Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all you mums out there! I didn't make gifts for my mum or mother in law but I did send them some pretty cards. They are adapted from my button blossoms artwork and I was really pleased with how they turned out.

Here's a close up of my Mum's card.

And here is a close up of my Mother-in-law's card.

I'm really pleased with how they have turned out and I'll be making some up to add to my shops soon! Anya made me a beautiful lady/girl at nursery and I'll grab a photo of it to show you later. Nothing exciting planned for today so we might have a vegging day today!

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!!