The Sun has got his hat on...

As I was driving to work this morning, I couldn't believe my peepers...

What is this strange phenomenon I see before me?? Could it be...? No, I'm seeing things... "Pinch" 

Ouch! I'm not dreaming. I am awake!  I can see Mr Sunshine!! Where the devil have you been??

"Could my day get any better??" I thought. 

Oh goodness me yes!! Look at these treats that were waiting for me when I arrived to work this morning and it isn't even my birthday!!

I just had to share them with you! Well, not my little cake of course, I had that all to myself.  Deeee-licious with my cup of tea when I got home from work this evening.

My fabulous friend D, made me this gorgeous little package to say thank you for picking her up this weekend and taking her to an art exhibition in Leeds (will post all about it later in the week). There was really no need I told her. I so enjoy spending time with her as we get on so well and like the same arts and crafty things. It's always a pleasure to be in your company D so I would like to take this opportunity to say a 'BIG THANK YOU' to you for agreeing to come with me in the first place and being such a wonderful and thoughtful friend. 

P.s You make the best cakes!! tee he hee! xx

D, also gave me some odd balls of wool that she didn't think she would use to practice my crocheting with. I'm one very lucky lady today aren't I?

Speaking of crochet, another very good friend of mine popped round to see me this evening to teach me how to crochet a birdie decoration that she had said she would help me with once I had completed my 'Treble Stitch Challenge'. I haven't got very far but will post about it at the weekend when I get chance to photograph my progress. Thank you All4meggymoo for being a star!!

Well, I guess I will love you and leave you for this evening. oh! nearly forgot! There is someone who would like to say hello

He's still alive! Hooray! 

Sweet dreams xx

****Ta-dah!****

I've been wanting to say that for such a long time, TA-DAH!! there said it again!

For those of you not familiar with my eagerness to shout this splendid word, I apologise for shouting so loudly but I think hope you will see I'm real happy with my offerings and maybe agree I can now crochet just a wee bit more than I could back in Jan?


I knew nothing! Couldn't even create a slip stitch to start without assistance, let alone create a solid foundation chain to work into but a month on (or a little more as I am late posting my results, whoops! so sorry!) I wanted to share with you my favourite little squares.

My Challenge was set by my sweet friend at All4meggymoo to 'Learn Treble Crochet Stitch' thoroughly within the a month and who knows where it might lead. 

Basically, when I first blogged about learning to crochet, I had to admit I wasn't exactly progressing as well as I'd hoped : (  Soooo... All4meggymoo said if I can master the treble stitch, my prize was to make my very own birdie decoration that All4meggymoo posted about here. Check him out, he's delectable!  

I have now totally fallen head over hook, line and sinker for this craft, it's just so therapeutic! So, hopefully when my fabulous friend and challenger see my very best squares, she will be pleased with her young jedi crocheters results?? 


What do you think??  Have a passed?


xx


P.S **Update** **Update** **Update** **Update** **Update**              


If you have time please pop over the Magpie's Patch for a 'Marto Pants' (to you and I they are known as "Tomato Plants" but to my nearly two year old mini magpie they are known as the above! haha! Love her!) update!! **

Ta-dah! Isn't Mother Nature wonderful?

pop over to Magpie's Patch for an update xx


P.S Long over due I know, but over the next couple of days I will reveal the results of my 'Treble Stitch Challenge'

RE:discovery as spring is sprung!!

Good Evening,

Hope all is well in your corner of Blogland? I've had an interesting few days since I last posted. Interesting because as I mentioned on Wednesday, I was supposed to be organising this very disorganised craft room that I call "Creative Chaos" (I know exactly where everything is!!!!) but others just call a mess! Very unfair, I mention no names at this point.

Anyway, I digress... again. I found items, which weren't exactly lost to me, I'd just simply had not much call to use them. Since everyday over the past number of years I've been aided by my good friend Elsie MAC (now, Elsie the III ).


Buried deep at the back of a cupboard, I found my large black shiny pencil case that, like I said I'd totally forgotten about it. You could tell it hadn't had any TLC for a very long time, as my tubes of Gouache can now be used as part of the percussion section in a band, if anyone is stuck for maracas I have some! Totally dried up!! As were most of the felt tip pens, shame really, only the weird colours have survived there claustrophobic ordeal of the last, got to be at least 9 years. Shame on me!!

