Another Textile ATC Swap

Really excited to be taking part in the second textile ATC swap ran by Ali over at Very Berry Handmade

The partners have been exchanged, so I know who I am making for (sorry its a secret till we exchange!)

The theme this time is Autumn. I've got a few ideas in mind and a little time left to finesse as the exchange is the first week in November. Looking forward to making something for some one else.

I made a camping / outdoor themed ATC  for the last swap with shrink plastic bunting and a free hand machine embroidery detail

Thinking cap firmly on

A is for Apple

I most certainly wouldn’t categorise myself as a fussy eater. In fact I’m more likely to say I love food a little too much.

There is a but coming...

But....I don’t eat fruit

I do eat strawberries and raspberries and cooked apple

But I don’t eat anything else

I’ve been like this for as long as I can remember

My Mum tells stories of me eating mashed banana as a child – my retort is that I was clearly force fed!

At school I used to have a red pepper in my lunch box whilst my friends had apples - yes I got some funny looks!

My son, however, loves fruit and I’ve been encouraging him to eat lots. We regularly have a fridge full of melon and a fruit bowl full of apples and kiwis

I don’t really know why but I’ve been thinking I need to sort this out for a while, I’ve been trying to loose a few pounds and failing miserably (partially due to all the illness in August and September). Whenever I do attempt a diet I always stumble across the same issue – other dieters can snack on fruit when they are hungry, filling up on strawberries and raspberries is an expensive business!

Hmmmm!

At work we have fruit Thursdays – so today the filing cabinet behind me was abundantly covered in a range of fruit. Embarrassed that I was personally eating the entire punnet of raspberries each week I only took a few this morning and I also selected an apple. A Braeburn apparently.....

This may not seem huge to you, you probably think I’m a bit silly! But it was a big step for me.

I decided I would take my boys out for dinner (pizza mmmm) if I ate the apple.....

It stared at me all morning from the corner of my desk

At first it was planned to be an 10am snack

Didn’t happen

Then 11am snack

No its still sat there looking at me....

Then I decided to have it as part of my lunch

Sandwich finished

Here we go

*CRUNCH*CRUNCH*CRUNCH*

I’m doing it

I’m actually eating an apple

First bite tasted like I expected, a little juicier maybe and the skin was annoyingly thick (do they all have thick skins?)

I don’t like the skin

But I kept going

It leaves a bit of a sweet after taste – I like that

Its quite juicy really – that's quite pleasant

Well I managed over ½ the apple. I don’t think that is too bad, it's at least 30 years since I last ate one!

Feeling quite virtuous - but must not reward myself with a trip to the chocolate machine

I’m not sure I’m going to switch my diet immediately but hey that wasn’t quite as bad as I thought....well done my amazing little boy for inspiring me to eat this

Looking forward to my pizza dinner treat now

Well done me

Contagion in Basingstoke!

I was looking forward to writing a post on 1st September waving a fond farewell to August. It was a month full of germs in our house, unfortunately September has not started as I would have hoped. 

August saw my little man bouncing from one viral infection to another, the evil little germs all seemed to attack whilst his immune system was low  following his fall and subsequent A&E scare. So I have been changing his snot covered bedding on a daily basis and generally wrapping him in cotton wool and spoiling him rotten with treats and trips out. He is such a little trooper, he faced all this infection with a smile on his face, and even when his voice was nearly gone he was giggling away. I could learn a lot from him!

He is now on antibiotics to beat the final few germs giving his little body a chance to recover fully before we head into autumn and the stream of colds he is no doubt likely to contract from nursery. 

My husband and I managed to dodge most of these infections except for us both feeling horrid for 48 hours, I thought we escaped lightly

This was all August and I was ready to say goodbye (with the exception of completing the little man's antibiotics), we were done....

but no........now I'm ill

I woke on Wednesday morning with my alarm at 6am and what felt like a golf ball in my throat, a thumping head ache and a squeaky voice. 

I texted my boss and said I wasn't coming to work, next thing I knew it was 2pm. I obviously needed that sleep

I haven't managed to shake it off and went to the Dr today. There is a chance I have tonsillitis, I had this a few times as a teenager and don't relish the opportunity to experience it again, so I have a prescription for antibiotics which I'm hoping will do the trick so normal service will resume on Monday.

