A bit of this and a bit of that...

It's been that sort of time where lots of little things have been done so I thought I'd gather them all up and put them all into one post.

Miss Bucket had lots of clothes that she had grown out of and when I was sorting them out for a 'bags for school' day I found some really lovely jumpers hidden in Miss Bucket's drawers. They were so nice I didn't want to give them away.

The picture doesn't do them justice, they are incredibly soft and look sparkly. I sat and had a thought about what I could make them into...wrist warmers,cushion covers - it's an ongoing project.

Bucket jnr was sent home during school for being sick (not really sick-sick, he had some sandwich stuck in his mouth) and we had a talk about what he'd like to do so he didn't get bored.  Crafts was the answer - with glitter - great (already visualising the mess). The thing is as I was talking to Bucket jnr about being careful with glitter I dropped about a teaspoon of the stuff all over the carpet and it goes a LONG way. It's not the kids I have to keep an eye on - it's me!

My neighbour was kind enough to look after Bucket jnr whilst I saw Miss Bucket at her class assembly and when I got back they'd decorated some spirals (one for the neighbour to take with her). We then made some angel cards that we stuck up in the kids rooms.

 We also had a power cut recently which lasted about an hour - I loved it.. All the neighbours rallied round, checking on each other and making sure that everyone had candles which was nice, you don't realise how dark it is without the street lamps. Brought back memories of power cuts when I was a lot younger, also made me glad that we chose a gas cooker.

I finally started on the snowmen. I know, I know, I was meant to do them ages ago but something always got in the way (thanks kids!) and I really have to concentrate when crocheting and count the stitches otherwise I completely forget what I'm doing and whereabouts I am in the pattern - my brain is a complete sieve.

I also sent for a pattern from Annaboo's House - it's an elf. I always keep meaning to get one of those 'elf on the shelf' but I either don't have the money available or I can't justify spending that amount of money on it. So this is better!!!

What else.....sorting stuff for the school bazaar (amazingly managed to get rid of some stuff but must make sure that it doesn't somehow get bought and brought back); watched some 'made for tv' Christmas films (absolutely love 'em); made cheap and easy meals to get us through this last week of the month (I love mince - sooooo versatile); wrapped up some Christmas presents early - WOW!! I'm usually panicking and swearing a lot on Christmas Eve, asking myself WHY did I not do this earlier; helping a friend Christmas shop; sorting out cars, cards and the like; watching a sweet nativity play...

Think that's about it but that should be enough for the moment. Sam xx

Rainy Sunday...

Yesterday was a bit of a washout, literally. It was pouring down.

Our outhouse has a few leak spots so out came the plastic pots to catch the drops.

Other than that it was a good day.

We played some of this..

and this..

had a little bit of this..

watched this..

scoffed this..

had a few of these..

I also made this..

I know, it doesn't look too impressive (and it was ironed at some point) but I did actually make a couple of them and one got used straightaway - they're handkerchiefs for Bucket jnr. He's now put in a request for a few more so I've got my fabric stash at the ready.

Overall a lovely Sunday. Sam xx

Happy Valentines...

I was woken up this morning (steady there) with a gorgeous card and chocolates from Mr Bucket - Thorntons chocolates, of course (although wouldn't have minded the Belgian seashells).

They're not going to do the diet much good but nevermind, we all have to make sacrifices. Although, I've already sacrificed some chocs already this morning to two chocolate-loving monsters.

I promise, it wasn't all me. Honest!!!

On a crafty note, if anyone gets Molly Makes magazine you would have seen the cover showing the mug cozies on the front. They seem to be a favourite make at the moment and as I was in a crochet mood at the weekend, I thought I'd give one a go. TAA-DAA!!

I also finished the lovely, chunky purple scarf for Miss Bucket as well. TAA-DAA (again)!! It came out really soft and warm and I didn't want to part with it when it was finished.

The mug cozy was really easy to do and I must admit that I had fun and it looked really cute when it was on the cup. There is just one teeny, tiny problem with it - I'm a DRIBBLER. There, I said it.

