Dum dee dum

Well it's twiddling fingers time here in the Swirly household as I have done my Cuteable posts for the day (not all live yet) and I have no more to do until the weekly roundup tomorrow. I think it helps that I read through my blogroll before I go to bed and do the Clinks article for the following morning. So do I do the washing and hoovering, some crafty work or update my sadly neglected Tuggle and Dawanda shops? Ooooh decisions, decisions!

Here's a sneaky peek of Anya modelling some dungarees made by my friend Alex. Photo's are coming Alex I promise!!

She's not really got the mean and moody look quite right has she!

Doing boring things

I've been doing boring things today like tidying the dining room and putting the washing out - I've also been making card blanks so that I can get onto the exciting thing of assembling some cards tonight - it looks like I've been very productive today with that big pile! Tara likes them too! Although I think it's actually a determination to get into every photograph that she can!

I also took a photograph (finally!) of the sign that Wood Tattoo's did for the business. We are a limited company so we have to have the sign outside of the registered office - after he had put it up though Matt said that we should have got LTD put on it as it looks like it's the name of the house! Oh well!!

Also there are signs of spring in the garden - although I couldn't get a very good photo of the hydrangea' buds! You get the idea though!

¡unɟ uʍop ǝpısdn

˙ǝɹǝɥ punoɟ ǝq uɐɔ
¿uʍop ǝpısdn ʇı ƃuıpɐǝɹ puɐ ɹǝʌǝןɔ ƃuıǝq noʎ ǝɹɐ ɹo (doʇdɐן ɐ ǝʌɐɥ noʎ ɟı ǝןqıssod ʎןuo) ʇı ʍǝıʌ oʇ uʍop ǝpısdn ɹǝʇndɯoɔ ǝɥʇ ƃuıuɹnʇ noʎ ǝɹɐ ¿¿ʞuıɥʇ noʎ op ʇɐɥʍ ˙sɹǝpɐǝɹ ƃoןq ʎןǝʌoן ʎɯ uo ʇno ʇı ʎɹʇ oʇ pɐɥ ı ʇɥƃnoɥʇ puɐ ןooʇ ןooɔ sıɥʇ unoɟ ʇsnɾ

Earthquake

I'm sure that lots of blogs in the UK will be writing about the earthquake that happened here last night at 1am. The epicentre was in Lincolnshire but it was felt by me up here in Burnley. Nothing fell over but the bed shook and woke me up. I've only heard the news on Radio 2 and haven't looked at BBC news online yet so I'm not sure how people have been affected.

In other news I managed to grab a treasury over on Etsy yesterday - one I titled Monochrome Madness. I really like it - what do you think?

Well I'm going to be busy today making and doing (hopefully) so I should have exciting things to show you in tomorrows post. I'm hping that the sun stays out too as I want the girls to go into the garden to play - they spend ages playing with the chalks so it means I can blog etc while they are busy. Anyway have a fun day whatever you are doing!

Fun and games!

Sometimes if the girls need entertaining for half an hour I will get my button box out for them to play with - they end up all over the carpet but at least they are busy for half and hour or so and it means I can craft/blog in relative peace! I've been busy making Mothers day cards for my mum and mum in law. My MIL reads this blog sometimes so I can't post the cards yet but I can give you this sneaky peek - all will be revealed on Sunday!


And I got some crafting done last night whilst listening to Radcliffe and Maconie - I know how to live it up!! Can you guess what these might become?

OH NO!!!

I have just discovered that Anthropologie now ship to the UK. Well there goes lots of my money!! I am still very tempted by these shoes but they are still very expensive. I'll maybe wait for them to go into the sale! I love the styling of the photographs and of course the clothes are beautiful. We found a branch when we went to New York and it was heaven! It was only when I asked about shoes though that I found out that they don't stock shoes in the actual stores and they are only available online - boo! At least I now know that I can get them if I'm really good!

Now I have a question for you - do you use hankies? Handkerchiefs? I ask as I managed to get a whole load of them from the jumble sale the other day and I like the idea of using them instead of tissues but what do you think? Here's some pretty pictures of them blowing in the wind outside on the washing line.




I think the last one is my favourite!

And this was the view that greeted me when I was hanging the washing out this morning - beautiful! I can't wait for spring to get here as I'm not a winter person.

Whoooo hoooo!!

