Just going on a little break

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'll be away till Friday of this week, so if your signing up to the swap and you dont hear anything from me, dont worry!

I'll close sign ups a week tomorrow so theres still plenty of time.

Have a good week

x

Lets hear it for the kiddio's swap!

Now lets all be very honest.

When you join up for a swap, you think "oooh, I cant wait to get my swap gift" right?

It could be absolutely anything but you still look forward to it dont you.

Well this swap is not about us. Oh no.

Now pick yourself up off the floor and read on.

This is all about the kids.

Of course we will be doing the crafting but what your making is for someone elses child.

So this is what I propose, if you want to sign up, email me at meecrafts at googlemail dot com with the following details;

name

address

email address

blog

age of child

boy or girl

likes and dislikes

name is to your discretion

If you dont have children, what about nieces or nephews, friends children, god children, grandchildren?

I originally thought up doing a swap for boys as there is alot of "girly" crafts out there but when I saw how disappointed middle child was when M got the toadstools this morning, I thought why not do one for all children.

So who's up for it?

I think I will leave a fortnight for sign ups as theres alot of swap activity going on at the moment and then when I email you your swap partner, you'll have a month to then complete the swap.

Plenty of time!

I'm in!

Toadstool mania!

Well here they are! And arent they blinkin well fantastic! Mellisa at What Knot, I am very happy. Thank you very much.

Honestly, I woke up this morning all moody and tired and a big knock at the door revealed the postie with a little box.

L immeadiately asked what it was that I had been buying from America (says alot about me) and when I opened the box he was most suprised.

But they have put a huge smile on my face.

Look at the detailing on this little beauty. Its all kind of patched together like a teeny tiny quilt!

Absolutely fab.

I do have to say though that the little snail, now known as Mr Snail, has been claimed by middle child and M loves the Toadstool so they will be residing upstairs.

Its great really as we have just swapped all the kids bedrooms around and M has a little fairy woodland cottage type theme going on and not only that, she has a very bare old cast iron fireplace begging to be decorated, so these will fit the bill perfectly.

Now for my embarrasing admission. I am posting mine this afternoon!

I am so so bad but I promise Mellisa that your Toadstool is already packaged up and waiting to go.

In fact I'm going to print the postage myself right now.

(Slaps back of hand)

Just before I do though, I have come up with another swap.

I might post it later today if I get chance, if not it will be tomorrow.

I'm going to leave a couple of weeks for sign ups and a month for the project I think as there is alot going off in the way of swap at the minute, but this I think will be a really lovely swap so pop back!

My first Etsy item!!!

Hehehehehehehehehehehe!

I am so so excited.

I decided to put on a listing for customised childrens pictures like M and I did for my dad.

I know myself that we have so many pictures that M has drawn that we love, have stuck on the fridge and now they're a bit disheveled and worse for wear.

Doing something like this will keep the picture forever. Not only that I think they're fab gifts for grandparents. My dad absolutely loves his and is getting it framed.

So if you fancy a little look

here it is

I've got 2 little awards. Well they're big to me.

Arent I lucky!

They came from Hana at Hand of light and creation and Nosh of Love.

Hana has had what seems like a fabulous holiday in Cyprus with her gorgeous family and I am very jealous!

If you like good food then go and have a look at her Nosh of Love blog. She shares the blog with her husband and my god do they know there stuff when it comes to food.

Warning, if use a laptop, cover the keyboard up as you will dribble alot!

So thank you Hana.

I'm going to pass these on to all the Mumsnet Crafters.

Laurie at 23Beechill, Suzanne at Chickadee Cards, Adele at Dillydallydingle, Katy at I'magingermonkey, Amy at Lucykate crafts, Megan at Maximum Rabbit Designs, Apryl at Meridian Ariel, Annie at Overmilkwood, Jill at Miaou crafts (who reminds me of Miranda from SATC), Leah at Sewtobed, Shirley at Ramblings of a Yarn Junkie , Caroline at World of Whizzz and Jacqui at Vintagekittykat.

There are a couple of others but I havent got their blogs to hand and I'm currently typing one handed, but you know who you are so consider yourself included too.

All these ladies are exceptionaly gifted and make the most amazing things, not only that though, they listen and help everyone out in anyway they can so everyone of you, you deserve these awards.

A joint effort

Fathers day is a real pain in the bum for me.

Trying to find a gift for the two most difficult people in the whole family. Well them and my husband that is, although I ahve been lucky and struck gold with a gift for him this year.

I thought and thought and thought for days on what to get them. Now my father in law is a big chocolate fan, so I went straight to Montezuma's. I was very lucky that on my birthday last year a friend bought me a gift box from there and their chocolate is divine. not only that but their prices are quite reasonable too comapred to some other foodie websites.

So father in law gift, tick.

Now my dad.

Him and my mum are very strict with what they have in the house. They get rid of any junk they dont want. Nothing is kept. No "oh we'll keep it just in case", nothing. They are both very strict vegans and look at ingreadiants of most foods they buy, so sweets and such like were out the window. My dad has his allotment and his beloved pond with his precious Koi Carp and little hut and apart from his very strong political beliefs and art course I was totally and utterly stumpted.

His birthday was only last week too and I just managed to buy him the book "Young Stalin" by Simon Sebag-Montefiore, and that was only because my mum had seen it reviewed in the paper.

So whilst blog hopping, as you do, I came across a book cover tutorial and I thought thats it! I will make a cover to go over his sketch book for collage.

My mum sent me the measurements but I just could not get my head round how to do it. I think if I had the actual book in front of me it would have been easier.

Anyway by that point I had resigned myself to the fact that I would have to make him something.

Cue M wandering up to me saying she never made Grandad a picture for his birthday.

Ah haaaaaaa!!!!!

So this is what we came up with

and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the results and my mum loved it.

I got M to draw a picture on some Calico and I embroidered over the top. I was going to let her sew it herself but she really struggled with the needle, so it really was a joint effort. M picked all the colours and told me where to put what, so its her picture really.

I just hope my dad likes it!

We're being taken over!!!!!

We are swamped. They are taking over us and eating everything in their path!

Look what they are doing to my lovely little tree!

And they are very rude, because last year they did the same thing and didnt even so much as grow their cocoons here.

So to summarise. They eat my little lovely drooping tree, naff off and we dont even get a sniff of a Butterfly.

M loves them though and they've provided alot of entertainment. So I guess I am grateful for that.

1 down, 3 to go......

So I have finally managed to get my head down and make a start on my commisions.

This week has been a bit hectic. L has been off for 3 days and you know what its like when the other half is at home, things just dont get done and your normal routine seems to go out the window.

But yesterday I decided to crack on and get these dolls done.

I was asked by one of my "customers" (oooh get me!) to embroider her daughters names or initials on each doll. I was going to just the initial but what the hell, lets go whole hog and get the lot on it. Plus Chloe is a damn fine name if you ask me ;)

The next doll will be pretty similar apart from the fabric and the hair will be "blonde". I'll add a couple of other touches to it as the brief is for it to be girly.

Last week I also finished my toadstool for Lucykates swap. There are two other pieces to go with it but it would be impossble to take a photo of them and you not know what they are. So just in case my swap partner Melissa is reading, you only get a sneaky look.

I dont think this gives too much away. Well I hope it doesnt!

This will be winging its way over the Atlantic to the US of A next week.