Finished by Friday and smiley snippets!!

How much can I squeeze into this Friday post???

 Firstly five smiley faces on my little dancing dollies.

I am going to enter them in Di's Snippets Playground this week. I have never entered before but thought these little dollies made from tiny fabric scaps would be perfect for her Snippets Playground this week.

Secondly I thought I would show you the "princess" skirt that I made for a friend's grandson to give as a little girl's birthday pressie. I think she will love the lacey underskirt and swishy blue fabric with its silver bows.

 

Lastly, as promised on Wednesday, my latest draught excluders.

I have made them with cosy furnishing fabric and they will be just right for popping behind a door to keep out these cold winter chills!

 

 

So that's it for this Friday.
I am going to the Frost Fair at Attingham Park today.
It's always a good place to visit - lots of craft stalls and delicious foods for the Christmas season.
I might even take a few photos to show you next week.
Have a good weekend.

Thanks for popping by. If you want to see more Friday smiles then pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog.

x Jo

WOYWW

Another photo of my work table stacked with ongoing projects....

This week I have been trimming my fabric boxes/desk tidies.....

Finishing off a couple of draught excluders...

Knitting a hoodie for little Sam.....

Getting bits and bobs ready for my fabric dollies.....

Up cycling a few photoframes...

I promise I will tidy up later today!! AND I will post a photo of the draught excluders on Friday.

Show us what your work desk looks like and join in the global blog hop that is Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and link up with over 100 crafters around the world! Go on - they really are a fab bunch - you will enjoy it.

For my friends and followers who pop in here each week.. thanks lots for leaving lovely comments. I love to hear from you all and I will try and get round as many desks as possible this week.

Have a great week.
x Jo

Friday smile

My pleasures are simple!

I ordered some fabric from the Dutch Sisters   - I love their blog and the crafty items they make.
My parcel only took 3 days to get here and was just a delight to open.
As you see, I had 6 different pieces of Christmas fabric and 5 pieces of really pretty tiny print fabric - perfect for my little dolly dresses.
The lovely sisters Heleen and Corry had tied each little bundle with stripey string and one had a big cream button threaded through, the other had a gorgeous owl bead. Now how did they know I love owls? lol
So, thanks to Heleen and Corry - I am smiling even now just thinking about it.

Have a happy Friday and pop over to Annie's blog - "A Stitch in Time" if you want more smiles.

x Jo

WOYWW

Another happy Wednesday has come around – thankfully!

What a busy week we have had too.

I never really plan my crafty activities for the week, as I prefer just to tackle each day as it comes and do what ever takes my fancy – how lucky am I??

After a lifetime of work when every minute was filled and even my evenings and half my nights seemed to be spent thinking, planning and creating, it is lovely to be able to “cherry pick” the jobs I choose to do.  (And when I say jobs I don’t mean WORK – just crafty activities!)

So imagine my delight when I had an email asking if I could make a Katie Morag style dolly for a Christmas gift. (Scroll down if you want to see the finished dolly and travelling bag).

I had two days of fun making them and the pleasure of thinking how much the recipient will love little Katie.
 

click on photo to enlarge

Today my work desk has been my long kitchen unit where I have been mounting the gorgeous little dumflings that Maxine made.

We have used mostly re-cycled frames which I have painted/distressed and waxed.

I love them – I just hope Maxine approves – then they will go on her Tilly Tea Dance stall at Craven Arms craft fair on Dec 14^th. All together she has 20 pictures ready plus a few left over dumflings.

 

These little Christmas tree decorations were made with the little hearts Maxine and I made together. I think I shall make a few more as I think they are quite pretty.














 

I also knitted a little hoodie for Annie’s grandson – forgot to take a photo but it was knitted in Crofter baby wool in shades of blue and looked fab.

Well that’s it for this week.

Thank you for calling by and leaving such positive comments – it really does inspire us to do more!

Now -  over to Julia’s Stamping Ground to join in our blog hop for this week.

See you around!

X Jo

Finished by Friday and a BIG smile!

