Introducing Claude

With the craft fair on Saturday rapidly approaching there has been some frantic activity to replenish stock going on in this house over the past couple of evenings... introducing the newest members of the sock family... Russell and Ramone.

And Emile, Henri and Claude. These three are smaller than the others being made from baby socks, because one of them is going to have to fit in a rucksack for the next ten months....

Following Angela's excellent suggestion, Joe is going to be taking a sock creature on his travels and has chosen Claude. He's looking a bit anxious... worried that Joe might make him do something scarey like bungy jumping... (never mind that Mum might be worried about Joe doing something scarey like bungy jumping... just tell me after the event... okay?)

To get him used to going out, Joe and I took him out for lunch today... he quite likes cider!

But is not so sure about the sprouts... "please don't make me eat them all."

Tomorrow Joe and Claude are off to Brazil. We expect to see lots of photos of your adventures ... but no looking at the girls on the beach Claude!

P.S. Thank you for your kind and concerned comments after the last post... as you can see... normal insanity has been restored!

Christmas... and Mr Sock's vacation!

For one reason or another yesterday was not a great day for me... family tensions, tiredness, emotion at Joe's imminent departure and huge problems with Jacob giving me a hard time regarding school but thought I would share our early Christmas which for the most part was an enjoyable and lovely day....



Here are Joe and my stepson James at dinner, getting into the spirit by wearing their cracker hats. In keeping with the occasion, as the family went home our friends arrived and we spent the evening playing Pictionary which has become a bit of a Christmas tradition in our house. This is Sam, Joe and our friend Kirsty.



The winning team... Ben, Jacob and Kirsty's Mum Patsy.

And finally the two I had on my team... Ally and Stewart... both looking like they've had (at least) one too many!! Think I was at a serious disadvantage here!

I think the centre of attraction though was definitely the newest member of the family, my brother and sister-in-law's new puppy, Gemma. Here she is stealing Barley's ball. Not sure he is very impressed!

She finally flaked out. I can't believe Barley used to be that tiny and cute... he seems huge by comparision.

I'm not one to stay low for long and the following pictures arrived last night which definitely brought a smile back to my face. A brief explanation...

Last year I met my friend Jude at the Knitting and stitching show at the NEC. Whilst wandering around Jude spotted a book called "Stupid Sock Creatures" which caused us both to completely crack up with laughter. So for her birthday last November I made her "Mr Sock"... which was my first ever sock creature and the inspiration for my recent sock creatures. Mr Sock has been following my blog and noting his various family members that have been appearing and as a result has decided to go public! So here are his holiday snaps from his recent vacation to Lanzarote... (photos and captions courtesy of Jude and Steve)

"Mr Sock covers up" (swimwear Mr Sock's own)

"Mr Sock, Poolside"

"Mr Sock Au Naturel"

"Mr Sock gets down and dirty with the swimming pool hose... "

On that note, I think it's time to finish... be back soon!

Diva Dolls

I'm not long back from the second day of the Diva Doll class and as promised here are some of the students' dolls in progress. This colourful chap has been a weight lifter, an old fashioned swimmer and finally (we think) a trapeze artist as the day has progressed and various bits have been added! I think he is fabulous!

This is Stephanie's witch, looking more glamourous by the minute! She has got arms and legs but they are not attached yet!

And these are some more heads that Stephanie made since the first class... wonderful faces!

These three are a selection from the others... all quite unique with their own personalities. All the students have promised to send me photos of the finished dolls so I'm looking forward to seeing them completed.

Finally this is the doll I started at the last class... my "African Queen". I had hoped to get her finished today but I was having a lot of problems with the coffee coloured fabric fraying quite badly which was causing the seams to split when I stuffed the limbs... as you can imagine it was very frustrating and the the air was quite blue! Here she is minus limbs. I've now got to think how I might finish her using a different fabric as she was going to be bare limbed with lots of beading. Though when I'll find time for that I don't know... don't hold your breath!

As for now... I've got a Christmas dinner to start preparing. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

More Surprises!

The postman brought more lovely goodies today. This beautiful Dotee Angel arrived from Julie. We are doing an angel swap but I've not sent mine yet... it is on its way Julie... I promise! She is gorgeous and will be out all year not just for Christmas.

And she didn't arrive alone... Julie also sent some blue silk (wonderful colour!) and some lovely lace and the whole lot was wrapped in some very pretty tissue. Every last scrap will be put to good use so thank you Julie... I'm feeling very lucky this week.

Another parcel arrived today... This mug from the Fibre and Stitch team... which reminds me... Issue 2 is out very soon containing an article by... ME! (I am very excited by that!) Don't forget to check it out if you don't already subsribe. Lots of lovely articles and information.

