Where Have I Been ?

A HoLiDaY, CuB CaMp and turning the BiG 40! A busy month I Had!

Lets start at the very beginning......

Half term week saw us spend a lovely week in Derbyshire in a little village called Kirk Ireton. The weather was mostly great, but the one wet day saw us head for the Emma Bridgewater Factory.

Where we took a factory tour and then decorated a cereal bowl and mugs which turned up back home a few days later fired and glazed and looking lovely -

I may have bought one or two things from the factory shop..........

The following week saw me getting ready for the annual District Cub camp which stayed dry and reasonably warm - a couple of days to recover then.............

39 no... now 40 !

A quiet celebration and lovely meal in Southwold with hubby. I was very lucky, lots of lovely jewellery

A fossil watch, some more Pandora charms for my bracelet and lots of pretty summery coloured jewellery.

A  lovely selection of seaside fat quarters and a lovely superduper Brother sewing machine with 294 stitches! This time of year is just so impossible for craft I find, so must make time to use new machine!

I also have a lovely bunch of friends who have organised a trip for us all and children to Go Ape and a champagne picnic. Also tickets for me to go to Chelsea flower show next year and a cooking course with Humble Cake cookery at Flixton, near Bungay - Yum ! Plus, sewing books, chocolates, wellibobs and Fat Face vouchers - what a lucky person I am :-)

Lastly, summer really has been here this weekend......

Friday night I relived my youth watching Spandau Ballet live at Newmarket races - Tony Hadley singing "True" live was wonderful.

Lastly a picture of rosy, summer loveliness and a cottage gargen at its best - not mine unfortunately, but my Aunties so I will be using her as my consultant on cottage garden planting next year !

Well, I've caught up at last! I hope you are all enjoying June x

All worthwhile............

I spend my life either at work or ferrying my two children to dancing, football, scouts, brownies, cricket etc.... sounds familiar ?

Add to that, I'm a Cub Leader and wonder how I find the time.....


Then, when you see this...............




You remember why you find the time - 23 excited cubs and their leaders snowtubing!

GoOd EnOuGh To EaT SwAp - THANK YOU !

I was very fortunate to be paired up with Alex http://www.alexandramason.blogspot.com/ for my swap partner and today received a parcel of loveliness!!

A pretty cupcake hanger, ideal for my big bunch of keys !

 
A cute little bear and chocolate bath fizzs and more fizzs.....
 
 

A gorgeous mobile / ipod case and a yummy chocolate cookie keyring....

A fantastic candle holder reminding me of scrummy chocolate fondant fancies....

Silicone cupcake holders and a yummy recipe for chocolate caramel shortbread......

Now this lemon meringue soap really is good enough to eat!!!!!!

Thank you Alex, it is all lovely x

So Lucky to live here..............

Just a quick blog today. My daughter has Clover Brownie Bear this week to look after - anyone who has had this before will know the routine.........Look after said soft toy........take it out and about (whilst trying not to lose it!)....... looking in the "diary" ..... seeing the numerous epilogues and photos put in by the previous children (or should I say parents!)............. sinking heart feeling of what are we going to do........ then organising the week around photo opportunities with said soft toy.... SOUND FAMILIAR!!!!?????


As we had a wet Saturday, said bear made it only as far a R's tap exam as the lucky mascot and Sunday was to be a lazy day at home. However, as photos were needed, we wandered down to the local museum and then to the river....  looking at this scenery, I would say Clover bear is very lucky to live where she does!

p.s. Good Enough to Eat Swap - if you would like to see what I sent ....



 
or look at Alex's blog for some far better photos.
 
Linda x

What a HOOT !

This wise old owl can't seem to be able to predict the outcome of tonight's election !

This week has been busy, busy, busy ! Two nights ago we lost the hamster ! The children were in bed and my hubby let him out for a play in his ball. After a few minutes of constant bashing, it went quiet only for us to discover he had escaped - He was found quickly BUT behind the boxing in of the pipes behind the downstairs toilet ! He was eventually coaxed out without waking the children!!

I bumped intoMrs BoBo Bun http://www.mrsbobobun.blogspot.com/ in Fat Face Wed morning and had a nice catch up - several years since our children went to Presma. Check out lisa's blog it is inspiring.

Also R has been busy crafting for her Brownie badge ........

After much concentration.......

The finished lavender sachet - and very proud she was too!

