Daydreaming and instagramming

I've just looked up from the computer to realise that I've just spent the past 5 minutes daydreaming about yesterday.

It wasnt one of those standout special days and it definately had its challenges, but it had a quiet, summery, chilled outness to it that I would LOVE to be replicating today.

Yesterday was all about exploring....

berry eating...

 tea party-ing...

bread baking...

and feet dancing...

(with a bit of added instagramming - in case that wasnt obvious)

I'm now back to the 9-5 day job and the little O will be having one of those days with his Grandad and Auntie hopefully. I am now sitting here wistfully hoping for my internet connection to go down because then there would be nothing else I could do, but explore... eat... play... dance... 

sigh...

The British Summer Fete

If I were going to a summer fete, it would look a little something like this…

(images coutesy of google images )

There would be games, and bouncy castles, crafts and cream teas. Aaaahhh the elusive British summer at its best. I am hoping that the 10th July will be something maybe just a little like that (although admitedly it does look slightly more like a picnic than a fete - but whos counting), as I am doing my first ever stall at teeny tiny fete at my sisters school – tee hee! It will be good practice more than anything at getting stock ready, thinking out what I need to take, seeing what sells etc in case I want to do anything more heavy duty in the future. It should be fun though! Maybe in some down time I’ll get to have a bit of candy floss and try my hand at the coconut shy! Lots of planning to do in the meantime!

This weeks creative space - WIP

This week its all about the Work In Progress (WIP). I have several things on the burn at the same time… 

First up, a messenger type bag for the spring/summer months. I got inspired by these linen and fabulously colourful Indian cottons at the weekend.

Summer in a pile of cloth that is! I’m thinking of doing something vaguely like this…

It will be mainly linen fronted with flashes of bold block colours wherever I can get them.

Next up is the summer shrug I started a few days ago. It is SLOW going!!!

At this rate its going to take me weeks, and weeks, and weeks… 

Its only simple, but feels like a bit of a mountain to climb. Its been great company during the Jury service though. In go my earphones, and on goes the Moth podcast. If you've never listened  to 'the Moth' you should totally check it out. Its live storytelling - sometimes funny, sometimes inspiring, sometimes really sad but always awesome! Click, click, click go the needles – all very therapeutic.

Finally, I’m making a little bag something like this for a soon to be birthday girl.

Its very simply going to be ribbons sewn onto felt and made into a quite tote. Happy looking isn’t it – even in non bag form!

For more crafty stuff head over to Kootoyoo.

Eye Candy to Brighten Your Monday

Sooner than I thought - a second wedding post!

As I seemed to be on a roll at the weekend, I carried on looking at wedding bits and pieces, this time with my sister in law in mind - who is also getting married next year! I dont know what the happy couple's current thinking is venue wise, but when we last spoke she had been dreaming of doing the whole spring or summer/converted barn thing. So I had a scout around for ideas that might compliment that.

Heres what I came up with:

(Again courtesy of Style Me Pretty with a bit of Oh Happy Day thrown in for good measure)

I have to confess that I love the use of unusual materials for button holes - especially this use of corn and wheat. I made the ones at our wedding from material, thistles and pheasant feathers which looked awesome! I seem to have a bit of thing for bunting too! The pictures in here remind me of village fairs at the height of summer and I had to include the little flag stirrers again - they are super cute! And dont you just love those pinwheel type things? Or is that just me? I'll have to try making some when I get the chance - they'd be great for a kids party and would give a wedding a lovely fun whimsical feel...

...Thinking about it, I'm not quite sure 'whimsical' is what my sister in law is going to be looking for, but posting just now has cheered up my monday morning no end so its all good.

As a little aside - congrats to me for finally finding a picture tool that let me collage photos together. I had been wondering how the hell everyone else did it!

In case you are still in the dark too - my way of making collages is to use Picassa. Its a great little photo viewing/ editing tool, its free and if you go to 'create' you will find the 'collage' tool - which will help you create your own multi-pictured extravaganzas. Awesome!

Have a good week!

Dreaming of summer

So I’ve been kind of busy today and have made quite a few starts on quite a few things.

Like the dress for the little girl I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Even though it doesn’t feel anything like spring yet (sadly) and summer seems a long way away, I feel like I’ve gotten past that point in the year where I can give woolly things as gifts so I’m forward planning with a summer dress for her.

I found the material I want to use today.

Aptly it’s a ‘Flower Fairy’ design. Love it! I'm going to make something kind of like this if I can:

I also made a start on a few summery type coffee mug huggies...

And attempted a knitted version.

I used a moss stitch (currently my favourite stitch) but it is FAR too big! I guess I’ll have to keep it for the larger mugs I own!

I also started a couple of birthdays presents, but more on that another day.

And as a complete aside I went over to Lewisham market today. Its always a great value for money for fruit and veg, and I came home with a complete bargain. I got a whole box of huge mangoes, most of them not even ripe yet for £1.50!!!! Insane! Anyway heres what our kitchen table looked like by the time I got back (minus the fab box of mangoes).

A whole heap of spring that is! Makes me think of salads, Vietnamese soup, maybe Chinese soup, maybe some kind of bruschetta ….mmmmmmmm!