Bags!

I recieved some orders for shoulder bags at the school fair on friday.

This one I made last night and am rather in love with, it is an Ikea print in big, bright, funky, retro flowers and I have lined it with some sunshine yellow cotton;


The other two I made on Saturdy and one is another Ikea print (the same as my handbag) and one is a John Lewis print called 'sunflower';



They just need delivering now and then I need to crack on with the hat order I have to fill.

And make much more stuff for the fair I'm doing in Lancaster in early June. After the success of the school fair I am feeling rather optomistic and want to make lots of lovelies. Lets see how many I can get done in just four weeks, argh!!

Daisie xxx

Advice From Elizabeth

Never fall out of your top bunk, it hurts!

Apparently I had to blog about it tonight!

If it hadn't have hurt her so much it would have been very funny!

And my bag has arrived in America, Adel seems pleased with it, which is always good. When I made the bag it seemed really big but then I thought with a very little boy to take everywhere you go big is not always a bad thing. I knitted her some purple mohair beads and made a bracelet and necklace for her too but don't have any photos. The brief was "I love chocolate tones as a whole and purple is amazing" think I may have hit the nail on the head!

Daisie xxx

Remember These?

Well they are now available in my folksy shop in 100g bags. Don't usually do my own advertising (perhaps that's why there are so few sales) but so many of you expressed delight and thought you might like some too. If we use the code word "Strawberry Marmalade" in notes to seller on paypal (if you buy some of course) I will chuck in something extra for being a blog reader!

Today has been sunny and the children have been in and out of the back door all day. We spent the morning bed hunting and we ended up spending far more money then we had intended but I can't wait for it all to be delivered :-))

So no makes today yet but am feeling full of beans so will maybe make a start on the handbag orders from yesterday before bed.....

Daisie xxx

School Fair

This afternoon was a resounding success. Even though the sky was grey and the rain was heavy at times lots of mums, dads, grandmas and aunties turned up at school (even Mrs Swirly and small swirls came to say hello).

Here is my little pitch;


My fancy pegs looked rather good and sold well;



Sadly nobody took home one of my felt purses;

The button bracelets and hair clips went like hot cakes and I only brought a couple of each home with me, half the brooches sold too;

My bags spilled over onto the window sill, I lightly stuffed them with some newspaper just to give them some shape;

The poppy shoulder bag sold and four of my shopping totes. I have taken orders for two more shoulder bags and a special order for two girls' sunhats that match and a request for a brooch, a teacher rather liked it but it had sold by the time she came back so I need to make another for her. And because it went so well it meant that I could add a nice sized donation to the school pot!

Daisie xxx

Fabulous!

I have had a wonderful day today. I have been out with my dear friend Gil, we went to a nearby town to check out a fabric shop that had been recommended by a woman in B&Q (of all places). We were not disappointed. I bought these beautiful bright cottons (more smocking planned) there is a metre of each on the left and 3 metres of the one on the right;


I found this amazing fabric for a boy project I have planned;



And this;

I got a whole bag of goodies for only £17!! And I was very pleased because I saw several fabrics that I have had from SAMS (in my £5 basket) that are priced between £18.99 and £22 a metre!!

I also recieved a parcel in the post today from the wonderful Emma;

This is a terrible picture of the bag (am sure Emma will have taken some better ones). It is absolutely beautiful. It is purple and it has buttons so is perfect for little old me!

There were fabulous specially picked goodies inside too.

This little felt purse;

Some beautiful ribbons and papers and a little trinket box full of sparkles;

Thank you so much Emma, I hope your swap arrives soon and makes you as happy as you have made me!

There were also lots of charity shop finds but I'll share them with you tomorrow.

The may fayre is tomorrow from 3.30 til 5.30 at Ightenhill Primary School, Alder Street, Burnley if anyone is near and fancies coming and saying hi?

Do hope I have enough stock!!

Daisie xxx

Button Bracelets

I managed to create these little lovelies at boobie club this morning. We are very quiet :-( we have lots of enquiries but not many takers, we asked some questions and it seems the timing is putting people off (especially new mums), so as of next week we'll be dishing out advice and support on a Thursday afternoon instead.


This means that we have time in the schedule of the centre to start our craft group on the wednesday morning, we will do our making, drinking coffee and chatting in the community room, leaving the creche free for our little ones to enjoy games and snacks and stuff! Really looking forward to it! We were hoping that we could start a 'stitch and bitch' type group with a creche too but there is only me and one other lady that knit and would be interested at the mo. Plus, sure start want to call it sticth and chat! Not exactly what it says on the tin really!?

Anyhoo, it means there will be another day booked up for me after the spring bank half term holiday! Busy busy bee.

We were chatting this morning about projects we could do. They need to fit into a two hour slot and not need a huge amount of skill or cost the earth (we have a limited budget). I suggested shadow boxes with mod roc or clay stuff, jewellery making on a small scale, felt purses/brooches and scrap booking type stuff or picture frames as we all have small children. Any suggestions would be brilliant!

Daisie xxx

Just Not Daddy

Simon is working late tonight and although I miss him and the children miss seeing him, we are a well oiled machine when he is away. They know how far I will go. Everyone is bathed and in bed. They have read their books, eaten several of their 5-a-day, brushed their teeth, played together nicely and allowed me the time to sew together two more bags for the fair.

Simon is our bread-winner and the 'man-of-the-house' and we all have huge amounts of love and respect for him but sometimes (well, most of the time) I feel like the parent in charge. It is I who make them eat fruit when they would rather not, me that listens to them read and chants spellings at them several times a week, me that makes them go back and brush their teeth again! Me that nags them to put their socks in the wash basket when they take them off! And it is part of the deal, Simon earns the money (and works very hard for it) that allows me to stay at home and shape them into the people I would like them to become. That I can be proud of. And I am; when they remember, always, to say please and thank you, when they hold doors open for strangers, when they are kind to each other and their friends, I know that I did that.

But I am just NOT Daddy. I do tickle when I get them out of the bath and wrap them in warm towels, there is the occasional raspberry blown on an exposed bit of flesh when getting ready for bed, there is an odd joke here and there, I take them to exciting and fun places, there are cuddles and kisses aplenty but to the children I am just not as much fun as Daddy. It makes me sad because I feel sometimes that if I was as much fun as Daddy they would relish my company more. But they would not be the people they are, would they?

And then it turns sometimes. When they are poorly or too tired or hurt or sad they want me. Simon can run when one of them has fallen and lift them into his big strong arms but he is not good enough then. That makes me sad too because his cuddles are as good and his love is a strong.

Maybe children need a 'good cop' and a 'bad cop' to be well rounded....?

Sometimes I'd like to be the good cop!

Blimey, that was deep (or mad), sorry!

Daisie xxx