Snot!

Sorry I have been away for so long but I have been feeling a bit poorly of late. If I was a man I would call it flu! I've had the shivers, the aches and lots of snot :-( feeling a bit better now though.

Not much making going on here this week.

I did make this lovely poppy bag for my Mum's birthday and filled it full of nice girly things;



I have also started making some cards for my new stockist at Botany Bay;



That's it for tonight and hopefully I will make something of interest in the next few days!

Daisie xxx

Chick Chick Chick Chick Chicken!

Just a quickie to show you the sewing project of the other day;




I have delivered the bag (a bit late) full of birthday goodies to Swirly so can now reveal all. It's a very simple bucket shaped shopping bag but I embellished the sides with squares of aged denim (from an old pair of jeans) and added some felt scraps in the shape of, well, what else, chickens!

I also made this die cut flower from handmade paper and finished it with an antique mother-of-pearl button for her card;

My house smells yummy, just made some lovely leek and potato soup and fresh handmade bread rolls for tea.

Daisie xxx

Still Sick...

....and still unable to come up with good post titles :-(

Francesca at home again today but is much better and has managed to eat and not be sick, whey-hey!! Nathaniel is eating and chucking up at a mighty rate and I will be back at the doctors again tomorrow for a second opinion!!

We had an unannounced visit from a lady from FLOW (family learning something or other, wasn't really listening) that has been given money to visit children in the north of England and give them stuff to improve academic ability on entrance to primary school. Sorry, bored myself then too!! She was preaching to the converted through all the blurb; playgroups, good routine, good diet, mixing with others etc etc. All the things I usually do (and have been doing for years). But Lisa was very nice and chatty and cheered me up in the middle of a bad day full of sick! She also gave Nathaniel a huge bag of goodies (for free!!!!), some books, a jigsaw, some crayons, a drum and a maraca all in a lovely jute bag just like the ones the girls have reading books in for school, he was dead impressed, me too!! Thanks Lisa x

I did manage to do a few more cards for the box :-D;



Francesca is much in love with this one but I think it would look so much better with the 'princess' on some mirror board (it's on my shopping list);



Don't forget to leave a comment on the giveaway post, will be mixing names on Saturday morning!!

Daisie xxx

Tired

I am so sorry to have neglected my blog so much this week but I feel like a dog chasing it's tail or like I said the other night running up a sand dune and not getting anywhere near the top!

I have started a first aid course on monday mornings, haven't done one since I was pregnant with Elizabeth but haven't been back to work so it has mattered little until now. I need it if I am going to be working with new mums in their homes and at various children's centres. Nathaniel went into the creche for two and a half hours and mostly cried. I felt awful :-( To be honest I didn't think he would mind so much as the building and staff are familair (we are there several times during the week for different things). He wasn't inconsoleable though and it is the first time he has been left, other than at home with Daddy. Can't wait to see what he's like next monday?!

Tuesday sees the regular playgroup I have been attending weekly since Elizabeth was baby. I am a very old hand!!

Wednesday sees Boobie Club and we were a little busier this week although not as busy as we would like! Followed by Tiny Trumpets (a local performer who comes and does song and dance and brings lots of yummy child sized instruments) for an hour.

Thursday I avoided playgroups as I went to see my poorly Dad and it was really nice to sit and chat and drink tea and not have to do anything at all. He was glad of the company and I was glad of the rest!!

Friday (today) we go to our local Tumble Tots group and Nathaniel has a wonderful time climbing on things and generally being a 'boy'.

I like to be busy with him as it won't be very long beofre he's at nursery and school :-( time goes by too quickly!

But in amongst the self improvement and childcare are also the laundry and cooking and cleaning and reading books and spelling tests and this week I am so tired and seem to have little time to myself. Shouldn't complain really but there you go!

