Friday 27 June 2014

This week's smiles....week 75

Here we are again catching up with all that link up with their smiles each week.  It's so lovely that so many of you join in the fun each week.  Thanks for your efforts.

I am featuring Elizabeth's post this week with all her stunning roses on....I could smell them from here :-)  Thanks for sharing them Elizabeth.

My pics for this week are some more funnies I've found on pinterest....


You should be able to click on the pics to enlarge them for a closer look.  I'm sure at least some of them will make you chuckle as much as they did me :-)

Please snap a pic or two that has made you smile this week to share with us all and link up your blog below and I will pop over to see what you've been up to this week.
Hugs,
Annie x

Wednesday 25 June 2014

WOYWW....

Here we are at another fun Wednesday when we can catch up with all our creative friends from all round the world....It's my favourite day of the week.  I'm pleased to hear Julia is being sensible and resting well and is making a good steady recovery....keep it up Julia :-)

For those that don't usually pop over on a Friday to see what has made me smile during the week you might like to scroll to the post below to see the pic....I just know a lot of you will find it familiar and it will certainly make you smile :-).....and it would be good to see more of you joining in the Friday fun too....all welcome.

I am well ploughed under with sewing now so will just quickly show you my bag that is now finished..



I'm rather chuffed with how it's turned out.  It's fully lined with a zipped pocket in the one side and a pocket for my phone to go in the other side.





I have a rail full of wedding/bridesmaid/flower girl dresses [5 now finished, 3 all pinned ready to do and 2 more yet to have their fittings]





I have a rail with 6 pair trousers on needing shortening.




And I have yet more of the dreaded curtains to do...I pair needing shortening, one curtain has been cut down the middle to make a small pair of curtains with and a pair of tie backs to make.












I'm sure you will be able to imagine just how busy I'm going to be doing all this but I do promise to do my best to pop over to say hello if you leave me a little message to let me know you've called by.
Hugs,
Annie x

Friday 20 June 2014

This week's smiles...week 74

What a fab week we've had.  Lots of you joined in with sharing your smiles and this week I'm featuring Sam's post with the job application on it....It really made me chuckle Sam so thanks for sharing it.  

My week has been full of Wedding loveliness....I've finished the alterations on my daughter-in-law to be's wedding dress and have already finished 3 of the bridesmaids dresses too. :-)  I've also nearly finished my clutch bag that I'm making to match my wedding outfit so it's been a really productive week.

The house moving fiasco has had some positive moves so we are really hoping to get contracts signed soon and then plan a moving date....still got everything crossed that nothing goes wrong this time. :-)

I've been searching pinterest looking for inspiration to encourage my mojo to come out to play and I found something that made me chuckle.....


Trust me when I say I have fabric that fits into every category :-) ....especially the one that says 'too pretty to use-keep for ever'!!!

I hope that made you smile too.  Thanks for calling by.  Please share your smiles too by linking them up below.
Hugs,
Annie x

Wednesday 18 June 2014

WOYWW.......

First and foremost I want to say I really hope our wonderful leader is now back home and making a good steady recovery from her holiday in the Spanish hospital.....you've been missed by all. xxxx

Next I am going to show you the latest bunch of yet more wonderful ATCs that have arrived through my door in the last week....



  1. Chris Dann
  2. Kezzy....thanks so much for all the gorgeous extras sent with it. x
  3. Anne
Thanks so much girls xxxx

 Then I would like to share with you the happy post I've had.  I follow My Fabric House on Facebook and was lucky enough to win this gorgeous pack of fat quarters.  It's worth checking them out if you're looking for fabric cos they have an amazing amount of fab materials at sensible prices.....I'm still doing a happy dance. :-)




And of course finally what is on my work desk this week?.......

 What is that? I hear you say :-)

I am designing a clutch bag for me to use at our son's wedding in August and saw an idea I rather fancied on Pinterest so I have been playing with two strips of wide ribbon and lots of pins to see what effects I can get. 