No matter how carefully I drink a cup of tea/coffee/anything really, I always have a little dribble of drink slide down the side of the cup and usually landing on me. In fact I think my next project should be a bib.

Maybe that's what the mug cozies are really for, not to make the cups look sweet and cute and cuddly - they are to catch the dribbles from plopping onto your nice, clean clothes.

I'd better make a whole lot more of them then or that mug cozy is going to be washed loads and loads of times. Sam xx

Busy, busy morning...

I've been a bit of a speed demon today. Lately I've felt a bit slugglish and haven't done too much but now I'm TOTALLY fed up with the mess (we're a bunch of collectors and clutterers).

So I wrote a list and I've only got 2 more things to do (there were more than 2 to start with, just in case you were wondering).

I've been whizzing round tidying, cleaning, even adding a couple of extra things to the list - one of them was tidying up Miss Bucket's bedroom (only tidying, we have a big day of chucking coming up soon I think). After all my nagging to tidy her room, she finally asked if I could help.

Although in the middle of this I had to do something else...

Has anyone heard of Hama beads? If you haven't, they are little beads (come in several sizes but ours are quite small) that you put on a board template which could be in the shape of a flower, dragon, frog. This is then ironed and it all sticks together.

Well, in the course of tidying I knudged the board with the beads on and I hadn't yet ironed them.......yes, a load of them went flying and I had to spend a long little time putting them back.

Miss Bucket's beads are small and my hands are big - not a good combination and I had to resort to the tweezers to try and pick them up, one by one. I very carefully took them downstairs and ironed them, although I think my iron was a bit hot and some look a little crazy.

I'm hoping she'll accept my idea that it makes him look a little more scaly.

A cup of tea is now called for before my next job, which I'll be doing this afternoon - PIZZA, homemade of course. Sam xx

Knitting - scarf

I LOVE KNITTING!!!

I thought that 2012 would be my year of the Crochet but suddenly, I love knitting.

I hadn't knitted for a VERY long time but last year I had an urge to knit and bought some needles (which were probably a bit too small) and some nice purple wool (Miss Bucket's favourite colour) and started a scarf, just using plain knit stitch.

It seemed to take forever just to do a small bit but to be fair, I think I cast on too many stitches and the wool was just a normal, thin wool. So I stopped and left it for a little while.

Fast forward to now and I've got the urge again.

I started knitting the purple scarf again but after looking through some other posts went and bought some nice chunky wool and bigger needles to cope with it. I also found some videos on You Tube invaluable in this, especially CyberSeams, with loads of brilliantly clear instructions.

And guess what!!??! After only two day I've finished it!! A lovely, warm chunky green scarf.

It's come out a bit like a tube scarf which wasn't the look I was going for. But I only found out AFTER I'd made it that if you stitch one row knit and one row purl (stockinette stitch), the knit row pulls slightly smaller which makes it curl.

Oh well, you live and learn and Bucket jnr loves it which is the main thing.

Source: The Purl Bee

I'm going to buy some more wool after this and do another one for Miss Bucket. I've been looking on
The Purl Bee's site and they have some really nice ones to knit.

I'm on a roll baby - YEAH!

Although I must admit I do freak out a lot bit when I drop a stitch - haven't quite figured that out yet but my knit and purl stitches are looking great.

With the snow supposedly getting here soon, I'm gonna stock up on my wool and get knitting.

Sam xx





Nearly there....

We are nearly healthy again - thank goodness! But I think I have succumbed to cabin fever. I quickly popped to the shops, well I said quickly......I was gone over an hour. Totally made the most of being kid free.

This year, like other years, we'll be going to the in-laws for Christmas dinner. When I first got married I wanted to cook Christmas dinner, so we had turkey on Christmas day which my mother-in-law cooked and then I cooked another turkey for our little group on Boxing day. It was a bit tiring.

Source: Google Images

I gave up a couple of years ago and now just cook a big meal on New Years day. This year it's beef.

