THE WORLD'S CUTEST, STASH BUSTING BEANIE HAT!

Well, winter has arrived with a bang and we're all huddling down around cosy fires and hoping not to have to brave the icy blasts outside.

Bearing this in mind, my trusty friend of long standing, Aunty Sue got out her knitting needles and designed this fabulously cute beanie to keep us all snug and warm *bless*

It's fun to knit and fulfills one of our most pressing requirements - it's a stash buster!
Both Sue and I are avid knitters and both have an embarrassment of wool. There's no other way to describe it.  No ball of wool can get past us and we are very reluctant to part with even the meanest bit of leftover yarn in case it should come in handy at a later date.

Well that day has arrived!

The hat is super easy to knit, comes in 4 sizes from newborn (Occy size as illustrated - Beth snaffled that one right away) to adult and takes approximately 50gms of double knitting or worsted weight yarn for the main body of the hat and oddments for the ridges and 'worms'.  It's knitted on size 3.25 and 4mm needles, using a pair of double ended size 4mm needles for the i-cord tassel.

We are selling the pattern as an instant download in my Etsy shop for £2-50, so if you want to have a go and reduce your 'embarrassment' click on the link below.

Enjoy!

Please be kind and 'like' me on Pinterest or Google+ or Stumble Upon me, particularly if you have downloaded a freebie. The links are over there hovering on the left so no excuses.
It would be much appreciated :0)

LIFE AND TIMES OF A KNITAHOLIC

With the weather getting nippy, knitting is becoming more and more appealing - not that I need any encouragement.  I've been avidly knitting both with my two daughters and my best friend Aunty Sue for the past forty years, and my long suffering hubby has calmly put up with all sorts of knitting related panics.

If it weren't for him my much loved, over used, but slightly cranky knitting machine (which we all use for boring bits of our jumpers i.e rib) would have been on the lawn many a time - patience isn't my strong suit. He fixes it, maintains it, and talks to it nicely so it will work for us.

He also puts up with my huge 'embarrassment' of wool, which has a tendency to pop out, fall from or explode from any place in our house that I have managed to store it.

I once decided to put my latest overflow into a vacuum storage bag and conceal it under the bed.  Now for those of you who have never used these bags - beware! they have a tendency to leak, and when mine did Hubby was heard to wonder why our bed seemed to be a little wobbly.
When I looked, my wool had exploded out of the bag and was inflating and ever so gently lifting the bed on one side.

Who would have thought wool could be so strong and getting the wool back out from under the bed was another story all together - it fights back!

So now I try to stay away from temptation - is there a knitters anonymous?  There ought to be for us poor souls who can't help ourselves, when we get within sniffing distance of  a ball of yarn!

I once went to a shop where they were having the most amazing, and oh so tempting wool sale, and when the assistant asked if she could help, I told her, no, because if I bought any more wool, my husband would divorce me.  She must have suffered from the same addiction as me as her instant and very understanding reply was "Oh, you will miss him!"

Hopefully, it will never come to that as,being such a very tall super hero, my sweaters are the only ones that fit him.  Cunning eh!

DRESSING UP THOSE WINE BOTTLE GIFTS WITH AN EDITABLE FREEBIE

Where has the time gone!!

I've just realised how long it's been since I added anything to my blog *wince* The summer has just shot past and now party season is heading our way again at speed.
So in view of this I thought I would post a freebie of a wine bottle collar I made a while ago to hold a couple of Greene and Black chocolates - which I am reliably informed by my friend Audrey Frelx at  Cute and Some, who very kindly did some sleuthing for me, are available in the U.S.

The collars are really easy to print and put together and as the text is editable you can add your own greeting to add a little pazzazz to your gift.

If you would like to try them out for yourself,  first down load the file below.  It's a pdf file which can be opened using an Adobe reader found on most machines, but if you haven't go it, it's a free download from the internet.

