Catching Up

Life seems to be rushing past so quickly at the moment, and I feel like I'm trying to crowbar everything I need to do into the last few days of child-free time before the summer holidays start at the end of next week.

Here's a quick round-up of what I've been doing...

I got my copy of Popular Crafts magazine today with the Q&A I did for them a while back.  Very exciting to see myself in print for the first time!

I bought a beautiful hardback book of Garden Flowers from my next-door bookshop.

There's been so much going on at the girls' school lately - the end of term art show was really impressive - how great do these sail pictures and shadow boxes look?

Filling my kiln up with various bits of various birds...

Buying this ace vintage chopping board - perfect for the campervan.

Making Isla's birthday cake, including a little marzipan Dobby the House Elf figure, at some ridiculous hour of the night (morning).  I always leave these things to the last minute...

Peg Dolls / Winners

I'm recovering from 4th Birthday Party mayhem, although we did have a great day, the weather behaved itself and the bunting fluttered to order, so all good.

I decided that I'd had enough buying plastic crap to put in the party bags, and I'd seen a couple of things on Pinterest that gave me the idea to make some peg dolls to put in the bags (along with the usual sweeties and obligatory balloon). No time for complicated stitchery though. But then I remembered this book that I'd been given by my sister for Christmas. Aha, I thought... paper skirts! I love folded paper!

Not only that, after a recent shopping spree (read: revoltingly over-the-top splurge at a certain fashion establishment *coughwhitestuffsalecough*) I had a good stash of little bits of haberdashery that I saved from the swing tags: lace, twine, velvet ribbon etc.

I used pvc electrical tape to make their bodices. It is possibly my new favourite material. Stretchy. Sticky. Lots of colours. Available from just about anywhere.

I was even organised enough to take a few in-progress shots like a real proper blogger.

The girls spent a long time trying to decide which one they wanted in their party bag. Yes, even the host kids get a party bag round here.... and why not, it does take the sting out of everyone going home a bit.

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Thanks to everyone who commented on the giveaway. The lucky winners are....

No. 23, which is Maddie and No. 38 which is Rike. Congratulations - I shall start on your leaves tomorrow! Sorry, I would love to be able to furnish you all with a little something. Maybe I'll have to start doing giveaway party bags, so that no-one has to go home empty handed...