Folksy Friday paper

 I saw some beautiful papercut notecards on Sam's blog which inspired me to do a folksy friday on paper.If you click on the images you will be taken to the lovely shops on folksy. paper flowers Sherbert Ice designsblue tit Rae Welchcat paperweight Millicentorigami sculpture hello konnichiwapapercut Suzy TaylorRed monkey polkadot Sundays   

that autumn crafting feeling

Annis has got the knitting bug, she has three of these dolls but apparently that's just not enough!  The difference is that this time she wants to knit it herself from one of these lovely books

Then we remembered this sad half finished monkey that she got for christmas and began two years ago.  As far as I know grandma asks her if she's finished it yet every time we visit.  So, I put my foot down and said the monkey has to be finished before we move onto purl stitch.

See the speed she's knitting that monkey in her cheery mish mash home ed tshirt which she adores!

and in the dining room (I thought it was quiet) whole armies are being created

painting warhammer (another gift from two years ago that has just sat around half finished!).  All this leaves me a little time for blogging and...

a little time for embroidery.  I love autumn!

motorways and celebrations

this seems to be all we have seen for the last few weeks.  It's one of the problems with living 400 miles from the rest of our family!  Especially when they all have major celebrations in the same year.

we have passed the wicker man six times since mid August and still have another trip to go.

lots of bad indoor party photography

and the lovely old (literally after her 40th) friend that we surprised at her party.  Her scream of delight at seeing us made the whole trip worthwhile.

So one more trip to one more biggie... and this time it's a sister

September Stars

I am a failed star, I am finding it impossible this month to list every day but I can blog the gorgeousness that is on Folksy.  So here is a taste of what I love from today's Stars









These luscious items are in turn from

JAusten jewellery design

The little bead box

diggi wood turning

pants and paper

Family

Ok, I've been missing again!  We have never had such a busy year for family events.  This time these two people are the culprits. 

my sister who lives in America

and my nanna

We travelled to Lincolnshire for my nanna's 90th birthday (if I could put numbers in capitals I would have done).  More importantly the whole family managed to be together, for the first time in years and years, to celebrate the occasion.  Nanna loved it and I can only hope that I am as bright and healthy as her when I get to ninety (you'll notice I didn't write 'if I get to ninety).

And Clare and I spent a lovely day at the Harrogate flower show the day after the party.  Drinking pimms in the rain (what could be more English!)

Looking at (and photographing badly) flowers

giant vegetables

tiny trees

and our favourite judges comment on the flower arranging 'good use of cabbage'.

But the partying doesn't end here, I am going back up to Lincolnshire to visit Clare again, to celebrate my oldest friend's 40th and then my other sister's 40th.  I will try to pop in again in between all the celebrating.

Embroidery pattern giveaway

I have a second blog that is more focussed on embroidery over at http://lilipopo.blogspot.com/ and am having a giveaway of this embroidery pattern

which is also this embroidery pattern

and this one  ( the girl remains the same but the final image is the actual pattern).  She is (hopefully) a quite simple embroidery, so if you might like to sew her up then hop over to http://lilipopo.blogspot.com/

for a chance to win the pattern.

A September Stars Posting

I know that today I will not get anything finished and ready to list because it's so sunny outside.  I feel a real need to make the most of sunny days in September, it's already a little bit autumnal here.  So to ease my conscience I am doing a September Stars blog on some lovely stuff  before I go back out and enjoy the sunshine

I am going to start with this gorgeous scarf from jandjalpacas.  I adore alpaca (and have even been known to spin it) but I do not have the patience for this kind of beautiful intricate lace knitting, this really is beautiful

My next choice is this pair of skull earrings from odd girl creates 

I just know my daughter would love them if only she was allowed to have her ears pierced (to be honest I don't know what age is the right age to have your ears pierced, and she is slightly scared of the idea!)

I have a feeling that I may have featured this before, but I just can't help myself with Diomo Glass

I love dandelions, and so I love this gorgeous dandelion necklace from Ali Bali 

and I've also been loving these little owl necklaces from Esme Dodsworth design

and finally lovely cards from chloedancer99 this one is my favourite

celebrating the diversity of home education

This morning I saw a link on our local home ed list to this article all about the proud  success of a fourteen year old home educated boy having been accepted at Cambridge.  After reading about this great acheivement I went through to see what my thirteen and ten year olds were doing

this is what I found

and no the banger is not in his mouth

I tried to upload the video but it just wouldn't work so I'm afraid you will have to imagine the end result

now, I and most other home educators know that we can pass this off as science, explosions, experimentation, animation, modelling, sculpting, art...  But I don't expect a letter from Cambridge in the next year or so!

folksy friday of the September Stars

Here is my Friday selection of lush stuff from the September Stars.  I haven't followed a theme although things are all looking a little silvery and old fashioned (apart from the fairy doormat but who could resist a fairy doormat!!)Click on the images to be taken to the lovely shops


 Here are the makersThe gorgeous polished fossil is from the lovely Natalie of NOfkantsCuriosThe irresistible fairy doormat is from Made By ValThe christmas decorations that remind me of a Victorian christmas are from clairezcardzand more Victorian feel with these lovely hair slides from STEAMPUNKSTORMThat beautiful ring is fromunique beaded gemsand finally the simple exquisite silver bangle is fromDeborah Jones Jewellery and here is my listing for today 

 

Knit a year

Tomorrow my lovely friend is casting on for her knit a year challenge at St Pancras Station in London.  She is intending to knit two rows a day for a year using upcycled or gifted ... yarn.  This is all part of the E17 art project, more details on her website.  She will keep a notebook with a scrap of each yarn used and notes which she will also blog daily.  So wishing her good luck with such a lovely art project and if anyone has any yarn to pass on then please contact her.

not back to school

I don't know how I managed to do it but I have just missed a home ed giveaway!  But I will promote cheerymishmash's lovely shop because I can't think of anything more opposite to a 'back to school' uniform for September than these gorgeous bright cheeky t-shirts

there are lots of other lovely batik dyed things (not just home ed!) so go take a peek