Merry and Bright....

Happy Holidays

and best wishes for a wonderful

❇   2015 ❇ 

My workroom has been twinkling brightly over recent days 

and today I'm looking forward to some relaxing time 

sitting right there by the tree with my knitting needles

...Oh yes...and with a cup of good cheer too... x

❇ ❇ ❇

...but first... 

I must show you my Xmas card from the

Retired Greyhound Trust

which I look forward to receiving every year

from a lovely customer and her own beautiful retired

greyhounds Millie and Tom who I know bring so much joy x

It's becoming a little tradition here 

to add my link over the festive season

(and you can find more about the Trust's wonderful work here)

❇ ❇ ❇

(Ashley's Yule Log from one of Nigella's books was delicious... :-) )

❇ ❇ ❇

...and I'll be back in the New Year

to share lots of new projects...

...thank you to everyone for your cards and kind messages...

and for visiting my corner of Blogland through 2014 x

...until then....take care...

...enjoy the magic...

x ❇ x ❇ x

Colourburst...

A welcome burst of 

...colour...

...pretty tulips spreading happiness from my dear SIL...

(heralding the beginning of a wonderfully colourful week)

...we all enjoyed afternoon tea too...everyone together...

it was a lovely day :-)...

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

...mid-week treat...banana loaf....(lovely with butter)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

made from Mary's book....an all time favourite...

it's a really quick and easy recipe which freezes well too

and is wonderfully moist and tasty..x

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I brightened up one of the walls in the craftroom too ...

...hoops with fabric scraps and embroidery...
every now and again I can swap them around
(birds and flowers are always favourites)

...and added a group of small mirrors...
I made some cords in different 
colours of twisted cotton 4 ply to hang them..

(the magic cupboard can just be seen standing on the opposite wall through the mirror there...)

Do you remember my drawers?...the Annie Sloan paint is standing the test of time

and Mr H painted the wall for me in 'Old White'....it's gorgeously chalky...
...xXx...

♥ tHaNk yOu! ♥

to everyone who sent me a link

to the ETSY shop where I finally found a 2.75mm Clover Amour hook 

which is sitting happily in the sunshine this morning in my blue spotty jug ..

and which arrived in just a short few days from across the water

(it's the little yellow one :-) )

♥

One of my favourite magazines arrived today too

...also full of gorgeous colour!

(there's a lovely 'Spring Lunch' feature by Selina Lake....very pretty!!!)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

If you remember my yarn on the shelves at the beginning of the year
I'm busy now working on a completely new project
....something quite different for me...
it's early days but seems to be going well
and I'll hopefully be able to show you a little of it soon...x
♥ ♥ ♥

...and lastly... 

(on a completely different colour note!)

the yarn I've chosen for our aran jumper
(which definitely equals cake in my book!)
Virtual Yarns
Hebridean 3 ply in Selkie
(this shade was also used in the Cats and Mice blanket
and so I knew it to be extremely lovely ♥ )
I say 'our' as I'm not sure who will end up being the owner here... :-)
(we may share it..all the ladies of the house have been consulted!
I bought the book a long time ago and this design on the front cover
got the overall vote)
♥ ♥ ♥
It's going to be a project to enjoy picking up when I'm putting my feet up
and it's nice to have a few different kinds of projects to work on...x

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Time to go...

Wishing you 
a weekend of happy 
cOlOur
Love always
xXx

Peaches, Citrus & Ginger....

...a peachy little mouse sitting on my desk...
brightening up these dark winter days
(and soon to go on a special mission)
...hello...

and how are you...are the winter days being kind to you?...I do hope so...x

Our narcissus(tête-à-tête)pictured here are 
just beginning to open and for only a few pence 
they are certainly brightening these gloomy days... :-)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Keeping warm and busy creating seems the best option at the moment...

on Saturday afternoon I enjoyed making a little

pot holder from this pretty Japanese crochet book
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

... it's also included in a collection of patterns in an English text book here...

(still using only symbol charts though)

made with Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino from my yarn stash
in pretty pastel shades
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

and it's a good feeling indeed to make something 
pretty and useful from leftover yarn that maybe
seemed destined to have no purpose
...just too good to waste...
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I'm searching for a Clover Amour 2.75mm hook as they are perfect for me
but can't seem to find this size anywhere...would you let me know if you see one? ♥) 
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I think I may hang my little pot holder on the wall
(will take a pic on a brighter day if I do) 
I'm planning to try another design in different shades now

...♥ very happy baking ♥...

Delia's 'Damp Gingerbread' was a joy to make (and eat :-))

(even better in our view after a couple of days stored in an airtight tin)
and you can find the recipe in     
'Delia's Cakes' 
(in both the old and new versions of the book...and I've just noticed when adding the link here
 that the new version is currently available for only £5 on Amazon/free delivery... RRP £25!)
Ooh...definitely a bargain...it's a beautiful book x

...little peachy mouse at the top

   was made using the
'Winter Mice at the TEAROOM' Knitting Pattern
(I'll add the yarn details...just 2 balls plus DK oddments...and other notes including creating the 
legs using dpns (no seams) on the pattern ideas page here over the next few days 
for anyone who would like to make her this way)
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

...and ..

...flowers for my Ball Mason jar brightening up the craftroom...