 

BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD THIS FREEBIE, PLEASE BE KIND ENOUGH TO 'LIKE' ME ON FACEBOOK, PINTEREST OR G+ OR STUMBLE OVER ME, USING THE BUTTONS ON THE LEFT

THANK YOU - HUG!

Open the file and highlight the areas where it says 'your text here' and replace the text with your own greeting.  Then cut round the outline of the collar, remove the two circles either using scissors or a hole punch and score along the dotted lines.

Fold along score lines, using a bone folder to make the creases sharp.
Add glue to the areas indicated and fold bottom portion up to make a box as shown below.

Easy peasy so far eh?? :0)

Then adding glue or tape to the upper portion, fold it forward, matching up the two holes and stick together, ensuring the front flap goes inside the upper area of the box

And there you are. Bob's your uncle - posh candy holder.

They do make an attractive addition to the wine bottle and who can resist lovely dark chocolate - yum!

Please leave me a comment - especially if you download the freebie - so I can I decide what to post next. :0)

NOW, ALL WRAPPED UP FOR FATHER'S DAY!

Father's Day is fast approaching and as usual I have left things to the last minute. 

As my Dad, like so many other men, has everything he needs and is one of the world's worst to buy a prezzy for, I've decided to give him a couple of days of my hard labour in his garden, waging the ever present war on weeds.

To go with this I thought a nice sustaining bottle of wine for when the weeding is over, would be a good idea, so a bottle cover was required with a more masculine feel to it.

This cover, I thought, would be ideal for all those occasions when a gift of wine would go down well.  The gift for the host at a dinner party, a Birthday present and of course, Father's Day.
Once again it is in my Etsy shop as an instant download for £2-00.

I hope you will be able to make use of this file for the men in your life.
Think of me weeding won't you.  Hopefully next year I'll come up with a better plan ;0)

Please leave me a comment - especially if you download a freebie - so I can I decide what to post next. :0)

ALL WRAPPED UP WITH A LOVELY BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE

I have been super busy just lately as my two Tiddlers - not so tiddly any more - have both been getting ready for their birthday parties, one a Luau and the other Star Wars. There are so may great ideas out there and my Pinterest boards are beginning to groan.  Still, we have made progress and the Luau is happening as I type, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all the hard work will have paid off and it's an overwhelming success.

All these preparations sort of put a halt to the projects I had planned and when I received an e-mail asking if one of my wine bottle covers came in a champagne size, I thought I had better get back on track and finish the jobs in hand.

So here it is - the champagne bottle size cover.  Once again with editable text so you can customise it with your own wording.  It's an instant download from my Etsy shop and is so quick to put together - half the time of going to the shops and definitely less tiring.
 
It's available for £2 sterling by clicking on the button below.

So, now I'm out of party bag mode and back in the real world, I'd better crack on and get the rest of the half finished projects sorted out and ready to upload.

ONWARDS ...........!

Please leave me a comment - especially if you download a freebie - so I can I decide what to post next. :0)

EDITABLE, PRINTABLE PINK DIAMOND PETAL TOPPED BOX

As Mother's Day is looming, I wanted to make a special little gift for my Mum.  This box is really girly and has started my new 'Pink Diamond' range, which will in time also incorporate a bottle box, a triangular favor box, a tissue cover for tiny tissues, and a bottle collar.

I thought all of these would be useful for Weddings as well as gifts when needed.

The template for this is available from my Etsy shop  - Sheila's Crafty Corner - as an instant download and will cost £2.

