Embroideread

Just enough time to pop in quickly and show you my finished entry for Checkout Girl's Embroideread contest. What do you think?

Family Wishes are off to the seaside for a few days (our last ever trip as a trio!) so I'll be back next week to tell you about our time away, the small person's creations from 2 day trips this last week, what a lovely time we had at a family wedding yesterday and of course, what I've been crafting.

Wash Bag

The school wash bag is complete. I slightly altered the small person's original drawing to add a scuba mask and some flippers, and I used blue shades with the calico this time.

She certainly wont be getting her bags mixed up with anyone elses, and she'll easily be able to tell which is for PE and which is for washing. Feeling very pleased with myself :) Another job ticked off the list.

I also finally found my bias tape, so have labelled the squares I crocheted for Mrs Woo and so they will be posted shortly :) Better late than never I hope? (AW - Alexandra's Wishes)

I also added a few inches to the second baby blanket that I had started then neglected. Hopefully I'll be able to get that finished in the next couple of weeks. I have to snatch little bits of time here and there, and the crochet tends to only get done as I sit in bed. Because I've been so wiped lately, there hasn't been much sitting in bed, just plenty of (restless) sleeping.

Completing these projects is making me feel like I'm getting somewhere, just so long as I don't start thinking about all the housework I haven't done, the packing for the holiday I haven't even given a thought to, the major DIY works just around the corner, or how incredibly close the small person's first day of school is (and how I'm not ready for it).

Much painting, stamping and drawing has taken place today thanks to some lovely neighbours of ours who gave Alexandra some art supplies. She's been very entertained all day (which has enabled me to get that wash bag finished fairly quickly). She's now having a rest and watching some Dogtanian before bed.

Feeling productive

The mission to keep the small person occupied and enjoying herself is still in full swing. Friday we had fun in the house. Lots of games, time on the DS and some drawing and writing numbers practice (she's getting very good).

Saturday Mr Bogert took her swimming (I sat on the sidelines and watched) and we also signed her up for her first swimming lessons which start in September. After swimming we went and bought new shoes for her and the most beautiful party dress (all for a wedding we're going to next weekend) and we had lunch in a cafe. She's a real girl when it comes to shopping. She loves having money spent on herself!

Today Mr Bogert decided we should all pay a visit to Jam Jam Boomerang, which is a big children's indoor play area just down the road from us. She's definitely not bored yet (although the trip to B&Q - big DIY store - wasn't so well recieved!)

So in between the madness that is getting ready for baby and entertaining the small person I have been sneaking in odd bits of crafting :)

Mostly I have lots of works in progress which aren't that interesting until they take shape, but in the last 2 days I have actually finished 2 things and made a good start on something that's actually just for fun (so maybe I should be concentrating on the more urgent things? Nope! I can do everything, surely?).

Firstly I finished one of those much neglected baby crochet blankets I started a while back. Alas, I still can't show you until Little Wish makes and appearance because it'll give the whole secret away! (boy/girl)

I can however show you the small person's new school PE bag which I'm really quite pleased with. Do you remember how I said I really liked her little Princess drawing on her home decorated t-shirt? Well I copied it onto some lovely soft calico, embroidered her name down the side and turned the whole thing into a drawstring bag. It's lined with matching pink polycotton and the small person chose the ribbon herself from my ribbon bucket (yep, I keep it all in a bright pink bucket).

I'm so pleased with how it turned out, I'll be making her a second one for her school wash bag (she has to have her own special wash things and cream because of her eczema). Something I should maybe think about adding to my Folksy shop?

And last but not least (and not finished, but worst bit out of the way) is my entry for Melissa from Checkout Girl's Embroidereads contest. Melissa creates these absolutely gorgeous little felt masterpieces in embroidery hoops, but she also enjoys writing (and is very good at it), so has come up with a contest that covers both. Find the details here at her blog.

So I have the main part complete. The poem is written and now embroidered (again onto calico), now I just need to add my little decoration ideas, but I've found I'm lacking certain embroidery floss colours that I really want to use, so I'll just have to hang on until I've bought them.

But, as you can see, I feel like I'm getting somewhere when I can tick things off my list, so I'm feeling very productive. A little more sewing/crochet this evening should get me well on the way to some more finished items :)

A trip to the art gallery

Another bus trip into town today with the small person. We had lunch and did some mini shopping before heading off to the Herbert Art Gallery.

First stop was to the art/craft room. Just look at the pop art masterpiece that Alexandra has created.

