Giveaway Received

A while ago ( when I still lived in the UK), I won a giveaway from Annaboos House.  

She contacted me to tell me she was ready to send me my handmade gifts and they came in the post this morning.  HOW EXCITING.

These were in my first package.

Gorgeous little crocheted trees with beads and buttons.

Just beautiful.

Such detail.

And the other package had her lovely Christmas blocks.

I love them, love them, love them

And here is everything together

It was part of a handmade giveaway.  She won a giveaway from another crafter and then hosted a giveaway herself.   I now have to host a giveaway too.  Which I will do once I have my crafting supplies up and running.

Thank you so much Annaboo.  

Her work is amazing and I wonder how I will make anything as lovely to giveaway myself.  You can see Annaboos work here http://annabooshouse.blogspot.com/

Do have a look.  Her blog is entertaining, funny, delightful and she also gives patterns away.

Watch this space for the giveaway details.  I will try and set it up in the next couple of weeks.

Woyww #134 - a workdesk but nothing on it

Well I am surprised I am even blogging this week but hey, I've not missed one in ages so I can't start now.

Here is my table, unpacked, unwrapped, set up in the loft with my stuff all around (well some of it).  Still not started the curtains but it has been Christmas!!

My lovely tablecloth, bit squashed and creased, but loved.

My sewing box.

A Billabong tag - will add it to my Smash Book when I unpack it.

Christmas Ribbon left over from wrapping.

Some ribbon donated by Moo from her PJ's.

Cello tape - empty reel.

A knitting pattern for Christmas toys (for next year maybe?)

I also need to find the bonnet I made for "Bernard", LizzieDotDot's baby as she had him 

this morning - I need to sew the pompom on 

See desks here with hopefully more on than mine.

Woyww #133 no sew curtains

Hurray.  I have a house.  I have a table (not a craft table yet but a table all the same!).

This is my workdesk this cold Wednesday:-

Gingerbread ready to be cut, made into a gingerbread house (I do one every year, usually with the help of friends but this year I have Moo and the children, ahhhh they will have to do). I had a bit of trouble with this as I don't have my scales yet or my recipe box.  I used a recipe from the net and converted the ingredients into cups.  It din't quite work out how I wanted but you never know, with some copious amounts of icing and chocolate, I might just get away with it.

Icing sugar, chocolate buttons with sprinkles, toffee chips, choc chips, Christmas coloured smarties and a big slab of butter will all help to make house look splendid.

A bowl, wooden spoons and some cups will help make the icing.

Then there is a big pile of two different materials.  These are to make curtains for the boys new bedrooms.  With the help of some Stitch Witchery (that's not my new name for Moo either) and my temporary sewing kit and my mum Moo, I think we can make something that will cover their windows sufficiently.

There is also a sneaky bottle of Corona which I will drink when I can work out how to open it without a bottle opener and a cup of tea in my new mug.

So that's my workdesk this Wednesday.  Sorry if I haven't visited as many of you as I normally would but what  with moving house, country and settling the boys in at school there hasn't been as much time as I would have liked for blogging.  New years resolution : comment more.

For more desks see here

Thanks again to Brenda of ButlersAbroad.wordpress.com for linking me.  Not much longer Brenda, I may have my computer up and running before the New Year.

WOYWW #132 - ONE AND A HALF SCARVES

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday  

This week on my table is a finished (at last) scarf for Smallest lovingly crocheted.  Also there is the start of another scarf but for Small this time, knitted on lovely big needles.  

Both of these scarves are supposed to be for Christmas presents for my special little boys.  However, I realised yesterday that the other ball of wool for Small's scarf is in the container, on the ship, which is refusing to come to our house TILL THE 28TH DECEMBER - Sorry for shouting but I'm mad!

Poor Small.  Hope it doesn't get too cold till after Christmas.

Anyway, my desk isn't very exciting.  Bear with me, next year (that's not as far away as it sounds) I will have my desk and my craft room and all my lovely craftiness supplies.  Ahhhhhh how I miss you, wool and ribbons, needles and crochet hooks, felt and material, glue and buttons, corks and beads, paints and paintbrushes - all of it.  I miss it all!

Next week I hope to have some christmas stockings in the making as they too are on the ship, and how will Santa deliver our presents to us in our new house if our stockings aren't hanging up.  So it's off to the Thrifty store again to find some suitable material (although I don't have my sewing kit either so my temporary one will have to suffice).

Go and have a look here at other peoples loveliness.

