Only a few days late.

After posting yesterday, I went out to the local market. I have been haunting it the last couple of weeks in the hope of getting some snowdrops.

I am very disappointed in the display in my planter. I only have two there - after all those ones I planted. I am wondering if they didn't like being moved from my old trough to my new planter.

I was in luck. She had loads of pots of them on her stall. I have always been told that snowdrops are better bought "in the green" than as bulbs, as bulbs are a very hit and miss affair. I bought five pots and came straight home and planted them. Of course, the other advantage of "in the green" is that you have instant results.

The ones in these pictures are ones that I had for my birthday last year. I planted these in a ceramic pot around the Holly Tree. They were in flower in the sun and looking lovely. This isn't the best photo but I had to use the compact with my left hand to take it.

As always, I have made both a normal and wide screen version so one of these photos is going to look right on your screen while the other looks weird!

And, as always, download from the normal link on the left.

I knew this would be a mistake!

I have managed to stay away from ATCs for quite a while but after making that one last week I have been bitten by the bug!

Yesterday I spent ages designing this and printing it out on to cardstock ready to make some more. Luckily, I have an A3 printer I bought with another purpose in mind and its perfect for printing on to 12 inch card! And, although I have managed to stay away from organised swaps for the moment, have agreed to a private one. What am I getting myself into??????

That lovely lady in the new florists got me some green handmade papers on the weekend so, to celebrate going into work, I splashed out on them and finished off the Snowdrops LO yesterday. I crocheted a Snowdrop by adapting the pattern I have on my site slightly. I didn't use wire in the stem which is the basic difference.

Yesterday evening there were loads of kids outside the window. When I looked out, they were all standing in the next door garden looking at the old cistern (they are in the process of having their bathroom redone).

However, when I looked a bit closer, they were actually watching a baby hedgehog eating catfood from a bowl.

Of course, I had to rush out and take pics!

I have been scrapping!

"Real" Scrapping as well!

Unfortunately, they are not quite finished so you are going to have to wait to see them!

But you can see the digi ones I was sorting out my photos to send off for printing for my A-Z album, when I decided to digi scrap A. Part of the reason is to use the digi versions to "plan" the real versions. And part of it is because I want a digi album to share as well. I can put it on to a cd or online and it will look so much nicer than photos of the real one.

I have also used the journalling blocks from this and added them to the photos to be printed so that I can use them in the real one. This is A for Abbey. There were loads of photos and info for it that I ended up with a double one. The "Real" scrapping is for my Silk Album. I was going to wait until I sent off the other photo to do it but changed my mind.

Sorting out the photos gave me the urge to scrap so I printed them off myself. Besides, I wanted some of them bigger than 6x4 so I couldn't use the free ones anyway.

I have crocheted the bits I need for the embellies and am in the process of making the beaded embellies. I decided to stitch them on to the paper, rather than making wired ones for the rainbows.

I think I will be making a wired Snowdrop one though.

If all goes to plan I will have the Rainbow ones finished very soon and get the photos taken.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do the Snowdrops as I don't have any green handmade paper.

Also, until I start this job, I don't have any money to get some.

They are going to have to wait!

Full Frontals!

Sorry but after the last post it just seemed appropriate! LOL

However, I know these "full frontals" are ones you have been waiting for. Sorry, the pics are not the best but I did them quite quickly and, as the silks have been collected, I can't do them again. So, here are my latest silks in all their glory! I was rather pleased with this one. And I have some paper and ribbon with stars on so I needed something just like this to scrap!

This is a close up of one of the mini shooting stars. I bought the star beads for Christmas tree earrings!

And a close up of the other beads

And now the snowdrops. Unfortunately, I didn't take any close ups of this after it was mounted so you will just have to do with one from before.

I wasn't as happy with this one but there is only so much you can do with white flowers. However, the lady who ordered them was pleased with them and wants two more with Rainbows and Stars on. But she would prefer them different rather than all similar.

I was wondering about incorporating crocheted stars.........

And, while I am here, some more good news.

I entered some of my silks in and Art Exhibition for Chatteris Medieval Fair and sold the Dolphins!!!!

Still no news on the job front though.

Getting there slowly

I certainly don't seem to be doing anything fast!

On the job front, I have applied for loads and not heard anything back. I really need something so that we have a wage coming in while we build the Plumbing business up.

At least we finally got to see somebody who gave us a bit of help and I am going back to see her this week for help with my CV. We also have an appointment with "Fenland Enterprise" (although they are not called that anymore) to find out about setting up in business.

That is going slowly as well. Mark had a couple of jobs last week but nothing so far this week. He is a bit down about it.

Still, the good news is that the snowdrops are finished as well and Mark has made me all the frames for them. I just need to mount them now. So here is another sneaky peak

Ups and Downs!

My life seems to be full of Ups and Downs at the moment.

First of all, there is the prospect of appearing in Scrapbook Inspirations. I still don't know any details but have to have all the info to them by June 25th.

Then I won the UKS photography competiton. Totally unexpected but very exciting!

FenVAC are holding a one day art exhibition at March Town Hall on Saturday, 14th June as part of the March Summer Festival celebrations and I was asked if I would like to participate.

After all that hassle with Tesco they refunded the service charge. Big deal! I thought after that headache they caused me. However, in the post this morning came a £10 gift card and another apology. That will pay for the veg this weekend.

And last, but by no means least, I have had a commission for two silk paintings from the lady who bought the one from the local florists. She wants one with Snowdrops and one with stars and rainbows.

So guess what I have been doing today! These two pics are painted and backed. I have basted white behind the snowdrops and star so that they stand out. Of course they still need quilting and loads of beading before they are finished.

And now the Downs!

Last Thursday Mark had a letter "inviting" him to a meeting to "discuss how the downturn in trade affects his role in the company." That meeting was this morning. After making us stew all over the weekend about whether or not he would still have a job after today, we still don't know. He and the other manager were told that one of them would have to go and there are certain criteria they have to follow to decide which one. We will know Friday.

Back to Hooking!

In the nicest way possible of course!

The problem with not crocheting for a while is that all the ideas start piling up so that when you do start crocheting again they all want to come out at once.

This means you start at least 5 things in one go and don't get any of them finished.

And, as you start something new, something else springs to mind that you really NEED to do!

I started working on the pattern for the t-shirt. But, as it is black, I need some light relief for the evenings.

So, I made these!

They are inspired by Bee who is about 7 months at the moment. They are only 2½ cm from toe to heel and will make a great "New Baby" card!

I also made a frame for them which you can thread blue or pink ribbon through.

Then I started working on the patterns for the crocheted punctuation I used in some of my Silk Album.

However, I remembered that I had promised to make something for somebody else and, while finding the pattern I needed to adapt to make it, I saw the Snowdrop earrings pattern.

Which reminded me............

Some time ago, Mark made me this vase from a Banskia Nut.

Mam tatted the Sunflower and the leaf which is in it.

I put it on top of the TV.

But it looked lonely so I told Mark it really needed another little vase to keep it company.

He made me this one from a very pretty piece of elm.

This picture makes it look huge but it is only 10.5 cm tall.

This picture really doesn't do the colours and grain justice.

I was going to make Snowdrops to go in it.

That was about 2 years ago!!!!

However, last night, I did!

I had to finish them off this morning but I am really pleased with them.

They are a bit bigger than real snowdrops but I didn't have finer thread in green to make them smaller.

The whole of the head, including the green bit, is about 4cm.

I may redo them in thinner thread at some point.

And sell these on Etsy! LOL