   
I even found a rubber, remember them?? Haha! It's Apple Z for me usually. Not to mention a PVA glue spreader, this is where I might loose a few of you here after I confess I used to love peeling the bits of dried PVA glue of my fingers at school, college and probably can't wait to again when mini magpie is old enough to start creating. I used to lather it on my hands on purpose sometimes, just to have something to do through boring lessons - Any children reading this, that is not the way to go, lessons are good for you!!.


Anyways, I think it's a shame this shiny black case hasn't had a airing for a while as I had also a large selection of pencil crayons. These have now found a new and organised home in the sauce jars that have been asking me for a job for a while now so all is good.

I think I am going to spend the next few weeks powering down Elsie and powering up the pencil crayons and see if we can't get reacquainted. That is, after I do some more tidying. I have another confession, I was so chuffed with this rediscovery for glorious pre computer tools and how they look in their new home here in the craft room, I just stared at them for a while before downing cleaning tools and went off to pick mini magpie up! Since then, I haven't progressed any further with my 'spring clean' inside but did make a start on a few things outside. I think Spring is finally on it's way!! Hooray! 


Well ta-rah for now, if you have a spare minute pop over to Magpie's Patch for a gardening update.


Thanks for popping by, take care xx




P.S only three days left of my 'Treble Stitch Challenge' set by All4meggymoo. I will be posting all my efforts shortly, let me know what you think and have I done enough to make my birdie decoration??

Today I must:

Hello there! 


Hope today is being good to you so far! Nearly teatime! Blimey, hadn't realised how fast today has gone.


I've had the day to myself today. No going to work for me, had to get a holiday in before the holiday calendar ends at work so apart from a few appointments, I packed Mini Magpie off  to 'ner-ser-wee' as she calls it and came back home to make a start on a job that I have been putting off and putting off now for a long time.

Ok! Ok! I hold my hands up, I will admit I have become Pinterest obsessed and therefore this is why I haven't organised my room as I have got sidetracked and this site has taken over my life.


What a stroke of genius this site is!!!! If you have never visited this site before you should,  you must add it on your list of things to do. 


 For me, or the 'husb' rather, it should have come with a ***WARNING*** this site is so addictive you will loose your wife to the land of organised pin boards. Still the way I see it, he's glued to football and I've been a football widow for 9 years now so it's pay back time haha!!


What is Pinterest?? click here to get the low down, you will not be disappointed. Here's a sneaky peek at my boards so far:

So, are you tempted to peek and start your own boards?? Go on, you know you want to.


Right, I must make a start on what I am supposed to be doing but I will leave you with my latest find. How lucky was I to find this book? Especially as my 'Treble Stitch Challenge' is drawing to a close this time next week. I'm still 'Hooked'. Can you believe that this book was about to be thrown into a skip as no one wanted it? Rubie Magpie to the rescue!! It's full of useful advice, especially for a crochet beginner like me.

Enjoy your evening, thanks for popping by xx

Tick Tock...

Howdee Doodee How is everyone today? 


Todays post is somewhat of a quick one, I'm grabbing five minutes while mini magpie grabs 40 winks. I've been meaning to share with you a few of mine recent thrifty finds for a while now. Hopefully all of my finds will be up loaded onto the 'I spy, with Rubie Magpie' page but it's still at the rough and ready stages so here is a good a place as any. 


First up, as soon as I saw this, I new it wanted to come home with me, that and it wouldn't stop shouting "I'm yours, take me home with you" so I had to give in to its request of course...

...Can you tell what it is yet?? 

While I leave you to ponder for a 'minute', if you pardon the pun ; )  Just a quick up date on the 'Husb' Valentine's Day card that I said I would post on the day of hearts, apologies for not keeping my promise, I ran out of time but it was a hit or maybe it was the addition of the mini love hearts bought to accompany it. Here it is:

Back to my new treasure, ta-dah!! Did you guess right? Tick tock, my new clock, flash back to the 1970s, don't you just love it? Just need to find the perfect place for it now.

My second find I would like share with you today is this collection of beauties. All for a mere £3, what  a bargain...