The irony of all of this is that during August my husband and I watched Contagion

I doubt it won many Oscars, however, I really enjoyed it and the story line has really got me thinking. For anyone who hasn't seen this film the premise is
deadly virus is spreading across the globe - passing from human to human quickly 
where did it start? 
can it be stopped? 

My little man (and now me) have picked up so many bugs recently could this really happen?  I'm already a paranoid user of hand sanitizer when we are out and about, but is this enough? My thoughts have even wandered this morning as to whether I should ditch hand towels in the bathrooms at home in favour of a huge pile of face clothes which you use once and pit in a towel bin to be washed and then reused, a la posh restaurant. Is this going too far?

I know there is a need to contract some germs in order to exercise your immune system like any other part of the body - use it or loose it! And certainly when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s there weren't such things as hand sanitizer. But life was different back then. We didn't travel quite so frequently internationally, or sit on air conditioned trains to commute to work where a sneeze 3 carriages down is efficiently shared with the whole train.

I don't know what the answer is, but as strip my little man's bed again to wash the snot away and I gently sip on my water gritting my teeth as I painfully swallow I'm trying to figure out how to avoid getting infected again.

Answers on a post card 

The week that was....

Well we have had a pretty rubbish week here. If you follow me on Facebook you may have read my moaning on Tuesday that my little man was sent home from nursery and excluded for 48 hours due to having 3 running nappies over 2 days. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him. 

I took Tuesday off work with no notice to look after him and my team at work were left to pick up the pieces in my absence. 

The little man went to work with Daddy on Wednesday and that is when the trauma accelerated.

My precious little boy fell over and grazed his knee....this was his first proper graze. Making a big thing of his big boy injury Daddy turned to the first aid box to get an elastoplast.

My little man blacked out and started to fit 

Never happened before

He came round after a very short time but wasn't really there 

Call an ambulance

I was at work in London - 1hr 45mins away. I was out of my office building like a shooting bullet, charging to the tube station whilst paramedics checked my little man's temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen

Daddy and little man were taken to the nearest hospital in the ambulance (no flashing lights which was a relief) 

At hospital my precious little boy was the same colour as the bed sheets and not talking or wriggling when I joined them. The Doctor checked his vitals and they were all normal, then suddenly my little man flickered back, his eyes sharpened, and he asked for a snack. 

That's my boy! 

Always eating

He was ok

He gradually came round over the next hour or so to be the cheeky 2yr old that I know and love. The staff were brilliant, we had a bed picnic and watched Cbeebies on my iPad whilst nurses and doctors checked on us regularly. 

We were moved from A&E to Pediatrics where more tests and examinations took place. 

Nothing was abnormal and nothing gave even a hint as to the cause of the fit. 

The doctor concluded that he had a Febrile Seizure, these are usually caused by an increase in temperature but can also be triggered by trauma.

My little man is fine. Yesterday Daddy and I wouldn't let him out of our sight. Today I have dropped him at nursery for a couple of hours. I would desperately love to keep him at home wrapped in cotton wool until he is 18 but that wouldn't be good for either of us. So I have to be strong and trust in the staff at nursery and the doctors who told me it probably won't ever happen again. 

Today I am about 5 minutes away from him. On Monday he will be back at nursery, I will be in 1hr 45mins away from him and Daddy will be at work 30 minutes away from him. I'm not looking forward to Monday.

Happy Birthday to me

Look what I got for my birthday today, I'm a lucky lady :)

 

 

 

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And the winner is....

Catja from Gjeomtry

Congratulations on winning this cool cat print

Catja I will be in contact to ask for your address details soon.. well done

xxx

Art Finder Giveaway and new blog design

Hopefully you've spotted that the decorators have been in and left me with a wonderful new blog design, I'm loving it, isn't it pretty, I'd love to take the credit, but it was developed by the wonderfully talented Faye Kent (there is a link at the bottom of the page if you are interested)

Anyway to celebrate this new look Art Finder have kindly given me this wonderful print to give away

Awesome!!

Here’s a little about them….

