Small Change

Nothing to say really, apart from ...

Small change, big difference

Thanks to a small piece of tilda wrapping paper bought at the lovely shop Rubanesque.

Printmaking

I can't believe it's almost been a week since my last post. 
I've finally returned to college after such a long Christmas break.  This term we're doing printmaking and started the week with stencils.  We were told to think of a theme that we could use for all our prints and guess what I chose ....

My girls of course ....

Sorry about these pics ... I took them on my phone so they're not very clear.

We're also doing ceramics which is great fun, albeit pretty messy and wood block/lino printing.  Yes I know - I am doing the best course ever.  I'll take some more pics this week.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend and thank you for all the lovely comments about my grey doors.   

2 Awards :o)

How lovely.  I have received this lovely sunshine award not just once but twice!  First from the lovely Sophie at Chez Sophie and then from Mummy Boo Bear at stitcherypokery.  Thank you so much ladies - I'm really chuffed :o)

So I think I need to spread the sunshine.  The conditions of the award are as follows :-


* Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
 * Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
* Link the nominees within your post.
* Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
* Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

So I would like to give a little sunshine to the following lovely blogs, some I've just discovered and some I follow a lot.  I haven't included 12 in my list as that's a little bit time consuming for me at the mo as I'm up to my eyes with college work.  I try to add you all to my list on the left and keep it updated but there are so many of you :o)

elsy-fillingthespace

henhousehomemade

 moline
prettyshabby
thisisloveforever
emilypickle

Hope your week has started off well and that it's filled with sunshine :o)
Michelle x

Bag makeover

Did you notice the bag on the door in yesterday's post?  Well there's a story behind it ...

I had it in a pile to take to the charity shop. It was a yellow tartan colour and there was a button missing.  I wasn't too keen on it but as I turned it inside out (to empty it) I decided I liked the grey lining so much better.  So voila it's now a lovely new(ish) bag that cost me nothing!  No wonder I don't get to leave much into the charity shops.  I always end up pulling things out thinking I can do this that and the other with them.  At least this time I actually did it though!

The bag was obviously meant to be as it is also the perfect place for my new knitted corsage.  I saw this picture in a magazine and loved the corsages.  I thought 'i want one of those'.

I went online and they were on sale. I thought 'yipee' ... went through the process of ordering the lovley mossy green one only to be told then that it was out of stock. Not one to be defeated I thought 'i'm sure I have some wool similar in colour' and of course, I did. So, I spent a couple of evenings working out patterns from about 3 different books and voila ... here's my version -

The moral of this story .... double check, in fact treble check your charity shop bag before you leave it in.  You never know what you'll end up with.

Just realised this is also a perfect example of my "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose" mantra for 2010 :o)

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.  Got to go now as I have my sale in Gleesons today at 2pm.

Antique Grey

I finally made the decision on the doors and chose antique grey by Dulux.   Thank you so much for all your comments and suggestions.  What do you think of the outcome?

This is what they looked like last week ...

And this is what they look like now ...

Big improvement ... if I say so myself.

 

The problem now is that everything else around them looks so shabby so it looks like the whole kitchen will be getting a make over.

The problem isn't that I don't want to - you know how much I love moving things around and revamping things.  The problem is that I just don't have enough hours in the day.  I already watch tv/eat my dinner/catch up on emails all at once to save some time !  If only I didn't need 8 hours sleep - think what I could do then :o)

Summer Sunshine

I've put my order in for Tilda's summer ideas book, can't wait for it to arrive.

She has a new Spring range of papers and fabrics out too.  Here's a few pics to get your Tilda tastebuds going ...

These magazine files are just adorable ... so much nicer than my battered ikea ones.

  I love these bird houses too, even if they are completley impractical for Irish weather :o) 

 Wouldn't you just love to receive prezzis wrapped like this.  Roughly translated "I'd love to receive prezzis wrapped like these" ... hint hint my birthday is in June :o)

I know my friend Jenny would love these tins as they are very Greengate-like.

Anyways if you like any of the above you are just going to love the whole range over at Panduro.  Don't forget to grab a coffee before you head over ... you might be there a while :o)

All we need now is some summer sunshine ....

Workshop Schedule for 2010

My website is being worked on so I'm having to do my advertising for my upcoming workshops here.

I'm starting them next week so if you're in the area and wanting to start a new hobby or brush up on an old one I'll be running card making, knitting and sewing workshops.    If you do a search for workshops on the blog you'll see a few photos from previous ones.  I run them from my country cottage at the kitchen table.  They are very informal yet informative :o) There are more details on my Facebook page.

The knitting group will also be recommencing next week.  We'll still meet on Tuesday mornings at 9.30am upstairs in Harrisons Coffee Shop.  Just cast on and come along for a knit'n'natter morning.   Hope to see you there.

As always if you have any questions just email me at michelle at michellemadethis dot com

Blue Monday & Winter Blues

I hope your Monday hasn't been a blue monday.  

Just in case, here are a few nice blue things :o)

I seen this on the lovely blog of Laissezfaire.  

It's listed here but not available at the mo. I love the idea that it's for 5 years. I think I might take the idea and list "one good thing that happened today" in my current diary:o) (Apparently writing positive things helps you feel more positive).




