Cheeeese!

I love cheese, so imagine my excitement when I was buying some mini babybels for my son and it came with a mini 'meltpot'

Before:

During:

After:

Basically you place a babybel in the little tray, zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then you have a little melty pot of cheese! Sadly though, I was a little disappointed, although the resultant melted cheese tasted great, it was less fondue and more hot chewy cheese, it cooled too quickly and I ended up eating it more or less in one go, which wasn't good as I wouldn't eat a whole babybel in one go. I also thought the cheese was quite hot so not sure I will let my son near it!

So there you go I thought it was a great idea but sadly it doesn't seem to work in practice.

Now to think up a good use for he little pot!

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On The Up

Well I have been busy for the last few weeks with the boys being off for the summer. I know I have said it before but I really like them being off school. I much prefer the relaxed nature of the days and no dreaded alarm clock beep! Sadly tomorrow it all ends :( Yup it is the old back to school day tomorrow. Boo!

However I have been really busy today. A while ago I made a new design fairy door. After making and painting literally hundreds of my current design I felt some change was in order. It has been a real trial and error to get the moulding compound to behave itself. I have suffered so many air bubbles I was becoming quite despondant, but today I actually managed an almost, dare I say it, bubble free mould! Sometimes smaller air bubbles don't show in the casting but I was getting huge ones aargh. Anyway today I was calm and took my time, tried not to panic and yay! it worked. I currently have three new moulds and hopefully some more on the way. I am so pleased I managed to get it right. All the more frustrating of course as I obviously had done it before but couldn't remember how.

I am also on a mission to make a huge batch of doors so I can restock my Folksy and Misi shops. Wow they are looking sparse :( I have a problem I shouldn't complain about but I have been selling my Fairy Doors in wonderful shop called the Gift Gallery, in York (in the Shambles no less!) and they are selling so fast I can hardly keep up. Great for my bank balance but not so great for my online shop stock. So I am trying to make, make, make and get ahead of myself before the Christmas rush. We shall see. (It won't happen ;) )

In other news, we ordered a new camera which should arrive tomorrow. How very exciting. So my plan is to take lots of nice photographs of my new doors. I would also like to re do my banner but that is a long term goal.

So, new school year, new fairy doors, new photos, new.....?

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Garden

It is sunny again today, yippee! It means I can keep up with my washing which, though sadly domestic, is something that keeps me happy!

I also realised that a lot of the flowers that have been blooming in my garden have sadly bloomed their last, so I thought I would take some photos of some of the flowers that remain.

The majority of the flowers have been grown from seed by Master M. and Master A. It seems like such a long time since we bought the seeds, dug the compost out the compost bin, and planted, and watered, and waited, and watered and waited...and then we had little seedlings which we planted out and how they grew! The boys have been so pleased with the results :)





These were all grown from seeds except the Fuschia which is a really old bush that has lived in this garden forever.

Oh and I have to mention out teeny apples growing on our (very modest) apple tree. It won't be long before they are full size apples - can't wait!


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Flower Garland

Thought I would share a wee flower garland that I crocheted for my hall.

Our hall is a rather boring apricot colour, apart from laying laminate flooring we haven't touched the hall since moving in seven years ago. I really want to do something with it just not sure what.

We added a huge mirror a couple of years ago to enlarge the space and I though a crocheted garland would be just the thing to give it a lift. I was able to use some vintage buttons that my mum had given to me a long time ago.

Oh and please excuse the blank canvases on the walls. hubby hung them there a while ago as a minimilist joke and we have never got round to taking them down! I sometimes think people that come to the door must think we are mad (they would be right, of course ;) )

I am quite pleased how it turned out.

Hope you like it :) x

Chair Update

Thought it was time for a little chair update.

I stripped the chair down to the frame (the grey square on the front was me testing the paint for the legs!) please also excuse the lego pile in the background :)



I sanded it, and painted the legs a dark grey/barely black colour. Still not sure which fabric I am using but I wanted the legs to be dark.

Before:



After:



I have just finished attaching hessian and webbing to the back and webbing to the base.

