Spring/Easter flavour to a lounge, but could also, quite easily, fit into a child's Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter themed bedroom or nursery.

My flat really is complete these days.  If anything comes in, something has to go out, so unless I have a complete brainstorm, I find myself just looking these days, but it's nice to imagine and dream.  Lu and I always say we need two houses, one to actually live in and the other to dress up!

Heads Up - The Works - Easter Crafts

I have just put in an order (Click and Collect) for The Works for the grand total of £1.50, the total order was for £3 but I had £1.50 in Together Rewards, talk about being the last of the big spenders! I ordered on-line early in the season for the things I could see potential in because the crafty stock tends to vary from shop to shop and I have found that certain things I really like have a habit of disappearing,  never to appear again, like the packs of wooden dowels and wooden counters (the ones that looked like people)

I have been thinking about making some Easter brooches, so these packs of wooden eggs (30 for £1) look useful .......

 ....... as do these rabbits, again 30 for £1.  I am not 100% about their sizes, I think they may be quite small, but I have a couple of ideas on how to use them.

I also thought these felt carrots (16 in a pack for £1.00) had potential ...... I think I might even get a couple of badges/brooches from them for Iris and Bertie, but I was really thinking I that I might get a couple of funny, carrot pun type cards out of them too.

I was so proud of myself just ordering one pack of each, before now I would have gone overboard and bought five of each, far more than I actually needed.

One thing I didn't buy, (for now), were these wooden rabbits (£1.50) which they also had last year and managed to resist, however I can see their potential. I have £2 to collect on a scratch card I got in a cracker at Christmas ........ I may cash it in and treat myself and put the leftover 50p in my piggy bank!

The Works Easter Craft Section.

https://www.theworks.co.uk/c/easter-crafts?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvJXxBRCeARIsAMSkAppbScufW-S4KfOlQcFuQpZvNBoFpa-LfIrd2OI-1x4NbLdh5ZLZWIIaAkrgEALw_wcB

Robotime - Sam's Study - My First Shelving Unit

Well, there goes three hours of my life .......

...... the very piece of shelving - Cabinet 1 of my Sam's Study completed!  I think you may just be able to pick it out  (or at least the turquoise door) from in amongst the picture of the completed project. Let's just say I didn't find it easy! 

I decided it might be best to tackle each part in the exact order in which they appear in the instruction manual ...... despite other things looking easier.

So, I got stuck by instruction number 3, I think it took me an hour of trying this and that, with nothing any making sense, before realising the picture was actually showing the back view, rather than the front, which I was convinced it was, then it sort of came together!  

Oh my goodness, all the tiny drawer handles are soooooooooooooo fiddly, especially for my poor fat sausage fingers!  Hopefully, as I get into the swing of things it will all get easier (????)  However, the first thing I really need to do before I tackle anything else is to swap the glue containers that came with the pack for my, older than the hills, precision glue bottles, there is no way I can work with the stubby ends of what is provided!  Then I am going to collect myself, gilding my lions very carefully (??) for Cabinet 2 ........ wish me luck!

Two Small, Gingham and Polka Dot Easter Bunny Cards

The cards measure 10cms x 7cms and are pre-scored from Papermill Direct (pack of 50 with envelopes £10) https://www.papermilldirect.co.uk/card-blanks/7-x-5-white-plain-card-blanks. This sounds a bit expensive to me so I wonder if I got them on special offer?

Two very simple gift cards today, to me they are the sort of size you  pop with an Easter egg or Easter gift.

As you can see I got the self adhesive, felt bunnies from Hobbycraft in a sale, I can't remember when, but at least they are now all used up, so owe me nothing, working out at approx 12.5p each.

The wooden, glitter sentiments were also from Hobbycraft a while back. I have had a look on their website, but can't see any more, however it's early days for Easter Crafting so perhaps they haven't set them out yet.  However, they did have a couple of other things I quite fancied of an Easter type nature, but I think I will wait until I go in store to see them in real life before I consider making a purchase.

I put all the bits and pieces together, opting for a mix of polka dot and gingham papers in spring like colours ........

...... before putting the designs together, all very plain and simple, giving the binnies a pair of goggly eyes, adding a couple of bubble adhesive flowers and a little faux stitching and groups of three dots using a black fine liner pen.

When I got to the second card  I was well into the swing of things, adding corners and a couple of punched leaves.  I just love the combination of turquoise and yellow ...... after months and months in a Christmas coloured cocoon it's sooooooo nice to emerge into a world of fresh colours!