August did not, in the end, turn out to be a particularly crafty sort of month. Too much heat, I think, and unexpected visits to places. However, I did begin a little cardigan and the nest-building is now pretty much complete. Other than the world map, which is destined for the walls. If it ever… Continue reading Notes From My Office: September 2022
Tag: life
Autumn Pumpkins
Autumn is a good season. Generally, not too hot, not too cold, and a good balance of sunshine and rain. Although, after the summer we’ve just had, we could do with more rain than sunshine this autumn. I’ve collected several autumnal stamp sets over the last few years. As always, though, it’s the idea more… Continue reading Autumn Pumpkins
Nature Notes: August 2022
This month has been all about water and the importance of making sure that as well as ourselves we keep the creatures in our gardens hydrated this summer. With the unprecedented growth spurt a lot of our plants seem to have had in the last month or so there has been a greater demand for… Continue reading Nature Notes: August 2022
Card of the Week: The Layered Stag
One of the problems with card-making is that it’s all too easy to collect patterned papers. They’re just so pretty. This is especially true of Christmas paper pads. Of course, collecting the patterned papers in and of themselves isn’t really a problem. The problem is in doing something with the papers. I do have a… Continue reading Card of the Week: The Layered Stag
The Dangers of Shopping for Baby
Let me start by saying that I do not intend for this to turn into a baby/parenting blogsite. I think there are enough out there already, I couldn’t find that much to write about babies or parenting, and I have other interests. However, there may, from time to time, be occasional things which relate to… Continue reading The Dangers of Shopping for Baby
How to Cheat at Baking
One of my favourite recipe books is Delia Smith’s How to Cheat at Cooking, first published back in the 1970s. The main point of the recipes is about making packet-foods or ready-made components taste “home-made”. Or, at least, not like they’ve just come out of a packet. It’s about adding or combining flavours from actually… Continue reading How to Cheat at Baking
Card of the Week: Summer Flowers
The summer holiday feeling is strong this year, especially with all the dry, sunny weather. Lethargic sort of weather. Or maybe that’s just because the heat makes sleep harder. Just as well, really, that I have all that extra time off, from all the overtime in the first half of the year. Having made over… Continue reading Card of the Week: Summer Flowers
Notes From My Office: August 2022
The trouble with summer is that the long sunny sorts of days have a tendency to lend themselves to lazing, not to crafting. And this last month has been particularly warm and lethargic. I expect August will end up being a bit lethargic, too, though less warm. The start of the year was busy and… Continue reading Notes From My Office: August 2022
Nature Notes: July 2022
In the interests of learning the Art of Delegation in anticipation of less time later in the year, I'm handing at least some of the Nature Notes over to M to write, especially since he's the one who really knows what's going on in the garden. Over to M... Blueberries and Black Widows With the… Continue reading Nature Notes: July 2022
The Baby Sleeping Bag
A few weeks ago, a friend’s mother gave me a couple of well-stocked bags of yarn. I’ve had a pattern in mind for a while, but hadn’t the yarn for it, so it was relegated down the list of Project Priorities while I completed the Sunshine Shawl, and thence a baby blanket. But a set… Continue reading The Baby Sleeping Bag
Life Ever Crafting 