But as I was going round a well known supermarket (no advertising here, hehehe) I caught a glimpse of some turkeys and thought 'they've quite a good family size - not too big or small'. Then I happened to notice the price, around £25, and I looked at how many people the turkeys were meant to feed - about 11 people.

WHAT????!!!!

I'm not kidding, these turkeys weren't overly big - they were about normal size. So either they are shrinking or we eat way too much. Now I like turkey (and we do have good appetites) but I could not justify the price this time.

So definitely NO turkey for us this year. Nevermind, I'm sure we'll still be well fed.

Onto another topic (or the same one if you've been reading this blog), I've finally finished the teachers gifts. YAY!!!! Mexican Wave. I've just got to wrap them up ready for the school parties tomorrow.

One thing down, a few more to go. Sam xx

Still unwell...

I'm still at home with Bucket jnr but the doctor confirmed that it isn't a chest infection, just another cough/cold straight after the first one.

And my children are sooooo kind and generous - he has lovingly shared his germs with myself and Mr Bucket.

We love him soooo much (we do really, but definitely heavy on the sarcasm here).

I've now stocked up on the vitamins and flu tablets just so I can keep going. I'm a mum - WE DO NOT GET SICK  (we just don't have the time).

So I haven't yet made the mince pies or the little cute snowmen BUT did manage to pick up some white wool to make them (the snowmen not the mince pies).

I noticed I had loads of other colours just not white. I did think of using cream but I'm sure that I would have had loads of jokes about 'yellow snow'.

I've managed to complete one project which had been hanging around and it doesn't look too bad. I've been seeing lots of pictures on the web of personal printed words (and I would have posted a picture on here but the minute I want to find one, I can't - typical).

They are really nice but I couldn't justify the cost (approx £40), so I decided to do one myself and here it is:

Not quite the same and a lot more simple than one I could have bought but I love it and now I've just go to find somewhere to hang it. Sam xx

Sick day...

I have a sick little Bucket jnr at home today.

He tends to get coughs every year which are aggravated by the cold weather. He's already had one and I thought we'd beaten this year's one but yesterday it came back and sounded much worse.

Picture the scene.... walking round Ikea with a little'un who every now and then explodes into a coughing fit; goes red in the face and splutters everywhere.

It didn't seem as busy as normal in the shop, well not round us anyway. I think the other shoppers took one look and scarpered and I don't blame them.

Usually with his coughs he is generally well but not this time, he's feeling a bit under the weather. So I decided to keep him at home today and he is, at this moment, lying under a blanket watching Tom and Jerry.

On a cheerier note, I just now received my giveaway items from Anne.

Thank you Anne, they are lovely.

The heart is really soft (must find out your supplier of felt), I love the little heart hanging decoration and the snowman is gorgeous. I'm off to find a good place for them. Sam xx

Something new to make...

I've found something that I want to make this weekend.

I know, I know, I've still got to finish the teachers gifts and get on with making MORE mince pies and eventually finishing my crochet blanket squares. But these are sooooo cute......and I want one!

Jill at Dapper Toad has posted the tutorial and I think that even I can make one, so I'm gonna give it a go.

I'll keep you posted. Sam xx

School fete...

Yesterday I went to a brilliant school Christmas Fete. Our local Infant and Junior school are on the same site but split in two so the school held the fete in both the school halls - infant hall for infant children and junior hall having older children's items.

Usually I spend way too much on tat that someone else has thrown given away to add to the ever-growing number of toys that my children will never play with more than once.

But this time they had some really good stalls at the fete, some of the parents were showing off some of their skills - card making, jewellery, sewing, honey. And yes, I did contribute some cakes to the cake stall. I didn't see them so I'm hoping that they were eaten very quickly because they did look really good (even if I do say so myself and Miss Bucket told me they were really tasty).

The plain ones are for Bucket jnr who doesn't like icing - finicky little so and so

The kids bought some great items, lovely books and there were even some magnets that featured Moshi Monsters (Miss Bucket's new obsession). I even bought something for me, a lovely tape measure made from felt which I'm going to treasure.

