Jan May

by Tugba Kop - do pop over and see the great blog! Who doesn't love cake? And I do believe I've won one of these darling little cupcake brooches above!   Squeal!  I never win anything - more than a tad delighted. (and may I add, I don't remember entering - must have been a wine-fuelled online frenzy) For today's recipe I've gathered together a bowlful of my scrummy baking, and stirred it up with a collection of delightful baking-inspired sewing creations from a variety of talented fabric artisans. The finished dish? .... I hope you'll agree it's very tasty indeed. INGREDIENTS Cakey makes - all based on recipes from "Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery. Quite easily the best cake book in my possession (and I have an awful lot of them). Easy to follow recipes that never fail to deliver. Sewing aside, my other passion is cooking. I'm happiest when throwing something together in the kitchen - and if accompanied by a bit of rock music and...

Today's theme - Must contain a triangle

A delicate Hydrangea bloom, captured in threads. To create this embroidery, I have used a stamp to print the image onto fabric. Using Perle threads to outline the flower petals and leaves, I have then added colour to the stitchery by "painting" in the flower using Sharpie markers. I used two shades of pink and a muted blue to give the flower head a realistic appearance. The leaves have been coloured with two shades of green. Something of an experiment, I shall definitely be using this technique again. Working with the pens has taken me straight back to childhood, when I spent hour after hour pored over my treasured Altair design pad. Who would have thought ..... Colouring in for grown ups! To embellish and add a little life to the embroidery, I have added tiny seed beads to the centre of each flower. It works a treat - however threading the beading needle left me crying in frustration. I couldn't even see the eye of the needle - let alone thread it. I'm r...

  Just what is it about jars that makes them so darling? Let's face it.... they're pretty boring objects really.  A bit of moulded glass with a lid on top.  Yet - however boring they may be, dare I admit I have a bit of a jar fetish?  (to add to the ever growing lists of things I simply can't do without).  Perhaps I like them for their simplicity, their usefulness, their style.  Or maybe because so many can be collected by recycling them - hence qualifying as freebies! Cheap-skate - Moi?  I'm not the self-proclaimed Car-Boot sale Queen for nothing! There are so many different styles to choose from.  Plain ones, coloured ones, patterned ones.  My husband simply fails to grasp why I go into raptures when I see a pretty jar and feel unable to part with it.   Mason jars, Kilner jars, I love you all.  and yes.... even the humble ol' jam jar gets a big hug from me!  Even before we were encouraged to recycle nigh on everythi...

  Time for me to go now I won`t say goodbye Look for me in rainbows Way up in the sky  In the morning sunrise When all the world is new Just look for me and love me As you know I loved you  Time for me to leave you I won`t say goodbye Look for me in rainbows High up in the sky  from SewMamaSew.com In the evening sunset When all the world is through, Just look for me and love me And I'll be close to you  It won`t be forever The day will come and then My loving arms will hold you When we meet again I've rather fallen in love with this song.  Sung by Vicki Brown, with nothing but piano accompaniment - it is heart achingly beautiful.  Here's the YouTube link which I hope will work!  I hope you like it too. <p>&<span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% yellow;" class="goog-spellcheck-word">lt</span>;p>&am...

 A look back to happy times - when you loved a laugh, and life was normal By the time of my second wedding in 2004, you were diagnosed with dementia - but you  still enjoyed the day and knew who I was. These is the last photo I have of you at home.  You were already very confused, but recognized close family.  3 short months later you had no idea who we were.  Only 4 years ago - it seems like a lifetime. Bless you Mum - I'm so relieved you can finally be at peace. Love you always.

I've made it to day 2 (And just discovered there's rules - so must dash off and take another pic!) Darling Jasmine For those wondering what I'm up to - I'm attempting to post a newly captured photograph every single day of the year.  This wasn't my idea....... all credit must go to Gill Edwards and her blog  Saturday's Child for providing the inspiration.  Do pop over and take a look at her blog, it's a lovely read - and Gill will make you feel very welcome. There I was thinking..... "This will be a doddle".  How easy can it be to snap a picture a day and then post to the blog.  Particularly with the editing app on my phone that posts straight to it. I took a lovely picture in the evening sun last night, posted it - then whilst grabbing links - realised..... there's RULES! That will serve me right for reading blog posts when I'm half awake, and my caffeine meter's running low.  Armed with this new information, I must quick...

For some time I've found myself rather in love with all the lovely colour palette images I find on Pinterest.  I repin them with a certain fervour, with no thought whatsoever what I may do to them. Today whilst twiddling my thumbs and trying to find something to occupy my mind, I thought - "Why not combine some of them into a collage?" And here we are.  A bit of fiddling around with word, the addition of a few text boxes - and voila - an A3 print on canvas, all ready to frame.  It's come out looking really good, it's a shame the photo doesn't do it justice.  The print is crisp and clear, with the colours beautifully muted and toning.  I think this will make a lovely addition to my sewing room.  Now to find a frame!

Day 5 - free choice but this time list 3 reasons why you have chosen it.  I wish you could know I was thinking of you I want to remember the happy times - now so so long ago I'm so frightened of receiving "that" phone-call A bit of a morbid one this.  I'm playing the waiting game today.  I lost my mother to Alzheimers about 5 years ago.  After a decade of declining memory (which began when she was only 57) - that was how long ago she finally failed to recognize me.  Instead I instantly became "Who's that woman?" and the full focus of her hatred and temper on a daily basis, culminating with her attacking me with a knife.  It was at this point 3 years ago, that we knew we could no longer care for her.  She wasn't just a danger to herself, she was a danger to all around her. Since that time, I really thought I'd come to terms with it - and thought I'd gone through the stages of grieving.  I only realised yesterday that I'd ...

Today's theme - a favorite cup or mug Give me a Denby Crafstman mug every time. Coffee tastes so much better in one, and lovely to clasp in your hands. I have several blue and green colourways, but this blue linen mug is my favorite.

Theme - Something to Eat Working all day - so a take-away tea. Chicken shish kebab with chilli sauce and salad.

What to do on a drizzly afternoon when you have no car, an unkeen tween, and precisely 78 pence in loose change rattling around in your purse? I decided I had to do something creative or I'd be up for the world record attempt in hours spent wasted on Twitter in a day.  Looking around for inspiration, I spied the denim jacket that my daughter Sophie had dragged on earlier when we popped out to the Post Office.  It fits her perfectly, but hasn't seen the light of day for months and months.  I don't know what it is about denim jackets.... they never really go out of fashion do they?  I love the style and have several, albeit none are plain denim - I find the colour drains me.  I prefer pastel shades, corduroy or suede.  Anyway, I digress.  Back to the point of the blog! Take one jacket (originally purchased for £1 at a car boot sale) Add A piece of pretty fabric.  A fat quarter would be ample.  I'm using a patchwork wrap-around skirt....