Weekend baking

I have go in to the habit the last few years of always baking on a Friday. It's not the only time of the week I bake but I always fill the tin up for the weekend.

I don't do over the top baking very often it's usually a simple fruit cake, Victoria sponge or loaf cake. Yesterday as I had a bit of time I decided to make some cupcakes.




They are a very basic chocolate sponge with a vanilla buttercream topping. I used some leftover Halloween sweets to decorate. The boys were over the moon when they came home from school.




I have been teaching my boys to cook. My 11 year old made this chicken and bacon pizza with onions and sweetcorn all by himself last night. It was delicious.



The boys are at different birthday parties today. For once they all seem to be at the same time so I have 2 hours sewing time that I can complete some gifts today.

Have a lovely day

Laura x



Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Teacher Gifts

Hello is anyone there? I can't believe it has been a month! My laptop has broken again and there is no way it will be replaced this side of Christmas, so I have downloaded an app and am having a go from the iPhone and iPad.


So as I have had no laptop I have been busy crafting each day and have lots and lots to show you.

I wrote myself quite an extensive list this year for the homemade gifts and have been slowly plodding my way through. A few things I have completed on the list is the boys teacher gifts.

I covered 2 notebooks I picked up in Tesco for 95p. I made a wrapper for a bar of Dairy Milk and decorated 2 white paper bags. I then added a Yankee Candle tart to each bag. Hopefully the teachers will like them.


-

I had all of the supplies here so each teacher gift cost me about £3 which I am very happy with as a box of Roses is more than that!

If you would like tutorials for anything just let me know.

Well hopefully this post works. Thank you for visiting

Laura xx


Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Stitching Sunday

Hello anyone there? Apologies for the lack of posts I have been so busy.  I have so much to blog about and I promise to get some posts out this week.  

I have a finish for you today!!!  I actually finished it last Saturday but I just didn't get around to blogging - or instagramming sorry. The design is Owls and Acorns by Blue Ribbon Designs.  I stitched it in the recommended DMC colours.  I am going to frame it this week so it can go with the Autumn decorating. 

I am linking up with Chrissie over HERE.  Pop on over for a look at what everyone else is stitching today. 

I have added a few different ways to follow the blog now I hope that helps. 

Laura x 

Sunday Stitching

Good evening how are you?  I have been a little poorly this past week so I haven't been up to much.  I have tried to sleep as much as possible which is not easy with 3 children and a chocolate Labrador!!   

I did make some progress on my Friday night fall stitching which I take part in on Instagram.  I would ideally like to get it finished this week but I have a lot on so we will see. 

Next up is a new start.  I have seen this on a few blogs recently and it is a new stitchalong by this lovely blog.  The second part is already out so I need to get a move on.  

I managed some embroidery this week too but my camera battery has died.  It is on charge now so I will take some photos soon.  

If you would like to see what others are stitching this week pop on over to Chrissie. 

Thank you for visiting 

Laura x 

A little bit of crochet

Today we are having a chilled out Saturday.  It's needed after this week.  This morning I got up and made lemon drizzle cupcakes - which I forgot to photograph - as it was the Scouts Macmillan coffee morning.  We went for an hour and helped out.  

Whilst reading blogs the other day I came across this post over at Chrissie's blog.  I am quite new to crochet, I only started a few months ago.  Instead of just starting small I decided to make a king size bed quilt!!  I am about 1/5th of the way through. 

I also started a scarf last night after seeing this one over at Pink Milk.  This is the wool I bought whilst shopping yesterday. 

I am also crocheting the cushion in my header picture.    I would like finish these projects (at least the cushion and scarf) before I start anymore.  

I will be using the Crochet along to spur me on to finish my projects.  I will share weekly progress pictures. 

I have added a subscribe to the blog button I couldn't find a follower button. I hope that helps. 

Thank you for visiting 

Laura x  

Thursday waffles

I can't believe it's Thursday already!   I had grand plans this week to get lots completed but it's not really happened.  I have had a quite indulgent time this week though.  I met a friend for a shopping day on Monday, started my Christmas cards on Tuesday and went out with some girlfriends yesterday to a Christmas fair.

  Last night my youngest son was complaining of a sore mouth, when I looked there was a lump the size of a marble on the side of his mouth.  We all had the dentist this morning so I calpoled him up and sent him to bed.  It turns out this morning that he has an abscess which has split his tooth.  We are now on antibiotics and he will be having the tooth removed in a fortnight.  The painkillers are starting to kick in now and he has managed a nap on the sofa.  I have spent today pottering around embracing the fact I don't have to do school run this afternoon ;-) 

I love flowers

My garden is a huge mess.  We had 6 12ft trees cut down when we moved in and I planted some borders but that is as far as we got really.  A massive makeover is on the cards for next year. 

What I did plant in the garden was 'cottage garden' plants - roses, delphiniums, dahlias, stocks, etc. We had very strong winds at the beginning of the week so I some to put in my favourite jug rather than them being damaged. 

I have been cross stitching this week too.  This is a LHN pattern called Simple Joys.  I have the perfect spot for this in the hallway.  I would ideally like this finished in October.

So there you have it, my waffles for the week. 

Speak soon 

Laura x

Stitching Sunday

Woohoo I have my laptop fixed.  It was meant to be going to the shop on Tuesday but one of my husbands friends fixed it today for £10.  That has made me very happy as the shop had quoted £75!!  I got in to a bit of a stress about it all last weekend as I felt highly embarrassed.  You see I won THIS giveaway over at Chrissie Crafts and I was all set to do a blog post with my winning prize and then the computer crashed.  I felt awful for not being able to take part in Stitchy Sunday which I was very much looking forward to.  Sorry Chrissie. 

Anyway here is the gorgeous book I won.  It has been beside my bed since I received it and I have been leafing through it each evening.  The only problem with having a book like this, is that I want to stitch everything in it!  It is truly a wonderful book which I highly recommend to anyone.  Thank you so much Chrissie. 

 When I was a child my mum used to iron on transfers to a pillowcase and I would backstitch the designs in pretty colours.  I haven't done anything since.  Since receiving this book I have been playing with stitches (I didn't know there was so many) and pinning patterns to my embroidery pinterest board.   I am looking forward to starting the heart project Chrissie sent me this week.  

I have been sewing though and have just joined a few ladies on instagram with #fallfridaystitching

We spend each Friday night stitching something Autumn related.  I chose a Freebie design by Blue Ribbon Designs called Acorns and Owls.  This design has now retired sadly.  It has been on my to do pile for years.  I am stitching using the recommended DMC colours and 32ct linen.    I have hardly started the design.  We had a party to go to Friday night so I only managed a few stitches.

A design I have recently finished is this Lizzie*Kate one.  I thoroughly enjoyed stitching this and need to spend the time to finish it in to something now. 

Well thank you so much for visiting.  Now I have a working laptop I will be regularly posting.  

If you would like to join in with Stitching Sunday please pop on over to Chrissie Here

Laura x 

That first post

So this is the first post on the blog that I have been procrastinating about for months. It's this post that has put me off.  How much should I write?  How much shall I tell about myself? It's been giving me the sweats!

So here we go.

I am Laura and I sew, crochet, cross stitch, embroider, garden, cook, bake, preserve and much more.  This blog will be where I share my journey of all the crafts I do and the house which we are slowly 'doing up'.

Phew!  Right, tomorrow I will be back with some craft.