Thank you again to all of those people that comment on both of my blogs.  I have had such lovely words and comments from people I know and people I only know through writing the blogs.  It has been a difficult time for me and my family and the comments have been wonderful to read.  Thank you also to Brenda from Butlers Abroad for linking me on woyww the last couple of weeks because I don't have my computer yet and the IPad doesn't let me use Mr Linky.

woyww #131 (keep getting number wrong)

This week I have mostly been creating concert costumes for the boys.

Here are my materials:

I'm not really cheating.  This was on my 'workdesk' yesterday and some bits still are.  But this is what I did with them.

this is Smallest - he is supposed to be a Christmas Tree

I still have a hat to finish and maybe some popcorn strings!

This is Small and he is a Rock Star Snowman

I am stuck without my sewing kit, wool, Christmas decorations, anything, so this was quite challenge but a trip to the local thrifty shop was a good call.

Last week I was making a scarf for Smallest and a phone cover.

Ta  daaaaa

My phone cover is finished and in use.  Not perfect but it will do till Santa brings me a proper one.  The scarf - I think it's long enough.  Smallest is not too tall so it may not need anymore but then again there isn't much wool left so perhaps I'll finish it off.

I wonder what everyone else is up to today.  Have a look here.

WOYWW #129 Scarf, Phone Coat & Dinosaurs - raaaaaaa

This week I do have a desk (well table but it's getting better).  and on my table is...............

My stack of Air Mail envelopes ready to send some more letters back home.  My address book and pen.  A glass of water, thirsty work this blogging!  Some lovely old wool I found in Value Village - it looks really old and I don't want to use it yet cos it looks so nice all wrapped up.

"how to draw dinosaur" book, which we bought for Small and I am helping him to draw them.  It's really cool.  I never knew I could draw a Stegasaurus so well!  Small is loving drawing them too.

... And last but not least, my real craft this week.  My crocheted scarf for Smallest for Christmas.  It's coming along a great.  Crochet is so much quicker than knitting.  It's so snugly warm too.  Also I am attempting to knit myself a phone cover as I asked for one for Christmas but need something in the interim to keep it warm - hey it's cold here!!

Hop on over to Julia's to see what else is going on in the crazy world of 

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com

P.S.  thank you to Brenda for adding me on MrLinky

PPS Thank you to all who have left such lovely supportive comments on this and my other blog http://Jam2MapleSyrup.blogspot.com - it has been a Challenging time for me and my family and your comments and support are much appreciated.

Peppa finished

Do you remember a while ago that my What's on my Workdesk Wednesday consisted of some sugar crafting (I was giving a lesson to a friend).  Well she has made the cake and used some of the pieces we made and also made some of her own.

This is the cake.

Fabulous. Only wish I could have tasted it too.Well done Em and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Han xxxxx

Cheap Wool and another scarf

I had to unravel the scarf I was making for Smallest's Christmas present as I got half way through the wool and realised I wasn't going to have enough.  I got the wool in the UK and it would be difficult to get extra balls, especially the exact shade,dye etc.

Then I started again, but this time made it a little it narrower.  I also changed the stitch.  But this time I used a triple followed by a double.  I like it better.  It's quite dense and I think it will be warm.  We went out today and as we gathered our scarves and hats and gloves, Smallest asked if he could wear his new scarf that Mummy was making him.  Ahhh bless, at least I know he will wear it.

Today I went to Value Village.  A second hand store that sells everything.  I bought some really old looking wool for just $1.99

Think I might use this wool to make some Christmas Decorations when my stuff comes from across the sea.  Or I could just go and buy myself some knitting needles and find some corks and make them now.

WOYWW #128

My first woyww in Canada.  Now there isn't a lot on it because the ship hasn't arrived with all my stuff (at least three weeks yet!!!).

So what is on my workdesk?  (well for a start it is a small kitchen table).  All that is here is a very large crochet hook which I picked up at the local thrifty store?  Some thick wool I bought in the UK to make Smallest a scarf for Christmas.  I started a scarf in the UK before we came out here but the packers shipped it before I put in on one side to put in my flight bag.  A teapot full of tea.  Two mugs for Huffle and I.

....... And that's it!

There are lots of proper desks out there to have a nose at

http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com

Woyww #128 (nothing sniff sniff)

Well this doesn't look very interesting does it? Not only am I late in posting this but my table has been taken over by the packers who are shipping the contents of our house to Canada.

So on my table is a tin of paint which Huffle is using to paint the bits where shelves once were.
Kitchen roll (in our house this is called Poly Roll) - does anyone else call it this.
A pile of presents that were delivered today by my dear friends who I am leaving behind.
A car boot liner from my car that I have just sold to my wonderful friend Everett.
Small's rucksack.
My camera, ever ready to take photos of everything and everyone.
Even the table has been covered in bubble wrap ready to put in the big 40ft container.

