May 2015

I can't believe May has come & gone.

I started the month getting ready for VE day by making Victory brooches & completing my special window display.

Attended my friends daughter's fundraising event, she swam a mile to raise money for Little Valley Animal Shelter.

Feeling gutted at the election results :-( 

Finding out I have to wear glasses for reading, spending time with my cats, feeling stressed out at work & finishing my land girl jumper (more about that in another post)

When I look back over the month it went by in a flash & I didn't seem to have time to do very much. I'm so focused on our Shelter day at the end of June I think I'm wishing the weeks away. I hope the year slows down after that!

Victory Jumper

Back in March I took the plunge & started making my very own Victory Jumper!

I've had this pattern for a long time but I'd never got around to making it.

After working out how to re size it rather a lot...... they were so small in the 40's or is it we're so big now!!!..... I was on a roll.

I really enjoyed the pattern & found it knitted up quickly. I decided to knit it in DK to help make it larger. The only problem I had was with the sleeves, after increasing I found it was longer then it needed to be. I wanted the sleeves to be shorter & it was a real disappointment when it was finished but I'm happy with it now.

Ta-da!!!

 I love it!!

I can't believe how often I've worn it & have been asked a few time where I brought it...... they couldn't believe I knitted it!

Here it is with my 1940's flower corsage I knitted

And with my victory brooch I made for VE day

I hadn't knitted myself anything to wear for nearly 20 years but I'm cracking on now. In the last year I've made myself a cardigan

a Christmas jumper

& I'm just finishing off my land girl jumper

100g Stylecraft special double knitting

Midnight 3 balls - Claret 2 balls - Cream 1 ball

Total price = £11.34

Hours = 51 

That was 2012!

I'm back!!!

It's been a crazy week, I've had to work everyday since 2nd so time was not on my side but I've got a week off so hopefully I can catch up.

Can you believe we're already 1 week into 2013?

I was hoping this year might go a little slower but I could be wrong!

I love doing a yearly post...... I find them really interesting to look back on but if you've not interested in what I did in 2012 you can look away now!

January

Some great TV!

February 

Yarn bombing, cakes & bangs

March

Crikey & a Singalonga

April

Bargain hunting & day trips

May

VE day, Blitz anniversary, Olympic torch & I made the press!

June

Jubilee, days out & Crikey

July

More Crikey & Teddy leaves me :(

August

Sad month. Mum's 70th birthday & my 41st

September

4th blogging anniversary & even more Crikey!!! oh yeah & 2 teeth out :(

October

Day out, spotting my girls for the 1st time & getting my reading mojo back

November

My girls come to live with me! oh yeah plus 2 more teeth out! And the final Crikey.

December

Our first Christmas without Ted but we had new friends to share it with. Christmas market, crochet & generally busy, busy!

So that was 2012..... it seemed to go in a flash!

I had plans for 2012

•  Update my website for Josie-Mary & Make, Do and Mend - Yep but I need to keep on top of it
•  I'm booked in to 2 vintage fairs this year & need to pull my finger out so I have a decent amount of stock - Nope I was still panicking at the last minute! I ended up doing 5!
• Re design posters & newsletters for Make, Do and Mend - Not really!
• Learn how to use my Mac laptop!! - I'm getting better, this year I need to clean it up

In 2013 I would like to

• Get more cats!
• Sort my job out
• Pull my finger out with Make, Do and Mend or stop doing it
• Be more prepared for Crikey.... don't leave it until the last minute 
• Sort out my crafting area
• Decorate my living room & bathroom
• Slow down & enjoy life more
• Sew an item of clothing 
• Finish my crochet blanket..... think it's about 5 years since I started!
• Read more books - I've signed up for a challenge 
• Be happy!

Think that's all!

Everything Oz - A review

Have you heard about this new fantastic book??

Here's what it's about....

Follow the Yellow Brick Road and get swept along by the cyclone force of Everything Oz, where dreams are brought to life. The classic tale of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum provides the inspiration for this spell-binding and creative collection of 50 makes and bakes, ranging from a Dress-up Dorothy Doll and Toto's Dog Jacket to the Tin Woodman's Heart Garland, Cowardly Lion Hand Puppet and Squashed Wicked Witch Cupcakes. The authors of the ground-breaking craft book Everything Alice, Christine Leech and Hannah Read-Baldrey, have interpreted this perennially popular tale in their own unique way to create all the projects in this latest book in the Everything - series, which is filled with yet more original and playful ideas for the eclectic craft lover. This enchanting book perfectly captures the magical essence of this faraway land. Everything Oz is brimming with new and innovative craft projects to eat, drink and wear, so slip on a pair of Ruby Slippers and accompany Hannah and Christine on their journey towards the Emerald City. Every crafter will enjoy this book, because, because, because, because, because - of the wonderful things it does!

I was a very lucky girl last week when this arrived on my doormat waiting for my review!!

I don't do reviews/free things but I couldn't say no to this one.... you see I've been lusting after it for a while now..... just waiting for the release date ( I think it's July 5th)

As you all know I have a few craft books..... ok, ok I have lots of craft books, all gathering dust on the shelf! But this one..... boy oh boy it's different!

The pictures are a feast for your eyes... in fact I let out several little gasps as I careful made my way through it. I then looked through again & spotted little details I hadn't seen before.

There's even goodies for your own Toto!! As you know I love dogs so this has to be my favourite bit!

I decided that I was not going to show you any pictures inside as I didn't want to spoil the surprise for you but...... I couldn't help myself

Just to wet your appetite!

