Todays Adventures

Spent today in Corfe. We travelled down on the steam train and it was really enjoyable. The train was extremely comfy, way better than any modern train, properly springy seats and separate little compartments with a table each. I thought we might end up at Hogwarts :)
When we arrived we had a yummy, cream tea with clotted cream and strawberry jam :P I could feel my arteries hardening but I didn't care as it was scrummy. We then went for a wander around Corfe Castle in an attempt to burn off the cream. Although we go to the castle every time we visit, we still enjoy the walk around and are always amazed at well in tact it is considering how old and how many wars its survived.
Yesterday was cool too. We started the day in Dorchester and v nearly got caught in a hail storm and then took a drive to Cerne Abbis to see the giant in the hillside. It took a while negotiating our way up the hill as it had rained so much the mud was like a paste, but we kind of got a view and he was very impressive. You'll also be pleased to know that he was unaffected by all the cold weather :D

Happy Friday :)

Continued our tradition of not celebrating Christmas but starting the day with a spot of malt loaf and a walk to Durlston Country Park. The weather was lovely and although the ground was a bit on the muddy side we enjoyed the views out to sea and seeing how the restoration work is going. Stopped to watch a robin for ages and almost tempted him over a couple of times with raisins but unfortunately several loud groups scared him away both times.
Did some food shopping yesterday so probably going to have a yummy vegi stew for dinner tonight.
My family still celebrate Christmas so I bought them all pressies and got pressies back from them. We opened them the day before driving down though and got some great gifts. I'm wearing my knitted, fleecy slippers right now and they have been worn pretty much constantly since I got them. They're great and so cosy :)
I'm finally getting into White Fang now, although its a pretty dark story. Its the tale of a wolf cub and his mother and, although its beautifully written, they go though some pretty tough times and he nearly dies a few times either through starvation or at the hands of another animal. I've just reached the bit in the book where he's now living in a native American reservation and he's having to learn how to be part of a big pack.

Zzzzz

Had the most enormously long and tiring journey yesterday to Dorset. The snow just ground everything in the London area to a complete standstill so we ended up sitting in the services at Fleet for about 4 hours as there was no point going back on the roads just to sit in traffic.
Finally arrived at our destination at 2.15 in the morning feeling tired but a bit too wired from all the coffee on route. It was so great to lay in bed though and uncrinkle my back :)
Today much better though. After an huge lay in we went into town for a yummy lunch and to pick up some food. We also sat by the sea feeding a couple of ravens raisins. They were beautiful looking and had the funniest hop/walk. I did try and take a few piccies but unfortunately Windows isn't playing ball at the moment so I can't get any of my pictures of my phone :/
Plans for this evening include nothing, probably an epic spod and some nethack :) Possibly a bit of White Fang later too but I haven't got properly into it yet so not sure. It was also a bit close to home last night with all the snow. We bought blankets, water and munch though so we would have been okay.

Almost done.....

Had a mad card making panic yesterday as I realised after today I wouldn't see any of my work colleagues until after Christmas. Made all of them and got up today to see a whole ton of snow and couldn't get in - Arse! Snowfail! I was nice staying in bed though and wrapping up nice and warm.
I still managed to post a few cards and 3 Christmas pressies though so not a complete FAIL. :)
I still have 3 to post off so I'll get onto that early tomorrow. Apparently there is sunshine tomorrow!
Got well and truly stuck into White Fang. That's a thoroughly dark read. Good though.
Also signed up for another 6 months of the Wardrobe Refashion. I must do a bit more refashioning this time round though. I think I only made about 3 items in the last 6 months. Ooops.
I've been a little bit of a slow crafter too over the last few months. I'm almost done with the animals swap. Thats taking way longer than planned. Bloody Christmas got in the way! Ho hum.

Brrrrr +1

V Brrrr today. We had our first snow of this winter and even though it turned to rain pretty soon after it stayed really cold all day.
Making some more date & walnut rolls tonight. First for a long while but we've run out of bread and I'm extremely low on funds at the mo so I thought why pay someone to make it for me when I have all the bits to make it myself. I need to pick up some more wholemeal strong flour though as I've now used up all of mine. I also need some more yeast as I'm down to my last little packet.
Regarding the last post about my yummy veg stew, I found that my boyfriend had taken a piccie so I thought I'll pinch his and show you all that. The plates and bowls are made by him during his pottery classes and the stew is my handywork. I think Kingsmill may have made the bread. To check out his photos follow this link :)
I've also been reading away and have finished Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde the other day. That was completely different to what I was expecting but still pretty enjoyable. Not as good as Sherlock or some of the other classics of this type. Frankenstein was amazing and Dracula is one of my favourite books. I'm now reading White Fang, which other than knowing its got a wolf in it, I knew nothing at all about it.
Apparently 8 shopping days to Christmas. Thankfully I have done all my shopping, although I'm still waiting for one to turn up by post so I can wrap it and repost it out. I've managed to make a few of my christmasy bits. I've made all my gift tags, some of my cards and some bits and bobs for pressies.
I'd like to have a go at making more next year but may have to start making about September time.

Yummy Vegi Stew Weather :)

As you can probably gather by the title, I like this time of year as its the time you can sitting in all your woolly clothes eating nice, tasty vegi stews. I made a lovely one Wednesday using some of the veg I picked up at the market at the end of the day. They were selling off bags of assorted veg for £2 which had a cauliflower, broccoli, butternut squash, tons of carrots, tons of potatoes and a few parsnips in it. Very good value for money :)
I made the stew using a couple of parsnips, about 3 carrots, about 4 potatoes, a couple onions, a pint of veg stock, a handful of red lentils, a handful of soupmix and a handful of pearl barley. You just chop the onion finely and fry for a few mins and then throw in the rest of the veg (chopped into bitesized bits) and the stock and other bits and bobs, bung on a lid and cook for about 30 or 40 mins. We had it with lots of brown bread and butter :P It was so yummy and we even had some left over for the next night's dinner too. I'll make another one next week and post a piccie or two.
I've been spending this week wrapping pressies for xmas so that I can parcel them up to send out to family. A bit fiddly but going okay so far. I've also started writing some of my homemade xmas cards but realised I haven't made anywhere near enough so I'm going to be doing lots of stamping tonight.
I got tons of bananas on Wednesday from the market too so I'm thinking of making some flapjacks tonight or tomorrow. I make mine without sugar and use Splender, honey and mashed bananas instead. I also use marg as a replacement for butter. I'll post a recipe for those too when I get round to making some.

New stuff in my shop

Just a brief post today as I've been a bit of a slack blogger of late and I'm trying to remember to post things regularly again.
Just thought I'd share with the world some of my wierd and wonderful creations. I've been crocheting some odd new bracelets for the shop using mohair wool and pony beads. They're a bit odd but I think I like them so I've stuck them up online and I'll see what happens. I figure the worse that can happen is they don't sell, but no harm done.
I've been trying to get back my card making mojo. I haven't made any bday cards for ages and I've forgotten how I used to make them. I've made all my xmas cards for this year so I'll get writing them soonish and posting them. I got my first one though the post the other day but it wasn't signed. A little curious as it had long message inside with lots of personal stuff. I think I have an idea who it is so I'll have to hold my hands up and send an email asking.

