As good as new

I thought I'd just quickly stop by and show you who's just had a well deserved clean all ready for her photo shoot debut tomorrow. Bless, I adore my sewing machine. She is so clever, this side she's a sewing machine, switch the little handle (at the bottom front) to the right and she spins round to become an over locker!! She was a gift from a family friend and I am so grateful. My little sewing machine is the whole reason I started bagladee, so it is only fitting that she will be with me tomorrow at the next stage of bagladee- an author!! He he, it still sounds ridiculous when I say it :D

A little less crazy...

You'll be pleased to hear that yesterday was slightly less crazier than Monday and today even less :) Last night I worked on some prototypes for Friday (photo shoot) and managed to finish this (to the left) sorry for the teaser photo but I cant reveal what it is just yet......maybe tomorrow.

I even managed a little bit of relaxing in front of the TV watching the Mexico City leg of Redbull X Fighters, which we are going to see at Battersea Power Station on the 22nd Aug....so cant wait!!

Today there has been....

....sleeping through my alarm til 8:10am yikes, the craziness of trying to get ready, a horrendous day at work, staying til 6 to catch up, Tesco's to pick some bits up, a cup of tea and a biscuit (alright, it was 2), cutting pieces for the photo shoot, ironing on interfacing, stuffing a cushion (photo's soon), cleaning the kitchen, tidying, then the mahoosive task of tackling my ironing......12:15am I am done!!! Phew!! Time for sleep :) nite xxx

Its not very often I get to show off.....but (edited)

look at this!!! Its me....well not me, one of my bags!! I have been bursting for ages to tell you all I was going to be in issue 9 of Sew Hip and I nearly gave it away a while ago with a sneak peek of this bag. But some how I managed to contain myself.....well not really I was going to post about this tomorrow but since a fellow blogger had spotted it and commented on my last post, I was beaming from ear to ear and just had to post about it.

They even asked for a little mug shot of me to stick me in with the featured contributors......**blush**

That's it my name is in 'proper' print now, look Mama I'm famous!! (Well almost) ;)

They took some awesome photo's of my bag, so thanks to the Sew Hip team for asking me to contribute to the magazine and doing it justice.

I cant wait to get it back, this is going to be my bag.....I don't normally keep any that I've made but this one is special.

I feel like skipping!!! La la la la........can you see my grin from there??? Next on my conquer list is "the book".

Just found out that this issue isn't on sale to the general public until 29th it was the subscribers that received theirs early :) My friend Andrea and I are off to a craft fair today!! Yippee, haven't been to one in ages. So that will be fun....rain rain go away come again another day.

Studio update!!

I've been lacking in the updating lately so I thought it was time for a bit of a catch up, have you got time? Go on then, put the kettle on.....

The two major projects that's going on with me and bagladee are the studio/loft conversion and writing my 'How to' craft book. I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I was taking Friday and Monday off work to work on my book. So far I've managed to get all the text written, although I think it definitely needs proof reading and tweaked a little, but the main bulk of it is done :) I also found time on Monday to cut out all the fabric pieces which I will need for the photo shoot a week on Friday (exciting!!!) just need to cut out all the interfacing pieces and write a list of all the things I will need to be taking.....sewing machine, equipment etc. And we're nearly there!!! The other half is going with me for support (creatively direct) which eases the nerves a little.

Secondly do remember this collage and how the beams looked in the loft??? Quite dark (which was coal soot), gnarly and well not very pretty at all.

Well Gary the plasterer is due back next week and after all the sanding this weekend gone, they now look like this!!!!

Aren't they pretty!!! Excuse the photo collage I thought this would be the best way of showing them off....what do you think? They are all ready now for a natural matt coat of lacquer and then once dry taped off with newspaper to protect them whilst Gary is plastering the walls. I'm so giddy I could burst....it wont be long now until I can get everything up there and poor Chris can have his room back :/

From fuzzy to felty

Feeling slightly less fuzzy headed today and a little bit more energetic I thought I'd pop in a quick post. About a couple of weeks ago I bought these two books from amazon. Not really to make any softies but to get a little bit of inspiration. I love to read craft books and see other peoples techniques, it gives me fuel for thinking up new ideas. These books particularly caught my eye so I thought why not, could do with some new ideas.

Also today I managed to do a little more on the birthday gift, but this is all you're getting until the birthday girl has received it (yes its you Andrea) :)

Lastly, I've just embarked on a collaboration project with my bloggy friend Rachel, which is both scary and exciting all at once :) I cant really say anything about it yet but all will reveal by us both soon!!!

P.S Domino's was amazing!! ;)

A bit of a wash out....

