Knitting and Stitching Show tomorrow

I'm off to the Knitting and Stitching Show tomorrow. 

Excited

Me?

Oh, just a little

Shopping list written - check

Classes booked - check

Friday booked off work for some crafting time - check

Follow me on Instagram for photos of the show 

Birthday Party and Train Cake

This week I turned into a professional party organiser. My little boy was 3 today. 21 toddlers descended on a local soft play for an hour of craziness followed by some lunch.

I decided to make the birthday cake rather than buy, the bought ones always look so pristine but I have really fond memories of the cakes my Mum would make for my birthday parties and I wanted to continue the tradition. 

Quite chuffed (if you will excuse me for saying so) about how this turned out

A kinda cool train cake, and the little man loved it which is really all that matters

I used a train tin for the shape so will take no credit for that but I did the icing myself...after a quick lesson from my Mum I was off

The lucky little man got lots and lots of presents...think we will be spreading these out over the week, and this doesn't even include family gifts!

 

No crafting for me this week but certainly been busy, as I tuck myself up in bed super early tonight I will be dreaming of having a few minutes to craft in the coming week

mmmmm

Look what I got in the post....

I got a lovely email from Rico Designs following my attempt to complete their bird mosaic kit and finding that it didn't include the correct tiles. It was a lovely kit to complete but I was understandably left a little frustrated.

Well they offered to send me a replacement kit, and look what was in the parcel when it arrived

Not just a replacement for my beer bellied bird but also an extra bonus heart mosaic 

Really looking forward to completing these 

This week is all about the little man's 3rd birthday on Sunday. Train cake to make, party and after party to plan and execute, my mind has been else where for the last few days. Its going to be his first proper birthday party I'm so desperate for it to go well. More about that early next week....train cake pictures I promise

xx

First attempt at bunting

I'm always a little apprehensive when trying something seemingly simple for the first time. I want it to be perfect and it rarely is. But this time....well I don't want to blow my own trumpet too much but, By George She's Done It.....my first attempt at bunting and I'm pretty chuffed

Hubby has started to run a monthly market stall and wanted to display his company name, I suggested making some bunting with his company name on.

I searched an awful lot of photos and articles before starting, there were loads of different techniques and shapes. But I'm a fairly traditional girl at heart so it was the classic triangles with patched letters for me.

Now I was holding this post to show you a picture of my husband's market stall...well I went to my parents house this weekend with the little man. On Saturday morning I got a rather sheepish phonecall from my husband...he'd forgotten to pick up the bunting...so after some 1/2 serious 1/2 joking swearing we laughed about it...

So you will have to wait for an in situ photo next month... oh hum.... so pleased I worked late into the night to finish these on Wednesday before I disappeared for a long weekend on Thursday! LOL!

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

Knitting and Stitching Show

Quite excited....my tickets have arrived for the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace in October. I was offered complementary tickets to the show by the organizers (#spoilt!)

But I've then been left with the decision as to what classes to take whilst I was there. I'm going with one of my best friends so going to be a day of crafting, shopping and chatting, I simply cant wait.  

I've booked myself into 2 workshops on techniques I've tried previously but would like to perfect by learning from an expert

Shrink plastic is something I tried earlier this year, had great fun but would love to learn some tricks of the trade and the workshop promises to help me make my own buttons, how cool would that be! I have a whole shrink plastic button making empire planned out in my head! 

Make up Bag with a Zip - zips terrify me! yes I've said it. Hi my name is Becca and I'm terrified of adding a zip to anything. I tend to avoid any task which involved adding a zip, they just look so complicated, using a machine zipper foot, positioning them correctly, remembering to unzip them and so on.....but its time to tackle this phobia. I'm so excited about learning this, and making a makeup bag too, a girl always needs a new makeup bag. And goodness knows I've got enough scrap fabric to make many practice ones at home! 

Well I'm counting down to my crafting day.... Are you heading to the show this or any other crafting show this Autumn? Are you doing any workshops whilst you're there?