Brrrr

Its a bit on the cold side at the mo so I've got the heating on full blast and considering a nice cup of chai to keep my fingers from freezing to the keys.
Went to Leeds Castle on Thursday for the first time. Its an amazing castle, extremely cool. It absolutely peed with rain for most of the day but that didn't stop us having a good look around the castle, having a lovely cream tea in the restaurant and visiting the gift shop.
Sold some of my earrings at the craft fair I was at the other week :) I was extremely chuffed about this. Its a great feeling seeing someone wearing something that you made. I sold 2 pairs of rainbow drop earrings and my lavender star ones.
I've also stunned myself as I've been very organised and now finished all of my Christmas shopping. I pretty much stayed in budget which was good and have even bought my Secret Santa pressie for work. I just need to wrap everything and post them.
I've also been crafting away making things for the favourite animal swap. I need to get a move on though as I thought I'd be finished by now but I've been a bit stumped by the idea of making a lion and something lemury. My swap partner likes both. I've made quite a few butterfly related bits and bobs and thats been pretty easy. I hope she likes what I've made. She's making butterfly, bat and cat related stuff for me. I can't wait to see what she comes up with. The bat Kiddo made for me in one of the other swaps lives by my bed :)

My stuff for sale!!! \o/

We've got a Christmas Craft Fair tomorrow and some of my jewellery is on sale :) I've already had some interest so I'm hoping to make some sales. Fingers crossed.
Just watched an item on Martin's Money tips on some women in the US who has made a living out of saving coupons/vouchers and is able to feed a family of 6 for just a couple of dollars, which to us is about a £1!!! If you're reading this from the US check out the link to Martin Lewis' website with my links of interest. Unfortunately the system seems to be slightly different to here but I'm always pretty chuffed by the fact that although I cut my income by 20% it hasn't really effected my standard of living and I'm still able to save. Most of that's though shopping at market stalls, buying multi buys and things that are on offer and using my Boots reward card points. Charity shops are also great but thats not a new love, I've always bought most of my clothes from Charity shops.
Christmas should be interesting though, a bit of a challenge. I'm on a very limited budget (about £10 a person) + 1 birthday so hope family are happy with present. Thankfully I don't celebrate Christmas so no worries about turkeys and all that nonsense. We're just spending a few days down at the South Coast and will probably do a spot of fossil hunting on Christmas day. We're much happier with that. Christmas is fine if that's what you want to do but its not important to me or my bf so we don't celebrate it. It sounds a bit scroogish but its really nice and so much cheaper and less stressful.

Rain, rain, rain

It has absolutely peed with rain today and yesterday and the winds have been so strong that we woke up this morning with all the plants of our kitchen windowsill in the kitchen sink and our loft hatch open. It was a tad breezy! All the plants were fine thankfully although we did closely inspect our oak bonsai and have decided its not just sleeping. We'll do the burial tomorrow at the allotment if the weather is kind enough to let us go down.
I've been working on a new swap at the moment. This time its an favourite animal swap and I'm making my partner items on the theme of butterflies, lemurs and lions :) I've so far made a lemur card, butterfly earrings, a lion necklace and have a butterfly postcard that I will make into a little notebook. I need to search on the internet later and look for some lemurs as the picture I drew on the card came from one of our art books at work and that took some tracking down. Its a crowned lemur and looks quite cute. A bit like a meercat.
I've also got some yellow felt and some bright orange ribbon with butterflies on so I'm hoping to do something with those later.
I've also been making some bits and bobs for my shop. I've made my first pendant which I've taken piccies off but haven't got round to uploading them in the shop. I shall do that later.
I'm also reading Sherlock Holmes and thats brilliant. I'm really loving it and now fully appreciate just how good Jeremy Brett was in his portrail in the 80s. He's spot on with all the little quirky behaviour.

New stuff in my shop!!!

I've been busy the last week making some more bits and bobs for my shop and I have a few bits on order so I can keep up the making momentum :) To take a look check out the link on the right hand side for Woodle Doodle Dandy (thats the name of my shop) and feel free to let me know what you think.
I've also signed up to a new swap as I'm not in any at the mo and I do enjoy making for someone else. It usually inspires me. This time I'm making around the theme of favourite animals and my partner likes Butterflies (like me), Lemurs and Lions. These should be good to make things round and I've already got some ideas around Lions.
Its now officially the end of summer and the clocks went back on Sunday night. This means its nice and light when I head out in the morning but gets darker much earlier. Still getting my head around just how dark it is at 5 when I leave work.
I had a great time yesterday spending my birthday vouchers for Lush and came away with lots of nice smellies and smell all nice now from my shower. I love Lush. Not only do their things smell lovely and help the planet but they are so cost effective. They cost a little more initially but I usually ask for their stuff for birthdays and Christmas, so I don't feel it too much on the purse and they last for ages. I started using their shampoo/conditioner bars, which are like bars of soap, and one bar (costing about £5) last about 4 or 5 months. The only thing you need to get used to is that they don't foam up in your hair like other shampoo but this means they wash out much easier and don't leave residue in your hair so it doesn't need washing as often. I love them and can't rave about them enough.
I also finished A Secret Garden yesterday. It was beautiful and had such a nice ending. I've now started the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and have already read the first story and I'm half way through the second. Although I always loved Jeremy Bretts' portrayal of Sherlock Holmes back in the 80s its only now, reading the book, that I realise just how spot on it was. The expressions and expressions are exactly as he played them.
I've also finally got round to sewing the Winter Pansy seeds. I've started them off on the window sill and I'm hoping they get warm enough to germinate. I might move them to a warmer spot if it doesn't look like much is going on. Unfortunately my Cyclamin isn't looking too healthy. I've only had it a few months and was warned that, as indoor plants go, they are pretty fussy. I don't know what they're lacking in but I've moved it to a window sill it was looking a bit stringy and yellow in places.

Vote Peter Murphy for Prime Minister!

I was my birthday at the weekend and I had an amazing day. We went out during the day to a Craft Fair in Alexandra Palace which I had won free tickets for. I bought a few bits and bobs, mainly jewellery making stuff so I can make more stuff to sell on my Dewanda shop plus some cool wool and got a free sewing magazine :)
In the evening I had the most amazing time as I went to see Peter Murphy at IndigO2 in London. He was absolutely amazing. I can't believe I have liked him and Bauhaus about 20 years and never seen him live. I've seen tons of bands play live over the years but without doubt he wiped the floor with the lot of them. I got on the front row which was a good start and he played for about 2 hours. He was one of the most entertaining performers I have ever seen and he was so engaging and talked constantly to the audience and really seemed to be playing for us. He answered questions, talked about his songs, played my favourite \o/ did some Bauhaus stuff, some covers (brilliant cover of Space Oddity) and was very witty.

