SCARLET PIMPERNEL

They seek him here.. They seek him there.. Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

Well, the French might not be able to find him, but I know exactly where he is - HE'S IN MY GARDEN!!

I've just spent a backbreaking day waging war on Scarlet Pimpernel, Ground Elder and Alpine Strawberries, all of which have decided to colonise my garden. Of the plants I'm trying to cultivate there is no sign, but weeds! they are all quite at home and flourishing.

Now I have a theory - I think that we ought to cultivate the weeds, working on the assumption that, in my experience, any plant I shower care upon keels over within the week.  I'll keep you posted on how my theory is panning out.......

Meanwhile, if any of you have any helpful tips on how to get rid of these pesky weeds, please please please put me out of my misery and leave a comment.

HATS OFF TO SPRING

  

 

One of my the things I really have enjoyed doing this spring is making these little boater hat boxes for everyone for Easter.(well, I think it's spring although I could be mistaken . It's still more than a little nippy out there, and even my daffs aren't inclined to bloom - sigh!)


 
They are so easy to make - I used a pattern from Sandra Lounsbury-Foose's book and made a cutting file for my craft robo, so they cut out just like that and all I have to do is stick them together, and voila! beautiful little boxes that take two or three Ferrero Rocher or Lindor chocolates.

I've slightly modified the ribbon for the girls one and also added little name tags to the ribbons which make them look a little more special.

WHITE RABBITS, WHITE RABBITS, WHITE RABBITS!

 

look who I found in my kitchen this morning!

How cute are they!

It's been so bitterly cold and miserable this spring that these are the only bunnies I think we are going to be seeing frolicking around for quite some time, and it was lovely that they came to visit me to bring a bit of springtime cheer to Easter ;0)

THE WORLD'S OLDEST MOSHI MONSTER

THAT'S ME!

I've been cleverly maneuvered into becoming a Moshi Monster by the Tiddlers.  I wasn't overly happy about them becoming obsessed with a video game, but when I actually got to have a look at it, it ticks so many educational boxes that I've been converted. 

1.  You have to adopt a little monster and look after it.
2.  You have to shop for it and get the best value for money with its food, clothing and home
3.  You have to earn Rox (currency) by going on missions and completing puzzles
4.  As the little monsters don't speak english but the program is subtitled in speech bubbles, it encourages you to read.
5. During the missions you find little Moshlings (little monsters) which you keep and look after in your zoo.

So as you can see there is plenty of brainwork required for a Tiddler.  It's also well monitored for security and when you write messages to other 'monsters' the content and spelling of the messages is checked and approved before being able to be sent.

So here I am, as I said the world's oldest Moshi, trying to keep up with my Tiddlers who have a bulging zoo and a superb palace and tree house for their little charges.

They are both in love with Iggy, the little monster who runs round trying to eat your pointer when you log in, and of course their own little monsters, so I have eventually found hama bead patterns for him and Furi here on  http://kandipatterns.com/tag/view?tag=moshi%20monsters 
Unfortunately the Poppet one didn't look very much like the character so I made up my own.

I'm hoping this doesn't step on any copyright toes. If there is a problem please let me know and I will remove the picture.  I'm not a very experienced blogger and I'd hate to get into trouble. 


Anyway I'm off now to feed my little monster and keep her happy so I don't get outclassed by my Tiddlers. Because although they are tiny they are red hot when it comes to using a computer!

A BLUE BELT IN BALLET

 
Ballet lessons are just so popular with young ladies of 6 or 7 and for some reason seem to be held in the coldest, draughiest halls that can be found.

My grandaughter is one such young lady, who has recently attained a blue belt and now just can't wait for Tuesday's to come round, regardless of the sub-zero temperatures.  However her pretty, but thin, ballet wrap round cardigan is just not up to chilly halls, so I thought I would run her up a thicker version.

Now this is where it gets tricky, as there are only a few patterns that fit the bill and they all seem to have ties round the back.  Not a good idea when you have only just mastered bows at the front!  So armed with graph paper and a calculator I devised a pattern with a cross over that buttons and that can be adjusted for size - tada!!

All the boxes ticked -  warm, easy to get on and off and make a little larger when our 28aaa bust arrives and pink!  What more could a budding Darcy Bussle want?

