Happy New Year!

Wishing one and all a Happy and Healthy 2010

Christmas 2009

Well another Christmas over....almost, we're off to the pantomime soon and then it will be over. it's been lovely having the family before and spending time with friends. we had plenty of wintery weather but fun walks, good company, good food and good times.

Just a few photos to share.....

Pre Christmas meal

And Christmas morning

Merry Christmas......

Wishing everyone a Happy festive time, good health and good company.

Happy Christmas 2009

Demolition begins.........

The demolition job has started, getting excited now as new found light has found its way into the garden, will be glad when its all gone. The clearance men reckon to have the job done by the end

of today so will update tomorrow!

Going, going!!

Meanwhile I'm leaving them to it as I go to Chippenham today to attend a ceremony and recieve a momento (plastic paperweight ,I believe!!) for working for the health service for 30 years!! way too long and that has to be round Alice's music exam, poor thing is so nervous it's a bit like living on egg shells. hopefully tonight will be more relaxed for us all.

Demolition starts.....

The demolition job starts tomorrow, I spent yesterday moving all my doll moulds out of the old shed, and squeezing them into a space half the size! don't ask me to lay my hands on any particular mould....it's not possible! So despite the panic and the chaos, things are beginning to happen and I will be able to figure out what size new shed I can accommodate!

Christmas is looming fast and I have a houseful the week before! beginning to feel a little stressed!!

The 'Round Robin' came home.......

Remember the little doll I made for this years Round robin? well she came home yesterday with a new hairdo, dress undies and tights and shoes. Thankyou so much to Terry, Sylvia, Rita and Trudy for all the work you did to her.

She will go on display with all the others at the next dolly meeting which is also our Christmas get together. It will be great fun , looking forward to it.

It doesn't look like I'll be able to do much more on the Dolly front. The building work will start in january and in the meantime its the awful job of moving things around to accomodate! I've commited myself so it will all be happening! scary or what!

Well I made a decision today.....The ground clearance people are coming next week. In the meantime I still have the problem of emtying the shed, the garage remains very wet but I can't really get a new shed until the clearance is done, the logistics of all this are truly exercising my brain and then there is the problem of settling on which builders to employ to do the garage conversion. the difference in quotes is quite amazing! Oh what fun!

The demolition job!!

But Barnaby doesn't care!

In the meantime I haven't been able to think about all the creative work I'd like to do.........

More on builders......

It looks like I can afford to have my garage converted into a workroom but of course that means new sheds to store things like garden tools and camping gear and bikes....and that means hard standing and ground clearance and that means the demolition of a very rotten 'lean to' to have better access to the back garden which is pleanty big enough and nothing happens in a hurry and where do you find reliable labour to do that? Ho Hum! So to the yellow pages and plenty of phone calls....watch this space!

Studios and builders.....

I had the second of four builders round today to look at the possibility of converting my old garage into a studio 9 x 20ft with roof storage within budget...It's a nightmare! so far they have all told me a different story about what I need and what I don't! Its at times like this I feel very vulnerable to the sharks, but my brother is coming to be with me when the next one comes and his mate who is in the trade is willing to help me out too. Either way if I don't do something soon the garage will fall down all by itself!

So lets hope my plans for a dedicated work space come to fruition. The plan is to have a large picture window in the front and back to maximise the light

More Hearts.......

More hearts!! not the easiest shape to make up and stuff nicely. I am enjoying the embroidery though so need a bigger project to get my teeth into, just haven't found it yet!

Next major thing to think about is finding a builder I can trust, I might finally have the funds to think about converting my garage into a studio, I have the dreams just need to make them into reality now but that is easier said than done.

Ten minute project!!

I just had a bit of fun messing around with a few scraps, and this is what happened! I see a few more Christmas presents getting sorted.......

New Month, new list!

Well, the first day of the month and the dog and I have got soaked twice! its been wet and windy pretty much all day. The heating will have to go on for a bit not because its cold but because it feels so damp, ugh!

I have been pottering a bit today and finished my Christmas cushion cover, just need to get the cushion to put it on, but here it is so far......




The crazy quilting has to stop for now as I have a number of costumes to get on with and more importantly, sewing classes are going to start again in the new year so some fresh samples need to be finished and instruction sheets reviewed.

All Hallow's Eve........

Well I know people get excited about Halloween, but its not my thing and only celebrated in recent years in this country. My daughter is off to a Halloween party tonight all dolled up in her gothic finery! Actually we did have a bit of fun rummaging in a retro shop in Totnes when we were visiting the grandparents this week, we found a whole load of 70's punk gear...great for Halloween costumes! I bought her an up market black lace ra ra skirt, which I have to admit does look rather good, sad thing is I remember wearing the very same platform shoes the first time around!

