GWI Al Fresco

With the novelty of a heat wave during a Scottish Summer - GWI took to the garden, can't think of a better way to spend an hour or two:- Friends, crafting, coffee and Pams homemade biscuits....

Bodie and Fou

Oooh get a coffee and get a load of this website. Jaw droppingly gorgeous stuff - very inspiring.

The company is run by two sisters and they also have a blog which gives a bit more background info about the company, the products and THE SALE which starts on the 1st of July.

Hello, I'd just like to say that I had a look at the blog recently and am well impressed by all the stuff you lot have managed to upload, I don't know just what the **** I've been doing all this while but I can say I've been drinking a lot of coffee and eating a lot of cake and downloading tracks form I-tunes. If this doesn't inspire me soon to spring into action and create something for the GWI blog I don't know what will.... maybe a poke with a sharp stick?

Doodle Bread

Cute little concept here for fun baking, with or without kids. Something a bit out of the ordinary as a gift idea too.

Monkey Business

My first completed amigurumi - a little monkey for my little fellow, who is turning 5 tomorrow - Easier than I expected to make up, but quite small and fiddly to work on. The completed monkey sits at about 30cm. Click on here for link to blog where pattern can be found

Printing With Fabric Paints

I've been searching for a 'big old' table cloth for a while now, something fresh and light that I can throw over our kitchen table to brighten my mood or to use out in the garden on our big outdoor table on a summers day. A month or so back I bought a couple of wood block stamps (fairtrade) from Newton Dee's gift shop and thought that the pattern would look lovely on a plain white piece of fabric as a table cloth.

Dylon do a fantastic range of fabric paints, where all you need to do to 'fix' the paint is to iron it. So, this morning, on my hands and knees on the kitchen floor I stamped out a central pattern on a white sheet I had aquired from a local charity shop, left it to dry and then ironed and washed the sheet. My new table cloth certainly freshens up the kitchen, but it was whisked away immediatly at the mention of 2 small children sitting down to eat their pasta for tea....

boys and cakes

OOOhhhh I really enjoyed going wild with Fiona's icing squirter. I let the boys choose some hideous colours which terrified us all this morning when they made a return appearance in H's nappy this morning.... urghhhh! I'm loving my ebay cake stand and my Newton Dee candle holder.

Simple Images

I'm so chuffed with these photos from a
recent long weekend away at my in-law's house.

I'm going to have them printed by Moo Cards
or Photobox in business card format and then
stick them with foam cushion pads to blank
greetings cards.

I was inspired to take these pics by some cards
made by creative people on the beautiful Scottish
Isle of Canna. 'Canna Folk' have produced a variety
of image based art and craft work that highlights
the simple beauty in their local environment.
Click here to visit the Canna Folk's website.

Dresser Love

I never thought I was a dresser type of person, too twee for my taste - that was until I was awe struck at the sight of a friends dresser, bought for a bargain at a thrift shop, and painted with lovely 'Farrow and ball' egg shell paint - I had to have one!! So the quest began - checking our local furniture charity shop on a regular basis - nothing for weeks, months...until one Thursday afternoon I hit the jackpot.....

Horribly dated, with that orangy pine look, but after a bit of a sand down, 2 coats of undercoat and 2 coats of paint, I couldn't be more pleased.

Baby Boy Hat

Recently, a friend gave birth to a little boy, a perfect excuse to use my crochet skills to make a present, although I have to say I always find it harder to find a nice pattern for a boy that doesn't end up looking a bit lacy and girly. So I thought I'd try my hand at a bear hat. This pattern is available for free at the blog of a very talented hooker - owlishly
and lets face it, what newborn doesn't look cute with teddy bear ears?