There were bits of corrugated card, different sizes of bubble wrap, empty egg cartons, cardboard tubes and all sorts of other bits and pieces to create your own work of art. (I was thinking this could work quite well with fabric paints on bags and t-shirts. Something I'll file away in my over stuffed brain for another time :D)

While we waited for the paint to dry we made our way around some of the exhibits including the Lady Godiva display where Alex got to dress up, do some colouring and see a bit more about Lady Godiva and how important she is in our city.

Then we went upstairs to the Elements exhibition. Alexandra had to find and collect stickers that gave you answers to questions to do with Earth, Air, Water and Fire. She also made a brass rubbing of an ammonite.

My favourite part of the day is when we were looking around the elements and she looked at me and smiled and said "I'm having fun!".

Now we're back home tired and fed. It's just about madam's bedtime. It's Mr Bogert's lads night tonight, so I see sewing in my immediate future :)

Happy anniversary to Mr Lovely

3 years ago today at this precise moment in time, we were running late for dinner at our wedding :)
We both had to admit though, with everything happening at the moment, neither one of us remembered. The only thing that stopped it passing by was my mother in law asking if we needed a babysitter for tonight. "What for?" was our reply. Ooops!

Anyway, We shall be spending some grown up time together getting a quick bite to eat then going to see Inception at the cinema.

Mr Bogert has been in work all day, so I took the small person on a shopping trip into town on the bus. We bought some more of her school uniform, we bought some more boring baby things like bottle teats, Alexandra bought a few special presents just from her for the baby, We bought and ate lunch and most importantly we bought an anniversary card for my lovely husband.

I'm now going to get a little bit of sewing done before he arrives home. I can't very well abandon him for my craft things on our anniversary now can I?

T-shirt decorating

The small person has been creating her own fashion range this afternoon.

I found 2 old t-shirts in her drawers and we had 2 different coloured puff paints. She's drawn her own designs free hand.

This one is a princess (complete with hair bow). I love this little picture! :)

This one is a flower, a rose, a tulip and a butterfly.

In between watching her be wonderfully creative I have been finishing off my sister's party invitations. I'm a bit short on black card though, so I still have another 17 to make once I've bought another pack of card. Everything else is ready to go.

The most time consuming part was cutting out all the little sizzix bits to make the "21" toppers.

A trip to the sea side

Somewhere we've been planning on visiting for quite some time is Heart Park. It's a man made lake and beach in the midlands.

Sunday the weather looked OK, so we thought that was as good a time as any to see what it was like.

We all loved it! :) There's one charge to get in and under 5's are free. The entrance fee covers use of the beach and the deck chairs, the kids play area, the kids bouncy castle, the "train", the kids fun bus, the trampolines and a couple of other things. You then have to buy tokens for things like the swan pedaloes, mini golf, go bots, quads and quad pods.

We spent the morning lounging on the beach with the small person running in and out of the water and digging holes in the sand, then we went and had some lunch (there's a little hut by the side of the lake you buy food from, or there's a proper restaurant further up from the car park).

After food we went on the pedaloes, the trampolines, then the train, then the bouncy castle (well Mr Bogert and I didn't go on the bouncy castle, but the small person did) we had ice cream from the beach shop (called the rock shop) and then we had a game of mini golf (which Mr Bogert won) before heading home extremely tired. I actually fell asleep on the sofa when we got back and Mr Bogert had to cook dinner :)

We'll definitely be going back, but we're also planning on visiting in December when they do a santa train ride through the trees to santa's grotto. Mulled wine for the adults and a gift for the kids. You can't ask for more than that :)

What's on my crafting table?

Well, as I mentioned, I've been trying to get a few of my own bits an pieces done inbetween being ill and having fun with the small person.

I have been making bunting. I have 3 complete sets of mini christmas bunting ready to go, but need to make a second set of the red and green. These are about 54" long, and the flags are about 2" wide at the top. They're perfect for above doorways, across mantles, across shelves or other items of furniture (ends of beds etc) or even around trees. They will be going into the shop in November ready for Christmas.

I also want to make some normal sized bunting, so I have some baby boy and baby girl cut ready to sew up, and I'm planning on cutting a larger version of the red and green christmas bunting.

I also have these sitting ready to sew. They are part of the super hero capes that Alexandra will give away at her superhero birthday party at the end of the year. Thought I could at least get a start on the ones I know will be coming, the rest I'll have to add the letters to the back once I have the replies.

Whilst everything else has been getting done, my crochet blankets have been neglected and I really must get those finished in time for when little wish arrives.

Finally, this weekend I've promised my sister to get her invitations finished for her party. She's got ages, but she's worrying (and irritating as little sisters so often are). More on those when they're done.