Only had one sticky moment when Bucket jnr saw a little dinosaur jumping toy. We were just sorting out the money when another lady reached across and picked it up - I wasn't having that....
"Excuse me.....".

Apparently she had gone away and came back to get it but, in my eyes, she'd had her chance and it was now ours and I wasn't going to let her take it away from Bucket jnr who had his heart set on it.

It wasn't handbags at dawn, more like I've got a shopping bag and I'm not afraid to use it.

We got it.

Everything went smoothly and then Mr Bucket was persuaded to buy me some mulled wine (well, it is nearly Christmas you know) - it was VERY strong but tasted lovely and it went down really well. I paid for it though, I don't generally drink too much and even that small glass gave me a fuzzy head.

I'm trying to think if I became louder after drinking it and did I become one of those annoyingly loud parents that you can hear across the playground (well, louder than normal anyway). Hopefully not, Mr Bucket didn't say anything and he's usually the first to let me know.  Sam xx

Mince Pies

Before I start this post I just want to say a big SORRY if I'm boring anyone about my obsession with Christmas. I can't help it - it's a sparkly, tinsly (is that spelled right?) and cinnamon smelling addiction .... I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

There, it's out and I feel much better but unfortunately it won't go away until the big day gets here. So once again, I'm sorry.

Now lets get on.

I've started making mince pies, although I don't know why I bother so early as they never last for Christmas. I made quite a few yesterday, as you can see:

And now they're gone!

So I'm making some more. It's not too complicated (it can't be, for me) and doesn't take too long -thank goodness. The only hard part is keeping everyone away to give the pies enough time to cool down.

I'm sure most people have their own way of making them but I wanted to add my tuppence as well.



Mince Pies

You'll need:

8oz plain flour
4 oz butter (softened)
2oz caster sugar
pinch salt
1-2 tablespoons water
Jar of Mincemeat (I cheat)

Heat your oven to Gas Mark 8 / 230C / 450F.

Grease a bun tray. I use a shallow tray to make smaller pies so if your tray is more muffin size, you might want to double the recipe.

Put the plain flour, butter, caster sugar and salt into a bowl and, using your fingertips, rub everything together to mix the butter with the dry ingredients. It should after a few minutes look like soft breadcrumbs.

Add your water a tablespoon at a time and mix together. This will bind it but you don't want it too wet as the butter in the mixture will make it greasier the more you handle it.

Divide your mixture in two and roll out the first half quite thinly. Cut into larger rounds using a cookie cutter. If you don't have one then a cup or round lid would do.

Place the rounds into your baking tin and gently press down. Fill with a teaspoon of mincemeat. Try not to overfill as will leak out when cooking.

Lightly wet the edges of the pastry. You don't need a pastry brush, dipping your finger into water will be fine.

Roll out the second half of pastry and cut into smaller rounds for the lids. Place onto the larger halves and press gently down.

Using a sharp knife put a small hole in the top of each of your pies to let the steam escape when cooking.

Put the pies into the top half of your oven and cook for 20 minutes. I have a look at 15 minutes and because my oven can be a bit temperamental, I then turn the tray around and continue cooking for the last 5 minutes so the mince pies are evenly lightly golden.

When they have cooked leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before putting onto a wire rack or plate.

I like to dust them with icing sugar but you could also use any other sugar on top or eat them plain - I have.

I apologise to anyone reading this who thinks that this is just a little bit basic but I do not assume that everyone makes cakes/mince pies etc. And if you don't want to do it, then you don't have to do it.

But to anyone who decides to make these I can tell you that they taste great and won't last long.  
Sam xx

And a little sewing

Finally decided to get myself over my sewing hump and I started with some Christmas bunting to go across my fireplace. Nothing too fancy but hopefully this will get me sewing again, making the time to make things.

Thoroughly enjoyed putting this together and an hour passed really quickly whilst hunched over the sewing machine.

