Saturday - A day crocheting in front of the TV

Happy Saturday everyone, its finally the weekend, time I get to spend on my hobbies and crafting.  Some exciting things have been happening this week which I want to share with you guys.

As you know sadly The Craft Channel is no longer with us, but the most fantastic news this week is that the amazing Dawn Bibby the person responsible for getting me started on card making is joining Hochanda with her very on brand Dawn Bibby Creations Dawn Bibby Creations.  Please go and like the new page to keep up to date on what she is up to.  So pleased for her and I look forward to following her on another journey.

Also brilliant news is the amazingly talented Rebecca Seddon is also joining Hochanda with her brand Rebecca Seddon Designs.  Her facebook page is Rebecca Seddon Designs please also go and visit her page for further details of what will be up and coming this week.

I have also signed up for the Little Box of Crochet, as I read that Lucy at Attic24 had designed something.  These are due out for delivery this week,  I shall be reviewing this next week when it arrives.  Cannot wait to receive it.

I have been working on my ripple blanket love the pattern, was having a few issues with wavy edges on the sides and had to rip a lot undone at the beginning of the week but its now coming up much straighter.  Loving the colours of the Stylecraft Merry Go Round.

My Attic24 Ripple blanket is growing nicely.

I've also found Lucy's blog is great and her adventures with knitting socks has made me want to have a go.  The Sockalong looks great fun, I have purchased some double pointed needles (DPN) and some circulars and have some yarn from West Yorkshire Spinners, it looks like really luxurious yarn, I've not used such amazing yarn before, so will write about it when my sockalong starts.  You can find the link to the sockalong here Winwick Mum Sockalong and the West Yorkshire Spinners here West Yorkshire Spinners.

Whatever you are doing this weekend, have a great one, I shall be sitting curled up next to these two.

Isla on the left and Millie on the right, my two Cairn Terriers, my best friends.

Crocheting, the best way to spend a Sunday

I've recently become a hooker, now that's got your attention, by hooker I mean a crocheter.  I always wanted to be able to crochet beautiful things, I have managed to teach my Mum how to crochet at age 75, she's back knitting again but is going back to crocheting soon.  I literally haven't picked my hook down since the beginning of December.  I've always been a knitter and love and stash away yarn (as with all my other crafts, my little cottage I share with Mum, two Cairn Terriers, two cats, two guinea pigs and a tortoise) is fit to bursting, but Mum and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love to indulge in crafting, its the only thing that keeps me sane.

As you know I make cards, cross stitch, knit, make jewellery and grow my own vegetables and flowers for the garden.  Never one to be lazy.

Mum and I live in a small Essex village called Stapleford Abbotts in an over 100 year old terraced cottage with a huge garden.  I learnt to knit when I was 11, tapestry soon came along after that.  I always wanted to make those pretty granny square blankets.

Anyway, I learnt to crochet a few years ago and made a granny square blanket and a baby shawl and then decided I couldn't get my head around crocheting and put my hook down.

The past two years have been rather trying, and stressful Mum was diagnosed with a malignant kidney tumour that thankfully is remaining stable then in the summer she fell in the garden and badly broke her femur and is now on crutches and has poor mobility as a result.  She decided that she wanted to learn to crochet so had an afternoon's lesson from my Aunt and the rest is history.  She made this beautiful blanket all using oddments of Sirdar Snuggly that we had laying around at home.

I then discovered Lucy from Attic 24 and now have all the squares for a beautiful Harmony Blanket made, just have to join them, and a Granny Stripe Blanket kit sitting in my stash waiting to be started.

In the meantime I've been practicing straight edges and different stitches and made a couple of baby blankets.

I've been a Sirdar fan for many years, but have recently discovered the quality of Stylecraft Special DK which I love, it crochets beautifully.  I have also used King Cole Candystripe and James C Brett Baby Marble all in double knitting and they all work beautifully.

My favourite places to order wool from are Woolwarehouse, Black Sheep and Knitwell.  They are all fantastic companies,  Nothing better than getting a delivery of yarn is there?

I would by no means class myself as an expert, I'm more of a beginner really, just mastering my skills.

Enjoy your Sunday.  Below are some of the crochet projects that Mum and I have been working on.  Happy Hooking xxx

Some of the beautiful Harmony Blanket squares waiting for me to finish off joining them.  Thank you to Lucy Attic 24 and Stylecraft for producing such fantastic yarn.

I'm new to blogging, so please give me a follow and follow my yarny journey.

This is Mum's first completed blanket using Sirdar Snuggly.

This is a baby blanket using King Cole Candy Stripe.

And this my first C2C using James C Brett Baby Marble - perfect for using this type of yarn.

Die cutting like a dream

Hi everyone. A few months ago I invested in a Gemini die cutting machine made by Crafter's Comppanion and I wanted to say what a brilliant machine it is. No wonder it sells out everywhere and is on back order. It cuts even the most intricate dies like butter.

Have you been watching the Tonic Live shows featuring Owain and Alison? Haven't they been brilliant. They now do two shows a week, including one called Teatime With Tinic where you can show off your cards which you have made. Such brilliant fun. They also give away lots of dies each week. Pop over to e Tonic Live Chat Facebook Group and see what it's all about.

