Its a GIVEAWAY!!

So far this year I haven't done any give aways....mainly because I just haven't had the time. As creativity runs in the family my Mam has kindly knitted me a selection of mittens and fingerless mittens (thanks Mama!!). They are so gorgeous I don't really want to part with them, but I am.

I'm going to give 2 pairs away so there will be 2 winners. And I'm going to give you the choice of which ones you would like. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, be sure to include a contact email so I can get in touch with the winners.

Winners will be chosen on Monday evening so you've got all weekend to enter.

These are my favourite!!

So warm and cosy.

I'm even thinking of setting a shop up on Etsy or Folksy for my Mam to sell her knitted wares, she also makes beanie hats. Maybe we could called it 'Auntie Christine's knitted niceties'???

What do you think?

Do you buy Sew Hip Magazine??

With everything being so busy and hectic I missed out on last months Sew Hip Magazine (Issue 4). I was wondering if there were any bloggers out there that also buy the mag and would be willing to part with Issue 4.

Of course I would give something in return, I could do a swap for some fabric or something handmade by me??? I'm open to suggestions so if anyone would like to swap please leave a comment or email me direct.

thanks peeps :)

Posting and parcels posting ???

Yes I know rubbish title for my post today. Well as they say "say what you see" and I'm seeing posting about parcels :P

Anyway........(**rolling ones eyes at ones self**) just thought I'd post a picture of my parcels I sent out this week. I'm quite surprised that there's still a steady flow of orders coming in....credit crunch and all that.

Inside one of the parcels (the bottom one) was this little summery clutch. I cant tell you where its destination is **top secret** but if all goes well it could be very exciting!!! I can say no more I have said too much already ;)

Just a quick one tonight, I must tell you about my cat in a frying pan next time!! I'm off to catch up on some sewing and will be back on Friday to post a GIVEAWAY and bore you some more :D ha ha

See you then xx

Weekend Progress

OK I'm breaking my own blogging rule today and that's 'don't do more than one post a day'. I have no idea why I have that rule? Maybe its so that I actually do other things than sitting blogging all night.....trust me you'd be bored!! :)

But before I post the photo's of the weekend, just want to say please visit the previous post too.....she will feel all left out otherwise and I'd hate her to be lonely down there :( te he!! Thanks :)

This photo is looking to the left side of the loft (which would be on your left side coming up the stairs). As you can see the flooring is all complete and the cupboards are all built in. There's no plaster board up yet.....that's what it will make it look all pretty and kinda finished?!?! Well not quite.

So to mimic the left this is the right hand side, which also has 2 built in cupboards, this is where all my crafty stuff will be stored. I've already got my eye on some cute storage boxes :)

For now that's about all I have to show, hopefully this weekend coming the plaster board will go up.....although I'm being told that 'electrical thingys' have to be done first.

Yes they did tell me but I very much doubt I was listening......too busy doing an imaginative make over in my mind. "Yes, desk over there......chair there.........hmmmmm shelves just about there.......and maybe a little something here"!! Yes I know.....disgusted looks when I then ask "What will be done next?" Ha ha.

Twill tape + transfer paper = bagladee tags

Here they are all finished! Lots more to add to new projects. This was a fantastic tip that I found on a website many moons ago. So simple and easy to do but I think the end result looks fab.

And here they are carefully sewn to the back of my brooches......they also go inside my pouches and bags.

Maybe one day I might get round to doing a tutorial? Never done that before......

Wedding and Felt lovely'ness

So....my very good friend who is getting married later this year in Cypress is having her wedding dress made. And who is designing said dress?? Oooohh that would be me then :) After some intial sketches and a meeting to find the bits she did and didn't like, this is what we came up with.
She's having a full length strapless gown with lace trim on the top of the bodice, pleated skirt at the back with silk buttons all the way down. And as a gorgeous extra a little lace jacket to go over the top. You cant really see from the picture but the lace jacket fastens with an antique clasp. Its going to be beautiful....made from Duchess Satin and beaded lace.

I've also been busy finishing some more brooches.....the only thing thats missing are the bagladee tags. But thats because I have none left :(

So I'd better get some more made.......twill tape and my logo printed on t-shirt transfer paper.

We're off to Ikea to get some more bits for the sewing room conv and then tomorrow I will make some tags.

New items added to etsy....

