Spring Baby Blanket

Well here it is at last I made this blanket for a very special baby that will be arriving in April. Its made from SIRDAR SNUGGLY babybamboo DK in three colour shades 157,154 and 128. I found the wool when I was at the craft fair in Manchester in Feb bought four balls of 50g from the Black Sheep Company as a fellow crafter said thats all I will need for a pram blanket. I started crocheting and soon realised I would need more wool. I searched online at ebay then amazon after a disappointing bid I ended up buying from two different places so two amounts of postage. Anyway its turned out lovely I've enjoyed it and I have loads of wool left oops will learn from this. I have used about 400gs altogether at approx £2.00 a ball so not bad really. Any suggestions what to do next with the rest of the wool (13 balls). I have added this to the Flickr grp. as my A MONTHLY MAKE for MARCH CHALLENGE 2012 even though I did start it in Feb.

The Pattern
The main part of the blanket (now a Cot blanket) is made up of a row of chain stitch to the length you need, then double stitch into each chain st.to the end then *3 treble stitches into a double stitch then 2 slip stitches then 3 trst then 2 ss.*which I continued for two rows in each colour sought of made it up as I went along. when it was big enough I then went around the edge in double stitch.
Then the clever bit went the library loaned a book 'crochet edgings & trims' by Katie Haxell were I chose Papyrus Fan pg 60 to do my edging. I had to adapt in places as the corners are a bit messy but over all I think its great.
Hope you like it and When I become a great aunt I hope the baby will too!!

MARCH 2012 ALREADY!!

OMG can't believe its 2nd March 2012 and I haven't updated my blog since last year so sorry if you are following my dribble I have loads to catch up on as you have guessed its a bit of a diary plus my crafty makes maybe I should have two. One for crafting and one for my memories. But then would I still fall behind any how I've got seven followers so thanks to my buddies.

Challenges for 2012

1. To try my best at being the best mum and wife I can be. Married 16 years this Aug. Where can he take me ooo!
2. To join the group 'A Monthly Make' that makes something once a month and then puts up pics using flicker need to learn to do that too.
3. To blog at least once a week.
4. To get up to 20 followers hee! hee! that shouldn't be too hard Yer right!
5. Learn how to add other bloggers onto the side bar so I can link to them and so can my followers. There are some great blogs which I am following just need to learn how to link there blog.
6. Continue with my passion for singing with my pals at singlive uk. Royal Albert Hall 6th May 2012 yipee.
7. Try and save some pennies for a trip to America 2013.
8. Upcycle, recycle, reuse, declutter our home and sell what we don't use or need or want. (save pennies made)
9. Lose a shed load of weight. lost 1 stone 3lb with SW end of July 2011/Jan 2012 but now doing it with my mate M, to save money in pot for crafty day's out with my mate M, it's a struggle and I've got choc for after oops! Nothing in pot. Might do a weekly update on weight too if anyone is interested.
10. To continue to live life to the full without totally wearing myself out as you never know what tomorrow brings.

Well think that's enough challenges to be going on with I will leave you with a photo from my night out at OLLY MURS CONCERT on 19th FEB 2012. He was fantastic and just one of my exciting experiences in 2012. Will fill you in need to do a diary entry for Jan too !

Olly on small stage I was unfortunately up in the gods top teir third to last row

CANDLES A GIRLS BEST FRIEND

CRAFTY DAY AT M'S HOUSE TACKLED MAKING LITTLE CUP CANDLES TRICKIER THAN IT LOOKS BUT HERE ARE MY PHOTOS.


CANDLE FLAKES MELTING IN PAN



I HAD TO WEIGH OUT THE FLAKES BUT STILL WAS SHORT OF WAX ONCE POURED INTO CUPS. SO HAD TO MELT SOME MORE. THE MESSY BIT WAS THE WICKS THAT HAD TO BE COVERED WITH HOT WAX AND THEN STUCK TO BOTTOM OF CUP WHICH IS TRICKY AS THEY WOULDNT STAY ATTACHED.


THE STICKY PADS WERE TO ATTACH THE WICK TO BUT DIDN'T QUITE WORK OUT LIKE THE INSTRUCTIONS STATE.

DOLLY PEGS DEFINITELTY CAME IN HANDY OUT WITH THE PADS IN WITH THE PEGS. I ADDED SCENT AND A PINK ROSE COLOURING WAX AND THEY CAME OUT A LOVELY PALE PINK AND A ROSE SCENT TOO. NOT SURE WHY BUT AS THEY SET THE TOP OF THE CANDLE HAS CRACKED MAYBE WILL HAVE TO BE XMAS PRESSIES RATHER THAN SELLING AT A CRAFT FAIR. ANYWAY FIRST TIME MAKING CUP CANDLES THINK THAT'S NOT A BAD EFFORT.

