A Jammy Black Friday.

Hiya Folks.

Today is Black Friday with discounts galore online so I am joining in at my wee Etsy shop with a 15% discount on all orders placed today.

At the checkout use the code JAMMYBLACKFRIDAY15 and you will instantly receive a discount.

Just this week I have added a new brooch design for feeling Festive this holiday season.

With a choice of three button berries as I couldn't decide on a favourite.  I still can't and I am struggling to choose which one I will keep for me.

Click on the 'Etsy' link above or on the shop link on the top and side of the main page.

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Find me as @jammypudding on Instagram and Twitter.

*NEWS* My Etsy brooch shop is OPEN!!

As I said in my last post I have been beavering away, sewing and generally getting organised and finally I can say my Etsy shop is opened.

Click here to go looksee or follow the shop link under my profile on the right of this page.

X

Beavering away....

I have been such a busy bee lately preparing for the opening of my Etsy shop jammypudding next week. Investing a not insubstantial amount of pennies on supplies and sewing like a wee trooper to build up stock.

These are what I am selling...

Lovely (if I do say so myself) felt brooches.

Some of the designs go way back to 2010 and I have been making them as gifts ever since but finally decided it was time to share my love of brooches with any one willing to part with their hard earned pennies for them. I'm selling them already on Instagram (since yesterday) and am pleased to say that I have sold some already. It feels lovely actually. Lovely that someone wants them, lovely that I made them with my (sh*t, less than 5 weeks till 40 year old) hands.  Lovely that I feel competent I know what I am doing and am organised. Lovely to spend lots of time sewing, watching Heroes on LoveFilm and it feeling like a job.
To be fair lately it has stopped me furfilling other creative urges but I am nothing if not committed so I kept at it even though I have a list of wishes and WIPS as long as my arm. It just feels like the right time.

So I am taking photos to edit, ready to list on Etsy very soon so if you are looking for a wee gift for yourself or another come have a looksee when I open.
Or if you are in need right now get in touch, (contact details at the top of this page).

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Find me on Instagram and Twitter as jammypudding.

A crafty Fishy sale.

Tomorrow (5th February 2013) the amazingly talented and super seller KirstyFish, is having her annual sale day across her Etsy shops.

If you haven't shopped with her before then tomorrow should be the day to go looksee at the things she has to offer and with FREE UK POSTAGE from 8am to 8pm, how can you resist.

At her BigFish shop you can find buttons and ribbon and felt balls and buttons and ribbon, oh and did I mention BUTTONS!!! And I mean lots and lots to choose from. Just quote FREEUK at checkout.

At her FuzzyFish shop you can find felt in many (and I mean many) colours, acrylic (my felt of choice) or wool blend or lambswool. If there is a particular shade you are looking for I could pretty much guarantee you will find it here. Just quote FREEUK at checkout.

The shop you will drool over if you love Christmas is Kirsty's SnowFish shop. It is jam packed filled with AMAZING decorations all designed and handmade by the lovely lady herself. Just quote FREEUK1 at checkout.

These are my go to shops for felt and buttons and I love the lady herself.  Go looksee at Kirsty's blog for more details and tempting shop photos and do yourself a favour and grab bargain £1 bag goodies LISTED THROUGHOUT SALE DAY or simply shop and save postage in the UK.

LovePaperFish - SALE TUESDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 2013 - 8AM-8PM - UK FREE POSTAGE USING CODE FREEUK (FREEUK1 AT SNOWFISH) AT CHECKOUT.

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A winter remedy!

I don't know about where you are but the weather here in my wee bit of Scotland is seriously driech, it's horrid out there *update at 11am - it's snowing, lots!!!!*  I need something to counteract this grey dull sky.  Something to banish the winter blahs.  I need COLOUR and that's why, tomorrow I will be running like a woman who just spotted a naked Robert Downey Jr (OMG Imagine!!!!!!)  towards my favourite Etsy shops for a SALE. 

Yes really a SALE for one day only.......

....at the gorgeous (could stare into those pretty eyes for hours), uber talented, super seller, button temptress, Goddess that is  

KirstyFish!!!!  

I love her shops so much, they are one stop shops for buttons, the bestest felt ever, amazing needlebooks (I could have half a dozen easy!), bunting, brooches, pin pots, ribbons, trims and anything else that takes my fancy and trust me, much does.

