Getting ready for Halloween

Bats and black paint, this year as I'm home more at the moment I thought we'd make more of an effort to have fun at Halloween, so I donwloaded a free bat template, cut them out of cereal boxes and got the kiddlies to paint! Kira ended up painting her hands and arms black, she looked like a coal miner!! Aeryn decorated her Halloween costume, which she decided is going to be a robot (!), so lots of gluing with foil.

And then off to the park for a pre-dinner play, then home for sausages for tea oh and a Dora episode!

Autumn days

IMG_0604, originally uploaded by blackdoganna.

I do love autumnal mornings, cold but sunny, a nip in the air, mist burning away, glove wearing weather, but the clear beautiful light makes a serene happy glow and the day can only get better.
It's also the time of year when you know to make the most of good weather days!
So after school was over for the morning, we headed off to 'The Forest'...

This is actually Harcourt Arboretum at Nuneham Courtenay near Oxford and it's well worth a visit, the kids can roam about, hide under bushes and collect leaves and fir cones etc.

Even though it's next to a major road, it's so tranquil and restful, just hearing all the birdsong today with the sunshine was a real pick-me-up. We had a nice picnic and even saw a butterfly, which has sadly become a rarity in our area.

Then it was time to head home when small legs were tired, but the fun didn't stop there as the kids then had a great time gluing all the treasures (pine needles, leaves etc) to make autumn pictures.

I realised how little crafty things I've done with my youngest, as she was well away, stayed at the activity much longer than her sister, I know that at nursery she was always reported as loving gluing, well now I know! Her mark making has also improved, more circular shapes now. I shall really have to make an effort to set out more craft activities that she can do too.

Homemade Christmas cards are definately on the agenda!

building up a stash

IMG_0337, originally uploaded by blackdoganna.

Ooo, I love charity shops!
They're my first port of call for building up my resources, fabric's (old bedding is great), wool, knitting needles, crochet hooks and craft books, are all to be found for the diligent rummager!

Which when you're short of funds for luxury items means you can still have fun! There's quite a good few in my town and I've also just found Orinoco - the scrapstore in Oxford, which has loads of crafty items which have been saved from landfill and a bag full of booty is only £2!

I got several balls of wool from here (all this odd bits of wool etc are excellant for practising with and no guilt about spending money on expensive new wool when the knitting/project turns out as a disaster!), one of them being an easy ball of double knitting in cerise so I'm knitting a beginner's hat at the moment - 'cat hat' pattern from the book that has taught me to knit - it's actually a childrens book, (Usborne - How to Knit) but it's nice and simple, good illustrations and tasteful easy projects to give confidence! (An mp3 cosy is next!)
I'l post photos soon, as always it lacks neatness, but I'm sure with practice I'll get better!

I've also started a stiched textiles course which I'll update about in ny next entry!

Oh and the bread making is going great guns, I haven't bought a loaf since!

First Bread

IMG_0341, originally uploaded by blackdoganna.

Fingers crossed, the girls and I are hoping to make our first homemade loaf tomorrow!
We will be using a bread machine, I hope that's not too naughty but I think it's a good start.
I just hope it's eatable!
Results will be posted tomorrow!

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Nimble Fingers

Nimble Fingers, originally uploaded by blackdoganna.

Had to post this, I picked this up in one of our local charity shops yesterday it's a vintage 70's sewing magazine, with all the patterns of knitting, sewing and crochet, I think some of them look quite contemporary! If only I could sew properly I'd love to run one up...a future project me thinks!

Unfinshed Projects

IMG_0335, originally uploaded by blackdoganna.

I don't know about you but I seem to have unfinished projects squirreled away, mostly all cross stitch. After the initial excitement has worn off, all longish projects seem to go through a 'quiet' period and once it's been put down I find it hard to make myself pick it up and finish it again.

I did a birth sampler for my first daughter, started it during pregnancy......and finished it when she was two!! I haven't even got daughter #2's out of the wrapper!
So I think I need to tackle this and also make this blog work for me, so I'm going to post pictures of all unfinished projects to shame me! I think I might also give myself a little incentive too, a metre of new fabric for every one finished?! (I'm desperate to get a fabric stash going, but it all seems so expensive and I can't justify the out-lay for no good reason when money's tight!)

So this is the first one I've uncovered, a rag doll that needs the dress finishing with a design on the back and the teddy that needs just one more colour to inject a bit of interest, these will then be Christmas presents as I intended them to be in 2006! I'll keep progress updated and also dig out the other projects that are lurking....!