The crafting drought is over!

It's true! The Crafty Corner is back in business! For now anyway. Once again, I can't show you everything until it has all been received by the people it is intended for, but I have got a couple of things to share!


I have made two of the three Father's Day cards that we need, and here is the one I have made for my FIL. Not sure why he is called "Dap", and my OH can't remember, he just is! I have struggled with both of the cards I have done so far, it's men! Give me a girl card any day!

Then here is the card I have made for my MIL's birthday. Not my usual style, but I reckon that Alma might like it with all the green! I did manage to sneak in a little bit of brown paper just to make it feel right!


In my last post I was predicting that I would be finishing my cross stitch some time this week. However, that didn't take into account a small disaster - I have run out of the dark blue needed to stitch the last few words :( I have ordered it, so now I am waiting for the postman to deliver it. I'm happy with how the dog and the bone stand out better from the fabric now that I've added some backstitch to outline. Watch this space for the finished item!



Loving this lovely sunny weather!

Carole x

Long time no blog!

Despite not having blogged for a while, I still don't have much to show - this is partly due to the fact that I also haven't done any crafting for a while :( Having the kids around always seems to mean less crafting, but life itself is also getting in the way. It's not lack of inspiration or mojo, I've got ideas literally buzzing around in my head. No. It's time. Or lack of it. I even had to dust my desk in the Crafty Corner this afternoon due to lack of use! Maybe if I'd crafted instead of housework ...

I have managed to do some stitching. This is nearly finished now, on the last line, although I do think that I will go back and outline the dog and also the bone to make them stand out a bit more. Hopefully I will get this finished some time in the next week or so.


I also wanted to show you the scrummy lemon cupcakes that my sister Jo made when she was here last weekend. I cooked dinner and supervised while she did all the hard work. They were every bit as good as the malted cupcakes that we also made together (and I made another batch this afternoon as there was some chocolate icing left over that needed using up!).


I have also managed a little light gardening - haven't gone mad with the bedding plants this year just a few pots and baskets - and this is one of my favourite corners in the garden.


Fantastic news on the kitchen too! The oak windowsill was eventually delivered (but not without much hassle and me having to shout at TNT!) and is now installed, and consequently the tiles around the window are finished too. We are nearly there, just a few last bits and bobs like repainting the door frame round the larder and the skirting board, and a few bits of touching up, then I can take some pics and post for the big "reveal"!!! Can't wait!

Hope you are crafting even if I'm not!

Carole x

Cupcakes Galore!

Hi Friends

Still no new crafting managed, but I have been having a lovely time with my sister Jo! We took a drive into the New Forest yesterday hoping to see some baby animals on the way to the tea rooms for lunch. I'm not sure where they were all hiding as all we saw were some lovely shaggy brown cows and calves when normally you see loads! When we got to the tearooms we were delighted to see a Mummy donkey and her gorgeous baby. After a delicious lunch we weren't disappointed when we saw loads of babies on our way home.


Today after walking the dogs, we headed into Ringwood and had a little mooch around before again being "ladies who lunch"!!! When we arrived home, we just couldn't resist any longer, and just had to try one of the recipes from my new Cupcake book! This was very much a joint effort - I made the cake and Jo made the icing.

Malt Cupckes
OMG!!! I can't tell you how absolutely, and completely delicious these cakes are! This recipe is definitely a keeper! If all the recipes in such a lovely book are all as good it's not good news for my figure!!!

These tags that I made last week seem appropriate for this post - one I made for Gill to save her the calories of a real one (or two!) and the other one just because! I was aiming for a garden tea party feel what with the bunting and cupcakes ...


Happy Bank Holiday!

Carole x

New Baby Card

As I had feared, sadly I haven't managed to do any crafting this week :( It's not looking good until next week either ... but on the up side, my sister is arriving in the morning and I am really looking forward to spending some time with her. Not sure what we will be getting up to, although I have some ideas, we'll have to see how we feel.

I made this card a while ago, but as I know that it has been safely received, I can now show you! I made it for Tracy, a forum buddy who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Daisy-Ann.


I was delighted to receive some lovely post this morning - Gill made me this gorgeous tag! I love it Gill and you're right, "Hank" and "Marvin" really do appeal to me! Thanks!!!


Unfortunately, I haven't even managed to do much stitching ... but here it is up to date anyway!


Hope you are all managing to be more "crafty" than me!

