Busy Friday

There were loads of brambles on the bushes when I walked the dogs up the lane this morning so I popped back home for a large dish and picked the nice big juicy ones from the branches, 

I added a couple of home grown apples and a few raspberries and made a fruit compote, it's lovely on crumpets or cereal on a morning.

Last night I'd boiled a piece of ham to make some soup with so  all I had to do was add the veg and simmer it for a couple of hours, we had it for tea with some crusty bread....delicious.

Even the birds got a treat, home made fat balls to hang from the bird station.

There was just enough time to make a new  brooch which I shall be wearing tomorrow when I go to Durham

 as there's a lovely vintage stall in the market place where I might just find a treasure or two!!

Are you doing anything nice tomorrow?

Lucey x

Screen Printed Bags

In the Summer the art college was running courses all funded by the lottery, I'd already been on the "knit a rag rug" day and I was lucky enough to get on the "print a tote bag" day aswell.

On the table were piles of  magazines, pens, glitter, stamps and paper so we flicked through the magazines cutting out pieces for inspiration 

I laid a flower shape onto a piece of paper and then glued little beads around the middle and added a couple of stamps, when I was happy with the design we copied it  onto heat transfer paper and then it was time to print the bags.

As I'd finished mine in the  morning  I popped home at lunch time to get a few bits of my own 

I played around for a while putting a few favourite pieces together  until I was happy then  I decided to print both sides of the bag so that I could  make it into a couple of "vintagy"cushions.

Pieces copied ready to cut out before being laid onto fabric then printed one side at a time

and the designs printed onto the bags.

It was one of the best days I've ever spent, lost in a creative world, they turned out ok for a first attempt and it's something I'd love to do again.

When we'd finished we were asked if we would leave our work for an exhibition in "Folio" the shop attached to the college so I did and when I popped in last week there were two pieces of my work in the window!!

"One of the bags and the knitted rag rug"

along with lots of pieces created from from the other classes on offer this Summer.

Lucey x

Embroidered Bag And Purse

Rummaging through my sister's "draper's drawers "I found some lovely embroidered runners
 and tablecloths 

 and after seeing all the lovely bags Jenny makes (the custards blog) I thought make myself a bag from a lovely blue cloth.

I had some yellow rose fabric for the main part and I used a piece of blue embroidery for the front panel and a couple of napkins for the lining,

after cutting them all out I gave them an iron and stitched away for the afternoon,

stopping for a little snack, my new drink, pink lemonade mmmmmmm.

I sewed some pale blue buttons and a ladybird on the front and used one of my wooden toggles as a fastener,

 the inside is just two napkins stitched together and I added a pocket,
 I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

A while ago in Mollie Makes they gave away a little purse making kit so I used the clasp and some of the fabric to make a purse to match the bag,

Are you ready for a laugh???

haha I can hear you all chuckling away,

hmmm didn't turn out too good did it, must try again!!

Lucey xx

My Two Cherubs

My two little cherubs started school last week, 

Dylan's  first day at  senior school,

and Alexa's first day at primary school

from a very proud grandma 

who had a lump in her throat and tears pouring down her face!!

Lucey xx

Golden Syrup

I was browsing through the latest Emma Bridgewater catologue at the weekend when I saw their new "Treacle tin candles" 

 I remembered I had a tin of syrup in the cupboard so I made up a batch of pancakes, drizzled the last of the syrup over them and washed out the tin so I could make my own.

 I ran a sharp knife down the sides of the candle shredding it as it melts quicker than lumps and keeps the wick intact 

and I used the small metal stopper from a nightlight,  with a darning needle open the hole and poke the wick into it and place it in the bottom of the syrup tin this keeps it in place 

then you put a bowl over a pan of boiling water and add the wax a little at a time until it has melted, (please remember if you're having  go the wax will be boiling hot!!)

Then I poured it into a jug and keeping the wick up straight with the help of a peg I poured the wax into the tin, as it sets it sort of sinks in the middle so you'll need to top it up

and there is my "treacle tin candle" and best of all it cost me nothing!!

Well that was it I'd got the bug, next I melted two large red candles and filled a china cup 

you can see I've got the wax all over the handle but when it had set it easily scraped off, I think I've found a new hobby!!  

I'll need a lot of wax to fill up this big fella not to mention the amount of pancakes I'll have to eat!!

I've also made a bag, a brooch and badly attempted a purse but more on those next time.....

Lucey x