Before:



After:



As you can see the chair originally had rubber 'pirelli' webbing but it had long since perished and gone hard. I decided to just use jute webbing instead, I hope it will last longer. I have also glued and screwed a couple of joints that were still together but were becoming a bit wobbly. I am really impressed by the harness of the wood. Makes me sad that a lot of furniture these days is made form cheap pine and composite board. They wont last for the tens of years this chair has. Buy cheap buy twice, I suppose.

I am now waiting to purchase some spray adhesive so I can join some hessian to the underside of the base cushion to stop the webbing cutting into it.

This project is taking longer than I thought mainly due to the number of bits and bobs that I seem to need and I am trying to do it right and never having done anything like this before it is a huge, slow, learning curve. I am enjoying it and happy so far with my progress.

On a side note, the other week I was in town (I rarely go into the City centre) and I popped into a brand new Cath Kidston shop (just for a nosey - never bought anything) and imagine my surprise when I saw they had a re upholstered chair, exactly the same 'nursing' style chair. Their one was covered in a 'vintage' picnic blanket and they were asking £265!! This has spurred me on a bit as I am sure you can imagine :) and to think my wee chair was destined for landfil :(

Take care x

Before But No After

You know when you share something and then think I need to finish that because people will wonder how I am getting on well, this is kinda the reason for this post. I am sharing the 'before' of a project which is currently a work in progress and hopefully will one day become an 'after' I was going to keep it to myself and just do a ta da 'before and after' post but I thought by sharing it I might be insentivised (is that a word?) to actually finish it!!

You see the other day we were driving to the supermarket and it was bin day. Now when it is bin day I often have to avert my eyes as I get really stressed at the things people throw out things that are perfectly good but destined to be crushed and buried in the ground because it has served its useful life with that person. Well this day and I spied a wee chair. I thought it looked 'useful' not too big not too small. We could do with and extra chair. One that is not to big and not too small. So later that night (it had actually gone dark!) I asked my hubby to drive back to see if the chair was still there. You see the bin lorry should already have been, but it was still there! It was fate. So I picked it up and brought it home to keep warm :)

Here it is!





And so begins my first upholstery project! I mean, how difficult can it be?

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Hello!

Well I didn't expect to be missing from blogland for so long. Sorry about that. My absence has been mainly due to working in my 'proper' job (Stage Management) Christmas - yay! illness - boo! and a complete lack of anything to blog about!!

I want to look forward now, not backward.

I got some money for Christmas, so decided to splurge on some yarn! Buying loads of yarn is something I have resisted because I hate the way it takes over my life! We have no storage so I end up putting piles of yarn and magazines and books and all other crochet related paraphernalia in different piles in different rooms so it looks less. Part of the problem is I have dabbled in so many crafts in my life I have loads of piles of unused things that I really need to rationalise, but hey, that is another day.

Here is my pile of new yarn,


it is just acrylic as I don't have that much money. I am going to make a babette blanket with it. I have wanted to make this blanket for ages and if all goes well and in the future I have more cash i will make a 'proper' blanket in lovely real wool, at the moment I am making a washable everyday version. :)

Hopefully I will be able to keep you updated on my progress.

Take care x

Back In Action

Had a bit of a crazy two weeks. As I previously mentioned I have been working a proper job, the hours were ridiculous, but thank fully the money is worth it! So I have not been blogging or taking part in forums or doing any made by val stuff, feels odd. I did however, still make sales whilst I worked despite no promotion, so that was good.

Anyway just thought I would pop in and say hi, I have spent most of today sorting out my receipt pile and this afternoon I really need to look at my Open University stuff that has arrived - course starts on Novembert 1st eep!

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Busy Busy Again

I feel like I have been busy, although I have had my eldest off school for a couple of days so not sure how busy I have been or if it is just actually shortness of time? Anyway he is much better and off to school again so yay!

What have I been up to? well, I have sold a few things from both my Misi and my Folksy shops which is great also had a couple of custom orders, been asked to sell my goods in a proper bricks and mortar shop (more on that another day) and been offered two weeks work, an actual proper job, being a Stage Manager which is the job I did before kids and have done on and off ever since! So things are looking up. :)

I have also been busy making some recycled crisp packet pouches. I made a batch of them ages ago and took them to a craft fair where they sold really well and I have finally got round to making some more to list on Folksy.