Kirsty shares, she wants us all to have buttons and ribbon and felt because she's passionate about what she does and she does 'that' with unburdened creativity and flair.  Her designs are original and simply lovely, like the Lady herself.

I desire many good things for her so buy, buy my pretties with abandon.  You won't be able to stop yourselves and those of you who have shopped with her already, buy more.  You know you want to!

Here are the details you need to know.  The sale is on tomorrow, Tuesday 8th February from 8am to 8pm with FREE POSTAGE on UK orders only and at two of Kirsty's shops ...

www.etsy.com/shop/BigFish

www.etsy.com/shop/paperfish

..not at the FuzzyFish (felt) or SnowFish (christmas goodies) shops.  Getting free postage is huge and I for one will be there with my purse open and ready to spill into hers.

Go to Kirsty's blog for details straight from the Fish's mouth and please Fishy let me know if I've missed something or got something wrong.

X

The 52 Marvellous Makes Madness Challenge - Weeks 11 and 12!

Bear with me people, I'm playing catch up!

Week 11's make isn't quite complete but I have been waiting to post about them for so long I gave up and will finish them off [attach to twine] in time to hang on the hall banisters for Santa to see.   

Here are the crucial components of my Felt Christmas Tree Garland...

I chose to sew on multi-coloured beads inspired by the fairy lights of my youth and of course there shall be bells, always bells!

Week 12 brought a housewarming gift for a lovely lady who was very complimentary even though my stitches were very like a spiders trail having stepped in ink.  She also was kind enough to send me this photo of it adorning her wall because, well...duh!!! I completely forgot to take one of it myself.

(image used with the permission of the lovely kirstyfish - check out some of her photos here)

The fabric is a gorgeous dark pink from a Tilda range, Rose 6.  I may have to make one for myself for my wee craft corner.  Here is another photo Kirsty sent me and I wanted to share this gorgeous angel with you (hope you don't mind Fishy)...

 ...isn't it, sorry she delightful?  Check out Snowfish at Etsy but be quick, I may beat you to it!

Can I say a warm thank you to all of your lovely comments on my lemon cake, I'd gladly send a slice to you all.  Tanya, you Temptress!  Buttons for cake.......ah!  Can you send cake in the post?

X

An Easter Giveaway.......it's time!

****NOW CLOSED****

Morning to you all.  Does anyone else feel *wrong* because the clocks have changed?  I feel like I got dragged from bed kicking and screaming in the middle of the night.  My body clock feels totally off.  The sun has gone off on a mini-break too.  It started pouring here yesterday five minutes after I put the washing out on a nice Spring day, the sun was out.  Obviously his bags were packed and he was waiting at the car to go.  The heavens opened, serious, proper rain and it hasn't really stopped since, snow is predicted up here tonight and tomorrow.  So it's feeling very un-Spring like here but never fear I have just the thing............

photo used with the kind permission of Julie Williams, Little Cotton Rabbits.  All rights reserved.

....an Easter Parade of these little laddies and lassies.  Don't they scream SPRING?  I love these bunnies.  I love their ickle faces and their spring-y jumpers.  I love Little Cotton Rabbits as do most of the world as far as I can gather.  Getting your hands on one of Julie's creations is like trying to find gold dust.  As soon as any of her animals or cakes appear in her shop they sell instantly so the shop is almost always empty but that is OK.  Julie is not a knitting machine and she appreciates the demand out their for her creations as she has recently opened a lottery so more people have a chance of buying something.  Now I cannot offer you one of Julie's Bunny Egg Cosies, one knitted by her (as seen above) but I can offer the next best thing.  Cosies, knitted by me from Julie's original pattern available here.  They are lovely to knit and it's wonderful to see them coming to life as you knit and sew them up.

I am offering the winner two bunny cosies, one boy and one girl, in stripey jumpers, plus other Easter goodies  including chocolate, there has to be chocolate.  I may even give a second prize of one cosy plus goodies. 

In true Blue Peter style, here's one I made for me earlier........

let me introduce..

Isn't she adorable?  

I tweaked the design of the jumper for me as I love spots but the giveaway ones will be stripey like the original pattern designed by Julie Williams.  I have some lovely new wool perfect for spring.

So all you have to do to win is leave a comment on my blog telling me what you love about Spring  before the end of Easter Monday (5th April), GMT and I'll pick a lucky winner on Tuesday 6th by which point I'll be a year older and fatter as I am getting a huge Lindt Lindor Easter Egg because it's my birthday on Easter Sunday. 