 - They sell affordable art online directly from artists and independent galleries
 - They have over 6,000 artworks from 36 countries
 - They sell original art & limited edition prints (numbered and signed by the artist)
 - They offer artists a platform to showcase their work internationally without needing to be represented by a gallery. For many artists this means the difference between making a career out of being an artist or doing a different job. 

Their mission is to enable everyone to enjoy art, by making it more accessible and affordable. They have limited edition prints from as little as £15 and oil paintings from £75 upwards

So they have given me this fabulous limited edition print by Jason Munro, its 35cm x 35cm and is valued at £40

It could be winging its way to you shortly. 

All I ask if that you follow me on bloglovin and leave me a comment here on this blog to tell me you have done that and for an extra chance to win follow me on facebook and leave me a comment there too.

I'll add all the comments together and pick a winner

International entries are welcome, I'll post this anywhere, and the closing date is Midnight Wednesday 31st July 

Good Luck
xx

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Is crafting the poor relation of the blogging world?

This weekend I didn't spend my Friday night with my husband watching a DVD. I didn't spend my Saturday doing a trolley dash around Sainsbury's. No, this weekend was different. It was the UK female blogging event of the year. It was Brit Mum's Live!

500 (mainly female but a couple if brave male) bloggers descended on London, and what a brilliant 2 day event it was. There were lots of brilliant sessions by a inspiring bloggers and social media experts, and I have a box full of business cards of the great people I met to look up and keep in touch with (smashing Susanna's target of 3 new people)

As well as the sessions giving tips on using various social media, and improve writing and photography there were also a few sessions about making money from your blog.

Make serious money from my blog?

Really?

This wasn't something I'd every really considered. I started this blog as a hobby to share my crafting and learn from others. Whilst like most people I'd love to make my hobby my career I'd never really considered that it would be possible. But there were fellow blogger stating the £££ they were making from sponsored posts and reviews, wow.

But who would be interested in my blog? A major craft retailer? Well, I contacted Hobbycraft a few months ago (I contacted twice to be exact) with a proposition which mixed blogging and IRL career experience, and they didn't even have the manners to respond (rude!). Then a few more ideas started to tumble into my mind. I scribbled madly on my note pad making a major do-to list feeling inspired and daydreaming about quitting the day job and spending my days making beautiful items to share with you lovely people.

I was lifted, content and excited at the possibilities

That same evening were the Brilliance in Blogging award (BiBs), 500 bloggers assembled in the main hall to praise those among us who are going above and beyond and truly inspiring the rest of us. As I sipped my rather yummy red wine (thanks for Asda for sponsoring) I browsed the categories, nominations and sponsors

Fresh Voice sponsored by due date club
Food Category sponsored by Vitamix
Inspire sponsored by Plum
Photo sponsored by Art Finder
and so on down to Craft

The Craft category was sponsored by ..... no one! 

What? 

No one?

Yep.... out of the 16 categories only 2 were left with no sponsor.... the Video and Craft categories.

I started thinking....am I blogging about a subject which is worthless? do the companies I purchase resources from really think so little of my work that they wont sponsor this blogging category?

My mood dropped to confused, angry and frustrated

Is craft the poor relation of the blogging world?

Maybe my blank from Hobbycraft wasn't as personal as I had initially thought (although a non-reply is still just rude in my book!), maybe they just don't get blogging and what it can offer them??

I think the opportunities for a business in the craft blogging space are immense, and I have some seriously good ideas as to how the craft retailer / producer / distributor and blogging community can work together to mutual benefit.

Contact me if you'd like to buy me a coffee and chat about these 

There is most definitely an opportunity to drive traffic in both directions and ultimately drive business sales, I think that craft companies are just a little behind the curve, there has to be an advantage to stepping into the bloggersphere first, I wonder who will do it?

grumble over....

Aside from this I had an amazing time and I'm already booked in for next year's conference, although quite how the organizers can top Kirstie Allsop as the opening keynote speaker is a mystery to me.

Reflecting on my Blogging

Hi, how are you doing there stranger? 

sorry its been a while. 

its been a strange couple of weeks. I really did enjoy the Cybher conference, learnt a lot which I think is possibly one of the reasons I haven't blogged for over a week....I think I learnt too much. I think I learnt too much about stuff that scared me.

