Friday smile

Gardening horror!

Sitting at the computer

Movement caught my eye

Glancing down - I screamed

A blood curdling cry.

Slithering down my jumper

Surely no mistake

A six inch mini creature 

The image of a snake.

Jumping to my feet

The creature I had seen

Tumbled to my feet

The trimmed edge from a runner bean!!!

Panic over - heartbeat returned to normal.

Serves me right for not being more careful as I prepared beans for the freezer this morning.

I thought it might raise a smile on a Friday for Annie's Friday Smile.

Have a great weekend but keep a sharp look out for snakes!

x Jo

Friday smile

I just had to post a picture of this beautiful clematis.

Annie bought it for my birthday last year. It is appropriately called Clematis "Josephine".

It only has one bloom at the moment, but it is about 20cm across!

Thanks for the smile Annie!

To see more Friday smiles join Annie at "A stitch in time"

Have a lovely weekend all.

x Jo

Friday smile

Here is the beautiful clematis that Annie bought for me back in October.
It was appropriately called "Happy Birthday".
It has just burst into about 20 blooms against my front fence and is a glorious deep purple colour.

Also snapped is the garden gnome fixing the garage guttering!

Happy Friday one and all!

Join in with more Friday smiles over aon Annie's blog "A stitch in time".

x Jo

Friday smile

Well now, what a lovely, unexpected gift this is!

I love surprises don't you?

I did a little crafty job for a friend and today this arrived.

It's a beautiful, little Emma Bridgewater vase with the prettiest frilly, palest pink tulips and creamy hyacinths.

AND a box of chocs too!

Thanks lots to the thoughtful lady who sent them.

So, this is what made me smile today and I am sure, as the flowers open, they will keep me smiling into next week.
If you want to join in with Annie's Friday smiles, then pop over to her "A Stitch in time" blog and see what everyone else is smiling about today.
Have a lovely weekend.
x Jo

WOYWW

Well folks - where did last week go?!!
Here we are on our WOYWW show and tell day, again.
Well not really a lot to show and tell!
I had a busy week with outings and visits but my desk didn't see much action, other than Tilly Tea Dance finishing off her pictures to deliver round the county.

So here is a quick look at my new storage arrangements in my room - still not fully sorted but beginning to look more like it......

Maxine needle felted the little flowers below.
She doesn't like it and says she is going to pull it apart and start again, but I think it is pretty and would be fine once she has added detail - what do you think?

AND here is the little hedgehog bread bun I baked for Ben yesterday.....

I think someone has nibbled his nose.

Well that's it for this week.
I am on duty for curtain shortening at Annie's this morning and then I think my room is being used for dumfing fun!

Have a great week all.

x Jo

WOYWW

Another week - another WOYWW!

Not a great deal on my desk to show.

I have been busy with a little project but I am not sharing it just yet.

So, as I had lots of left over yellow fleece from my little lion hoodie, I decided a few Easter chick finger puppets would go down well with Ben and his buddies.

I have sketched a few ideas for chicks, hens and bunnies. As you can tell, I am talented at drawing!!!!

I bet you can guess who has also been busy working on my table this week - yes Tilly Tea Dance of course.

She has been busy replacing some of her stock as she has most of the rest out in shops and galleries at the moment. There are a couple of her litle dumflings on show on my table. She spent most of yesterday wet felting in my kitchen - all good fun.

That's it for today.

I am nipping up to Annie's to see if I can help her get the house straight ready for her visitors - she has had such a lot to do over the last few weeks.

Have a great week everyone and thanks for calling by.

x Jo

Friday smile - keeping a breast of the time!

Good morning all!
Just a little something that made us smile this week.

This time last week we had an urgent call from Maxine to say Ben had twisted his ankle whilst kicking his balloon. As he was distressed and she knew something was wrong, both Annie and I agreed that A & E was the only port of call.

Now, Ben is just beginning to say a few words.
He loves spotting clocks around the place - in shops, around the home etc.
When he sees one, he points and says "Tick Tick" (Well actually it sounds more like Tit tit!)

So the lovely nurse was consolling him and checking out what turned out to be his broken leg.
Ben points to her ample chest and said "Tick Tick" - of course he had spotted her tiny watch fastened to her uniform. He did get rather a funny look from the nurse until she realised it was the tick tick of the clock he had noticed not the ..... well you get my drift!!

Keep cosy on this chilly weekend!
I am out to lunch today.

If you want more smiles pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time blog".

Have a great weekend.

x Jo

Friday smile

Happy Friday all!!

I haven't joined in for ages with Annie's Friday smile.

Life just gets a bit hectic at times and I try not to spend too much time on the computer when there are so many other things to do!

Today I just wanted to share this bit of gorgeous colour with you.

I bought it as a little Christmas gift but don't think I can part with it as it makes me smile each time I see it.

The little cyclamen has deep rosy pink, curly petals and looks lovely on my dining table.

So enjoy it everyone and if you want more smiles pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time blog".

Have a great weekend.

x Jo

Friday smile

Just a little Gerbera in a pot in my kitchen....

It is a brilliant shade of red and this is the second flowering since I bought it. (Last pot on the shelf in Sainsburys). It certainly makes a cheery sight on my window sill.

If you need a few smiles to cheer you this morning then pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time blog".

Have a great weekend.
Thanks for calling by.

x Jo

Friday smile

Just a little splash of colour in my garden.....