Things are getting busy on my Crafting With The Craft Channel Facebook Group. Come on operandi join in the fun.

Here are a few of my recent makes.

Joytopia for The Craft Channel

So sorry I haven't blogged for a while but lots has been going on. I've been busy crafting and enjoying myself.

I was lucky enough to be chosen by The Craft Channel to receive a Joytopia Summer Song kit before anyone else. My dream come true to be on. a design team. I managed to make so many cards and got photos back to the Channel to use on launch day.

Here are cards that I made with Mum.

We had such a lovely time working with this.

Crafts Really are Therapeutic and Relaxing.....

Good morning everyone.  Thought I'd say hello as it's been a while.  Been suffering with shoulder pain rendering me unable to do much crafting and I've missed it with a vengeance.

I am most definitely one of those people who cannot sit in front of the television and not do anything as I feel I am wasting my time.

I couldn't do my knitting this week or my cross stitch so had to get the colouring books out as it was all I could manage.

The worst thing for me when I'm in pain is the stress levels it causes me when I can't do anything, it drives me mad.

I have started using my Tattered Lace Big Blue die cutting machine and I love it, I really wonder what has taken me so long to get an electric one.  I am not starting any more card kits I want to have a play with my dies.

We have bought a few new crafty bits this week.  We have on order the 50 shades of Mirri from Hunkydory and three more fab little books - they are so lovely.  We have also ordered some gems from The Craft Channel whose snazzy pink padded envelopes and the speedy delivery are such a breath of fresh air.  We have bought some new glue from there as well to try. Oh and I've also got some Dew Drop Ink Pads.  Naughty aren't we!

A few new dies have snuck in too, some Sweet Dixie Bunting and some Tattered Lace alphabet bunting, a hot air balloon die and a beautiful lacy heart.

So many fantastic brands of crafty items out there too much to chose from, no wonder we all have full craft rooms and empty bank accounts.

Big week for us this week, Mum and I have a trip up to London to the University College Hospital for her pre-assessment as she has her kidney surgery on 14th March.

Hope you like my cards, one is made from Trimcraft's Sweet Treat collection and the others are Hunkydory little book creations.

Hunkydory with a Twist of Tonic

Hi everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying the weekend.  What a treat all the live shows have been on Create & Craft at the Winter Crafting Show at Sandown Race Course.  Mum and I have been unable to go this year, but am saving up for next year.  We think Dean Wilson is just the best presenter there is, closely followed by Nigel May, who, if you didn't know is an accomplished author.

We have been rather naughty and bought some more of the fantastic Adorable Scorable, which is my favourite card to work with, and the Tonic Weekender, can't wait to be able to make my own card blanks in Adorable Scorable any shape and size I want.

Mum has been busy in the craft room this week, she gets to play during the weekdays whilst I am working as a Medical Secretary from home doing digital audio transcription, its my turn at the weekends.  Going up there later this morning for a few hours before its time to cook the dinner.  Lovely roast beef dinner coming up later today.

Mum at 74, is doing ok, though she was diagnosed with a cancerous kidney tumour two days before Christmas, she has a pre-assessment arranged at University College Hospital on the 25th February and then is having the tumour frozen, thankfully not too invasive treatment and will only entail an overnight stay.

Four days and counting til the big blue arrives or is at least despatched.  I have been matting and layering with the fabulous sets of 14 layering dies from tonic, the sizes seem to more or less match the Hunkydory die cuts, which is fabulous, makes life so much easier!

Just had a news flash come up on my iPad, Terry Wogan has passed away.  One of my favourites was watching Eurovision, used to love his commentary.  RIP Sir Terry.

Signing off for now.  Keep crafting.

Love

Tracy

Mum's Cards

My Cards

Thinking out of the box....

Hello again.  What a busy day in the craft room yesterday.

I made a few cards, a couple for a red and white colour challenge on the Trimcraft Forum, a get well card for a friend who has just undergone surgery and a mother's day card for my Mum.  Nothing like planning ahead is there!

I didn't realise quite how bad my right shoulder was damaged until I tried to wind the handle on the spellbinder.  Thank goodness the physio is helping.  The sooner my Big Blue machine arrives the better, it is due on 4th February, not long to wait.  Let the countdown begin.

Have had a few crafty deliveries this week, though I do wish that Create & Craft would change the way they package their goods and use boxes instead of just padded envelopes, have had corners all damaged of one delivery and the other one had cards damaged.  They are sending out replacement cards for the ones that were damaged and haven't heard back yet as I emailed as I'm fed up with struggling to get myself understood by the call centre.  I will keep you posted. 

Anyway whilst watching the Trimcraft show on Create & Craft on Friday, the demonstrator Mel had some brilliant tips.  She suggested instead of using mirriboard to mat and layer, draw round on the edges with a black chisel edged Spectrum Noir pen, it really made the images pop and stand out.

The other top tip she showed was when you do a card, instead of leaving a big white area (see my cat card), using a fine pen make your own background using little dots to take the eye away from the white area.  It works - see my card photo below.

Hopefully will be moving my jewellery making stash upstairs for storage today, so probably will be doing a spot of cross stitch this afternoon, or colouring - you never know.

Whatever you do, have fun and keep crafting.

Love

Tracy

xxx