Pooh Sticks

Poohsticks

ˈpuːstɪks/

noun

noun: Pooh-sticks

1. a game in which each player throws a stick over the upstream side of a bridge into a stream or river, the winner being the person whose stick emerges first from under the bridge.

We looked after Logan and Savannah yesterday while their mum and dad went to the hospital for Colette's pre-op appointment - Colette is booked in to have a C-Section today so hopefully I will have baby news later.

We made the most of the time while the sun was shining and took Max for a walk down to the creek where we were able to play Pooh Sticks and watched the tide come back in.

It just goes to show you don't always need to spend money to have a lot of fun.

Going Global

I've spent some time trying to get back into my cardmaking over the past couple of days but inspiration seems to be in short supply.  I did make a couple of cards using some papers from SU's Going Global paper pad.  Two sheets of paper is all I used along with some punches, stamps and glitter washi tape.

I also watched some of the mushroom stamp tutorial videos and had a play around with them but I haven't as yet produced anything I am completely happy with. I'm trying hard not to copy Helen's cards but use the the techniques to create my own work.  I guess my mind is more focused on stitching at the moment.  I have added some more stitches to the gift I am making which is now almost three quarters complete.

Another page complete, another target met.

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale

I am happy to report that after Sundays sewing session on the Cornwall Cottage Sampler I have met my March target and completed page 10.  Just two more pages to go.  Here's is what I managed to achieve this week.

And here is how it looks overall.

My aim for next Sunday is to get the alphabet complete and the motif at the bottom of the page done as well.

Final photos of baby sampler

The last day of the Easter holidays - I hope you have enjoyed the break.  Yesterday we caught the train out to see DS1 and family.  We joined in with their Easter egg hunt and I watched them roller skate in between the rain showers.  Thankfully during the day there was more sunshine than showers which was good as although the train station is only a short walk from our son's house it would have been far enough to have got soaked through.

Later in the afternoon we went to see Logan and Savannah to find out what they had been getting up to - Savannah put on her bunny ears and showed us her Easter basket while sharing one of her chocolate eggs with us.  They'd also had some new dressing up outfits for Easter, Logan had Captain America and Savannah had The Little Mermaid so they dressed up in them too.

In the evening DS2 and family called round so we were able to give Harlee his Easter treats.  It was lovely seeing all of the family.

As promised here are some photos of the baby sampler which I will take to be framed this week.

So glad I noticed the year was wrong before I got it framed and gave it to him!

Doubly glad that I have managed to get it completed in plenty of time for his birthday in May.

Now this is finished I will add another of my WIP's to my stitching programme - just not sure which one yet.

Easter Sunday

The weather has changed completely.  Yesterday we managed to get out with Max for one walk without getting wet but in the afternoon when we went to meet DS1's bus it emptied down and we got soaked.  As we had no intention of going anywhere else and not expecting any visitors when we got home I dried off and just slipped into my onesie for the rest of the day! I then spent an enjoyable afternoon with my stitching buddy watching the tennis and making good progress on one of the gifts I am stitching.  I have completed just over half of the gift now so really pleased with myself.

I was going to show you some photos of the baby sampler but after I'd taken the photos I realised I had put 2016 instead of 2015 for the year Harlee was born so a quick unpick to correct that was required.  I will take fresh photos tomorrow when I hope the light is better.

Wishing you a Happy Easter Sunday - we are off to deliver eggs to the grandchildren today.

Mutton Cove

Walking takes longer... than any other known form of locomotion except crawling. Thus it stretches time and prolongs life. Life is already too short to waste on speed. ~Edward Abbey, "Walking"

Yesterday we made the most of the sunshine and took MIL and Max out for a walk starting at Mutton Cove which is just beside the dockyard where King Billy's statue can be found.

We walked along Richmond Walk where we took in the views of Plymouth Sound and Royal William Yard in the distance.

We passed by Mayflower Marina

From there we walked up to Devonport Park, lots of families out enjoying the sunshine.  We stopped for a drink and soaked up some of the lovely sunshine.

We then headed back towards Devonport and walked through Mount Wise Park once again enjoying the views and admiring the Scott memorial

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.  Images to go with each of these go around the base of Scott memorial.

We then walked up to the millennium mast and had an even better view of the area before our walk was over.

I think yesterday reminded us that you don't have to travel miles to enjoy a good walk with plenty of history thrown in for good measure.

Good Friday

I have now finished work for a week and what a lovely way to start my leave with Easter weekend.

I also started my leave with another new start but this is one of the gifts that I am stitching.  Here's a little sneak of it.