Yesterday saw the first crafting for an age!! Nathaniel woke from his nap in the foulest of moods and I really wanted to try running some flet through my bighsot. So I sat him on the floor next to me expecting him to continue in his crankiness but he found some scrap paper, shoved it into the machine (no plates or anything) and cranked the handle and laughed. I showed him how to layer all the pieces and he found me bits of felt and helped for about an hour. He had great fun when I got the buttons out too.

We created some felt flower cards;

They have ribbon stems and button centres. I really like them. I have some more flowers cut but they need buttons finding to match. I am waiting for some time and some light so I can stick some in my folksy shop. Think they'd be great for valentine's, mother's day or a spring birthday!

And I really need to find some time to knit. I am knitting a scarf in a really easy 'waffle' pattern in a beautiful russet toned yarn and my plan was to finish it and then start a beret (I have found a pattern for one on two needles!) to match. I think I had this notion some time before christmas........

Daisie xxx

Lots of Coffee and Tea

I have made absolutely nothing today (I am screaming on the inside) but have been pampered beyond belief.

After the school drop I went to visit my lovely pal Caroline who made me drink coffee and chat, which was very nice indeed!

Then I went to see Swirly to drop off the beautiful pink presnet I wrapped yesterday and some rather nifty (even if I do say so myself) button drawing pins. She treated me to tea and a sandwich, very nice indeed!

Then came the food shop, not so great as I haven't made a menu plan for the coming week so am left with the feeling that I have forgotten something and may have to do another big shop before the week is out but my brain is full of carft fairs and panic so I think I can forgive myself this once.

Home to put away shopping, let Nathaniel have a sleep and check email, oh and drink more tea!

Off to school but only collected Francesca as Elizabeth stays for a dance class. Quick cup of tea at Claire's (yes my bladder will be the size of a football before the night is over) while indulging my middle daughter's fantasy of being an only child. Very nice indeed!

Back to school and here I am writing a quick post while the potatoes bake in the oven for tea.

One good bit of craft fair stuff happened today though with the arrival of my card stand;

I was beginning to think it wasn't going to get here in time, phew!

Anyway, the salad and the tuna mayo won't make itself and the children are starving...

Daisie xxx

Busy Bee

Well, the things on the list are slowly being ticked off.

Hotties;


I really like the simplicity of this love heart one;

I decided not to put names on these ones but just to make a pile and let the children choose which they wanted to give to their friends. I have three more cut out ready to sew together tomorrow.

I made a few cards with felt pictures on them;

The picture is a bit naff but the cards are good, will be making some more like this.

And the custom order is no more :-( bit naffed off but at least I hadn't started to make it yet. So no time wasted and I am busy at the moment making stuff for the craft fair so not too disappointed.

Forgot to buy kirby grips and glitter spray so will be off shopping again tomorrow. I did, however, manage to buy a huge chicken (free range, corn fed etc) we don't often buy chicken these days as my conscience and purse can't afford it! Anyway, I practically barged people out of the way when I saw this £15 bird reduced to only £3.26! I have roasted it this afternoon as it was near it's sell by (that's was why it was cheap) and carved it all up. Made a big plate full of nicely sliced pieces to have tomorrow with roasted veg and Yorkshire puddings (who says they're only for beef?!), a huge jug of lovely gravy from the pan juices and I made a litre of good stock with the bones. I used some of the stock to make soup for tonight with the meat picked from the bones and whatever veg I could find in the fridge;

Nathaniel scoffed his! Maybe if we're lucky there will be enough for sandwiches on Saturday!

Only a boy card to make now and hair stuff to get for Francecsa, not bad considering I forgot to take the shopping list out with me! Don't know why I make them really, they are never with me when I get to the shops, always on the table or stuck on the fridge.

Daisie xxx

English Weather

To say we have had no real summer this year isn't really an understatement. It has been cold and wet and thoroughly miserable with maybe one or too fine days thrown in here and there. Ask any UK resident and I'm sure they'll say the same!

