I can't wait

My daughter Sophie who has been in mexico

 since New Years Eve is coming home on thursday. I am so excited, i haven't seen her face for five months so i cannot wait ( i know i have to though). She has been working as a volunteer in a childrens home in Reynosa.
I feel incredibly proud of her but have missed her terribly. I guess i'm one of those moms that want my daughters to stick around ( know what i mean), become adults here, get married here, have families of their own here................. (whacked out "yes")?
Anyway she's begged me to make chicken pie & mashed potatos for her home coming meal, i don't think she'll want to eat another tortilla or enchilleda for a least a year. so pie & mash it is followed by pavlova.

I had a mad rush on today to repaint her room, make new blinds & a few nice cushions for her bed. The paint is drying, the blind is almost ready but the cushions are done so here's a preview.
I have a fav online shop called Fabric shack, its brill, lots of beautiful collections & lots of bargains in their sale section, heaven for fabric lovers.

 Used these for the cushions, i think Sophie'll be pleased with them...........................

I'm dying to finish the room so busy day tomorrow
Will post the finished job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!xxxxxxxxxxx
Well i'm off to watch an episode of monarch of the glen, got the box set & i have to say its really entertaining  i'm enjoying it so much :)
Might even have some hot chocolate & a nutella cupcake ( if they weren't all gone)!
Have a sweet evening
Lots of love Karen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Three little maids

Three sisters all dressed up for the ball (wedding)..........................pure sweetness! Serajah, Rhoda & Thirsa :)

Can't wait to see wedding photos :). Its always a thrill to see them looking good when you've finished.

Been doing some crochet this weekend, much more relaxing than sewing dresses. I've started this blanket

& i'm so loving it. The cream border on the squares make the colours so bright, I can't seem to put it down, will probably be the fastest blanket i've made yet, i feel like i'm on a roll.

Two rows down & lots more to come............................................
Also seen lots of these on various blogs ........crochet bunting!

& had to give them a go, in the hope i can hang them in my garden " when we get our heatwave"  :).

I used a pattern from Crochet Adorned by Linda Permann (amazing, gorgeous, beautiful book). I added a little border around the edge for contrast.

Speaking of gardens,  got to sit out in mine today, the sun was SHINING ( really it was), pure bliss!!!!!!

My flowers are growing , There's colour & bees & me enjoying it all :)

Had to finish on a high note, so baked up some extra YUMMY cupcakes, got the recipe from thequincetree.blogspot.com, fab blog, great recipes mmmmmm mmmmmm mmmmm!

Nutella cupcakes, sounds good eh! give it a go they taste even better

Chocolate swirling through the spongey little cakes. I made 15, they're all gone.....................
Now you have to try them :)
You have a relaxing evening, thanks for dropping by,
Lots of luv Karen xxxxxx

Tiny roses, bows & a nice surprise

Goodness its been a busy week, got so much done, busy is good though isn't it!!!!!!!
Am so looking forward to the weekend, soooooooooooooooooooo hoping for good weather
(which is a mini miracle in the west of ireland), although the sky is a definite blue right now, looks lovely,  looks unusual,
(This Is Ireland)

 Here' a wee peek at the little dresses, just got to hem them & we're all done.
Tiny roses on the front & pretty bows on the back
What do you think, will they be pretty flowergirls?

Hallelujah, i finished the ripple blanket, completed, done, dusted, finito, criochnaithe.......(irish for finished)

Isn't it "hard to explain properly" a really cheerful relief when they're done, its ta dah, viola, yahoo ......all  wrapped up in one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I just winged it with the border, wasn't sure where i was going, but i think it looks nice. I tend to do that a lot "just make it up as i go.

Next up is Laurens blankie, this one's been in the bottom of a yarn basket for sooo long, i think it's time (don't you) that i get cracking on it...................

but i so want to start this,

 wonder which one will pull the short straw????????????? Hmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

Any way to the nicest part of my day, the v best guy in the world came back from school runs this

 morning with this...............

I love perfume, ain't he the best :), xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So thats the lowdown from my creative space this week :) :) :) 

Thanks for stopping by xxx

Have a restful evening 

Lots of Love Karen xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ps Ella wanted to say hi, she's dying to get on the blog   "SAY HELLO"

Some things to smile about at home

Today i made great progress on the dresses, but the sun was shining outside & i had to sew, sew, sew!!!!

Never mind though, i had some great things around me to cheer & make the work a joy. Some creativity from Lauren in my hallway.......

a lovely pastel ORIGINAL from Bethany

 & in the living room right where i sew a painting from Sophie

She'll kill me for posting this, she always thought it was awful but i disagree ITS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also got some pretty flowers to bring outside inside & because i love the colours:)

At break time had some coffee & stepped outside to this next to my front door

And this cute gnome guarding my flower patch, courtesy of Ella, it will stand guard forever...........

