Its My Island....You mean Ireland... Yeah its mine !!!!

Oh my we had the mother of all summer showers today, quite a down pour, as we often say here at home " it most definitely was a day for ducks" :) Here have a peek

It was like this until maybe 4.30 then "viola"  beautiful sunshine that nipped in quickly, dried up all the rain, so thank God my garden doesn't look like a swampland, unbelievable this weather, " T I I ", this is ireland, still i do love it :)
BUT i do hope it improves later in the week as we are off on a trip to cork, we are going to " hopefully " get to visit some beaches, foto wildlife park, ballymalloe house, Kinsale, Oh lots of beautiful irish sights, i am sooooooo looking forward to the break. Apart from the usual neccessities, husband, kids, clothes, food, beach chairs, tennis rackets, deck of cards, bedding, towels, swimsuits, camera,  bucket & spade for Ella...........
the only thing i will be bringing is my new crochet bag stuffed with yarn, needles & half finished blanket, which by the way i fully intend to make the most of. I am so looking forward to lots of R & R in the company of an extremely attractive man (my husband) & my hookey project..........Bliss!!!!
Hark, the rain has just started again grrrrrrrr.........

Anyhoo on a brighter note some stuff to show you this week... pressies for friends..............
First a nice little crochet bag for Ella's best chum Isolde, she turned eleven so we bought her a little bottle of perfume as well, i think all little girls get to a stage where they love all that, & she did, smiles all round.
Oh here's the bag, idea courtesy of  The Royal Sisters,  great blog. one of my absolute favorites.

Its such an easy pattern & oh soooooo cute for lil girls  :)
Also wanted to show you some baby quilts for special friends in Mexico, I always love to give some thing special & homemade to people you love.........

Really love the fabrics in this one, very girlie & very sweet.

I love fabric & would really love to try my hand at designing some of my own. I know there's a site online called Spoonflower that gives you the opportunity to do just that, so maybe after summer hols i just might give it a go....................!  Lots of ideas already swimming round in my head for this one.

Its funny my daughters had nagged me forever about this blog, you know getting it started, just because they knew i really wanted to.... the other thing they constantly say to me is " sooooo when are you going to design that fabric eh", also just because they know i want to!!! How lucky am I ?????  I have a constant source of encouragement right here at home every day, God is good, He sure knew what He was doing when i got these four....................................

Thats my girls xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I so so so so so love them xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I know you all know that feeling when it comes to your children :) They are the best !!!

So its time for some "feet up on the sofa" time, I think it'll be Deep Space Nine this evening..... I know, I know I'm such a geek, but sure it could be worse  :)

Yaw'll have a good evening now, thank you kindly fer dropping by!!!

Lots of love, hugs & kisses

Karen X 

Pretty dresses for Pretty girls

Hi there , while "browsing " blogland during the week I came across this......Dresses for little girls @ sew scrumptious! I was so taken by this project, & by the commitment of Louise the lady behind this, I thought what an absolutely beautiful idea. You see I've been on missions trips to Zambia & India and i've seen the poverty & how people have to live, I thank God every day for what i have been given, but I have no doubt that He would want those of us that can help & can give, to do so.
So those lovely fabrics i got last week are being turned into little dresses to send to Louise for her fantastic project. I've done three so far, want a peek..............................

This is my favourite so far...............................

I can see some pretty little girls wearing these & it makes me smile, well done louise :)

Yesterday i decided to try my hand at flower photographs again,  I guess i was getting Big ideas about my 'abilities'  :( as an ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHER hah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was the result........................................

Great snap eh! Blurry, totally out of focus, bad photo, could have taken a better one with a mobile!  But after looking at it for a while i kinda thought ..... its almost like a watercolour, what do you think?????  Is it just me,  am i seeing this right!!!!
Anyway I'm going to try and paint it, make a real watercolour from it, I love to paint... so hopefully i can show you some attempts later in the week.  Funny the things that inspire us isn't it! I think i see so much around me every day that makes me smile & makes me want to create!  What a joy !

Anyhooo my hubby's just put on a movie, so i'm going to join him. Its a bit of an oldie " Dirty rotten scroundrels " really, really funny!!! If you haven't seen it i doooo recommend.
A coffee  & a piece of this will very much be enjoyed with my feet up.......

Found the recipe here....Life's rich pattern.......Oh my goodness this is one of the nicest, yummiest cakes i've ever tasted & that was seconded by some friends who had a slice earlier in the week ( though it pained me to give some away ) wow!!!  that sums it up, you have to try it! Its an almond cake for those who like nuts :).

Soooo have a very lovely evening & weekend
Thanks for dropping by
Lots of love Karen Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A new home for yarn

Hi there its good to have something to share again. I'm sooo happy because in addition to my beautiful
new dutch fabric i received a yum package in the post earlier this week, courtesy of  Fabric Shack. I sure do love this fabric shop, check it out,  their sale section is amazing & fantastic value. Here's a peek at some of the goodies i received

AND...............................