The boxes dimensions are 3,5 x 3.5 x 5 inches  and I have found 16 Lind'or sweeties fit in very well (If they don't get snaffled first)

Once again all the text is editable by highlighting the 'Your text here' and replacing it with your own wording, so you can customise it to your own requirements.  They are very easy to put together with instructions included and take two pieces of A4 card, and fold flat for storage

So what are you waiting for - click on the link above, do a quick download and get those sweeties all wrapped up for that special occasion. :0)

AND NOW . . . THE 'SUNNY BUNNY' BOX FREEBIE

As I mentioned I didn't think the Hot Cross 'Bun'ny would be everyone's cup of tea, so here is the 'Sunny Bunny' box, all ready for you to print off, quickly assemble and fill with Easter goodies.  They are big enough to take a creme egg or some other small packets of sweeties.  Very nice as a little treat and the Tiddlers don't suffer from sugar overload. :0)

They would also be nice as a table decoration at Easter with a couple of Ferrero Rocher or Lind'or chocolates inside for the more mature guests, after all, who doesn't like bunnies (or sweeties)

You can get two of these boxes onto a piece of A4 card by printing one way and then turning the card and printing the other way.
I have made two separate files for the two colours, so you can have the combination that suits you.

The free download links are below.
 

Blue Sunny Bunny Box

Pink Sunny Bunny Box

I hope you enjoy making the boxes and please leave me a comment if you download the file telling me how you're going to use it - Just being nosy ;0)

EDITABLE TEXT WINE BOTTLE BOX FROM MY 'SPRING' COLLECTION

So now I'm on the 'Spring' collection of boxes.

I thought this bottle box/wrapper would be ideal for Easter and Spring wedding gifts and is so user friendly as the text can be easily changed on the bottle and on the tag to anything you want to say.
Again it is easy to make and full instructions are included.

The file is available from my Etsy shop for £2 by clicking the button below
 

Ooooooh!  I do love spring - summer's on it's way folks!

I'M BRANCHING OUT - I'M NOW ON ETSY!

Woohoo!  I've now got my own little shop - how cool is that!

You can nip to the shop by clicking on the button (like the one below)  - just over there at the top of the sidebar.  Please take a look.

Not only that - I'm now also on Bloglovin', Stumble Upon and Pinterest, so I'm ever so easy to find :0)

It's so nice to have followers and know that someone else appreciates the time you've put into designing and making things, so please add me to your 'follow' lists and keep in touch - I love to hear from you.

POT AND PAN PROTECTION!

Today's been all about trying to protect my precious pots, pans and plates from the battering they take when being heaved in and out of cupboards and off  shelves.  We have in the past always put kitchen towel between them, and although it is fairly successful, it uses a fair amount of paper and doesn't look very pretty.

So off I went online to buy some pot protectors. Not very helpful because, as well as being quite expensive for the amount I would need, they didn't come in the right sizes for my bits and pieces.

Next stop - the local material shop, where I picked up a meter of 54" wide felt.  Back home, out with the felt tip pen and scissors and down to work!

I made a template - download below - for the lid protectors and drew round the plates for the shape.  I would recommend on hindsight, that you make the plate one's about an inch bigger as they sink into the plate and leave the edges exposed.

Now finished, my plates, pots and pans are all nicely - and safely - stored away in their cupboards and hopefully protected from future dings and dents :0)  Success!

FREE PRINTABLE HOT CROSS 'BUN'NY EASTER EGG BOX

Whoopee!  The sun is shining and it seems we'll be having a warm and sunny weekend.  Perhaps the Ark will be able to find dry land and we will be able to disembark.  :0)  Poor old Britain, we really seem to have had a hammering this year as far as the weather is concerned.
 

So.... as it looks as though Spring might be heading our way, and Easter is fast approaching, I thought I would share this fun Easter box - ideal for creme eggs and other goodies.

Now before we go any further I think I ought to explain why I have a box with a scowling bunny.

Are we the only country to have hot cross buns at Easter?  (They are a fruit bun with a cross marked on the top which we toast and are traditionally eaten on Good Friday to commemorate the crucifixion)  When they come into the shops you know that Easter is on the way bringing with it Summer and some warm weather - can't wait!

