A Thank You, a Cake and a Cushion

First of all I must say thank you to Kate from Emily Pickle Material Addict for the gorgeous T shirt she sent me for Grace, last week Kate had blogged about some t shirts she had done for sale in her Folksy Store one had a small hole (and it is tiny!!!) and kate was not happy about selling it, but offered it to anyone who wanted it on her blog, si I put my hand up and asked, I felt very cheeky, but I am so glad I did, both Grace and I love the T shirt, its just perfect for her.

I think I will be keeping an eye on Kates shop and maybe buying another for her too, thank you again Kate.

Today I am just pottering around the house and garden, I have sown some poppy seeds, 2 packs, both free from magazines, ironed some HAMA beads for the kids, made a banana cake from a recipe from my lovely friend Becca, I have made it loads of times and its lovely. If anyone wants the recipe let me know in the comments and I will put it on the blog at some point, I add walnuts to my version, I think it helps make it a bit firmer.

I have also made something for William that I have wanted to do for ages, but just never got round to, he has badgered me for days to get it done so today I did, a Union Flag cushion cover for his room, it goes lovely with the paper chain and HAMA bead flag he also has in there, its becoming a theme in his room I think.

Just looking at the pics, I may cut a star from some blue fabric and put it in the centre of the cushion, it might look a bit more finished than as I feel maybe it isn't.

Oh well, the hoover is calling me, I really need to get vacuumed upstairs today so I supose I had better get on with it.

Thanks for visiting

Trish xxx

Sewing again

I have started to feel a little more crafty recently (hoooraaahhhh) this morning I have made a patchwork cushion cover using This tutorial as also seen on Lace Hearts and I love it I will admit to buying some red fabrics to boost up my limited supply of reds to make this, but I am sure they will come in handy for other things too.

It looks very pretty on my sofa. I also stitched some fabric samples onto a plain canvas shopping bag, it has been sitting (pinned) in a drawer for months and I found it this morning while sorting out the fabric for the cushion cover, so thats another UFO finished.

I am so happy to be making stuff again, finishing off the greenhouse and digging our new veg patch may have had something to do with my need to be creative too.

I keep forgetting to update on how I am doing with the grocery challenge, well January we came in under budget by about £38, but this month we may be slightly over our £310 budget as we have already spent £261 and have a week to go, but we will see.

Trish xxx

Cub Scout

William started cubs just before Christmas and was invested a couple of weeks ago and we all went to see it, I was so proud of him, he stood tall and spoke his promise loud and clear. Sorry about the blurriness in the last pic.

Well, today its blowing a hooley out there so I think it may jusy have to be a pyjama day, I really don't feel like going out in that. I may try my hand at one of the patchwork cushions that Lace Hearts has made, the original tutorial is here, it looks fairly easy and fun to do and as I have an entire drawer full of scraps of pretty fabric I should be able to make at least one if not more.

In November I started to do the Grocery Shopping Challenge on the Shabby Chic forum and was pleased that I came in £10 under my budget of £350 for the month, December fell by the wayside somewhat, but this month I have done it again and looks like I am back on track and at least £20 under my new budget of £340 as I have been making more 'freezer' foods and stretching food out more by adding more veg and not buying so many ready foods like pizzas. Fingers crossed I can keep it up, its amazing when you start writing down all your receipt totals to see how much you have actually spent (eye opening too).

Right, thats it for today

Trish xxx

I have been playing......

.....with paper and fabric this week, I have made 14 fabric, lavender stuffed hearts for a sale I am doing tonight at brownies and one I am doing in Winchester next weekend with my sister along with dishcloths and jewllery bookmarks.


I hope I can sell them all, mind you they do smell lovely so if they don't sell I am sure I can find a home for them somewhaere in the house.

I have also been playing with paper, lace, ribbon, sparkly bits and glue decorating a couple of bottles that have been lying around waiting for something to be done to them, they had candle sand in them originally and I didn't want to just throw them away and last night I just got loads of bits and bobs out and played.

The printed image is from The graphics fairy she has a new downloadable image every day. I don't think it is quite finished yet, but am not sure what it needs, but i know it needs something. Now I need to decide what to fill the bottle with, if anything.

Thank you for stopping by.

Trish xxx

Sneaky Peek and Another Award

I thought I would give a sneaky peak of whats on my post tomorrow on It's a Creative World

You will see more of it and a quickie tutorial tomorrow and its all thanks to Elaine of Bloomin' Myrtle.

I want to thank Caroline of Lace Hearts for this award, thank you hunny. Its a friendship award and I am so pleased (and blessed) to have her as a friend. I will need to think about the others as most of the blogs I would have chosen have already been chosen.

See you soon, thanks for visiting

Trish xxx

Painted Shelves

At last these shelves are finished and I love them, they are in my dining room above my computer, with 2 of my tea sets on, the top one is what I got from a car boot a couple of weeks ago for £2 (bargain) and the doily was 25p the other day from a local hospice charity shop.

We are hopefully going to finish the chest of drawers tomorrow, a few bits need gluing back on!!! I am happy with it though and it is the perfect size for putting the towels in, in the bathroom.

Recently on the Shabby Chic forum someone asked if anyone knew how to make stuffed boots, well yesterday I had a play and made one for me and one for Gracie for her bedroom, which she loves, I am really pleased with them and may make a few more for gifts for Christmas (yes I know its only June)

Anyway, thats enough from me for today

Trish xxx

More Painting!!!

I seem to have found a love for painting bits of furniture, I bought these shelves on saturday, they had been sanded, so i just gave them a wash and got started with the paintbrush, now like the muppet I sometimes am, I forgot to take pics before and before I put it on the wall, so this was the best I could do I'm afraid, as I have to get at an angle to take it :)

On the top is the angel I made using the pattern from Tona Finnangers Sew Pretty Homestyle
the middle shelf has an expresso set from AVON on it, on the bottom shelf is a piggybank that I have had for about 20 years and it was quite old when I bought it and my lovely new trio I bought from a charity shop this morning for £1.99.
Trish xxx

Productive Day

Hello, i have been quite productive today, made these 2 hearts, I think I might sell them at my next jewellery party, need to get a few more done too. We also popped to B&Q today too, I got some lovely vintage white paint and 6 lavendar bushes, the paint is for the bathroom cabinets that I am going to shabby up, they are both that horrible orangy pine (yuk) I have taken before pics, but you can wait til they are done till you see them and the after pics. The lavender plants are to go alongside the path at the house end of the garden, they are quite small at the mo but by the time they are fully grown we will have a full hedge along there.Oh well back to work and school tomorrow, I will be out all morning delivering avon also in the evening too, Martin is off though so I might get him started on the cabinets.

Take care all

Trish xxx

Another day

Morning, I have been such a lazy bint this morning, I have only been up an hour, shocking!!! Luckily I put my project on the IACW blog last night just after midnight, so at least that was done. I have done a craft mini pinny this time, a good way to recycle those old jeans that are pooped!!!

Pop over and have a look at the other pics too.

Well, just having a lazy day today, tomorrow we are off to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester with the kids, so hopefully will get some good pics while we are there.

Time Flies

Goodness me, its ages since I have posted, well had a lovely time with my dad, although he was a bit poorly while he was here, I think it was the change in water and stuff and the weather was pants too, got a lovely pic of him and Grace together.

It was my turn on the Creative World blog on Saturday, I made a tooth fairy wall hanging using an Idea from Somerset Studio magazine, I also made a similar one for my friend http://jo-again.blogspot.com/ when she had her daughter Jessica in April.