Evidently this is what I need to do....

Social Media Butterfly

Evidently I need to be active on 

• Google+ 
• Facebook
• Twitter 
• Pinterest
• and the blog 

at the same time but not with tailored updates.
wow that's a lot of updates 

Photo Editing on the laptop

I need to make sure I name all my photos correctly so that they can be searchable on Google Images.
but I use my ipad....I dont think I can do this 

And keep all the sizes consistent
well I do that already.....insert smug face!

Legal Stuff
I've been sent a few items recently to review and mention on my little blog. Its fun for me and obviously there is a benefit for the organisation in advertising, but the legal implications, wow!

Branding Branding Branding

Now I like to think I know a little about this. Not because I working in this area, but just because I am married to Mr Observant who notices when companies use different branding in different places and we both appreciate the need for a consistent corporate message.
But I have to be consistent across how many social media applications....it isnt as easy as you might think

Google Changes

And just when I thought my head couldn't take any more the concept of the Google Penguin update was raised.
Google....Penguin....what....is.....that??????

Boom my head exploded

But how does this relate to my blog?
This is my little blog about crafting
I'm not looking to give up my banking career (which I like to believe I'm doing quite well at).
I just want to share my crafting and meet like minded people

I guess I've just been put off a little, I know there are many wonderful crafting and other subject bloggers out there, but I'm not sure I will ever be one of those (although I would REALLY love to be), I just don't have the time.

So I will attempt to learn about Penguin and am certainly getting a tad addicted to reading other blogs and learning how to blog better....so I will embrace the changes gradually....the tortoise and the hare and all that

I should probably also share that I'm off to Brit Mums Live on Friday...very excited about meeting like minded people, have a great time, and learning more areas where I need to do better....mmmm

One lucky lady - Beautiful ATC arrived today

The ATC from my partner in the ATC swap arrived today. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement

I love it

Isn't it gorgeous...isn't it just perfect.

 

I'd seen this ATC in one of the picture preview blog posts and thought it was wonderful then, so I'm feeling incredibly lucky that it was for little me and I get to keep it. Liberty fabric and intricate stitching beautifully put together, I'm one happy lady today

 

It's from Catherine at Knotted Cotton. I've looked at her blog and she is a super clever lady quilting, stitching and taking amazing photos. I hadn't discovered her blog before but I will certainly be back.

 

Thank you Catherine

 

 

 

 

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Posting my ATC

Its time to reveal the Artist Trading Card (ATC) I have blogged about before here

Its the first time I've taken part in a crafty swap, I've read about so many of them on other blogs but always been to late to take part and honestly a little scared too

what if I'm no good?

what if they don't like what I make?

When I saw this ATC swap on Very Berry Handmade's blog I manned up and signed up. It seemed so far away when I first signed up in April, but being a little nervous about the whole thing I started thinking about the design right away.

The finished article is really small - just 2.5" x 3.5" so I had to scale down my original ideas just to be more achievable. I wanted to try something new, and wanted to use a number of new skills so putting my novice machine embroidery to the test I made an outdoor camping scene, and also created some bunting out of shrink plastic.  

So here it is 

ATC finished and ready to post

I've really enjoyed the process of sketching this out, creating and then posting this item for someone who I have never met (although I have read her blog). I really do hope she likes it, and I'm looking forward to a parcel dropping on my doorstep and sharing it with you.

I've enjoyed having a play at something new and wont be too worried about signing up immediately for another swap as soon as I see someone is running one. 

But I am now sat eagerly watching the letter box waiting for one to arrive for me...what a treat. 

Fabric business card holder

Whilst I was so excited at my shiny new business cards I suddenly readlised I didn't have a business card holder

Crumbs!

Rummaging through my bits and bobs draw I found some bits of felt (cheap thin felt, but felt all the same rummagers and be choosers!), a quick Pinterest search filled me with ideas and inspiration, here's the result - my new fabric business card holder

 

I'm a little concerned that it might stretch being felt, but maybe that will be good - might gradually manage to fit in more cards

Will be feeling very smart at Cybher on Saturday - well that is if the nerves step aside for 2 seconds. I'm a little scared, I don't really know anyone going, and there are going to be so many fabulous female bloggers there I'll basically be in awe

 

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Becca gets professional

So, I may have mentioned previously Monday-Friday 7.30am till 6ish I'm a city girl, I work for a major high street bank and do fancy things with change and projects, so my crafting is a completely different world. Some of my work colleagues know I like crafting but they have no idea I blog or to the extent I love to create, I don't hide it from them it just never really pops into conversation....it's hard to squeeze patchwork into a conversation about profitability!