I digress - As to how I came up with this stunning Easter bunny box idea -
  

The other day we were reading a story about a bunny who got stuck in a hole in a tree trunk, and he was a ......  hot cross bunny .... and my little butterfly brain suddenly had a lightbulb moment and I thought - how about a Hot Cross 'Bun'ny Box for the Tiddlers Easter eggs.  It's cute and you don't get too much sugar overload, always a problem on Easter Sunday.  Tiddlers tearing round like mad things on a sugar high is never a good thing when you have a house full of people!

So off I went to the trusty computer and came up with this.

The file is downloadable, printable and very easy to put together.  You get two on a sheet of A4 card (preferably photo paper) and the only other thing you need is some glue.

If you want to have a go the link to the file is below, then right click and 'save as'
If you download it please leave a comment or send me a photo of your creation. I'd love to hear from you.

I must admit my little Hot Cross Bunny might not be everyone's cup of tea, so I'll be adding a happier, sunnier bunny box in the near future.  Stay tuned!

BRING ON SOME BLING FOR VALENTINE'S DAY WITH THESE "ROMANCE" BOXES

This set of three boxes is available now for immediate download in pdf format for you to customise with your own text, print off and assemble at the discounted price of £5 by clicking the 'add to cart' button below

Instructions are included and they are all super easy to make.  You can make as many as you like all with different text, and they are ideal not only for Valentine's day but any other 'romantic' occasion.

If you wish to buy the files individually, they are available for £2 each in the posts below

AND NOW - THE LAST IN THE SET OF EDITABLE, PRINTABLE BOXES WITH A ROMANTIC THEME!

The last box I have made in this 'romance' theme is a small triangle shaped box which is just right if you want to give a little token gift or a favor.

I made these in a Christmas theme and grouped them in sixes in the middle of the table for little after meal treats on Christmas Day.

They looked really cute and the couple of scrummy chocolates inside went down very well.

These boxes too are easy to put together and you can get two onto a sheet of A4 card or thicker photo paper.  Full instructions are included in the pdf file and all the text can be changed to reflect your own sentiments.

You can instantly download the .pdf file by clicking the button below, once more for just £2.

I hope you have fun making this and the other boxes in the 'Romance' range

ANOTHER EDITABLE, PRINTABLE 'ROMANTIC' BOX - I'M ON A ROLL!

The next one I've come up with is a lovely square petal topped box in a romantic theme.

 I made boxes like these for Christmas as you will have probably seen in my previous post, and they went down really well.

Some of the sweets that my family and friends like unfortunately, although tasting spectacular, come in the most dreary and uninteresting boxes.  Not really what you want to give as a special gift so I came up with this idea to bling everything up a little.

I pop the sweets in a cellophane bag and tie with ribbon and, in the petal box, it looks really special. The box is 3.75" (9.5cm) wide  x 5.25" (13cm) tall,  has editable labels on all four sides and a gift tag on which you can make the text your own.

They are easy to make and take two sheets of A4 card, the thickest you can get through your printer. The only other thing you need is some glue - either wet or strong double sided sticky tape and a few minutes of spare time. Full instructions are included in the file.

The PDF file is available for you to download for just two of our good old British Pounds -£2 by clicking the button below.

  another chance to make those gifts just a little more special!

ADD YOUR OWN PERSONAL TEXT TO THIS PRINTABLE 'ROMANTIC' WINE BOTTLE COVER :0)

Woohoo! I've done it!

Now I've got the hang of making PDF files editable so the text can be changed to fit occasion, I've been turning my box templates into printable downloadable files.

The first box I tackled was the wine bottle cover which is perfect for when you need to dress up a bottle of wine for a special occasion, and being able to edit the text makes it an even more personal gift.

They fit standard size wine bottles, are super easy and quick to make (Full instructions are included in the file) and take two sheets of A4 card or thick photo paper . They have two panels and a gift tag for you to add your own text, which makes them even better if you want a really personalised gift.


The PDF file costing just £2 is available as an instant download by clicking the button below.

 

So go on - give them a try, and brighten up someone's day!