Something a bit different

Do you remember a while back I was going to start making some crochet Granny squares? I did make a start and made quite a few,then whilst looking around blogs and websites over the weekend I came across a Granny Ripple blanket that I sooo wanted to have a go at. Well after locating and prnting out various patterns for said blanket,I was not doing very well as I couldn't get the'zig zag' pattern right. It's all about calculating the right amount of multiples of stitches to get the 'valleys and peaks ' right. Anyway after trying and trying I managed to find a brilliant tutorial on Youtube which was so much easier to follow, so after one evening I'd managed the blue starter rows and last night I was on a roll. Sat there with my crochet hook,laptop and earphones on and I was off ! Think I might have to make another one now to make it big enough to snuggle under on the sofa but at least it's the right shape !

Been Cropping

Yesterday I spent the day at the Craftystash monthly crop.As always there was a really nice kit where we had three layouts to complete all designed by the very talented Tracie Hudson . I like her designs as there is normally quite a lot of cutting and I like that,I find it quite relaxing sitting there snipping! As a child I can remember always loving to cut and snip (sometimes giving dolls a haircut) which didn't please my mum very much ! Anyway I digress. We had a lovely relaxing day and I managed to complete two layouts with one more still to finish. When I got home I was pleasantly surprised as middle son and his girlfriend announced they were going to cook dinner. How nice was that! They managed to make pork and chicken in breadcrumbs and also stuffed a couple of chicken breasts with cheese and ham. I had already bought some Dauphinoise potatoes as requested by young son so they did a few peas and dinner was served! A nice end to a lovely day.

Crafting,Fish and Chips and Sunshine

Well, after wondering if we'd have to cancel our trip down to Pickleberry yesterday because of snow,the weather couldn't have been better. Three of us made the journey down to Faversham to visit Jane's lovely studio and the shop.It was like Aladdin's cave with so many gorgeous little knick knacks and beautiful crafty things everywhere. Every time you went to have another look round you found another quirky little item.We had a great time wandering round the shop,then did a little bit of playing with crafty things in the workshop and soon it was lunchtime. When Jane mentioned we could get fish and chips if we felt like it for lunch and go and eat it down at the beach by the beach huts,we were off! It was weird as the weather had been so cold and snowy the couple of days before we went but today it was sunny and bright-although the wind was a bit nippy down on the beach! We munched our lunch,took a few photos, messed about a bit and then made it back to the Pickleberry in time for another cup of tea and cake. I really enjoyed my day and hopefully will be going back again soon!

A day off

I am so looking forward to tomorrow, not only am I having a day's holiday I am going to be meeting up with my friend Hilary and a new friend I made at the retreat I went to in November.We are off to visit one of the ladies who was teaching at the retreat at her craft studio. What a lovely way to spend the day. Let's hope the M25 is calm tomorrow! I spent yesterday evening messing about with stamps and inks and grungeboard and started on a chipboard mini album. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but I enjoyed messing ! I've still got quite a few 'pages' to complete yet. I started off by covering it with gold perfect pearls and then sponged greeny paint over it.Then I stamped a Wendy Vecchi flower onto grungeboard and layered it up and one of her sentiments too.I also used Tim Holtz's bird stamp.I can't quite decide whether to put photos in it or just stamp and embellish it...and as there is football on again tonight I might just have to disapppear to my craft room again, can you imagine what it's going to be like when the world cup starts in ...er ...quite a few weeks I believe...oh and I made pancakes tonight,not so keen on the lemon and sugar, I prefer syrup and cream ...go straight where they shouldn't on my body but oh they were nice !

Michael Buble and Winter Olympics

I casually mentioned to himself the other night that I really liked the music that is being used for the trailers of the Winter Olympics on TV,I think it's really apt for what it's being used to express (think it's a man ski ing ) Anyway he came home from work this evening and said 'you know that music you like- well they were talking about it on the radio and it's Michael Buble singing Cry me a river'.Well, I was amazed cos he sang that on the X factor and I don't remember being that impressed with it.So off I went to Youtube and I've got to admit,I don't normally go for loads of his music but I REALLY like this track now and have played it umpteen times. I love the way he uses the orchestra and the strings and it all builds up in the background. S0 now I might just go out and get his album. Wonder how many other people have done the same ?

Christmas pages

I took so many photos over Christmas I thought it was time I got down to scrapping some. I've been so out of the habit of crafting lately it was lovely to go and have time to mess about again!Where are these weeks going already? It's midweek again and time for Desperate Housewives, I do love watching that - nice light hearted viewing . Mind you I am quite partial to some of the more serious things like Silent Witness but found that a bit hard to watch last week.These dramas so often veer off the point don't they ?

Anyway I'm waffling so here are the layouts I did tonight.Soon be the weekend :-)

A touch of Spring

Isn't it amazing how just a peep of some daffodils reminds you that spring is just around the corner?I bought a small bunch today to put on the kitchen windowsill and it really adds a touch of spring to the air.
At work the other day we were surprised by the local florist delivering to us a lovely basket as a thank you for our January efforts which was lovely.The basket has been gracing my sideboard and cheering me up especially as it has a sweet little pink ladybirdy thing in it.
This time of year always makes me think of my mum as she loved the spring and the way everything springs to life again after being dormant during the winter so it's nice to have reminders of spring around me indoors.
My latest project of crocheting took a turn last night when I decided to have a go at a more shaped design. It worked okay but needs triangles made to join all the motifs together so not sure if I will take that one any further!
When I was over at my dad's at the weekend,he had a photo of when he took Father Christmas round his village just before Christmas.I had to take a pic of the photo and I reckon I will be thinking of an idea for it to appear on a scrap page very soon.He's done a few wedding with it for some of his friends but it's a wee bit tricky getting in and out of the 'dickie '(I think that's how you spell it ) seat at the back as it's a bit high!

An award and at last - a 'me' day

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So now it is official- January is over - yahoo! Having got the week after the end of January over and done with this has been the first weekend where life and all the rest of it has been nice and normal. Honestly, the headache pill part of my handbag has been seriously raided of late!

Anyway, my very nice friend Deb has given me an award, thank you Deb. I'm not quite sure how many things I have to list in following her lead of things that make me happy but here are a few.

1 Taking the dog for a long country walk in the summer.

2 Going away to scrapbooking retreats where all I have to worry about is what the next class is gonna be !

3 That feeling when you are just arriving in holiday walking down the plane steps feeling that warm sunny air hit you and you know you are there for a whole week (or two).

4 When all the family are here together.

5 Snuggling up on the sofa with either a blanket or sleeping bag covering me with the dog laying by my feet watching Desperate Housewives or the like and tucking into a Haagen Daz 'Dulce du Leche ' Ice cream ...yum

6 Playing Farmville on Facebook ( yeah I know it's sad but it relaxes me )

7 Watching any of the following ... Stricty Come Dancing, Dancing on Ice,America's Top Model,and the 'X' Factor- oh and American Idol.

So there are a few of my favourite things and now I have to go away and find some peeps to pass on to,hope I got this right.

Today I have done the second layout that I wanted to get done of our other dog - having lost both our dogs within a year of each other, the page I showed in the last post was one I wanted to repeat for our other dog.

I've also got round to that bit of crocheting I wanted to and here is a photo of what I've done so far