So what have I been up to?

July - School hunting
August - House hunting
September - House moving
October - Job hunting
November - eek, realising I had no stock left (due to some distractions in the previous few months)
December - same as everyone else!

Yes, Polly Polkadot and me have moved house, and country.  It has used quite a lot of energy and emotions but we all feel it was the right thing to do, so we are recovering swiftly.

I'm on my way ...

We will take this gently, one step at a time, but I think, maybe, just maybe I might be on my way back to blogland.
In the past 6 months of silence I have achieved a lot of things, and learnt a lot of things.  However, when I finally decided to try and type a short post to get me back in the habit, I couldn't for the life of me remember a) my password, b) how to create a new post.
So thats it, I'm energy zapped at my small post of a few lines, but I promise not to leave it so long and I will be back again shortly.

WOYWW - Whoops!

It is now Thursday at 2.05.  I didn't intend to join Whats on Your workbench Wednesday this week as I am so busy.
I didn't manage to make my ATC in time, so thought I would give it away at a later date.
But when I came to start blog hopping, I have accidentally clicked the link button rather than the comment button and now an asterick version of my name appears on Julia's stamping ground blog. And of course Julia is away so can't take my name off the list.

So sorry if you called around to see a photo and I will finish / start my ATC this weekend.

WOYWW - Sterling Stuff

Pliers, wires, and automobiles (well almost)

' morning WOYWW-ers.  I don't know about you, but someone is definitely taking hours out of the day.  I've been on holiday, come back, been to my mums come back and I am still struggling to find time to fit Wednesdays in.

Today I am working on the dining table (because the workbench is covered in 'stuff').  I have had a number of enquiries about my wirework jewellery requesting sterling silver.  I have resisted so far, simply because of the value of stock I would need to hold.  However I have decided the time has come....

So this week I have been making my designs in sterling silver, and costing them up.

snapshot

Here is a snapshot of a few things I have converted so far: the necklace is a variation of a Linda Jones design, the treble clef and locket are my own design pendants that go onto chains.

And somehow before next week I have an ATC to make - an ATC that woke me up on holiday with its design!

(This is a post for Whats on your workbench Wednesday, an opportunity to show just how messy a situation you can work in)

Handmade Monday - camper van

Sorry, a quick snap on the phone.

This is a very very quick post, with minutes to spare for Handmade Monday now hosted over at Handmade habour.

A friend from OH's work, has resigned and is off travelling, so I couldn't resist making a special card just for her.

It would need some refining if it were to go into production, but it reminded me of you Wendy, (sorry I've not been around much lately, I do pop by and read yours and many other HM blogs, I just don't seem to find time to contribute or comment).

Did you miss me?

Here is the cathedral

Did you miss me? I've been away, a whole week, abroad and with sunshine - I am hoping that such happy memories will see me across our dreary summer.

So where have I been? Can you guess?

Here is the South side of the cathedral - little shops with rooms above.

You may have the country by now, but what about the city?

steps inside the municipal square - see all the bikes?

i

Its called the city of bicycles!

Totally off the beaten track, a real gem of a find by OH, a city in Italy, given over to bicycles. A city called Ferrara.  Full of beautiful architecture (but we forgot the camera - this is my mobile phone).

And the children loved it!

Back to normal for on Wednesday - see you soon.

WOYWW - Fabric, Phoenix and Friendship

It runs like a dream!

Well, look what's on my workbench today (well dining table actually).  Yes, Whats on your workbench Wednesday has come rushing round, just when I borrowed an overlocker.

I'll try and keep this brief:
Remember I burnt out baby blues foot pedal?
Well, when my heart beat had slowed (about 2 days later), I took the pedal to pieces and realised that although it was very simple inside I would never trust it again.  I couldn't decide what to do, so visited Helen Sutcliffe of Eleanor's Attic for advice.  (Just over 12 months ago, Helen was a one man band making bags for 6 shops, now she supplies around 100 shops and owns one herself!).

introducing ...Boring Brown.

I knew Helen had a replacement motor (and pedal) so borrowed it to see if it fitted, but I also borrowed a broken (but similar) Singer machine to cannibalise.

Well the motor didn't fit, but the Singer used the same motor.  I decided to cannibalise baby blue instead (shame, but much simplier process).
So out of the flames a new boring brown machine has risen.

Anyway, back to the overlocker. I decided I needed an overlocker and I have been trawling ebay for weeks now.  But I couldn't settle on my budget because, well, actually I have never used one before.

