Liebster Blog Award

I've been paid several compliments in the last week (none about my appearance mind), and two were from my blogging friends.

The first was from Hetticraft who gave me a Liebster Blog Award saying how my blog (and my children) entertain her which is great, because I always come away from her blog smiling so if I can do the same to her so much the better.

The second was Twiglet ... and blow me down it was another Liebster Blog Award! Twiglet has been very generous helping me with my attempts at Dumpfing, so I was extremely flattered she thought of me for an award, rather than trying to blot me out of her nightmares!

The definition
The two definitions of the award varied slightly, but here is my amalgamation of the rules.

• Pick 5 blogs you like, they should have less than 200 followers, and be up and coming.
• Then get the linking bits in, so link to the awarder, and link to the awarded, 
• let everyone know, and let it start all over again.

So here goes:
1. Annabelle Serendipity: I recently came across Annabelle, she blogs most days, with wonderful photos and on any crafting subject that takes her fancy.
2. Redneedle Sewing: Caroline is great seamstress, willing to tackle any project.  She is currently taking a break from blogging due to a temporary teaching job, but her blog is definitely one to keep on your follow list.
3.Tattered Rocks: A paper crafter who likes to have conversations with her blog, often arguments!
4. Wheelers Fabrics: This is my local fabric shop, Sam has only just opened up the blog, twitter (won't catch me near that), and facebook, so I am sure he would appreciate a few of you calling by. Sam also sells online through ebay and has a good organic and fair trade range.
5.And finally Ceredigion birds33 If I leave the computer unattended I return to find OH looking at this, and it is the feathered variety. Fabulous photos often by professional photographer Janet Baxter.

WOYWW - I've moved house

the 'new' workbench

OK, so I exaggerate, but yes fellow WOYWWers (What's on your workbench Wednesday) I report to you this week from a new location.  I really can't work in the studio at the moment (due to the cold) and tired of putting the machine away each evening, I asked OH if I could put a table in the bedroom.

I haven't quite sorted things out yet, but I'm still really pleased with it, as I can pop in for half an hour and get stuck straight in.

I didn't find an extension lead, so the sewing machine ended up on the short side of the table.  Actually this is a good thing as it leaves the rest of the table for picking through the fabric.

the fabric being hugged by the hoover arm

Yesterday I had the car, so I whipped down to Machynlleth to Wheeler's Fabrics again.  I picked up some more background fabric and had a little look around for beach hut fabric.  Which means this week I shall have a bit of fun checking out what will be suitable.

Now hop off and see what everyone else is upto over at Julia's

Handmade Monday - in a sticky position

Sorry about the light

I sorry not to have joined you on Handmade Monday for the last couple of weeks but I'm back now.  Anyone that calls round on a Wednesday (WOYWW) will know what I have been up to.  I have made a little range of cards and two shops have agreed to sell them.  Unfortunately I have been trying to run before I could walk and on Saturday night I expect you could hear the screams of frustration from where you are sat.

Glue has been the sticking point.

My first lot of glue stained the paper. I trawled the internet for an advised glue but decided I needed to speak to someone, so I visited my local art shop.

I came home clutching my new lot of glue and on Saturday night I began fixing my cards in place.

PANTS, is all I can say.  Surely by definition a glue is supposed to stick? This glue was so weak it didn't even hold the card to card.

So Saturday night there I was spilling all my problems to Hetticraft, (she is so amazing that she found messenger on my computer when I didn't even know I had it, so she could ask all the right questions).  Hettiecraft not only offered several solutions she came up with the best places to buy them.

The trouble was I wanted the solution in my hand now.  My darling son awoke at 4am, so as I lay in his bed precariously balanced on the edge of a 2ft 6 bed (obviously as it is his bed, he feels he is entitled to sleep in the middle of it), I had time to ponder my predicament.

And there it was, PVA. Originally I had rejected PVA as too wet, but my fabric is thick enough not to be marked, it is just incredible slow.  All my gardening books have been brought into the pressing room, but leave them in the press too long and the card goes wrinkly.

the pressing room

If anyone has any other suggestions for quick to apply and quick to dry, non staining, strong (anything else I've missed?) glue then please let me know.  I'm off to order Hettiecrafts suggestion now.

(Oh, just in case you think I am biased: despite singing the Welsh national anthem and cheering at the end, I believe Bradley Davies should have been red carded).

WOYWW - good news I hope!

Yep I'm still working out of a cardboard box in the house

Hello, and sorry for missing Handmade Monday again, but at least I've made it to the computer in time for What's on your workbench Wednesday (WOYWW) hosted by Julia over at stamping ground.

