Contented

Busy week - and more Q&A

This week has been unusually busy for me.  Normally I just kind of potter along, maybe see a couple of friends, pop into town for a few bits and bobs - but this week has been a bit of a social whirl!  In addition to the usual Tuesday coffee morning and inevitable trips into town there has also been quite a lot of crafting for our school's Christmas fair - painting signs for stalls one day and the next day painting and decorating little bits of mdf to make plaques/signs to sell - a lovely day out yesterday with my friend Hazel, supposedly Christmas shopping but in reality it was just lots of chatting! Another friend this morning and tomorrow there is a girls evening in - a group of school mums having an early Christmas get together.  The week has just whizzed by and the house is looking a bit of a tip - nothing new there, then!!  But I really do want to try and make the house nice and tidy for Christmas - it's creeping up on me very quickly so I think next week will be spent trying to catch up.  For now though, while I have some time before the school run, I wanted to finish answering my giveaway questions in the peace and quiet.

So, Lucette asked "what kinds of photos would you like to take?" (with my new camera).  Very easy answer to that - good ones!!  I have to come clean and confess that I barely glanced at the instruction manual for my new camera - I think that perhaps I ought to take the time to read it through properly!  It's great for snapshots, and I have managed to take one or two really good close up shots, but I would really like to be able to take the kinds of photos that have real "atmosphere" to them.  Before we got a digital camera, I went through a phase of buying black and white film as I think black & white photos have such a lovely quality to them, quite different from the same shot in colour, and I got some gorgeous pics of the kids.  I don't even know if I can create black & white pics with this camera - or does that just depend on the computer software you use?  See, completely clueless!  I'd quite fancy doing a course in amateur photography and learn about lighting, how to stage a shot etc - I could certainly use some help regarding taking photos of the things I've made. 

The final question was from Katy, who asked "if you could master one thing you can't do, what would it be?"  Gosh, can I really only pick one thing?  No, that's too tough, sorry Katy, I'm going to have to pick a few!  Ok, I would really love to be able to ice skate - proper figure skating with turns and jumps and stuff.  I can skate a bit, forwards no problem and backwards just a little bit, but it was always something done very rarely - there was never a rink near where we lived - and I haven't been for years, in fact I think the last time I went may have been when I first met my husband!  But skating is one of the few sports I actually like watching on tv and I always wish that I could do it too.   I saw Torvill & Dean once at Wembley and was just mesmerised by it.  I would also love to be able to play an instrument, either piano or guitar.  We have Guitar Hero on the Wii which I LOVE - a bit sad as it is my sons game, but that really made me want to be able to play for real.   And we always had a piano at home growing up - my mum plays but I don't recall ever wanting to learn as a child - I actually did violin for maybe a year but couldn't wait to quit!  Anyway, piano playing just looks so amazing I always think (and sounds lovely too, of course).  And finally, I think that I too would also like to learn to crochet - if only because I want one of those gorgeous ripple blankets!!!

I'll leave you with a photo taken last night - as I was typing yesterday's post I glanced up out of the window to see the most amazing coloured sky, and dashed outside to try and capture it.  I did even use the "sunset" setting on the camera, although even then I'm not sure that the pic really does it justice!

 

Have a great weekend!

R x

A little announcement

I have taken a very deep breath and got myself a little shop on Folksy!  I figured there wasn't really much to lose - it's still in Beta so they're not charging commission yet.  I've only listed a few items so far, but will hopefully get more on there in the coming weeks.  Please do go and have a look and let me know what you think - and be honest with me,  constructive criticism will be greatfully received!  I know I still have some work to do regarding my photo's.  I did try and put a button in my sidebar but failed miserably (I've tried putting on buttons before for swaps and had the same problems) - I've read the instructions on Typepad itself and read a tutorial on Bella Dia but I just can't crack it - hence there is only a link.   Maybe someone can help me with that too?  Anyway, I'll leave you with some pics of three little bags made this week - the first two are in the shop but the last one is for me! (Click on the pics for a bigger view).

       

Enjoy your weekend!

R x

Don't forget your camera!

I know the first rule of blogging is to take your camera EVERYWHERE with you, but this weekend I forgot it when I went to Penshurst craft fair on Saturday with my friend, Sarah.  It's a pretty big fair, with about 9 big marquees of stalls, plus a food tent.  I could spend an absolute fortune there given the chance, but I was still very happy with my little purchases, a carved wooden heart, (some kind of hawthorne I think), which is now taking up residence in a little dish with a couple of other hearts I have,

 

and this dinky little trinket dish,

 

it's really small, only about 4cm in diameter, but so cute I couldn't resist it.

