A Bits 'n' Bobs Week

Morning...

A day late with my diary update...we had a day out at the shops yesterday....the 2 of us shopping in town doesn't happen very often so it was a lovely change....then lunch at parents...all in all a lovely day :) so I thought I would make it a very lazy day and do my writing today instead...

On our shopping trip yesterday....I came across this biscuit barrel...and I just had to have it...a beautifully designed piece by Ashley Thomas....The Bakery...

 ...and the reverse side has the cutest little dog at the door....

It sits along all my other treasures perfectly and as it was biscuit week on the Great British Bake Off (one of my favs of course) we had Raspberry & White Chocolate Cookies...yummy!

My little moo cow milk jug perfectly holds two of the miniature roses from the rose bush my dear friend Yvonne got for me and its just flowering again for the second time this year...the pink of the rose perfectly picked up the pink in the biscuit barrel...a match made in heaven :)

The rest of the week has been like the title...a bits n bobs week...I have been dipping into different pieces of craft all week and I have to say the week went quickly...

Some of my little crafty parcels arrived from China so I was able to have a go at some jewellery making...I have done a wire craft class on one evening before and made a bangle which I was very pleased with...but actually making something from scratch, with thread and findings was a very new experience....so after a few views of videos on YouTube off I went....I love Turquoise and have wanted a bohemian style chunky necklace for some time...I have seen them on TV but have never been able to buy just what I wanted in my head....so the answer was to have a go myself...I bought the 'findings', stones and centre pendant all separately...with clumsy hands...and the need for my glasses (goodness some of the findings were so small!) this was the result....

 

 

...and I love it...it was just how I imagined it in my head...the combination of silver and turquoise...beautiful :)

 

I'm always putting my glasses down...I only need them to read or for very close work...so I also made a little holder for them so I know where they are....

 

They can hang contented around my neck and this way I don't feel so old as they seem a bit more trendy....ha ha...

I'm still collecting my white feathers for Xmas when out on my travels...the grey ones I gave a bit of spruce up....they haven't photographed that well...they look much brighter in the flesh...but I'm thinking maybe metallic paint would be better than paint pens...I will use these on a dream catcher when I get around to it :) ...

 

As for the garden this week...apart from my beautiful pink roses....there was a stunning creamy rose which was just as perfect....and the sweet peas....well they have been working over time...I've had around 4 really good bunches this week...so the house is still full of that heavenly fragrance...much to the annoyance of my Dad...he gave me the six plants he had left over...mine have flowered and flowered and Dads...well lets just say they are compost now :((

And now we get to my real passion...crochet...I'm still gently working on Patchwork Blanket...its nearly finished...I'm just doing the last of the joining seams and then just the border to go...and low and behold...I know what the border is going to be...yay...that will be a first!

 I'm loving the way the colours are 'popping' out now they are framed with the white...

From Pinterest this week...these bags are my favourite...made from embroidery on vintage tablecloths and napkins...such a clever idea...I see these vintage tablecloths all the time at the Antiques Fairs and they are always very reasonable...so next one I go to I will be picking some up...I think I could manage to make one of these bags....a great bit of recycling of vintage pieces that aren't perfect anymore :)

 

Photos taken from Pinterest

 

 I'm going to make a little plea now...I hate doing this but...I need more followers on the Facebook page of my blog...so I would be really grateful for a like and a share to get the numbers up...I promise I will not fill up your timeline with rubbish...I just post the link to my blog on there...the link can be found in the text under the next photo...thank you in anticipation :)

 



Facebook Page for Florrie May51 Diary blog

So to the vintage photo for this week....this is so true of me...and made me laugh out loud...

I am guilty of not always telling the whole truth about what I have stashed away...let alone the costs... :)

And my quote for this week is....

Have a great week...enjoy everything you do...most of all have fun....xxxxx

 

Joyful Parcel

Morning All,

Well if this is Summer its a wash out! That's all I'm going to say on that subject as it really gets me down....we need some SUNSHINE!

This week I have finished my Hydrangea Blanket....I had decided to put a wide border on each end....so needed to make a separate border for the finishing end as all the pattern would have been the wrong way round if I had just carried on....I just had to stitch it on to the main blanket and I worked perfectly and you cant even see the join :))....(chuffed face)

Then the exciting bit of the week.....my new delivery of wool....you may call me sad...but as all yarn crafters will know...a wonderful, new delivery of woolly gorgeousness makes me very, very happy...I can drift away dreaming of all the new projects that will come out of this cardboard box! :)))

Having split the wool into separate piles....the top left is the new project I'm working on...more about that in a minute....top right is next in line but not sure what that's going to be yet (well I mean 'not sure which pattern blanket it will be' ha ha) and the Drops wool...well that is on sale till the end of July at WOOL WAREHOUSE so I had to try some and I loved these colours...so subtle and vintagey...these I have no idea about....they are just STASH :)))

This is my new blanket....Ive worked out im going to need at least 300 of these gorgeous little squares...and it is such a lovely thing to work on....they build up quite quickly...

I had been looking at some ideas on Pinterest and decided I wanted to do squares again...but different from before...then I remembered when I was shopping the other day I was very tempted by lovely little piles of fat quarter materials....why I don't know....as sewing is not my thing...but I thought I could manage a patchwork quilt...well in my head I thought I could do it...the only sewing I can manage is straight lines, cushions, bunting, I've even made curtains...but did I really want to dig the sewing machine out.....nah....so I decided to do a patchwork blanket with little granny squares and I'm loving it :)

The cushion on the chair in the photo is one of my creations...ha ha....it is some vintage material I bought whilst on holiday last year from a charity shop for £1 I loved it straightaway but as sewing is not my forte I wondered what on earth I would use it for...but I couldn't resist it and stashed it away in my craft cupboard until a couple of months ago...I found out an old cushion for the chair but didn't like the cover....then I remembered my piece of fabric...I have to hold my hands up at this point...I didn't make a cover...I just wrapped it around the cushion to see what it looked like...I liked it...Hubby didn't...in fact he hated it...but I told him I'd leave it there a bit and see if it grew on him and it did....but its still just wrapped around the old cushion...ooops!

As for none crafty things....the flowers from the garden are still performing beautifully...I currently have 3 little vases of sweet peas brightening up the place and this week I have a rose too...its only just coming in the bud but couldn't resist taking one :)

I purchased a little lavender scented candle...for 2 reasons....a) I thought it might help me drop off to sleep...b) the jar was so cute!  I'm happy to report that it has indeed helped me drift off the sleep a lot easier...so happy on both counts...and I needed it on Wednesday night...I looked at the Health Lottery results and we had 3 numbers...happy days a cheeky £20...then I looked at the two other numbers that would have given us a win of £100,000 we have number 7 and 35 and number 6 and 36 were drawn :(.....soooo close I could almost see a new house on the horizon but it wasn't to be...

Well I've rabbled on long enough now...here's this weeks vintage photo...well its a very special one...its of my Mom and Dad back in the day....its their wedding anniversary next week...so its in their honour :)

I just adore my moms skirt :)

This weeks quote.....

Have a lovely week all....enjoy whatever you are doing xxxx