I'd forgotten how much I love to make things and even though the N wasn't quite as perfect as I would have liked, I LOVE IT!

I've also been making some Christmas teacher gifts.

Snowflake a bit wonky - oh well, might keep that one

I like the teachers at my kids schools but whatever happened to one teacher per class? Or am I having a 'not like that in my day' moment????  Sam x

A little crochet

A little while back I thought I'd give crocheting a go and I quite enjoy it (when I get the time to sit still without someone screaming for my help).

I searched the internet for a pattern and came across one (from Pip at Meet me at Mikes) showing how to do crochet squares.

"I'll make a blanket" I said, probably like so many others have done before me.

So I started my squares and slowly got used to making them. I've made a few now but it has been pointed out to me that they are rather small, and they are but there's not much I can really do about it now. So I just keep crocheting and hopefully I will finally make enough to give me a blanket.

Although I'm not too sure how long this is going to take me. Sam x

Slow day

Today I've got a migraine coming, it's not fully arrived yet but I know it's coming. So I've my cup of sweet tea at the ready, craft magazines set up close by and I'm going to take it a little easy.

Nevermind, it will give me a chance to figure out what I'm going to sew next. I've been itching to sew something - it's almost like I have a little sewing fairy sitting on my shoulder, tapping non-stop, saying "sew, sew, sew".

I like to sew toys for the kids - they are a really appreciative audience. I've found a couple of good etsy shops that have some great toy patterns.

I've also seen a sew-along with Andrea at The Train To Crazy on her 7th November post and the messenger bag looks really sweet so I'm considering that.

Anna at Noodlehead is doing a really lovely skirt tutorial. She's only on day 2 so I wouldn't have missed much.

And, I hate to say it, Christmas is nearly here so I've been thinking about making some Christmas decorations. Maybe a nice bunting of some kind.....

So much to think about with a sore head, oh well. Sam x

Blog giveaway

Sorry, it's not me giving something away as I haven't made anything for you yet.

But Jooles at Sew Sweet Violet is giving you the chance to give a home to one of two very sweet robins.  

All you have to do, to be in with a chance to win, is leave a comment on her blog. The winners names will be drawn on Friday 11th November.

Also, her blog seems lovely so you can sit with a cuppa and have a read which is what I'm going to do in a moment. Sam x

Things I've made - money cuff

I like sewing; I like reading blogs with sewing tutorials in them; I like to bake...... but I can't make things up from scratch. So I'm sorry but there will be NO TUTORIALS on here.

What I will be doing is making things, using other peoples recipes and tutorials and seeing how they turn out.

I'm not the best at sewing or baking or making things but I'll give it my best and even if it turns out really bad or weird (yes I mean you Christmas Bird) I'll still show you. Because I know that I'm probably not the only person who makes mistakes with projects.

What I have learned through all the blogs I've read is that, with crafts (any crafts), you have to let go that feeling of having it perfect - CRAFTS ARE NOT ALWAYS PERFECT - it is the mistakes/changes that make it unique for you. So if you're a control freak, this could be kinda hard - you have been warned!!!

One of my favourite tutorials is from Christie at a Lemon Squeezy Home  - A Money Cuff

I've made a couple of these for Miss Bucket so that she doesn't lose her money on school trips or drop her purse at the disco and they have proved brilliant. All you do is wrap it around the wrist and secure it using the velcro.

This is the second cuff I've made for her.  She wasn't around to measure it so it was a bit wide and a bit long but I doubled the velcro closure and she loves it just the same. You can see the double cross stitching to the right of the picture below.

The only change I really made to the cuff was to sew a purse section as we found the small change would roll around into the corners and she would still have to search for it.

These cuffs do not take very long to make and if you are handy with zips there is another design that you can do but I recommend trying the velcro one first. I would agree with Christie that you really need to make sure all fabric pieces are the same size; I found, for me, that this is easiest right at the start - when you have cut your pieces put them all together and check, check and check again.

Thank you Christie for a brilliant tutorial.