And relax.......

There's nothing like getting away from home for a few days to help you relax, and that's what we did this week.  Having rushed to finished my blanket it was time to go camping to test it out.

For this camping trip we headed to Looe in south Cornwall to meet some friends for a 3 night camping trip.  I of course made sure I packed the essentials......bunt, tea lights and lanterns and of course a crochet blanket or two.

The weather was a bit up and down, but dry for the most part and it was great to spend so much time outside in the fresh air.  The children loved the freedom, and with fours boys it was great to have the space for them to burn off some energy.

Although we live in Cornwall we rarely indulge in the culinary details or we'd end up the size of a house, but we managed to tick off the holiday musts - cream tea, Cornish pasty, ice-cream, fish and chips and fudge! 

And the best part of all was how snugly and warm my camping blanket was, well worth all the time and effort!  

Now we're back home and refreshed its time to get the washing done, the tent and camping gear packed away and for me to start the next blanket.

xxx

Getting my Mojo back.....

Recently I've lost my mojo a little.  Not much has been going on in regards to crafting, baking or making.  Life seems to be flying by in a whirl of washing, cooking and cleaning... Oh and quite a few trips to the beach!

Life with two small boys is rather busy at the moment and I have got rather swept up in the everyday boring tasks and I've not felt the urge to create recently.

That all changed last week when I decided that I must get my blanket finished that I started 9 months ago for our camping trip.  As the blanket was rather wide it took me quite a while to do each colour stripe and I've been putting in a good few hours to get it finished ready for our trip.

Well it's finished, and in good time for our camping trip, which we are off on tomorrow.  Here's a few pictures of my progress and the finished product.  I must say I'm really rather pleased with it and can't wait to get snuggled under it on our camping trip.

Oh and after all that crocheting, I think my mojo is back!!

Utility China Love ❤

I have developed an obsession over the last few months for 'Utility China' and I have already gathered quite a stash. By utility china I mean the plain pastel china that was produced during the war, the kind of stuff that can be found in church halls all over the country.

I am no expert in all matters of Utility china, but the main pieces I have been collecting are by Johnson Brothers and Woods Ware, although I do a few pieces by other producers.

I am totally taken by its beautiful pastel shades and am truly in love with it and can't wait to get my dresser top fixed up and my kitchen painted so I can get some of it on display. I also love how the colours work so perfectly well with my Cath Kidston bits and pieces and not only is it pleasing to the eye but its also beautiful to use as well.

I have brought bits of my collection from all over the place, some from charity shops, some from ebay and some from vintage shops and were as some bits have been picked up at bargain prices some bits have cost a bit more as people are cashing in on how collectible these pieces have become.

This is the last picture I took of all my stash, although I have required a few more pieces that I got as an early mothers day present from the boys.  If you are interested in looking at some more Utility China in all its glory head over to the Flickr group or check out Jo's blog What do you make of my cake

Silent Sunday

Happy St David's Day!

Well after starting off so well I have once again dropped off the blogging radar. I must say that February has been a bit of a quiet month and with all the rain and cold weather not much has been going on here.

I'm rater excited that we are now in March and spring Is only around the corner and although its still cold outside, we've had a whole week of dry weather which has been a refreshing change.

I was encouraged by the fact that we were in a new month today to get in the garden and starting planting up some of my vegetable seeds. I'm really looking forward to making a real effort in the garden this year and to be able to grow a lot of out vegetables and salad and to have a nice cutting garden to have fresh flowers throughout the summer.

Well lets hope over the next few weeks we have some little seedlings sprouting and the sunshine coming out from behind the clouds to start warming up the soil.

Thanks for reading xx

Silent Sunday....

Busy doing nothing......

After a flying start to blogging in 2013, I came to a stall towards the end of last week as the husbands been off work and we've been out and about, pottering and just generally having fun.  We've had days out, got jobs done, done a bit of crafting and even fitted in a child free walk and coffee with a friend.  