 

The pattern I decided upon has a garterstitch button band and I have always found them to have a rather bobbly and unappealing edge, so I googled and found this edge which looks firm and smooth. 

 It really is so easy to do, you just purl the last stitch of the row at the edge of the border and then slip the first stitch through the back of the stitch on the way back and the result as you can see from the picture above is very pleasing.

This pattern is in double knitting wool, using size 4mm needles and fits a 26in chest.  If you would like a copy of the pattern, please e-mail me and I will see what I can do.  At the moment I only have the instructions for this one size, but if there is much interest I will try to adjust it to more sizes and put it on the blog.

But for now I shall be getting ready to whizz off and take my little prima ballerina to practice for her next belt. (do they have black belts in ballet?)

MOTHERS DAY/BIRTHDAY CARD WITH LOTS OF FREEBIES!

Although this card has been featured in my blog before, I have had so many requests for the actual card I thought I would put it on as a freebie for Mothers Day.

It is easy to make and does look very pretty when finished.I added some silver peel offs round the edge and across the diagonal and then popped a little butterfly on a transparent strip to give a floaty butterfly effect.

I also used one of these greetings which are in .png form with a transparent background so they can be popped on the card where ever you want.

 

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......

 

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......


Mum's deserve every bit of love we can give them - so please have a go at making the card, I'm sure she'd be over the moon when she receives it and it will make her day!

FREEBIE BEAUTIFUL BASIC BUTTONS

 Download envelope front with transparent background - click here

Little smartie buttons like the ones I used for the address area on this envelope are sooooo useful. You can use them in all sorts of projects - young or old, male or female - you name it.

Since I made them these little beauties have been a godsend. So I thought I would share and perhaps someone out there would give a sigh of relief that they had found something to fill that little gap, or add a little bling to the corner of a card. I do hope so :0)

download black button - click here

Download blue button - click here

Download gold button - click here

Download green button - click here

Download lilac button - click here

Download pink button - click here

Download red button - click here

Download silver button - click here

Download white button - click here

 Download yellow button - click here





The buttons are on a transparent background so you can resize them if requiredrop them anywhere in a project.

SPRING FEVER! WITH A SUMMER FREEBIE

Everyone around the world has had cause one way or another to moan about the weather they are getting at the moment, not just here in the U.K. where we have the monopoly on complaining about the weather ;0)   BUT .......  I looked out of the window and what I thought was the last remaining drift of snow turned out to be snowdrops.  Whoopeeee - summer is on the way. Things are looking up.
So to mark the occasion, now I'm up and running again I thought I would pop in another, this time summer themed, freebie for you to download.
It is a .png file with a transparent background and if you have Serif's Craft Artist, you can import it into their frame section, which is handy.

I hope this FREEBIE helps brighten your week and makes you smile.

 

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......

BACK AGAIN WITH AN EASTER FREEBIE

I have just realised how very long it has been since I posted something.  Now don't think I've been shirking...  I've actually been very busy trying out new programs, and trying to find the program that does everything I need.  I do find it so frustrating having to constantly copy items from on program to another to get the finish I'm looking for.  But I'm hopeful that I've at last cracked it and my copy/paste function will get a bit of a rest.

My problem is I like to make so many different types of things - I'm a craft magpie.  I see an idea and just have to try it for myself, and whilst doing that it gives me other ideas as to how I can use it and off I go spiralling out of control, happy as larry churning out all sorts of wonderful bits and pieces ;0)   heaven..........
    
Anyway, back to the matter in hand.  Easter is on it's way and I thought I would share these Bunny Boxes I designed a couple of years ago with you.  They are super easy to make and hold a Cadburys Creme Egg (or egg of a similar size) very comfortably.  Even tiddlers can make them with a little help and it produces a nice little gift that doesn't cause sweetie overload.

You don't need much equipment - scissors, glue, something to make a hole (paper punch, sharp pencil or scissor tip with something soft to go the otherside of the card as a buffer to prevent stabbing) some ribbon and of course, sweeties.

see below for file to download

                 Click here - then right click and save image as .......


I hope you have as much fun making these as my Tiddlers and I did!

If you do download it please leave a comment for me and perhaps mention it to others who might be interested.  However, as I have said before, although you are quite at liberty to use it to make as many boxes for whatever purpose you choose,  please don't pass the file off as your own. -  Your conscience will get the better of you and I will come and haunt you!!