I haven't felt too clever today, which has made my well planned Saturday a bit of a wash out. There was supposed to be a lot of writing, a bit of crafting, some sanding, some list writing, some blog making and well not a lot was accomplished :(

The reason why? Most probably due to the fact I was woken up AGAIN (4am) by people who don't know how to be considerate to other people who live in their street. I suffer from migraines and today was a a mother of one!!! Not like me but I had to stay in bed until 11:30am just so that I could function enough to have a cup of tea.

I did however manage to start a birthday gift (cant say as said birthday girl reads blog) and helped the other half with a bit of sanding at tea time. Starting to feel less fuzzy now were going to have a treat and order Domino's :D that should sort me out.

Tomorrow I plan to fit everything that was on the list today in and more. Maybe I'll have some photos to share.

Walking with Dinosaurs

We went to see this last night at the arena and it was amazing!!! I'd bought the tickets for me and Chris about a month ago not really knowing what to expect. But then he saw 2 of the smaller Dino's in town when they were advertising the show. He said they looked great so I was really looking forward to it.

And I certainly wasn't disappointed, there was a guy (palaeontologist) who narrated the whole show from the floor and introduced the Dino's and told us all about the earth and how its transformed and that Dino's roamed the earth for 170 million years!!!

They were so life like, which for some of the smaller children was quite scary......the show was brilliant. I think we were just about the only couple there, it was mostly families or Dad's with their sons, which I thought was really nice to see.

They were all impressive, Stegosaurus was huge!! But this lady was even bigger!!! A female T-Rex, the size was just astounding, very scary!! She was easily as big as our house, well you can see the narrator in the background, he barely comes up to her knee.

She also had her baby with her, very cute.

The little one was mimicking its mother when she roared at the crowd.

Hard to believe that little Dino turned out to be as big as its mother.

Obviously these were all animatronics, but wow what technology. For the children it was magical, for me and Chris it was just amazing how we can replicate such a life like show. If you have children and the show is coming to you, you should go and see it!!! It is well worth it, not the real thing of course but as close as you're gonna get.

Updates of the crafty kind

Along side completing my cushion for the sewing room/studio I've been busy beavering away, which has left me being unable to switch off even when its 2am and I'm needing sleep for work the next day. I just cant help it, when there are things to be done, I do them, regardless. Which is part of the reason I have booked Friday and Monday off work. There are many things that need finishing off and the amount of normal hours in a day that allow me to craft just aren't enough.

On more of a leisurely pace I have been tinkering away with my website, I call it a work in progress because I think its always going to be changing, plus it would be boring if it just looked the same all the time. I've changed most of the text and have moved and deleted some of the pages in the hope of it flowing better. Next on my list is to change the images.....

As I am planning on listing a new range of items I have reduced all of the pouches and fabric purses, having a bit of a clear out :) also as an extra special offer for readers of my blog, if you quote: NEMO you can have an extra 10% off or if you buy a felt brooch you can choose another one absolutely free.


Keep an eye out over the next week as there will be some MAJOR reductions on some of the bags too!!!!

I know I haven't mentioned the book for a while, but that's simply because I've been writing the step by step instructions as we are doing the photo shoot on 31st July :o/ nervous is not the word. Its OK when I'm sitting in the spare room sewing away but actually having someone standing over you saying "OK, stop just there, that will be a great shot" is a little daunting.

Its all starting to feel a little bit real now, to the point that when I think about it I get butterflies in my stomach!!! Also in the pipeline for those who buy Sew Hip Magazine there should be a little gem of mine in next months issue which is due out 29th July.

Comfy cushion for a lovely crafty space

Following on from the progress in this post I finally got my little project finished this weekend.

Flowers and petals were sewn to the cushion piece.

All ready to be sewn together.

And here it is :) rather pleased with my cushion which will sit on the black rocker once the room is finished.

These are 2 other cushions in a similar colour scheme which will be in the room.....somewhere ;)

And with a closer look you can see little diamantes adorning the flowers.

I even added a bagladee tag....just so I know its one of mine ;) ha ha

Earth needs our help!!!

If you are a reader in the UK did you see Dame Vivienne Westwood on Johnathan Ross on Friday night?

Vivienne is definitely one of my favourite 'designers' and has always been an inspiration to me throughout my time at college and University. I love the creativity and 'no holds barred' to her designs....at early times for being very controversial and others for just being 'Out there!'.

In her new manifesto she encourages people to stop spending money on all these clothes to 'look like everyone else' and start saving your money, give new life to old clothes....ironic I know coming from a fashion designer who has built her life and career on people buying her products.

What amazes me is her passion for getting the message across that the world needs our help and that if we don't do something soon then its going to start a fast chain reaction and our world will be past the point of it being 'fixable'. The more I think about what she said the more saddened and scared I feel. We're all guilty of contributing to it.....so if it is as bad as this then why isn't the government stepping in and passing a bill??? Even if only half the worlds countries got involved surely that would make a difference?? I know that we are a consumer world but I just think that we are too obsessed with money and its become more important than the planet we live on.