How to occupy a small person

*CAUTION - MANY (many) PHOTOS AHEAD*

So here's a run down of what we've been up to so far. Everything got postponed when Alex became ill in the first week of the holidays, so it's all a little delayed.

MONDAY

We had huge amounts of fun making shrinkles key rings and badges.

We used small sheets of white and pink shrinkles, some permanent markers, some stamps chosen by the small person, some Stazon ink and some key rings and brooch backs.

After I stamped what was requested and trimmed them to size (also not forgetting to punch a hole for the keyring ones), Alexandra sat and coloured each one in really carefully with the markers.

Once the mini masterpieces are ready you place them on a baking tray in the oven at about 175C, then watch as the curl and shrivel and eventually fall back flat but much smaller. Whilst they're still soft, you use something to make sure they are completely flat (in this case a stamping block).

Once they're cool they can have the brooch backs and keyrings added. We wrapped up all the ones Alex had made as gifts in tissue paper ready to give out to everyone.

After, we paid a visit to Grandma's for lunch so that Alex could deliver the mini gifts she'd made.

In the afternoon we made Rocky Road. Alex picked this out of one of my cook books. I had no objection, but I do wish I checked the ingredients first. This is expensive to make!

See. Just look at all of those ingredients (and I must admit, I cut down alot by reducing the quantities of some things and skipping out a couple of things all together!) but don't my lovely new birthday scales look lovely and shiny? :)

And the best bit.....?

TUESDAY

Alex spent part of the morning decorating a pottery puppy that she had given her for her last birthday but we hadn't got around to making yet.

Whilst she painted her puppy I made her a bucket full of number bean bags. We thought it would be a good idea to practice her numbers ready for school. She's already very good. There's something about number 7 that throws her though!

So Alex played with those later in the day and you could see an improvement in her number skills even by the end of the day.

Alex made us tea which she was very good at. We had lettuce ships sailing past a jacket potato rock/island. This recipe is from Mummy and Me Cookbook by Annabel Karmel.

I pre cooked the chicken and laid all of the ingredients out for her to use at the table. So this (not including the large box of baby wipes)

turned into this

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was spa day. Once I got all of the kitchen chores out of the way, I bathed the small person, wrapped her hair in a towel, dressed her in vest, pants and dressing gown and led her downstairs to "The Spa" (also known as the living room).

This was the day that I also ended up being admitted to hospital which scuppered my plans for the next day. I'd looked on the internet for free/cheap things we could go and do that were along the bus route (being a non driver and all that). The art gallery in town was going to be making "magical faces" on Thursday, so we were going to go to that :(

SATURDAY

Finally released from hospital on Friday evening, but still too weak to be of much use to anyone, Mr Bogert also had his boat race on the Saturday, so the small person spent a whole day at Nanny's house and it sounded like she had heaps of fun, so that's good.

SUNDAY

I still wasn't very good, but we had visitors and I did manage a small walk down the road to the play area at the pub. So Alex got to play outdoors in the sun with her little friend. Play dates are always a good way to pass the time.

MONDAY

Still not back up to full mummy standards, Nanny made a visit and brought a large empty box with her. So Monday was "many incarnations of the box" day. It was a house, a boat with 3 steering wheels, a car, a train, the TV, a table and a comfy snuggle place (filled with a million and one cushions).

We also paid another visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house because some relatives from Coalville came for tea.

TUESDAY

Feeling a little more myself, we went around to Grandma's house again where we built a balsa wood car from a kit. Alex painted it with Grandpa whilst I went to buy hospital bag things with my mother in law.

She did a really good job painting the car. Very impressed with my little artist!

WEDNESDAY

There was a craft event on at The Lunt Roman Fort, which just so happens to be in our village (for a village we have an awful lot!) so we took a very slow walk down there. Slow because I'm still not up to scratch. It meant we were only an hour away from closing time by the time we got there.

We did however have fun. Alex dressed up as a Roman and tried helmets on, but found the curly wig far more fun, then we went to try the quiz they have running through the summer for kids. We only got it part finished, but we had lots of fun wandering around. Alex ran around the gyrus exploring the echos. (sorry about the middle 2 pics. I forgot to change the ISO. I know, I really should know better, I've already heard it all from Mr Bogert.)

I'll be taking her back at the end of next week when they're exploring roman coins, so we'll finsih the quiz then. Who knows, if we get there early enough, Alex might actually be able to run around a bit more!

We still have plenty more to do this holiday and hopefully they'll be nothing else to get in the way!