Angels and Stockings

This can conjure up the most peculiar images but I assure you it is all perfectly innocent!

The thing is, I finished the prototype of the Angel lantern last night and am so pleased with this one I couldn't wait to share.

Again, really rubbish photos but the Ixus on ISO3200 is so much easier and quicker than getting out the tripod etc for times exposures.

She does need a little tweaking here and there but, on the whole, I am really pleased with her.

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And here is the stocking.

I just need to write the patterns for this lot now then get on with the next one.

I forgot the hanging loop and there are some ends need sewing in but the photos show the main bit.

Any suggestions for what you would like to see?

I have been good!

Not only have I done the calendar for October, I have even done it 4 days early!

The photo is part of one I took yesterday at Emmanuel church of their Harvest display.

I love the rich colours of the fruit and flowers.

Originally for my "H is for Harvest" I was planning on taking some photo of various vegetables being harvested around Chatteris. I already have some wheat being harvested on a friends farm for the first page.

However, due to lack of transport and the slim possibility of actually catching them at the right time, I decided to take up the suggestion of somebody else and use the Harvest Festival displays at the Churches.

As you can see, this has worked very well.

Also, with both churches celebrating Harvest on the same weekend, I was able to get all the photos done in one go - and finish up my pages today.

I have made a stocking lantern. No pics yet as it needs blocking. I am going to have to find something the right size the put inside to dry it as I cannot pin it to a board.

And to answer some questions............

The lights I use are LED tea lights.

They are wonderful!

You can get them quite easily on eBay but mine were actually bought in Wilkinsons. If you don't have one near you (I had never heard of them until I moved to the Fens) try your local £1 shop. They are battery powered and the batteries are replaceable.

They don't get hot, drip wax, smell, cause soot or any of the other things real candles do. This means you can use them in a whole load more situations.

I discovered them last year and used them for the residents "Candlelight Carols" in paper lanterns. No risk assessments to do and no telling residents that they were not allowed to touch them.

I haven't even thought about prices yet but they will be for sale on my site when ready.

Let there be light!

Here is my latest lantern. This one took a little working out, especial for how to get the light inside, but has come out well.

Again, both photos are quite bad as the wiere taken with the Ixus under the stairs. Some stuff it does really well and I love the ISO 3200 setting but it is so noisy.

When I take them for the pattern I will be using the DSLR and timed exposure. They should should come out much better.

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The third photo is to show you the difference in size. I am planning a few more the smaller size and one more the larger size.

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We spent Saturday in Ely. It was a bit stressful because I discovered that I only had one earring in part way through the morning. If it had been any but the pair I was wearing (Marks lovely anniversary pressie to me) I wouldn't have cared. We spent the rest of the morning retracing our steps but didn't find it. However, when I got home, there is was safe and sound on the sofa. My dear son had interrupted me in the middle of putting them on!!!!!

I was actually looking for phone. I want to get Benjamin one now that he has started at Cromwell. Originally I was going to get him the cheapest one on Tesco tarriff that I could find but saw this one while looking online and decided to treat myself using the clubcard vouchers instead.

The trouble is that they are £10 more in store than online unless you spend £30 on other stuff then you get £20 off which makes them £10 cheaper than online. And then I saw this one! I will only have to add £7.50 to the vouchers if I spend the other£30. And lets face it, topping up on veg, bread and milk for the week comes to almost that. So, I came home without one because I didn't want to lug £30 worth of shopping around with me all day and talked nice to Mark who will take me to Huntingdon one day next week.

Of course, in the meantime I have a very impatient Benjamin because I made the mistake of telling him what I was going to do with the old one.

I will let you know when I have it!

New shoes!

I have been looking at this pair of Sketchers trainers for what seems like forever!

We go in the local shoe shop regularly. Benjamin goes through his shoes so fast. Every time we go in I look at them but never seem to have quite enough enough money for them.

However, last time we went in to get school shoes, the Lady in the shop offered to put them away for me.

So I tried them on and paid her a deposit.

I did regret it afterwards as my hours had just been cut and nearly £50 is a lot of money.

My lovely red ones are wearing out. They are looking old and tatty and getting a bit thin on the soles, so I need new ones.

I went and got them when I got paid this month.

They are soooooo comfy. And I love that flowery lace.

Now this is a really rubbish photo. I took it under the stairs using the ISO3200 setting on the Ixus.

On a lovely sunny day it is the only way to get a photo to show you.

This is the first of the lanterns I have made, "Starburst". I have crocheted stars in to childrens wire bangles and them crocheted them together to make a ball. There are 11 motifs in all.

This lantern is going to be one of the bigger ones, the others I have in mind will be totally different unless I do a "Snow Storm" one with snowflakes instead of stars.

Not to everybodys taste..

..and a few days late but here is the September desktop calendar.

This is one of the turbines from the local windfarm. I managed to get right up close and shot some photos with the zoom lens.

Not everybody likes them but I love them!

First Day at School

It doesn't seem all that long ago I was dressing him in a school uniform for the first time to go to Ysgol Sant Baruc in Barry.

It was actually 7 years ago.

This week he was all dressed up ready for his first day at Senior School.

He didn't like the feel of the collar but, after telling him it had to be done up, we finally got him sorted.

Apart from the silly face, I quite like this picture.

Now all I have to do is try to get into some sort of a routine!

I know I wasn't going to mention the "C" word again but, when you design and make things for that particular season, you have to start early.

I had an order for a set of Christmas Tree decorations which I have been working on.

Unfortunately, I have run out of one colour I need and my supplier is also out of it. I ordered 3 different coloured balls from her about 10 days ago. Two arrived two days later but the one I REALLY need was out of stock. If it doesn't arrive at the beginning of the week I am going to have to phone and find out how long.

Hopefully, if it still isn't in, she will have some in smaller balls. It ends up costing more but will mean I get it quicker and can get the order done.

Of course, while I was making up the ones I do have the thread for, I kept thinking "There is an easier way of doing this" and have ended up re-vamping some of the pattern.

Silly really, as there wasn't anything wrong with the original way its just that the pattern was written over 3 years ago and my designing and pattern writing has evolved a bit since then.

I really ought to be working on new patterns, not revamping old ones, but I am having difficulty coming up with something different for this year.

I was thinking of lanterns. Now that you can get those LED battery powered tea lights, it would be perfectly safe to use lanterns made from cotton. They don't get hot and I used them last year in paper lanterns at the home with no problems what so ever.

Now to come up with some original and quirky designs. Maybe a Santa head? And a Christmas pudding? I am open to suggestions!