So with a lot of planning, an awful lot of pins, a few stitches and a few selected beads this is what I cam up with....



The fabric underneath is what I'm making my bag out of and the colours match my dress, jacket and sandals to perfection so I'm rather pleased so far.......

.....just got to make the bag now :-) oh and of course I need some of those big pants that hold everything in to wear under it all  ;-)





Well folks that's all from me on the creative side....I'm afraid the house moving fiasco with many phone calls to estate agents, solicitors and building societies still hasn't finished so it does tend to sap the mojo somewhat!!!....we will get there and when we do you will hear me from where ever you are in the world!!!

Please leave me a little hello comment so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pop over to say hello.
Hugs,
Annie x

Friday 13 June 2014

This week's smiles....week 73

I had so many joining in this last week that I've struggles to choose one blog to feature today but as I'm sat here on a scorcher of a day what I could really do with is what Caro had on her post....a water slide!!! so that's what I'm featuring today.  I'd just love a go down it if only my knees were up to it ;-)

I have struggled even more to decide what I should share with you that has made me smile this week as there has been so many so I'm sharing a few pics today...



I understand there is football featuring in the lives of many at the mo and have a feeling England will be looking for all the help they can get so we thought Sam just might offer his services. :-)



Lexi would prefer the life of a princess at the mo and can often be found in her dressing up ball gown and tiara :-)



It's been a special week for little Lulu this week with her first trial day at school....she looks too small to be going yet don't you think?  Big sister, Phoebe was there to watch over her :-)

As the song goes...'One more step along the road....'  She was full of confidence and loved it thankfully to the point when her teacher greeted her with 'Hello Louise' she replied.....'I like to be called Lulu!'. [She knows what she likes!]   :-)



And if none of those made you smile then please help yourselves to one of the first picking of strawberries from the garden....only joking of course cos we have eaten them!! yum yum.

The only one of my little grandies who hasn't featured today is little Steve.  He's had a week of being in the wars. Having gone head first down the front step here when visiting us and face planting on the gravel and then two days later he's fallen over at home and grazed his elbow!!  Guess it's the age of the beast but as you can see he can still manage one of his gorgeous smiles even then! :-)


So folks those are some of my happy moments of this last week.  Please share yours by linking them up below and I will be over to see what you've been up to this week.

Hugs,
Annie x

Wednesday 11 June 2014

WOYWW....and more ATCs :-)

Hello folks....I've had a steady flow of extra ATCs dropping through my letter box all week so I'm quickly showing you the latest batch....

  1. RosA
  2. Peggy
  3. Nikki
  4. Elizabeth
  5. Dolores
Thank you so much to each and every one of you.  They are each so special but each so very different and I will treasure them all.  I plan to make a book for them like I did for last  years....If only I could find the box it has been put in to remind me how I made it    ;-)

I still have one ATC waiting patiently here for an address to post it to...
Shazsilverwolf
 I will try to leave a message on her blog again this week .......but if you are here reading my blog could you please email me your details to wipso@toucansurf.com     :-)



On my desks today are.....


I have mounted up the dumfed pics I showed you last week and made lots of cards with them that are now drying and adorning all the surfaces in my sewing room!!!

For those that still don't know what dumfing is you can click on the link here or in the left side bar to find out more ;-)  ------->

As you can see my ironing board is also covered too....so no ironing will be done by me today!!!  Any excuse eh? :-)









I am also starting Wedding dress season....its started with my daughter-in-law to be's Wedding dress fitting last Sunday plus the first 3 of her bridesmaids are coming tomorrow night for their fittings [3 more big bridesmaids and 3 flower girls dresses to follow].
Also yesterday I had a phone call from a lady needing two bridesmaid's dresses shortening for a wedding a week on Saturday!!! [I normally start alterations for wedding/bridesmaids dresses 6-8 weeks before a wedding!!!].
I am expecting all the dresses for another 3 or 4 August Weddings too....and of course in the middle of all this I just might have a moving date  :-)  I have a feeling life is going to get just a little busy for me. :-)