I think I will be making something from this book.... unlike all the others I have & I can see this making a lovely Christmas gift for 2 special friends.

You can pre-order here .... go on you know you want too!!

or find out more about it here

I thoroughly recommend it & hope to see my makes on their website very soon.

2011.....

Yes I know we're 5 days in to 2012, I've been trying to do this post for the last few days but work/life got in the way!!!

One of things I love most about blogging is looking back on past post...... it's like an online diary isn't it?

I kept a diary through out my teenage years but just suddenly stopped..... when I find them I always stop to read through.

So I'm going to do a quick round up of 2011 just to remind myself what I did (it went so quick!!!)

January
ah yes I remember Wreck this Journal...... now where is it!!!

February
Our trip to France

March
One of my favourite months of the year..... 2 weeks holiday, Cheltenham races & the sun starts to say hello!

April
The start of the Make, Do and Mend poppy appeal, the Royal wedding & the month I was told to re apply for my job!

May
VE day & spring is in the air

June
Lots of knitting & the month I was told Habitat was closing :(

July
The first vintage fair in Exeter & a 1940's event

August
My 40th birthday, my parents 50th anniversary

September
Unemployed!!! My 3rd blogging anniversary. 3 weeks off..... bliss!!!

October
Starting my new job & no time for blogging :(

November
2nd vintage fair, busy month for Josie-Mary!

December
Another Christmas......

These are my 2011 hopes & dreams that I posted on my 2010 round up..... have I done them all???

• I turn 40 :( How did that happen???? I'm still 16 aren't I??? I would like to do something special but not sure what......I was thinking of a lovely holiday but I'm a rubbish traveller....hot air balloon??? Zoo keeper for the day???? Maybe a weekend in Edinburgh???? Only 8 months to sort it out!!! Nothing special done as it happened when I was losing my job...... I might regret that!

• I must finish my list that I started in 2008!!!! or at least finish my blanket that I started nearly 2 years ago! NOPE!!!!

• Re decorate the house..... things have been up in the air as we weren't sure if we were moving but I think we're starting put so I want to sort out all those jobs that need doing & paint the living room to make it more homely. NOPE!!!

• Continue with Make, Do and Mend..... I'm hoping to set up a children's class in the summer holidays but first I need to get everything in order. Now it's getting very popular I need to get the admin side of things in place Yep! No children's class as the other group has done that but I have other things planned for this year.

• Attend more craft fairs I only did 3 last year.... the vintage fairs are so good for me I don't see the point in wasting time with run of the mill craft fairs

• Continue to sell on Folksy/Etsy Yep! Both stores are doing ok but an extra push wouldn't hurt.  I know the road I want to go down now so it should be clearer

• Complete my CV...... I'm hoping for changes this year! This made me chuckle!!!! I was talking about John Lewis but little did I know I would lose my job!! My CV is completed & I will be updating it every few months as I be looking for another job in October...... fingers crossed for JL

• Sort my back out..... I'd like a full MOT as I've been ill for months now, if it's not my back it's my stomach (pain killers are playing havoc with my tummy) or a cold. I'm going to go to the doctors in the new year & demand more tests NOPE! I never did go back to the doctors, last summer I was so ill with stress that I wasn't even worried about my back...... maybe this year :)

• To make it through the year with all my love ones..... my dad is going to be 70 in April & I'm starting to panic at the idea my parents will leave me at some point :( Yep we all made it! I hope the same for this year.... including Teddy

•  Be a better blogger.... the last few months have been so busy I haven't had time to leave comments or post as much as I would like Nope..... in fact I've been worse in 2011!!!

• Visit my friend in Lincoln....... I've been wanting to do this for years! Nope..... & with the train fares going up I can't see this happening :(

In 2012 I would like to....

•  Update my website for Josie-Mary & Make, Do and Mend
•  I'm booked in to 2 vintage fairs this year & need to pull my finger out so I have a decent amount of stock
• Re design posters & newsletters for Make, Do and Mend
• Learn how to use my Mac laptop!!

I must stop doing this in 2012!!!!

Thanks for sharing my 2011 with me

Finished project

Well another week has passed..... did you have a good one?? 

Back to work for me & I can't believe how fast it's gone.

As Monday was the last day of my holiday I decided to tackle a project that's been in the pipeline for a long, long time!

Remember these?

I brought them & posted about it in October 2009 ...... so it's only taken nearly 2 years to do something with them! It's on my list of jobs to do every time I'm on holiday but I never get around to it....... but I had a real urge to cross it off my list last week.

First I took them apart to clean

This took longer then I thought as the screws had been painted over!

Sanding down the steps

Some lovely red spotty oil cloth

Can you see where this is going?

Painting....

oh what a mess I made..... this was a plastic kind of craft paint that my dad brought me.... be warned you can't wash it off your hands!!! One small bit resulted in big red hands!!!

Then quickly putting it back together before the rain came...

Ta-da!

I'm very happy & the total price was under £5! :)

They live in the red sewing corner of my kitchen

A job well done I think

We had a customer event on Thursday night at work with 25% off..... 

we had wine

and tapas

in fact I've been eating tapas for the last 3 days!!!

I also had Olivia's birthday this week, this was the first birthday in 7 that I didn't make her anything. So that was 2 nights out...... On Friday I attended a funeral, lovely way to spend your day off!

I worked all weekend then went out last night...... so today I'm doing nothing! 

As it's raining I plan to watch movies & knit. I've been working on a rabbit toy which has worked out well so I'm hoping to make more for my Folksy shop.

So that was my week..... at least I feel I achieved something!

Hope you're all having a lovely bank holiday weekend