Charity Shopping

I had a nice day out today strolling round some of the local charity shops. I picked up a really nice jumper from Oxfam for £4.99. Its has purple and light blue stripes - very nice and I'm wearing now. I also got a mini sewing kit for 15p which had a needle threader which is what I was after as I broke the last one and probably the one before that too.
I also found a knitting shop which I didn't know was there :). I got myself a crochet book as I'm considering trying to follow a pattern. The one I got has some clothes in but some really simple projects too like a couple of scarfs and about 3 bags so I might give one of those a go when I finish my scarf.
I also finally got round to parcelling up my dinosaur swap for Ashley. I was holding back for a little bit to see if I heard from her. No joy as yet but she's apparently just become a mum again for the 3rd time so I don't mind taking a bit of a risk. I'll send it out Monday and hopefully she'll receive it and it might remind her of CO&K.
I've had some money for my birthday so I've been spending a bit of that on new bits for my DS. I bought the Lego Indiana Jones game and the 100 Classic Books. I'm currently reading The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgeson Burnett. Even though I've seen the film a few times I'm loving the book. I thought at first that reading a book through the DS would be tricky but it actually works well. I love the fact that you can flip over the page using the touch screen. You also use bookmarks to mark your page. Its very easy to use and actually makes reading a bit easier as there are less words to a page so you feel like your flipping through pages at a pace of knots which is pretty satisfying. Also 100 books for £15 - not bad value. I can't see myself reading Shakespear but you never know.

Win Win Win \o/

I'm pretty chuffed with myself as I have won 2 tickets to a craft event on my birthday \o/. I enter a lot of the free giveaways in some of the crafty magazines and the other week I found out I'd won these tickets. I was a bit sceptical as I couldn't remember entering this giveaway but the tickets turned up the other day and sure enough they are real :). The tickets are for the Knitting & Stitching Show 2009.
Even cooler still.... my ticket for Peter Murphy (who I'm going to see play live on my birthday) turned up yesterday too :) That should be very cool as he's advertised as playing Bauhaus stuff as well as his solo stuff. I can't wait!
I've finished my dinosaur swap bits and bobs but I've been a bit on the slow side getting it sent out. Ashley, who's my partner for this swap has just had her 3rd baby so I should imagine she has her hands pretty full at the moment so probably isn't too worried. I'll get it sent Wednesday. I hope she likes what I've made. I've made dinosaur earrings, a dinosaur keyring (I think its a triceratops), lizard necklace, bookmark and some stickers. I'm sure I made something else too but can't remember. I'll take some piccies before sending and post them later. The earrings and keyring were pretty fiddly to make - threading a jump ring through the tiny holes I'd made in the dinosaurs were pretty tough.
We've been harvesting more from the plot - some parsnips this time. They're a little small so could probably do with a bit longer in the ground but they look pretty good. We've also been given a beetroot and some kale to try. I've never had either (other than pickled beetroot) so I'm looking forward to trying them :)
I've also started on my crochet scarf from the other ball of multi coloured wool. The colours are more autumnal so it won't be as loud as the hat but hopefully it will turn out well. At least its easier.

What a lazy blogger!

I've been pretty terrible for keeping up the blog this month :/ Consider my wrists well and truly slapped :)
What's been going on in Kitkatland recently? Well I went to my sisters wedding a couple of weeks ago. This went really well and was a lovely day. Although I don't do churches as a rule the service was lovely and I felt extremely proud watching my niece and nephew as best man and bridesmaid.
I finally finished the zodiac swap I've been part off and sent of all the bits I'd made to Creativemind. I hope she likes them. I've been really struggling recently to be creative so I'm planning a break from the swaps for a bit after this next one. That ones dinosaur themed and proving equally tricky to feel inspired. I think I need to go back to playing around with things and making some more jewellery for my dwanda shop for a bit till my mojo returns. I might make a start on the crochet scarf I've been planning.
I've been shopping the for the allotment. I've bought some more onion sets, some carrot seeds, some winter pansy seeds and some broad beans. I'm sure I don't like broad beans but they grow this time of the year and we need to keep up the momentum this year and keep things going all year round. There seems to have been a real increase in interest in allotments lately so there are waiting lists for all of the sites so the council are keeping a very close eye on anyone not using their plot and we don't want any problems with them this year. We got a non cultivation order last year and it wasn't very nice. We had been using the plot and had literally just harvested most of what was growing but we hadn't been able to find anything to put in its place other than bulbs so the plot looked a bit bare for a bit. I think what I've found is that you don't get much veg seeds around in the shops this time of year unless you go to a proper garden centre so this is what I've done. I hope things grow. I love carrots, especially when you've grown them yourself. They're so crisp and sweet :)
I'm currently reading Howard's End now by EM Forster but I've been a bit of slow reader lately. I'd like to say its tiredness but I think its more likely because I have bought myself another game for the DS. Its one of the Worms ones and I love those. I love their little voices when you attack one.
I've been trying to get back into doing yoga again in the evenings and have started with about 30 mins a few evenings a week. I am so inflexible I can't believe it. I swear I creak! I must be over a year since I've done any and I can't believe how much I'd taken it for granted. It never feels like your doing that much when you do it regularly but it really does make a difference. I can't remember the posture name now but theres one where your low to the ground with your arms above your head. I never used to have any difficulties holding the posture or getting into but now its an entirely different matter. Nevermind, I just need to get back into the routine.

If I can't keep a cat in my flat I'll keep one on my blog :)

I am now the proud owner of a virtual cat, a long haired silver tabby which I've named Sparticus. If anyone is reading this feel free to say hi, play with him and feed him :) Its a bit of silliness but its a close as I can get to having a cat where I live. I live right on a main road which doesn't seem to be compatible with cats and I don't want one which we keep indoors all the time as that seems uncatlike.
I also finally finished my crochet hat \o/. I've uploaded a pic here of my boyfriend modelling it :) It doesn't totally stand up to close inspection but I'm pretty chuffed with it. Especially as its my first proper attempt at crochet and I didn't use a pattern. I just kind of played around with what I'd learnt from youtube until it looked hatlike. Excuse the pun, but I'm well and truly hooked on crochet. It suits me more than knitting as you're not holding onto so many stitches and it feels more portable :) I look forward to creating more in the future.
I've eventually got back into sewing my dress. Thats such a long process though as the straps as incredibly long. I knew that in advance though as thats part of the secret of how infinity dresses work but it takes a long time to hem when your hand stitching. Quite relaxing though.
Also finished 'a spot of bother' by Mark Haddon. That was amazing. Really witty but moving too. The characters were all really likeable too. I'd definitely recommend to anyone. I'm reading 'Little Green Men' now but I can't remember who thats by.

Purple Stripy One Strikes Again \o/

At uni one of my nicknames was the Purple Stripy One. This was largely due to the big, purple, stripy jumper I used to wear most of the time. I was also a fan of stripy tights and had a couple of purple ones and they got worn a fair bit too. That however was some time ago. Purple stripiness has now reentered my life in the form of a new, mum-knitted, purple stripy hat :) Its very cool and will come in very handy for when the weather gets properly cold.
My multi-coloured, crochet hat is also coming on pretty well. I really need to get on and finish this, especially as it is so close now.
I've been working on a new swap the last few days. This time a zodiac themed swap where I'm crafting for a Capricorn again. I've got some ideas on the go and a nice piece of turquoise, which is apparently her birthstone, but its proving a real bugger to work into anything. This is largley due to its shape. Its kind of flat and wavy so isn't going easily into any necklace/pendant design so I'm thinking of getting some strong glue and making it into a ring. That means finding some ring bases though and I'm not sure there's anywhere nearby that sells those. Hmmmm.......
Off to my sisters wedding next weekend so need to sew the straps on the dress I bought a few months back for the occasion. Its really nice, an ivory colour with green, teal and orangy coloured circles all over it. It had really badly placed straps when I bought it though so I've moved those so it will be halter necked. The weather has been a bit nippy though so I hope I'm going to be warm enough in it :/ If not I do have a back up dress. A black one with bright orange swirly-circly things all over. I wore that to our staff Christmas dinner last year and its really comfortable and nice. I'll have to try the originally planned dress on and see how it feels.
My mobile contract was also up for renewal this month so I have a shiny new phone with cool camera. Its the new Nokia one with 5 mega pixal camera (not sure what that means but its apparently pretty good). I went to the new Butterfly World/Future Gardens place today and saw some amazingly beautiful butterflies so gave my new camera a bit of a test out. If I wasn't at work I could quite easily have stayed there all day watching the butterflies do their thing. They looked absolutely magical and so graceful. I hopefully got a few good pics so they will be posted online as soon as I can work out how to do that :)

Olbas pastels anyone?

