Frog party

It definitely seems that today the frogs have been having a  party with my stitching today.  I had hoped to get February's Joyful World SAL finished today and probably would have done if the frogs weren't having such a good time.  I had to unpick the ducks a couple of times and then as I was trying to put in the flowers on the right hand side they popped by again and so I've had to unpick them as well.  I've decided to call it a night on this one.

This is where I have left it and I hope when I pick it up again the frogs will have found a new home to party in, preferably not another stitchers house though

Blog candy

Mrs A of ValeryAnne Designs is giving a away some wonderful blog candy including a handmade embroidered box made by her own fair hands.

Time to return to work

Yesterday Harlee-Jay's mum had to return to work after maternity leave.  Vicky is only going back for two days a week, Fridays and Sundays.  I'm the lucky person who is going to be having fun looking after Harlee on a Friday for a few hours until daddy finishes work.  It's so nice to be trusted by one of my DIL's  and I think Harlee and I will have great fun together.

 Harlee and I braved the elements (he was cosy and warm in his buggy) and took Max for a walk up to see Auntie Colette.  It's hard to believe he is nine months old already.  He's almost crawling but can get around by rolling over and over and can pull himself up to stand by the furniture.  I wouldn't be surprised if he is walking before his 1st birthday.

February Joyful World SAL

Ducks

Ducks are lucky

Don't you think?

When they want to

Take a drink,

All they do is

Duck their bill.

(Doesn't matter

If they spill.)

When they want to 

Take a swim,

All they do is

Dive right in;

And they never 

Seem to sink.

Ducks are lucky,

Don't you think?

Mary Ann Hoberman

Ducks are the focal point of this months Joyful World SAL.  I have made steady progress on this one and I've completed just over half of the border, one of the flowers, made a start on one of the ducks and put in the month of February.  I am hoping that I will get it finished in the next day or two.

I'm stitching this on another piece of fabric from The Crafty Kitten this time it's 28 count Jobelen and was a limited edition piece back in September 2013.  It's a combination of pretty pinks, blues and lemon and so lovely and soft to stitch on.

Workshop at Scrapbook Magic

Going to Scrapbook Magic always makes me happy.  Not only do I come back with a wonderful project but I always have a day filled with fun and laughter.  Yesterdays workshop was decorating a Tim Holtz Worn Cover album.  We coloured the album using a variety of ink stains and then added rub-ons, die cuts, ribbons and charms.  Inside the album are page pockets which can be used to hold a variety of memorabilia.  

As it was Carrot Cake day yesterday I took down a cake to share which was truly scrumptious.

Scrapbook Magic is on a complex called Mullion Meadows and in one of the fields they have Alpacas, today was the first day that I had my camera with me and they were close enough to take photos of.

It has also been very mild down in the South West and some of the daffodils are already in full bloom.

I just love their bright colour - always makes me feel happy seeing these in bloom.

WOYWW #348

NATIONAL CARROT CAKE DAY

National Carrot Cake Day is observed annually on February 3rd.  It gives us a chance to have our cake and veggies, too!

Carrot cake closely resembles a quick bread from its preparation to its finally consistency. Quick breads mix the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining and the final product is coarser than a traditional cake.

Carrots with their natural sweetness may have been selected as a substitute in the Middle Ages when sugar may have been hard to find or expensive. Carrot cake most likely developed from a carrot pudding which could be savory or sweet.

Carrot cakes may also include spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg, rains or nuts.

So grab some carrot cake and make a cup of tea/coffee and join in with WOYWW with Julia at The Stamping Ground.

On my work desk this week is the card box which I am just about to add the faux drawers to as well as paint the bottom which I hadn't realised I hadn't done until I put the feet on.  I've also got the escutcheons ready to be put on the box too.  The lovely Christmas box on the left came from DH which had all my lovely Christmas presents in and is now full of my card scraps.  

When I was out with my friend Lisa last week I picked up some washi tape which will be suitable for decoration some of the pages in my planner for February.  Not much paper crafting has been going on  this week I've been concentrating on my stitching more.

February's reading

I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.

–Harold Kushner

I seem to have come down with another rotten cold - thankfully not as bad as the one I had last November, but sneezing and blowing of my nose becomes quite tedious at times.  Anyway onto nicer topics.  After completing K is for Killer last week I needed a new book to start reading so I have now moved onto Carole Matthews The Chocolate Lovers Club.  

This is the first book in the series ( I inadvertently jumped in at number three with the Christmas book).  Normally I like to start at the beginning of a series but I didn't know there were earlier novels when I read the Christmas novel.  It's nice though to find out more about the characters in this book and how the series came about. I am already at Chapter 13 and thoroughly enjoying the lightheartedness of the novel so far.  I don't think it will take long for me to read this one so I might even get to complete two books this month.  

I'm still reading Lamentation at work which is also a good read but obviously that progresses much slower as I have less time to read at work than at home.

Thank you to everyone who left comments about what they are currently reading it has certainly given me food for thought and I may well look into some of the novels suggested.