I bought some chocolate fudge (yum) and a glass nail file too, and I also got an advance birthday present from my mum & dad, a beautiful, original painting, but it's still all wrapped up so I must remember to take some pics once it's been hung up.

The kids went back to school on Wednesday and Peter is back at work tomorrow so I will soon be getting back into the swing of regular, everyday life.  I have a to-do list as long as my arm (and that's only a slight exaggeration!) but September also signals the start of peak birthday period in our house so stuff like finishing the decorating of the hallway may have to wait a while.  I will be baking quite a few birthday cakes over the next few weeks, with two this week alone!  I will try and remember to take photos!

Have a good week everyone!

Some scenes from our summer

 

On the beach at Hastings.

On the beach at Camber.

At Centerparcs.

Fresh blackberries picked from the forest around our villa.

Some of the wildlife that visited us there.

The boys went back to school today, so back into the old routine.

Random post

Ooh, I've got lots to tell you about today! First though, as I'm quite excited about it, is my new toy...

Yay!  I took an executive decision and decided to just go ahead and buy myself a new camera as I am so fed up with the old one!  I only got it this morning, so still figuring out all the different modes etc, but the few test shots I did were certainly about a million times better than my old camera.  Said old camera has now been passed on to William - it's still ok for just taking snapshots, it was the closeups that it was pants at - so William is now very pleased too.  Smiles all round!

Yesterday my giveaway prize from Paper and String arrived - all these lovely felt and fabric flowers, plus some pretty ribbons too.  They're so lovely, I almost don't want to use them, but I will and they will look fab!  I quite often make homemade birthday cards and these will look brilliant, although I think the big ones will be saved for sewing onto some bags.  Thank you again Sarah!

More little felt birds!  Theses ones are smaller - baby birds!  The pale green and pink one is definitely my favourite.  I could get quite carried away with these, they are so satisfying to make.  I think our Christmas tree this year will probably have quite a few nesting in it's branches!!

Finally, I have started on my pink quilt.  Just made the one block so far but very happy with how it's turned out.  The colours make me so happy!  This is going to be an "as and when" project, using up scraps of fabric,  so it may take a while - although having said that, William's quilt wasn't exactly done overnight either!!

Now off to practice some more with my new camera!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Back in business..

So, I eventually got my camera to work again.  Seems it was the batteries after all (which does make me feel a bit dumb for announcing it's "death" to the world!)  But it is being very temperamental, so I have asked my Dad for some recommendations for a new one and, as soon as I can get the green light from hubby, will be placing an order.  In the meantime, this is what I've made lately:-

Some little customised bodysuits (or onesies as they seem to be called now) for my friend Hana who is having her 4th baby soon.  She doesn't read this blog so I'm safe to post the pics.  At the moment the motifs are just fixed on with Wunderunder (what marvellous stuff - can you believe I've only just discovered it?) but I shall probably sew round the edges too.  I'm still working on the little party bags - the order has gone up to 19 now.  They don't take long but I've just been doing them in dribs and drabs - which is why I seem to have been talking about them for forever!   And also the cupcake swap.  I think I'm finished.  I'm just a bit concerned that my stuff is going to look so completely amateurish compared to everyone elses creations.  But it has been quite fun trying out new things, which I guess is the main thing.  Here's a little sneaky peak..

Hope that doesn't give away too much!  Once I have the swap and the party bags out of the way I want to concentrate on getting William's quilt finished.  And then maybe I'll start a pink one for me?! :-)

Ooh, just realised that this is post no 49 - so there may be a give away with post no 50!   Do come back to find out!

Uh oh...

I think my camera has died.  Every time I turn it on, when I try to take a picture it just turns itself off again.  There is no low battery sign showing.  Of course, it could be the batteries but, as luck would have it, we seem to have every size battery in the house except AA's!   I think this has been on the cards for a while.  The camera is second hand - some friends gave it to us - and I did drop it a while back (yeah, that would probably do it!), but I was kind of hoping it would last until my birthday when I could ask for a new one.  Unfortunately, my birthday isn't until October - and I really need a camera now!!  I may have to ask Peter if I can have my birthday early!    I have actually managed to do some sewing today for the cupcake swap.  I've been playing around with a few ideas - some worked ok, some not so good, but today I think I cracked it.  I can't show any pictures yet, obviously, but I really want to take some before I send the package off.  So frustrating.  Ooh, just remembered, Peter has a work camera, maybe I can borrow that?  Watch this space.