I'm a bit on the sickly side at the moment so hence the title. I have however finally sent of Ale's Global Village Swap! \o/ Its been by far the toughest swap I've done. I hit a total brick wall in terms of inspiration. I'm fairly chuffed with the results. The choker and Union Jack Earrings came out quite well, I even wanted to hang onto the choker myself :) I may make another one for me at some point.
Also bought some very sexy shoes to wear with my dress for my sisters wedding next month. I need to try them on the with the dress at some point to check they go, although if they don't I may have to wear them anyway :) They are patent leather with pretty big heels and three straps across the front. I think Carrie in Sex in the City would be impressed!
Crochet hat is also taking form. If I feel okay later I might do a few more rows. I've been a little addicted to a game on my DS so I've been playing with that recently. Its a children's game - Arthur and the Invisibles. Its a lot of fun though :)

In the red \o/

Horray for payday! \o/ For some reason this month has seemed especially long so I'm extremely relieved to have some cash in my account again. Probably going to Craftacular wasn't one of my wisest moves but it was really nice to see what other people are making. There were some really cute things out there, especially the sock monster (which I forgot to take a piccy off). Doh! Also some really nice jewellery. I didn't buy anything though but did find an art and crafts supply shop round the corner so stocked up on some more fimo. I also paid a visit to the Museum of Childhood Experience. That was just down the road from the hall Craftacular was being held in (in Bethnel Green) and was free admission. They had some very cool toys that bought back a lot of good memories, especially the sticklebricks. There were some stuff from childrens films too, including a robot which looked extremely familiar but I can't place my finger on where I know him from :/.
I've been working away on the multi coloured crochet hat too. Thats looking a little odd but hatlike. Its coming out a bit like one with a floppy brim rather than a pull on one, which was what I was originally planning.
I've been good with my wardrobe refashioning though and, although its been hard, I haven't slipped off the wagon yet. I'm a third of the way into my 6 month stint now and I've made a couple of things and bought about 3 things from charity shops. My most recent purchase was a couple of t-shirty tops from a charity shop in Bethnel Green. They were only 50p each and the money goes to a local charity to raise money for building a memorial for those who died in the Bethnel Green Tube Station during an incident during the 2nd World War. Everyone who was working in the shop lost family so I had no problem parting with my £1.
We've been doing more harvesting from the plot - this time onions, sweetcorn, garlic and herbs. The sweetcorn was lovely and we had it for dinner the night we got it so it was so sweet and tasty. The onions are also doing really well too. We haven't bought any for over a month and have just been using our own from the allotment.

Shooting stars, crochet hats and dresses

I got back Sunday from a weekend meteor spotting and camping in Wales. We had a brilliant time and even saw some meteors on the Saturday night. They never fail to fascinate me and after a while watching them becomes almost addictive. We gave ourselves quite a stiff neck leaning back on our camping chairs to watch the sky. It was well worth every second of pain though. They just look so magical :)
We had a bit of an explore on the Saturday and I found an amazing craft shop. It looked tiny on the outside but was like an Aladin's cave inside with bits and pieces of everything you could ever want. My inner magpie was well and truly awakened and I felt quite proud of myself for only coming away with 2 balls of wool. The wool is very cool though, both are multicoloured and great for crocheting with as every stitch comes out a different colour. The first is bright pinks and greens and purples and the other is more autumny colours. I'm having a go at making a hat with the bright wool. I have no idea how its going to come out as I'm not following a pattern but its fun to do.
I've also been doing odd bits and pieces to the dress I've been making. As I'm doing it all by hand its a very long process but in spite of this I'm finding it oddly therapeutic. Its just nice to sit on the sofa with a pile of fabric on your knee while listening to some music and just sewing away. I've put a picture up of it at the moment. I've still got tons to do, mostly hemming but as its an infinity dress theres absolutely tons of hemming. Hopefully it will look cool when its finished. I mostly liked it as its such a simple pattern. I'll have to have a poke around on the internet and find the site I got it from and put up a link. I was very impressed :)
Hopefully I'm off to Craftacular this Saturday. Its a Craft Fair in London. Its my first full on Craft Fair so I'm hoping it will be good. I'm sure I'll give feedback after Saturday :)

DS Love :)

I've been really naughty and bought myself a shiny toy. I bought myself a DS Lite, a girly pink one second hand from Amazon. Its great and I have been really enjoying playing with it. Its going to be great this weekend as I'm off camping again. This time to watch meteors (hopefully if the weather doesn't let us down). I'm bringing my waterproofs just in case.
I finished reading PS I love you. Not bad, not brilliant though but I really enjoyed the lightness of it and I'm pleased it ended the way it did. I'm reading a Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon now and its great. I love his humour and little observations about life.
I'm also suffering a bad case of crafters block again. Why is making stuff relating to England/St Albans so tough?? My brains cells have just fallen asleep. Thankfully I'm nearly done so I just need one or two bits and I can send it. I sent Ale (who's my partner in this swap) a message to let her know the situation but I'll be quite relieved when I'm done. I've also signed up for another two swaps. I think I've developed a swap addiction as I can't seem to help myself. They're good fun though (until you hit a block) and I love making things for other people :) The two new ones I've signed up to are a Dino one and a Zodiac one.
I've been really short on funds this month. I've no idea where it goes but for some reason this month its gone quicker than normal. Its not even the DS's fault as that was bought from savings and the remains of a voucher so it wasn't coming out of my normal bank account. Nevermind nothing to expensive coming up and thankfully I do have savings if the worse comes to the worse I can dip into that. I'm quite pleased I paid attention to Alvin Hall all those years ago when he was on telly and do try and save a tenth of my wages. I also put about the same amount into my pension (which he also recommends) and I follow Martins' Money Tips, which are very good.

How much rain!?!?

Been working some more on my pink dress and did a bit of the hemming at the bottom. Its actually coming out quite well which is a surprise. I haven't done any proper sewing for years and I'm not using a sewing machine. Hopefully it will carry on well and I'll have a nice pink dress at the end of this :)
Also got a couple of swaps \o/ My one from Ale in Mexico, that was the Global Village swap which I'm still struggling with my end off and the other was from Miss Dee in Oz and that was the New Age Swap. They both sent really amazing stuff and it was like my birthday having so many things to unwrap :). I also got my order from beads unlimited and that was great. Loads more beads to play with plus some more fimo (sparkly green), some charms and some other bits and bobs for making jewellery. To add to all this fun I also got the DS Lite that I'd ordered second hand today so parcel wise its been an amazing week. I love getting cool things in the post, I don't mind what it is so long as its not a bill or doctors letter or anything boring
The DS looks cool and I've wanted one for ages. Its a girly pink one :) I just need to get myself a game or two but I might pay blockbusters a visit tomorrow and try something out.
I've also been learning how to crochet. I've finally got the hang of it (with a bit of help from a couple of the ladies on CO&K) and have crocheted a few little square for practice and to prove to myself that the first one wasn't fluke! They look really cool. Just like real crochet!!! I'm going to have to hunt now for a pattern, something simple though to start me off.

