Loving Random

I hope you don't mind but this post is very much a mish- mash of random things. Starting with the two pairs of shoes that I found lined up on the wall outside my house this morning. They are still there now, goodness knows where they came from. Very odd.

I am looking forwards to settling down with my new magazines this afternoon. Mug of coffee in one hand, munching on chocolate chip hobnobs and ready about all sorts of crafty creative things- fab!!
I discovered a few new blogs recently that I absolutely love!! Tales From A Happy House, written by Gillian is beautifully colourful and simple. She made me laugh the other day as she put some great cloud photos on and said that 'Interesting clouds, like sunsets, must be photographed. It's the blogging law'. Which is very much how I feel and you poor people have to listen to me rambling on about the sky and the sun and the colours of the sunsets. It's good to find someone else who rambles on about that sort of thing as well, so in honour of that- here are some cloud photos!!

I have also come across Lil Fish Studios, written by Lisa (from across the pond in the USA). She makes the most amazing felted and stitched pebbles which I have the biggest wanties for- and her blog is currently inundated with cuteness in the form of three little yellow ducklings!!

I am loving my new Gladioli!!! Such a beautiful, sunny, happy colour. I've never had a bright yellow one before I don't think (looks back through the Gladioli archives.....no I haven't.) and it positively gLoWs when the sun shines on it. Only three stems, but the reflection in the window makes it look like there are a few more there which is lovely.

All Gone

All gone look. All my bits and bobs. I hate living in an empty room- it reminds me of a hotel and I like to surround myself with pretty/interesting/textured/colourful things. I don't go for the minimalist look that's for sure!! Still, this is what my room will look like for the next week. I have to stay in Leicester until I go to London for the New Designers show, saves me from hopping around the country all the time, and the parents just came up and took away the majority of my things- including the hamsters!!

It is very strange living in an empty room, especially when it used to look like this...

The Mother flew to the rescue though, leaving me a box of happy things in my wardrobe for me to find.

Tee-hee, look at those big chocolaty eyes!

It's amazing how much you can fit into these little boxes. The Mother outdid herself, and there was even a carroty present from The Sister! Aren't the felt things cute?

I have hung up my new felt decorations, and named the owl Ralph- he is sort of stern looking isn't he? But I think I see a twinkle in his eyes.

And I have a little duck who can sit on the mantle piece and keep Ralph company.

Lazy Sunday Mornings

It's so nice to be lazy sometimes isn't it? I had such a lovely long lie in this morning- it was definitely needed after the busy week! I popped into the garden earlier to discover that there were lots of ripe, juicy raspberries ready for eating on our raspberry bush (shrub, tree, plant??). We hadn't noticed it was there until a few weeks ago when someone pointed it out to us, I certainly don't remember raspberries being there last year but maybe we had always left for the holidays long before the fruit appeared. I am definitely taking advantage of this unexpected garden offering, so fresh raspberries for breakfast!! Mmmmm.

We don't pay that much attention to our garden really, being in a rented house and all. I think at one time it must have been beautiful as there are some very pretty plants that pop up in the changing seasons that can only have been planted there. The most interesting part for me is waiting for the seasons to change to see what else appears, currently the loudest plant is certainly the above yellow flowered bush!

I have been working very hard (sat in the front of the TV with a hot chocolate...definitely a hard life!) on The Sister's sunset/sunrise blanket. I forgot to take a photo but the other week I ordered lots more wool to use and the parcel that arrived was absolutely delicious!! The Sister is most insistent on the use of orange so I have been hunting for different kinds of orange all over the place and ordered some wool from Wool Warehouse who were fab. Lots of choice and very quick delivery. I like the names of the colours I ordered::

 Spice, Jaffa, Lipstick, Pomegranate, Saffron

The Last Day of April

The last day of April has simply flown by!!! I was a busy little bee at university today and thoroughly earned a coffee in the garden in the sunshine. It has been very muggy hasn't it? I had to go in to town for fabric and photo frames (you will see why in a minute!) this afternoon and it was sweltering!!

The hat had its first proper outside outing as well. I do love this hat, it has a fantastic brim, and, gosh what lovely flowers!

I learnt this afternoon that loveheart sweets do NOT go well with coffee. Don't try it. Eurgh.

We have lots of pink flowers in the garden, although they all seem to be absolutely teeming with greenfly!! More ladybugs are needed around here I think.

Things seem to be coming together for my university work (I hope I'm not jinxing it here), my new business cards arrived yesterday (on a gorgeous textured paper)...

...and I finally finished and framed my original stitched chimney photos! I know you have seen these before but now they are properly finished and ready for display at the final hand in. So pleased with these!!

Pink to Blue

Hallo Chums!!! It has been a busy day today- well, a busy day of pootling around doing jobs and university work. One of my jobs was to sort out the Easter decorations- the Easter tree had to be taken down and the flowers sorted as some of them were going over. There are still beautiful flowers left though, so much colour and vibrancy!!

I love these flowers. I forget what they are called now but they almost seem to sparkle in the sunshine!

The garden is looking very summery (and wild!) too. We have one poppy which is a beautiful colour, and some little patches of bluebells amongst our collection.

We are coming to the end of the Easter holiday now- back to university on Monday!!! I am quite pleased with myself as I have met nearly all of my holiday work targets. My sketchbooks are finished, I have come on leaps and bounds in my promotional pack (business cards, CV, personal profile etc) and I have stitched all but one of the samples I brought home with me. Even the most simple-looking of stitched samples took forEVER!! What do you think of them?

A bit eye-boggling this one isn't it?

I am debating on whether or not I should make some of these into cushions to display at the final hand in. I already have the lampshades to be set up (they are arriving on the 5th May-- super super excited!!), and I am hoping to possibly frame the original stitched pieces, so some cushions would fit in nicely I think.
Last night I was working on my promotional pack using the little present The Mother gave me for Easter. I got a little carried away with the stamps and they all ended up out of the box, stacked up like jenga blocks! It was good fun.

And this morning I was playing around with some sticker designs. I think I will be going with the right hand one, with my name on, lest someone forget who I am!!