Sorry.....

Sorry, no post today: I was nursing a nasty cold all day and the internet is playing up.  See you tomorrow  :(

Around the Blogs in 80 Days: Day Four

It’s done.  It’s done and I’m jumping with joy.  This is my first patchwork and I’m soooo proud.  I’ve only unpicked twice.  Okay, three times.  Alright, I admit it: four times  :D

  It was a lot of fun to make and my full admiration and respect goes to all of those who love and practice this craft.  I’ll definitely add patchwork to my hobbies. 

  This picture of a tiled floor was taken a few months ago, when I visited Birmingham Museum. I used it to create my masterpiece, teehee  :D

Step one: I’m planning

Step two: I’m happily sewing  :)

Step three: I’m thrilled  :D

And here is the back view  :)

Thank you, The Happy Quilter, for the inspiring posts.

So, onto day four of my journey.  I would love to know about your blogs; please introduce me to your hobbies: I would love to have a go, and so far I’m loving it.  And the invitation is open if you want to join me in my journey; it would be a pleasure to have your company.

  My next stop is at One Man’s Journey in Jewelry Making.  His posts shine with creativity, and I can’t help but want to go and read through the rest.  I’m going to have a go at making some jewellery of my own. So, wish me luck  :)

Around the Blogs in 80 Days: Day Three

You can lure me very easy by Art and crafts, and of course cookies. Today, my daughter, mum and I went to the Botanic garden of Leicester University. Besides the art and Craft Displays, there were lots of stalls to visit and I was more than Eager to do so.

   The atmosphere of the Fete was great. The Ground was dotted with people having fun. The cafe was inside the big House, which I think was once a home of some very, very, very rich people, and outside on the terrace there were Instruments of the Jazz band that later on started playing some sweet music whilst we drank juice, sitting on the grass.  The Kids’ Laughter filled the place and joined in with the Music of the band.  There was a sense of romantic Nostalgia in the air.  

  We then came across a stall full of some Original felt designs that looked simply gorgeous. The Plant stalls were full of beautiful and colourful orchids.  I also picked up a schedule sheet for Quilting classes.  I have never had a go at quilting and it seems like great fun, so I’m up for it.  By this time, my mum was getting tired and we needed to Rest our weary feet, so we sat down near a sculpture called ‘Spiral’.  You can’t help but to feel the presence of this great work of art.  The artist has captured the movement of a spiral perfectly. (sorry, no picture available, I’ll post it soon, I simply have to go back again to this place  :D  )

  Off we went again, and this time we visited the stall for the Leicester Tortoise Society where there was an Unbelievable big African Tortoise, yet it was only a baby.  The Venue was teaming with scents, sounds, and colours that were Weaving around you, creating a Xanadu.

  At the end, we walked back to the cafe and had tea.  What’s a British day out without tea and slice of Yummy Victoria Sponge cake??  We’re back home, my feet are weary and all I want to do now is catch some Zzzzzz’s.

That was my A-Z writing, and boy was it a toughie!  Thank you, Stephanie, reading your A-Z challenge was a pleasure  :)

 

  My next inspiration is The Happy Quilter.  Her blog is very upbeat and light-hearted.  I haven’t finished reading all of her posts, but what I have read so far is beautifully written.  I was especially inspired by her post ‘Is it a Patchwork Quilt?’.  Well, as I said earlier, I have always wanted to have a go at quilting, and this is my chance to put my money where my mouth is.  Wish me luck and let me know about your blog; I’d love to visit you.  Happy quilting   :D

Around the Blogs in 80 Days: Day Two

Today was a busy, busy day.  It started by travelling around the blogs.  It was all going smoothly and happily until my daughter spotted that dreamy, excited look in my eyes.  Yes, I was planning of moving the furniture around the living room.  Do you get this delicious urge to move furniture around??  I do!  Ignoring my daughter’s usual saying of ‘not again, mum’, I carried out the plan and I couldn’t settle down till the entire living room was rearranged.  I then stood in the middle of the room, pleased with myself.