This week however it has been beautiful. Not overly warm but dry and sunny. Today I have stomped through fallen leaves with Nathaniel on the way home from playgroup and we even found conkers!! Autumn is coming I think.

So it seemed a little odd making these;



When the sky looks like this;

Christmas crafts are still being made in abundance here at Daisie Towers (that came to me the other day when thinking over something else because I thought we should rename Lynsey's blog Swirly Heights, don't ask why, I don't know!!) ready for my up and coming craft fair, ooh, excitement mounts.......

Off for a meeting at the new children's centre near school to sort out lots of new exciting projects for me to be involved in. I need something more to do to stop me missing the girls now they are back at school.

Hope it is sunny where you are too!

Daisie xxx

Notecards And Cheap Eats

Well, I spent this morning making six sets of note cards for an (fingers crossed) up and coming craft fair!! V.excited, will let you know all the details when I have them. I made some more Christmas cards too.

And then this afternoon I set out to make a warm and comforting meal as all the children have runny noses and coughs, it was only a matter of time once they went back to school!

I made what we affectionately call 'pasta soup', it's my take on the traditional Italian soup; minestrone.

Daisie's Minestrone.

You will need;

1 large onion, chopped (20p ish)

2 courgettes, sliced (73p)

a few mushrooms, sliced (69p)

3 carrots, chopped (20p ish)

2 red peppers, chopped (45p)

1 tin cannelini beans (27p)

Carton Passata (43p)

Handful of pasta per person (40p)

plus a little olive oil, a pinch of dried herbs and a twist of black pepper

To Serve;

Crusty bread (25p) and grated cheese.

Sweat the onion in a little olive oil until tender, add chopped vegetables and stir. Add passata and about a pint of water, add herbs and pepper, leave to come to the boil. Once boiling add pasta, stir. Once pasta is cooked place in bowls and serve with grated cheese on top.

Serve at the table with crusty bread (this is a lovely little loaf I bought reduced for only 25p, I usually make my own but not even Jamie Oliver could make a loaf of seed bread for 25p!!) and real butter!

We all have lovely warm, full bellies now, all for the grand total of £3.52, and the babies are all snoring in their beds.

Need to iron the school uniforms and then I am off to bed too.

Night, night, Daisie xxx

Blimey!

I do seem to have stirred something in the blogging population just recently don't I?

Twelve comments on my rant post, phew, that's lots! I think there have been lurkers for some time and they've only just popped by to say hello. Shame they all have the same name though, anonymous! There were four of them when I last looked. I do wish that some people would 'have the courage of their convictions', I can't help but think that if you believe strongly in what you are saying you should be accountable for our opinion. It is only an opinion after all. I don't really care if you agree with me or not. I know very few women who have fed their babies themselves but I have lots of friends. It would be terribly boring if we were all the same.

Can I thank Julie for leaving a wonderful comment pointing out the other pit falls of bottle feeding, it is global, not local and it is a bad, bad thing! And thanks to everyone else, I love to know what people think, even if I'll never know your name.

Perhaps child rearing should be up there with subjects not to be blogged about like religion (don't get me started) and politics but I fear that would make blogland a very dull place!

And if you go back to the original post the rant wasn't really that bad and most of the comments made were in response to anonymous#1's attempt at comparing me to a bovine animal!

Anyhoo, nuff said!

And not wishing to offend anyone else here are some of the cards that Nathaniel and I made yesterday afternoon for Christmas;

Daisie xxx

Sleepover

My baby Francesca stayed away from home for the very first time last night. The girls were parted from me while Nathaniel was in hospital during July but other than that we have not been apart. I have missed her so much. She has just phoned to say that she doesn't want to come home but wants to stay and have her lunch with Granny :-( I would have gone and got her at 7am when I woke, so would Simon if truth be known.

Elizabeth didn't want to go and stay so we let her stay up late and watch 'Enchanted' and eat pringles! Really good fun! When she went to bed Simon and I watched 'King Kong', this link is not the one we watched but I thought it rather funny and surely everyone knows what King Kong is?! For no other reason than it was on when we turned the DVD off, it's so sad, I cried!

