WOYWW...

Well folks here we are on yet another Wednesday.....where do these weeks go?

I'm doing a picture heavy post today cos I had another wonderful 'Nanny Annie' day with the gorgeous twinnies yesterday so that means I will be playing catch up today with my sewing.

Firstly I'm sharing my birthday flowers with you all.  They were just too lovely to keep all to myself  :-)

On funday Monday this week we decided we would all enjoy a dumfing session [for those that still don't know what we call dumfing then you can click on the link on the right hand side to find out more  :-) ].  I'm still not feeling very creative and spend most of my crafting time lately following a knitting pattern so that my lack of  mojo hasn't been really missed. 

Our dear friend T, that joins us on our funday Monday sessions, bought me  this gorgeous birthday card to give me some inspiration so of course it would have been rude not to have used it.

So, using my card as inspiration this is what I came up with during our fun afternoon and I'm rather pleased with it.  I snapped it before framing it so you can enlarge it to see the beading it in detail.

This is the black frame I have put it in but of course it reflects the glass when snapping it.

Not all my knitting is as successful as I hoped...these are supposed to be a prem size pair of booties for Lexi but I feel they have turned out more like knitted wellies  :-)

This is what is on my desk today so if I fail to pop over to your blog to say hello this week please forgive me...I shall have to clear this mountain of sewing first.

Of course my Wednesday blog post wouldn't be complete without an awwwww moment.  This is a copy of the photo of the twins that was taken professionally in hospital.  

I just love it.  :-)

So folks,  before you pop over to Julia's blog please leave me a comment if only to say hello.  Hope you all have a great week and I will do my best to pop over to see what you've been up to when I can.

Hugs,

Annie x

WOYWW . Happy Anniversary everyone.

Wahoo I'm pleased to report I am back. My eye now feels much better [apart from the need for ointment still] and I am able to see sufficiently to do all the things I love doing.

Twiglet and I had a fun day Tuesday yesterday because of it being bank holiday Monday but no one had told my customers...I think they had missed me! I had 11 phone calls and as many customers in between them. Needless to say my rail is now full and it may take me a little time to get round all my fellow bloggers but I will call in on you all at some point...I promise.




Because it's such a special week I'm keeping this blog short but thought you all might like to see my latest pic now it's finished. Sorry the pic is a little blurred.







This is week WOYWW week 52 and Julia has challenged us to make a celebration piece to adorn our craft space with the acronym WOYWW somewhere on it. Rainbows are very special to me and I certainly consider the WOYWW group is like a pot of gold to both Twiglet and I so this is where I got my inspiration from and here it is.....



....Hope you like it.

Now please pop over to Julia's and join in the fun by calling in on the other bloggers to see what wonderful creations they have all made for the celebration.

WOYWW

It never fails to amaze me just how quickly Wednesdays come around. Our 'Queen of snoop' Julia really has started something hasn't she? The group is ever growing and I think it is taking over the world slowly. Desks are being exposed with all their crafting chaos and the guilt caused by the exposure is even being the cause for a weekly tidy up in places :-) Please pop over and join in the madness.

My 'to do' rail has just 5 pair of trousers on today so fairly boring as a show and tell. I just have to shorten 3 of them, taper the legs on one of them and the last pair just needs elastic adding to the back waistband. They wont take me long to do so have plans for later [hopefully!].






This is a snap of another job I have lined up for some time very soon. This is a shelf above my hanging rails that my hubby made for me to use as storage. The boxes are where I keep a lot of material pieces and I keep them sealed up with tape to keep the dust out. As you can imagine, every time I need to delve into the stash the tape has to be undone and the boxes soon become torn. It also doesn't help not being able to see what is inside them all even though I do aim to keep it sorted and label the boxes. So.......yesterday I ordered a set of 5 huge 'Really useful boxes'. [Yes, they are on the way Twiglet :-) ] These are see through and have clips at each end of the lids to keep the fabrics in their place. I'm really excited [yes, I'm easily pleased :-) ]. Twiglet has offered to help me sort them so that fabrics I rarely use will be stored up on the shelf and the storage boxes I have at ground level [and I have lots of those too :-) ] will then hold all the fabrics we can use for dumfing :-) :-)

This is my, now sorted, stash that I intend to use for my next dumfed pic. I'm inspired by a picture I've found of hydrangeas so I have dyed a background fabric with pale purple/blue and sorted out all the right shades of yummy fabrics to make the flowers with...watch this space. I dare not say I will be doing this later cos in my case the best made plans.........ding dong that's the door bell again!