Eventually, yesterday morning I phoned Helen and asked if she had one I could borrow.  And so here it is.  But not only did she say I could borrow it (and no rush to return it), but she also told me of one for sale (from another friend).  So I now have a local overlocker waiting for me to go and try out.

oh and for the papercrafters: this is what an overlocker does.

WOYWW - distracted

Hello folks, there is far too much going on in my life at the moment, I really should have more sense than to join in with WOYWW (whats on your workbench Wednesday), this week, but I can't help myself. (Rhinoceros news is available to those that need it, here).

On my desk in the jiffy bag is the part for my vacuum cleaner - so maybe, just maybe I might have a working vacuum cleaner tonight (4 months of borrowing MIL is beginning to get annoying for both parties).

On the left is the pile of things, still waiting to be fixed.

The bowl of lost things is still there, it did have the ipod cable at the bottom, and I removed a few more things from it, but other things climbed in to fill it straight back up again.

On the right is a pile of coins, OH, empties his pockets onto the table each night, which irritates me, but at least he hasn't taken to piling his clothes there too. (It is part of the reason there must never be an empty space).

The book propped open is my notes on how to make the following, yes, despite the fact that I really shouldn't have spent the time on it, I just had to make up this purse that was rattling around in my head.
It was inspired by the quilting stall I found at Machynlleth market last week.
The bag needs a shorter handle on one side and a longer tag on the other, and goodness knows what was up with my top stitching today, but I think there is some mileage in the design.  I hope to add the daffodil, chicken and sailing boat instead of the coloured panel, so to add it to the Polly Polkadot range.

The Rhinoceros

Why is it my passing comments always take on a life of their own?

I thought you folks might like to see the rhinoceros that was mentioned in my WOYWW post this week.  Several of you thought I might have washed the rhinoceros (Rumpole), in my spare 4 minutes. 

Clearly some of you have never washed a rhinoceros.  My daughter spends between half and hour and an hour on such a task.

Those of you who have washed rhinoceroses before will know that they can be particularly dirty, so I was called upon to find the appropriate brush.

My daughter often washes large quadrupeds, so I keep a variety of brushes for the occasion ( last month it was a polar bear, previously a cow).  So I rummaged around in my cleaning cupboard, and selected a brush suitable brush for the job.

Don't panic, I really do have brushes dedicated for this task, this toothbrush did not go back OH shelf or any other revenge!

As some of you clearly have never cared for a rhinoceros I thought you might like to see Rumpole's bed.  Each night he returns to his egg from whence he was born.  I hope that will help some of you learn about the world I attempt to craft in!

WOYWW - Well 'tis the holidays

You didn't seriously expect me to keep it tidy did you?
Obviously I haven't been working on my desk this week.  Due to my sewing machine fire on Wednesday and I have been playing with children and doing a little bit of jewellery making on my lap!

OH has respected my desk reasonably well, but I can see my daughters dressing gown and t-shirt on the corner, and I am certain I wouldn't have put it there.  There is the self healing mat, out of place because I lent it to him and it looks like it has been returned. A sewing machine motor (in a box), some cheque books, some tracing paper as I have been sketching a few designs. Well, just about everything really!


But I know my chaos worries a lot of you, so I have a second photo, this took 4 minutes to arrange (including a short break to help my daughter clean a rhinoceros! ).

The pile is things I need to drop off - mother and toddler group cheque book, jewellery boxes and return a spare sewing machine motor and pedal.  Just on the edge of shot is the other pile,which is jobs I need to do: fix my earring display board, take up do the hem on my daughters school trousers. Oh and the homeless bowl is still there, and still full - I am hoping the ipod lead is at the bottom of it!

Tomorrow is my day at Grug Studio so I get a whole day child free so I shall be back in the mood for craft work by the time I come home.  It also means that I shall have time to blog hop (mind you in theory I should be rushed off my feet with customers), so I should have plenty of time to visit What's on your workbench Wednesday via Stamping ground.

Arrrgh - Now take note!

I write this as a lesson to you all!

Last night I finished sewing and began to clear away, and then I heard a noise, a buzzing .... I recognised it ... it was the sewing machine ... I flipped the switch but remembered instantly that on baby blue this just turned off the light, so the noise continued, and the needle began to move very, very slowly, gaining speed.  I dived to the plug and pulled it out and turned round to see smoke waffting out of the foot pedal.

