Sketchbook Challenge #1

Blogger being difficult again, not sure why it doesn't like me at the moment so the pics are out of order yet again :(

I have bought myself a new sketchbook that has a deep purple cover with the image of a tree on it, will see if I can get a good pic at some point but it's not really about the cover. Purple is my chosen colour (suprise, suprise)! I don't have a supply of good arty materials but we do have an endless supply of felt pens, crayons, and coloured pencils (see above) so am going to work with what I have and see what happens......

These were the things I used last night for my first pages;


A ranekin of luke warm water, a decorating brush and some free-with-a-magazine Barbie paints.

I brushed away on the page and covered it in clingfilm before bed;


I did some scribbling on the first page so I'd have a double page spread for each inspiration from Gina;


When I read what the title was to be for this year's challenge I instantly thought of the children. They are my home. I love our little house and little garden and all the things we have collected together over the years but it all amounts to nothing without them. We could live in a one room flat or a cardboard box and they would make me happy. It may just be a bit ambitious but we'll see.....

The first inspiration was to look at outlines so I trawled through the photos and found one of each of the children in profile and printed them out in monochrome;


I then did some jiggery pokery with some greaseproof paper from the kitchen drawer;


And then some more jiggery pokery to transfer the images into the sketchbook on my beautiful (if a little pink) rippled surface;



I love the page with the boys, they look like they are getting ready to kiss each other.

Here is my book with the clingfilm in place;


The children's images still need some work, I'm going to improve the image with some purple ink pens and maybe do some shading with chalks.

Watch this space......

Daisie xxx

PS: Please excuse the rather tired looking ironing board cover but it was in a good light spot in front of the window!

A Busy Week

Blogger is being very difficult tonight and I am too tired to think of a way to get it to behave so my pictures are all over the place!

It has been a hot sunny week, the first of the long summer break :)

It started by dismantling Francesca's bedroom, disposing of lots of crap, and getting ready to paint. The girls have moved back in together, for reasons that will become clear, and they had to choose a colour for the walls (Elizabeth refused to sleep in a pink bedroom). Initially they said black, I said no but somehow they managed to bamboozle their Daddy and have ended up with a black bedroom (I was never allowed a black bedroom and am quite bitter, I'd like to say I'm joking but I'm not!). But see how happy it made them (picture above).

The reason for the girls being together again is that young Mr Sebastian has grown enough to be in his big bed *sob* Nathaniel is so big and grown up he is now sleeping near the sky (his words).

Here they are on their first night;




So small and beautiful.

It truly is the end of an era. I have had a child in my bed, in a cot at the end of my bed or in my belly for most of the last ten years, it's very strange to be just Simon and I again. Seb is not sleeping well, the others took the transition in their stride and we'd cracked going to bed on their own in just a few weeks but I feel this may take some time. He is like no child I have ever had before. He is soooooo stubborn. I have no idea where he gets it from. Simon and I give in all the time, always take the path of least resistence, anything for an easy, harmonious life. Pick your battles wisely they say and I do!! I haven't had chance to miss him much as have been in and out all night long since he moved but it'll soon settle and I won't have his cheek pressed against mine as I drift off or his sweet breath in my face or his hot little body pressed against mine like a limpet.

Now you can see just how naughty blogger is being. Back to the girls room....

We kept the hot pink accessories that were Francesca's and I think it looks fab. They have black and white floral bedding and hot pink sheets, black rugs and fluffy hot pink cushions. This is a terrible pic taken at bedtime but you can sort of see how nice the chandelier looks against the black;


And then after a week of mess my baby brother got married yesterday!