This weekend son is on a Scout camp ( after a compromise of coming home early Saturday teatime as he has his SATS next week.........), 7 a side District Cub football for me and hubby refereeing and a tap exam for R, not much time for crafting I think!!!

Have a lovely weekend.........

Linda x

A Blog Award !

Thank you Julie and Swedish House for this award !

I now need to tell you seven things about me !

Well...................here goes.............

1. I am 5ft 11" and grew up not impressed at being the tallest in the class but now as approaching middle age it has its own advantage of helping to disperse weight over a larger area!!

2. I celebrate the big 40 in June!

3.I have been a Cub leader for 20 years ! Yikes.......

4. My fav meal in steak in red wine and garlic and rosemary wedges cooked by hubby on a Sat evening :-)

5. I have always crafted from a very early age, I hate twiddling my fingers and having idle time.

6. I am hoping to train to teach one day........

7. I am enjoying blogging and swaps!!!

Nothing too earth shattering but suffering from a stinking cold so not very inspirational at the moment I'm afraid.

Linda x

A lovely Break and Lost Tooth!

Well we have been on holiday enjoying the sunny weather in our little part of the world. Southwold was the first port of call with yummy fish and chips down the Harbour Inn - Hubby and Father in Law spent the afternoon on an Adams Brewery tour - whilst I took the kiddies for their first crab fishing session of the year at Walberswick. Alas not many crabs about but lots of gloopy mud !

This followed with one of my favourite days out of the year - The Spring Fling at the Norfolk Show Ground, this must be the 4th or 5th time we had been and it lived up to expectations again.

After trying out the machinery, it was on to a little thatching..........

I can't praise the day highly enough - £6 a person (inc a hog roast and apple juice) - full of hands on activities, giveaways from seeds to sausages, milk to keyrings and educating the children all about farming and the countryside and they don't even realise, they are too busy having fun!

Then we went to see the beautiful majestic Suffolk Punch Heavy horses at Hollsey Bay

A wonderful sight, especially seeing the magnificent horses galloping so gracefully in the fields.

In amongst all this jollity, R lost a first front tooth - knocked out by a swing in the garden - my beautiful girl's smile is taking some getting used to!!!

Lastly, I have had little time to doing any sewing, but ran this up last night...

Too nice to give away I think.....

That's all for now, until next time

Linda x

Beach Huts !

Just a quicky blog to show you a doorstop I made for a friend's birthday this week.

Each summer they have a beach hut in Lowestoft

and so it gave me the perfect theme for the present!

Each hut on the doorstop is named after a family member....

Must go, battling with uploading on ipods and a new camera (at last!) to master.

 I'm very near to 40 and becoming a techno-phob!!

Linda x

CoLoUr SwAp LoVeLiEs

Thank you to JoJo Designs http://www.jojodesigns-jo.blogspot.com/ for my lovely Colour Swap parcel It came to work and was a lovely surprise as I was expecting my husband's coals for his BBQ he had ordered!!

My colour was purple and what a delightful lot of handmade items I received!

The cushion my favourite item ! A lovely little make up bag and soap...

An Easter chicken (a favourite with the children), tissue holder and shopping bag.

Thank you very much Jo  :-)

Jo's colour was green. I decorated a cushion using Poppy Treffry Free style embroidery

( much harder than it looked!!), and Easter bunny heart,chocolate, smellies and ribbon.

HaPpY EaStEr to you all!!

GoOd EnOuGh To EaT !

I have signed up for this lovely swap.

Why not pop over to Ems Shabby Shack www.emsshabbyshack.blogspot.com

and sign up right away!

Linda x

CUB MAKES AND A RARE SIGHTING

What a busy few days and a funny end to the weekend - I'll come to that in a minute.....

Firstly, We have been doing our Astronomer Badge at Cubs and I thought I would share with you the planet solar system as made by the Cubs..

The photo doesn't do it justice - it involved paper mache and paint - Am I mad ? YES! The enthusiasm around the Space theme was fantastic, really caught the cubs imagination and so much easier to take in when it is very visible and made by them!

Then it was Easter craft night tonight involving the inevitable Easter egg hunt and chocolate nests and this little chap...

Apparently there were comments about Pete the Duck from Harry Hill ?