I have had many excuses over the months for NOT posting proper workdesks but this one really pushes the boundaries.

Next week I will have a new desk across the sea. Who knows what will be on it. Certainly not my normal crafts as they have been packed already and won't be arriving until mid December.

However, I have been bought a lovely book today :-

....... So will maybe find a craft shop and buy some supplies and make something from here.

I also won a giveaway and this arrived in the post today........

It is from Lisa at Seaurchin

Not the best photo but the best I can manage today.

This is a gorgeous beautiful necklace and I am so happy I won it. Have a look at Lisa's work - www.etsy.com/shop/Seaurchin and www.folksy.com/shops/Seaurchin

I have lots of things I finished that I wanted to show but the computer has been packed and all my pictures are stored on there.

Please forgive me for not being able to visit too many desks this week. Shipping container arrives tomorrow. More packing and blowing up of airbeds. Off to parents Friday and a farewell party on Saturday. Then up, up and away flying on Sunday. HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

Winner

I am another winner of a giveaway. HURRAH. How exciting. This is what I have won.

Isn't it Gorgeous?

I won it by entering a giveaway on http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/. I have been following Laura @ Bugs & Fishes for a while now and her work is inspiring. She recently had a giveaway featuring work from the very talented Lisa Stevens from Seaurchin who is a model maker for Aardman Animators (Wallace and Gromit). Thanks SeaUrchin and thanks Bugs and Fishes.

I will show you the pendant properly as soon as it arrives, bearing in mind I'm moving to Canada on Sunday, so my Mum might have to bring it with her when she visits in December.

MMOM #15

This week I am using BLOGSY and have set it to automatically upload on Monday - I wonder if it will work

Anyway This week I am

Emigrating to Canada.

Updating my new address book so I can keep in touch with everyone.

Loving all my recent going away gifts - so lovely and thoughtful. I have met a lot of talented people since I've been doing my blog and crafting. When people put this amount of effort into a homemade gift, it makes me feel very special.

Working out a way of showing all my presents using some sort of collage.

Cleaning my house before the new people move in. What a dusty place it is behind the fridge and shelves that don't move for weeks, even months, maybe years in some cases. Yuk.

Also cleaning all of our garden ornaments. They won't ship them unless they are clean. Phew, what a job. Why do the birds leave their mess in our garden.

Making the last of the Christmas presents that I need to leave behind.

Emailing everyone to tell them my new address and change of email address.

Playing with the new BLOGSY App that Huffle downloaded for me. Wow it certainly makes it easier for blogging with.

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday #127

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday today is on my kitchen worktop.  The picture is at a weird angle because I used a flash (it's in a part of my kitchen that isn't lit well!) and I didn't want big fat shadows of me.

There are my "Handmade By" stickers which I attach to my things with a little bit of raffia.  Various little Korknisse Men - Santa, Rudolph, Elf and a nearly finished Snowman.  Loads of buttons I bought yesterday (to fnish off some things?!).  Bells for hats.  The phone (because it hasn't stopped ringing and for this picture wasn't attached to my ear).  Crochet Hook (using to make the Korknisse men), Sewing Thread, good scissors, Sewing Box which was really tidy till about an hour ago.  The key to the shed where the Big Freezer lives.  A Next bag with my new Pampered Chef Batter Bowl (friend Em brought it round yesterday).

Is that it?  Yes I think so.

Will show all the finished Korknisse tomorrow or day after so please come back and have a look.  The kids want me to knit them a Christmas Scarf now so I'm off to get some chunky wool.

See what everyone else is up to here.http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com

Meet me on a Monday #14

Hi there. Hope you had a good weekend.

Here's what's going on in my world:-

Burning my toast - oh why do I always do that?

Opening all the doors to let the burnt toast smell out. Phew managed to avoid setting the smoke alarm off this time. He he he.

Drinking Taylor's Lazy Sunday Coffee in a Cafetiere (not the same as with friends but it will do).

Watching Downton Abbey from last night. Love it. Don't they all look so elegant. Dressing for dinner every evening. Think of all that washing - how did they get those whites so white without a washing machine? ..and how did they did they dry them?


Making some Christmas decorations (supposedly for presents but the boys keep stealing them!).

Keeping my address book up to date so I can keep in touch with all my lovely friends when we emigrate in just two weeks. Arrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh.

