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Sunday 31 October 2010

So much more than Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Today is much more than Halloween for me, Will and I have been married 13 years today.
This day 13 years ago we were on a beach in St. Lucia just the two of us and had the most beautiful day ever, it really was a once in a lifetime trip, though we have said that we would love to go back for our 25th wedding Anniversary, we'll see!!!! The fact that it was Halloween didn't matter at all though Will does joke with others that it is the only night that I am allowed out!!! We are going to have a couple of hours Fin and Gab free this evening and have a meal out. Fin as usual has a Football match! I will be going for my Sunday morning stroll with Gabs, a ritual which I think will stay with Gabs and I forever!
It is also my Dads birthday today, Happy Birthday Dad!
The image above is perfect for dad! We will be going up to the farm later on, wellies at the ready!! Its a bit muddy to say the least!!! Fin and Gabs will see all the new Pigs that arrived earlier this week, about 1400 of them!!!
Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Homespun and Vintage Fair



Just a quick post to show you some lovely pictures of the Homespun and Vintage Fair today.It was a great success and we all had a really lovely day. I met some fellow bloggers too so I am looking forward to going and having a look over at their blogs.


There were lots of lovely cakes that we all made, they all went down a treat!


Everyone made their stands look really vintage and were certainly very full!!


A beautiful Vintage black lace dress which we all longingly wished we could have, If only we could fit into it!

Vintage Rudolph!!



Lots of lovely handmade brooches and tray cloths.


Vintage floral creations.


                                                      Handmade crochet corsages.

It really was a lovely day! One thing I did not do was take a photograph of my own stand!!!! I will have to wait to show you that when I can get an image off someone else!!!! I have to get making again now as I don't have much of anything else left!! It really was worth the late nights! Am now looking forward to a couple of early nights and catching up on my reading, and it's Downton Abbey tomorrow, so can watch it guilt free!!!
Have a lovely restful Sunday everyone

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Look what arrived in the post today!!!!


I had to show you what arrived for me today! I arrived home from my morning outing with Fin and Gabs to see a lovely little parcel on the dining room table for me.It was my Pay It Forward package from Jenevieve at Buttons, Ribbons and other things. Gabs was desperate to get her hands on it and open it but I had to stop her as I needed to photo them first to show you!




A lovely little bag of buttons, love the little tea pots! Gabs has claimed the little bag!! for her precious Hello Kitty necklace!!!


A gorgeous button key ring which is now attached to my keys!


And this really lovely handmade felt butterfly mobile which Gabs also wants in her room! I said no though! It will go above my making table.

I am really pleased with my things and want to say a really big thankyou to Jenevieve.
You will not believe the difference in the weather today it has been a glorious day, I stuck to my plan though and had the morning out and had a very productive afternoon, will show you some things I made next time. We are doing the tourist things tomorrow! going down to the beach and going on the little steam train and no doubt chips and ice-cream will be involved if Fin has anything to do with it! Oh! and no doubt football and scooter will be joining us!!!!!
Have a great evening everyone.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Wey Hey its half term!


Well, it is half term and not only are Fin and Gabs off but so am I!!!! I am going to have a crafty week as I really have quite a few things to do!! So have come to an arrangement with the two little ones, fun things out and about each morning and at home for the afternoons! as it happens have been home most of the day today as the weather is awful as usual for a half term!!! Fin and Gabs had a good play at one of our local indoor play centres and then had a treat for lunch, but it is just  so cold we had to come home!!





Fin and Gabs are very glad to have a week off school, I love the above image of a day in the classroom!

Even though school is on a break, I fully intend to keep my eye on both Fin and Gabs reading! We have been to the Library and got some lovely books out for all of us so we have no excuses!



I also need to get some work done for my Homespun and Vintage Fair on Saturday!! It has come around quickly and even though I have been making a few things each night I am having my usual panic that I have not made enough!!! The above card is one of my new designs and I just thought it fitted in with the theme of the fair to have things all handmade, I have a few more designs along the same lines which I have not taken pics of yet.

My "I love Buttons" image is now a card and I am so pleased with it! There will be a set of these soon and a Christmas version of the above is nearly ready too! You can buy the button card from www.bespoke country.co.uk and it is in the new Winter Brochure.

The fire is glowing nicely and we are all just about warmed through! We are going to sit with a nice hot cup of tea and watch The Railway Children, no matter how many times we have seen that film we just love it!!!
Have a lovely day everyone.


Thursday 21 October 2010

Gabs has a Special Evening and my very first give away!!!!



