the list

It occurred to me just after Christmas that January and February are the perfect months for guilt free crafting. It's too cold to be at the allotment, I have no birthdays to be making / planning for for a few months, it's a quiet time to be selling. 

So I'm making the most of it and I'm speeding ahead with my list...

My crochet hook case - finished. I do love the fabrics, but it is very pink.

I am also managing to follow my first ever crochet pattern and making Little Missy's hat. It's coming together very easily but I've tried it on her and I think it might turn out a little small, she's right in between the child's size and the woman's size, I'm following the child's size and thinking it might stretch, but as I've never followed a pattern before what if it doesn't stretch? I've also never worked with wool before (Rowan pure wool aran) does it stretch / shrink?? Any advice welcome! 

I've also joined the new London Modern Quilt Guild. I know I'm a novice quilter, but they still let me join. I'm so excited about this new project and have so many ideas... 

... hoping to get onto some quilting next week - watch this space! 

a new year, a new list

I like a list, I have many floating around reminding me of what I should be doing, what I forgot to do and what is urgent.

  

So here's the fun one, my creative 'to do' list, things I want to make this year...

a dress (or 2) for me, everyday wearable ones, nothing fancy

4 new cushion covers

a quilt (a first for me, not counting the dolls one)

a curtain for the front door

a crochet hat for Little Missy

a skirt for Missy Big

my crochet hook case

lots of new things for my shop

a skirt for me 

  

Lots of things in there for me, seems a little unlikely they will all get done. Gotta have plans though...

What's on your creative 'to do' list? 

and relax...

We've had a very lovely Christmas and enjoyed some good times with family and friends. 

We've given and received some wonderful handmade gifts, which I can now show you. 

I made all the crafty women in the family a crochet hook case, I managed to post 2 without photographing them, but you can see the one for my Sister-in-Law here. This one I made for my Mum, and I plan to make one for me too soon. 

I got these gorgeous brooches, (by Judith Brown who makes beautiful jewellery from vintage haberdashery) from Mr and the girls

along with some Liberty goodies, mmmmmm, lucky me

I finished the picnic blankets for my girls and I'm so pleased with how they turned out.

  
The idea for these came to me when Missy Big was about 18 months old, it's taken me quite a while, but I think they were worth the wait. They are well played with already which is a good sign.

 

 

 

There are plenty of makey things in the pipeline, can't wait to get started. But right now there are a few days left of the holidays to enjoy. 

Happy New Year!

Thank you for all your comments, visits and smiles over the last year - here's to a fabulous 2012 for us all 

x X x

the fun bits

The making and baking have to be the best bits on the run up to Christmas, there are a few things I can't share - but these are some of the things I've been up to in the last few weeks.

 

Both girls drew an angel shape, I made a felt figure and added some lace wings and they applied the details with glitter glue from a tube. Their teachers loved them.

 

more tree decorations for the teaching assistants, stuffed with choccies...

...along with some homemade fudge

one of our advent stocking challenges was to make some 3D snowflakes, I really enjoyed doing these - it was a little tough for little hands but they loved seeing them open out.

and of course some biscuits

Now we have just two more sleeps, a few things to wrap and a fridge full of yummies to munch on. 

Oh, and a visit to the feed the reindeer tomorrow, this was last years visit it really does bring the magic alive.

Wishing you and your family a wonderfully 

Merry Christmas

see you all on the other side

x X x

creative Christmas

My creative space this week is trying to sneakily make 2 little girls a picnic blanket each for Christmas, it is of course great fun making vintage tea cups and yummy cakes from scraps of fabrics. But progress is a little slow, and you know that clock is ticking...

The magic is certainly in the air, making Christmas wishes as the girls sent their letters up the chimney to Father Christmas, I very nearly shed a tear.

Hoping the magic is with you too, I'm not getting around many blogs lately - I'll pop by your place soon - I promise! x

feeling festive

How many more sleeps? We're getting a little excited now.

A couple of months ago my Mum taught my girls how to do marbling. They were hooked, instantly. We have so many sheets of pretty patterns now, I was wondering what on earth to do with them. 

Turns out the marbled paper makes the loveliest snowflakes, to decorate your windows, make cards for your teachers, and I'm sure they will end up on some gift wrap too.

The advent stockings are hanging up, stuffed with crafty supplies, chocolate coins and clues to hunt for things to colour and make. It's all getting very festive, I think I like the build up just as much as the actual day. 

These were todays challenge, a bag of bits each to make a snowman...

 

Happy days. x

i heart brooches

It's true, I have tonnes of them, sparkley, flowery, vintage, modern, handmade, stitched, wooden. Love them.

I made some for the brooch swap, back here. I made some more, for friends and family, now I've made some more...

This lot actually made it into my shop.

I have so much to tell, but I seem to have fallen out of the blogging habit, hoping I'll find my groove again soon. 

Linking up with more creative spaces, so much Christmas stuff over there, damn I'm behind!

portraits on the tube

This story begins in 1996. On a tube journey home from work I was, as usual engrossed in a good book. As I went to get off at my stop a guy persistently pushed something into my hand, I snarled a little but took it from him. 

Once I was off the tube I looked at what he'd given me. It was a sketch, of me. I did of course want to get back on a talk to him, but the doors closed and he was gone. If I remember correctly he had long dreadlocks and a calm and friendly demeanour.

Many years later Mr and I were going through some stuff and I came across a portrait of him too. His was done in 1988, a few years before we met. Mr remembers the chap and had noticed that he was watching him and thought he was writing something down, the guy handed the picture to him before he got off the tube.

For years I have wondered about this man, does he still do this, does he do it all the time, who is he? Today I asked the question and sent an e-mail to Robert Elms on his BBC London radio show, if you've ever lived or worked in London you might of heard his show, on a Wednesday there is a Notes and Queries slot, you ring in with a question about London, however obscure and someone answers it. 

I thought we would get some answers, a few people rang in who had also had their portrait drawn but not that many and nothing about the guy himself. So I'm asking you! If you have ever visited, worked in or lived in London were you sketched by a black guy, whose name is either H or A Govindeer? 

It would be fantastic to get a collection of photos of his work together, if you have a portrait of yourself send me a picture, tell me your story. Don't worry if you don't blog I will write a post and put it up on here. Ask your friends, maybe they have one lurking in a draw somewhere too. And if you know the man himself, even better!


E-mail me - colette (dot) moscrop (at) ntlworld (dot) com

You can listen again to the show here, (Mr is on just after 1pm) this is available for the next 7 days or see the story on facebook here.

I love these pictures, I have been saying for ages we should get them framed and on the wall. Now seems like the perfect time.

His and Hers

These have been in my head for far too long.

It's nice when they turn out just right isn't it?

Inspired by these, from last year. I have many other versions whirling around, I'll get there. 

They are in my shop, if you're already thinking of Christmas.

What's in your creative space?

Little Missy is getting big

I've been a little preoccupied lately. Someone small turned four at the weekend and I very easily slipped into present making and party planning and stayed away from the world of blogging for what seems like forever. Hello again, it's nice to be back!

I had a go at a rainbow cake, I've seen them all over blogland and thought I'd have a go, a layer for each year. I used gel food colourings as many people suggested for a more intense colour, I was pleasantly surprised when I cut into it, as it had seemed a little dull when each layer came out of the oven. 

A happy party playing pass the parcel, pin the hat on scooby-dooby-dooby-dooby-do, musical spots, you get the idea, simple pleasures.
 

 

Little Missy, we love your adventurous spirit, have-a-go attitude, drama queen antics, endless twirling and hilarious face pulling.   

Happy Birthday baby girl x