Today 16.02.09

These 3 cosmetic pouches have just been listed on my website and Etsy shop.....only one of each so grab them quick :D

Make your blog into a book.

Randomly surfing the net last week I found this fantastic site that can turn your blog into an actual book. I think this is a fab idea, I would love a physical copy of my weekly ramblings. All beautifully presented in a book.

The site is called Blurb, they make a wide variety of publications from blog books to cook books, photo books and poetry books. A great idea for those who would otherwise only dream of having their work published.

It just takes 3 steps to create your blog book:

1. Download their free bookmaking software 'Blurb BookSmart'

2. Add photos, artwork, and text. You have creative control.

3. Order one book or many. Prices start at just $4.95.

You even have the option to place your book in Blurb’s bookstore for fans to purchase.

I'm thinking of having some of my blog turned into a book in April as this will be my first Blogversary. I love the thought of being able to add my bagladee blogbook to my bookshelf.

♥♥♥HAPPY VALENTINES DAY♥♥♥

To you all......this is what I gave the other half this morning.

A gorgeous little rabbit holding a little padded heart (he's only 7cm tall aahhhhh) and a hand made card by moi!

The image is a photograph that we took on our first visit to New York, we both love the city and dream of winning the lottery and having a holiday home there :)

Awwwwww, bless

As we are not a usually soppy couple I was surprised when I received these! Matching card and gift bag? I was very impressed ;)

As the other half has to work tonight, we cooked a lovely meal last night and tonight I will be overindulging in the chocolates with a nice glass of Rose all to myself Mmmmmm Yum.

Hope your day is full of love.

W.I.P and more snow!!

Hey there blog readers, it has snowed again this afternoon but now its turning to rain so I doubt it will last very long. Work has been craaazzzzzyyyyy this week so I'm glad its Friday tomorrow. My fav day, half a day at work and then craft, craft, craft (well the odd bit of housework and food shop here and there).

So while the other half continues with the sewing room I'll be finishing off all those started jobs that I have on my to do list. Here's my sewing tray with some of the jobs left to be finished.

To the left of the photo is my new daylight lamp that I got from my parents for Christmas, its great for hand sewing when the lights not so good. Jane if you're reading this you'll recognise one of your 'home for pins' which I don't know how I lived without it :)

Just below this is a new felt brooch I have made as part of my mug swap, its started some creative cogs going in my head for some new items. One rectangle finished above the 'home for pins'.

To the right is a ball of wool (sorry to state the obvious!) which is the beginning of a wool blanket for one of my kitties Nell, I only know the very basics of knitting so its going to consist of lilac and jade rectangles :) yes I know very basic!

Underneath the wool are some brooches that need finishing and a bag that is kind of a commission bag- for someone who doesn't know I'm sending it. And now glancing back over what I've written and the image, just realised that everything is a bit colour co-ordinated....not intentionally but looks rather nice.

We're having home made stew tonight and on such a cold night I cant think of anything better...Yum!!

Wow a Treasury!!

Looks its me right at the bottom :)

Off to finish some brooches and a commissioned bag.....then maybe I'll catch on some blog reading while I carry on knitting. Lots of w.i.p and ideas whirling round in my head!!!

P.S. If you'd like to see progress photos of the sewing room conversion, see the post below

A Little Progress

After a break from all things DIY, last weekend was spent making a little progress on the conversion. As you can see from the first photo we have fixed batons to the back wall so that the plasterboard can be fixed to the wall. If you look closely you can also see some at the point of the roof this will be a small ceiling strip to house the spot lights.


And if you can, imagine a little false wall which will house these little cupboards (there's one carcass built so far). So there will be lots of storage space.....and that's before we get the furniture in.

Managed to sneak a quick photo of my 'very talented' other half's drawings of the custom made cabinets :)

Hopefully there will be some more progress this weekend. Fingers crossed for an improvement in the weather soon so that we can get the skylight installed.....not a great thing to be doing when its snowing :)

New Items on my Website

As I'm sitting writing this post its been snowing for about an hour and there's quite a covering on the ground....again!! I love the snow, it makes everything look clean and pretty. Hang on scratch that its snowing like crazy and the snow flakes are huge!!!

Most of today and yesterday was spent adding new items to my website, I was going to hold back a little and only show you one set of items but as I was bursting to show you I thought what the heck lets put them all on there.

So here they are, I know some of you may have already seen these items in posts that I've written but this is the first time they've been in my online shop.