Gabs had a lovely evening last night as I am sure many girls from the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides all over the country did!! It was the special finale of the centenary celebrations and to celebrate all the girls received a badge and a special promise pin badge, she was very excited when she arrived home! It was a late night, on a school day too! Hence it did not take long to drop off to sleep!
Tonight, the fun continues as she has been to a party, not just any party I add but a hair and nails party!!! at 6 years old I tell you!!! Still she had another great time, thank goodness it is the end of term tomorrow and we have a week off, me included!!!

I have been trying to some work to cover my week off and thought I would give you a peek.











I have been trying to do some work to cover whilst I am off and have created some new Christmas cards and some vintage ones too, thought I would give you a peek!
I love doing the vintage ones, I have quite a collection of vintage postcards and just glittered and mounted them, the ornament cards are really fun to do too, this means that people can have an ornament for their tree as well as a Christmas card, I have a few people in mind for these! I have two sets of the Ornament cards to give away, simply leave me a comment and details of how I can get them to you and I will pick winners, well Gabs will!!! She wants to pick the numbers!!!!
We didn't wake up to snow but it really is cold!!! We have had sleet amongst the wind and rain but it is in the air I can feel it!!
Have a good evening everyone.

Tuesday 19 October 2010

New Brochure out at Bespoke Country



It is all hands on deck at the minute at work! our new brochure is out and will be sent out to everyone in the next few days, so we are all getting ready for it!! We are clearing the decks, painting plaques, labelling stock to make it as easy as possible when the orders come flooding in! If you would like to have a look the full brochure is also on line at www.bespokecountry.co.uk, you can also request your own brochure online, you will need to make yourself a brew and sit a while to look at all the lovely products. The two Vintage Doves above are on the cover and really are beautiful.

                                            
                                               Gabs is looking forward to her Harvest Festival.



Both Fin and Gabs have come home from school loaded with homework! Fin is doing work on author, Francesca Simon, famous for her Horrid Henry books. Fin has the full set and he loves to read them, as long as he does not get any ideas from them!! Gabs is practicing her spellings, reading her book and singing away in practice for Harvest Festival on Friday morning! She is multi tasking a she is trying to do all three at once!! (A girl after my own heart!)
I am now going off to create a few more things for my Vintage Fair that I am doing, it is approaching fast!
Have a lovely evening and I wonder if we will wake up to snow and frost! It is hail stoning here at the moment!!!

Sunday 17 October 2010

Update from Fin!!!



Well, even though they did not win, the score was Manchester United 2 West Brom Albion 2.
Fin is on cloud 9!!! I do not know when he will come down, he didn't even moan as much as he normally does when he had to dry the pots!! He literally floated out of the door to his footy match this morning.
Fin had a fantastic time and insisted that this pic was put on my blog! he set it up especially!

It is so lovely to see your little ones happy! Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

Saturday 16 October 2010

Doodles for my blog....well nearly!!!



I have been doodling! I am now just trying to figure out how to get the Fin and Gabs one transformed into a header!! Each time I try it is just too big! does anyone have any ideas? The other two are just rough and I am going to watercolour them, you can grab the button as it is if you would like as it may take me a while to figure a few things out!! I think I need a bit of help!! am not very technical really!

Fin as we speak is on his way back from Old Trafford!! I have had many excited texts throughout the day and not only from Fin!! Think Will has enjoyed it too!!! I will post some pics when I have them!!! Boring to us but very important to Fin!!! I am sure he will want to share his day.

So it has been just myself and Gabs, we have had a lovely day with Grandma and her friend Eileen, have had a real Coffee Culture day, Gabs adores Costa Coffee!! mainly for the cakes I think!!!
I got to check out all the Christmas goodies coming into the shops, I love it!!

So until next time with Fins pics, everyone have  a lovely, lovely weekend.

Thursday 14 October 2010

Another fab design by Angela Knipe


I just had to show what was waiting on the desk for me when I arrived in Whitby today! This fab needle case created by our very own Angela! How amazing is it? it is perfect for current trends, she is always bang on the mark for what is in "Crafty Fashion" Well done Angela I am sure people will be queuing to buy them!

I took a trolley full of stock to work today (a groovy red polka dot one by the way!!") and hiding inside a tin were these fabulous cherries, well I was so happy to have them in again as last time we had them in stock I was not quick enough to buy a set, well, I now have some, seeing as I love Cherries so much it only seemed right!!!! Do you agree that they are just lovely?

Also I had some good news about Gabs today, a while back we were told that she had been placed on the Special Needs List for her writing and reading, I was a little upset about this but once we spoke to her teacher, myself and Will were reassured that she was simply going to have some one to one lessons to help bring her on. Today she came home and she has gone up a level in her reading, so we are so chuffed! Gabs has always loved reading and is always writing funny little stories. I now see that it is a good thing for her and that it is lucky that Gabs school can offer the special one to one lessons. I have given her a spelling test this evening before she went to bed and she got them all right! I think that between Will, myself and the school we will soon get her off that list. Well done Gabs!
It was Fins parent evening this week too and what can I say! well there is nothing to say except "Fin, you are a star!" Well done!!!