We trooped off on foot to the church in our finery;


The children were fabulously well behaved during the long catholic ceremony (Seb went out for a run around with Simon for just the last fifteen minutes after an impromtu rendition of 'row your boat' threatened to spoil the vows) and they were the most beautiful children there (even if I do say so myself);


Nick and his new wife, Kirstin, my two sisters and all my babies;


Me, my little brother Nick, my sisters, Naomi and Charlotte;


We stood in numerical order, me being the oldest but someone *ahem* Charlotte commented that I should be at the other end if we were in size order! It's a constant joke at family gatherings that I am the little big sister!!

Again, bloody blogger, grrrr!

I tried, as usual, to get a shot of all my babies together before we left home, this was the best I could manage;


Oh dear me!

I have bitten the bullet and have decided that I will join in with Gina and Mrs Moog and take part in the sketchbook challenge. I bought myself a new book today especially, and some new pencils!! Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow (or the day after) with a progress report.......

Daisie xxx

Thank You

Thank you to the wonderful teachers my girls have had this year.

Cushions so their seat can always be theirs :)

Thanks Mrs Stowell and Mr Farrar for teaching Elizabeth this year;


And thanks to Mrs Baron and Miss Robinson;


I know, you thought I made a mistake there but Miss Robinson is getting married over the summer and will be Mrs Tomlinson in September!!

I made a cushion like this for Miss Hall at school years ago (may have been blogged somewhere but really can't be bothered to check) and next year Miss Hall and Mrs Baron will be teaching the Foundation Stage together (where Nathaniel will be) and I thought it would be nice for them both to have a cushion, didn't want Mrs Baron to feel left out and stuck for inspiration I just carried on making cushions!!

Wonder how long before each teacher at school has a daisiedavies cushion.....??


And Mr Farrar's cushion is in blue not because he is a boy but because I ran out of green floss!

Daisie xxx

Some Actual sewing!!

A bit of a rush job early (6.30am) on Saturday morning. Franecsca's chum Amy is seven next week and having a birthday during the summer break means an early party. We had lots of trouble with Elizabeth's being in August; people are away or say yes and then forget, so Amy's Mummy very sensibly took a group of the girls to the cinema and out for lunch yesterday.

Francesca asked me to make Amy a bag like her school bag, she chose the fabric and everything, super organised but there hasn't been time this week. Work has been mental busy and I have been bringing stuff home to do in the evenings which would normally have been sewing time. I assured Francesca that it would get made but as it's not quite Amy's birthday yet maybe I could sew it all together on Monday and she could take it to school? Oh no, that was just not good enough!! So early morning sewing it was;



It's a scaled down version of my slouchy bag. I am very pleased with how it turned out (hope I haven't made any mistakes with rushing), the little zippy pouch matches the bag front and back!

I hope she likes it, happy birthday Amy!!


What have you been sewing this week?

Daisie xxx

I have been admiring the Kuhn Rikon icing utensils for ages (late night shopping channels when up with a poorly baby or early morning TV infomertials when same baby misunderstands the concept of a lay-in) but I have just never felt I could justify that much expense to make already perfectly tasty cupcakes look pretty. Then today when out shopping for a "foundation garment" (that's a story for another day) I stumbled across this lovely set;


In The Works (you know, the cheapy book shop) for just £3.99!!! I was a happy girl. It looks almost identical to the Kuhn one and was really easy to use and clean. I do need to go visit youtube and learn how to make spectacular cupcakes, I mostly just squirt randomly and hope for prettiness. Not nearly as pretty as Emma's new creations but yummy none the less.

I think I may have to have a practise with my camera too as the focus here seems to be the case when I had been aiming for clarity on the icing, nevermind, you get the picture;


And because I just couldn't resisit sharing these (am sure he's too small to be horrified at his nakedness in public), some baby caring au natural;





Hope you're all having a splendid saturday?

Daisie xxx

A lovely sunny day in the garden with my two favourite boys;



With a fish finger butty and nice cup of tea;


My lovely day has been clouded by some sad news, I'm not going to discuss it here but want to say my thoughts are with the extended Davies' and my love and thoughts are with my Mother-In-Law.

Daisie x