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Thursday 26 June 2014

Fourth of July party decorations



A quick DIY tutorial on how to make some pretty party decorations in case you are having a fourth of July party.  One decoration is deliberate, the other is a freebie bonus!

Here goes:

Get yourself some of these:


And one of these:
My paper trimmer will cut straight and wiggly lines... I chose the wiggly lines.  More fun!


Cut your A4 paper into strips, you'll probably get 10-12 strips from each A4 sheet of paper.


Using your paper trimmer, stamp out your stars equidistance apart (as best you can anyway - mines not perfect - but don't tell anyone).



Then get your double sided tape or glue stick and start to assemble your chain.  The strips represent the strips and the stars, well, the stars!



Position somewhere pretty and keep the star cutouts because you can use them to decorate your party table! 



 Free table confetti!  Not just a pretty face you know!


Happy Forth of July folks
x x x





Wednesday 25 June 2014

creative mail

I would like to share with you my mini moments of creative happiness.  Because my family life is so hectic at the moment the only creating I can spare the time to do is sending happy mail.

This is the most recent mail that I received.  


I swapped Chinese airmail stickers for English ones, they were wrapped in a little Hello Kitty gift bag.  


The lovely sender also surprised me with some wash tape and a pretty airmail sticker.


I have sent this mail out into the big wide world: 


I hope the receivers appreciate the fun I had putting their mail together for them.  



xx

The ups and downs of quilting and being a mum

I didn't know what it was called before but thanks to the very talented Modflowers I now what it is that I suffer from...quilting fear. Yes, quilting fear, it is awful, the self doubt and loathing because you know what you want your quilt to look like, you know how to do it, but can't quite pluck up the courage to actually put needle to quilt.  The anxiety. 

I suppose quilting is quite an investment.  An investment of your time. An investment of your precious material.  



....okay that was written about two weeks ago...What a lot of tosh/wishful thinking on my part...I do not suffer from quilting fear, just plain incompetence.


I cannot stitch in the ditch...successfully.


I am really fed up of unpicking 'gone wrong' bits.


I am not sure Big G will ever get a finished article.

I may have to go on a course so I can find someone to stand over me whilst i attempt the last two lines of stitching in the ditch.

I can't even think about the binding...don't think I have the stomach for making my own, even though I really, really, really want to have a go.  


Sometimes I know my ideas far exceed my actual ability...but I do like to have a go.  I must stop doing it to myself!


I know a bad workman blames his tools....but my table is only 1.5 m2 and my trusty sewing machine doesn't have a walking foot and the table cloth keeps slipping (take it off then...yeah I know) and how am I supposed to stuff half of a single  quilt through the right side of the needle bit and concentrate on what I'm doing?  


I was so excited today as this was the first day in yonks that I've had the day to myself, no important calls to make, errands to the post office, children to take to appointments, a tonne of washing to be done.  Every thing is done...except the quilt!  


Anyway it all went pear shaped again and now I'm completely deflated.    

Humpf....

Sorry for the rant.  

Will be back on my best behaviour next time. 

Here are some nice pictures to cheer us all up again.  


Big G is growing up, it hit me this week.  

She sat her last GCSE exam on Monday, and then travelled to Broadstairs by coach to stay with my sister for the week.  ALL BY HERSELF.  

She is perfectly capable, very sensible and I'm not worried about her safety anymore than I normally worry (!) - its just that she took it all in her stride.  Didn't need directions to the coach station, booked it online herself.....

...don't think she needs me as much any more.  Something I've been longing for...but now that it has started...I'm not ready and I'm sure sure that I even like it!


Bloomin heck - this parenting lark is hard work!

Til next time my lovelies
x


PPS - Just as I was about to press the 'publish' button, the postman  delivered the mail.  I noticed a brown padded envelope addressed to MUM!  

I opened it up and this is what I found.  Thank you Big G it is beautiful.  Just like the scottie dog on my Cath Kidston pencil case I had at uni! 



Ignore the stain on my old tea towel.   




So although Big G may not need me quite so much anymore - she still thinks about me.  Yay!
x

Teeny tiny owls and endangered fish

I am becoming a little addicted to post crossing now.  I have received so many lovely postcards.

Here is what I have sent out this week...



My Austrian post crosser has themes for each month - this month is all things water.  I found a postcard with a wintery scene from my Ladybird collection (see below, keep going, keep going, yep, there it is) and then used some silver wallpaper, stars and blue washy tape to give the envelope an aqua feel.



The photo booth picture is of Big G when she was about one, I think.  I love it because it is such a silly photo!



I know a lot of postcrosser/snail mailers are also stamp junkies and so I always try and stock up on picture stamps when the post office gets them in.  

This month the theme is fish!  Those that are sustainable and endangered.  Fish really gross me out...I don't mind eating them (heads off) but I can't bear the look of them, any of them.  So its fair to say that I'm not a particular fan of these stamps. 


I used my lovely swapped Chinese airmail stickers for this lucky lady. 

I am awaiting for some airmail stickers from New Zealand and Japan to come plopping onto my door mat any day soon.  I will post pics when I get them.



All in all a watery theme going on.  


INCOMING 


My favourite mail that I received this week...so much thought and effort...I was thrilled.





This little package came all the way from Belarus...the Owl was beautifully crocheted by Anna.  I will do something special with the perching owl. . . watch this space.

Happy mail day to you all.

Claire x

Tuesday 17 June 2014

Good for the soul



I have been a bit indulgent recently...away with Mr J last weekend and then away again this weekend to the other side of the country.  




Lucky me!

My sister and her little family have moved to the lovely seaside town of Broadstairs on the Kent coast.  It is so picturesque and pretty.


It happened to be the start of Dickens Week last weekend.  Members of the local historical society and shop keepers dress up in Dickensian clothing and parade down the high road. Bit random...but rather too twee for me.  





 My sister is my best friend and I have missed her, so it was lovely spending the weekend with her and her family.  





We did all the usual sisterly things, caught up on all the goings on (gossip), approved each others latest clothing purchases, laughed hysterically, and of course, had fun rummaging for finds in charity shops and early morning car boots!


We also did a long walk from Broadstairs town to Ramsgate harbour....very pretty walk.  




Ramsgate has lots of free art exhibitions and family fun days being promoted for the summer.  


This was my favourite.  


I LOVE GRAFFITIFONT, BUNTING & COLOUR!  


I was particularly drawn to the dry dock...all that wood, it looked abandoned....I want it.  It would look stunning in my garden with wild flowers growing in and around...I might actually enquire next time I go.




Poppies are everywhere (outside of London)!


It was bliss.... spending time with my little sis.


These are coasters...so cute!

I might actually make something for my next post - stranger things have happened.

Claire
x




Thank you for popping by. It is always lovely to hear your comments, they are read and cherished x
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