I made some more brooches yesterday;


Elizabeth is at a party today so I made this card;

And then added the flower brooch;

This last pic looks better than the others, I think it had just got darker so the flash went off! Will be making more of these!

Off to take Elizabeth to the party and then off to collect Francesca and be careful not to squeeze her so hard that she stops breathing!!

Daisie xxx

Hands

Got up this morning to find I had made a sale on etsy, woo-hoo! Off my little hottie goes to America!

This spurred me into action and I have listed a couple of new Christmas ranges (I know it's only August but it's never too early in craftland to start thinking of Christmas) in my etsy shop and I am doing a special offer until the end of September.

My lovely sister came to lunch today and brought the girls some new felt pens. Elizabeth drew around her hand with every colour and made this;


I thought it was very beautiful and it gave me an idea;



My hand was too big to draw around again and again so I just drew around each of my hands once, joining them togther at the little finger. I doodled a design on each finger and turned them into a peacock type bird. The finger feathers looked better before I curled the fingers, won't be doing that next time. I will draw round Francesca's hands in the morning and use them as a templat so that the edges of the bird don't hang over the edges of the card and then it can fit in the envelope.

Daisie xxx

Daisie's Sweat Shop

Yesterday saw a lovely rest for me, it was my friend Claire's birthday and the children and I went over with chocolate cake for elevenses and ended up staying all afternoon, the children played and I nattered and drank cups of coffee (and ate cake). It was just what I needed after the hard work earlier in the week. I also took this card (didn't taste as nice as the cake though) which I made with some wallpaper I stole (naughty me) from a DIY superstore;



With the bling you'd never know it was a blown vinyl wall covering!!

Then once the children were fed and safely tucked up in their beds my dining room turned into a sweat shop. I had a little production line of cotton bags for the girls to take their treasures home in from Elizabeth's party. Five to make. One is complete, three are complete except for threading handles and one is merely pinned together. Another hour later tonight and all will be ready. I like to think it's because I am a fabulous Mummy and I want everyone to still be talking about her party when they go back to school but really it is shameless advertising on my part;

Hopefully we'll get some good photos of the girls with them on Sunday. Think I am more excited about it than Elizabeth!!

Another playday away today as we are going to buy school cardigans and lunchboxes then we are off to my friend Gil's to have a picnic. But it has been raining all week and is still very wet today so Gil and her grandson Charlie have erected a tent in the lounge so it will be an indoor picnic but full of fun!!

Have a lovely day whatever you're up to!

Daisie xxx

Crackers!!

Never again will I think, oh we'll just have crackers for lunch, look at these monsters;


We bought them at Ikea, not realising it would take 5kg of cheese and several hundred grams of marmite to cover them but hey, we like an adventure! I filled one with ham, tangy mature cheddar, red peppers, cucumber and baby vine tomatoes. The other was half marmite and crumbly, salty Cheshire cheese and cheese with celery and tomatoes on the other side. We had fun breaking them into pieces to share;

While Simon has been preparing the room for dry-lining I have been embroidering a bicycle for my Dad's birthday;

It's not what you'd call anatomically correct but you get the gist at first glance. I drew the image free hand in pencil on some heavy cotton fabric (one of the few pieces that is not hiding in a box in the attic until my big cupboard is ready) and went over most of it in chain stitch to give the lines some bulk. I then sewed round the edge of the pic and a piece of paper so it would be easy to mount onto card.

Daisie xxx

Some Craft!!

Here is Elizabeth with a card I made for her friend Myah (can you guess hold old she's going to be?). It is a pink sparkly frame with an acetate window filled with pink sequins. Think it is called a shaker? Am I right? I just do things that I think look nice, never too sure of the technical terms! Ha ha!