I know a lot of people will criticise Vivienne for being a little hypocritical, the fact that her business is built on consumerism and that she jets off on aeroplanes to different cities on a weekly basis....but you have to give her credit for caring, that's got to be the starting point right?

I want to live in a world where I know that my future generations aren't going to suffer from climate change....and that we wont have to witness the extinction of the rain forests or polar bears. A bit heavy for a Sunday I know, but if this was something that the government took control of we could all change the way we live....stop being so obsessed with what we've got and focus on quality of life and the life on earth.

She made me think about it.....so if she made 1 person in every household also think about it then that's a pretty commendable accomplishment on her part.

I crafted....I did!!!

I made these little felt purses the lovely sunny day I took off work a few weeks ago but only just had time to adjust the photos and even managed to list two of them in my etsy shop!

This one is listed here

Each little purse has a double layer and a co-ordinating applique flower

(available here)

and in the centre a sparkly little diamante....my fav!!

(available here)

The first photo's I took of this black and white purse needed retaking so I've updated them in my etsy shop here

I want to ask you all a little favour.....my friend has just started her own blog and etsy shop and has had some devastating news this week and I think it would be lovely if when she returns to her blogging she had some followers. Please pop by here and take a look. Thank you :) x

Off to see Transformers at the cinema now....see you tomorrow.

Oliver! What are we going to do with you?!?!?

My regular posting routine has totally gone out of the window this week and my blog is seriously lacking photos.....not that I have actually got any to post :(

Who would have thought looking after a poorly kitty would be such a nightmare!?!? Thinking of naming him 'Conan' the destroyer or maybe 'Harry' Houdini. Sleeping is getting slightly easier, but trying to control him is not.

So far this week he has nearly made himself hoarse with all the meowing he's been doing. Monday was really tough at work as I was so exhausted from the weekend, Monday evening he managed to brake the bedroom blind (one of those wooden venetian ones) by trying to use them as a ladder to escape out of the upstairs window so that has to be fixed tomorrow. Yesterday he took his lampshade off for the 6th time and pulled one of his stitches out :( then bumped into the door and made it bleed :(

Nell (our other kitty) is getting seriously hacked off with him being in the house all the time so she's hissing at him (which is totally out of character for her as normally she adores him). Then this morning he tried to do 'The Great Escape' out of the other upstairs bedroom almost succeeding until Chris managed to grab his back legs and pull him back in. I don't think he quite gets what would have happened to him if he had got out of the window......its a very long way down!!!

There's been no crafting this week as I feel like I'm constantly wandering around.....and now I'm having to keep the windows on their latch so there's no room for escape. Feeling like I've got Cabin Fever!!

Roll on Friday when he can be released!!!

Cats, cushions, shops and chairs!

The only thing crafty wise that happened this weekend was that I finished sewing together the flowers and petals for my cushion from this post. I'm quite pleased at how they turned out considering this was one those moments where I thought hmmmm I wonder what this would look like? Well now I know :D

I also managed to get the pieces cut out for the front and back so I'm hoping to get these sewn together sometime this week so that I can show you my finished cushion.

We decided to go out yesterday morning for a few hours, mainly to let Oliver settle down and get some rest but also to give us a rest from a very stressed out, angry kitty. So we got up early and headed off to B&Q, finally decided on which tiles we want for our bathroom and extension!! Its only took us 2 years to find some!! Bought a few bits and bobs for the bathroom (accessory stuff) and a palm sander for finishing off the beams in my lovely crafty space :)

Then we ventured off to Dwell to look at the chair and rocker that I would like for the loft too, had a sit in them and decided they were a big thumbs up. We made a quick stop off to Tesco where we bought some cakes to eat on the way then drove out to IKEA......now this was great!! I bought the little black table (in this post) and lots of super duper storage boxes to go inside the cupboards that Chris has built. I am one of those sad people who will revel in organising everything into place, I was even thinking of taking a couple of days off work to really get into it!! Ha ha. I also bought some more of the little spice jars that are fab for storing buttons etc and I got these very cool metal stands that will be perfect for displaying my bags at craft fairs.

We then headed back to get all the last bits out of the loft and swept the floors ready for the plasterer to come and give us a quote. By this point Oli was back to climbing the walls.

Before I wrote this post tonight I took these photos, I just had to show you how hacked off he is at having to stay in. And after his check up today, the bad news is that he has to stay in until Friday and also keep the lampshade on until then. I think I am going to need some ear plugs!!! He is not going to be a happy kitty at all.

Sitting staring out of the window in hope, bless him!!

Not sure if you can see it, this was as close as I could get without it getting blurry. He has a horizontal cut straight across the middle of his nose and three VERY neat stitches holding his little nose together. Awwwwww he's such a little sweety.