 

As it's Children in Need day today I thought I would show you the smiling little Katie Morag doll that I have finished today.
I had a request to make one and I decided that if I had all the bits and bobs needed then I would make it and donate my fee to Children in Need.
It has been lovely listening to Radio 2 as all the pledges came in today. I have had a super sewing session and it has been made all the better by the fact that Children in Need will benefit from it.

The little bag was my own design based on the island where Katie Morag lives. The bag has the name of the person it is going to but I blotted it out.
I just hope it is what's needed!

So this is my "smile" for today.
If you want more smiles then pop over to my sister Annie's blog "A stitch in time".

Thanks for calling by.
x Jo

WOYWW - the winner is.....

Firstly, thanks to all who left great suggestions for my little fabric desk tidy/ gift box.
There were some great ideas - scroll back to last week's comments if you are interested.
Just for fun and future reference - I printed off the comments, closed my eyes and stuck a pin in it!
The name that was "pinned" was.... Mrs D - thats Chris.
She left a brilliant quote too from William Morris, who said 'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful' . I shall aspire to it but not sure I can promise on that one! lol.

So my little tesk tidy, tissue holder and lavender bag will come winging your way Chris - just email your details to me.

I made a few more little "fabric boxes" this week and will be selling them at the craft fair.
I am never sure what price to put on anything I make - much better at giving it away - lol!!!!
No doubt, daughter Maxine will get me organised on that one!

Here is my messy desk today.

I am in a "start a project but don't quite finish it" mode this week.
I always get lots of ideas and flit from one thing to another.
For example...
This week I have knitted a little shrug for a friends grand daughter, half-made lots of scrapbox dollies, crocheted some chunky infinity scarves and made my fabric gift boxes.
Never a dull moment.
Hope life for you is just as much fun!

Thanks for calling in to see what I get up to and for all your lovely comments.
Maxine was thrilled that you liked her poppy pictures on last week's blog.

Join in with our WOYWW blog hop here.
Have a good week.
x Jo

WOYWW and a "500th post" celebration give away.!!

 Well, believe it or not, this is my 500th blog post!
I decided a little celebration giveaway would be a good idea, so above are a few of my latest makes which will be parcelled up and sent to whoever wins it.
If you want to enter then just leave a comment telling me..........

 what you would fill the little desk tidy/gift holder with if you were going to give it to someone.

 

The little item on the left is a tissue holder for your handbag and of course on the right is one of my little woolly lavender hearts.

If you want a better look at the desk tidy then just scroll down to yesterday's post below.

My desk is covered with some of Maxine's needle-felted pictures that I have brought home to mount and frame ready to sell. We are doing a craft fair before Christmas.
Also, my fabric stash is still waiting for me to get going with!!

I will try to leave a quick message on as many desks as possible so you get a chance at the giveaway.
Popping over to Julia's Stamping Ground now to add my name to Mr Linky.
Have a great week

Thanks for calling.
x Jo

Desk tidy or fabric gift holder?

I have made a few of these little fabric desk tidies.

They are made with re-cycled grey denim and a pretty cotton print fabric.

They stand about 6 inches tall and about 6 inches square.

 

The design is from a blog that I follow - pop over to Threading My Way if you want to see the brilliant tutorial.

 

Pop back on Wednesday to find out more.

 

x Jo

Lavender hearts

 

I thought you might like a peek at the soft grey wool hearts that I have filled with Shropshire lavender.

 

Pop back on Wednesday to find out more!!

 

 

What a tease!

 

x Jo

Finished by Friday and a smile

Just thought you might like to see the little chunky cardis that I have made for Annie's two grand daughters.
They have a lovely light but cosy feel to them.
Hope they like them.

My smile for the day was the view through my kitchen window.

I know it's not a good picture - I was zooming in to the scene over the far side of the field.
Five magpies were hopping all over this young bullock, pecking at its coat.
I have seen film of Ox-pecker birds in Africa doing this but never thought it happened over here.

The bullock sat patiently whilst the magpies pecked, presumably at ticks or flies on its fur.
(It was quite a shaggy young thing)
Eventually they pecked too hard and he stood up and shook them off!!
That's country life for you.

Join in with the Friday smiles over at Annie's "A stitch in time blog".

Happy weekend to you all.

x Jo