Here a few photos, yay! I also took some photos, maybe I have been busy after all!

x

Paaaarty!

Hubbeh has had to take the good camera to work today, so I am not able to take any more improving product shots. I have, however, taken some photos today with my takes-rubbish-photos-indoors camera because my youngest son is having a birthday party on Saturday and for some mad reason I thought I would make some little fabric party bags instead of buying plastc ones. So I thought I would share some photos. I had to make them today or I would be out of time hence the rubbish shots!

I thought it would be a nice idea to have a bag that could be reused rather than the highly detailed plastic character bags which I always think would be great to reuse (for what though?) but they are always disappointingly thin and don't last. So here is my effort shown in slightly blurred photos - maybe I could call them arty??

I was quite pleased because labour aside between the fabric etc that I already owned and 'Poundland' (yay!) I managed to make and fill 12 fabric party bags for less than £10 AND I have a few sweeties left over for myself - just don't tell anyone :-)









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Distraction Techniques

You know when you were sitting exams and you spend more time drawing the the perfect revision timetable and *most important* colour coding it, than you actually spend on the revision part? Well I feel I am doing that.

The boys went back to school this week so I am suffering my alarm clock and the compulsion to get up early *grizzle* I am also trying (again!) to get myself into gear. I have been listing items in my Folksy shop and just yesterday, started tidying out my craft stuff. In fairness it has come to the point that there are piles and piles of useful stuff but no room in which to use it all, so I though a tidy was in order. Then I will make some more stuff. Maybe.

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Trying, I Am!

Well I am still here plodding along. We have had really terrible rain for days and days and days, when the weather is miserable I really can't get worked up about anything which is a pity as there is loads I could do. I think my shops, in particular my Folksy shop is looking a little sparse. so I need to get on with taking some photos and putting up more stock. I need some daylight for that ideally.

I have managed to list some things on Ebay so I have achieved something but doesn't feel like much. Bet it will be raining when I have to visit the Post Office with my Ebay parcels though!

x

Easing Back

Well I am slowly trying to ease myself back into some sort of routine, a bit difficult when the boys are off school but I can try.

I have a few ideas for some new products but they are more craft fair items than online items so I may hold off on them just now. I have ton of stuff to put up on Ebay and I am also thinking of opening a craft destash shop as the amount of craft stuff I have that just sits around is getting out if hand.

I also have some exterior house painting to do but the rain doesn't seem to stay away for long enough to get that done either!

Well that is my plans, hope everyone has a nice weekend :-)

x

Holiday Blog

I am currently having a wonderful holiday with my family in Cornwall.

We have had lots of gorgeous weather I think we have been really lucky.

The internet connection I am using is very intermittent so I need to keep this brief.

Hope everyone is having fun where ever you are.

Just Listed

I have just listed this set of recycled button drawing pins on Folksy.



You can see them HERE

Also pleased that it is a sunny day today and I have my washing hung out hurrahs! I am awaiting a delivery of a garden bench too. We have cleared a bit of the garden and made it into a bit of a sheltered spot and we are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bench to finish it off and allow me to have cups of tea in the garden - one of my most favourite things :-) I keep obsessively checking the parcel tracking and I just know it will arrive whilst I collect the boys from school!

Hope the sun is with you today.

x

Busy Busy

Today is Wednesday but it feels like it has should be Friday. Why? I have been busy! Yes me. Not only the usual cooking and cleaning that is just perpetual in my life. I have spent a fair bit of time sorting out made by val things.

I have had a few sales recently through my online shops which has been great and given me a bit of a boost and recharged my get up and go. I hadn't sold anything for a wee while and when I checked my emails and saw the first sale I actually got a bit of a fright!

So I have sorted out all my receipts just need to square up my bank accounts and then I can do my tax return ::joy::

I have sorted out all the financial bits and bobs from the shop I sell to.