Twiglet and I are the grateful recipients of two lovely blog awards. Fellow WOYWWer Anne [Liverpool Lou] said she gave them to both of us so we wouldn't fall out....[well, that would be a first if we did :-) ].... I really love butterflies and blue is my fav colour so I have to say I think the sweet blogger award is the prettiest I've been given :-) Thanks you Anne for thinking of us. They don't come with rules but I will be finding the right time to pass them on.

This is the last week for the Wedding/Bridal challenge over in the shop. Please put your thinking caps on and come up with some really good ideas as to what Twiglet and I can make in fabrics with a Wedding /Bridal theme. We are giving a gift to the best 3 so don't miss out on a chance to win. We will be announcing the winners next Monday.

Fun day Monday...

Twiglet and I have had another very successful day today. We started by getting the l'ove of my life'...curtains....out of the way. I now have 3 pair of curtains needing sewing tomorrow, and I really don't enjoy curtains, plus my to do rail has steadily filled since this morning. As I am having Friday off I have lots to get finished by Thursday afternoon :-)

As soon as the curtains were out of the way the fun began. Twiglet sat dumfing more brooches as she has sold lots lately and has had several requests for more. I'm sure she will show and tell on her blog very soon so I'm not giving away her secrets. I have been sat dumfing a new Poppy picture and thought you would like to share it so here goes.....
Its larger than I normally make and I have to say I'm really thrilled with the result. Hope you like it too and it helps to brighten up a damp, gloomy day.

I will be uploading it in the shop soon so anyone interested in buying it please just email me.

WOYWW.....

Monday morning Twiglet came down and we started off our day cutting out 2 skirts using an existing skirt for the pattern. Yes they are cut out but no I haven't had time to make them yet :-)
Monday afternoons we are joined by another friend for our fun day Monday so skirts were shelved til Tuesday.....except that Tuesday was a manic day and they are still on the shelf awaiting making. I had a steady flow of customers yesterday and they all seemed to want more than just one job doing....in fact one came with a bag full of trousers [7 in total!] all needing patching, shortening or other little jobs needed.

I hope you will all pop over to Julia's to join in the fun of showing and telling all what is happening in your space today.

So.....today's work surfaces started off like this



7 pair working trousers still needing sewing!














The cards I made on Monday still needing finishing! I loved the daisy picture I made so much that I was inspired to make a set of cards to match.








2 skirts cut out ...still needing making!








Linby's parcel getting ready for the post.....now posted and winging it's way to her :-) Watch out for that postman Linby.



My day today actually started at 7.15 when my neighbour rang for advise because her baby was poorly. I quickly finished dressing and popped round to help. I spent 45 minutes with the baby who had a very high temp and was lethargic and floppy while mum waited for the Dr to be available. Every minute seems like an hour when you're a young mum and your hubby is away in the army doesn't it?....she has just popped round to let me know the Dr says she has a nasty ear infection. Bless her.
As I got back home at 8 15 this morning my neighbour from the other side shouted me to see if I was free. She then popped round needing moisturising cream put on a eczema type rash on her back. It's not the easiest area to reach when you're in your 80s is it?
As you can see it's rather more than a sewing business I have here and maybe I should add nursing duties to my banner at my gate :-) :-)

I have already had 3 customers this morning too so if it's a bit of a disjointed and rushed blog please forgive me. I will catch up with all my fellow WOYWWers at some point...I promise :-)

Daisy update

Linby really loved the Daisy picture on previous blog but gave me another challenge....

Oh I love it. Now I have a little request which I don't know if you can accommodate? In the film "You've got mail" Meg Ryan says "Aren't daisies just the friendliest flowers". Now I have been meaning to x-s this myself for some years, could you add it in some way to this picture?? I would like to purchase.

As most of you will know I'm always up for a challenge and these are what I have come up with...




I have done 3 versions so Linby can choose which one she likes best and will leave it to her to attach them because I can't decide where they look best.








Straight or





On a slant?








I imagine we would all choose a different version and have our own ideas as to how it looks best.

A well spent Saturday...

Twiglet joined me for an afternoon of fun and laughter while our hubbies were at the football today. She sat crocheting and I sat dumfing. As you saw on Wednesday this week I had 4 new canvasses to cover with loveliness so today I took the advise of Linby and gave white daisies a go and have to say I am thrilled with the results. Hope you like it Linby :-) Do let me know what you think.

Latest lavender picture....

I have been dumfing again in my spare time today and have finished my latest lavender picture so thought I would show and tell before uploading it in the shop [if it gets that far this time :-) ]. I had had so much interest in the last one and several requests have been made to make another similar one [no two are the same] so do let me know what you think. Lavender is one of my favourite flowers...it's a colour I love and it comes with really happy memories.
I have also had a go at a tree with blossom on it but it still needs more work yet and I need to get a different frame to mount it on so I might show and tell that one another day.
Right....I am now off over to the shop to upload some new goodies :-)

WOYWW and a catch up...