I was quite impressed with my handiwork which led me to get the Christmas things out and make some more;

I quite like the ones I made with the jigsaw frames, they have been in my stash for ages as I really love them but have never been sure how to use them. I could call the range 'a piece of winter'. See what I did there?!

Yesterday saw a trip to IKEA, yes, I could live there, it is true!!! We went to price up shelving systems for our super huge cupboard and to look at beds as we really need a new one, think it may have to wait a while though, bit pricey. I bought some wicker boxes for the girls to use for socks and knickers etc in their new wardrobes when the bedrooms are finished, the plan being they will only have a bed and a wardrobe so the room will seem bigger and they will each have enough room for their dolls' house to go upstairs and out of my way!

I also bought some lovely tea towels for £1 as I saw a tutorial about turning two tea towels into an apron, can't remember where though, anyone remember?

As the IKEA sale is drawing to an end many things are stupidly cheap, things you don't want usually but I bought plates for the girls, 25p each!! Elizabeth got a 'paint your own' kit for her 5th birthday so both the girls painted a plate with their name on. They are very tired now as they get used every day for dinner and I have been meaning to do new ones for ages. I ordered lots of lovely things for Elizabeth's party including some porcelain paints. So this morning, while Nathaniel and Elizabeth had breakfast (Simon and Francesca still being asleep) I made these;

I am no artist but I really like these!! If we are back at IKEA I may buy lots and everyone can have one for a Christmas present, keep it cheap, keep it cheerful!!

Daisie xxx

Feeling Hot, Hot Hot!

The heat today is amazing and very close indeed. It's one of those that when you stand under a tepid shower you feel fresh and clean but by the time you have rubbed yourself dry you are a horrid sweaty lump again! Goodness knows how hot and horrid Simon is feeling, he is still sealed into our bedroom (I did let him out last night) pulling the last of the ceiling down. We popped out this morning and bought some very green insulation for the room, it is made from recycled plastic bottles so is great for the environment and great for Simon too as it won't make him itch like fibreglass insulation does. Everyone's a winner! We (Simon ) also ordered some new stone flags to re-do our 'garden' to come with the rest of the building supplies for the room (only one delivery charge; cunning or what?). His reasoning being that if we're having a skip here we may as well fill it (with the walls and aeiling from the bedroom, the old flags, the shed wall and roof etc etc)! Watch this space for exciting developments.........

Blimey, amidst all the building madness and heat I actually made something!!

These are three handbag party invitation cards for Elizabeth's up and coming 7th birthday party;




Each card has the initial of the recipient and the tags are colour coordinated. The hole for the handle could have been better but I tend to get an idea and run with it and get excited when it looks good and forget to be slow and patient with my craft knife, whoops!

Off for a good sleep now as will be baby juggling and skip filling tomorrow!

Daisie xxx

Making Stuff

Here are the amazing goodies that Jenny sent to cheer me up, what a love!


The 'Stitch' magazine has some wonderful ideas in it, perfect for Christmas gifts (OMG, Christmas is coming)! Lovely oriental character stickers, sparkly pink corners (Francesca has her eagle eye on these), and a little pack of ribbon bits and beads and a sherbet dib-dab thingie.

I have had a day of making things, Nataniel has mostly slept, think it's what he needs. Francesca and I had an afternoon at the table making a cushion for Elizabeth's teacher (to go on the new chair in the class room);

This is the card I made as a thank you for having Elizabeth this year, Miss Hall is wonderful and I hope she gets Francesca in Y1 because she's brilliant;

It's a pretend clip board and I have put the teacher's name at the top and done ten spellings (wonderful, caring, kind etc), marked them all right with a big tick and put ten out of ten at the bottom and a well done sticker. It's a shame the picture's not better as am rather pleased with it.