I've got 200 hearts in my Etsy shop! Yeah 200 people who like me and my work. Ooooh it feels good I tell you! Thanks to Janice of Clip Clop Horseshoes for my 200th heart. Something nice will be winging it's way to her soon. I also 'know' Janice through the forum too.


Please ignore the slightly dodgy photo with the black block over mod chicken - paint shop pro was playing up this morning!

Today is shaping up to be a good day - Matt cooked bacon, sausages, eggs, beans and mushrooms for us for breakfast and a roast dinner is set for later. I don't do roasts so it looks like I'll only have to sort lunch today - yeah!! I've also sorted out the mess under my kitchen sink - I'm sure I don't need 11 (yes 11) bottles of cleaning liquid! Most was on special offer and the cupboard was such a mess I couldn't see what we already had. At least I know I don't need any more ecover multi surface cleaner (which is by the way, fabulous for cleaning floors) and has a wonderful lemon smell.

Anyway I am off now to finish off the Mothers day cards I started the other day.

Busy day!

Phew - busy busy day! Our dishwasher broke before Christmas and we finally got round to taking the old one out today. I say we but it was Matt really. The fridge in our kitchen also broke so that went to the tip too. We then went to buy a new dishwasher and Matt fitted it - it's just finished it's second load of the evening. I'm thrilled to have one again because it means I won't have to 'waste' time washing up.

I also managed today to get Anya to clear out her crafty box. It was full of lots of bits of paper and other assorted rubbish. This is the little girl who will quite happily give away toys and books to the charity shop but won't let me throw random bits of plastic into the recycling because 'I can create something from that.' I've created a crafting monster!! I've also sorted out 3 bin bags full of stuff to go to the charity shop, Matt has put the new business sign up outside the front door, done 2 loads of washing and sorted out my jumpers. As I say busy day - not very exciting, but busy anyway! I didn't take any pictures of this exciting day so you will just have to make do with this instead - a better picture of the button blossoms which will soon be on Etsy.

Sewing goodies - picture heavy post!

I've had this innocent looking box since before Christmas when I bought it in a charity shop for £10. £10 you say is quite a lot for a metal tool box but wait until you see what goodies are inside! This is what waited for me - lots of vintage sewing things. To say I was thrilled is a bit of an understatement!

Lots and lots of gorgeous threads - most still on wooden reels, so I'll have to think of something to do with those when I have finished!

I have some of these threads below already that I use in my egg box sewing kits so I was very pleased to find some more.

More thread that judging by the colours was used to darn stockings.

Love the caption on this little mending fabric booklet - mend the modern way!

Cute lacy patch that I can't figure out yet what I am going to use it for. I'm sure I'll think of something.

You can tell what sewing equipment is Tara's favourite!

Whoever had this sewing box before me was very organised - I don't think they would like my current sewing box!!

And my favourite thing in the whole box was these vintage needles in their packets - it's the packets I like really!


I told you it was going to be a picture heavy post! And to all of you who are waiting for the New York pictures - they are coming soon!!

Half term and jumble sales

Well it's half term this week and we've just got back from dropping Matt off at the airport to catch his flight to London.He had to fly back to a different airport on Friday night (long story) so his car was still at Manchester hence the early morning dash to the airport. The girls thought it was very exciting to be in the car in their pajamas and they enjoyed spotting the aeroplanes - oh and the pain au chocolate they had for breakfast!!

The jumble sale I blogged about in the last post has a 'Fill a black bin bag for £2' day on Saturday and it's great! There were 2 girls in the queue in front of me who looked (from the way they were dressed) like they would be going for the same things as me so I had to be quick! Luckily though they hadn't been before and I managed to get past them to the dresses and grab all the ones I'd spotted the day before. The one I really liked turned out to be a perfect fit so that'll be coming out in the summer! I've managed to add lots of items to my 'granny style' wardrobe so I'll be showing them over the next few days (weeks!). I'm sure some of you will think that they are hideous but oh well! Here's a sneaky peek of one jumper that'll need to be altered but it's the only thing I've got a photo of so far.


Right I'm going to put another load of washing on and chuck my children in the bath. We've got a lazy day planned with maybe some cake making and car washing later - hope you all have a good day!