Blog Awards Go To!......

After receiving my lovely award from Jenevieve at Buttons, Ribbons and Other Things, I have to pass the award onto ten other great Bloggers so here they are,

Red House
Blooming Felt
Button Floozies
A Mermaids Tale
Second Hand Chic
The Blueberry Patch
Fee-Bee
Jenny Ellory
Two Crazy Crafters
Belle and Boo

I love all of the above blogs and if you havn't already looked at them go and take a look, you will be glad you did!!!
Have a lovely day everyone

Andrea xx

Tuesday 12 October 2010



I have received a lovely Blog award from the lovely Jenevieve at Buttons, Ribbons and other things. I am so pleased it is untrue!! In fact for once in my life I am speechless! Thankyou ever so much Jenevieve.
I was going to do a blog about spooky goings on and eerie Doris Day films but I think I will leave that for next time! I told Fin and Gabs about the award and they too are pleased, well, Gabs more than Fin!!! Gabs said, "Ah Mum that's a lovely award, really pretty!"
I cannot wait to tell Will!
He has now gone back to work, first night back last night and it did not go down well! Still the weeks go by so quickly it will soon be Friday! I am sure my news will put a little smile on his face!
Fin and Will are looking forward to the weekend as they are going to Old Trafford to see Fins fave team playing, Manchester United v West Brom, the sleepless nights are starting for Fin he is beside himself with excitement! I just hope they win!
I had some more good news too! my commissions for Crafts Beautiful have come through and I have some lovely projects to do for next year, have to get my head around Easter now!!! Weird!
If you haven't already looked at Jenevieves blog, Buttons, Ribbons and other things go and take a look it really is a Lovely Blog.

Friday 8 October 2010

Its Friday!!!!



This is the great place that Fin stayed during his Whitby football tour, he says it is a lovely place to stay! It looks fab!!!



I just love it when it gets to Friday! I am still not used to having the weekends off! I feel like I am at school as Fin and Gabs are excited when it is approaching the weekend and now I feel the same.
It is just lovely to be at home! I have made a new design for a new home card and thought I would show it as I am talking about being at home.
Will is back to work on Monday, he is now completely well so all will be back to normal next week! I must say it has been so nice him being at home, everything has been done! so I am going to get back to having my Sunday morning blitz around the house whilst Fin is at football!
Fin enjoyed his Whitby tour with school and only lost two of his matches and scored two goals so he is pleased as Grandad promised him a pound per goal!!!!
He has come back totally shattered and is ready for a rest!
I received my lovely leaflets for the Homespun and vintage Fair today so have been handing those out and am hoping to get some things made for that this weekend so I need to get into real Christmas mode!!!!
Have a lovely weekend everyone and if you can, take a look at Red House blog and give Jenny a vote for the Dorset Cereals Award that her lovely blog has been nominated for.
Going to get Gabs from Rainbows now!!

Tuesday 5 October 2010

A vintage Fair and some card designs.



I am doing a Vintage Fair!! I was asked by my friend Linda who has set the event up with her friend Cheryl Ann. I am looking forward to it but when you see it in print like that you realise it is not far away and I had better get a move on making some things!! Linda and Cheryl have also started a blog I have put a link to the blog in the side bar if you would like to have a look.
We sent Fin off to play in a school football tournament today! so he is spending the night in Whitby and Gabs is enjoying a night of special treatment! I am enjoying the sounds of no arguments as to who is watching what on television and who is sitting where!!! Good luck Fin, I hope you win!!!
I have also been catching up on a bit of work and made up a few cards, thought I would show you a few of them,

Toadstool in the Garden


Sprinkle a Little Happiness


Special Little Girl (made with the lovely fabric Angela got for me!)


Mini Tag Birthday


Mini Tag Birthday


Wedding Day


Fin gets back on Wednesday tea time so I will let you know how he does! I am off to York tomorrow to work, I am hoping to have time to pop into Paperchase to see the latest goodies, I love that shop!!

Saturday 2 October 2010

A Fishy Tale!!!!!



Gabs and I went to Scarborough Art Gallery today as we wanted to see the current exhibition , "Storm Force", not only to see the magnificent works of art and fabulous hand knitted "Ganseys" (fishermens jumpers) but to see Angelas fabulous knitted fish!!! (just in case you don't know Angela works in the Whitby shop and is a very talented lady!)


These are Angelas fantastic fish!!!!



More fish!


Even more fish! She really has been busy!!



This is a little fish that Gabs made!!!! She really did! It is her first attempt at knitting! and Angela said she did really well.
I don't knit and I think I am going to have to learn as Gabs is hooked!!