I also made a card for Cara (Saturday party girl) with a decoupage "lily of the valley" fairy that I got in a kit. Don't usually do decoupage but I got the bug and made this puddle duck one for a little girl who will be seven on Saturday;

I got the stamp free on a magazine a bit ago and haven't used it before, I stamped four ducks in black and coloured them in with soft pencils. I trimmed each image differently and layered them up (can't really see this in pic). Mounted them on some pearly pink paper and then on torn handmade paper and fluffed the edges. I finished the card with a broad pink ribbon threaded through the spine and tied in a bow at the front.

Off to do some more knitting now, cardigans don't grow on trees you know!!

Daisie xxx

My Purple Knitting

Here is Tara's purple cushion with a 'T' on it. Quite pleased; it looks and feels lovely!


And here is the pink chicken I made for her card;

Far too tired and fed up to write anymore tonight, am going to bed instead!!

Daisie xxx

Is The Tooth Fairy Coming?

What a day! Must first tell you some slightly frightening and equally exciting news, Francesca has lost a tooth! I panicked at first and thought there was something wrong when she announced her gap. The hole is fine and clean and pink and she doesn't remember the tooth coming out and it's not sore, I know it's a bit early for her second teeth to be coming but I am convinced that is what's happening (will ring dentist on Monday to check anyway). She was only eight weeks old (stupidly young) when the first two teeth came through! The tooth was definitely there when we had lunch but had gone soon after when the girls were making a 'den' on Elizabeth's bunk bed. We thought it would be very funny if Elizabeth got bitten on the bum during the night, ha ha! But we can't find it and wonder if the tooth fairy will make an appearance tonight or not...?

Breakfast was brilliant. I opened the can and found this;

Chopped it up, rolled it and turned the dough into this;

Baked for fifteen minutes and then served with hot coffee;

They went down very well, everyone enjoyed them. Will be doing this again some other weekend. Or because it was so easy Simon may be doing this anther weekend?

I have been card making and general crafting this morning and have made the chicken in a different colourway. I cut all the pieces from brown card and layered them up with foam pads to give the wing and the tail a fuller look. Am rather pleased with the finished card, hope our niece, Kirsty, is too as she turns 21 this weekend!

I also finished my purple knitting project (the one that hurt my finger) today and it is sewn together and stuffed and looks brilliant (even if I do say so myself)! I will post a picture of it tomorrow when it has been delivered to the birthday girl.

Simon is still marking, poor baby, but the end is in sight! The house smells good as I am baking a lemon and orange cake for Tara's party tomorrow, pics to follow as I always like to show a bit of cake!!

Daisie xxx

Muck For Luck

Hello, had a day off from blogging yesterday as have had the migraine from hell. It started on Sunday night and just got worse and worse. I have managed to eat today (sandwich at lunchtime, which is the first thing since Sunday afternoon). Spent most of yesterday either asleep or with my head in the toilet. All the children and Simon were wonderful, made their own toast and everything!!

In my vomit ridden dehydrated madness last night I remembered that it was my friend Caroline's birthday on the 12th, I had forgotten (bad, bad friend!!)! Caroline is great though and will understand fully and not hold it against me! I was very organised too as I had bought her present during the January sales!! I even found a really good idea for a chicken card. She keeps chickens in her garden. Here it is;




And just for my friend Claire (AKA: KaeKaesMum, see comments) here is a picture of the bird poo we found INSIDE my car last Friday! We had been shopping and had picnicked in the car so we could feed the boys, how we didn't notice a seagull with it's arse through the slightly open window - I don't know!! We nearly laughed ourselves to death when we noticed it. Lucky I didn't put my arm in it whilst driving!!



Daisie xxx

PS: Go on over to Ruth's blog and check out my giveaway goodies, they finally arrived!!

Can't Believe I Forgot.....

That my amazing husband bought me this wonderfully fancy (limited edition) daisy stamp;


I stamped three this afternoon and cut the main daisy from one and the daisy and inside border from another and layered them up on a full stamp. I highlighted the edges and swirls with a gold glitter pen and finished it off with some amber coloured gems. The photo doesn't really do it justice;



Daisie xxx