Baa Baa....

So I have been planting lots of things over the past few weeks, starting with dye plants indoors and 

vegetables outdoors.....

My Madder is finally starting to break through!

Veggies

Radishes!

Weld, Coreopsis and Chamomile...

I am really looking forward to being able to use the dye plants/ eat my veggies as I have never had a successful garden of my own before!

As well as all of the greenery going on I have also been acquiring new books again....as if my library isn't full already!

his encyclopedia of superstition was in the bookshop down the road from my house and makes for some very interesting reading!

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce my new (and very unexpected!) pet - Frodo!

I went to collect two lambs from a friend, as we wanted some more bottle-fed lambs at work to go in the animal park over wool week (more info on this coming up!) and this little guy would have been left on his own, so I decided (which took all of 2 milliseconds) to have him as well.  And as work only wanted the two, I very quickly decided to have the third lamb as my own (and that I should call him Frodo)

All of the way home I was thinking 'oh hell what is my husband going to say'...

Needless to say he has now fallen in love with the little critter, as have I.  He is 8 weeks old, but the size of a 1 week old lamb.  He eats and drinks and does his business just fine, but he is a little slow.

He has started getting more active every day and really likes going out in the garden (which I have a holding number for) in the sun and munching on the newly cut grass (which is still pretty dead at the moment).

We even managed to save some pennies on bedding by using the cut grass- which he seems to love!

Here are some cute photos of little Frodo enjoying the sun, and exploring....all together now 'aaaahhhhwwwww'.........

Watch this space for more updates on my cute little pal...as well as some exciting woolly fun!

Getting back into it

After a very long break from blogging and maintaining an internet presence, I am finally finding more leisure time to start and sew/create and blog about it again.....

I have a very large backlog of things I want to share with the world and hope to start working through them slowly.....

Rather than starting in a backwards fashion, I may as well blog about my recent escapades, namely this past weekend at Cilgerran Castle to begin with as it is the freshest event in my mind right now.

This past weekend (11th and 12th May) involved lots of fun, (despite the typical British weather intervening) taking part in a Living History weekend at Cilgerran Castle, Pembrokeshire.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g2316134-d3983917-Reviews-Cilgerran_Castle-Cilgerran_Pembrokeshire_Wales.html

We arrived early on Saturday morning to unpack the war wagon (our tiny Fiat car) and set-up the display.

I then left the men to play hitty-fighty while I zipped up to my Weavers, Spinners, Dyers Guild meeting in Celaeron.

I missed the main talk of the day, however there were some amazing woven braids on display and some Kumihimo braiding kits for sale.  I also bought myself a wooden warping frame, which I am particularly pleased with!!!

After a very brief catch up with my friends at the Guild, I zipped back down to the Castle to finish setting up our display.

We chose to spend the night nearby, rather than get totally soaked camping overnight (a good call I think as our ground sheet was sodden!)

Anyway...I digress...this post is all about the 'Celebrating William Marshall' Day at the castle...

We were all set up and fully costumed up by 10am, after spending the damp morning oogling and drooling over the 4 beautiful birds of prey that were brought to the event by Pembrokeshire Falconry.

There were also several members of the Pembrokeshire WSD Guild present, providing a spinning display and selling their wares in a gazebo opposite our camp - due to the poor weather they left rather early, meaning I was not able to purchase any of the lovely manx loughton yarn they had for sale (sad face!)

Chainmail and Pewter

Frodo the whitefaced owl

Lord Rhys (aka Sean) with Scarlet the red kite

Castle chocolate!

The view from above

A very fun day was had, along with many discussions of future events, I really hope to be able to take part in this event again, and that the plans people have for other local events come to fruition.

Scatterbrain!

My my, well it's been a busy year and without sounding too much like a complete scatterbrain, I have loads of things to upload and blog about, but I will take it one step at a time to avoid overloading everybody (including myself). It's good to be back!

Long awaited update...

Okay so I've missed a month of blogging because school has been so busy...this is going to be a full update with pleanty of lovely piccies to keep you all happy. Firstly, I have been hoarding stuff to paint up now that I have lost my painter's block...I have some cute red bags that i found in charity stores that I am decorating to sell (possibly)...

I have also been doing lots of work at school...I finally got my head around the weird lazer cutter and have tamed it into doing what I want...

These have just been finished today...I have some more coming but they will have to wait until after I go back to school on April 20th.

For Mothering Sunday I helped my Mum set up her own blog for her embroidery work...Thankfully Blogger is so easy to use...My Mum is one of my main inspirations for the work I do so please go check her work out, I have always loved it!

I just received agreat pack of freebee business cards in the post from VISTAPRINT.COM and am really pleased with how they look...I love VISTAPRINT because their service is so professional-looking!

Some more projects that started at school are my new sticker designs that I have put onto brown card ringbinder folders. The vinyl cutter is so easy to use and all the imagery is based in 2D design (which I am now a full whizz at using!) I have some more ideas too but they will have to wait for the term to start again.

I am contemplating buying myself one of these machines...I'm just not 100% sure if I'd use it enough to make it value for money???

Just a shot of the transfer tape used to put the vinyl onto the folders.