Anyway, I suppose the point I'm trying to make is I feel a little like Superman (or maybe Supermum), I have a but if an alter-ego!

Although I'd like to point out I don't have a Lycra suit on under my work clothes!

I've been attempting to blur the lines between these 2 important parts of my life recently, one step is to get professional business cards for my blog, especially as I'm hoping to meet some wonderful like minded people at the Cybher and BritMums blogging conferences next month (eek only next month).

 

Here they are - photos and design my me! Well I think they look great - the question is whether I will want to give any away?

Do you have blog business cards?

As I'm starting to get more involved in exchanges and such think it would be a nice tough to include one in the parcel.

 

 

 

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Welcome to the Blog Party

Hello, as you are probably aware there is a little party happening in the blogosphere today, it's a global Blog Party organised and hosted by the lovely Vicki from 2 Bags Full.

It's so easy for us to just continue as we are, chatting away in our little blog worlds forgetting there are people out there who don't know us but would like to. You wouldn't do that at a party would you? No, you'd pause and introduce yourself, then share and chat until your found some common ground and a spark.

So that is the idea of the party really....

Pause and introduce ourselves .....

Share a little bit about ourselves and hopefully find a little spark with someone who might like to pop back every now and then to see how we are doing.

Lets start a conversation.

I'll certainly be looking for some lovely blogs to follow and I assume, by the fact you are reading this, you are too.

--------------------

So hello, how are you?

I'm Becca Lou, I'm a Mum of one from Hampshire, England. I enjoy making beautiful items for my home and as gifts in my free time. I've been blogging for a couple of years but took a bit of a break when work, parenthood, moving house etc just meant I didn't have the time to dedicate to you. I missed blogging so started again just after Christmas and having had the time to reflect I have some idea seedlings which will hopefully result in some lovely ideas to share with you over the coming months.

I thought I'd give you a whistle-stop tour and share what I'm all about...

Crochet - I discovered crochet a couple of years ago and have been hooked (please excuse the pun!). I find it so relaxing and portable, sitting in front of the TV it acts as a snuggly blanket, waiting for my car to be serviced it keeps boredom at bay, it's a lovely craft...

This is a blanket I finished recently...

 

Jewellery - I've created a few items of silver metal jewellery using silversmithing techniques as well as playing with silver metal clay.

Beading and Accessories - I do like to show off my hand made items and very little gives me more pleasure than beading a headband to wear to an event and to receive a compliment about it.

I made this one to wear to a friends wedding, this and others have made appearances at many parties and events I've attended. Usually get compliments, always makes me smile to say "oh this? Yes I designed and made it, thanks for the compliment"

Quilting and patchwork - a lovely way to re-use fabrics and use up scraps, I do love a bit of quilting. The images below are from play mats I made for friends on the arrivals of new babies.

Conferences - I'm off to a couple of blogging conferences this year....looking forward to sharing the learnings with you, improving my blog, and hopefully meeting you there? Let me know if you are attending, you will find me at...

Cybher

Brit Mums Live

 

So this is me, there is so much more I'd like to tell you but hope that with any good conversation started at a party we will get to know each other over time.

 

So tell me a little about yourself, do you have a place in the blogosphere I can visit?

Please come back again soon

Ta at for now

X

 

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CyberMummy Here I Come

Well I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve. But tomorrow I won't be opening presents, drinking champagne or eating too much rich food....no tomorrow is the CyberMummy conference

I'm incredibly excited

I've become a lot more confident about myself since becoming a Mummy. When I might shy away or be almost embarrassed about myself or something I've achieved previously I'm much more "this is me" now and you can take me or leave me. I don't know if this is a result of motherhood in that I simply don't have the time to fret anymore or if this is because the arrival of the little man has put me in a position where I HAVE to make new friends.

