iPad and Christmas cards!

Hi everyone,
This blog post comes to you from by brand new, shiny, lovely iPad! I'm not usually one to fall for expensive gadgets; although I do love apple products, I'm not one for upgrading every time something new comes out (my iPod is 8 years old and still going strong, and my MacBook is 6 years old... But slowing dying!). My MacBook charger gave up this week (the wires have been visible for months) so instead of replacing the charger at a cost of £30ish... I spent £479 on an iPad! Lol. Actually, that wasn't the only reason, I have been considering getting an iPad for when we go travelling anyway, although I was worried it would be a tad big to cart around... But now I have it I love it!! Expect lots more posts, and more photo collages etc! Exciting.




Anyway, enough of that. Today I have been working on some Christmas cards. I'm trying to be organised this year. I stuck to my usual style of machine sewn cards on a background of  white linen and mounted on my favourite "natural" card. The fabric used are all scraps left over from other projects.. You might recognise some of the fabric from my last post. Even tiny tiny bits don't get wasted, see the teeny tiny bunting? No two cards are the same and I like to make each one individual with buttons and lace.












I hope the layout looks ok, I'm uploading the pics using an app so it's difficult to see how it will turn out!

I think I have tried out a good range of Christmas tree designs so I will be experimenting with other designs in the week. We are going on a bike ride tomorrow and collecting blackberries... I do love autumn! Will be time to get the woollies and knitted jumpers out soon :) xxx

A sneaky peek...

Its that time of year again to start thinking about christmas! I know, I know... no one wants to hear about christmas in september, but when it comes to the lengthy task of making your own xmas pressies you have to get started way in advance otherwise you have a manic December (and a not particularly relaxing xmas)!  

So on that note, I have been busy sewing... but I can't show you what I have been making otherwise it will ruin the surprise... which doesn't make for very easy blogging! I will have to get a few smaller non-christmassy projects on the go just so I've got something to share with you guys. 

So here is just a little sneak preview of something I've been working on this week... look at all these yummy fabrics! I love mixing pinks and greens; it has that beautiful country cottage, shabby chic effect.

hmmm, what will they be... a cushion, a wall hanging, a table runner, shabby chic christmas cards...

... You will just have to wait and see.

Im on night shifts as of tonight for the whole weekend, so I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I'l post again in the week.

xxx

Garden Parties

We went home to Devon this weekend for my mum's garden party. After a very wet summer the sun thankfully decided to come out for the party and we had glorious sunshine all weekend. Everyone had a very busy day on friday preparing for the party; putting up and decorating the marquee, making curry and buffet food for 50 people and getting the garden ready. The party was lovely and everyone had a great time, possibly too good a time based on how I felt the following day!! Unfortunately there aren't many photos from the party as I had forgotten to charge my camera battery. Oops! I did manage a couple of quick snaps before it died though. I hope the people in the photo don't mind being on the blog but it was the only photo I got of the marquee...

The following morning we had breakfast in the garden for the people who had stayed over. The sun was shining and the garden table looked beautiful with all the flowers the guests had brought the night before. I love this garden table, with its reclaimed look and lovely blue picnic benches. And I love love love the wicker basket... and even the big fruit bowl looks pretty with its different colours.

The adults couldn't resist a bounce on the bouncy castle before it went back the next morning! Although we all quickly realised that bouncing with a hangover is not the greatest feeling, especially after I had shown off with a few somersaults! haha.

And finally, although it's completely unrelated, I couldn't resist showing you these photos! One of our friends is hand rearing four, 12 day old kittens, and because they need round the clock care and feeding she had to bring them along to the party, where they ended up being the main attraction!! How cute is this little kitty having its breakfast!!

I hope everyone else had a good weekend and managed to enjoy the sunshine! hopefully some more sewing posts coming this week before I go back to work. xxx

Red Velvet

Hi everyone, 

It seems that my blog posts seem to go in phases, its either all about the baking, or I'm so busy sewing that I bake nothing at all! Now that the quilt is finished it seemed like a good time to get the recipe books out again. Im still working my way through the Hummingbird Bakery book and this time I tried the red velvet cupcakes. Once again the recipe was brilliant and the cakes turned out just as the book described, light but velvety. And they look very cute when they are decorated. Another bonus of this recipe is that you don't need to buy anything extra to decorate, you simply crumble one of the cupcakes into fine crumbs and sprinkle this on the iced cupcake for a simple but stunning finish! 

I am on holiday (YAY!!) for the next week and a half so I'm hoping to get lots of sewing done and I know the blog post have been few and far between recently so it will be nice to have a chance to catch up and share some of the other things I've been working on. Hope everyone has a good weekend. xx