We've had a day out at The Eden Project which the kids loved as they could run around without having to hold our hands or the fear of being run over and being in the domes meant we kept dry.  We also brought 2 year passes so I'm sure there will be many more visits to enjoy.

We also went to the reclamation yard and picked up a dresser top we'd looked at, and we've been making plans for decorating the kitchen and dining area.  Very excited to have somewhere to store my pretties, but more about that another day.

I've also done a bit of ebaying - buying and selling and had a trawl around the charity shops.  All in all its been a lovely week and we still have the weekend to look forward to.  I brought this lovely gondola basket that I've been eyeing up on ebay for a while and its perfect for carry crochet and knitting projects around the house.  

Another thing I've been getting excited about is being able to use our National Trust membership which we received as a present for Christmas.  There are some lovely houses, a couple of mines and some great beaches down here and I just pray that we have a glorious summer as there is nothing more lovely than sitting in the gardens with a lovely picnic..... fingers crossed!

Instagram....

The most used app on my iPhone is most definatly Instagram and it has become somewhat of an addiction to me.  

Its a great way of micro blogging, keeping a record of craft projects, bakes and genral day to day life.  It is also the souce of inspiration with so many lovely people, its a real communty.

I'm also taking part in some exciting swaps that have been organised thourgh Instagram as well as having taken part in a lovely Christmas swap last year.

Most of all its nice to 'meet' some lovely like minded people.

Emma x

WIP Wednesday

Right I have made the decision that I am not going to buy anymore yarn, fabric or other crafty items until I have finished up some WIPs and used up some of my stash. 

Crocheting was the craft of 2012 and made up the majority of my crafting.  While I am still very much in love with crocheting, and find it the most soothing thing to do in the evening, I want to expland and improve on my crafting in 2013.  Here are some of my favorite pieces from 2012....

I'm still working on my Lucy Blanket (Attic24) and really love the bright colours.  Its going to make a perfect camping blanket for the family and I think it will be my goto project in the evening for a few weeks yet.  

I also have a little cushion that I started on Christmas eve with some yarn that was left over from the giant granny square blanket I did for the front room.  

Oh and I must not forget my stool I started painting in the summer!

I'm looking forward to 2013 being a very crafty year and I look forward to practicing old techniques as well as learning many new ones!

Out with the Old...

Happy New Year!! I love this time of year, it feels like a fresh start.  A new year so full of promise and new beginnings.

My blogging has somewhat slipped over the last few months as I feel Christmas has taken over every aspect of my life. My crafting, cooking, shopping and even family days out all seem to have revolved around Christmas.

Not that I’m complaining as I love Christmas and embrace it wholeheartedly.  I am however glad when New Year rolls around and I can pack the decorations away, leaving the house feeling a little bare, but fresher and cleaner.

It’s a time for making plans, looking forward to what the New Year brings and enjoying a slightly slower pace of life. 

Last New Year things felt very bleak due to suffering with post natal depression, but I enter 2013 full of joy, excitement and many, many plans.

Thank you for stopping by, and heres to more blogging in 2013!!!!  

p.s. The hubby has taken the camera to work in the car, so there are no photo's and I haven't been able to update the blog header.  I'm hoping that in 2013 I can get to grips more with my DSLR and I am going to take many more photo's in 2013!

Missing a dear friend...

A few months ago now I had a little accident with my digital SLR while on a family day out.

It was completely my fault as I had rested it on top of the buggy and it got knocked on the floor while I was searching for my purse.

It went flying and the lens took the brunt of the impact and snapped the ring that holds the lens in the camera.

Luckily the main body of the camera is fine so to the camera hospital the lens has gone.

It has taken me ages to get around to sending it, which is silly as I have been missing it since it broke and I look forward to be reunited with it. So while I wait, I thought I'd share some picture that we've captured together.

Stash love.....

I love it when you see a craft project that gets the creative juices flowing.  Its especially great when its a quick project and you can grab everything out of your stash and get on with it there and then.