Carole x

Why I love living here

Last week, while walking to the forest with the dogs, I saw one of my elderly neighbours in his front garden planting out his bedding plants. George is such a lovely old man, his garden is immaculate, and he is always so cheerful despite failing health. He insisted that I was to call back on my way home from the forest as he had "a little something" for me. When I returned, he had sorted me out three healthy little tomato plants, one marrow and a sunflower! Last year I had tried a couple of tomato plants but didn't get many tomatoes so had thought I wouldn't bother again this year! Never mind, I have tended to them and had sorted out big pots for them to go into and had sussed out which part of the garden gets the sunshine for the longest.

Today, while doing my food shopping I met some of my other neighbours, Ralph & Hillary, and whilst chatting I mentioned how lovely their poppies are in their front garden (my favourite!) When I was unpacking my shopping there was a knock at my door, and there was Hillary with a baby poppy plant that she had dug up for me and a bag of rhubarb (OH's favourite crumble filling!)

Then, later on this afternoon, yet another neighbour, Sue, knocked with another couple of tomato plants for me!!! So, I thought that I had better plant them out to give them the best start I can. As I had found the sunniest spot in the garden, I got very hot and bothered lugging heavy bags of compost and filling seven large pots, but they are now all in and watered, and will hopefully provide more tomatoes than last years did!


What lovely neighbours, and friends I've got around here! We have found everyone to be really welcoming and friendly in our village, none of that newcomer business after years and years (we've been here six years in July). We've also got amazing walks in the forest on our doorstep, the beach just 20 minutes down the road, the New Forest 10 minutes away - I just love it!

OH and I had a very tiring weekend, inside all weekend working on our kitchen instead of enjoying all that glorious weather! I must say, that it is all looking really lovely, we are definitely on the homeward straight now, the oak windowsill is the one thing that is holding us up now! I was really aching from sitting on the cold tiled floor painting the cupboard doors and drawer fronts - three coats in all! All worth it though - will take pics for the "reveal" when it's finally complete!!!

We did however, manage to eat all our meals outside this weekend (and even breakfast this morning!) My clematis is just an absolute mass of colour at the moment, really beautiful, especially against the red of my Acers. Lovely!


No visits to the Crafty Corner, obviously, but I have been stitching! It's coming along nicely, over half done now! It's a lovely quick one to stitch, with no great big blocks of solid stitching.


Carole x

Happy Friday

We have made great progress on the kitchen today! Well, I say we, the carpenter had just arrived when I got back from walking the dogs this morning, and he brought with him our old cabinet doors remodelled, and the seven new ones. He has fitted all the doors but not the drawer fronts, and he has made the new cupboard to house all our mugs and to hide our boiler. So, I probably won't be crafting very much over the next few days due to door painting! Then, my sister is coming to stay with me for a few days at the end of next week, so it will be lovely to spend time with her!

I have heard from Alma today that she has received her friendship tag, so now it is safe to show it to you - best I get in quick before Alma pops it on her blog!!!


SusieJ, thank you for your comment on my Mum's new home card - take a look at the door sign I made for Alex based on the card!!! There's the chook ...!


I got on quite well last night with the stitching - OH was out so we had dinner earlier, then Alex and I watched Brothers and Sisters, so a good few hours!


Wish me luck with the painting!

Carole x

New Home

Hi

As predicted, no crafting for me today - tomorrow, I hope will be a different story!

My Mum has now moved into her new home, and I've spoken to her this evening and they have unpacked about 50 boxes already (only about the same again to go ...!) The Postman didn't let me down - he delivered the New Home card that I made for them this morning, so now I can show you! They were delighted with it, and said that it didn't even get squashed (I asked Mum just to refluff the flower, and gently bend the daisies back up, just to be sure!)


I managed to do quite a bit of stitching last night too - if I can tear myself off of the laptop, it's amazing what I can achieve! I must admit that when I was stitching the red object, my immediate thought was why on earth they had chosen a pepper mill as an illustration!!! Then I remembered that as Lizzie Kate is American, it would be a hydrant, just right for tiddling on (if you were a dog that is!!!) Love the "take naps" advice too! If only!


I'm hoping to get more stitching done this evening, OH is out on a work thing, so Tinks and I might snuggle up and watch Brothers and Sisters live instead of recording it and catching it some other time - we absolutely love Brothers and Sisters - the best TV programme on at the moment (in our humble opinions!)

Carole x