I am hoping that during our week of work we will finally get round to stripping the wallpaper off in the living room - we will then be able to see how much plastering will be required.  We know that on one wall that the wallpaper is pretty much holding the plaster on LOL.  The carpet is also supposed to be coming up this week and we are replacing that with wood flooring.  We are not the quickest people when it comes to decorating and we will also be waiting on our friend to do the plastering so this room could be a work in progress for quite a few weeks.  Now that it's not quite so cold we do at least have the conservatory we can retreat to.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter weekend.

A new start

You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing.

 Dale Carnegie

Having finished the baby sampler I decided to make a start on July's Delphinium from the Cottage Garden Samplings yesterday evening. So far I have managed to do almost half of one of the flowers and part of a word.  I think this one will stitch up fairly quickly.

I must also try to finish of the landscape picture which is also on my stitching objectives for this year.  As there is quite a lot of confetti stitching I am going to try and set a small target of working 100 stitches per week (if I do more I will consider it a bonus) and mix it in with Cottage Garden Samplings and Joyful World.

I also have a couple of projects I want to stitch as gifts but I won't be able to show them until after they have been given to the intended recipients.

WOYWW #355

I'm joining in again with WOYWW - more details can be found on Julia's blog The Stamping Ground  On my work desk this week are the set of mushroom stamps I bought from Rubber Dance a few weeks ago and I have finally printed out the instructions for the tutorials produced by Helen Allen that go with the set of stamps.  Now that I have finally finished the baby sampler (yes the stitching is finished and now waiting to be taken to the framers) I am hoping to find more time to play with my paper crafting products.

With any luck I might be able to show some of the finished products from the tutorials soon.

Yesterdays Houses

A book is a device to ignite the imagination.

–Alan Bennett

Having finished two books at the end of last week I had to decide which would be my next book to read.  I have opted for Yesterdays Houses by Mavis Cheek another new to me author.  So far I am enjoying it as it's another easy to read book.  I have taken this one into work with me so will no doubt start another book to read at home at some stage - I have started to have two on the go this year.

Sunday SAL

Perseverance is an active principle, and cannot continue to operate but under the influence of desire. William Godwin

Sunday SAL update.  I managed to get four motifs and some of the internal border stitched on the Cornwall Cottage Sampler.

I'm hoping with some perseverance next week and I will be able to get page 10 completed and be a step nearer to getting a page a month done.  It's just the internal border and one medium size motif left on page 10 so fingers crossed.

French Knots - Ugh!

To make a French knot, bring your needle and thread up through the fabric where the knot belongs. grasp the thread with your non-stitching hand 1-2 inches from the fabric, and hold the thread taut.

They always sounds so easy but I always struggle with French Knots - sometimes they come out looking fantastic, other times I end up pulling too hard and they pop through the fabric and other times they just look like blobs.  Still, good or bad all the French Knots have now been put onto the baby sampler - well apart from on the train wheels which I decided against adding - I'd had enough of them by this point.

I have just got a little bit of back stitching to do along the outside borders and adding the baby details and this will then be complete.  I'm hoping that my next post on this will show you it all completed and ready to go to be framed.

Happy Dance

Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
~William Wordsworth, 1806

Thanks to Maja of the Snowflower Diaries I think there has been a lot of pleasure being spread through the earth with her gorgeous Joyful World SAL.

This evening I have another happy dance as I have managed to complete March's Joyful World.  They are wonderful charts to stitch and it's a fabulous feeling achieving a finish each month even if it is a small finish.  I wonder how my gauntlet challenger Chris is getting on with March?

Happy Anniversary

This couple were married for 60 years.

The husband was asked; if in all those years had they ever thought of divorce.

"Heavens no" he replied. Murder yes, but never divorce.

Yesterday Mum and Dad 'celebrated' 60 years of marriage and this is the card I made for them.  The papers are from the Graphic 45 Mon Amour paper pad, stamps from Clearly Besotted and Tonic number dies.  I added some sparkle to the roses and around the edges but it doesn't show up so well in this photo.

I have managed to finish reading Lamentation at work this week and also A Lovely Way To Burn which I was reading at home both of them were good reads.  I must remember to take another book into work next week otherwise I will have to resort to reading the daily newspapers instead.

Burlap panel workshop

I had a wonderful day yesterday with lots of friends I have made along the way.  Yesterday morning I traveled down to Scrapbook Magic and enjoyed a burlap panel workshop.  It was fun watching my panel evolve and also those of my fellow crafters and friends.  Everyone's was completely different and as per usual there was lots of laughter throughout the day.

Then in the evening I shared more fun and friendship with the group of friends which meet up at Moya's house most Wednesdays.   We also had a birthday to celebrate and delicious chocolate cake to share.

I managed to add some more wording to the baby sampler during the course of the evening - the end is so close now.