But what I have enjoyed today is just looking around and seeing what a beautiful Autumn we are having this year, the colours are wonderful and my back garden is looking suitably wild, will think about clearing leaves another time!

Still collecting Apples from the old tree, but I think they are coming to and end now.

Another piece finished!!

I finally got round to finishing the second piece of crazy quilting that I have ever done.... I love doing this and have loads of ideas, the plea once again for a 48 hour day!

I decided that the piece that I did was just big enough to make a padded cover on an ordinary A5 size file...what d'ya think? I will use this file to keep a photographic record of all my crazy quilting stuff and pictures of other peoples work (with their permission of course) that has inspired me.

Not sure which should be the front or the back!

Some of the detail.... more on my flikr pages.

More Crazy quilting.....

I said I felt an addiction coming on! Well, I made a start on a second project idea, it is good to be able to pick up a piece of work and work in short little bursts particularly at the moment as it is half term and therefore Mum is on entertainment duty! I've found myself looking at different fabrics and threads and wondering what combination of stitches would look good. I really am enjoying this, trouble is I still have so many other things to be getting on with!

First layout, thinking pinks, white and all things pastel...

Including ribbon rose and lace trim

Embroidered flowers, plenty to work on here.....

Never ending, will show you the finished piece when I get there!

A new craze.........

I had a quiet day today. Despite the fact that there is an Izannah doll needing to be finished, several Bru costumes to be done, class plans to be made not to mention the shopping and the housework (which is getting a bit desperate!)and a few Halloween gifts to be finished I spent today trying out some crazy quilting! Its something I've always wanted to have a go at so as it was my day off today I sat in my workshop and had a go........









At least I have a Christmas decoration made!


And I did get my Izzy doll put together, she has at least got some drawers and and a petticoat until I get a dress and bonnet made for her.

First steps.......

I did manage to finish the painting on my very first Izannah Walker type doll. This is the first time I have used paper clay, which takes a bit of getting used to. I did enjoy painting with the acrylics but I will have to expand my range of colours for next time as I was a bit limited this time and of course impatient to get on so no going out and getting some more!!



Now to put her all together and dress her.......


It was a beautiful sunset here tonight, had to go out and take a picture......pity my photography isn't that great!

Contemplating Winter.......

As the evenings are drawing in I've been thinking about some simple fun things to do on a Winters evening, the sort when you want to just sit quietly in a warm room watching the telly and doodling with your fingers. These arrived from Amazon today, some fun little projects to make for gifts and a few inspirational thoughts.




The Izannah doll is coming along, I'll get some pictures up when there is some light, and I've got the fabrics sorted for the Bru costumes. Just wish this wasn't such a long week at work, too much to do at home (and that doesn't include the housework!!)


I get a daily picture on my google front page from the National Geographic. I thought this one was just so lovely .......

We're getting better....

We've had a quiet time and glad to say that Alice is so much better. Apart from many interruptions on the way I've been doodling........thought I'd make a start on some of those stocking fillers for Christmas for friends and family so I've been doing a bit of fun stitching.......still a bit more experimenting to do, but these are the beginnings of some scented sachets

We're still poorly........

Another day with a poorly girl around, although she is much better and I think with another good nights sleep she'll be fine to go to school tomorrow. So we've both been mooching around the house. I haven't been able to concentrate much but I have started to do a few things and its been quite fun doing a bit of this and a bit of that!

I've been thinking about a few handmade Christmas gifts, such as lavender bags, so i started to experiment with a few design ideas. lily of the valley have always been my favourite!

Hands for the Izannah walker type doll, gesso'ed and ready to paint and the first layer of paper clay, currently drying and hopefully I will have a bit of time to start the sculpting proper!

Poorly.......

My little girl is quite poorly today, high temperature all of last night which thankfully has now subsided, she is on the mend. I was having a little panic that the dreaded swine flu might have hit this household but, it looks like we are not affected, phew! Apart from having to miss a quite an important conference at work today, I have at least had a bit of time to potter around. I will take photos later......... and the dog has been very persistant about his walk or lack of it today, I think I'll be able to go out a bit later for a wee while. What a day!

Getting into the swing......

One of the things I have always wanted to do was explore the world of the vintage cloth dolls. This is my first attempt at an Izannah walker type doll, not a lot to show just yet but its a start, next on my list is a Columbian style doll. The doll is sewn and a layer of gesso painted on where the paper clay will go to sculpt the face....my next challenge! no time today but will get to it soon I hope.






I also managed to finish another piece from the Peter Rabbit story in Cross stitch which I have been doing for ever! Just the last one to do now. Hopefully I'll get that all set up tonight so I can work on it when I have those odd moments! (what odd moments!)