THE cardboard box.

Well this week I bring good news.  I decided that to tout for a little trade for my cards, and I have had success.  I have invited to put my cards into a couple of shops.  (This is 100% success rate - a first for me).

So as so many of you recommended them I have placed my order with craft creations and begun a production line.

chickens queuing up for cards

sailboats awaiting a berth

OH even offered to cut out the bits of fabric, this made me laugh, as I'm not making that many.  I think in truth it harked back to his teenage years, when his older brother Russell Willis, produced a little ceramic owl, that suddenly the whole world wanted to own. OH and his brothers, found themselves dragged into the older brother's production line as they desperately tried to keep up with orders. ( I have just been and checked and Russells work for big mass produced runs are for sale on ebay, but not his little handmade owls).

So with my production run in mind, I probably won't be calling by until the weekend, but I'll do my best as my sewing eyes fail quite early in the evening!

WOYWW - the amazon effect

The wash basket has been replaced by a cardboard box!

Well today is Wedneday so 'whats on my workbench Wednesday'? I'm not really sure where my workbench is any more.  I have so many ideas rushing around in my head that every bit of craft equipment has migrated into the house.  (The 'summer' workbench, down in the studio is lovely and tidy).  This cardboard box is just part of the 'pile' that now lives in the bedroom.

The postman is no doubt objecting to this sudden diversity of interests too.  We live up a long, steep, rough driveway, and everyday a new parcel arrives to satisfy the ideas that are rushing around inside.

Do you remember back to the olden days of Kays catalogue? (My mum didn't buy from Kays, she bought from something else, but for the life of me I can't remember the name).  Anyway you would choose the item, send off your form and then wait, and wait, and wait.  The standard phrase was ' please allow 28 days for delivery'.

Then along came the internet, and finally Amazon and Screwfix, and now we expect things the next day. 

But a few weeks ago I wanted something and I trawled the internet and I could only find one company that sold precisely what I wanted.  When I placed my order it did say 7-10 days, but really, I mean that was just a catch-all, surely?

Nope, it has taken 2 weeks for me to receive 20 sample cards to put my embroidery into.  So here, finally, are a few raw edge applique cards.  But if anyone knows a source of tri fold aperature cards at a reasonable price please let me know!

WOYWW - weather warning

 Today is Wednesday, also know as 'what is on your workbench Wednesday', so time for me to confess all.

Clearly I am thick skinned, or may be just a little slow.  It has taken me until January to realise that my enthusiam for crafting has been affected by the weather.  Since the temperature dropped and the clocks went back (so basically the arrival of Autumn and Winter), my production rate has slowed to near zero.

However during the problems of the sewing machine crisis, I moved the machine from the studio, indoors.  And suddenly I am producing something every day.  So here is my new workbench.

Everything gets stuffed into the basket quickly, if I hear a child approaching!

So with this in mind I am trying to calculate the cost of moving house to gain an extra bedroom, which I can then convert into a workroom.  Even in my little fanasy land I can't figure out a way of justifying the cost, but it doesn't stop me trying.


Here are a couple of the little pictures I have produced whilst warming my toes by the wood burner.

sorry about the shadows

sorry about the shadows

However this morning (in my child-free time), I shall be moving to the kitchen.  I have to produce a quiche for a craft co-operative meeting I am attending tonight.  The group shop opened in November and we are going along to here how Christmas sales went, so fingers crossed they have sold enough to cover the cost of my quiche.

Handmade Monday - Flumpfing

Needle felting kit

Welcome to this weeks Handmade Monday.  Rather later than planned, I thought I would show you one of my Christmas presents.

I asked OH for needlefelting bits and bobs.  I explained that I needed a base, a needle and some wool and left it up to him.

OH later explained that this was really hard, as he didn't want to buy me a kit, but couldn't find one website that sold everything. Likewise he found difficulty in find a suitable mix of wool so settled on 5 shades of brown!

I haven't had as much time with it as I would have hoped.  The needlefelting bits are small enough to fit in a basket in the house, however I feel that those vicious little needles are far too tempting with the curious children who live in my house, so the kit has to spend much time tucked away.

After my initial experiments with shades of brown, I bought an additional pack of wool and set to work.  These are my recognisable results so far.

a rather chunky tree

an owl, that really needs a crescent moon

As to this weeks title? Well I came across needlefelting through Twiglets blog (a chance google hit I think).  Twiglet calls it dumfing, but somehow with a quick malapropism it has become flumpfing to me.