English Summer Rain

Getting back to work on my pink dress made from a sheet. I've nearly finished the dress made from 2 t-shirts but I don't think that's going to ever see the light of day :( A bit of a FAIL, probably cutting of the sleeves wasn't such a good idea but you live and learn. I haven't given up on it totally yet and it will still make an appearance at bedtime as its a great night dress. Very comfy and a good length for bedtime.
Finished all off my bits and bobs for the latest swap on CO&K. This ones the Recycle swap. So far Ginger is getting:
* Pink Card Holder made from a chewing gum package
* A Necklace made from an old coaster plus some beads from a charity shop
* A Bookmark made from the card used in the packaging for a pair of legwarmers
* Pretty Earrings made from beads bought at a charity shop (the black ones were a real find as they were just loose at the bottom of a basket of odds and ends.
I've also bought a couple of Hello Kitty bits (as she's a fan) and some pirate stickers :)
I've really enjoyed making the stuff for this swap. I'm a bit of a recycler anyway so it wasn't too tricky.
I'm having more trouble with the Global Village Swap, where all my crafted items should relate to where I live. I've done a good bit of searching in both the museums in St Albans and bought some postcards and a little notepad and pencil. I thought they'd supplement whatever I made but that bits been much harder. I'm making some recipe cards for English meals e.g. English Breakfast. I'm also making a coaster (like the Capricorn one) with English items on it.
I might try making a union jack purse or something like this, not sure yet :/
I had a good day yesterday. I went around St Albans museum. In all the time I've lived here I can't believe I've never been. I really enjoyed it, especially the wartime exhibition they have on now. I also found out that Louis Wain, who I love, spent the last 7 years of his life in Napsbury Hospital. I had no idea. Apparently they are having an exhibition of his work September/October time. I will be there. I bought a couple of postcards of the work he did in Napsbury which I shall pin up somewhere.

Making and Doing

Made a couple of new bits for Ginger in the Recycle swap. I'm making a pin cushion ring and have made a skull and crossbones stamp. She's really into pirates so I thought that might be up her street.
I've also made a couple of pairs of earrings to add to my Etsy site to sell. I'll post some piccies of them later.
I've also started trying to crochet. I vaguely remember learning to crochet when I was really small and have remembered how to get started. I've even made myself a few little squares and I'm getting neater :). I have been trying to move onto crocheting a circle but its not going so well. Its coming out more like a little hat for my thumb. I may have to return to the drawing board on that little experiment and have a little look online to see where I'm going wrong.
Also had a potter round town today and got myself a couple of nice stones from the crystal shop. I got some lithium quartz and something else really pretty that I seem to have forgotten the name off. I also got myself another meditation CD which I'm looking forward to trying out later. This one is a Chakra meditation CD. I really like meditating at night, it helps calm my mind and helps me to sleep. Its also really good for improving concentration. I got into it years ago when I was at uni. I visited some mind, body and spirit festival when I was in my 2nd year and got chatting to one of the stall holders and she gave me loads of info on how to get started. This was back in the days when I used to do yoga as well. Thats something I would also like to get back into. Its really good for toning muscles as well as for stress.
I checked the plants on the balcony earlier today and the Labelia is starting to flower \o/. It looks really pretty :) The sunflowers are also just about to flower. It should look really pretty in a few days.

Old to New

Had a productive and crafty evening yesterday making a few things for the recycle swap I am in on CO&K. Made some earrings, a necklace and a bookmark. So far I have used an old coaster, some stray beads that came from charity shops and the card that held new legwarmers on. Lots of recycling :), just need to come up with a few more bits and pieces. Bought a hello kitty mirror and some hello kitty patches to as my swap partner is a hello kitty fan and I only need to use a minimum of 5 recycled items so new is okay so long as there is plenty thats not.
Also been back down the plot today and harvested tons of onions :) They're looking brilliant but were covered in weeds so I did a spot of weeding too. Thought I was being really clever using my kneeling mat and moving myself around the plot. Then I stood up and realised I was totally covered in mud!! Came back home and got straight in the shower and jeans have gone in the wash. The sweetcorn also looked pretty good and so did the parsnips. The lavender has also grown tons too and the bees were going crazy all over it. Last years leeks were also looking pretty as we left those that we didn't eat to flower. The flowers are lovely balls of mauve and light blue flowers. The bees were enjoying those too :).
Got a whole bundle of friendship books in the post a couple of days ago so I've been filling those in today too. A few on them will be going back out in the post tomorrow. They look exceptionally cool. Its amazing to see how people have taken the idea and created something really individual and creative.
Also started reading P.S I love you last week. I fancied something light and its hitting the spot. I'm already half way though it. I've even been reading it the last few nights in the bath.

Swap 3 winging its way to Oz

Finished my 3rd swap on Cut Out & Keep and posted it off today :) It should be with Miss Dee in a week or two. This swap was the New Age swap so I made a selection of bits and pieces, mostly on the theme, although that was harder than I initially thought it would be. I made a bracelet and pendant with rose quartz, a joss stick holder, a Capricorn/Yin Yang coaster, a draw string bag (as she said she didn't have anywhere to keep her tarot cards), some earrings and added some Chinese coins and some stickers from my flickr photos which I had done by Moo earlier in the year. Hopefully it will all reach her in one piece and she will like what I've made. I'm a little worried as its going to Australia and I know they have really strict quarentine rules and will apparently open any packages coming in from out of Australia to check that things comply with the rules and will remove anything that doesn't. This threw me slightly as this includes anything made with plants - she likes herbs and I wanted to make her a lavender bag like I did for Sugar in the first swap but this would have been removed so thought better off it.
Anyway what else have I been up to. Made my first proper post on Wardrobe Refashion (my bat vest) and got good feedback :)
I've totally stalled with the two dresses I'm making. I've got a terrible habit for starting things and then getting distracted before finishing them. Hence there are always several things on the go. Thats where the swaps has been good - it forces me to finish things :)
I need to start making a few more things for my Etsy Shop. The teabag earrings in there look a bit lonely on their own. Hmmm what to make :/
Finally the weather here has been very unsummerlike - mostly grey clouds, rain and wind. As much as I quite like a minimal summer we're not getting down the plot as much as we should. Its been looking a little neglected the last few times we've been down. We've done tons but with all the rain the weeds are having a great time. Friday afternoon (if its dry) will have to be allotment day, even if all we do is empty the compost bin!