Today's good thing would be ...


I got the last copy of Burda magazine in the shop today :o)

Just visiting Julia's adorable blog Little Cotton Rabbits is sure to banish any blues.

Fabulous blue polka dot bags from Cath Kidston

loving this gorgeous blue silk scarf new in at Joules

Stunning blue satin dress from Toast

adore this blue polka dot cardi from Boden.

Finally a lovely pair of shoes from Dotty P's to finish it all off :o)

Ok now I feel blue as in I want to buy all of the above !! 

Oh well, the window shopping has been fun :o)

Signs of Spring

At last the sun came out today!

I opened all the windows ...

I put washing on the line ....

and look what I found on my lilac tree ...

Spring can't be too far away :o)

I finally made a decision on the doors and have chosen antique grey.  

They have one coat and so far are looking really lovely (if I say so myself). 

The room ... is still getting organised.  I promise. 

Isn't everything just wonderful when the sun comes out :o)

 

Knitted Mug Cozy

I'm not really a mug fan.

In fact when I lived in New York it drove my roomate nuts as I only every wanted to have brunch in Cafe Mogador as they seemed to be the only ones in the East Village that actually served coffee in a cup!!

I digress.

However, when I saw this pic

in a magazine I decided "I want one of them" so I decided to make my own and here it is ...

I didn't have any pattern, I just winged it.

I used chunky wool and cast on 13 stitches and knit 1, purl 1 until I 'thought' it was long enough to wrap round the mug (until it measured approx.  5inches).  Then at the next row I cast off 4 stitches at the beginning and continued k1,p1 across (9 stitches)

Then I cast off an additional 4 stitches at the beginning of the next row, leaving 5 stitches and continued k1, p1 until I had a long enough bit to button through the handle.

Honestly it was so much easier than it reads!

Quick Tidy up

Take one very messy cutlery drawer

a piece of leftover wallpaper

and then line said drawer

Replace old cuttlery with shiny new cutlery (bought with vouchers from my Dunnes' loyalty card in the sale).

Now that my drawer/mind is clutter free

it's time for hot cross buns

and a cup of coffee

Surely Spring must be just around the corner now that the hot cross buns are in the shops :o)

Summer Sunshine ... yes I'm dreaming

I'm slowly continuing my quest with getting organised.  I say slowly because I had to go to the doc yesterday and am currently on antibiotics :o(  

In a quest to make myself feel better I've been filling up my lovely new diary and notebook with ideas and trips, including the Country Living Spring Fair. 

I've also been catching up online and came across Greengate's Spring/Summer 2010 catalogue and thought I'd share some pics with you.    I think it's safe to say that most of us have outgrown the 'snow pictures'.

I really can't wait for the summer, let's hope it's a scorcher, surely it will be after such a miserable winter?? :o)

Getting organised

Okay here we go.  It's got to be at least two years that I've been waffling on about my 'spare/sewing/craft' room and how I'm going to tidy and organise it.  Well 2010 is the year it's going to happen. There's going to be less talk and more action!!


I found some lovely pics to inspire me and today I braved the icy roads to make a trip to B&Q (I've just about given up on every getting to Ikea) and got some shelving and other bits and bobs.


First thing tomorrow morning the room is getting a serious makeover.  (I'm hoping that writing this on my blog is going to give me the kick up the bum I need, otherwise I'll feel a right sausage).


Here's some of the pics I found to give me ideas ... 

I've had this saved on my hard drive for a long long time so I'm afraid at this stage I can't even credit the lovely owner (if anyone recognises it please let me know).

Then there's these fab images I found on Better Homes & Gardens website.

Spot the trouser hangers in the picture below - genius!

In the meantime here are some free downloadable labels I've found that you might like for your own organising :o)

These are from Poppytalk available to download for free from here

And these are from Creature Comforts available to download for free from here

 

I'd love to hear about or see some of your craft spaces. Leave me a comment and a link or let me know if you've seen some good ones online.  Likewise if you've found some lovely labels let me know.  I am a stationary junkie !!

Wish me luck! 

The room really is a mess, in fact it's gotten worse since this post.

Country Living Spring Fair

The flights are booked,

the tickets too.

I'm off to the Country Living Spring Fair

Are you??

If you're going let me know and maybe we can arrange a little Bloggers tea party.

I'm going on Saturday 27th March. 

I can't wait.

I've had enough of this snow no matter how picturesque it is.

Brown paper packages tied up with string

Brown paper packages tied up with string ...

(Ok it didn't have any string but it was in a brown package)

... these are a few of my favourite things

I ordered this book the other day from BookDepository (cheaper than amazon and free shipping !!) and it's already arrived!

If you haven't got it you really have to, it's fabulous!  The recipes are divine (although they do use alarmingly large amounts of sugar!!) and the pictures are equally as fabulous.   If you do buy it, or have it and haven't made anything out of it yet, I suggest you check out this link, especially if you're making muffins. 

I made the blueberry muffins which are just deeeeeelicious!!  If you're making them make sure you use large muffin cases.  I used normal ones and ended up with 26 muffins as opposed to the 12 it's supposed to make.  I'm not complaining though :o)

Meanwhile the snow is still falling and it's bitterly cold so I'm heading back to the fire to my knitting.