On that note I am going to say thanks for calling by.  If you'd like to leave me a little hello comment I will do my best to pay you a return visit asap but if I fail please forgive me :-)
Hugs,
Annie x

Friday 6 June 2014

This week's smiles....week 72

Here we are at yet another Friday when I share my smiles for the week and allow you to link up your smiles so we can all share a little happiness with our blogging friends.  Thank you to all of those that joined in again last week and although she featured in last week's post I am featuring that much older sister of mine's post from last week cos she shared her 'great tits' with us [it's a family failing!!].  We both really love our birds and both have wicked senses of humour so I have to admit it did make me chuckle at the though of some guy searching for great tits on the web and coming across her photos of the bird in the bird bath :-)  Thanks Jo...love you to bits x

This week I am sharing some really good news in that after a very long wait we hope to have real movement on the house scene.  Our buyers have now managed to sort out their mortgage so it's all stations go....of course it will only move at the speed the estate agents and solicitors will move at but trust me when I say I will drive them on :-)

My happy snaps are.....




This one of the twinnies in their personalised cars...what cool dudes they look eh?

And a huge thank you to their Aunty Amy and Uncle Dave for the printed number plates :-)




Also this very explicit drawing Phoebe did of her Mummy, Daddy and little brother romping nude in a field in the sunshine.  What a giggle.  Amy says she was thankful she did the drawing at home and not at school cos she really didn't want anyone thinking this was what they actually do!!!  

Of course I say there is never smoke without fire :-)  .....that is unless we are talking about a child with a very vivid imagination of course.  :-)







Well There you go...I've shown you my smiles for this week....now show me yours.....please.

Hugs,
Annie x

Wednesday 4 June 2014

WOYWW......ATCs galore

Wow wow wow what an amazing day last Wednesday was.  There was soooooo much love flying around the world in the form of ATCs between many folk that have never even met and I'm sure you are like me and consider each and every one of them a friend.  I had so many really special envelopes through the post box and will quickly do a show and tell to thank each and every one of you who took the time to swap with me.....


  1.  Sandra de
  2. Annette
  3. Sam
  4. Jill
  5. Margaret
  6. Big Sister Jo





  1. Chris Porter
  2. Sylvia
  3. Chris Bedford....really love the dumfing extras xxxx
  4. Nan
  5. Laura...big thank you hugs from Lexi and Sam too xxxx
  6. Janet
  7. Eliza and Yoda
  8. Chris Porter...not sure why this one is on twice :-)
  1. LL Jan
  2. Caro
  3. Kyla
  4. Minxy
  5. Shazsilverwolf
  6. Helen
  7. Maggie C
  8. Alison Haselgrove
  9. Bluebeard and Elizabeth


  1. Robyn Oliver
  2. Neet
  3. Julia













Aren't they all simply wonderful? Thank you all soooooooo much.  I love each and every one...all so different but each one made with love.  I have sent ATCs to you all..

that is except from.......
  • Shazsilverwolf
  • Ali H and 
  • Robyn Oliver
I have left message for you each on your blogs but have had no reply as yet....I need your addresses to post your ATCs to you please.  Can you email me to wipso@toucansurf.com with your details.

And...what is on my desk today?
I have been really enjoying some quality creative time dumfing.

The poppies in the front have now had details machine embroidered in and I have sewn black seed beads to the centres of each flower....they are now ready to be mounted onto cards.
The 4 strips at the back I managed to dumf on Monday during an afternoon of fun and creativity with that big sister of mine...thanks for the distraction Jo.



That's about all from me for now.  Thanks for calling by. Please leave me a message so I know you've called by and I will do my best to pay you a return visit ASAP. 

Hugs,
Annie x