  Ok, now I could get on with my project.  Tracy, you are a brilliant instructor; your instruction video was very thorough.  However, I am terrible at following instructions. Whenever I purchase any thing that requires assembly, I just throw myself into assembling and the factory should never have bothered with printing the instruction booklet.  Most of the time, it is ok, but there are occasions where the dear ex has had to come and rescue the poor item of furniture. 

  Well, this is my version of Tracy’s window envelope pocket:

Step One:  I am pleased

Step Two:  I am happy

Step Three:  I am dancing with joy



Thank you, Tracy; I had a lot of fun trying out your idea.

  My next journey is taking me to another blog that is close to my heart: Stephanie V at Hookin’, Knittin’ & Livin’.  Her writing is full of warmth and strength.  Her stories are uplifting and her language is very smooth.  The more I read, the more I become eager for the next post; it is always a pleasure to listen to her thoughts.  She is a keen observant and her ways have inspired me in so many ways.  My favourite posts were from her A-Z challenge and I would love to have a go at an A-Z challenge that spans 1 day.

  I’m looking forward to posting it tomorrow.  Meanwhile, happy writing and wish me luck and let me know about your blog; I’d love to visit you  :D



'Around the Blogs in 80 Days'

  Inspiration lies all around us, and if we take the opportunity to slow down and just take a little look closer, we will be amazed at how many inspiring people cross our path and enrich our lives.  I’ve been a member of Blogger for a few months now.  During these months, I have ‘met’ some amazing people who have shared with us their hopes, dreams and creations. 

  Well, the plan goes like this: ‘Around the Blogs in 80 Days.’  The idea is that each day, I will visit and talk about what I like in the blog and how it inspires me.  This is a journey, during which I wish to show my gratitude to these people who are truly amazing.

  Today, I wanted to say thank you to Tracy at ‘Tracy’s Treasures’.  She is an inspiring person; her smile always shines through her writing.  Tracy is a very creative person.  I like the cards that she makes and her colouring.  The little anecdotes that she tells us about her family are always sweet and funny, and bring a smile to the heart.  I especially liked the story about the skunk who settled down under her property.   

  I also loved the idea of how she created the window envelope pockets; the idea is so sweet that I want to have a go at it.  Tomorrow, I will post images and let you know how did I get on making the envelope pocket.  Happy Creating  :D

Ok, wish me luck and I would love to know about your blog  :) 



Never Say No to New Ways...

My mum’s favourite hobby is watching TV, especially soaps, movies, the news, sports..... Okay, okay everything on TV.  Well, that has changed and she is knitting.  Yes, my mum is knitting.  The story goes like this:

She came to stay with us for a week.  During this week, my mum started to suffer from TV withdrawal symptoms, so we rushed to the TV store and bought a new TV.  Yeah, I didn’t have a TV: we are old foes, and if you are wondering what happened to it, let’s just say a while ago, it was taken into pieces and placed outside and taken away by the bin men.  Bless its soul.

Well, the week was extended to a month.  I love having my mum to stay with us, but I think I was beginning to suffer from peace withdrawal symptoms with the TV, so it had to gooooooooooooo!   Before it met its fate at the back of the dustbin truck, my mum declared that she can survive without TV, so it was merely switched off.

As the 2^nd week went on, the TV withdrawal symptoms returned and my mum was suffering badly, but she wouldn’t give up, bless her fighting soul.  But a miracle happened and my daughter managed to convince her mama (grandma) to take up knitting.  My mum, knitting???  I needed to see this before I believed it.  However, she proved me wrong and she started to learn.

The cliché is that mothers teach their daughters to knit, but in my case I was teaching my mum to knit, and I was so proud to teach her.  Learning and laughing has given our relationship a different dimension and I love my mum’s sense of humour and her kind nature. She is 75 years old, but she never says no to new ways.  Now, after a month, she loves knitting and she is hoping to knit a blanket.  Way to go, mum, I love you.  Yes, the TV is still OK. We just watch it from time to time.