Just a quick one...

Finally I've managed to grab a shower and sit down.....this weekend has been a trying one. What with having a VERY frustrated kitty that is desperate to go out but is not allowed. I cant say that I've slept much in the last 72 hours which has left me feeling exhausted. Oliver has not coped well at all....from being a 'most of the day' out doors cat to being cooped up for the last 3 days, has not gone down well at all. I'm sure he thinks 'there's nothing wrong with me let me go out' and doesn't understand that his nose needs to heal before he can go wandering again.

I feel so guilty every time he does his little meowe. Hopefully when he has his check up tomorrow things will be better. Not really much time for crafting this weekend, although I did do a little hand sewing and went out for a couple of hours today. I will post about them tomorrow. So sleepy....I'm off to bed in a bit.

My little ginger man has been in the wars!

I've just managed to sit down with a cup of tea and catch the start of the Murray V Roddick semi final. Late last night and this morning was a little traumatic for my little ginger man. We brought him in last night just as we were going up to bed, I picked him up as I usually do and carried him up the stairs. When he looked at me I gasped in horror as his nose was slashed open right between his nostrils, I'm presuming that he has been caught by another cat??? I cant think of how else it would've happened? We cleaned him up and wrapped him in a blanket and kept him on the bed where we could keep an eye on him.

I barely slept a wink every time he moved or whimpered I was awake making sure he was OK. When I woke to my alarm going off he was rubbing his head against me and purring so I felt a little better. Chris called the vets when they opened and he took him to be looked at. They decided that it needed to be stitched back together and that he would have to be sedated. So Chris left him and asked them to contact me when he was out of surgery.

I picked him up about an hour ago and the vet did an amazing job, apart from his 3 little stitches it looks as good as new. He looked very spaced out when I took the carry box from the vet. I paid (thank god he's insured!!) and took him to the car. When I got him back home and opened the box he was very wobbly legged and not really with it. After a little wander he went to the bottom of the stairs and looked up so I carried him up the stairs and put him on our bed....and he's still sleeping there now. With his little lampshade on :) bless him!!

We'll spoil him later with some fresh rotisserie chicken.

OMG IS THAT IT???!!!!!

Be prepared for a bit of a rant.......for those of you that read this post here you will know how upset and angry I was that the special bag I made never reached its destination thanks to a very light fingered person.

After calming down only slightly I downloaded the compensation form and sat for a good 40 minutes filling at all out explaining exactly what was in the package and the costings for how much the materials etc were. Included the receipt from the post office from when it was posted and waited patiently for a response.

I came home from work this afternoon expecting to see this months copy of Sew Hip in the post box (boo it wasn't) to find a Royal Mail envelope. On opening it I realise that it was the response to the claim form.

Dear Miss ******,

Blah, blah, blah......my investigations have confirmed that we did not deliver this item, and apologise for that. As a result, I have taken the following action:

*logged an reported the full details of your complaint
*passed these details on to my colleagues in our delivery operation

In light of the service you have used and the evidence provided. I'm afraid the compensation in this instance is limited to a refund of the postage paid or 6 first class stamps!!!!!!!, which ever is greater. If you wish to claim for the value of lost items in the future, we will require additional evidence such as the certificate of posting and proof of the items value.

Blah, blah, blah apologies again!!!!!

FIRSTLY!!!! 6 CLASS STAMPS are they taking the *iss

SECONDLY!!! "If you wish to claim for the value of lost items in the future" WHAT!!! As if I'm planning to have my item of post purposely stolen again.....there's some confidence to instill in your customers!!

THIRDLY!!!! We will require additional evidence such as the certificate of posting?????? Isn't that what the bloody receipt is, proof that you have actually posted the blooming item at their post office???? Or did I just knock that up on my computer the night before????????

I am soooooo livid!!!! Its almost like they just couldn't give a toss......is this just a generic letter that they send out to everyone and pop in a few stamps in the hope that they'll be satisfied with the gesture? Where is the reassurance that your items are safe with the post office and that if they do go "MISSING" that they are actually going to reimburse you for your loss? No one told me at the time of posting that if I wanted to make a claim I would need a bloody posting certificate.....I thought the whole point of paying for signed for was that you could track and trace your item to its destination and claim if need be????

Its bad enough that this was a gift for someone, if it had been an actual order I would have seriously been out of pocket.....where in all this does it protect the consumer "me" against theft??

My advice is don't bother paying for signed for its a waste of time and if you can help it chose a different postal service other than Royal Mail!!!!!!If anyone knows of any alternatives like a service that picks up from your home etc please let me know. Other than that take the risk and just send it 1st class.....in fact that's probably safer as the "thief" will think that its not worth anything because you didn't pay extra postage.

And breathe and relax.............................................................................................rant over!

Sorry peeps but I just had to share that with you.