March Calender

I am having a slight problem in uploading the calendar this month. For some reason I can't get the page to load so that I can upload the files.

And I really wanted to show off the beautiful lilies I had for Valentines Day. I couldn't take photos of them sooner as they all in bud when I had them, so had to wait for them to open. However, I am sure you will agree that they were well worth waiting for.

As always, I have made a "normal" screen and a wide screen version for you to enjoy. As soon as I can upload them, that it. When I do, they will be available from the usual link on the left.

a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFhiD29dXhCl0m9F8oaklNfCGreKOJ2YnWdB3BYw9iu7TmudxB72nNU2vk0T4FvvjgplR5eaGriCMRv5Kq8WB4bLABakAEu_-BSbbACKrOQVR_evkaxENrgCvED9U-sKNm11fHZA/s1600-h/March-2010-wide.jpg">

March 2nd - Finally uploaded. Enjoy!

Raining Cats and Dogs

Somebody sent me the link to this blog and I just had to share.

WooWork.co is the blog of an innovative young man called Howie Woo and his post "Raining Cats and Dogs" will definately make you smile. I hope he doesn't mind me borrowing his photo! I am off to look at the rest of his blog.

SEO-ing

I was under the impression that I was doing pretty well. After all, if you Google for Enfys, my site comes up on the first page. However, I suddenly realised that if you Google for all the other things that my site is about, it is no where to be seen despite the fact that Biz Information thinks it is worth £5,687.13

Suprisingly, my old pipex site is worth £952,709.74!!!! Anybody want to buy it?

Think of a web site like an old fashioned Ladybird book, the ones that have a picture on one side and words on the other. A child tells the story from the pictures where as an adult tells the story from the words. In the case of a website, we see the finished pretty page and Google reads the html coding which makes the page up.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is about putting keywords into the coding of your website so that Google picks it up. It all sounds very complicated but it isn't really. There is lots of help out there, especially from Google themselves.

First of all, you need a Google account (and if you have a Blogspot blog you already have one) then you need to access Googles Webmaster Tools. Here you will find a wealth of information, all free and all aimed directly at helping you to improve your Google ratings.

They even provide a Free SEO Starter Guide to help you. Although, I have to confess, I splashed out on "How to get to No.1 in Google - in easy steps" as well.

There are quite a few basic things that you can do to improve your ratings. Make sure that each page has a unique page title and description. Use "proper" text for internal links, not just "Click here". Give your pictures relevant names and use "alt" text to give them a more accurate description. Remember, Google searches for pictures as well.

When you have done as much as you can with your site, you need to register it with Google. They will give you a code for the home page so that they can verify it is yours and when the process is complete, you can access loads of information about what Google thinks about your site.

Another thing you need to do is upload a Sitemap and tell Google it is there. This tells Google what pages are on your site and how important they are.

You can either spend ages typing out one of these yourself, or you can ask Sitemaps Pal to do it for you.

Another thing to do is to get lots of external links to your site. These links are one of the ways Google finds your site. Lots of relevant links help your rating. If anybody wants to link to mine, I won't say no.

Of course, the guide sets all of this out so much better than I can so I would highly recommend downloading a copy. And if you can afford the book, get that as well. It has loads more information in it than the Guide.

This brings me to something I have been thinking about for a while. A blog is one of the ways of getting external links to your site. I dont have any on here as it is against the rules of UK Scrappers.

After much consideration, I have decided to use my blog to help with the SEO of Rainbow Valley. This will means links to my site from here and, consequently, removing my blog from my siggy on UKS. I do have a few other things to do before I start the serious SEO of this blog though.

Like re-writing the Rainbow Afghan. This was the first pattern I wrote to sell. It was a very steep learning curve for me. As a result, it is not as user friendly as I would like it. One of the main queries I get is about the instructions for joining. So, I am going to add photo instructions to it.

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.

4 more sleeps!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't blogged lately because I haven't really had much to say. Normally my blog is full of projects I have been working on and lots of pics. But I can't craft and I can't use my camera.