Baby blue is in the bedroom, so thank heavens it happened when it did. (We do have a smoke detector in the room, but I think a fire would have been faster than the detector).  Also, we have just been away for the weekend, and I didn't switch it off at the wall, MIL sleeps beneath our room so again thank heavens it happened when it did.

At some point when I am feeling a little more rational, I shall inspect the pedal as to whether it can be replaced or whether baby blue has sewn its last thread. (I'll have you know I spent £10 doing up that machine)

WOYWW - All sorted

Well Wednesday has shot around this week.  I been away for a long weekend with the children to visit my mum and came back last night, to discover that it time for Whats on your workbench Wednesday all over again.

I didn't feel up to working last night, but I thought I should tidy my desk ready to start.  So here is the view from the glue side.

I still have a little bowl of homeless things in the middle there.

Shocked?

Shall I show the reason that I am finally able to be tidy?  Here is the second chest of drawers I have been waiting for.  The idea is to keep a drawer for each sewing pattern, so as I cut out pieces they can go straight in a drawer.  Each drawer is removeable, so when I am working I can have the relevant drawer by the side of me.

Today's task is to label the drawers

Here are a couple of other new additions.
Whilst at my mum's I ran into Laughing Yaffle.  We had a chat about free motion sewing and baby blue sewing machine and I mentioned that the needle didn't lift high on the machine. So she kindly lent me this embroidery ring to try out, and I can report that it is perfect for the task.

A much thinner emboridery ring.

And here is my another tidy purchase.  It is a hangy bag from sisters crafty creations.  I have bought it as a rubbish bin! Because space is limited around my desk, I keep moving my bin, so I thought this would be ideal.  It isn't for big rubbish, just the little trimmings that I make of sewing threads.

Sorry, but this photo doesn't give it credit.

 I have typed this with two noisy children beside me, this usually means there is lots of spelling mistakes and grammar errors.  They will not be moving far today - because they are watching the snow falling, here is hoping it clears up enough to get them outside.

WOYWW - Getting better

Good morning Whats on your workbench Wednesday.  Following last weeks chaos I felt I had no choice but to come up with a new system.  It is unfortunately still work in progress because one chest of drawers has yet to arrive and rather a lot of things are still waiting to be sorted through.

I decided the first thing to do was rearrange the bedroom.  This meant moving 3 chest of drawers, one bookcase and one double bed and of course 3 sewing machines and their table.

When I finished, I looked at OH and said 'isn't it exactly the same, but the other way round?' and the response was 'whatever keeps you happy'.

I ordered two chests of drawers (and parted with real money - quite unheard of for me). But you can't spot them because of the chaos, and because one set is still in a warehouse in Swindon. (The big arrow points to the corner of one drawer, just visible!!).

Anyway the outcome is looking very promising.  I have one side of the table for free motion embroidery, one side for glue, one side for straight sewing and one side completely burried under things still to be sorted.

Today I have to make 9 doorstops for Grug Studio, Dolgellau, so my blog hopping will be dotted throughout the week again.

WOYWW - the end is nigh

Good morning WOYWW-ers (what's on your work bench Wednesday-ers), this is the sight that greeted me this morning. Not great.

I didn't bother putting the ironing board away at 10.00 last night, because I knew that once I had despatched the children this morning I would be straight back to sewing (papercrafters: sewing involves ironing)  (If you look in the background you can see I was very good and hung up the iron).

The book on the chair is pressing a daffodil greeting card.  I was one card short to despatch to Aberystwyth for Funki Blue, so their parcel can go today.

But why on the chair? Well today I will let you look over the back of the sewing machines. (Cue psycho music)

 

  Actually, you lose the sense of depth from this angle, so you will never know whether the sewing machine is taller or the pile of stuff behind!

My daffodil greeting cards were part of Fairetail, Machynlleth, window's display for St David's Day, and yesterday my doorstops and books made it into Grug Studio, Dolgellau's window display.  I only dropped off my samples to Grug Studio in the morning, so this week I have to make like mad to replenish my stock.

So why is the end nigh? Well, I have always promised myself that when my business turns a reliable profit regularly, I'll treat myself to a decent storage system, but I think I have to take my current order rate as a sign that the business is going to become reliable.  Because I can't continue in this chaos.

It has arrived!

In the hope of making a few of you jealous.  I wish to announce that the thing us WOYWW-ers have been waiting for has arrived in deepest, darkest Wales.

I showed it to OH and he said 'I don't get it?'  -  There is no hope for some people.

Should you be holidaying in Dolgellau this year, and see someone wearing a WOYWW badge, it will probably be me!