None of my close friends live nearby, in fact the closest is about 1hr15mins away so when motherhood loomed I knew I needed a bunch of friends nearby who were going through the same life change. It really was the first time since University (and that was a few years ago) where I've been flung into a situation where the plan is to make friends. And I'm pleased to say I succeeded, I have a lovely group of Mummies nearby.

I wonder if this has increased my confidence or maybe being a Mummy has just made me more interested in other people and everything else is a by-product. Well whatever the reason I'm not complaining.

So to continue my strive to meet like minded and not-so-like minded people and stay in contact I'm looking forward to not only the sessions tomorrow but also the breaks when I can chat chat chat. I've even made some businesscards (although I'd maybe prefer to call these name cards as I certainly don't like to think of my little blog as a business).

They are a bit fun, a bit crafty and quite girlie but I love them. I'm corporate Monday-Friday so my weekends and blog are a time for fun. I've only made a few so hoping to hand these to special people I meet on the day and hope they stay in touch.

I'm off now to check the agenda, organise my travel and pack my bag for the day.... I'll share the conference with you soon

xx

When all you can do is beg

There are some things which I am certainly not too proud to do

• the photo copying at work


• sniffing my baby’s bottom to see if there is anything I need to action


• re-cleaning tables in restaurants before we sit down as I know T will attempt to put the whole table in his mouth at some point over dinner. (I like to make sure it has seen antibacterial some point recently)
  

but most recently I added begging to the list and I don’t care because it came through.

As you know I took a bit of a cyber break when T was born. Just couldn’t fit blogging into my already chaotic world, but now T is 8 months old, I’m back at work and we are into a very good bedtime routine* I have a little more time on my hands and blogging was top of my list.

It was therefore only recently whilst blog-surfing that I discovered the Cyber Mummy conference taking place in London on 25th June, got very excited….went to register and was quickly deflated to discover it was sold out and there was a waiting list. There was nothing for it but to beg, offered to work at the event in exchange for a ticket; handing out badges, stewarding, anything which would mean I can go to a couple of the talks. I want to be a better blogger.

Well, I’ve just heard back from the organisers and

The lady from CyberMummy....she say yes

(insert own cheesy Spanish accent)

(apologies to anyone who wasnt in England in the '80s to experience the Del Monte ads)

I’m so excited.

Looking forward to meeting lots more yummy cyber mummies.

Are you going? Let me know…looking forward to meeting you

* clearly I have jinxed the next few nights by writing this

Ahoy There

It's been a while but I certainly haven't forgotten you and I hope you haven't forgotten me either.

I've been itching to get back to blogging for a while now. I've taken some time to make sure this is something I'm willing to commit to again and after hours of thought and deliberation the conclusion is - YES.

I'm back and it feels great

I've been up to so much that I want to share with you. There have been...county shows.....baking extravaganzas....crafting....and of course I need to introduce you properly to my little man.

So for now I will wave farewell and I'll see you back here very soon. Watch this space
Bx

By George she's done it...

After spending the morning interrogating and then amending HTML code I have finally done it....

I've got 3 columns, white back ground and my own photo at the top...not exactly ground breaking I know but I'm pleased none the less

phew this blogging lark is more stressful than I thought it would ever be...I'm off for a thoroughly deserved cup of tea now

New Blogger Respect

I've developed a large new found respect for all the amazing blogs out there. I don't just mean the interesting, inspiring and thought-provoking content - that's all great but I already knew you were a great bunch

No - I'm talking about the bits we as readers all take for granted...the layout and structure of the blog page.

I've literally spent HOURS today trying to amend the format of my blog. I'm no HTML coder so I've been hunting for a template I could seamingly simply download and use. I had a couple of criteria

1. 3 column

2. clean white or grey background

3. ability to upload own title photo

Either I've been looking in the wrong places (I was searching on google and am fairly IT literate) OR these are impossibly complex criteria as I've really struggled.

You might be able to tell from this page that I've managed to tick off at least 2 of the above, I'm not sure about item 3 as my computer has now decided it needs a break so am off to make dinner whilst it restarts!!

Watch out for potentially more changes and if you have any advice for me I'd really love to hear it