All that is going to change in 4 more sleeps!

The cast comes off and I should be back to normal. Ok, so I am not naive enough to think that I am going to be able to do everything exactly the same as I was before I broke it. I do appreciate that I am going to have to build the strength up in the wrist again.

However, that is not going to stop me having a decent shower. The family have been warned that I will be hogging the bathroom for at least an hour on Tuesday night.

With Easter looming on the horizon, I thought I would remind you of these. They are all free patterns available on Rainbow Valley. The Easter Eggs shown in the picture are made with thread. I have used three strands at a time and "thread painted" them.

Thread painting is a technique where you use more than one strand of thread or yarn and change one strand at a time. This produces a shaded effect rather than an abrupt colour change.

The Easter Chicks and Easter Bunnies are made from ordinary machine washable acrylic. You can make them in anything you want to for different sizes.

There are also the Easter Baskets. This pattern is not a free one but it is available to buy as an instant download. It contains the instructions for all three baskets.

This delightful pattern contains instructions for twelve different Egg Cosies. Again it is available to buy as an instant download. Unfortunately, I can not take any orders for actual items this year as I do not know how long it is going to take me to get back to crocheting normally. If anybody wants any, email me.

And finally........

I have written an article about "Understanding Crochet Terms" which has been published on a new site, Dispense Info.

"Dispense info is an information resource for anyone who wants to research subjects and obtain valuable information from those who have expertise in their chosen fields whether that be arts, crafts, hobby or career." - Dispense Info

If you would like to contribute, pop along to the site to have a look.

Happy to be doing housework.

Is that sad or what!

But I actually managed to do some without it hurting. Not much, just enough to make it loo like somebody cares about the place.

I have learned that even though it may not actually hurt while I am doing it, it aches like mad in the evening. I haven't taken painkillers in nearly a week and I don't want to have to resort to them again because I have oer done things.

I tried crocheting left handed but it didn't work so I gave that up as a bad job.

I am getting better at using the mose left-handed. I have lost £1000's playing Solitaire Vegas Style. Just as well it isn't real.

Fortunately, I can still play Bingo one handed so my Boss has been happy for me to go to work. I did get a sick note just in case but didn't need it.

Another 25 days to go.

Not a Happy Bunny

Remember that sprained wrist?

Well, it isn't sprained, its broken.

After a week of pain that wasn't getting better, I went to see the doc. She sent me to get x-rayed at the local Minor Injuries Unit.

They told me that some of the ligaments had detached from the Radius and pulled flakes of bone off as well. They gave me a temporary splint to wear and told me to only take it off for washing. And they made me an appointment for Hinchingbrooke Fracture Clinc.

They told me it was fractured and now I have a plaster for nearly six weeks!

Its driving me loopy. I am so frustrated that I can't do anything and I keep forgetting and it hurts.

Snow Joke!

I have to tell you, I really hate snow!

I used to live by the seaside and we didn't get much. Now I live in the middle of the Cambs Fens and we get too much.

And to top it all, I slipped on some ice on the way to work last night and I think I have sprained my wrist. Of course, never having sprained anything before, I am not entirely sure about that!

And you know what that means, no crocheting! I think I might have to borrow some of my sons books to read.

However, the good news is that I have finished my 2010 printable calendar.

This year I have done the link a little differently so that you will never need to change it, I can just update the page automatically.

And having splashed out on that Mr Site package for my site this year, I know it will have a permanent home.

Also, the calendar is a little different to my usual style as well.

So here is wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas!

I finally finished it!

And it is rather large which was why we had problems finding somewhere to hang it straight!!!!

I do need to double check some of the letters but, even if I get the pattern finished before Christmas, I doubt I will sell any as people will not have enough time to make it.

Still, it was never intended as a Christmas pattern. I just made the "Merry Christmas" to design some of the letters for the main pattern.