This is my mum’s first finished creation.  Yes, I know what you’re thinking.  As a matter of fact, we started by few loops, as seen at the base, but by a miracle of God, some more few loops were added to the work.  I said miracle of God because my mum insists that she has added up no more loops and she was only knitting the original ones.  So, when she saw the finished product, she said “praise the Lord, by miracle of God, the little blanket has turned into a lookalike of the map of the United States of America.”  You see, knitting miracles still happen.

I love you, mum  :D xoxo

By the way, I have a new collection in my Etsy shop; Happy Shopping  :D

It all started with the closing of route A6...

 

  The journey started with us going to Chatsworth House for a picnic.  For those who don’t know, Chatsworth House is a grand hall in the Peak District of Derby, and was once the home of John F. Kennedy’s little sister, Kathleen.  It’s one of those grand houses that I adore, where the aristocrats live and we imagine how our lives would be if we lived there.  My mother always says “rich people have money, and poor people have imagination and that’s a fair deal”, do you think so?... Up till now, I still can’t make up my mind how fair this deal is.

A view of Chatsworth House

  Ok, so that was the plan, but, because of a massive (and I mean MASSIVE) fire at a plastic recycling warehouse, there was a diversion on the road, enforced by the Police.  Well, we diverted as good citizens do in this situation.  The only problem, we were miles and miles and miles and miles... and miles from our next route to Chatsworth House.  So we settled down for the nearest option: Matlock Bath (it’s a name of a town, not the wash bath).  Now that is clear, I can show you some HANDSOME pictures.

  The landscape is very hilly and breathtaking.  The road is narrow, and believe me, the only thing you can compare it to is a theme park rollercoaster... just this one has speed cameras. 

You think this is a drop? Wait till you see the next photo.

  There was a huge massive drop ahead, just take my word for it, because I don’t have any photo to prove it because, at this time, I was clinging to the wheel for my dear life, while my daughter thought it was hilariously funny and started to whoop and abandoned the task of taking photos.

And yet another drop.

And it goes on...

...and it goes on...

...and on...

...hooray, we made it, and just in case we were in doubt whether we have dropped off the end of the Earth, the flags reassured us that we were still in our dear England. FLAT ROAD!!

The place was charming... but this phrase only revealed itself after 2 cups of coffee to calm my nerves.

A war memorial...

...a river...

...a bridge...

...cable cars...

...a random!!!

  Matlock Bath is a haven for motorcycle enthusiasts.

  My daughter loves classic scooters and aims to own one by the time she leaves for university.  Well then, time to check how the piggy bank is doing.

These were the quirkiest ones out of all the motorcycles, but there were also some "whoa!" ones.

 All's well that ends well, our picnic journey started with a plan, followed by a diversion, then a discovery, and ended with a delight :)

TRAIL OF LOOPS...

  Knitting is about order and rhythm.  When I knit, this trail of loops creates a sense of comfort and peace.  The rhythm of my hands and needles channel my thoughts to a path of harmony.  These loops that congeal into patterns and textures fill me up with a sense of pride and contentment.

  Knitting is not a tedious repetition of loop after loop, because each loop is unique.  It is the closest thing to magic. It transforms strings of yarn into creations that witness our feelings, memories, movements and sounds of that special moment.

  Knitting is about passion, connection and love.

  Knitting is about the celebration of a newborn.

  I knitted this little cardi for my friend who is expecting soon.  This is the first time that I have created a pattern for such a small item.  I dearly wish that she and, of course, her little bundle of joy will like it :)

Creations of Beauty are Forever

Happy Easter Everyone

At the start of the month my daughter and I visited Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.  It was a warm sunny day, and although the clouds kept coming and going, they were a welcome shade from the heat of the Sun. 

With the vast land and sense of history, you cannot help but to wonder about the glorious past of this majestic building, and how many carriages have crossed this path, with their glamorous passengers clad in their finest.  The building itself is a testament to the craftsmanship that went into building it. 

Oh, I adore the place; it’s a dream.

I wouldn't have minded living in this place, would you?

Every Paradise has it's Troubles

However, the peace on the water was disturbed when one of the swans decided to chase a goose around what seemed the entirety of the lake.

I hope that these photographs can at least partially convey my passion for this blissful place.