One of the reasons I've been so busy this week is that I've been finishing off a doll for the second part of the "Diva Doll" class I'm teaching in Baldock on Saturday. Regular blog readers may recall seeing her in an incomplete state... so proof that I do sometimes finish things (see... another surprise!) She is based on the poem " A Warning" by Jenny Joseph. So let me introduce... Granny Annie... "wearing purple with a red hat which doesn't go". I'll post pictures of the students' dolls next week.

Also I've got another craft fair in just over a week in Reach, Cambridgeshire, so busy trying to replenish stock for that - lots more sock creatures! Details are on the poster below. I think this will be quite a good fair if you are anywhere near the vicinity. Plus of course, Cambridge is very close by, which is always worth a visit.

As if this wasn't enough, I'm trying to keep abreast of the Opus work (still doing lots of drawing) and this Sunday we're having a big family dinner. Joe (son no.3) is off travelling for ten months as part of his gap year and he leaves next Thursday so as he will be away for Christmas we are having Christmas dinner a bit early. Thought that might let me off the hook on December 25th but somehow I don't think I'll get away with that one. So on Sunday there will be the six of us, Stewart's son James, my Mum and Dad, my brother and sister in law... and their puppy! Complete with roast turkey and all the trimmings, christmas crackers and of course... my new dotee angel!

Barmy?

It's been a crazy few days with no time for blogging or much else but after another long day in London yesterday I came home to find the postman had delivered a parcel... always cause for great excitment but especially as I knew this was from Lesley. I recently won the draw for her 50th post on Lesley's blog.

Inside was this fabulous bag, which I knew I was getting... but I didn't expect all the other wonderful surprises and goodies....



This is the lining of the bag... a brilliant Rupert Bear print. That took me back a few years I tell you. My brother used to have Rupert Bear Annuals.



Then there were all sorts of other fab things... some crochet trims, a fabric corsage, a needle felted pumpkin and some sweeties... all will be put to very good use...

... but best of all, this amazing crocheted apron... who would have made such a thing.... and WHY??? So here I am donned out in my lacy pinny about to do the dusting (if you believe that you'll believe anything!) Bet you're impressed that my feather duster matches the apron... so am I as I haven't a clue where that came from!! Sorry about the quality of the photo but it's not easy taking pictures while you're dusting... especially when you are as inexperienced at the activity as me! Thank you Lesley... you made my day. Stewart's comment was... " Are all the people who write these blogs as barmy as you?"... mmmmm... yes!



Nothing much else new here except these pin cushions. Julie posted a picture of one she had made recently (you can find a tutorial here) and inspired by the cherry buns in my last post I couldn't resist some cherry bun pin cushions. Small problem... they are made from bottle tops and we are very much a family of tea, water (from the tap) and wine drinkers so I didn't have any bottle tops. But you will be amazed how many plastic bottles are dumped by the side of the road. The family have finally despaired of me this week as I've stopped and collected all the discarded bottles in the area... including some rummaged from the recycling bins... no wonder they think I'm barmy!

Village Life

Not much "crafty" activity going on here over the past couple of days... although I have been sneakily pinching the left over Halloween chocolate so I suppose that's pretty crafty? However I have been doing loads of drawing and some baking...

One of the many wonderful things about village life is the huge range of activities that take place. We have a population over just a little over 1000 but we have a church and a primary school, playgroup and toddler group, Cubs and Brownies, a tennis club, a bowls club, a football club and cricket club, an active Amateur Dramatic Society (of which I'm a member... now you didn't know that did you!!!) and numerous other charity groups and evening activities. So this week was the monthly meeting of the over 60s (Ha! I can be a member in ten years time) and it was my turn on the rota to bake "A cake to be cut into twelve pieces"... so this was it... a coconut and cherry cake. My Grandad used to make a cake like this when we were little which was called "Tottenham cake". Not sure why except he used to live in Tottenham... but I digress!

There was some left over mixture so we got some cherry buns... bonus! The other lovely thing about our village is the wonderful Conservation Area and woods which are directly behind our house. Many years ago I used to live in Massachusetts where at this time of year the Fall foliage is stunning, but I think our local view is equally beautiful. The sun was so bright today the colours look muted in the photograph but they were the most beautiful rich reds, oranges and yellows.




And to prove it... a close up of the leaves on the cherry trees. Hope you all have a lovely weekend... I'm off to London tommorow for the Opus Milleneum lecture by Gavin Fry.

Settling in nicely....

I'd like to introduce...

Trinny and Suzannah...

Gilbert and George...

Porgy and .... ooops!

Bess was still have stuffing inserted at the time of the photoshoot!

The Charity Christmas fair went well last night and several of the Silly Sock Creatures are now settling in very nicely in their new homes... which means I've got just over two weeks to replenish stocks before the next fair which will be in Reach, Cambridgeshire on Saturday 17th November... I'll post more information about that soon for those of you within travelling distance.

I've also been working on some more Dotee Dolls and these are my Dotee Angels which might make their way into some Christmas parcels if I find time to make more!