The gorgeous peachy rose came from Annie's old garden but was originally in my godmother's garden so is always known as Aunty Lily's rose. I don't know its proper name but it is a really beautiful old rose with a delicate perfume. It always makes me smile to think of the special family members who have tended it over the years. Thanks Annie!


For more smiles - just pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog and see what's making her smile today!
Have a great weekend.
x  Jo

Smile

Our front window looks out towards the west and the sunsets this week have been amazing.
We have a wide view of the sky - albeit fringed by the scaffolding poles of the new housing going up.
Nevertheless, it still makes a stunning splash of colour outside every evening.
The shades of pink, grey and blue are so subtle and change and deepen every minute - glorious!

Join Annie's Friday smile - even a bit late like me, over on "A stitch in time" blog

Enjoy the Bank Holiday.
Thanks for calling by.

x Jo

Friday smile - It is me isn't it!!

It is me isn't it!!

Do you remember the view of a badger (on a plinth, on the building site) that I posted here?
Well today this caught my eye and straight away I thought "penguin"!

Bonkers, I know, but that's the way my mind works.

Now every time I see this bit of black plastic membrane poking out of the footings that's all I can think of.
It would certainly be a happy penguin today. It is pouring down and the concrete floor looks like a pond. AND  no men in shorts today!


For more smiles - just pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog and see what's making her smile today!
Have a great weekend.
x Jo

Friday smile

 
The Value of a Smile

It costs nothing, but creates much;

It enriches those who receive without

impoverishing those who give;

It happens in a flash, and the memory of it

sometimes lasts forever;

None are so rich they can get along without it,

and none so poor but are richer

for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters good

will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the

discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and

nature’s best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or

stolen, for it is of no earthly good to

anybody until it is given away.

Nobody needs a smile so much as those who

have none left to give.

If you feel in need of a smile - just pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog and see what's making her smile today! Her new poppy blog header makes me smile every time I see it.

Have a great weekend.
x Jo

Friday smile

A little splash of colour on my patio to make you smile today!

In the foreground is a most beautiful little "Tom Thumb" Fuchsia.
The lovely LLJan brought it with her for me on Tuesday.
I popped it out on my sunny little patio and it looks very happy there. I just need to find a pretty patio pot to put it in. I am sure I have the perfect one at my old house.

It's another stunning day here today - I hope it's the same for you all.
Pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" for more happiness.
Have a lovely weekend and keep smiling!

x Jo

Friday smile

I have just finished a little set of dumfling cards for a friend's birthday gift....

They made me smile so I hope they do the same for you too!

If you want more smiles and even a giggle or two then pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog.

Have a great weekend.
x Jo

Happy dinosaur smiles!

My finished "rainbow colours" book for Ben.
It's bright and cheery and certainly made me smile.
It took ages to complete so definitely a labour of love!
Here are the inside pages complete with little pockets and flaps to explore.

I hope he likes it .
I certainly enjoyed making it.

Have a great weekend all and if you want a few more smiles hop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog.


x Jo

Friday smile - my mad half hour

 Good morning all!
I was just pegging out my washing (yes, I am an old fashioned girl who likes to peg out and doesn't own a tumble drier)
Its a lovely warm breezy day so why not!

So - my pegs were in a plastic bag and I decided it was high time I made a new peg bag for them.

I nipped up to my sewing room pulled out a remnant of my grey pound shop bargain ( H & M Home curtains - pure cotton, grey check and used for all sorts of little crafty projects over the years). I added a scrap left over from my kitchen blind.
Half an hour later and voila - my new peg bag!
It almost looks too nice for a peg bag.
BUT - its strong and practial AND matches my kitchen - perfect!

I was chuckling to myself as I made it.
Our Grandma (who lived to be 100) was a wonderful seamstress and we inherit her genes I guess.
This week Annie posted pictures of little Lexi sewing her dolly.
Yesterday Maxine was busy making a gorgeous little book for Ben.

How Grandma would have loved to see the talent still running through her family.
She loved to see what we youngsters were up to. I even made several dresses for her when she was in her nineties and I was a textile craft student.
Lovely memories of a wonderful lady.

Have a great weekend all and if you want a few more smiles hop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog.

x Jo

Friday smile

This handsome young man made me smile this week as he strutted round my garden looking for scraps that the other birds had left behind. We always have pheasants in the field but just now and again they venture into my garden.

BUT
This is the handsome boy that loves his dinosaur fleecy poncho!

If you want to enjoy a few more smiles on a Friday follow this link to Annie's A stitch in time blog.

Have a great weekend.

x Jo

Friday smile

Happy Friday!

This is what made me smile yesterday.
My daughter was busy making a Santa sack for baby Ben and as busy as a new Mum is, she was picking up her needle and thread inbetween feeds to blanket stitch round his name.

It made me smile as it is proof that all the hours we have spent together crafting have paid off!
AND - she is a left hander so has to work out how to do each new stitch she tackles for herself. I did say there is probably a left handers embroidery book out there but she is happy to muddle through. She certainly did a much neater, more accurate job than I would have done. Well done Max!

I am sure Annie will have lots more Friday Smiles over on her blog "A stitch in time" so pop over and see what is making everyone else smile this week.

x Jo

Friday smile

I was feeling a bit under the weather until I came to my kitchen sink this morning!!
This really is what greeted me - weird but certainly put a smile on my face.

Happy Friday everyone!
x Jo

For more smiles pop over to Annie's "A stitch in time" blog