This and That

Finally finished A Passage to India this morning. Very good but nothing like A Room with a View, much darker. I'm not sure what to read now so reading a bit of Issac Asimov. Some short stories just to keep by brain occupied. Picked up a couple of books to add to my pending shelf today which I might have a look at. Another one by Mark Haddon (who wrote A Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night time) and another E M Forster, this time Howards End.
Also been working on the current craft swaps. I just need to finish off a couple of things and then I can send off the New Age swap to Australia and come up with a few more bits for the Global Village one. I'm also in a Recycle swap too but hopefully that should be a little easier as its what I do anyway.
I've nearly finished one of the dresses I'm working on. Its made from 2 of my boyfriends old t-shirts. I just need to hem around the sleeves. I've kind of stalled on the bright pink one so I'll get back to that one pretty soon.
Also picked myself up a nice box to store my jewellery making stuff in. It was in some tray before but the tray was baskety and pots of beads kept falling through the gaps, so far from ideal. The new box is brown and fake leather and holds everything together and is much tidier.

Raspberries :)

We have had the most amazing year so far for raspberries. We've had absolutely tons of them. Today we came back with a big bowl full from the plot and I bought back a few Wednesday too. I might have a go at a recipe I found for raspberry muffins. One small hitch though, I don't have a muffin tin :/ I'm wondering if I could make a loaf out of the mix. It looks quite filling as it has oats in it so it might be worth a go.
Did tons of weeding too while we were down there. Found the peas I'd planted a while back. They looked like they hadn't made it but were there after all underneath all the weeds. I have tied them up a bit to the poles as they don't seem to want to climb them by themselves.
I'm also working on a short dress from an old t-shirt. Its one of my bf's old ones that he said I could cut up so I'll have to see how it goes. I figured it might make a good nighty if nothing else. A bit of fun :) I just hope I've made it big enough.
I have made my first post of the wardrobe refashion site. No piccies as yet but if one of my creations comes together I'll get posting pics too.

Shopping at the plot :)

Went down the allotment today with my carrier bag and came back with 4 onions (3 red & 1 white) and some fresh raspberries \o/. Really chuffed. I would have stayed and done a bit of weeding but it started to rain while I was picking raspberries so I thought I'd better head off. Yesterday we had the oddest rain. Really heavy for about a minute and then it stopped, then in about 15 minutes it started again. It was like someone emptying a bucket in the sky!
Also set up my profile today for Wardrobe Refashion. I have started making a dress at the weekend out of the shocking pink flat sheet I bought a couple of months ago from PDSA charity shop. It was only £3 so I figured it would be good for practising on :). At the moment I'm doing all the sewing by hand. I've had a total mental block about threading up the sewing machine and I'm actually quite enjoying just sitting sewing. I had one FAIL moment (well actually two - the same one twice!!) and sewed the two front panels on back to front. I unpicked it and then did exactly the same! Doh!!!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to having a play around with old clothes and seeing what I come up with. It should be fun and save some cash. Every little helps.

Totally Batty

I got my swap goodies in the post yesterday from Kiddo :) I love them, especially the little bat which is very cute. I'm so glad I found Cut Out and Keep and the swaps have been really good fun and I have met some cool people online from all over the world.
I'll post my swap stuff to Kiddo Monday. I've got everything done, I just need to get myself a decent sized jiffy bag and get to the post office.
I hope she likes my stuff as much.
I've decided its time again to have a bit of a clear out of clutter. I also need to find a better way to organise my craft stuff, especially my jewellery making bits and pieces :/. It seems to have expanded over the last couple of months and be getting everywhere!
I also want to investigate the sewing machine this weekend. I've totally forgotten how to thread it so when I try it just snags and breaks. Maybe if I look online I'll find something. If not get my bf to have a look. He's very practical and seems to have no problems using it when he needs it.
Still really hot and muggy. Its cooled a little bit today so I'm hoping for a bit of rain. We had an amazing thunder storm last weekend which ended up with us having no power for 15 hours. Apart from the food shopping turning up (which had loads of fridge and freezer bits) it was quite cool. Thankfully everything survived okay. It was just a pain having a cold shower. I didn't realise our heating is partly electric.

Busy busy busy.....

• 

I've been busy crafting again for another swap. This ones one for newbies and veterans, me being a newbie :). I'm swapping with Kiddo in the US and I've finally finished all the bits I was making. I'm also working on 2 other swaps, one new age themed one and a 'global village' swap where you make your partner items relating to where you live and they do the same. I've got some ideas so far but this is going to take a bit of thinking.
I've also been baking again :) Scones and rolls. I figured it saves us a bit of money on lunches and they're pretty tasty. I still need to perfect my tweaking of the scone recipe. Its from a cookbook I bought years ago but the recipe has far too much liquid so I've been adjusting the flour and milk the last couple of times. Almost there.
Its also been roasting here. Not my kind of weather at all but all good for the vegis I suppose so mustn't moan too much. Also without summer you wouldn't get butterflies.

Rain dancing

Its been really hot and muggy the last few days and I'm feeling all sticky and horrible :(. A thunderstorm has been forecast tonight and we should get some rain tomorrow and Sunday :) Hopefully that will clear the air a bit and give the vegis a bit of a drink too.
Crafting again for 3 swaps I'm involved in. One New Age one, One Newbie/Vetran swap and one Global Village swap. I'd been running a bit low on inspiration for a while so I'm glad my crafty brain cells have kicked into life.
I should start the wardrobe refashion next week so no more clothes buying for 6 months. If I fall of the wagon I have to apply for parole! I'm not quite sure how this works but I'm going to try and stick to the pledge.
Picked up some cool wool the other day from Oxfam. A big bag of mohair wool in pinks, dark green and dark purple. I'm not quite sure what I'll use them for but it was £1.99 for the whole bag. Bargain! Also picked up some pretty beads today too. Nice glass ones in mauve and purple. They were £2 a bag :)

Summer Solstice

Came back yesterday evening after a brief camping trip so we could see sunrise on the Solstice at Stone Henge. We got there about 2.30am and the place was rammed! We tried to get closer to the stones but we had no chance. As it got closer to sunrise though we found a good spot and settled back to watch the planet do its thing. A lot of people seemed to go around 4ish (mostly the drunken teens) so it got a lot more chilled. Sunrise was a bit cloudy but exceptionally cool. Its not often you stop and just look around you and really think about how amazing our planet is. As we were watching the sun come up I couldn't help but think 'we are watching our planet turning'. The mix of people there was just amazing. So diverse, every nationality, age, faith, you name it.
Around 5ish we were able to move closer and got to walk among the stones. This was the most amazing thing. You don't fully comprehend from pictures just how enormous the stones are. They're massive!! And for the first time in years you could get up close and touch them. It was like putting you through the looking glass and touching another time. Absolutely magical. A few druids amongst the stones which I was pleased about. It sort of feels like their day so I didn't like to think that they were pushed out by the 'festival goers' in the crowd.
A truly amazing experience and I will be posting pictures on flickr shortly so they'll be up to see soon.