This was part of my display at the weekend. I didn't really expect to sell much but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a fortune but it does mean a little less to bring home and stash back in the wardrobe. I am leaving the display up until Christmas and may get a few more sales. Also, we have invited other people from FenVAC to add theirs.

Its December!

And I am on time for once with the desktop calender. This is one of the photos I took on the weekend. There were loads of people there. The switching on of the lights is a very popular even in Chatteris. I was lucky enough to have permission to go up into the top floor of a building opposite to get these photos.

All I need to do now is to find some time to go out in the dark and take more photos of the lights and my X will be finished for my A-Z. Again, I have been ever so nice and made a wide screen version as well. I use a wide screen in work and have to admith that I hate the way it distorts everything. And while we are on the subject of December, the Advent Calendar is now active.

Go and see what treat is in store for you today!

Chatteris Lights

If you are in Chatteris there is lots going on this weekend.

The lights are being turned on so I plan to get the "X" for my A-Z. Ofcourse, Chatteris lights are always a big event and all the usual stuff like the funfair, FenVAC Open Studios and the Gables Christmas Bazaar are also planned.

And if you are not in Chatteris this weekend........

Why not??????????

About that new project......

I have been working hard at it, although some of the letters are proving not to be quite so simple as I thought.

This is the first name I have done, for my bosses grand-daughter.

I figured it was just as easy to work on a name as it was to start at A and work through to Z.

It is also a bit more fun.

The "P" is about 20cm tall, while the "a" and "e" are about 13 cm.

I think my next words are "Merry Christmas" in yarn for work then possibly, "Nadolig Llawen" in thread for home.

New project!

Usually, when I have finished a pattern, I am at a loss for what to get on with next.

Not this time though, I have already started it!

I used to make a whole load of quilted items which I sold. Included in these were names. You can see "Benjamin" on the wall - along with the "Pooh and Friends" set on his bed. Now I am designing all of these letters in crochet. The uppercase ones will be about 20cm tall with the lowercase a corresponding size. Of course, a REALLY long project.

I suppose I had better get off here and get on with it!

November Calendar

And it is only one day late! But I have been busy. This month there are two versions in the zip file, one for wide screen. I have been using a wide screen monitor in work and I hate the way it stretches everything. You would think there would be a setting for a widescreen monitor - but there isn't.

So I created the calendar in a widescreen shape, then squished it to a normal screen size. When it is installed on your desktop, it will all be the right shape. It does look rather wierd here though.

The Poppies are from my Scrapping Flowers and Friends pattern on Rainbow Valley.

Don't you just love it ..............

............ when a plan comes together? Hmm, maybe I have been watching too many re-runs of the "A-Team" But still, I have finished my new Christmas Lanterns Pattern on Rainbow Valley, complete with better pictures!

And to celebrate, I am giving some of the prototypes away. On offer I have one each of the Angel, Candle, Stocking and Christmas tree lanterns.

They do not include the tea lights, you will have to supply them yourself. I also have a copy of the pattern to give away.

However, you are going to have to work for them by entering a a prize draw. All you have to do is add a button or link to my Christmas page on my site, then leave me a comment on this post to tell me you have.

You also need to let me know which one you would prefer to win. The more I see of Ravelry, the more I love it. I have sold 12 patterns in the last week - which is really good going for me.

I have also had about 130 downloads on my Christmas tree pattern. And I set up my very own group< on there.

Do you Ravelry?

I didn't but I do now!

I actually joined in August 2008 but got so confused with the place that I gave up. And, just afterwards, I started the new job which took up lots of my time.

However, I have recently been re-investgating and found it a wonderful place!

Ravelry is a site for Knitters and Crocheters. It has an ENORMOUS data base of patterns which is continually added to by its members.

There are groups and forums you can join and lots of help pages.

If you are a designer, it is even better. You can add your designs to the database all for free. You can get linked to your patterns as the designer which allows you to do all sorts of things with them. Quite what, I haven't found out yet because this takes a little while to do.