 

That is what happened this afternoon when reading Abi's blog Not What Your Nana Made. I spied a lovely embroidery hoop hanging on the wall with a fabric heart appliqued onto some lovely fabric and I had an idea how I could make it work for my front room.  

I had everything that I needed to get on with the project in my craft stash and it was a really quick and simple project. I must say I am rather pleased with the end result.  Its great to get instant satisfaction from a project as I have been doing a few bigger projects recently.

Now all I need to do is get the hubby to put me a hook up so I can hang it.

Thanks for reading.

Emma x

Monday rolls around again....

I can believe Monday has rolled around again and I don't feel like much has been achieved in the last 7 days.  The weather in Cornwall has been up and down, but we have managed a few days on the beach and got some fresh air in our lungs so I guess is wasn't such a bad week really.

I didn't do WIP Wednesday last week for the simple reason that I forgot.  I haven't been working on my WIP's this week, but have started a couple of new projects as I fancied a change.

I have started a blanket for my friends daughters first birthday.  I am using up some of my stash that was left over from another blanket.

I've also started on a cushion that will be a Christmas present.  I hate seeing all the Christmas chocolates and cards in the shops, but I have to confess as soon as August is over I really start to think about Christmas.  I need to be one the ball even more this year as I am hoping to make quite a few presents as I think they are much nicer and more thoughtful than shop brought items and I'm on a bit of an economy drive and trying to save some money.

Well here we go into another week and I am hoping to get more organised and sort out my conservatory and all my craft supplies and really get some projects underway.

Emma x

Chocolate Brownies....

This morning I did some baking with Little C as we haven't done any for a while and I decided on Brownies for today's bake.  I haven't made them for ages and I've seen a lot of pictures on Instagram that have made my mouth water.

I have been using the same Brownie recipe for a couple of years and I'm not sure where I got it from.  It's just written on a scrap of paper in my recipe folder.  I really like the results I get from this recipe and I sometimes mix it up with a few nuts or some raspberries for a change.

Here's the recipe if you fancy trying them: 

150g Plain flour
200g butter
300g caster sugar
4 eggs
80g Cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract 
1tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
100g good quality dark chocolate

• Preheat the over to 175C (165C for fan ovens) and grease and line a brownie tin.
• Put the butter into a small saucepan and melt, put this to one side to cool.
• Break your chocolate up into smallish pieces.
• Sift your flour, baking powder and cocoa together and mix in the sugar and salt.
• Whisk the eggs together with the vanilla extract and add to the dry ingredients. 
• Mix in the slightly cooled butter so you have a batter and then fold in the chocolate pieces.
• Scrape the mixture into the brownie tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Its the first time I have baked these in this particular oven and I found that 175C was a bit too high as they weren't as gooey in the middle as I would have liked, although they are still pretty scrummy.

I'm rather looking forward to sitting down later with a brownie, a nice hot cuppa and The Great British Bake Off this evening.    

WIP Wednesday....

OK, so I know its Thursday, but yesterday was a bit of wash out.  The weather was rubbish and I was feeling rather sorry for myself. Also I've not been up to much craft wise this week.

The only thing that I've been doing is my ripple blanket and I am finding it rather addictive.  I'm over half way now and I love the gentle rhythm of the pattern.  I used Lucy's tutorial over at Attic 24 and I love it. 

I am really pleased with my color choices and I think the size is going to be perfect as either a lap blanket or perfect for the boys to snuggle up in, although I am sure that I am going to end up making another at some point as I'm not sure sharing is their strong point.

I am hoping to have a more productive week and need to make some lists and write down some ideas in my new Cath Kidston note book.  I would really like to get a couple of bits and pieces done ready for Christmas and I have a few ideas so I better get them down on paper.

Thanks for reading.

Emma xx  

Hop little bunny....

'See the sleeping bunnies, sleeping until noon
Come let us wake them with our merry tune
Oh, so still! Are they ill?

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop....'

This is the little bunny that I picked up at the vintage fair on Saturday.  He's such a cuties, I really need to find a pattern similar to this as these would make great gifts.

