Another party gift

M has yet another party today, so this week I've been working on this present for the birthday girl.

This is a Molly Monkey pattern from mmm crafts (if you scroll down to the right hand side there is a clickable link for you you download the pattern).

I had to admit when I read the intructions and it said to leave openings in all the limbs and and body to stuff, I thought oh god what a nightmare. When I've made my dolls and other softies, I stick all the limbs in the body, sew round and just leave an opening in the head to stuff but I have to say doing it the mmm crafts way was much easier and sewing up the openings took just a few minutes. If I was doing it my way I would have spent more time swearing and cursing.

I'm very pleased with her. I hope the birthday girl is too!

And thank you mmm crafts for sharing your lovely pattern.

A fun little swap

I thought I should post about this fun little swap I've joined in before christmas.

I promised myself that I wouldn't do anymore until the new year but this one is a little different.

Soozs is having a Happy cd swap. Basically you have to make 3 compilation cd's with your favourite happy songs on.

I think this a lovely idea for a swap and its not too much hard work to burn a few discs off is it?

You can send more than 3 if you want but no less.

Sign up closes tomorrow at midday (aussie time) so you need to be quick.

I've also noticed today that I'm almost up to 100 posts and I've nearly had this blog for a year now!

AND

My littlest one will be 1 in 9 days time!

My word that went quickly.

Sooooo in the styleee of other bloggers around the globe a giveaway is in order!

I'm going to have a good think about it and will of course post when its my bloggisversary.

Now where did I put my thinking hat??????

A little sad post

I don't why I feel the need to put this on here really.

But I know that some other fellow bloggers have gone through this recently.

Yesterday my parent in laws dog was put to sleep. He had been walking a little bit funny on his back leg so he was taken to the vets.

They said that it could just be a simple sprain or worst case something to do with his ligaments and he would need an operation. My in laws were fearing that part because he is a big Rotweiller and he is 2 weeks off his 8th birthday.

He was given a weeks worth of antibiotics and told to rest.

It wasn't getting better so they had to take him back for sedation so he could be xrayed and see what was happening.

Sadly they found that his leg was completely riddled with cancer and there was nothing they could do :(

My father in law had to make the decision not to go back and see him come round and just put him straight to sleep.

We are just utterly gutted. It was such a shock and not expected at all.

They got him just as L and I started going out together and then we bought Oliver who is only 3 months younger.

My parent in laws have looked after Oliver for us alot over the years and both him and their dog were the best of friends. They played for hours together and they knew each other so well, when the other wanted some space, sleep, play or just cuddles.

He was such an affectionate dog.

I know Rotweillers are known for being vicious creatures but I believe they are very sadly misjudged.

He wanted to cuddle you and be with you all the time. He was full of love and was an absolute darling with our children.

Even during all my pregnancies, all the jumping up and being boisterous stopped. He carried on with other people but left me alone and when I sat down, he would come and lay beside me or sit by my legs. He obviously knew and wanted to keep me safe.

So RIP Mr Benson.

We love you very much and miss you alot already.

xxx

Gifts galore!

Its that time of year again.

CHRISTMAS!

And anyone who knows me, knows that I love christmas.

In fact, as I type, I have the Santa Clause 3 movie on Sky Premiere.

I am desperate to get the decorations up but L won't let me. We have to wait till the 1st! The 1st! Can you imagine. Thats 1 whole week to wait!

But to cheer myself up,

I made these....

I should say that I had big plans to take a photo of these outside, because this morning we woke up to snow everywhere (this also added to my christmas excitement) but it was far too cold and the snow was starting to melt.

So anyway, these little hanging decorations are for M's teachers. I figured that it seems to be the done thing to give the teachers a present before the kids break up from school and no doubt they will be drowning in boxes and tins of saturated fat, so why not go for something more festive and that won't give them saddlebags.

Next on my xmas gift wish list, was a bed for our dogs. I'm not sure if I have mentioned them on here before but we have 2 little dogs. A Beagle called Oliver. He's nearly 8 years old now and turning into a grumpy old man. Then we have Freya the little Chihuahua. She is only 2 and just grown out of the puppy phase, however she is Oliver's boss. If Oliver gets all grumpy, she snaps at him, if he dares drink out of the bowl before her, she snaps at him, in fact if he dare do anything out of line, he gets it. This also applies to the marital dog bed.

We did buy them 2 beds. Oliver has a larger bed because he is a bigger dog. Freya has a smaller bed, for obvious reasons. However, this is not good enough for Freya. The bigger bed is far superior and therefore it is hers.

L and I now go to bed everynight to hear poor Oliver being snapped at for daring to get into his nice warm bed by the radiator. So the solution? To make one nice big comfy bed for them both

See, even here Oliver is getting the filthy looks. The poor boy even sat watching me make it! I think if you click on it you will still see the pins in the binding. Thats because I haven't quite finished it, not because I like to torture my pets before any calls are made to the RSPCA.

So hopefully this will eliminate any arguments between the two!

Then finally for the gifts, I was a runner up in Rachel's giveaway and yesterday I recieved this

Its a very cute little brooch.

I had the perfect thing to put it on and then a pair of beady little eyes caught sight of it and it was gone! Still, it will look nice on M's clothes and I might even put it on her school bag so that its a bit more identifiable.

I did also mention in my last post about another pattern that I was doing. Well I had every intention of blogging it but its not come out exactly to plan (much to my annoyance). So I may try and rectify it and blog it orrrr I may just put it on the pile of not finished projects.

We shall see!

I have become addicted......

to the Whip Up blog.

This is not good for ones time.

I have spent hours trawling through the blog, clicking on links, looking at tutorials and generally getting far too many ideas and wanting lots of things.

God I love that website!

I found a little link to a tutorial for these little babies from Odd Dotty Dollymaker.

They are so cute I can tell you. So I made one last night.

I apologise for the dark photo but I had to take it very quickly this morning because M snatched it to take to school for show and tell!

They really are the cutest little things and sit right in the palm of your hand. Oooh I love em!

So today, well until lunch time as I'm going out for coffee, I will be making some more to go along with my other little project which I hope to finish tonight and show tomorrow.

Something that went right for a change

I think I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I was making a bracelet for someone.
Well I am happy to report that it didn't go horribly wrong like the last item I made

The lady that wanted it had seen some bracelets like this on a website but with prices starting from £80 to £100! Very silly prices considering they were just multi-stranded leather cords with the odd silver ball beads on here and there.

I am very pleased with it considering I made it up as I went along, although there wasn't much to it. Had it been more complicated, it would have had a sorry end like the bag.

I am also happy to report that I have made something else, following a pattern and its come out beautifully. It just needs a few finishing touches which I hope to do later today and then I will show you my proud results. I'll also have to link the pattern because I think its an absolutely wonderful gift item for both boys and girls.

Hope your all having a great week!

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Why do simple things not go as they should?

Hmmm

Why?

Why why?

I saw a link on I'm a Gingermonkeys blog for this tutorial to make a patchwork drawstring bag. Great, I thought. M has a party today and its a perfect present. I could fill it with a couple of other bits. Marvellous.

Or so I thought.

Not so bad from the front is it, but the horror unfolds....

The ends that were too short and don't meet

and the bit were my sewing machine decided to change the tension all on its own.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

It was such an easy thing to make and it just went so so wrong. Even the tutorial I thought was very good. Good clear pictures and clear instructions. It was foolproof! Well fool proof but not Chloe proof.

Needless to say, there is now a book wrapped up for the birthday girl.

I am now going to reclaim my sanity. I think I dropped it in the bag.