Bathing beauties.....or a gift idea!

Many, many weeks ago I posted a giveaway on my other blog to celebrate: my 40th birthday, my 3 year blogiversary, and my 400th post. Well this week I finally sent out the mystery gift. How lax am I? I can't excuse why it took so long. It wasn't a difficult make. I didn't need to specifically buy anything. I didn't need to think up an idea. I guess I was just too forgetful, the bane of my life. My memory isn't so great any way but I'm sure turning 40 has made it even worse ;) Funny how I can remember where I acquired virtually every scrap of yarn in my stash, but I can't remember something as simple as carrying a parcel to the post office!

But hey, it's done, and should certainly be in it's new home now. So you want to see what it was that took so long:

It involved my default craft - knitting:

And a little cross stitch:

A bit of sewing too:

A handknitted bamboo/cotton facecloth, an all-nasties-free handmade (not by me!) lemongrass soap in it's own little knitted bag, a hand rolled beeswax candle, a little cross stitch trimmed lavender sachet:

All packed away in a pretty little cross stitch trimmed drawstring bag:

I hope it's well liked, especially as I have a few more in mind for yuletide gifting! Always on the lookout for more inspiration though, so what do you have planned?

-x-

Sew long.

It's been so long since I last posted, well over a week. And I really don't have much to share. A few rounds of a sock - hmm, you don't really want to see that do you? I have just been so busy and tired lately, hardly any time to craft. Although there has been one special thing I have been working on, a craft I don't pick up too often but one I really enjoy. The past week or so I have been using needle and thread to stitch away on a a little gift for a new baby away across the ocean. A very time consuming gift and something that seemed to take forever to grow. But grow it has and it's almost ready to send away to it's new home. Well it would be..........except that when it was being admired by a certain person who shall remain nameless, it managed to acquire an extra bit of colouring that really has become a nuisance to remove. I won't bother to point out where the mark is, it's very, VERY, noticeable, but if anyone has any idea how to remove a chocolate fingerprint form Aida then please share as soon as you can!

So what do you think? Aside from the huge grotty blemish of course? Eeyore is just such a cute character, so much more huggable than the rest of Pooh's friends don't you think? I hope the parents of the new little one think so too.

I have a few more projects to share but as one is a gift for a mama swap, and the other is not strictly my crafting, I'll save them for another time. You know, I think I'll start to think about Christmas gifts, it's not so long now. The last of the little ones birthdays was today (Cain is now no longer the youngest, now that he is five and the same age once again as his niece Sophie and their shared friends), and with only a couple of big peoples birthdays to go before Christmas I might actually get ahead of myself for a change. Are you ready to start Christmas crafting yet?

Happy crafting everyone.

-x-

Busy, busy, busy.

I have been very busy lately just living life. More HE groups, more cleaning, more carrying around an unseparable baby, more helping grown children with their pressing problems. But I have had a few moments for crafting, although rarely. I have been working away on my season swap. Part one is complete, part two is 75% there. And time allowing I have a part 3 shouting out from the back of my creative mind. But no peeking yet. Only another week to go and then it's in the psot ready for the big reveal on March 20th.
I can show you a little something I have been working on though. A half cross stitch country cottage that has been on my WIP list for many, many months. Well it's all done now and fully framed, hanging on the living room wall. Apologies for the poor photo but it was the only way I could avoid the camera glare. As you can see photography is definitely NOT one of my skills!


I dream of living in a sweet little cottage like this with roses tumbling around the doors but in practicality it's a silly dream. All those spiders in the thatching? Tiny little rooms? And where to fit all the beds, chairs, and belongings of a big family like ours? And never mind all my wools, threads, fabrics and so on.
Oh, I have a confession to make. I cheated. I went to this fantastic shop for some embroidery supplies and couldn't resist a cuddly balls of Rico Pompom, to knit a rug for the bathroom. But only two balls, so I didn't stray too much. And we really need a bath rug..........

And isn't it lovely to throw open the windows at last and welcome in spring? And plan all those new things we can make to brighten up our homes and lift us out of this long winter hibernation.

Happy crafting everyone.
xx