Good luck!

X

What is it about a cupcake?

Really though, what is it about a cupcake?  Is it all that heavenly spongy cakeyness packed into miniature? Yes! Definitely!  Is it the wealth of designs and variations; cupcakes for children, cupcakes for grownups?  For me it's cupcakes for all.  Yes, yes and YES!

I love a cupcake!

Whether it be knitted like these.......

 

.........or felty like this one made by Alex from LimeMoose at Etsy.

or fabric like the one I bought recently from Kitty Eden at Folksy......

or giant edible ones like this........

....or regular edible ones.  

I love a cupcake!!

I love to choose the cases for them, purist white, spotty, Halloween, Christmas, silver, gold, pastel or chocolate brown. Which recipe? Vanilla, chocolate, moreish lemon stuffed with added lemon curd.  I love to  bake them, have a rummage in my baking drawers (Oh-er Mrs!!) deciding how to decorate them, Royal Icing or American Style Frosting? Which colour? Sprinkles, smarties, glitter, hundredsandthousands, sugar flowers, wafer roses, coconut (my favourite! I'm drooling!), sweeties; broken or whole, crumbled Flakes or crushed Maltesers..........the possibilities are endless.

I can go Girly for a friend, refined to shabby chic for afternoon tea or my favourite; either myself or my boys going a little or a lot OTT with a bit of everything.

I have forgotten something I hear you say, the best part of it all!  The unwrapping of that paper case to reveal the cupcake in all it's glory, from the first nibble to the licking of the icing adhered to the case.

Aaaah!! She sighs!

So today I opted with creative input, if not actual physical endeavor, from my boys, to celebrate Christmas Selection Boxes and Celebrations/MiniHero tins. Not forgetting a little Girliness for me!

Mrs B I chose the stand to show what incredibly good taste we share!

It's not just any cake stand, it's a M&S cake stand!

 .......and after.

 

 

packed away......

(like that lasted for a few seconds after the photos, my boys were there scoffing before the icing was set!)

and the bowl ready for licking, I barely got a teaspoons worth............still it's all about the cupcake!.....but I also love a biscuit particularly any of these..........

...or any, really. NOT Garibaldi's....Y.U.C.K!
Or a fabby brooch to wear on a cardi like this one that came today from HomemadeHome at Folksy...

You can also get a jammy dodger and a bourbon and I will have to at some point I'm sure.

I love a cupcake and I love a biscuit but which is better? There's only one way to find out........

FIGHT!!

X

Could you have guessed a post about cupcakes and biscuits would be a long one?

I made a boob..............

.....quite literally.  You'll see!!

 

An innocent iced bun with a cherry on top, I'm sure you agree!!

Until you do this.....

And people will.

The bun will be...excuse me for this, there is no easy way to describe.. handled, played with and squeezed, as in the nature of cute stuffed knitted things.

Suffice to say this particular colour combination will not be duplicated especially after discussing with Hubby and his comments about it being cold out! 

No this particular colour combination will not be duplicated!!

X

p.s the pattern comes from cakescakescakes at etsy.  It knits up wonderful Christmas puddings with the help of Little Cotton Rabbits free knitted holly pattern.

p.p.s Billabong the mad and youngest biscuit, just cause mummy is talking about it does not give you permission to make boob talk.  You hear me?? Good boys!!

Just wanted to share...........

............these lovely photos of my boys enjoying sparkler fun.

 

 

My eldest out in the garden in his jimjams unable to go to his Cubs Bonfire Night because of being poorly, we made do.  He's never been ill for such a length of time before and although he's back at school this morn he is still not 100%.

I have no idea how my Hubby took these.  He used some mad setting on the camera.  I don't know what most of them do!

We also celebrated my mum's 60th birthday this weekend with a meal for her..............

I do love a laid table.  Don't you?

 

 

......of Chicken stuffed with Haggis and Black Pudding, wrapped in Bacon, Creamy Pepper Sauce, Roasters, Boilees and lots of Green Veg.  Followed by a Chocolate Lime Cheesecake from Nigella Bites.  It was delicious, if I do say myself!  The napkin rings are a purchase from chachkedesigns at Etsy.  I love them and managed to find the perfect flowers to go with them.

I also baked her a cake which felt like my first 'proper' one.  I have made many a novelty cake for my boys in the shapes of things like a Tardis, the Mystery Machine, a Ben 10 Omnitrix and the like, but that feels like playing with plasticine, this was from a Peggy Porschen recipe and even had marzipan in it for goodness sake.  I am very pleased with how it turned out and it tasted really good.