Wordrobe Refashion

Signed up a couple of days ago to a 6 month pledge of the wardrobe refashion challenge. The idea is that you don't buy any new clothes for that period of time and all new clothes are made from existing clothes or second hand. The only exemptions are underwear and uniform (if you wear one for work). I was going to sign up for just a month then I though sod it. I buy most of my clothes second hand anyway and I want to get back to making some stuff myself so I thought I'd do 6 months. One of the other conditions (which will probably be harder) is that your meant to post something on the website every week. Hmmm. I can but try :)
What else?..... I've been back making rolls again. They're just rising at the moment and will put some in the oven in a bit. I also made some fruit scones which are yummy :)

Onions and Leeks

Had a very productive and cheap day today. Got up early and went down to our local Watercress Gardens, had a bit of a chill at home 11.30 - 2.30 and then went down the plot for 3.5 hours work. I did absolutely tons of weeding. I think the Parsnips will be happier as a result. Got rid off any competition for water! :) Also pruned the stinging nettles a bit. We've got a patch at the end of the plot which we're leaving for the Peacock Butterflies. There are tons of caterpillars nomming away. We've got a feeling that our 'crop' of Stinging Nettles isn't quite what our neighbours would like us to grow but such as life. I'm sure I read something a while back that was encouraging people to keep some Stinging Nettles, if they had them growing, for the Butterflies. Another month or two and they'll have done their thing so we can cut it back.
I'm now worn out and quite achy but its been a nice day. We also got our first proper veg crop - some leeks and a couple of big onions. Ate those tonight it our own adaptation of Bubble & Squeak :) Very tasty :P.

Hot and sticky

Another baking hot day today! Had a bit of a potter round town and picked up a few bits of the bits I needed to make flapjacks. Then did a bit of baking :) The flapjacks have come out really well and are really tasty. I'll post a pic at some point if I remember.
The person in the US who I was doing the craft swap with has got her bits and pieces that I made her and really loves them. I'm so chuffed. She took a picture of the bits I made her so I took a copy to post here. I hope you don't mind Sugar :)I forgot to photograph all the bits before posting them. I only thought of it after I'd come back from the post office. Doh! I really enjoyed making them and it was nice making for someone else. I'm joining another couple of swaps soon. One with newbies and vetrans and one 'new age' themed one.

Should hopefully be heading down the allotment in a bit. We haven't been down for a couple of weeks and the compost bin is totally choc-a-block and needs emptying!

Fruity Flapjack

Ingredients

• 8oz Margarine
• 2oz Sugar/Splender
• 2 Tbsp Runny Honey
• 1lb Porridge Oats
• 3oz dried fruit
• 1 banana mashed up

• Preheat Oven to 180c and line a low baking tray with greaseproof paper
• Melt marg with sugar/splender and runny honey
• Mix oats, dried fruit together in large bowl
• Stir in melted marg,honey & sugar and banana
• Pour into baking tray and squash down into all the corners. Cook for 30 mins
• Take out and cool for 5 mins then cut into pieces
• Leave to cool completely and then eat :)
  

Crafters Block

I seem to have it a bit of a creative block the last few days :/. After rushing around making all the bits for the swap I'm in I've somehow mislaid my crafting mojo. I've been having a look around at other blogs to getting my brain working so just starting to get a few seeds of ideas. Watch this space :)
On the plus side, I got my Goody Bag from the swap I've been involved in \o/. I was so chuffed today when it arrived. Loads of stuff including a really beautiful ring and some lovely earrings. All very me :) The bag was also exceptionally cute and had a big bat on it ^^. It looks a good size for taking on holiday with my toiletries in. I like to have a cool bag to take to the shower block :). I hope she likes all the bits I made for her.

Omnomnomnom

Just polished of a bowl of ice cream with yummy, alcoholic, raspberry jam :P. Also baked another batch of date and walnut rolls :). Its been a bit of a foody few hours.
Also, finally finished the crafty bits I have been making for the swap. Its all parcelled up now so off to the post office tomorrow. I hope she likes what I've made. I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that she does.
Treated myself to a sewing magazine today so I'm thinking of having a go at making myself a top from scratch. There's a nice pattern in the magazine and I've got quite a bit of fabric so maybe at the weekend I'll give it a go. Also picked up a cheap book on jewellery making from Oxfam bookshop too and a crochet hook. I need to find myself a good tutorial online though as I've totally forgotten how you get started with crochet! :/ I've stalled a bit on the scarf I was knitting. I think its probably because the weathers warmed up. Its not really scarf weather now.
Also got myself a very cheap doily to try out a t-shirt idea from CO&K. You use the doily as a stencil and spray a light mist of bleach over it and it should leave a really cool pattern behind. I think I'd better put on something I don't mind bleaching and be careful about where I try this out. I don't want to accidently bleach the carpet and everything else.

Goodbye Telly!

We finally said fair well to the enormous TV thats been doing nothing for the last six months. Also got rid of the Freeview box too. Recycled it via Freecycle so someone came round today to take it off our hands. Its quite exciting as we now have a play around with the room and move some furniture around :) I'll post some piccies when we've come up with something we're happy with.
On that note, we can also cancel our TV license too now which we've worked out will save us about £100 a year :).
Also considering getting rid of the insurance on my mobile phone too. It's only £5 or £6 a month but I've had a look through the policy and its very tight and unfortunately doesn't cover stupidy and clumsiness, which are the most likely ways I'm going to come a cropper.
Hit a bit of a creative block today. I think its because I've got several little projects on the go which need finishing. Hmm I'll have to get down to some work later on today.

Hot and Steamy

Baking hot day today so slapped on loads of factor 40 and went with bf to a Steam Fair. As there was a nice breeze we decided to walk it. Its about a 40 minute walk but nice as we stopped off a a couple of the good charity shops on route and got an ice lolly at the newsagents :) Worn to a frazzle now but it was a really nice day.
Also picked up some cool beads from a couple of the charity shops. Some nice black and white, wooden ones and some pinky, purpley ones that look like glass but I suspect they're probably plastic. They catch the light really well and together they only cost me about a pound so will turn them into something at some point.
Wearing teabag earrings today which I made a few days ago. I really like them and have even listed a pair on Etsy :). I wonder if they'll sell.
Nearly finished goody bag for the swap I'm doing with someone in the US. Its my first swap and its through Cut out and Keep, which I have a link with my inspiration sites :). I hope she likes the bits I've made. I'll post a pic when everything's done. I'm planning on posting it this Wednesday.

Katnip

Been making some more date and walnut rolls :P. I've already nommed a couple with cheese for my dinner. Yummy :)
Also repotted the Catnip yesterday as its getting quite big. Its almost ready to be planted out down the allotment. We're going to have to get on a clear a space for it. The plan is that we'll have it growing at the end of the plot with some lavender. We tend to sit at the end as it gets the light. Hopefully allotment cat will like my plans :)
The Sweet Peas and Labelia are also growing well. They can go out on the balcony soon. I just need to wait for the Labelia to grow a bit more. We're already got Passionflower and Sunflowers out there so hopefully we'll have loads of colour in a month or two.

Zombies

A bit warm and muggy today so I've been doing a bit of sitting around and chilling. I had a little walk out to pick up a few bits for jewellery making. I'm doing a swap with someone in the US and she likes zombies so I've found some really cool beads which look like skulls and although they're plastic they look like bone. I've made some earrings, a bracelet and a necklace using them. I hope to stick up a pic of two later on.
Also finished my batgirl vest. A bit home-made looking but I like it and it has been just the thing for the muggy weather. I have been wearing it with pride all day. \o/
Thinking of having a go at making my own beads using paper and plastic bags fused together with an iron. I saw a how-to on CO+K a while back that inspired me so I may give this a go later.
Also set myself up an Etsy shop as I'm thinking about having a go selling some stuff. I need to keep practising and trying out new things but thought it maybe a good way to make a little extra cash, nothing ventured ......
Also updated my blog and personalised it a bit more. It looks a bit more me-ish now :)

Batgirl

Discovered that I have a local Bat Society so I'm going to email them tomorrow to find out if they still do a bat information and bat walk once a year. If their programme is anything like last year, it will be next month. :) Cool. In celebration I have modified one of my old tops into a vest top with a bat hanging from a branch on the front with 'bat girl' underneath. I need to finish hemming under one of the arms and iron it. I will have to post a piccy tomorrow.