However, with 1000's of users all over the world, its a resource worth using.

So, as if you can't gues, the reason I haven't been about as much recently is that I have been busy adding all my patterns to Ravelery. I started with the Christmas ones and have been doing bits and pieces of the other - both free and for sale.

Before you get linked as a Designer, it is a bit long winded as you first have to add them as project, then add them as a pattern to be able to use the photos from the project.

However, it is worth it. I have sold 4 patterns in the last 3 days and all of them have been recently listed on Ravelry.

I would like to think this is no coincidence!

The other thing I have been doing is working on some new patterns. One, a free pattern for these Christmas trees is finished. Click here for the Christmas Tree Free Pattern.

The small one (about 11cm tall) is made with Dmc Petra size 5 and a 2.00mm hook. I added brads for the decorations when it was finished.

The large one (about 16cm tall) is made from DK and a 4.00mm hook. I threaded the beads on the yarn first and worked them in as I went along.

I am about to add the pattern to the Ravelery database and, if you do make them and are a member of Ravely, add them as a project. Of course, the other thing I have bee working on is those lanterns. I "borrowed" this lovely tree to take the photos. It looks so much better than my cupboard under the stairs!

As promised........

Photos of the new lanterns First of all, here is the Candle. I wanted something relatively simple as some of the more complicated things I was working on just weren't going right.

I was pleased with the way this turned out, simple but effective. Again, please excuse the bad photos, take with the IXUS on ISO3200. But you should be used to them by now! As soon as I am able to get a decent evening, I will go out and do the decent ones on a long exposure. I just have to wait tuntil its not too windy.

And here is "SnowStorm", although I am not quite sure if that is the right name of it. Any suggestions? It is the same as "Starburst", made with 11 motifs in the smaller size bangles.

This weekend I bought some new candles, just under £5 for a pack of 6 in Wilkinsons. This is roughly the same price as you can get them on eBay and you don't have to worry about the postal strikes. Something else I have been doing recently is re-investigating Ravelery. I joined over a year ago and got so confused with the place I gave up. Now, whether it is me or them I don't know, I am finding it a bit easier to negotiate.

I have been adding some of my free patterns to their database and, when I work out what I can and can't do, may add some of the ones for sale. In the meantime, if anybody wants to add me as a friend I am Enfys on there as well. Just one more thing I couldn't resist showing you, I bought this cute little phone sock in Peacocks, only £1

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

I have felt like that a lot over the last couple of weeks.

It always seems to happen when I have an idea for a pattern that needs to be done pretty quickly, something comes along and throws a spanner in the works.

This time, it was my Dearest.

He very kindly offered to reformat the computer for the Care Home as it was playing up. So, on the Thursday evening the boss dropped it off at our home and he got to work. He did most of it on the Thursday evening and I went into work on the Friday telling her that she would have it back on Monday.

My Dearest likes to be very thorough and she probably would have been safe to have it back on Friday but he likes to play with them first. We had it on all day Saturday putting it through its paces. Benjamin even went on Facebook with it. Any minor glitches were ironed out and the puter was working like a dream.

The only problem with all of this was that my Dearest realised how slow and out of date ours are. He decided to go to PC World "for a look".

Yes, you guessed it, we came home with a brand spanking new puter.

He set it all up on the Sunday and expected me to move my 550,000 photos and files over in 5 mins flat and then complained that he couldn't do what else he wanted to do because mine was taking so long to do it. He didn't listen to my suggestion that he do his first and I could do mine during the week while he was in work.

And did I mention that we now have Vista? With Windows Mail that doesn't support Gmail? And that isn't compatible with the drivers of half our hardware?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

I am not going into the details but pretty much everything is sorted out now. There have been one of two minor casualties but nothing major. Although is did mean that I spent most of my time I should have been working on the pattern installing various software and hunting online for updated drivers or new free programs to replace the ones that don't work with Vista.

I have taken pics of the new lanterns but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow because I have run out of time!

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.

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.