WOYWW #354

On my craft desk this week are some of the Easter treats I have been working on.  I've just made some simple baskets with my envelope punch board and decorated them simply with some roses I have had in my stash for years - I came across them while I was looking for my glue sticks.  Unfortunately I haven't had as much time to work on the treats as I would have liked but I am hoping the contents will make up for the lack of decoration for the recipients.

I'm now going to check on other people joining in with Julia's WOYWW on The Stamping Ground

Plan A

Thankfully Plan A is coming along nicely.  Yesterday evening I managed to add the alphabet to the baby sampler.

Wednesday evening I hope to work on the final motif at our weekly craft get together at Moya's house.  So I am keeping my fingers crossed that Plan A continues to go well and with any luck it will be finished well before the end of March.

Here is how it is looking overall.

Progress

Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.

 Khalil Gibran

It was another beautiful sunny day yesterday.  In the morning we pop up to the local garden centre taking MIL with us - we wanted some bags of compost and MIL wanted some Primulas for her garden.  I was also looking to see if I could find a suitable plant for mum and dad's Diamond wedding anniversary - I had hoped there would be a rose for this occasion but sadly not at that garden centre.  We also enjoyed the obligatory hot drink and cake LOL.

Once we were back home we did some tidying up in the garden and then it was time to settle down with the Cornwall Cottage Sampler.

I think I made up for not stitching last week and managed to complete page 9 and also make plenty of progress on page 10 too.  I managed to complete the small motif on the far left, lots of the alphabet and another motif just below the alphabet.

I am so pleased with how this is coming along and I am hopeful of another page completion this month if I am able to get plenty of stitching time over the next two Sundays.  When you think of it like that it makes the time seem to rush by.  I'm not sure if Barbi and Kati are still working on theirs but I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this and am thankful for them introducing me to this lovely piece.

I hope all my followers have also enjoyed a wonderful weekend.

Gentle Spring's around the corner,
      Waiting just to show her face
      And to bring us flowers and sunshine;
      Winter's almost run his race!
Be not, then, my friends, discouraged
      That there's cold and ice and sleet;
      For Springtime soon will be with us,
      And the flowers we will greet:
Daffodils, so bright and yellow,
      Hyacinths of varied hues,
      As they nod their heads, in gladness,
      Telling us they bring good news...
~Gertrude Tooley Buckingham, "Springtime" (1940s)

What a wonderful weekend it has been so far, blue skies and sunshine.  We made the most of it yesterday and took a trip to Devonport Park.  It was wonderful seeing lots of lovely flowers, wildlife and children playing happily in the park.

Even this little chap was happy enough for me to get close enough to let me take his photo while he snacked on his winter stash.

It was so lovely we were even able to sit outside the park cafe and enjoyed a cup of coffee while taking in the wonderful Spring sunshine.

When we got back home DH cut the grass and I was able to sit and enjoy some time working on March's Joyful World.  I am just over halfway to completion and I hope to get it finished within the next couple of days.

In the evening we went for a meal at Quay 33 with MIL, BIL and his fiancee which MIL treated us to as a belated Christmas treat.  A wonderful evening and a great way to finish off a fantastic day.

Vegetable growing.

It's been quite a few years since I have grown any vegetables but while shopping with mum the other day I picked up this magazine which had some seeds with it and I thought I would give it another go this year.  It's always so much nicer eating home grown produce.

I made a cake once using courgettes as one of the main ingredients and it was delicious so I already now what I will be able to do with one of the vegetables and I know they are easy enough to grow.  I'm not sure how successful I will be with the other vegetables but it will be fun trying to grow them.

Gorgeous stitching stash

Some gorgeous fabrics and thread were delivered by my postie today.  I bought them from The Crafty Kitten, one of them is the mystery box with February's colour selection.  You can choose your fabric and the fabric count but I asked to be surprised and left the decision with Dawn.  I got a lovely piece of 28 count Jazlyn in a beautiful Amethyst colour - it's so pretty.  Also in the mystery box is a skein of Classic Colorworks in Pixie Dust, a skein of Dinky Dies, some Kreinik metallic thread and some beautiful Mill Hill glass pebble beads.  Everything is beautifully colour co-ordinated.

I had also ordered a couple of smaller pieces of fabric for a couple of future projects, one of them being an engagement present which I will start on once the baby sampler is complete.  One is a piece of 28 count Jobelan in Icicle and the other is 28 count Lugana in Champagne Bubbles.  I also ordered some of Crafty Kittens own hand dyed thread to try out in Raspberry Crush and Lavender Skies.

Having worked with Dawn's fabrics before I know I will enjoy working with these and it will be nice to try out some different threads too.