Aren't they cute? I can't wait to use them for something- dunno what yet?

These are more blanks for the lolly pen toppers I'm making over on http://www.kickass-peanut.com/, lots of painting to do here...

I also managed to finish my make of the year 9 clock/frame/mirror project. I have taken over teaching this group now and feel better that I have finished the make for myself first. Some of the kids seemed to be impressed so I think I'm doing OK.

Now that I'm on friend terms with the laser cutter I managed to sort out the key ruler I wanted to make too....however this cutter isn't as sensitive as the one in my last school so I may have to pay them a visit...

Some other things I want to get done over the Easter break are my customised shirts...I finally got myself some of the gorgeous RRH fabric and can't wait to get started using it.

On a random note...how cute are these party bags from TESCO! I LOVE THEM! Great for making little gifts that bit more special- they look especially good tied with raffia and with brown paper labels. Sticking with the spots...My collection of cute mushroom items for turning my bedroom into a woodland theme is slowly growing...I bought these little cuties in Conwy when we went to visit my sister a few weeks ago. The plastic mushroom is a night light!!!

I have also gotten some amazing swaps recently (despite being on a swapping break due to a hectic schedule) These have absolutely made my month!!! Look at this RRH matchbox I received!

And another swap partner bought me this phone charm as part of a one week profile bliss swap, she also handmade a RRH tin that is GORGEOUS!

There were also some cute Alice in Wonderland covered buttons...I HAVE to find something nice to put them on!

My new arm warmers that I bought in Hereford the other week when I let my partner drive me there to see family...I hadn't had chance to wear them until this week when we went for a drive to some local castles and Tenby.

We just missed the last entry to carew Castle...I haven't been in here since I was in Primary school so we are definately going to go back soon!

When we got home I started planting my seeds...I'm determined to ressurect my poorly vegetable and herb garden so used my numerous egg cases to plant seeds indoors (avoiding the tempermental weather)

Then somebody decided to help me...

Isn't he turning into a little stunner! I think he's a bit of a poser whenever I get the camera out!

Then he decided to be silly and climb into his 'Spaceship' (Otherwise known as my washing machine!)

*PHEW* so that's the update so far......I have more to add but I will wait until I finish those red bags off and the RRH items that I'm working on.

HAPPY EASTER!

Red Riding Hood and Mushroom Obsession

So as you can see...I've been a bit busy this weekend making Red Riding Hood and Mushroomy items...My craving for Decole has gotten so bad I've had to resort to making my own!

These were some old wooden-topped jars I pinched from my mum's kitchen, I re-decorated them as the tops were PERFECT for muchrooms! The cutlery I got from Oxfam and I decided they needed a bit of sprucing up too!

This is a handpainted necklace pendant that I can't wait to string up and wear! This is SO going to school with me on Monday!

I have been trying to get hold of this Decole ruler for AGES but instead I have made my own version in 2D Design (above) and I can laser cut it on 3mm Ply when I'm back in school...yay for well-equipped departments!

I'm also planning on making myself some other wooden decole-like items now I'm nifty with Techsoft 2D Design...

On the Red Riding Hood theme still...I bought some cheap Pumps from Primark yesterday and really wanted to do them up so I painted them and replaced the laces with ribbon....top pic is them in progress and bottom pic finished (with the cute little blackbird toy I found in a charity shop this morning sitting comfortably on top!)

In Progress...

FINISHED!!! Don't they look cool?!

I also wanted to make my first SHOUT-OUT to Loveanda sandwich from deviantart :

http://loveandasandwich.deviantart.com/

Her AWESOME Yeti Plushies inspired me to make this diary cover so that I never lose it!

Well, that's all for now folks, I've got some Swap-botting to do and Lesson plans to write!

Toodlepip!

Somebody isn't impressed with the cold weather!
Ok so no updates for a few days as I have been busy sorting out my website and things. So on the 28th December I went to the Antiques fair and Flea market at the showground, A lot of nice stuff was way overpriced but I did come away with a few bargains. I got a lovely old wooden box for £5 that I am going to line with pretty fabric and make my sewing box. I also got this cool album for £5 and the great thing is it's EMPTY so I'm going to use it as a sketchbook/notebook/contextual Journal as my other one is completely full.
I also managed to get some old keys that will make lovely jewellery!
If anyone has any old keys like these that they don't want I'd be happy to take them off your hands...email me at hannahbt85@hotmail.com if you think I might be interested in anything you have.

As promised here are some images of the MFD necklaces and Pendants that I have been working on...I was putting them all on Ribbon for photographs but might put them on chains as they are sturdier and the ribbon keeps slipping through the gap in the jump rings. I don't actually have any sort of set-up for selling my MFD products as yet, I'm considering Etsy or maybe even doing an alternate page to my exitsing website shop...not sure yet...

6mm Ply engraved and cut....I want to make these into brooches

Alice in wonderland themed...

Red Riding Hood Bracelet "There's a wolf at the door, are you going to let him in?"

I like the frosted acrylic best of all as it has an eerie appearance

So anyway, off to get some more work done and more of my assignment written....Pedagogic theories give me headache....

Bye for now xx