Thanks Julia.

WOYWW - Baby blue in action

As normal my desk is covered with all the thoughts inside my head.

I checked the title of WOYWW and it definately says 'Whats on your workbench Wednesday', so this week I shall stick to showing you just my workbench.  And as normal my desk is covered with all the thoughts inside my head, while the bed (behind me), is covered with all the fabric required to transform those thoughts into items.

But I am delighted to announce that the Baby Blue Singer Sewing Machine is back in action.  I received the machine through the Freecycle system, but it needed a little tlc.

I adjusted the belt to its max position the other week, but I guessed it still wasn't tight enough (I had never looked at sewing machine belt before)  Anyway, the machine beat me to it, and began slipping before I had got around to ordering a new one.

There is a great, sewing machine parts site, it changes its name depending on what sewing machine brand you are looking for, so for the life of me I can't remember the name, but anyway, the belt arrived by return of post, I fitted it and Baby Blue is back in action.

This allows me to leave Baby Blue set up for free motion embroidery, and my Pfaff set up for normal sewing.  (Please don't let me bore you with the different settings required).

This idea is great, apart from one small problem, don't tell Baby Blue but - I just haven't bonded with it yet!  It works, it does the job fine, but it just isn't the same as my Pfaff.

Anyway, this is what the new combo, produced today.  A glasses case and a business card case, (in truth that is my ironing board, not my workbench, but you can't really expect me to move all that stuff).

Sometime soon, I might finally get around to photographing the glasses cases well enough to list them.

Woyww - An apology!

To make up for last week's refusal to apologise over sewing machines, I shall start this week with an apology about word verification.

I am sorry, but I didn't know that my word verification was turned on, I only discovered it when Annie left a note.  Hopefully I have now turned it off.  So spread the word - are you certain your word verification is turned off? help your friends by letting them know if what their's is doing and then let them choose!

Back to the slightly less important issue of my desk on display for all to see because of Whats on your workbench Wednesday.  And for the first week ever, I have tidied before your arrival.  But then I stopped.  I didn't want you to have nothing to look at.

On my desk is some squares of felt, some squares of fluff (aka as fleece), a set of pliers, some flex frames and for some reason a universal remote control still in its packaging.

You probably know why all of this is, as no doubts my cries of pain, anguish and general frustration could be heard from where ever you are sitting.

On Wednesday afternoon the fluff finally arrived, I planned to make some glasses cases with it.  I quickly made a mock up.  It didn't look great but it was good enough to photo for my St David's Day giveaway.  I noted a few changes.  Then headed off for my St David's Day market.

Since returning from the market I have been fighting to make 7 (yes that is all), just 7 little pouches.  To be fair, my problem was trying to make 7 different designs at the same time, but as each glasses case requires 3 different sewing feet (don't ask) I thought I do them as a batch.

You can't see the blood sweat and tears on them can you?

flack

flick

I worked the applique in fleece rather than cotton, as I feel it will stand the wear and tear better.  I wanted to continue the theme of the range, so used a contrasting colours for the rim and lining.  I made phone cases as well as glasses cases.  And general drove myself insane to produce this small batch of flick flack glasses cases and phone covers.  I shall think long and hard before commiting myself to make any more!

Handmade Monday - The recycling centre

This is my post for Handmade Monday, hosted by Wendy at 1st unique gifts.  But this week it is not my work you'll be looking at ...

A most exciting event occurred in our town last weekend.  The Dolgellau recycling centre opened its gates! This may not sound exciting to you, but when your nearest tip is a 40 mile round trip, it really is exciting.

I'm not sure if they are offering a loyalty card, but we will be applying.

So far we have emptied the trailer (where we store bulky rubbish), started on the studio (where we store bulky rubbish), started on the loft (where we store bulky rubbish), started on the children's room (where we store bulky rubbish).

In going through the children's room I came across their car seat blankets (I had a dedicated blanket for the car seat, so that if I couldn't find it in the house, I knew I had left it in the car - do you understand the logic?).  They both had their own blanket.

Now as you may or may not know I have a handcrank Singer Sewing machine which I resurrected from a dusty corner of my neighbours house.  Although I enjoy using it, it is too slow to be my favourite machine.

I was not allowed to use a sewing machine until needlework classes at secondary school.

I was not allowed to touch my mums sewing machine until I was 14.

I found myself shouting at my children for fiddling with tension and pressing buttons on my Pfaff machine.  So I decided that the handcrank machine would be ideal to let them loose on.