Going out for lunch with my super friend "Chap" today. We met at ante natal classes over eight years ago. Four children later (between us) and we're still good friends. We are going to a place with roaring log fires.

Looking forward to going out every day this week and some of the evenings too. Meeting up with friends, eating, drinking, much silliness and frivolity, lots of goodbyes, hopefully no tears.

Shopping with MIL Dragon tomorrow. Going shopping with my good friend Yahoo Wednesday.

Laughing at Grandad wearing my green flower hat.

That's me done for today.  Go and see what Clare is up to and see who else is joining in with MMOM today.

I'm a Winner

How exciting.  I've won a giveaway.  WAHOOOOOOOOOO.

Annaboo's House was having a "Pay It Forward giveaway" and I won it.  I don't know what it it is yet - when I receive my gift I will carry on the Giveaway and host one myself with all the details.  I do hope you will enter.


In the meantime - here is what I have finished this week :-

You may or may not know I have been working on a Tea Cosy since September

(or maybe before that if I'm completely honest).  Well I made one before - It was rubbish and then I made another - and I'm quite pleased with it. 

It is very unique and strange and Funky. But I made up the pattern, and used two different types of wool - one from UK and one from Canada.

  I do hope my friend likes it.

"DRINK TEA AND THINK OF ME"

Also this week I have made two little Christmas Korknisse (idea from Annaboo's House).

They have little tiny bells on the end of their hats.  I made these orginally for presents for friends to hang on their tree but my boys have decided we are having them.

So back to the knitting bag to find some more wool to knit some for my friends' trees!

WOYWW #126 - PIGS!

What's on my Workdesk Kitchen Table Wednesday

Em making Peppa - 3 cups of tea?

Well today my friend Em came round and we had a sugar crafting session.  She wanted me to make her daughter's birthday cake but unfortunately I will be in Canada so won't be able to make it.  She makes beautiful tasting cakes and I have sat with her crafting playdoh, so I knew she would be able to make her own masterpiece. 

I invited her round and we sat crafting bits of Peppa Pig for the top of her cake. I hope she lets me have a picture of the cake when it is finished so I can show you it finished.

Another friend came round to watch us, gossip and drink tea with us (always need someone there to while away the hours - that's why there are three cups of tea in the picture).

Mummy Pig, Peppa, Pond and duck

Em is very tidy and a perfectionist

I just get on with it and make lots of mess

That's my workdesk today - see what others you can find here

MEET ME ON A HALLOWEEN MONDAY #13

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Nice to meet you again on a Monday. What have I been up to and what am I going to do?


Eating toasted crumpets with honey in front of a roaring open fire - we had no heating this weekend!

Drinking bottled water since we had an interruption in our water supply.  This is the colour of our water straight from the tap.

Listening to Dionne Bromfield (niece of Amy Winehouse).  She's only 15 and has an amazing voice.

Selling the contents of my home ready to relocate the Canada.

Looking forward to meeting my friend Des for a coffee this morning at the local Garden Centre.

Supervising Huffle clearing out the shed today.

Getting the Halloween costumes and face paints ready for the kids tonight for Trick or Treating.

Baking gingerbread pumpkins for any Halloween visitors this evening.

Carving out a pumpkin to put outside our house.

That's me for this week. Go and see what Clare is up to this week here.

WOYWW #125

WHAT'S ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY as hosted by Stamping Ground.

My workdesk, this Wednesday is:-

This week I have mostly been knitting and crocheting - what's new?

A Tea Cozy for my friend (the one I am indebted to for my Adele tickets earlier in the year)

It's a little bit "Woca Mola".  In our house, this means 'freestyle' as in the song "Freestyler, woca woca mola" - actually the song goes "Freestyler Walk up to the microphone" but I am well known for getting my lyrics wrong in songs.  Have I lost you yet?

Moo's Cardi which I actually started at the beginning of this year.  I got it out so I could get it finished - just need her help a little as I sewed it together and then realised one side was different (and she noticed).

My blankie - now covers Small beautifully - so much so that he has decided he wants one for his bed, and if he has one then Smallest has to have one too.  They can wait!

A pile of Christmas presents which I can't show because I don't want the recipients to see.  How do I get around this?  I want to show what I am working on but don't want to spoil the surprise - any ideas?


More corks and Kornisse being worked on.

My Smash book and the lovely little labels I bought in a Thrifty store in Canada - would these look cool in handmade gifts for my two boys?  They say "Handmade by Mother".

I have even been handsewing......... (shhh it's a secret!)

Anyway - let's go and look at what everyone else is up to today - here