Scandinavian Style Christmas Brooches

I wanted to share my latest design of brooches with you.

I love, love, LOVE Scandinavian style design, particularly for a Christmas theme, and I LOVE how these have turned out!

Both are listed in my Folksy shop and I'm hoping to make a couple of reindeer this weekend in the same style.

Must remember to keep one back for me though!

I have started a Scandinavian Style Christmas board over on Pinterest if you want to pop over and have a look.

How are your Christmas makes going? I've been popping onto flickr to see everyone's Monthly Makes for November and it's looking good!
Becky x

Spinning Saturday

Another month has passed and Lulus and I have attended our second Spinning Guild meeting. This time was a bit special, though, as it was her 7th birthday and she took her new wheel with her. We were so busy spinning I forgot to take pictures!

Now it has been sanded and the broken parts replaced or fixed it's a stunner! It took a bit more work than I had anticipated and I had to ask another family member to do some carpentry on the wheel itself which had been terribly over-oiled and no glue would hold it.

She is delighted with it and enjoyed showing it to everyone. She has also spun some amazing yarn, a chunky merino blend of purple and pink and another of blended blues.

 I am teaching her to crochet but she is finding it a bit tricky, unlike the spinning which she can whip through much more quickly than her mummy!

 

I got busy over the half-term break making some more Christmas brooches.

I really enjoyed making these last year and hope to extend the range with a few more designs soon.

The wet and cold weather has given me more opportunities to sit and make things and it must be said - I'm loving it!
Hope you're getting some craft time in too!
Have a good week.
Becky x

Happy Holidays and The Liebster Blog Award

Holidays are here- HOORAY! I am quite organised on the Christmas front this year so I am hoping to be able to find a little time for some crafting. I have some lovely new supplies and several projects to finish so I won't be bored!

I promised I would pass on the Liebster blog award in my next post so here goes...

First up, Twinkle Star of Twinkles, Tutus and Twirls for her brilliant 'Tutorial Tuesday'. She is a source of endless ideas - where do you get your inspiration?!

Secondly, a blog I am quite a new follower of, Cute and Cosy by Claire. She shares some lovely patterns that she has found and tried on ravelry.

Well, I am left with one little robin brooch after making 11 reindeer, 8 robins and 5 xmas puddings, so that's quite good going! It has paid for my latest order of wool tops which I can't wait to get my hands on! All very soft and gorgeous - promise to share in my next post.
I also need to share my progress with Japanese flower cowl with you which is coming along quite nicely.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week.
Becky x

T'is The Season... To Be Busy!

Oh my! Are you finding it hard to keep on top of everything at the moment? I love this time of year, but it doesn't half leave you feeling exhausted. By the time Christmas Eve comes I will just want to flake in a chair and sleep for a week!

I have sold lots of christmas brooches in the last couple of weeks, some through folksy and quite a few at work. Next year I'm going to try and get started making them a little earlier.

I hadn't sold anything on Folksy for ages and then all of a sudden I sold 5 brooches and a necklace. I thought I was on a roll, then they went and changed the Folksy site... is anyone else disappointed with the changes? Don't get me wrong, I like their ethos and the site looks great, but I'm not sure the new categories or searches are working for me and you can't tag your items in the same way as before. I can't even tell if people are looking at my items as they have taken the 'views' feature away and I haven't got time to work out google analytics at the moment.

A few weeks ago I received a blog award from the lovely Emma of Sweet Williams.

I am particularly grateful and surprised considering I feel I have been a little neglectful of my little blog recently. I hope to catch up a bit over the Christmas break. So a huge thank you to Emma and I will pass this award on to some deserving blogs in my next post.
If you didn't know, she has opened a fantastic little shop on line 'Sweet WIlliams - handmade soft furnishings, cards and gifts', pop over and have a look!

Twinkle Star of Twinkles, Tutus and Twirls has received my decoration swap goodies and has blogged about them tonight, so pop over and see what I made - all very 'pink', I had so much fun!

Hope you have a great week.
Becky x

Reindeer In the Woods

We took a walk in the woods today. It was blustery and grey, the kind of day that blows the cobwebs away and makes you feel all refreshed and ready to cosy up in front of the fire.

Little Mannie discovered a makeshift seesaw made from fallen logs...

Lulu demonstrated her climbing skills...

And I spied reindeer in the woods...

leaping over logs...

rubbing their antlers on the soft moss...

prickling their noses on the holly leaves...

It was magical!
Becky x

PS Mr FP carried the bags!

Calming Crochet

Recently I have been crossing items off my to do list only to find I add three more!
It is when things get so busy that I find myself grateful for crochet. I try to set time aside each evening, after the children have gone to bed, to pick up my blanket and quietly work a few more stitches. It's gentle rhythmic pattern is soothing and I find I don't have to think to much about it. My fingers follow the same repetitive pattern and my mind wanders to the days events. Quiet reflection.

There are times when I want to be a little more productive (my impatience winning over) and a little brooch is whipped up. Sometimes the satisfaction of starting and finishing something in one go is needed.

And then I can happily go back to adding another row to the blanket.

Hope you are all having a lovely week.
Becky x

PS. Have visited many of of your blogs last weekend but could only leave comments on a few. I don't know what I have done to offend Mr.Blogspot but he didn't want to accommodate my requests this weekend. Hoping to pop and see you all next weekend when I will hopefully have a bit more luck with the commenting!

Crochet Circle

Since buying my two new crochet books at half term I haven't had a lot of time to try things out. So this week I decided I would explore crocheting a circle.

I have an idea of what I would like to turn this into and I'm hoping it won't take too long if I add a few rounds each night.

Especially since I would like to make some Easter bunting for the garden egg hunt! Lucy at attic24 has posted about a super little crochet pattern for bunting that she found on the crochet with raymond blog. I don't really have a hope of getting bunting done by Easter but the thought is there!

I have finished three new felt flower brooches for Mother's day now. I have decided not to put them in my Folksy shop as I have had so many requests for them at work. Wish I could find the time to make more as I have my eye on a new felting book but I'm trying SO hard to not buy more crafty things unless I sell bits to pay for them.
I think I have solved my gift box problem for my brooches after a recent purchase on ebay for this cutting die:

However, 11 days on and it still hasn't arrived. I'm hoping it is on it's way but, after many problem free purchases on ebay, I think this one might not arrive. Just have that sneaky feeling. Shame, it looks like a good one and cost 15 pounds (still can't get that pounds sign back) + p&p.
Hope you have a good weekend.
Becky x