So this weekend they both converted their blankets into cushion covers.

I can't claim the design taxed my sewing skills.  I can't claim that they could have done it on their own.  But my 5 year old and 3 year old, turned the handle and watched their very own blanket metamorphose into a cushion cover before their eyes.  And they are very proud of it.

St David's Day Giveaway

Welcome to my St David's Day Giveaway. There are 3 reasons for my giveaway.

1.  St David is the patron saint of Wales (where I live), and the day is very well celebrated here.

My daughter went to school today wearing her Welsh Flag as a cloak.

My son went to Ysgol Feithrin (nursery school), where all the little girls were wearing National Costume (pop over to Lunch lady Jan's blog to see a photo of her in hers!).

And at the Dolgellau Thursday Market where I have been this morning, everyone came in wearing a cennin pedr (a daffodil).

So here is my give away:

A notebook and glasses case, which can be changed for a phone cover.

2.  The giveaway is also to acknowledge the generousity of the blogging world in passing on info to one another (every asked a question on you blog? you'll be swamped with answers), but I have also received a couple of gifts,so I wanted to give a bit back.

3.  And finally, I have recently been awarded the Liebster Blog Award, not once, twice or three times, but FIVE times.  Well, whilst I am very flattered I can't very well re-do the award again, so here is a link to my latest three awarders, I ask you to take a look at their blogs.

Sandee , this one is over the pond.
Black Willow a belly dancer no less!
and Annette over at DevonCountryDiary

So how do you enter my giveaway?  Well after you've taken a look at the three blogs above, just leave a comment below and ensure I have some means of contacting you, e.g. so long as you have a blogspot blog I can trace you, if you don't, please leave your e-mail address.   And finally, the giveaway will be closed at a random time on Sunday evening GMT, (ie.when children are in bed, and I remember to do it).

Thank you. Pob lwc.

WOYWW - ruffled feathers

2 machines, neither in action.

Well I did appear to ruffle a few feathers last week at Whats on your workbench Wednesday, so maybe I ought to apologise this week?

NO, no apology, just a bit of education instead.

Last week I made a passing comment about my 3 sewing machines, and all you paper crafters started having palpitations. 

Only the other week Hettiecraftcz justified two glue guns because one was on special offer.

And papers, the things I could tell you lot about your scrappy piles when seen from a distance!

Pot calling the kettle black I say.

Pop back a posting and you can hear about how my baby blue Singer has risen from the grave.  Following that posting, Twiglet of Sisters Crafty Creations, sent me a darning plate from her old Singer (a machine now long since departed from this fabric ladened world).  On removing the sewing plate from mine, I discovered a section that yet to be de-fuzzed.

And if you recall from last week, my vaccum cleaners has broken down, so that is the stage the machine is at, waiting to be de-fuzzed.

The desk itself has several part finished items, some doorstops / bookends waiting to be filled, some waiting to be made, a stack of books waiting for me to attach the covers, (which are in one of the boxes under the desk).  All of which need to be finished for Dolgellau Thursday Market.

And finally, tomorrow (Thursday), there will be a small giveaway on this blog in recognition of all the generosity out there in the blogging world.

Handmade Monday - Technology

Singer 347 - complete with zig-zag stitch

Handmade Monday is normal the post where we show you what we have created with our own fair, crafty hands, but today I thought I would introduce a bit of repair to group.

I was given this sewing machine through the freecycle system ( you list things you no longer want, and someone collects it for free, or in my case, you ask for a sewing machine and someone realises they have gathering dust that belonged to their mother.).

I was told the machine was in perfect working order when it was put away.  Unfortunately whilst that may have been true, its 10 years or so in a box had slightly stiffened up the joints.  Also, the little toolbox had become seperated from it, and so it arrived with no bobbins.

Singer, I thought, no problem, I'll raid the handcrank machine.  However it turns out that a drop-in bobbin is a different size.

With the wonder of the internet I found a site that sold bobbins for this model.  They arrived in 3 days.  I loaded one up, but boy was the tension miles out! It took some time to persuade the machine it wanted to behave.

However now that I had the machine up and sewing, I felt the motor was a bit sluggish, so I assumed the belt needed replacing.  Once again I began searching the web to find out if it was possible to get a new belt.  Not only did I find somewhere to buy the belt, but I even found a blog that showed me how to adjust it.  I left a comment on the blog and by this morning the blogger had offered to e-mail me a copy of the manual, all the way from Indiana!