I have been away from my computer since Sunday morning so am well overdue with catching up with my blogging friends. It will take me a while but I will get there I promise.

Sunday we left home for our latest adventure....a few days in London. We were to catch a bus for the first part of our journey. It was organised by the Wrexham/London rail because there was work going on on the tracks. We were lucky to have checked on line before leaving because the replacement bus was leaving an hour before our train was meant to and no one had let us know. We caught the bus but it failed to reach our intended train station before the train left so 2 extra trains and an extra £81 later we arrived in London just in time for the Comedy Store show. It really doesn't encourage you to use trains does it?

The Comedy store was brilliant, as always. The show is ad lib comedy performed by 6 comedians...Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Neil Mullarkey, Andy Smart, Neil Simpson and Richard Vranch. They are so clever and all make a wonderful team. If you get the chance then make sure you get yourself tickets. We laughed til we cried and by the time we left our faces and sides ached....a wonderful tonic :-)

Monday was spent with some retail therapy in the morning...new Ecco shoes for us both :-) We popped back to the hotel to wash and change and then on to watch Legally Blonde at the theatre in the evening. What a brilliant show that was. The music/voices were really powerful. A really enjoyable evening for us both.

We came home yesterday afternoon batteries recharged if but rather exhausted.


This morning I had to get myself back into the working mode 'cos I had a rail full waiting for me plus curtains to do so I've had Twiglet here to do the grovelling on the floor to do the pinning up for me....hence a rather late WOYWW for me.
This was how my rail looked first thing and I have since emptied and filled it again. :-)







My table has no clever stuff going on as yet but I now have 4 new blank canvasses on to do my dumfing pictures on so if any of you have ideas as to what to do next please leave them in the comments for me. I'm always open to ideas.







I now have a wonderful display area on one of my walls for my pictures and there is plenety of room for my new pictures.




It might take me a day or so to catch up with you all but I promise I will catch up with all my fellow WOYWWers...if not today then tomorrow.....or the day after :-)

Lavender...

For those of you who showed interest in the latest dumfed picture on my table yesterday I thought I would show you it finished. Memories of the lavender fields in France ....

Hope you like it. I will be uploading it in the shop soon.

Edit.......Sorry but I wont be uploading this picture in the shop....It's sold already :-) :-)
I just may have to make another lavender picture....watch this space.....

An unusual WOYWW for me :-) .....

This is another WOYWW and Julia will be proud of me this week. The queen of the snoop will no doubt be popping in at some point and will see another side of me....yes I'm doing a few new swings this week. If you would like to join in the fun then pop over to Julia's where we all link up.

This has been another pretty busy week for me and I have been piling up my mess so, as most of you out there think I am always tidy, I think you may need to sit down before going any further.

This is my 'to do' rail with 2 gents suits that need sleeves of the jackets and the trousers shortening. Yep....that's pretty boring for all you snoopers isn't it?










This is my table with a sneaky preview of my latest dumfed picture I am working on. [Do check out the link if you want to know what dumfing is :-)]. This picture was inspired by Paula so I bet she will be zooming in for a better look. The colours of the fabric might give a few clues as to what it will be when it's finished.






Now it is at this stage that those who think I am tidy and organised should take a deep breath and sit down. This is honesty and what you see is just how it is....until I tidy it ;-)

This is the alcove in the old fireplace where my blind hemmer sits on the work surface....yes, there really is a work surface under all that mess and a blind hemmer! I will be needing to use my blind hemmer later to hem up the 2 pair suit trousers so it will all have to be put away but thought you might like to see that I do get pretty messy here [but I have hidden it from you til now]. You can see my ribbon dispenser on the right in the alcove [this only holds a fraction of my ribbons though]. You can possibly see a few of my pairs of scissors hanging on hooks at the back...I have many many pairs of scissors and God help you if you use the wrong ones for cutting paper. [I'm sure Twiglet will second that :-) ].

Underneath is no tidier...these are the boxes I keep my fur fabric in....do you know anyone who needs a dog, cow or lamb outfit making because I probably have enough fur fabric to make one :-)
Oh and yes that is a baby box but no I don't have a baby [well I do but he is now 22 and doesn't need his nappy changing any more]. That box is full to the brim with wool rovings...in fact I nearly have to sit on it to shut it :-)

There you go. See I do have messy spaces. Bet you can all guess what I will do first today....yes I have now shamed myself into tidying up. Hope you all have a fun day. I will catch up with you later.

