Narrow Boat Holiday

I’m running a bit behind with my posts.  I’ve got SO many projects and trips and bits and bobs to share with you.....  I need to pull my socks up and get on with it!

It’s a few weeks late, but here are some photos from our brilliant narrow boat trip (on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal), with our lovely friends.....

What a fantastic holiday!  If you’ve never been on a barge trip, we’d all highly recommend it.  What’s not to love about it?!?  It’s relaxing, peaceful, there’s plenty of wildlife spotting (and people-watching) to be done, beautiful scenery, heaps of photo-opportunities, pubs to stop at along the way, locks (my most exciting bit), tunnels (also exciting) and..... it’s just LOTS of fun!

Have a little look at the Brecon Park Boats site if you fancy giving it a try (we’d highly recommend them too).    

Do you have any unusual holiday recommendations?  I'd love to hear your suggestions if you do.....

Carly

x

Bunting and Buttons Card

Today’s my parents’ 40^th (ruby) wedding anniversary. 

CONGRATULATIONS, Mom and Dad!  I hope you’re having a wonderful day!!!  xxx

I wanted to make them a special card, but couldn’t decide what to put on it.  Lots of the ideas I found while searching the internet were a bit old-fashioned – and not really my mom and dad!  My mom had said that she really loved the Mothers’ Day ‘bunting’ card I’d sent her (you can see it here if you missed that post).  So, I decided to do something similar.  Then on good-old Pinterest, I found a card with paper bunting SEWN on (here).  I LOVED it, and decided to do something similar, but with ruby-red flags and......  buttons!!!

Here it is:

I loved sewing on to the card.  I thought it’d be tricky, and the card might get marked or dented from my sewing machine.  But it was actually really easy, and worked really well.  I love how the little stitches looked – and think it gave the card more interest and texture.  It’s definitely a technique I’ll be using on cards again in the future!

Happy Sunday, dear friends!

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Carly

x

Spiral Cowl

Hello, lovely ladies!  Thank you SO much for all your comments on my last post - and for all the name suggestions for my crocheted dolly.  It was VERY hard to pick - I really did like ALL of the ideas you gave me.  I've decided to call her Molly - it begins with 'M' (so goes with 'Mortimer'), and it rhymes with 'dolly' - perfect!  

Molly and Mortimer have had a whale of a time lately - they had the house to themselves for 3 whole weeks, while we were in the UK.  

We had a whale of a time, too!  We visited Simon's family in Devon, visited my parents in Staffordshire, spent a weekend on a narrow-boat (photos to come in another post), caught up with friends, went on two successful wedding-outfit-shopping expeditions, splashed out on lots of new hobby supplies, ate some yummy meals out, ate some yummy fish & chips in, worked our way through WAY too many Easter eggs, caught up on magazine-reading and TV-watching, and stocked up on essential UK food supplies - to last us until our next visit.  

As I haven't been at home, I'm afraid I haven't been keeping up-to-date with goings-on in our lovely crafty-blogging world (I cheated - my last few posts were scheduled).  I've missed reading about what you've all been up to, and feel very behind!  I'm looking forward to catching up this week.....

In the mean time, here's a quick show-and-tell.  I started this Spiral Cowl ages ago and, at last, it's finished.

I had to learn lots of new knitty things to make it, and the whole thing got ripped back more times than I can remember!  But I'm quite pleased with it now it's done.  There are a few little mistakes, but they're all hide-able if I wear the cowl the right way around.  Shhhhh! 

I think I may have to put it away until next winter, though.  It was 22 degrees here today, so I think that spring may be here at last - YIPPEEEEEEE!!!

Hugs to you all,

Carly

x

Crocheted Dolly

Do you remember the crocheted monkey I made ages ago?  You can read all about him here.  He was my first ever finished crochet project – and got me ‘hooked’!!!  He’s been sitting on a chair in our living room, looking a bit lonely (and with nobody to play with when he comes to life at night – which, of course, he does).  So, I decided to make him a little pal.

I made my monkey by following the brilliant Annaboo’s House crochet-a-long.  Sarah’s super CAL gives instructions for making a monkey, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a bear and a doll.  So, this time, I decided to make a little dolly.

She was a bit trickier than the monkey – especially the hair!  I spent HOURS making her ‘wig’, and then HOURS more trying to make her two (level) pigtails and tie ribbons neatly in them!  She also required some clothes (it’s still pretty chilly in Düsseldorf, after all).  I followed the dolls’ dress tutorial that Sarah suggested in the CAL, which you can find here.  It wasn’t complicated – just a little bit fiddly.  I made it reversible – red with white dots on one side, and blue with bigger white spots on the other.  Of course, she likes the red side best!

And here she is, all finished:

  

And here she is with her best pal, Mortimer:

  

They have lots of fun together!  They like to watch movies together and play on the wii, after we’ve gone to bed.

 

I haven’t given her a name yet.  Do you have any good ideas???

Hugs,

Carly

x

        

Re-purposed Necklace

A few weeks ago, I sorted out my ‘jewellery’ draw.  It consists of brightly-coloured bits of plastic, wood and fabric.  A burglar would be VERY disappointed by its contents but, to me, it’s full of precious treasures!

There were a few things in there that I don’t wear any more, and others that I’ve never worn.  So, I decided to do a bit of re-purposing.  I took all the beads off the necklaces, and turned them into new ones.  I’ve worn ALL of them since – so I’m glad I didn’t just chuck the old necklaces in the bin!  

This one’s my favourite:

It’s just a few wooden beads, a few plastic beads, and a length of gingham ribbon.  I love necklaces with ribbon closures, as I can wear them as long or as short as I like (depending on the neckline of the top I’m wearing). 

Putting on my glittery head-scarf, looking all mystical, and gazing in to my crafty crystal ball, I see more jewellery-making projects in the not-too-distant future.  Watch this space.....

Carly

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