He is now sat on my craft table, although the little people have already tried to feed him some cheese...

A Tale of Two Picnics

I have been looking forward to this weekend for the whole week as it’s the first weekend in a couple of months that it’s been just the four of us.  We didn’t have any concrete plans and planned to just potter around. 

On Saturday we headed over the St Agnes for a quick look around a vintage fair that was going on and had planned to have a little wonder around St Agnes afterwards and I had packed a picnic lunch.  Well the rain was so heavy that we abandoned our plans after a look around the stalls and a stop in the ‘tea room’ and headed back to the car for the first picnic of the weekend.

Sunday morning started at 7am and I was very surprised to see that there was not a cloud in the sky.  I knew this couldn’t last as it was a cloudy day predicted and I knew we couldn’t be lucky enough to miss the clouds.  As expected the clouds arrived at about 9am, but was still fairly bright so we packed up our flask and some picnic supplies and headed off for a wonder around Mevagissey.

Our picnic was much more successful and we sat on the harbour watching the little boats bobbing up and down.  It was lovely to get some fresh sea air and have a look around the shops.

oh and I might of brought myself a new Cath Kidston handbag. Whoops!

p.s. I didn't get to take any photo's at the Vintage Fair as it was sooooo busy and I only brought a rather cute knitted bunny who I'll introduce you to tomorrow x

WIP Wednesday

Its WIP Wednesday time again and I have been fairly busy on the craft front and have even started to make some Christmas presents!  I know its only August but I like to be organised.  I'm making some pencil folio’s for my 2 little boys and one for my niece.  I have had a practice run, but I think I’ve got the idea now.

                        

After showing you my basket of blue yarn last week I have started my blanket.  I’ve wanted to do a ripple blanket for ages, but after a failed attempted earlier in the year I’ve been putting off starting one.  Well I started this project last Thursday and I am loving it.  Its working up really fast and I am so pleased with the result as it reminds me of the sea.  This blanket is going to be for the boys, but I’ve think I may well have to make them one each as sharing is not their strong point.

With all the ripple action and getting the sewing machine out I have not done anymore of my little cardigan for little W, I really want to get the back done at least by next week and as we don’t have any visitors this coming weekend I hope to get some knitting done.

I also have my stool that I wrote about in my last post that I hope to get rubbed down and some undercoat on before the weekend.  This is the first piece of furniture I have given a makeover and I am quite looking forward to it.  If I am pleased with the results I have a small chest that I keep all my fabric in that I think will get a coat of paint and I would love to cover the top in some Cath Kidston oil cloth........oh and I may have purchased some more wool for my next project!

Conservatory makeover begins

This week saw the arrival of my new bureau for my conservatory, which is where I keep all my crafting stuff and is the only properly girly place in my house full of boys.  I had wanted to find a second hand one to do up, but after having a look around for a few months I caved in and brought this one from Ikea.  I am very pleased with it and just need to sort all my craft bits and pieces and get them put away nicely.

I picked this stool up a few months ago and I have just brought some paint to start making it more pretty and in keeping with the rest of the furniture.  I picked up some Craig and Rose Arcylic Eggshell in Swedish Blue, which is a beautiful soft pale blue.  I have some other plans for the stool but I will save them for the big reveal.

I have made a few bits and pieces including some bunting and cushions, but the seat pads need a good clean, the floor a good scrub and I think some fairy lights need hanging.  Its starting to come together and I can't wait till its all finished and I can sit back listening to the radio, drinking tea and doing some sewing or crocheting.

This weekend we had some friends come to stay, which included pizza, wine and fish and chips do I am back on the healthy eating big time this week. In fact this was the eighth weekend in the row that we have either had friends or family staying or we have been off visiting.  It has been great to catch up with friends and family but I am really looking forward to it just being the four of us for the bank holiday weekend.  We don’t have any plans yet, but I’m guessing what we will do will depend very much on the weather.... so watch this space.

Thanks for stopping by

Emma x