AND.................................. :)

AND.........................................................

I'm in love, i've been swooning over them aaaaaaaall week, scarey that!  Is it freakish that fabric can do that to me,  dont answer  :) please :) !
Anyway with my stash building rapidly i thought i'd better use up some little leftover bits, you see i keep every scrap, never know what might pop into your mind " a nice new scrappy cushion " or " a new yarn bag", which frankly was badly needed.  I've been using a yuck ol canvas thing to transport my yarn & crochet, because i just cant seem to leave them at home now, even if we're going grocery shopping. Of course that all rests on my lovely man doing more than his fair share of driving, he's just tooooooooooooooo good to me , really i'm constantly distracted with one project or the other & he just smiles & tells me how much he loves EVERYTHING i make ( bless his lovely heart).  Ok enough waffle , this is my new yarn bag..............

Loads of space for lots of colorful yarn..................................

I can take it ALL with me now, doesnt it look cosy in there.................................

And it even has teeny lil pockets for my crochet hooks. Mmmmmmmmmmmm i'm a happy hooker! erm crocheter today :)

Which reminds me the blanket is growing,  I want it to be at least four times this size but i'm happy with progress &  i'm definitely enjoying working on this more than any of the other blankets i've done. I love to stand back from it & look,  the cream just seems to make the colours stand out more. I think i''l be keeping this one for me..... is that mean..........nah!!!!


Been doing a lot of badly needed work in my garden, it was & still is pretty messy..... BUT there are some little gems out there.
Lookey here, i am so chuffed with my few FLOWER photos, I felt so professional getting these close ups ;)

Don't be fooled, sweet as these are the're not a real reflection of my garden, lets just call them 'Lucky Shots'!
By the way since my moan about the rotten weather last week, its been pretty good, have had a fairly decent amount of sun, so i'm even happier :) I think i'll moan more often!!!!!!!

Well i've enjoyed doing this post, its a definite happy day today, don't know why I just feel in good form, Love it!
Thanks for dropping by, love when you leave a comment, so please do. Have a wonderful evening
Lots of love & blessings Karen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dutch Fabric

My friend Monique came back from her sisters wedding in holland on friday, the sweetheart brought these back for me, I've been desperate for some dutch fabrics for ages now. Have the perfect project in mind for them

Look at them arent they yum !!! I'm inspired to make a quilt from these beauties, will have to add some extra prints but will keep the blue. red & white theme. My inspiration comes from this site Dutch Sisters, I love it soooo much. Actually this blog has some amazing crafts, could browse on it for hours :). Have a look...

Picked up a few nice bargains this weekend, first got some nice jumpers from our churchs thrift shop on friday. We set this up every friday, sell clothing, shoes, books, bric a brac & toys. Here's bethany as our acting till assitant

I think she's found her calling.

We sell everything off at one or two euro, then all the proceeds go to mexico. People in the community have been great with donations, the stuff they give is really good quality, we've even received clothing that still have labels on,amazing! Also got this lovely book

cant wait to put my feet up later for a quiet read :). I've read many inspiring books about quilting & i have to say making a quilt or a blanket for a loved one is so rewarding. Did a quilt recently for my mother & father in law which was received with joy, but what was so special , a week later my father in law described the quilt as feeling like they were wrapped up in love. The absolute joy of creating a special gift for special people!
Here's a bargain from Tesco, cost me four euro, BARGAIN

Wore it to church this morning with this stunning shawl i received from a friend in Israel

The stitching & beading detail is beautiful, what a sweet gift

I felt so good wearing it. Dont you just love that feeling :).  
We were saying goodbye to some friends at church , they came to work with us from OM for six months & today was their last day so we had lovely cakes afterward with them, This was my contribution........

Colorful cupcakes, they were chocolate inside & got eaten real fast, i didnt get one :( oh well! On the bright side it gives me an excuse to make more :)

Finished the bunting, i think its sweet, added some tiny hearts, pattern from Attic 24  & some little buttons to the hearts inspired by Sandra at Cherry Heart, check it out her bunting is amazing.....

I started blogging three weeks ago, And  i've got to say its such a pleasure to receive the sweet comments i've gotten from other ladies out there who share similar interests, so encouraging, i feel like i've made some precious new friends. thank you so much, lots of love in return xxxxxxxx.
God bless each one of you, love Karen

                                                             These are for you xxxx

Where's the summer????????