♥
Lastly, sorry for my later than intended post which would have been ready a week ago...
...all down to very dark days followed by a few problems with Blogger of late for me
......unable to comment on blogs with pop up boxes (now resolved)...
and now problems uploading pics so I've have had to add them by html from Photobucket
...so fingers crossed this post is ok ..I'll be holding my breath when I press publish! ♥
♥

♥  Love  ♥
Hope you're having a happy, creative week everyone
and thank you so much for all the lovely comments on my last post  x
the kitchen is calling this morning.....Banana Loaf ...
followed by an afternoon of knitting and blog visiting...sounds good?
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Take care

xXx
P.S Have chosen my pattern and yarn for 
an Aran jumper after consulting with all the ladies of this house
...will show you our choice in the next post x
(awaiting yarn to arrive)
♥
update....thank you so much everyone for the hook links!
...i've now purchased a 2.75mm Clover Amour from here 
...on lovely ETSY ....
(and postage was discounted following purchase making
delivery to the UK very reasonable too ♥)

♥

Summer crafting and a winner!

cross stitch rose...lavender scented heart...crochet...
afternoon tea...mary jane's...banana loaf...fabric covered hoop
~ ❀ ~
I made the little cross stitch rose which hangs on my cupboard
this week from the current issue of 

Mollie Makes

which luckily arrived through our door on a very warm and sultry morning when

playing with yarn didn't seem to be the best choice for the day....(unusually for me!)

Luck would have it that I already had a 4" embroidery hoop, some pretty left over fabric pieces

to decorate it and double sided tape....everything else comes free with the issue (30)

...so a lovely afternoon was had sitting in the garden under the shade of an umbrella

with my little hoop and threads....

I'll definitely be decorating more of my hoops this way in the future 

I think they look really pretty and it's also a great way to use up all
those fabric scraps that are just too lovely to throw away

~ ❀ ~

I've also started a new crochet project which you can see a peek of here

and I'll be showing you more of this in my next post....it may even be finished!
It's from this Japanese Crochet book which I purchased on ETSY.

I love these books and now have several of them but should just mention that
the text is in Japanese and I only work from the symbol charts (which I prefer to do anyway)
 I've made 38 hexagons now in lots of different colours but I'm planning to do a total of 65
Surprisingly and in such a short time, crochet has become a part of every day for me...
I just love everything about it ♥

....and who doesn't love a little pair of red Mary Jane's?

These little red shoes are my take on the traditional vintage style ....

the way I remember them from childhood story books...

a wide rounded toe...rimmed sole....a simple strap with a pretty button fastening

(a free knitting pattern which will fit all 15" TEAROOM Rabbits and Bears and 
available when I return from the summer break) I've also made up a pair of each leg design
with the shoes in different colours and yarns to give some extra ideas for the original patterns too.
Yes, I still....love...love...love....my knitting....

~ ❀ ~

We've been enjoying lots of afternoon teas on warm summer days...

including Ashley's homemade scones (with jam and clotted cream) and cakes of many kinds

(the banana loaf in the first pic is from a recipe by the wonderful and ever reliable Mary Berry

 Truly delicious....we're all fans of Mary's recipes here

~ ❀ ~

Okay, enough of crafty endeavours....who won the Giveaway?

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who entered

which I must say was quite overwhelming and made me feel more than a little humble!

All the numbers have been entered into the 

Random Number Generator

and our winner is...

Linda (T)

Congratulations to you Linda!
If you could contact me and your parcel will be in the post

Thank you so much everyone for taking part...
I so enjoyed reading all the kind comments and 
it reminds me once again how many friends I've made through 
the online crafty world...it's brilliant!  x
~ ❀ ~

Next Giveaway will be in  the Autumn and I hope you will join us again

~ ❀ ❀ ❀ ~

Time to go...
cheerio until next time
Love always

Happy flowers....

Ah,lovely midweek treats!
A surprise bunch of flowers from Mr.H...

Delicious strawberry cheesecake cupcakes
made by one of my lovely daughters...

Giveaway goodies arriving in the post

My brooch is a treasure..

Thank you so much Vivienne for my

beautiful brooch, chocolates, notepad and card ...

and all so perfectly wrapped 

~ ♥ ~

You can visit Vivienne's lovely ETSY shop

'Green Rabbit Designs'

full of handmade knitted and crocheted loveliness

 including bags, brooches and bunnies .here

...all made using beautiful yarns...

and  the lovely Green Rabbit Designs  blog  here

..always such a treat to visit!

~ ♥ ~

Lots to be thankful for today...

Hope you are having a happy week too..

Until next time

with news of a Spring Giveaway!

♥ Happy....

♥ Pink and lemon inspiration ♥ 

~♥~

~♥~

~♥~

~♥ Our new Facebook Header ♥~

 I was totally unaware that there were going to be any changes to the Facebook pages...

and it threw me into a bit of a tizzy last week but after a few trials I feel happy with our new header. 

On the actual page there is a little inset of Candy too. 

The really good news here is that at last I'm finally liking Facebook!

I love the new timeline and there is far more scope to personalise the page....

which means that we're all very happy in our little corner now!

You can see  Lola and  Candy in all their glory here 

(Ooh...and yes, I would really love to see you too!)

~♥ ♥ ♥~

♥ Finally, a little bit of cupcake heaven...
(just to complete my overall feeling of happiness!)
I've been baking our favourite cupcakes from 
The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Baking has become a bit of a ritual in our house these days
and I think maybe a bit of fresh inspiration is needed...
 any recommendations of lovely recipe books 
would be very much appreciated!
~♥~
Thanks so much for calling by...
Take care until next time