GARDEN NEWS

YESTERDAY ME AND D DUG UP THE PARSNIPS AND CARROTS BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE CARROTS WERE TINY AND DISEASE RIDDEN THE PARSNIPS TINY BUT AFTER A GOOD WASH AND PEEL ARE IN THE OVEN AS WE SPEAK. YUM!

I HAVE A FEW PEPPERS GROWING ON THE NEW PLANT FROM ALDI NOT VERY BIG BUT WILL TRY ONE ON MY SALAD TOMORROW. MY TOMATOES NEVER DID ANYTHING SO CHUCKED OUT. I ONLY KEPT ONE PLANT AND  NOW IN OCTOBER HAS TWO SMALL GREEN TOMATOES ON IT. DOUBT THEY WILL RIPEN ALTHOUGH YESTERDAY IT WAS 29 DEGREES SO YOU NEVER KNOW. ITS RAINING AGAIN TODAY THOUGH, GOOD FOR THE LAWN. MY D PLANTED CRESS AND SALAD LEAVES AND HAVE TO SAY THEY ARE DOING WELL.

 BYE FOR NOW.

SEPTEMBER BLUES

HI FOLKS

WELL AS THE TITLE SUGGESTS I'M HAVING A BLUE MOMENT BUT NOT A SAD BLUE MOMENT BUT THE COLOUR BLUE. HENSE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CHANGE THE COLOURS, BACKGROUND ECT OF MY BLOG ITS TAKEN ALL AFTERNOON AND THE TITLE IS STILL NOT RIGHT NOT SURE HOW TO GET MY BLOG NAME INSIDE THE LOVELY HEADER FROM SHABBY.COM. ANY HELP OUT THERE I'D MUCH APPRECIATE IT.

SO WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE AUGUST I HEAR YOU ASK WELL HERE GOES FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS AS IT'S BEEN A BUSY START TO THE NEW MONTH.

WE SPENT THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF SEPT IN SPAIN AND CAUGHT UP WITH FRIENDS AND THEIR TWO LOVELY BOYS OH AND THEIR CUTE DOG CALLED 'ALFIE.'
THEY LIVE NEAR GIB AND HAVE A FABULOUS HOME WITH A POOL TO DIE FOR.

ALFIE

SINCE BEEN BACK ON ENGLISH SOIL MY TO PRECIOUS ANGELS HAVE STARTED BACK AT SCHOOL. THE OLDEST NOW IN YEAR 9 AND THE YOUNGEST YEAR 7 FIRST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. ITS BEEN A TRAUMATIC FIRST WEEK OF TERM GETTING USE TO BUSES AND BIG KIDS BUT D IS GETTING THERE SLOWLY. IT WAS LOVELY TODAY TO SEE D POLISHING SCHOOL SHOES THAT'S A FIRST AND O ACTUALLY IRONING YES YOU HEARD CORRECTLY. I KNOW THEY GROW SO FAST.

WE WERE ON A FERRIS WHEEL I KNOW I WAS SMILING BUT I WAS SCARED S===LESS

WHOSE THAT HANDSOME CHAP I DEFINITELY NEED A BOOB JOB

STILL MY BABY EVEN IF SHE IS 11

WELL FIRST THEATRE TRIP THIS MONTH AND IT WAS TO SEE 'WE WILL ROCK YOU' ABSOLUTELY AMAZING THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE I'D HAD THE TICKET FOR MY BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR AND CONSEQUENTLY  LOST IT BUT MY DEAR FRIEND T GOT A REPLACEMENT. THE VERY NEXT DAY I FOUND IT IN THE DRAW PUT AWAY SAFELY HONEST. ANYWAY THE SHOW JUST BROUGHT BACK SO MANY LOVELY MEMORIES OF MY SINGING DAYS AT DSB AND OTHER CONCERTS AS THE SHOW WAS ALL QUEEN SONGS AND I JUST KEPT THINKING I'VE SUNG THAT ONE. I HAD GOOSEBUMPS THE SINGING WAS AMAZING THE DANCING WAS AMAZING AND AS EMMA BUNTON SAID TO ME AT DSB 'NO YOUR AMAZING' LOVED IT. WENT AND DROOLED OVER THE CAST SOME FIT GUYS CAME OUT OF THE STAGE DOOR I CAN TELL YOU HA! HA!