I've been browsing some lovely blogs this week & you guys are getting beautiful blue skies, sunny gardens & days at the beach, whats going on???? Here in Ireland apart from the odd glimpse of blue the sky has been grey, cloudy & rain has been our lot now for weeks. I should emigrate, but i'm such a home bird, so pray for us poor smooo's over here that the sun will smile on us soon :)

,Any way i stayed busy indoors, had picked some elderflower & made up some cordial

Got two & a half bottles, which will NOT last long, love the stuff, will be making this as long as the flowers are on the trees, its just so refreshing.
Made a new cushion for Bethany, she was feeling under appreciated so some cheering up was needed. When she saw it she said "hey mom, you're just soooo cheesey" but i swear i saw a smile :)

It looks good with her quilt so i got to photograph some of her sketchs in return, i love her drawings, i think she's got real talent

What do you think, i got a fair exchange!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also made a long awaited for bag for Ella, as soon as she spotted this fabric she was hooked, so a new bag was requested...............................................

for which i got millions of hugs & kisses, they love to do that at eight. I thought the japanese flower was a nice finishing touch & ellie loves it :) smiles all round, despite the grey sky.
Crochet hardly left my hands this week, i really wanted to finish the bunting, we're at blocking stage

so almost there. Can't wait to hang it, hopefully in my garden :), we'll see!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm refusing to look at the forecasts, i'm just going to have a happy out look, the sun is there we just need those clouds out of the way, easy:)
These roses are not from my garden but i can pretend eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are lovely , arent they? I do love to have flowers around the house, its definitely worth a few euro every week :)
Well "The Waltons " beckons, famliy night, popcorn, maltesers & relaxation.
You have a sweet evening, thanks for dropping by & do leave a comment, i get such pleasure from reading them
Lots of love
Karen xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What a great few days

The last few days for my family & I have been just lovely, probably some of the nicest so far this year.
First of all & best of all Sophie arrived home safe & sound on thursday

We are soooooooooo happy to have her back, & of course she got her requested meal that evening of pie & mash, followed by this yum..... strawberry, coconut & choc pavlova!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all got great gifts, but this one sorted a few things out for me once & for all. You see i love cook blogs, baking in particular, BUT the american recipes confused me for a long time, one cup of this, 3 cups of that..
I mean please tell me ......  WHAT SIZE CUP???????????????????????

So Sophie to the rescue...................................................

"Mom these are measuring cups :) " duuuuuuuuuuh :(         Isnt she a peach?
Also got these cute little figures from Ms Elma, the lady who founded the childrens home  Sophie worked in.

They look sweet on my dresser dont you think? We received so many beautiful gifts from that lovely lady, what a blessing :)
Another lovely thing happened this week, i actually received an award from a very sweet lady, Angie at Lemonde de sucrette I was blown away,

                                                                   Thanks Angie xxx
I'm so encouraged by this, so from what i can gather i have to give ten facts about myself, my girls helped me some with these
1.  I'm only 4'11" , always been the smallest at home , at school, at work, pretty much all my life, even now my8yr old Ella is the only one shorter than me at home, but i'm sure that'll change.

2. I had a mohawk style haircut when i was in college (art student, wouldnt you know) might just try it again some time ( for charity :)........)

3.  I wish I'd met my husband when i was 13, he's my BEST friend xxxxxxxx :)

4.  My fav snack at the moment are rice cakes............ I mean "what is wrong with me?" I used to be a serious chocoholic, but i LUV rice cakes SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5.  I love my family, our home, our chats around the dinner table, watching movies together, they are a real blessing.

6.  Ok, dont laugh now ( quiet giggles only) but i'm a closet trekkie, specially Deep Space Nine. For those of you who've ever seen DS9 you'll get this, my girls nicknamed me Moogie (no i do not have huge ears..).

7.  I adore basset hounds, used to have one called Frodo. I click on Pioneer woman & spend most of the time looking at her adorable bassets "charlie & walter", have a look they're hilarious.

8.  My fav place to be is the beach, love it love it love it, the sea, the sand, the peace, the smell.............

9. The most amazing natural phenomenon i've seen to date (apart from my husband) are the Victoria Falls, Zambia, incredibly beautiful & exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10.  I love being Irish, love the country, the people(faults n all), the irish language, the trad music, the literature, the art, i guess I'm irish through & through :)
PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd like to pass this award on to
Sandra at Cherry heart
rubyred-design.blogspot.com
Melanie at Creative Paws
Annette at My Rose Valley
Andrea at Apples & pears
Annaboo at Annaboos house

I hope that's enough, i love so many blogs its so hard to choose.

Want to leave you with some pics of crafty stuff from last week, here's the progrees on the blanket........

a bit slower than i,d hoped  

        

Then this dress for Ella, she needed a new dress after seeing the flower girl dresses for my three little friends

Love these fabrics from Sandi Henderson and Heather Bailey great fabric designers :). So Ella was happy!

All in all it was a week to remember for me........ I'm off to pick some elderflower across the road from my house, cordial tomorrow, mmmmmmmm i love it :) 

Thanks for dropping by and these are for you............

Lots of love Karen xxxxxxxx