I have been asked to make a wedding cake for a friend next summer so this was a starter cake and I will be baking a tiered one for my parents-in-law's ruby annniversary in January as another practice run.  I have to say it's not something I would like to do as a living or set up as a business.  It's fun but only, I feel, for friends and family.  I don't think I'd enjoy the pressure of exacting standards required by the public.  I like knowing if it's not perfect my loved ones won't mind.  I have never had a disaster but am a bit of a perfectionist and am never completely satasfied with the end result.  I always think I could have done something better.  I bet I'm not the only person out there like that!!

It's a beautiful, bitterly cold, frosty day here in my part of Scotland today and I took lovely photos to share on my way home from school but my camera batteries died so I will show them tomorrow.

Ali X

The little things.........

I was thinking that to post a blog today would be pointless.  Does the world need to hear I AM STILL ILL?  This cold have become a Charlton Heston epic.  My youngest is back at school so one down, one to go.  My eldest is STILL on the sofa but today I am allowing him to play the Wii all day if it'll stop him reminding me every five seconds that he hates being ill.  I need to get better......it's my mums 60th this weekend.  I have a special family meal planned and a cake to make and tables to plan etc etc........so I am trying to feel positive and find pleasure in the little things and try REALLY hard to ignore the negative so....whilst toying with the idea of writing or not I noticed on my blog I have a follower. GASP!  I get lovely comments from the lovely Feltgirl ( I love that name, it's a super hero name! A super sewer hero name!) but I have at least one OTHER person who reads my blog.  GASP AGAIN!  Another person who's name I recognize, a talented lady who sold me a fab knitting pattern for a cherry bakewell and at who's new shop at Etsy (crazydazyknits), I was looking at only yesterday, at those gorgeous knitted gingerbread men thinking will I.....?  Have I time for another Christmas knit to add to the list?

I am thrilled and feeling just a little bit better about this horrid cold that has decided to live with me with neither request nor invitation and won't leave regardless of polite hints and hard kicks to the bottom.

Ali X

I heart nellie&elsie!

My postman brought me something AMAZING again today, something from Etsy which is always a good thing. Something from someone very talented, from someone lovely, from nellie&elsie and I LOVE nellie&elsie. The items are always wrapped in old dressmaking patterns with such care. I am so lucky. Take a looksy.....

and inside, something made just for me, requested by me from a similar one I saw on the nellie&elsie blog site.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It's a lovely tote and really big. I also received the pictured below Mr Darcy button. I have been waiting for these to appear in the n&e shop so I could buy one ( isn't it delightful?) but I was given it as a gift for being 'such a wonderful customer'. How sweet is that? I am so grateful and touched. Thank you special lady!!!

Here I am wearing a previous purchase of an Austen Corsage cleverly made from pages of Emma. I love the items in this shop and if I could I would send the world there to buy from such a deserving Etsian. Everything is so romantic. I love books so being able to wear one as decoration is a wonderful thing. I put it on today to cheer me up as even though the house gets terribly noisy when my boys are off school, when the weather is wild and they are bickering over Lego Star Wars on the Wii because they don't want to brave the outdoors, they are back at school today and the house is oh so quiet and oh so still and it always takes a little time to adjust. My package has definitely helped so with a heart filled I'm off to bake devilish Chocolate Muffins from my favourite indulgence cookbook, the Hummingbird Bakery book.

Ali

Birthdays and hangovers!!!

Now do not be mistaken, it was not MY birthday!!

It was my youngest Son's sixth and after two cakes (one home, one party; it made sense at the time) biscuits and a party I was in need of refreshment.

Unfortunately I was distracted from the quantities of red wine consumed by my large glass, (this is my default excuse!) my knitting and Jason Bourne. Suffice to say, today I am a little hungover and I am too old for hangovers!!!!!

Aren't the colours beautiful?

My dearest friend has a birthday tomorrow and I still have lots of knitting to finish and a huge cupcake to bake courtesy of my new purchase from Lakeland and it's still the October break from school so my boys' are around distracting me.............so I went begging to my beloved Gaggia.....

.....and ate the obligatory slice of party cake.

Now I must not let myself get distracted by my favourite blogs or my favourite drug... sorry I meant site, Etsy! If only!!!!!!!

Ali