I love these Lillie flower brooches, the colours are so vibrant, I wear one on my coat....they look great (if I do say so myself) ;)

These pouches were made a little while before Christmas, and some were already sold even before I went to the craft fair. There aren't many left so don't wait too long.....

I've also added 3 clutch bags to my collection, my fav is the yellow and black one....perfect for summer evenings out.

And a new addition to the bagladee range is the Brush roll. There are only 4 at the moment.....but there will be more to come. This top blue and white one has a cosmetic pouch that matches.

They are all available to buy from my online shop ranging from £8 to £30, so what you waiting for??? Go on over and take a look :)

Wallpaper......

So much to choose from! I keep putting all the samples on the floor and trying my best to imagine what it will look like on the back wall of the sewing room/studio. Its going to be a smallish room with off white walls and ceiling, biscuit coloured carpet......so what do I go for on the wall?????

They look better in the flesh, but I like this one because its granite gray background with a black flocked pattern.....I could stroke it forever.

Then this one is kind of a pearlised paper with a faint pattern....its pretty but with off white walls will this be too plain???

Then I saw this and fell in love with it, it has a lovely taupe colour in the background with a deeper coloured pattern, then these gorgeous pink flowers with silver detailing.

But then I came across this and the silver background made me drool :) and again loving the pink foliage.

They also do this paper in a dark brown with the same pink flowers this time detailed with gold.

I do quite like this one because of the relief pattern, but again will it be too plain against the walls and ceiling????

This I love purely because its monochrome......beautiful. The background is an off white pearlised colour and the black pattern is flocked....mmmmmm fury!!! :)

So still no further forward with deciding.....I think I will try and eliminate the ones that I don't think will fit in and then maybe go and look for some more samples ;)

I'd love it if you would leave me a comment as to what you think.....it might just help me make my mind up.

Spending today and tomorrow re-stocking my website and etsy store with new items so that should keep me busy while you decide on the wallpaper.

Look what I've got- Swap goodies!!!

Everything looked so pretty when I opened the blinds this morning. It must have snowed most of the early hours as there was quite a covering. I got up and checked the weather report and it wasn't good.

But I still made the normally short drive to work-which took me 50 minutes. I was amazed at how bad the roads were which made me think about the news reader saying that the local councils were running out of salt to grit the roads, Oh how underprepared us Brits are :)

Tuesday my parcel arrived from Kitty who was my designated swap partner for 'I'm a ginger monkey fat quarter swap'. I was so excited when I heard I was paired with Kitty, I love to read her blog......it was one of the first blogs I discovered when I first joined blogland.

Just managed to contain myself in time to grab my camera!!!

Look at this gorgeous packaging, I love raffia and the post card is one of Kitty's....gorgeous. I couldn't wait to see what was inside.

**Squealing** Look what was inside!!!!!!!!! My fat quarters, some gorgeous valentined themed ribbons and this adorable flower brooch.

And these are my gorgeous, bright, funky, yummy fabric quarters. Just in case, anyone who also took part in the swap were wondering, me and Kitty agreed that we would swap 4 quarters rather than the 2. I had lots to choose from ;) but managed to whittle it down to 4 to send.

Also in the package was a little flower brooch that Kitty had made......its beautiful I'm going to put it on my black wool coat. Thank you sooooo much for my swap package Kitty you were a fantastic swap partner. If you haven't read Kitty's blog you are really missing out!! Get on over there and check it out.

HELP NEEDED: Anyone got any suggestions of what I can get for my Step Dad for his 50th Birthday??? Totally stuck as to what to get him.

Organising to the max!

I think I have the organising bug!! Tonight was spent going through all the invoices and paperwork we have associated with the house and personal stuff. It took a while and involved lots and lots of shredding, which will be making its way to the recycling depot tomorrow.

I've even sorted out all of my sewing stuff including all the books etc that will be going up into the loft/sewing room with me. I'm starting to think that maybe I am almost too organised? That may be the explanation as to why I think this image of craft storage is the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. Nearly on the verge of OCD I think :o/

We're being really naughty tonight and treating ourselves to take away pizza....all that organising took it out of us. Ha ha

EXCITING NEWS:
I received my swap parcel from KITTY yesterday (I'm a ginger Monkey's fat quarter swap) and OH MY GOD you should see what I received....I've taken photos so I will do a grand reveal tomorrow so don't forget to come back and take a look.