I have been busy this last week making 'secret things' to help Santa out...............so I cant show any of it

 

But here are some things I did make, which didnt last long!

 

Apple cake

 

 

Victoria sandwich

 

 

Chocolate cake

 

 

..and a few buns

 

Guess which went first!?!

 

The chocolate cake of course

 

(mind you, I should really say the buns as they never made it past the cooling down period!)

 

 

We also went to a jam night on Thursday.

No, not a jam making night!

A music making night.

One has to

'cause Im married to a drummer!

 

Setting up

 

Wheres me words???

 

Happy hubby

 

Lets get started

 

All together now

 

Lots of good music

and some dancing!

 

Linda, our lovely landlady.

 

 

And we are going to do it all again this Thursday

different venue

never know who will turn up

but fun all the same

 

 

Then on Friday my mate Mandy came to visit with her hubby,

we had a curry cooked by my hubby,

but they had to leave far too soon due to bad weather and a long drive home.

 

Off to do more click clacking with wool

keep warm

xx

 

 

No pics today, but I have sad news to share.

We helped some friends move their essentials back to the UK a few weeks ago. They had to go due to a sudden illness which meant the driver could no longer drive and its impossible to get by without a car out here - there are NO BUSSES and we live miles from shops etc. More friends moved into the house to prepare it for sale. Thursday night it burnt down. Both sets of friends have lost everything important to them in the fire. The fire hydrenant had no water so the firemen couldnt put it out. They had to watch it burn. One of the cats went with the house, one is hurt, the other ok.

Pam has been to visit this afternoon and we have started to make patchwork quilts. Two reasons - one, she needs bedding and two - she needs to do something that takes her mind off the fire. They have moved back to their own house (which is a building site, we are all used to living in one of them) but keep realising what they have lost, silly things like slippers, kettle, bedding, hairbrush, tapemeasure, teabags, all their Christmas food from the full freezer, a handmade Christmas cake they had just been given....it goes on and on. I was going to give them an iron as Pam said she had lost hers in the fire, then we both burst out laughing when we realised they had no clothes to iron anyway!

The owners of the house are being brought back on Monday, Pam isnt sure how she'll face her, but it wasnt Pams fault, it just happened.

Then I got a phone call from my daughter to say my mother has been taken into hospital. Im awaiting further news. Its hard sometimes being in another country from the rest of the family...

I hope tomorrow brings some cheerful news, maybe if the weather is fine Ill go for a walk with my camera and dog

Speak again soon
xx

Last Sunday we went out for the day and I tried to get some interesting shots, an experiment with my camera and to see if anybody objected. Some of the characters I knew, others not........

The 'Cake Lady'

Doing brisk trade. Yummy cakes and English sweets, so hard to find out here.

A friend who gets so cross if you dont try speak to him in French.

 

It was cold but sunny during the day.

Prepared for all weathers!

 

 

Some interesting shapes

and patterns

and displays

Meanwhile inside, in the warm, unpacking goes on....

 

but it all had to be crammed into such a small place

A lovely lady who made lace all day.

Came on her own, unpacked her own stuff and cleared away at the end of the day.

Such energy put me to shame.

For us the day began at 4am and we got home about 8pm.

Other things Ive been up to........

I had a childs pair of jeans (age 3), left by the grandchildren last summer.

I had an urge to cut and reshape, knowing they wouldnt fit anymore and here is the result.

These two bags were made from the legs, the handles are the turnup from the bottom of the leg, cut off and halved

 

The back view.

I have placed them next to a pot of homemade jam so you can get an idea of their size.

 

 

The top of the jeans I made into another bag, but having used everybit of the material I now need to find something to make the handles from......look out hubby I might pinch yours....

 

 

 

The back view

 

 

All three together.

One small pair of jeans = 3 bags!

 

And just to finish the day

Homemade cake filled with homemade jam

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed sharing a bit of my life,

if you were here you could have a bit of cake too.

 

xx

Ive been posting lots of new christmas cards on my facebook page. Its called Upcycled cards and crafts if you wants to see them all, take a look at some of my other stuff too - but dont forget to like and add me to your lists.

Here are a couple of the cards

And some bags I made after a lot of help from Mandy, who walked me through how to do them one afternoon and I set to the day after at home. I was sooooooooooooo pleased!

Once I got the hang of it, I had to make it my own and alter the pattern.......just a little bit! So I made it longer then it could become a knitting bag.

They are fully lined and one of them I even managed to give inside pockets.

Then I made a 'softie' to live in one of the bags, but Ill save that for another time as I didnt take a photo of it today.

Just a little about me for now - Im craft mad and do allsorts of things, and when I figure out how to, Ill put some pics up. Until then you can get an idea of what I do by going to my page on facebook called Upcycled cards and crafts. Again Im not too good at the tecno stuff and havent got it out to many people so if you do visit dont forget to 'like'.

Last night I saw a youtube vid on jelly roll racing, so of course I had to have a go. But as I didnt have any jelly rolls I had to first cut some strips of fabric. It was great fun and I got a patchwork top done in no time. But my foot pedal has been playing up and now wont work at all. The whole thing will have to wait to be completed.

I promise to put up some pictures of my work as soon as I have figured it out.

Speak again soon.....

Newbie

Hello. This is my blog. Ive been saying I would get round to one for ages, so here goes! I hope you will bare with me as I learn my way around the how tos and what not tos. The next thing is to decide what to say and how to set it out. I feel as if Im walking around in a fog at the moment so be gentile with me, and if you find this blog call back to see if Ive got the hang of it.......