Although, I will only be able to offer three lucky friends a brew in these vintage lovelies, there are more plates, so plenty of cake for everyone. Yay!! Best get baking then, oh! what's a girl to do?  I could though, go on the hunt for my cups, it would be rude not too.

why? oh why? was everyone encouraged to 'chuck out the chintz'. That's my question for today. Bring it back I say, hopefully it's not toooooo late.

Finally, before I sign off for the day and leave you in peace. My new stash of wool for my 'Treble Stitch Challenge' Can't wait to play hooky ; )

Bye for now, enjoy the rest of your Thursday, see you again soon xx

Todays Adventure (with a treble stitch challenge update)

Hiya

Hope you're all ok this evening?? The snow is still gracing us with its presence. A little more floated down mid week but the majority of it has now turned to ice. Yuk! 

The Corn Exchange- Leeds, UK

Thankfully it didn't stop All4meggymoo and myself heading over to Leeds today to a craft fair at The Corn Exchange pictured above. As you can see, no snow!! It baffles me every time, how the snow can touch some areas of the UK and not others. Do get me wrong, Yorkshire did get some but compared to where we live you wouldn't think it had visited. 

For those of you lovely people reading this that are unfamiliar with the  Leeds Corn Exchange, it is one of Britain’s finest Victorian buildings which once operated traditionally trading in corn. Although it doesn't trade in grain anymore, it is now just one of three Corn Exchanges here in the UK which are still open as trading centres. 

A Grade 1 listed structure, designed by Cuthbert Brodrick which was completed in 1864, the Leeds Corn Exchange holds a great deal of  significance both as an architectural masterpiece and cultural icon which sits at the heart of the local community. It's well worth a visit if you are ever in the area to appreciate just how magnificent this building is.

So today it held the ReetSweet Craft Fair. Please follow the link to find an array of delectable delights or check out my board on Pinterest dedicated to these very talented designer/makers.

Roll up! Roll up! Update date alert...Roll up! Roll up! Update date alert...

Day 11  of the  'Treble Stitch Challenge'

I'm so happy to bring you this update, I have been practising so hard everyday that I have run out of yarn, doh!  How therapeutic is this craft??  How do you think I'm doing so far?

As I ran out of wool, tempted as I was to pull this down and start again to carry on practising, I remembered I had some spare balls and tried to create another square from scratch. 

Hmmmm! Here's how I got on..

I thought I would try something different to just using the same coloured wool as I got a bit bored of seeing the one colour creation emerge, so I decided to take it upon myself and prove to myself, that I can start with the slip stitch, make a chain and work the treble stitch into it  and produce... well, unfortunately this (above), my chain stitch was too tight and I have gone off on a tangent. Haha! I have however, I think, understood how to crochet colours together. 

While out and about today, I purchased some more balls of wool to continue practising for my challenge so watch this space for further updates : ).

Well, it's been a long day, so I think I'm going to hit the hay.

Sweet dreams xx

I heart Crochet

Hello there,


Day 2


Just a quick up date and photo to show how my 'Treble Stitch Challenge' is progressing. I can't put my hook down..

The Hook and I

xx

"Pinch, Punch it's the first of the month..."

Hello!


Welcome to February, gosh! where, o' where did January go??? Did I blink and miss it?


Well,  today I have received a challenge! This should get my crochet fingers working.  Never one to shy away from a challenge, being a Gemini, there is at least one half of me that is very competitive, I accepted with grace and it's going to be full steam ahead for the next month.


My Challenge, should I choose (which I do) to accept it is... to 'Learn Treble Crochet Stitch' thoroughly within the next four weeks and who knows where it might lead. I have a pretty good idea where I would like it to, so I will let you read on. 


Basically, when I last blogged about learning to crochet, I have to now admit, I am not exactly progressing as well as I'd hoped : (   Soooo... All4meggymoo has said if I can master the treble stitch within the next month, my prize (which I'm soooo wanting to create) is to make my very own birdie decoration that All4meggymoo posted about here. Check him out, he's delectable!  


Boy, have I got a lot of hard work to do haha!!  Bonus though, I have just been informed I can choose my wool from All4meggymoo large stash ; )


BRING IT ON!!!!  Watch this space...


Sweet dreams! Thanks for dropping in xx