Tidying and blossoms

Well I know I supposed to be away today but there was a bit of a mix up at mums and she thought we were staying for the day and coming back on Friday and I thought we were staying from Weds night! So we came back last night and we have spent most of today tidying my craft room which now has a floor you can see and a desk you can use! The sofa still isn't clear and neither is the chair but hey - I'm quite impressed with myself!

To congratulate myself on this (and while the girls were playing 'snow' with the duvet in the study!) I made a little collage/mixed media artwork.


I was inspired by some 3D button flowers I have seen out in blogland but I couldn't be bothered to faff around with wire etc. I'm going to make some up as cards and gift tags - what do you think? Oh and this is especially for Matt cos I don't buy him flowers often enough :)

I just have to share some of the things I got at the jumble sale yesterday - fab fab fab!!! I got lots of maps and some other great books for £3.50, a couple of dresses that I'm not too sure about but they will make good chickens if they aren't right and some fabulous fabric!

Isn't it great! It has white tassels round the edge and looks like a bedspread. I'm sure Matt won't let me use it for a bedspread but it would work as chickens!!

Oh and I saved the best until last!!

A fab handknitted teacosy! Even though I don't like teapots and don't use them (I always use 1 teabag per person anyway and there's never enough water in a teapot for a decent sized cuppa!) I had to have this one. Tara has been using it as a hat so all's not lost :)

Best go as I have some things to sort out for tomorrow and I got a new Dean Koontz book at the sale yesterday and it's very good so far!

Blogging outside!!

Well I am currently sat outside in the sun on the front garden bench blogging happily away - I could get used to this weather! I also didn't think I would get to do this as my old computer couldn't last for more than 2 minutes without being plugged in but I now have a new computer thanks to the old one being thrown on the floor by Tara - oopps!

I've been out here taking some photos of new products for Etsy and we have also been writing messages for the postman in chalk on the path. I should write one at the top of the steps to say 'Please shut the gate' as he always leaves it open!! I'll maybe stick to the hello message you can see at the start!

Here's Anya with the kisses she drew on the wall - she's quite pleased with herself!

The girls writing messages for the postman!

And here's the view I have over my garden and the park - quite pretty and beats looking at a pile of plastic toys on the carpet that need hoovering!

And because it was nice and bright this morning I decided to dig out one of my summery skirts (although it works with black tights) and my fab gold ballet pumps. Who says style has left Burnley!?

Gorgeous day

Well today was a gorgeous day here in Burnley so we went out into the garden to clear all the leaves (the only downside of living next to a park!) and I was in my t-shirt as it was so warm. Alex and co came round to play for a bit, we had a cuppa and then went to the park. Top picture is L-R Francesca, Elizabeth, Anya.

Me and Anya on the swing - she hates the swings so this is a rare picture!


Tara going on the big slide for the first time - she climbed up by herself too and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Yatta!

This is especially for Clare - Yatta!!!!

I'm pretending to be Hiro in Times Square. I am actually in Times Square and would you believe I got lots of funny looks!

Whooo hoo!!

Sorry I had to use that title as I have actual photographic proof that I have been crafting!!

Here's Anya wearing a dress that I made for Francesca for her 4th birthday. I have already been told that I must make some for Anya to wear when it gets warmer and I'm sure that Tara will want some too!

I also made a little monster for Francesca which she called Tara (no pun intended I'm sure!). I used some pink fabric that my sister gave me for my birthday ages ago and just made up my own pattern. The dress she is wearing is made from a sock - dead easy to do!

Francesca loved it too so that was a relief!

New York photo's coming soon I promise!

Treasury!

Thanks to colourart who I know from the crafts forum, I was featured in a treasury over on Etsy the other day. Thanks!!


Did you spot the chicken???

Birthday treats!

Well I was a very lucky girl on my birthday! I was treated to a long weekend away with Matt in New York and it was fab - more on that in another post!

I also got some beautiful handmade gifts. This hot water bottle matches Anya's that she got for her birthday and it's fab!! I'm yet to use it but my bedroom window has been open all day today so I might take it upstairs with me tonight!


Love the pink bow in it's hair - and the winking eye obviously!!

Alex also made me a very pretty scarf with matching bag. And as she only started knitting just before Christmas I am very impressed!


Apologies for the slightly dodgy photos!

I also got lots of other items but didn't get photo's - so thanks for my other presents too everybody :)

We are back......

.......but busy so I'll get round to posting some of the photo's hopefully this evening!!