Birthday cards

A birthday card for a fellow cardmaker, stamped and hand coloured.

A card for my mother-in-law, cupcake is stamped and hand coloured.

And a card for my mum, a perpetual dieter! Stamped and coloured again.

With another picture on the back!

Mama made Monday - felt food

I've said before I'm not the sewing sort, but last summer I had a bit of a fad on making things with felt.

The cake was made using a kit my husband bought for me, but the sandwich was created entirely from my imagination!

Of course there were grand plans to make enough stuff for a pretend picnic - but that plan has yet to come to fruition! Poppy does like playing with the cake though, so more cakes might get made soon.

An unseasonal scarf

I bought this shocking pink snowflake pompom wool for £3.99 in a sale, and couldn't wait for winter to knit it!

Soft burger rolls

Home made bread is great, but sometimes you don't want it crusty!

These rolls are lovely and soft, great with burgers.

This recipe makes 6 generous rolls.

Mix the following ingredients into a dough; 1 egg, 4 fl oz milk, 3 tbsp butter (actually I used I can't believe it's not butter!), 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 cups bread flour and 1 1/2 tsp yeast.

Knead well, and leave to rise until doubled in size.

(I do all this in the breadmaker.)

Punch down the dough and divide into equal sized balls, place on baking tray and leave rise for 20 - 30 mins.

Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Bake for 15 minutes at 200 deg C.

Mama made Monday - my first knitting project.

(Yes, I know it's Tuesday.)
This is a lovely idea started by Talie on her blog "Being Me." The idea is to share things you have made for your children - feel free to join in!

So this is the first thing I ever finished knitting!

I learnt to knit as a child, producing an ongoing scarf of odd bits of wool.

When I was a bit older I remember starting a tea cosy. And maybe a cardigan.. But I never finished anything.

So, pregnant and bored I decided to try again.

I started with a pattern for an intarsia blanket which I quickly abandoned in favour of knitting the humble square. Okay, so the stitching together isn't that neat, but it works as a blanket.

Still pregnant and still bored, I decided to knit a back piece to cover up the untidy stitching, and I finished that too. Which, to be honest, made a rather warm pram blanket for a June baby.

It didn't get an awful lot of use, but now it sits on Poppy's bed engulfed by soft toys. And reminds me that it is possible to finish something!

Hand tied bouquet

In my new role as wedding planner I have turned my hand to floristry.

This is my first hand tied bouquet using just £3 worth of roses from Lidl - lots cheaper than a florist!

It's actually very easy - you strip the leaves from the stems, then place them in your hand one at a time, making sure the stems cross each other. Tie some ribbon around them, cut the stems to equal lengths and hey presto - hand tied bouquet.

Wedding Invitations; second prototypes

My friend liked the purple colourway so here's practice number 2.

And she wants to send the cupcake card to all the children, so I also made this one in purple.

Blackcurrant jam

Because my neighbour practically begged me to take some blackcurrants off his hands!

Wedding card

This is just made from some printed rose paper and some ribbon.

I printed the words from the computer onto cream card and added a couple of brads.

Wedding Invitations; first prototypes

A friend has asked me to make her some wedding invitations, which is very exciting, but rather a big responsibility!

This is the first design I've tried - just made with coloured paper and card and some ribbon.

Then I made this one; I like the colours and I also like the complete simplicity.

Then something a bit fancier. I made this with a cupcake stamp, hand painted. The colours aren't quite right - the card is chocolate, and the ribbon needs to be more pink.

My 100th post ... and I've won an award!!

Thanks Roof at Roof's Greenerlets!!

I am very honoured, and it's made me think why I started this blog.

I suppose really it's a way of showing off.

LOOK WHAT I'VE DONE!!!!

I've always had some show-off tendencies, and you won't find me blogging about collapsed cakes, burnt biscuits or knackered knitting! I only show you the good stuff!

I read lots of other blogs and admire those of you who are able to share your innermost thoughts, your worries, your disasters as well as your triumphs. Perhaps I need to develop a more serious streak... except streaking just reminds me of those late nights in college, more than slighly drunk, when streaking was a happy pastime!

But now to pass on the award to some blogs I like to read.

Scented Sweetpeas who writes lovely words with lovely pictures, sharing lots of lovely ideas.

My Handmade Haven who I know has lots of nominations for such awards but I love to see the stuff Shell makes.

And also to

Pippa who is very good at the the sharing, emotional stuff as well as crafting!