DIDN'T GET TICKETS TO RED OR BLACK WATCHED IT THOUGH ON TV IT WASN'T BAD NICE TO SEE PEOPLE WIN 1 MILLION POUND FOR JUST CHOOSING THEIR COLOUR.

X FACTOR IS BRILL AND AS USUAL I SCANNED THE EXTRA FACTOR NOT JUST TO DROOL OVER OLLY MURS BUT ALSO I SPOTTED MYSELF WAVING MY ARMS TO ANGELS SUNG BY AN OUT OF TUNED IRISH LAD BLESS HIM BUT I WAS CHUFFED AS SAW MYSELF AT LEAST THREE TIMES ON TV THIS IS GETTING A HABIT SHOULD CHARGE THEM FOR AN APPEARANCE FEE HA! HA! WILL HAVE TO JOIN MY FRIENDS CASTING AGENCY HEE!

I NEED TO PUT UP SOME PHOTOS SO HERE GOES ONE OF ME SCREAMING ON A FAIR RIDE IN TIVILO WORLD SPAIN I WAS SO SCARED O'S FAULT SHE TRICKED ME DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO GO UPSIDE DOWN

SOME BOY LOOKING AT ME SAYING STOP SCREAMING YOU MAD WOMAN.

WELL BEST GO AS KIDS NEED BATHING SCHOOL TOMORROW AND YIPPEE I MIGHT JUST GET CHANCE TO CRAFT .

OFF TO SUNNY SPAIN

Well its Friday 26th August start of the bank holiday weekend. I've packed and ready for an early start on Sunday we fly to spain at 6.20 am ready for a week in the sun. Hoping to do some crafting aswell as sunbathing and visiting friends. Then will be charged up ready for a new month of September which I know is going to be busy with theatre tickets to WE WILL ROCK YOU and hopefully a trip to wembley to see Ant and Dec's new show. Also my friend and I have started a new shop on facebook called Ruby'sTreasure which is in its infancy. Go over and take a look. We will be making more gorgeous lovelies to sell and maybe even a craft fair on the horizon. Well best get on ADIOS AMIGOS xx

OMG IT'S AUGUST

Well what can I say It's August and I've neglected my blog and my three followers oops. Well life has been extremely busy as usual and so I need to do a catch up so here goes.

27th -30th May 2011


Me singing with the singlive family 2011

 My family and I went up to northumberland as I had been invited to sing with my choir as the HOGWARTS CHOIR in ALNWICK CASTLE where HARRY POTTER was filmed. Had an absolutely lovely time. 


This is the cake I made for one of the rehersals yummy



dressed to impress slytherin house and gryfindor.

 5th June 2011
After Hogwarts we had a concert at the Liverpool Philimonic Hall called ' Magical Musicals' 

Another brilliant night singing with all my pals.

Unfortunately I lost my voice for about three weeks and couldn't sing along to Take That at their tour Progress at Manchester City ground on the 7th June 2011 but still had an amazing night.


My boys altogether again
 LIFE ONLY GETS BETTER WHEN YOU LIVE IT TO THE FULL.

24th JUNE

Holiday in Tenerife for a week to end a brilliant month.



My Lovely Family on our last night.

 JULY brought a lot of RAIN with it and my fundraising for the MS SOCIETY was nearly a complete washout but we had a GREAT DAY hubby played football against Radio Merseyside and we raised over £1200 so imagine if we had had sunshine.

BUT I had a very SUNNY DAY at the X FACTOR AUDITIONS as I HUGGED GARY BARLOW yes you heard correctly I HUGGED GARY BARLOW. AHHHHH! and still havent recovered.

My little girl has left primary school and im feeling where has the years gone.

Started slimming world this month i'm 12st 5 lb

3rd AUGUST

This month has started very well as its my 15th wedding anniversary today. I received lovely cards and a beautiful watch from my hubby. Its crystal for 15 yrs so he got one with little diamonds (not real ones) along the side and inside the watch well I dont think they are. I've had a lovely day out at Speke Hall and then a meal at the Bromborough Hotel.  

Well hope you enjoyed my news as much as I did remembering the lovely times I have had. I am sure I have more to come as its my birthday next week and then off to Spain end of August.

oh yeh! this week I was slimmer of the week and up to date lost 8lb yippee!

 I can hear you say slow down but

 LIFE IS TOO SHORT! SO GET UP! GET OUT! AND START LIVING! THATS AN ORDER HEE HEE!