A 20 minuter update...

For those of you who are following my blog to see how my 20 minuters are going and as a preview to any who follow our shop for latest goodies available to buy this is just a quick blog to show and tell. This is my latest dumfed picture that I have made during my 20 minutes a day of creative crafting and have just finished and will be uploading it in the shop soon. Hope you like it :-)

20 Minuters for this week

As promised I am still maintaining my 20 Minutes of crafting each day and thought I'd just do a quick show and tell before this one goes into the shop.

This is the work in progress. I have managed to find some really lovely textured yarns to use for my foliage and am really pleased with the results. Combining many different greens and different textures brings the picture to life. Hope you agree.









I decided to do this one with poppies and cornflowers on and I have to admit this is my favourite to date. I will be uploading it into the shop probably on Monday so if you are interested in buying it then keep your eyes on the picture shelf over here at http://sisterscraftycreations.blogspot.com/. There is a Gift draw still going on over there but it will be drawn a week on Monday on 22nd Feb so time is running out to get in there with a chance to win. Every 20 names that go into the draw we are adding something extra to the prize so let all your friends know :-)

A successful Funday Monday...

My face is aching with all the laughter that has gone on here today. We have had a really good day with lots of fun and enjoyment. Life should be full of days like these. We have spent the morning uploading all our recent makes on to the blog shop so please pop over and have a look. There are gorgeous new dumflings, pictures, bears and cards.

Mother's Day is up and coming and I'm sure some of our new bits and bobs would make perfect pressies including the little Mother's Day bears. I hope you like what we have added to the shop. Don't be afraid to leave us suggestions if there is something special you would like making or if there is something you like but maybe you would like it in a different colour. We enjoy a challenge and if possible will do our best to have a go.

A plate spinning WOYWW

I seem to be juggling my day to day sewing with restocking the shop this week. As I'm putting new things in the shop they are flying off the shelves :-) Twiglet and I are really excited and maybe just a little amazed at the response we are getting [I guess none of us really see ourselves and what we make as others see them]. We have had lots of really lovely comments and oodles of encouragement.
I seem to spend each day extending my table to do my dumfing then folding it down to be able to accommodate customers needing fittings. I'm not complaining....I really love being kept busy and buzz with every new challenge.


What you see is just how it is this week....No tidying or organising done to do my show and tell and yes, the mess really is mine....that's how I work.



My floor gets covered in threads and snippets of materials and ribbons etc. I will hoover this up as soon as I go from here because I am expecting more customers this morning.



On my table you will see several things I am working on at the mo. Julia [she of the WOYWW fame] ordered a couple of packs of my dumfed cards so I am trying to restock the card shelf by making a few more toppers for cards. Along side those on the front of the table are some really super magnetic clips that I am embellishing [these will be appearing in the shop soon :-)].



Also this is the latest picture I am working on. It is one to be mounted on an artists canvas and I am now beading the middle of the sunflowers.









I have a pile of curtains here...some are done and some are waiting for Twiglet to come and do the grovelling on the floor for me to cut them. [My replacement knee doesn't allow me to kneel so I need big sister's help to do curtains as the floor is the best place for doing the measuring and cutting.] Under my curtain pile is the Really Useful set of boxes that I keep all my card making supplies in.








This is a really lovely floaty evening dress I will be altering today. It is beaded so it's yet another dress that I have to remove the beads to alter and then will have to re bead it after. A tricky job but I will do this first as soon as day light improves sufficiently. :-)

Well, that's what my day will be full of. How about you? Go over to Julia's blog and join in the show and tell fun for our 'What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday'

Don't forget the Gift Draw is still open in the shop so pop over to be in with a chance to win the goodies.

Its my show and tell Friday...

As promised I am still managing my 20 minuters every day. It's been a little more difficult this week because I have had lot of customers and sewn most of every day and have even worked 2 evenings doing fittings [one was a wedding dress fitting :-) ] .
I have dumfed all week to stock the shelves of our new blog shop and am really loving the results. They will be hopefully be put in the shop today so watch this space :-)





This is a blue themed picture in a light wood frame.













This is one for the poppy lovers amongst you. The black frame really sets them off well.










I then moved on to card making and these are my latest batches of cards. Thought you might like to see them before they are packed up ready for the shop.







This was a set I made using orange/peach colours. They look much better in real life. The light here is really dull this morning so they have not snapped well.





This is a more abstract purple set. We intend setting up a small photo studio later with better lighting so hopefully these will look better once in the shop. The colours are really warm and rich and the effect is really lovely.



I would really like to thank MarmaladeRose for the encouragement to keep up with the 20 Minuters because it really has kept my creativity flowing.