"Illuminate"

I just love this month's Stamp of the Month "Illuminate" - it makes it so easy to make pages like these that really help to boost children's self esteem.

How cute are the tiny little candles with bits of teeny bling on them?
Happy Tuesday!

Craft Fair and another Butterfly Hat

I went to the Craft Fair child free on Friday.  After a rotten week battling tonsilitis hanging out with crafty friends and a bit of retail therapy was just what the doctor ordered.

I enjoyed it more than previous years.  There were some new stallholders and quite a lot more wool craft than before.  I came home with a few modest purchases.

A gorgeous little bunny pattern from the girls at Under The Mulberry Tree.  A pattern and yarn to make a crocheted top for Maddie.  An equilateral triangle ruler for making strippy quilts.  And this Noro book which will work perfectly for homespun yarn.

Yesterday I managed to finish my second butterfly hat.  I love the colour.  It was to be a Christmas present for my MIL but it is too big for her little head so I am claiming it.

I am spinning some lovely fine multi-coloured optim.  I can't wait to see it finished.

A pile of books rocked up from book depository today so they will be my Christmas present (I might have had a teensy peek at a few of them but I promise no more than that!)

And I have to buy some fabric online today as I couldn't get it at the Craft Fair (surprisingly no one had precuts this year!)  I really LOVE the new Bluebird Park range by Moda (OMG - that denim look blue with red birds - I think I want a dress out of it!!!) and then there is scrumptious by Bonnie and Camille (who I just love!)

All in all, quite a crafty week!
Keep smiling,
Nell

The Julie and Julia Project for 2014

I've been hatching a plan.
Normally, I use the time between Christmas and New Years - those long lazy Summer days that just seem to fall off the calendar, for planning and plotting and thinking about the year ahead, but, let's face it, this year has just been crappy and so I have started dreaming early.  I am disappointed about the lack of finished projects this year, especially the lack of finished quilts.  I am a little aghast, and shocked, by how quickly my passion for craft books has got out of hand.  I think they now fill about 4 bays of my Ikea storage and there may or may not be some more in the mail..
So that got me thinking.  I loved reading "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell - such a good book and a fun read.  Whilst I have NO wish to ever cook every one of Julia Child's recipes it did give me an idea.  What if I devoted next year to doing a Julie and Julia of my own?  What if I seriously tried to make one thing from each of my crafty books? I could choose a few projects each month and just go for it? And you could follow along and even play too if you wanted to?
I think I probably need some rules (or some "outs") I think I should be allowed to skip books that I have already used. And some months I will definitely be more productive than others so I am not putting a limit on how many each month except to say that there has to be a one project minimum.  I also think I need to concentrate on using from my stash so projects are allowed to be "modified" or "inspired by".  I am looking forward to this.  I will try to head each finished project with "Julie and Julia" for those who are following along (and don't worry, there will be plenty of other posts about all sorts of other things).  I hope that Julie Powell would approve and take this project as a compliment.

So what do you think? Will it work?

Here's the latest finished project "the butterfly hat" from ravelry knitted up in the softest merino/angora blend for a friend who gave me a lovely knitting and crochet book that she didn't

want.  It was such a dreamy knit that I have cast on a sea-green one for me (and my mother in law was eyeing it off and Hannah has requested one so I think I might be knitting a lot of this pattern!)

I'm off to do a bit more dreaming/planning/trawling through craft books!
Happy Wednesday,
Nell
xxxx