Sunday afternoon was a walk around our local RSPB reserve where we saw a Tawny Owl roosting and deer in the reed beds. As we left, we drove into a moment of madness! A Lesser Kestel had been spotted in the field on the exit road (as it turns out, a very rare bird with only a handful of sightings since records began in Victorian times and never recorded in Suffolk!)

The twitcher hotline had obviously been in action and the single track exit road was blocked by a trail of cars, acting as if on a fire shout, all heading to the reserve.

It was totally bonkers and we were caught in the middle of it!

But yes, we did see the bird in question and apparently it has drawn a large crowd again today. It is amazing how something such as this changes the whole dynamics of the day.

We have also been busy on the field this weekend, 8 rows of spuds planted, beetroot, carrots, spinnach, sping onions and raddishes planted and seeds sown in the greenhouse. Now Tim and I are complaining of neck ache, backache etc....

Time to go now and start planning the Easter weekend.

Linda 

Aprons and Lots of Ideas

Isn't this week flying by...........!

Well, firstly my trip to the Stitch and Craft Show was a great day out

and I would recommend a visit next year - however ...........

It did set me back a few pennies ......................

Clarke & Clarke material for aprons I think or cushions, perhaps with,

Some Lazy May embroidery panels sewn into the middle !!

 These are fab iron on transfers ( bigger than the packet)

 I chose a heart, spiral wording and cupcakes,

check out the website for other designs.

We took part in an hour tutorial on applique and learnt couching

- I have that to still finish !

I even managedto fit in a brief trip to Ikea at Thurrock on the way..

The stripe material is for a floor cushion for "R" -

a bargain £4.99 for 3 metres, as was the red material!

Finally, I have been working on an apron

 for my sister in laws birthday

and then "R" thought she might like one

for the "help" she gives me in the kitchen!

I really pleased with them -

 I chickened out of using the Poppy Treffry free stitching

for the cupcakes (perhaps next time.)

Until next time.........

Linda x

Please HELP!! Easter Crafts with the CUBS!

Hello to you all,

I will be blogging later this week with some finds from the weekend trip

to the Stitch and Craft Show at Olympia - a great day out!

Today started with frogs having fun in our pond (no frog spawn yet though!)

and finished with hubby and I chasing a rogue bee

 which had found its way into a sock on the washing line

 and was fighting its way out of the ironing basket! Spring must be here :-)

Cubs next week is the obligatory Easter theme night

before the end of term and I could do with some new craft ideas !

 I have 24 polystrene eggs and 24 little fluffy chicks

 - Inspire me please !!!

I look forward to your suggestions.............

Linda x

Springtime Tilda Swap THANK YOU KAREN !

This morning, I had a rare day to please myself,

the sun shone, I lunched with friends

and my tilda Swap parcel arrived!

Thank you to Karen, my Tilda Swap Partner -

Make sure you check out her blog! http://www.karensplaytime.blogspot.com/

I received some lovely bright packaged gifts.........

The snail from the new Tilda Summer book is fab -

 I much prefer this to the little pests

I find in the greenhouse eating my plants......

The two embroidered hearts will complement my bedroom perfectly

 and the card and matching notebook added bonuses !

 (There were some chocolate bunnies

 but they lasted no time at all - shared with L & R!)

THANK YOU KAREN :-)

My first swap received - how lovely!

I went a bit bunny mad on my theme for Karen ............

Spring must be in the air!!!

Linda x

Alice.........Painting.......and Stitch and Craft

Hello, this week started off with taking my Mum and daughter to see the new Alice in Wonderland film

- Brilliant entertainment from start to finish.

R's favourite characters were Tweddle dum

 and Tweedle Dee (AKA the wonderful Matt Lucas)

whereas it take a lot to beat Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter for me,

(mind you, I must admit the Pirates of the Carribean Johnny is my fav!!)

Enough dreaming..........

The plan this weekend is to decorate R's bedroom.

Like most 7 year old girls, it is a clutter of bit and pieces and more bits.

 Today the worst of it is over - yes clearing the room to be able to paint!

I no longer have a single room upstairs not cluttered up with the contents of said bedroom! At present my craft table is housing a playmobil hospital

and the sewing machine has disappeared from view!

Never mind we must get it finished at the weekend

as next weekend I have a weekend away with a dear friend

 and a trip to the Stitch and craft Show at Olympia on the Saturday - yipee!

If any of you have been - I would welcome your comments! I will of course have the handy plastic at the ready!

Linda x