My word it has been a while! I have often thought about my little blog but then something gets in the way and it gets forgotten again, well not today!
Well where to start, Fin is now in year 8 at secondary school and Gabs in year 5 at primary, they are growing so fast!
The shop is going great and keeping me busy, lots and lots of drawing. The summer has been filled with Births, Weddings and Christenings along side the general things people need. In between all that it has been a lovely summer of being on the beach, walks in the park and just enjoying our little seaside town during a glorious summer. It was almost a shame for Fin and Gabs to go back to school! Almost!
I seemed to sell a lot of nautical based things.

I did a lot of special order commissions for Weddings,

I love doing this type of work as each one is different, a real pleasure to do.

We managed a couple of breaks away during the summer, a couple of city breaks where we could just wander around, be tourists seeing the sights and have a lovely family time.

Well it's been a while!! Where has the year gone? It is true what they say, "once you turn 40, life passes so much more quickly!!"
A lot has happened since then, Fin and Gabs are doing well and blimey are they growing up. Fin is at secondary school and whilst it took a bit of getting used to he is now in full swing and in every team going! primarily football of course! Homework has taken a lot of getting used to (for me too!) He looks ever so smart in his uniform but comes home every day quite dishevelled!
Gabs is in year 4 now and is on track to give Fin a run for his money on the footy stake!! Oh no I thought not footy! but what can I do, she is really very good! and at Benchball, Table Tennis, that comes from her Dad and not me!!! She is however also really good at drawing and has been making a lot of Christmas Cards and has her own special little box in the shop and has sold a few!! so good on her. Fin not amuse by that and gave me instructions to bring some supplies home so he can make some!! He always was very competitive. So life is really busy with the little ones, but I have missed this little blog and am making an early resolution to blog once a week!
On the making front, lots has been happening, shop is good and is all Christmassy and decorated up. I have been making so many things I don't really know what to show you so I will just post a few random pictures.
I am really pleased to say that I have made and designed the 2012 Christmas ornament for a great charity and it is available to buy on their website now. Go to www.ssafa.org.uk and go to the shop section and it is under Christmas Accessories and is a set of two Hero Hearts.
Here are a few things I have made lately, I will be back soon!

Back soon! I have some serious blog reading to do!

Turning 40

Well it's been a while! A lot has happened since my last post way back in April! How bad is that!
Well, I am now the big 40! we had a lovely day, Will, me, Fin and Gabs went away for a couple of days, nowhere far just to York and did lots of touristy things in the rain! We then had a little gathering at the farm with some family and friends, again in the rain! Will did a great Barbecue in the rain and I tell you the rain did not stop all the food being eaten!

This was the only pic I got before it rained! it all looked lovely but soon got demolished.
The rain didn't stop us having a fun time in York though, we walked along the walls, went on the river and looked in the lovely shops a little.

When did Fin and Gabs get so big!!! Fin starts secondary school this year, he is looking forward to it now that he has had his induction day and Gabs goes into year4! it does not seen five minutes since she went into the juniors. Fin has also been on his final Year 6 trip and went to London for a week, he had a fantastic time and was totally jam packed with all sorts including going on the London eye, Madame Tussauds, went to see The Lion King, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and a trip to drayton Manor theme park! Exhausting just listing it all, he slept for 15 hours when he came home!

 A rare pic of us all, I don't think I have ever put one of me on here!


On the work front I have been very busy with Weddings, doing Crafts Beautiful commissions and some exciting news, a colouring book with my illustrations but more about that when it is out.

I have been doing lots of personilsed pictures, the above is one of my most popular designs, I love to doodle!
I will try and blog more often, have lots to show you all when I get myself together and get the pics in order.
Have a great week everyone, until next time.

Just a quick pop in!

www.prettyfabricsandtrims.co.uk

I just wanted to tell you about a new Blog and craft supply shop, I found
this lovely blog via the talented

artworkbyangie.blogspot.co.uk
I stock Angie's fantastic cards, giftwrap and notecards in my shop and people just love them, me included, here is a peek!