Recipe for Date & Walnut Rolls

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of Strong, Wholemeal Flour
3 tbsp of Olive oil
1 tsp Salt
7g of Powdered Yeast
400ml of warm water
2oz Dates roughly chopped
2oz Walnuts roughly chopped

Method

• Mix together all dry ingredients
• Add Olive oil
• Add Water
• Add dates and walnuts
  
• Mix with hands into dough and turn out onto floured surface and knead for 20 minutes.
• Cover over with clean tea towel for 1 1/2 hours until dough has doubled in size.
• Knead again for 2 minutes.
• Shape ping pong ball sized balls and put on greased baking tray. Mix should make between 20 and 30.
• Bake in oven at 200oC for 20 minutes or until browned.
• Leave to cool.
• Eat :P.
  

More bread, less dough

I had a great day today. :) After going for a little wander around town and the market, I came home and made my first ever bread rolls. They were wholemeal and date and walnut flavoured. The recipe was my own adaptation of a recipe I had for raisin and hazelnut rolls but I just changed the fruit and nuts and used just wholemeal as opposed to a mix of wholemeal and plain flour.
We ate some tonight with cheese down the plot and they were yummy. A definite success \o/ and loads left.
The allotment was lovely this evening. So sunny and not too warm. Planted out the peas and gave everything a good water. I also had a little lay while my bf made the frame for the peas and watered. I was lovely just listening to the bees and the birds doing their thing.
I think after a productive day I have earned a nice long soak in the bath. Unfortunately baths are a bit of a vice of mine. As much as showers save energy and water, its not the same when you feel really achy and tense. You also can't put essential oils in the shower (well, not in the same way as a bath) and have just a few candles or a good book. I do try to limit myself though to one or two a week and have showers the rest of the time.

Zzzzz

One of my creations to the left. Its a necklace I made a couple of weeks ago from an old curtain ring. I like it :) Just hoping the cord doesn't dye my neck black when I wear it :/.
Still working on the bag I'm making. I've done all the basic stitching on it, I just need to finish decorating it. I'll post a pic when I'm done.
I have also had a sort out of my clothes yesterday. I try and do this about every 6 months. I've weeded out about 2 carrier bags full. It was mostly stuff that I hadn't worn for ages or were bad buys that I felt obliged to hang onto. I just need to go through the collection now and work out which will go to the charity shops and which I want to hang onto for the fabric/for reworking. I have found that dead socks make great dusters as you can put your hands in them and get into all the fiddly places :)

Wet Sundays

Just come back from a little potter round town. Picked up a couple of craft books from the library so I may have a little play around with potato printing later in the week. It looks far more effective than I imagined.
Also I've been doing some more work on the bag I've been making. Its going to have a fairy painted on the front and is coming along okay. Also finished the picture frame I was making.
Need to use up a few of the bits in our reuse box. We have 4 recycle boxes, one for glass, one for plastics and one for paper and one for reusing. This one seems to be filling up so I need to think what I could reuse the bits in there for. I am going to make myself a small light box for photographing some of the smaller bits I make, like the jewellery. I'm also planning on making a holder for our carrier bags.

Busy, busy, busy

After six months of not watching telly we have finally decided to take the plunge and get rid of it and cancel the TV licence! We're just trying to have a think about what to put in the big space it will leave. Hmmm....
Spent a bit too much money this week :/. Thankfully payday in just over a week. I've been trying recycle as much as possible, support our local markets and small shops and buy things that have the minimum amount of packaging. Unfortunately I've been a little too supportive of late, oops! Next week will have to be a cheap week.
The Sweet Peas I planted last week are already starting to come up \o/. Also one of our Amarilis's is flowering which is really pretty. Also the Aloe Vera has grown tons this year. It probably needs repotting so will try and remember to do that tomorrow.

Bead, Beads, Beads

Been sorting out my beads into colours and its become an enormous job. It seemed so simple initially but then I realised I've not only got beads in every colour of the rainbow, but I've got brown, wooden beads, metal beads, clear ones, you name it. Having a break for now so I can get the feeling back in my legs again.
Uploaded a few more photos yesterday. Feel like I'm getting the hang of what makes a good picture now :) I especially liked the photos of buttercups. I love wild flowers and buttercups are lovely. I did devote a whole patch on the allotment to flowers but that hasn't gone so well :/. We had some crocuses come up earlier in the year but since then there hasn't been much going on. I planted tons of bulbs on that patch so there should be something happening. We also planted some wild flower seeds but not seen any sign of them yet. Hopefully they're just taking their time.
Really addicted to Chai Lattes at the moment. I've found a really nice powder mix at Sainsburys but I keep forgetting where it is in the store. You'd expect it to be with the teas but its not, its by the hot chocolate drinks and Horlicks.

Tales of the City

Finally finished reading "Persuasion" by Jane Austin last night so am now onto something new. Brought "Tales of the City" from the library for 10p a couple of weeks ago so that's what I'm reading now. I'm already a few chapters in and really enjoying it :) I like reading a mix of different stuff. I've got another Sean Stewart queued up for when I finish this. I love his stuff but they seem to be really hard to get hold of in the UK. I've been ordering them second hand from Amazon in the US. I've also got A Passage to India on the pending shelf too so lots of reading to do.
In other news, the peas are starting to come up. I've got them growing on the bathroom window sill. The Catnip is also growing well and almost ready to pot up. The plan is to plant a few down the plot for Allotment Cat and then pass the rest out to friend's cats. :)

Chairman of the Bored :/

I appear to have run out of potter :/ I have checked all my favourite sites, had food and started making a picture frame. May do a bit of planting. Picked up some Labelia and Sweet Pea seeds yesterday to grow on the balcony. I figure one could climb up the railings and one could trail :) Already got some sunflowers out there and some passionflower seedlings doing their thing so some company might be good for them.
Popped down the plot after W just to sit and enjoy the sun. Loads of growing going on. Also watched 3 Magpies fight over the peanuts my bf had sprinkled by the shed. It was very odd. Initially there was only one nomming the nuts and then a bit later 2 more joined him. He was not impressed and let the other 2 know about it. And rightly so :)

Busily doing nothing.....

An enjoyable day of pottering gently, spodding, gardening and making :)
Created this Blog, my first ever! Had a potter round town and bought myself a new sketch pad, with the novel selling point that the front and back cover are made from canvas so you can paint your own front and back cover. Cool :) Also picked up some more beads. I have millions already so will need to start my bead diet tomorrow.
Popped down the allotment for an hour. Did a bit of weeding so we can now see our onions. Also discovered a couple of Strawberries hidden in amongst the weeds by the raspberries. Also picked some fresh herbs for the freezer.
Also did a bit of crafting while my bf napped. I've been working on a bag for a craft swap and its turning out better than I was expecting :) I may have to make myself one when I finish.
Finishing with a last bit of spoddery and maybe a spot of nethack or drawing. Hmmm. Decisions are not my strong suit :/