Christmas cards!!!!!!

So here are my first two Christmas cards. I tend to make them a few at a time and all slightly different because I do so dislike making something twice!!

To make these I used a digi-stamp for the first time - basically an image you print out instead of stamping with ink. I coloured it with my watercolour pencils which I love because they are super quick, finished with some glitter and a peel off greeting.

(This digi-stamp came from Imag-e-nation. If you sign up to their email newsletter they will let you download a free image every week.)

I have knitted a sock!

I cast on in February, and a mere seven months later (!) I have one sock. I did have a few months off during that time as my attention span and enthusiasm for these projects tends to go off the boil.

But it is a very nice sock, so later I will cast on the other one so it is at least started. Perhaps by the end of May next year I will actually have a pair...

Mallorca holiday fun

I am out of practice for scrapbooking; this simple layout has taken me ages!

These are pictures of us having fun in the pool on holiday. I have mounted the photos onto white paper and rounded the corners.

The title and journalling are handwritten, and I have avoided lots of fussy embellishments as I think the page is already pretty crowded.

Incidentally this...

...is the mess I have made on the dining table. My inability to work neatly is a major deterrent for this pastime!

Lemon and Blueberry Loaf

I decided to make a loaf cake purely because I'd bought these loaf tin liners from Lakeland. They are bleeding marvellous!! Oh, how I love Lakeland, but I digress...

Cream 225g soft butter with 225g caster sugar.

Mix in 3 eggs, one at a time.

Add zest and juice of a lemon.

Fold in 150g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 50g ground almonds and 100g polenta.

Fold in 150g (ish!) blueberries.

Bake at 180 degrees for an hour.

I topped mine with some lemon glace icing, and the result is a yummy, moist lemony cake.

Cards for men

Just made this for my father-in-law with a stamp I bought a while back.

And this super simple one for a friend.

Chocolate cupcakes

Mmmmmmm.........

Granny square to Granny stripes...

A while ago now I decided to learn to crochet, and embarked on some granny stitch.

Well, I've decided it's finished. (ie. I don't want to do anymore.)

It's not very big, but I shall give it to Poppy for her dolly.

A few online friends have mentioned granny stripes, so I googled it and found Attic24.

I made a practise piece as suggested,

which came out pretty well.

And so, in a fit of optimism and confidence I made a foundation chain of 120 stitches (about single bed size) and began my very own granny stripe blanket!

It's only two stripes long at the moment, but I can't put it down; it's fab!!