pure handmade goodness

here's a peek at a couple of handmade gifts we were lucky enough to receive at christmas. first of all this gorgeous gnome arrived in his very own spotty suitcase. he was made by a friend of my sister-in-laws for baby stan and i love him. such sweet little stomping feet and what a cute hat! baby stan seems very interested in pulling on his beard so i have had to rescue him a couple of times! but i'm sure our little gnome doesn't mind one bit.


and another sister-in-law (i luckily have lots of very nice sister-in-laws!) made me my very own ideas journal and i really love it so much.


i was more thrilled than anything to receive these handmade gifts. to see the work and concentration that has gone into them, makes them feel so special and unique. and there is nothing that makes you feel so good as someone who has taken the time to think of something you might really especially like. it has really inspired me to try and make next christmas a much more handmade affair.

sarada

dogs and bikes

it has been such a long time since i visited this place, and so much has happened that i am not sure where to begin. let me start by introducing dylan.


dylan will be living with us for most of january and i can guarantee that there will be some tears when we have to finally say goodbye. dylan and franc have become firm friends and partners in crime. only yesterday i caught franc trying to open a door by standing on dylans back, and franc is always sneaking dylan some of his dinner under the table.

having a dog has been great, we have been out walking rain, wind, shine,frost and snow. the weather of late has been very varied but at times i can smell a hint of spring. it truly is just around the corner and i am very excited about finally getting our hens, planting up the vegetable patch and just getting a little bit of warm sunshine.

christmas at the cottage bought another new addition to the household...


a shiny bike and with it a very happy and excited little boy.

the new year so far has been jam packed. i finished my christmas temp job but so far have found little extra free time. potty training is going well, but as many of you know, not without its own limitations. sometimes i feel like i have cabin fever and its only been 3 days. thankfully i can escape with dylan, and i know it wont last forever. also i have been thinking up grand schemes of crafting, all i can say is watch this space because so far it has been just that, all thinking, and not much doing.

ambika

the happiest of new years

the holidays were full of laughter, smiles and relaxing with loved ones. we had a wonderful christmas. and now a new year is ahead of us. i love this time of year. it's like a clean slate laid out before you. so many plans to be made and so much to look forward to. it's very exciting.

i would like to get more organised with my time. do more crafting. move onto dry land. read more books. eat more healthily. and that's just for starters!

what are your plans for this year?

Sarada

feeling christmassy

crisp, cold, beautiful days and a sense of excitement in the air. reflection on the year past and feeling happy about this moment right now. looking forward to the holidays.


a fun weekend visiting loved ones. and a handmade decoration for their pretty tree, inspired by this.


we've even got a teeny tiny tree of our own, complete with roots in a pot. perfect for our small boat space. with transparent coloured beads strung onto gold thread as baubels and a garland made of foil balls threaded together.


a very happy christmas to you.

sarada

advent

on the 8th day of christmas a moment of calm is found


while he munched on his chocolate father christmas.......

meanwhile outside the leaves continue to fall


and an exquisite flash of pink lace catches my eye


ambika

hello starlings, hello swans

from about october starlings start to appear in our area in large numbers. every evening just before it gets dark (which, sigh, is about 4.30pm these days), they all start heading towards the boats and perch on every mast available. their chattering gets quite noisy, then the horns start from people who would rather they perched on someone else's mast. as the light slowly fades, they all fly up, swooping and diving in the sky, creating beautiful swirly, changing patterns. it's truly an amazing sight. they always remind me of shoals of fish swimming in the sea. and as my mum said yesterday as we watched them in awe, it's amazing they never seem to crash heads, they must be so in tune with each other. then one last dance before bedtime as they dive underneath the local weatherspoons, of all places, to roost for the night.


we are very lucky with the wildlife we get to see here. there are also two swans that live in the marina and most days we try to find them or they find us and we give them some bread. i'm not sure how they came to be here or why they even stay in the salty water, but stanley absolutely loves them and as they approach starts waving frantically to his friends. i give him bits of bread to throw in too, which he prefers to munch on himself. then off they go to the boat across the way where a lady always has a bucket of fresh water for them to drink when ever they please.


i've also been making trousers, inspired by you little sis. these were made out of my maternity jeans. the fit is somewhere in between skinny and bootleg, poor child! i must remember next time to allow for more width in the leg for a looser fit and also in the waistband to allow more room for that fat tummy!


now the nights are drawing in i've had the urge to pick up my knitting. This wip is a scarf that i have been working on since i started to knit two years ago! so you would be correct in saying that i am a complete novice. my only finished project so far has been a dishcloth, which ended up much bigger and to my puzzlement very different to the picture from the pattern i was following. that was also the first and only pattern i have followed! i would so love to be able to knit a winter hat for stanley. little sis also taught me to crotchet last year, she is very good. but i think i need a refresher. it's no good me buying lovely wool if i'm not going to do anything with it. although that is what i do, as i have great ambitions! i don't think i'll ever manage a jumper, but i have hopes of making socks, hats and blankets some day! i'm not sure stanley will get his hat this year, but maybe i'll at least finish my scarf, after all i'm half way there!


sarada

making some dough

i'm sorry that it's been such a long time since i last visited this spot. life has been hectic! poor little francisco has been battling winter flu, the swiss cousin has been to visit, i have been trying to get my head around tax returns and book keeping for sticks new furniture making business and i have also taken on a part time seasonal job to see us through the winter. thankfully i have recently been reunited with my bread machine and i like nothing better than to sit down with a cup of tea, spread the butter on thick, and just take some time out.

we have also been busy making new things. this bag, made from various fabric scraps and some gorgeous turnip print and red chili fabric from buttonberry is much loved and often filled with lego.



and these trousers were a surprising success. made from some light brown linen with matching hems and pockets. i just copied them from an old pair of franc's trousers.


with all this extra busy-ness in my life, i will need to figure out a way to fit it all in so i don't feel like i'm in a mad rush all the time. hmm! let me ponder that thought over another slice of just warm from the bread-maker bread!

ambika