Busy, Busy, Busy.

I've been really busy on the mini front just recently, most of it is because of the swap group I belong to. There's the usual Birthday swaps but I signed up for the Xmas Advent swap which meant 25 little presents to be posted out before the end of November, Eeek! Luckily I had quite a bit of stuff that I had made that was surplus stock but I've still had lots to do. I was beginning to think I would never get it all done but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, thank goodness! I haven't counted but I think I have only a couple more to do, next year I will have to start a bit earlier.

One of the ladies in the swap group has just had a Birthday and I sent her a needle punched rug and some roses in red, black and white but stupidly I forgot to take a piccie of the roses, never mind you've seen my roses before. I did photograph the rug though.

I posted this out from the post room at work at 3.50pm on a Friday and lo and behold it arrived with Sally Saturday morning!! On the other hand it has just taken a little prezzie to reach Karin in Canada over 4 weeks to arrive. This was one of the reasons I shutdown my eBay shop as it was too stressful waiting for things to arrive and something that was supposed to de-stress and be enjoyable became a stress maker instead. I am much happier making things for myself and making things to sell would never have made me millionaire anyway.

.

I'm off to hopefully finish my advent stuff

See you later.....

Where,Oh Where Does Time Go?

Is it really over six weeks since I last made a blog entry? I really don't know where time goes. Mind you saying that I haven't been idle, I've been working on minis for the Thingmas Advent swap, 25 little prezzies to give to someone in the group and in return I'll receive 25, one to open every day in December. I won't bore you with piccies as most of them I've made before or it's stuff  I  had in my stash of surplus makes.

Talking of the swap group, it was my Birthday last Friday and I received nine minis.

Paula

Roz

Vicki

Pam 2

Sally

Sonia

Rebecca

Val

Mandy

Aren't they great?!! Hubby got me some perfume which he gave me a couple of weeks ago because I had run out but on my birthday he gave me a Kindle!! So I've been reading as well as mini-ing. That night we went for a meal, at our local in The Lakes, and when Steve came to pay the bill it had been taken care of by the owner, so all in all it was a fantastic day.

I've decided (I think) what I am going to do with Karin's castle. I did at first think of doing a kitchen but  then when I Googled them I realised that it would detract from the beautiful stone work and a kitchen probably wouldn't have had a stained glass window so I decided on a dining hall. Silk curtains to frame the window and a simple table and chairs. I've already bought a suit of armour and the wood to make the furniture but I think I'll hold off doing any thing until after Thingmas when we stop going to the van and I will have some free weekends. 

Last but not least, please take a look at this Blog, Blake is a young man who makes some fantastic minis and is trying to fund his way through college. If you're on Facebook  like His page as well. Young people need a helping hand in this fantastic hobby.

See you later....

A Reunion, not! But That's What It Felt Like.

You may remember a couple of weeks ago that I said an internet friend was coming over to the UK for a wedding and she wanted to meet up. This weekend, after a few false starts, both of us lost internet access, EEk but finally we made it! I know some of you follow Karin Foster and that was who came to visit with her partner,Ken. They arrived Sunday tea-time so straight away we went for something to eat at a local pub and then back to ours where Karin and I exchanged gifts. Karin makes the most exquisite castles and keeps out of builders foam and she had very generously made one for me.

The detail in them is incredible and the stained glass window is beautiful
Thank you Karin! It is much appreciated. I will have to decide what scene
to put in it but I'm spoilt for choice with ideas so will wait until I decide which best will do it justice.









We then chatted all night about everything and nothing while watching the Olympic closing ceremony, Steve and Ken retired to bed and left us to it. It was just like meeting up with an old friend but all too soon it was the following morning and after breakfast they had to go. They were then going up to Windermere and then crossing over to Yorkshire and driving down to Sussex. Last night they stayed at Thirsk and were going to the James Herriott Museum today. They fly back to Canada on Thursday and I am so glad they made the effort to drive up to Lancashire to see us.

See you later.....

Birthday Raffle.

Another sunny day in May, 4 days on the trot, can we dare hope that Summer has arrived? The DH is still away on a course so I've been taking advantage of being on my own and having a lot of  "me" time and doing plenty of minis. The swap group I belong to have a Birthday Raffle every year, this is my first year, so I decided to get organised and make a start on 4 little hearth rugs. Why 4?  because 4 fit into my embroidery hoop at once. I went for a traditional design which I'm hoping will work as at the moment they look a bit bitty.  From the back, which is the side you work from, the pattern looks quite distinct,  

But the other side looks a bit of a blur, and the stems and flowers aren't all that clear. I'm hoping it will come together when I fill in the main colour.

If not I'm scuppered!! 


We are now at the end of June and the weather has been awful, rain, rain and more rain. I'm not scuppered, I have filled in the main colour and the pattern is now a lot clearer. I don't know if you can tell from the photo but two rugs have been filled in.

I find these little needle punches rather therapeutic and as long as I concentrate I can do them while watching TV, usually on a Saturday night, at the Van watching Casualty! Lose concentration at your peril because it results in stabbed fingers, which I frequently do. 

All finished and I sat back and waited for August for the raffle to take place. We've been away to the Lakes for four days and when we arrived home last night there was a large envelope behind the front door.

Aren't they great? and the best thing is I can use all of them in my dh. I've been in swaps before and received stuff that I'd have had to have made " The Olde Curiosity Shoppe " to fit them in. Roll on next month, when it is my Birthday, and I will receive my birthday minis.

See you later....