I am trying to spread out all the stock I had made for craft fairs between my various outlets although something makes me nervous about not having a craft fair stock sitting here even although I have no current intentions to do any more fairs so that is all a bit daft. I do however still have a large stock of cards that I need to sell, so I might have to concentrate on photographing and listing them.

I have also been introduced to Stumbleupon through the Folksy Forums. I have signed up, you can find me here Stumble Folksy and here Stumble Misi I appreciate all 'likes' hint hint.

Phew what else? Oh yes I bought myself a book and it arrived today - yay!



I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but I am excited hee hee.

Off to busy myself again.

Take care x

Domestic issues

It is difficult when you work from home and have children to have any time off, isn't it? The boys have been off school and DH has been off work for the last two weeks. I love the boys being off school but it is difficult to have down time, I mean all the domestic stuff still needs done, the cooking , the cleaning, the tidying, I try and get them to help but so often it is easier just to do it myself. I have tried really hard to take a step back these holidays and as a direct result I have just spent actual HOURS tidying, hoovering and dusting two weeks of grime! but hey if it had been one week it would have taken me just as long.

Well the holidays are over, the weather is picking up, I have 'a list' I have 'plans' onwards and upwards off I go to conquer the world!!!......hang on, I'll just have a biscuit first...oh and maybe some tea...

x

Hello!

Well the best laid plans ... I did have a plan, honest, part of that plan was a blog post! I know!

Three weeks ago I woke up unexpectedly in complete agony, I won't bore you with the details but I had muscle and nerve pain in my left shoulder and arm. Long story short I have been in much pain and incapacitated for the best part of three weeks. Still I have pain and numbness but I am working through it and now trying to get on, hence this new post!

As you can imagine I haven't much to show for my the last three weeks, but I have made plans.

I am going to upload more items into my Folksy shop: http://www.folksy.com/shops/madebyval so it is a bit fuller then start promoting that, I need to sort out my made by val landing page, currently it points to my Misi shop but I want to change it so it is a landing page with links to my Folksy shop, Misi shop and Blog.

We are trying to straighten out our garden and build a vegetable plot (potatoes are currently chitting!) so I might add in few gardening posts too.

This year I was determined to learn how to crochet and have actually managed it! Mainly by buying copies of the part work "The Art Of Crochet" I am really enjoying it (currently on issue 11) I have done a few searches and was hoping to find someone Blogging about their Art Of Crochet progress, I have found a few reviews of the first issue but no photos of peoples squares so I thought maybe I would blog a bit about them in case anyone is interested although I might need to crop a couple of them as they are a wee bit wonky in places :blush:

Well that is enough waffle from me, for now.

Stay safe x

Long Time No Blog

Weeeeeeellllllll I am being super rubbish at this blogging lark aren't I?

I have sold a few things through my Misi shop recently which is great, I have had a couple of custom orders too. I have recently sold lots of I Spy bags so today I cut out loads of I Spy 'blanks' which I hopefully will get made and listed early next week. I have started doing fortnightly craft fairs so that is keeping me busy too.

Sorry this is a short post just wanted to pop in in case everyone thought I had fallen off the edge of the earth :-)

x

So Long!

Gah! it has been so long since I blogged. I have been doing lots of bits but nothing major.

I am in the middle of two projects one has been going on for ages which is trying to teach myself to crochet, I have mastered the slip knot and single crochet but can't get the hang of double crochet. I was using a book and the steps aren't very clear so I am getting a bit confused (nothing new there!) I have borrowed two 'How To Crochet' books from the library in the hope that they will have better instructions than my book, but haven't yet had the time to look at them, I have already had them for two weeks!!

My second project is some fabric bunting. Not sure why but I have wanted to make some for absolute ages, not sure what I am going to do with it if it ever gets finished as I am making it pink and girly so can't use it in the boys room. I might just use it to decorate my craft stall at fairs. I have just been staying at my mums for the weekend, she is a quilter so everytime I go I sneek away some of her fabric stash! I have my bunting triangles marked out but that is all.

I only have one more week until the boys are back at school so I am trying to make the most of having no schedule.

Have just listed these button push pins on Misi if you want a looky!


Click Here To Visit My Misi Shop - Thanks!

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