 Angie also does blog design and that is how I found the shop I want to tell you about, Angie has done a design for a new Website and blog,
prettyfabricsandtrims.blogspot.co.uk

It is a  lovely site and blog and perfect for buying little bits of supplies instead of large quantities and has great makes too. Just click on the links to go straight to their sites.
Have  a great week everyone

Happy Birthday Gabs

Our little girl is 8 today! Where has the time gone, just a quick post to show you our lovely day. Gabs had to go into town to spend the Birthday money that was instantly burning a hole in her pocket! one of the buys was a One Direction  Tshirt as seen in the pics! this will now never be taken off as she is mad on them, closely followed by Moshi Monsters. Here are a few pics of her day which was finished off lovely with a trip to Grandma and Grandads for a Sunday Dinner and a play. Back to school tomorrow! So early night for Fin and Gabs and Titanic and a glass of wine for me and Will! Have a great week everyone, hope it warms up it is freezing here!

 Gabs has a real life "Ellie" as we call her, and she so correctly pointed out that Ellie is 8 today as well. A talented lady called Louize made this for Gabs, we love it and am sure Gabs will keep it a long time.

 Playing nicely together, for once! Fin has been quite nice to Gabs today! Wonder if it will last longer than today.

 Speedy Gon Gabsy!

 Footy had to be involved at some point of the day!

off she goes!

It has been a lovely day!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone, hope you have all had a lovely weekend so far.
Ours has been quiet but nice but has included lots of cleaning! Will has his cleaning head on well and truly and has gone through the house like a snowstorm! Fab I tell you, we did completely sort our room out together though! Which is now completely a bedroom and no longer any form of work space! not a thread, button or spray glue to be seen! Everything has now been moved to the shop and it feels like I have home back! it has took me long enough mind you.
Fin and Gabs are enjoying being off school and I LOVE not having the school run to do! I am having the next few days off, though have brought some sneaky work home, Will is back at work on Tues so he will never know! I have been absent from blogging a while, lots going on and cannot seem to find the time, but am going to try! I have a lot to catch up on as well with all your lovely blogs.
Been making lots of new things, not sure which ones to show you, I have had some work in Crafts Beautiful Magazine and it is lovely to be back working for them  now that I am on the mend, here is this months issue to show you,

If you want to look at more great work in Crafts Beautiful, click herewww.craftsbeautiful.com/
It is such a shame the weather has turned for the holidays though quite typical really, here are my two enjoying the beach when it was warmer and a sneak peek from a Pheasant!

now it is rainy and freezing but at least no snow unlike some unlucky ones.
My Dad's sheep are lambing like fury at the moment and a lovely Bull Calf  was born this morning, no pics sorry, I forgot my camera, next time though.
Here are a few more makes,

 The paper used on these cards was a real find, though I had had it all along, Gabs was given a lovely old kidney shaped dressing table and this paper as used to line it, whilst cleaning it out a while back it suddenly struck me that I should use it and ever since the cards made with it have been selling really well, I was coming to an end of the paper when Kirsty, the lady whose the dresser was when she was little popped in the shop, noticed the makes made with the paper and said she was sure they had saved a roll!! blimey I thought the paper is about thirty years old! thank goodness some people never throw things away! I now have plenty!
Have a lovely rest of your Easter break everyone, I am going to do a little blog reading! Hope the sun comes out a little for us all.

A charity shop find!!

I am never normally lucky enough to find anything in the charity shops! or normally I get beaten to it! yet on Friday as I was going to work, the charity shop opposite my shop was just putting out the most lovely high chair ever!! It was even green like my shop, so obviously meant to be mine!! and here is a photo of it, I just love it! It turns into a table and chairs too!

It has been a busy week as always for Fin and Gabs! I have such a paper trail of activities, trips, yellow day, book day and a parents evening on top! Some days Fin has to be at school early and finish late and on a different day Gabs has to be there early, they need their own calendars! I tell you they are so tired on an evening, Fin has been heading up to bed early, after doing minimum amount of homework I add! and I go up to tuck him in and he is snoring away! Glad to say we have a break from footy until the end of March as his team has played enough matches so we can have a few family Sundays to look forward to.
With Mothers Day coming up I have been making some new makes to try and get ahead, here are a selection,

I have been getting some fab new fabric for a few vintage style projects coming up,

They are all so lovely and just waiting to be made into something nice!
Have a lovely week all of you, hopefully with some sunshine.