Tatertots and Jello: One of my Favorite Things -- Jo Totes Camera Bag Giveaway!!!

Tatertots and Jello: One of my Favorite Things -- Jo Totes Camera Bag Giveaway!!!



Take a look at these fantastic camera bags.

A Throne fit for a Princess

I made this for Bethany's birthday party a couple of weeks ago.  I just used a couple of cardboard tubes (from the inside of wrapping paper rolls) and taped them onto a childs chair.  I then created the cover and embroidered the emblem to match Beth's princess dress.  All the little girls at the party wanted to try out the throne!

The Fabric Guild

To celebrate my mum's birthday on Friday we  took a drive over to The Fabric Guild in  Leicester.  It is an "American style warehouse club" not open to the general public, admission being restricted to members only (you can join during your visit, £5 for lifetime membership).  A couple of friends had recommended it to us and I think it was worth the trip.  It's humble exterior belies the host of goodies you'll find inside.  I came away with an armful of stuff including fat quarters from 60p and some Anna Griffin paper crafting embellishments for 25p!  Bethany spent ages picking out the buttons she wanted and at 40p a packet it was well worth it to keep her amused!

Sad News...

I intended by next post to be all about the great day I shared with my family yesterday celebrating my mum's birthday, but before I could publish it, we received the devastating news that my uncle had passed away.  Darrel Else was an amazing man, with a huge heart who fought bravely for so long against his cancer.  

Uncle Darrel; I feel privileged to have known you.  You leave a hole in out hearts that will never be filled.

Polka Dots on Parade: Toast of Tuesday!

I feel so honoured - I was actually featured on

Polka Dots on Parade: Toast of Tuesday!

Ruffle Camera Strap

My second project this weekend was to make a cover for my DSLR camera strap.  I've seen lots of these in Blogland and fancied having a go at one myself.  I embroidered my name and added this as a little pocket for a spare memory card.  A pretty quick project and I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Personalised Baby Blanket

I've had a busy weekend working on a couple of crafty projects.  The first one, which took took the longest was an embroidered baby blanket that a friend asked me to do for her sister.  The whole thing was a little challenging as there were a few different aspects to it.  First, I had to use my embroidery software to put together all the text.  Then came the machine embroidery and applique.  Finally I hand embroidered the edge with blanket stitch.  I hope little Benjamin likes it!

Happy Birthday Bethany!

My gorgeous little girl had her 4th birthday on Thursday.  I'm still in shock as to where the last 4 years have gone!  I decided to throw her a party - she's never had one before but as she has got lots of friends at playgroup, it seemed like a nice idea (little did I know it would feel like I was planning the royal wedding!)  Anyway, a fairytale theme was the obvious choice, because Bethany loves dressing up but lots of her friends are boys so we didnt want them to be left out.  This gave lots of opportunity for me and my very talented family and friends to contribute some craftiness. 

I made Bethany's princess dress from a women's red velvet dress and some fabric remnants.  I machine embroidered the crest on the front, which I think made it extra special.  She wore  the red tiara I had for my wedding. I also put together a costume for my mother-in-law.

My mum decorated the cakes, made the table decorations and made her own flower fairy costume!  

 

My sister prepared all the food and my friend Sally made a "Pin the star on the castle" game.

 

The adults dressed up too.  I was a queen, my husband was Captain Hook, my brother wore his armour (he is in a medieval re-enactment group) and my sister was an angel.

Along with the traditional party games -  Pass the Parcel, Musical Bumps etc, we had a craft table too where the children could decorate a tiara or a shield.  I put together a scrapbook of how I planned the party and asked my family to write messages in it as a keepsake.  I will add the photos to it when I get them printed. I think everyone had a good time but I won't be planning another party in a hurry!