My machine was manufactured in 1965 I think, (obviously there is a website to type in your serial number to work out the age of the machine too).

So by the now my 2nd hand rather tired Singer Sewing Machine is like a brand new machine.

As thanks to the wonder of the internet and the generousity of fellow bloggers, I shall be arranging a small giveaway on Thursday if you wish to call by.

Foot note below




Footnote (pun intended), if you were wondering, this is the generic free motion embroidery foot above a piece of cardboard.  I haven't found anyway of dropping the feed-dogs so I have covered them up!

WOYWW - Far too much

Look at the state of that!

I don't know about you, but taking part on What's on your workbench Wednesday gives me a great opportunity to realise what shouldn't be on my workbench.  Why can I only spot things in the photo?  I hadn't realised it was this full, even though last night I worked on the ironing board!

I am currently covering a batch of books, the drying ones are in the foreground. Mid-way back is a batch mid-way through the process, and the background is a batch of completed doorstops.

However the rest of the table is chaos and debris, including my daughters blanket for her 0-6 month car seat.  As my daughter is now 5 years old, I have absolutely no idea why it has suddenly appeared at the back of my table.  I shall have to check last weeks posting to see if it was there then.

So I thought I'd give you an after photo.  After the kettle had boiled.

Whilst the kettle did its job, I tidied up.

Now in truth, I still can't use that side of the table as on the floor are two sewing machines, one hard sewing machine cover and two vacuum cleaners.  But I promise that once I have posted this, I shall work on moving them.

Handmade Monday - I'm stopped.

I am completely doorstopped

Hello Handmade Monday, haven't you come around fast?  This week I have been juggling working with half term - 2 children and no formal childcare.

I've agreed with Funki Blue in Aberystwyth my 'range' to complement my fabric greeting cards.  One of the products we agreed on, is doorstops.  But lets not beat about the bush, doorstops are not for posting.

So I thought if I concentrate on producing them first, then they will definitely be ready whenever I can borrow the car and go to Aberystwyth.

I have just been filling a batch, but was called back after my (very nearly) 3 year old had a major crisis - he spotted a hole in his sock! So I have a batch to fill, a batch to sew and then it all starts all over again.

WOYWW - Feathered friends.

My desk

Hello folks, and welcome to another What's on your workbench Wednesday.  Now the one thing you can be sure about is when you reach my blog, there are no staged photos.  Nope, my photos always tell it how it is - messy.

Now compared to many weeks, this weeks workbench is tidy.  But I can assure you it isn't necessary to have around 50% of that stuff on the desk.

So what is going on?  Why has a flock of chickens appeared?  Well Funki Blue in Aberystwyth are stocking my cards, but they asked for more.  Not more cards, nope, more things, a 'complete range'.  Well what an opportunity!

I've begun with the simple stuff, so on my desk there is a flock of one abandoned chicken card, (used for measuring), one doorstop, one notebook, one trinket box.  I am waiting to hear if any of these are worth persuing, before doing anymore, in the meantime I shall be starting on a few more ideas bouncing around in my empty little head.

Pop over to Julia's and see if I am the tidiest pupil this week (don't worry I haven't got my hopes up).

Handmade Monday - ahead of schedule

Handmade Monday is hosted by Wendy over at 1stuniquegifts and surely means you post on a Monday? However, I am being highly organised this week and writing this early, because I know I will be busy tomorrow.  My college friend is coming to visit and we haven't met up since these two, were this size.

A few weeks ago I posted my early attempts at dumfing.  I thought you might like to see how my 'skill' is developing (OK the word skill is a little premature).

My first landscape, it is supposed to be Cadair Idris Mountain from Dolgellau

Bluebell woods

A field of daffodils

Twiglet has been very helpful, and I am hoping that she will spot her input my next post about dumfing. (Just putting this correction in quick  - dumfing is Twiglets word for needlefelt, 'cos of the noise her embellisher makes - me I just use a clover needle).

In the meantime I have a house to tidy, and blogging techniques to perfect, as my friend said she wants to ask me some questions about blogging.  So next week you may see my profile change to Blogging Consultant.

As a prelude to such a role change I thought I would let you into a little secret that Wendy at 1st Unique gifts told me, (at this point you realise that my friend ain't going to gain much knowledge from me, but I'm very good at getting it from everyone else).

How do you 'follow' 1st Unique Gifts if you are on blogger (or follow anyone else on Wordpress)?
On your dashboard page, scroll down below your reading list, and you will spot add, click add, and paste the relevant url.