So although today was a work day , it was full of sweetness, brought to me by 4 lil girls :)

Hope you had a great weekend

Well we had a lovely weekend, Got to visit one of my favourite spots in ireland, Ballybunion in Co. Kerry.
I spent most of my summer holidays here as a child, so it holds very fond memories for me. Here's some photos i managed to take before my camera battery went dead.

I swam in this sea so many times, pity, couldn't this weekend as the west coast of Ireland was brewing up a storm, a crazy loud wind that kept us awake quite a bit of sat night, but thats ok, being down there was rest & peace in itself :)

Look at these cliffs, aren't they beautiful. They are full of small caves that i still love to explore,

                                                    only managed to get one close up though.

This cave goes right through to a small beach on the other side of the cliffs Which was like our secret hideout as kids. Hope to be there again in June so i will def get some more phots then. In the meantime enjoy these, i 'll certainly look at them with longing for the rest of the month until we go back.

Today it was back to the good ol sewing machine. I'm on a count down for the flowergirl dresses, so far so good though.
When i finish this post i'm going to sit on my sofa looking out at this view (with a very chocolatey hot choc

& hopefully finish the border of Sophie's ripple blanket. Actually i can't wait to start a new project, maybe it should be a paint job on the fence

                                                       Oh dear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


 Let me leave you with a shot of the finished baby quilt for the local family fun day.

I am so pleased with the finished piece, isn't it nice to stand back & take pleasure from something you made yourself!

Anyway thanks for taking a peek at my blog
Lots of love Karen
ps have a wonderful evening xxxxxx

Just a few things i've made

Phew, so i got past the first post, got 2 sweet comments from my girls, can always depend on them( a fiver always does the trick). I wanted to show you guys a few bits i've already made, just to get this blog going.

K this is the blanket i am crocheting for sophie (second born, i've been pulled about calling her daughter no 2 as she's really no 1 just like Lauren, bethany & Ella).

 Look at all those threads that need to be sewn in,my absolute favourite past time 'NOT'. Anyway I think its big enough now so the border is going on tonight. Thats my fav part of a blanket, getting that finishing touch on. Heres the blanket i did for bethany, love the border on this.Inspired of course by Lucy at Attic24.

Next is Ellas blanket, all her favourite pastel colours, just like a princess, also some cute cushions for her bed & a patchwork quilt.

                                 All four girls got quilts for their beds made with sweet girly colours.

Moving on , i had great fun making these little people they're due to be sent to Sophie in Mexico to distribute to the children there.

 In fact they love the owls so much they're going to do a craft project & make some of their own. The pattern for the owls came from Juicy Bits, lovely craft site. Hope they have great fun with that.

And lastly here's the quilt top for the bonny baby competition, got to finish it today & will post the completed quilt soon. 

Got to go the sewing machine beckons, but i think i'll refuel first with a coffee & choclate biscuit

Blessing lots of love Karen

Where to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is it, my girls are waiting with anticipation, finally she's starting her first blog post. I've been saying it for the last three years, ever since i first discovered crafty blogland, "I must, really must start a blog".
You see i love all things arty, creative & pretty.
Sewing............YES
Crochet..........Definitely
Painting..........Oh yeah
Cooking........Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gardening..........I try

I love it, can't go one day without a creative fix. I guess i'm seiously addicted, but thats ok it's a harmless addiction, is'nt it???????????????
So for the last three years i've been browsing online, inspired & delighted by all the crafty sweet stuff out there.I,ve def got my favourites, so i hope its ok to post some on my blog. All you creative bloggers out there have brought so much joy my way for so long now so I do hope that any of you that happen this way will receive a little in return.

I've a few things on the go right now, new blanket for Sophie (daughter no two) she's in mexico right now,in fact has been since new years eve working in an orphanage, getting blessed & being a blessing. Will post a photo tomorrow when Lauren brings me her camera, she's daughter no 1 by the way who is also waiting for a blanket. Bethany(no 3) & Ella (no 4) got theirs last year, more photos!!!!!!

Have just finished this quilt for a workmate of my sister, it's for her football crazy son, all the red squares have an Arsenal logo on. This ones a bit closer, can you see it????  Apparantly the minute he got it he grabbed it with delight, donned his PJs & snuggled up on his couch wrapped in his new quilt to watch TV, don't know if it was an arsenal game but i think he enjoyed his new quilt experience. Who would have guessed some sewn together fabric squares, batting & backing sheet would have that effect eh! Made me smile anyway.

Almost finished a baby quilt, its a spot prize for local family fun day, i think it will be used for a bonny baby compitition, hope it pleases, another photo to post.
And my fav i am making 3 dresses for a dear friend. Her sister is getting married in 2 weeks & her 3 gorgeous girls get to be flower girls, princesses for a day. Anyway I've got one week left to finish the dresses for them.

Love to make wedding type dresses, heres 3 i made for Laurens friends wedding a few months back, thats my girl in the middle, what a stunner!
So cant wait to post more stuff and share some of my life & loves with you
God bless & lots of love Karen xxxxxx