So the do something crafty every day has suffered slightly, so I’m trying to get back on track.

Last week

I sorted out my smaller fabric box, so the top now fits on properly. I’ve decided to work on a series of red and white iPod covers next, so this is the basis.

I also brought fabric to add to my ever growing collection of stuff that needs to be turned into actually useful things. I popped into the Sue Ryder shop in search of a story and got distracted by the linen sale. It’s a pair of curtains, so at some point I’ll take down all the hems and take off the curtain tape.

January 16

Finally started work on iPod covers.

January 17

I also spent part of the weekend (and the only nice-ish weather we seem to have had in months) clearing the garden of dead plants. It actually doesn’t look that bad for a garden that’s pretty much left to it’s own devices.

My pots are also nearly ready for new vegetables this spring. They need a bit of topping up but at least they don’t have dead tomato plants in them anymore.

January 19

The white iPod Covers are going to have appliqued red birds on them, this is the first one.

I’m trying to make room for the lovely new things I’m going to be making this year, so I’ve been reducing stock in my Etsy shop further.

As for the actual making thing, that’s not going so well. It’s  finding the time around meetings and being exhausted because I’ve done things like travel to Cardiff and back in one day.

Resolving to be better next week.

I’ve been working on a few things this week, so I ended the week finishing them off.

January 7

I finished off the diary by glueing the signatures to the cover. I think it turned out really well, it’s such pretty fabric.

January 8 and January9

I finished my dress! Friday was hemming, I decided to leave it a bit long so it falls below the knee.

On Saturday I added the bow belt. I think I may put a couple of stitches in it so it lays flat.

I’m so happy with the way it turned out!

January 10

Nothing today, have to come up with some new projects.

As a new year resolution, I’m working on doing some sort of craft every day. Not completing something everyday because I really don’t have enough time most evenings but if I can get something done then that would be good.

My other resolution is to make at least one new item of clothing – partly because I love making clothes and some of the things I’ve made have turned out really well, plus I have a cupboard full of fabric to find uses for.

And to try and keep me on track, I’m going to post about what I’ve been up to.

January 2

First clothing project of the year is a fairly simple shift dress.

I’ve had this fabric for a while. It was originally intended as a shift dress, then I brought a 40s style suit pattern which I considered using it for but it wasn’t a large enough piece and I couldn’t find the fabric again at the shop, so it’s back to being a dress. I’ll have to find different fabric for the suit.

The pattern is from Burda magazine, which I love, especially as I get them for 75p. I less love the having to trace the pattern adding the 1.5cm seam allowance.

January 3

I have managed to pull off pretty neat pleats and learnt how to put an invisible zip in so that it is actually invisible.

I have issues with zips and buttonholes, they rarely turn out neatly, but clothes need to do up, so I need to get over my issues with fastenings.

January 4

The dress now has sleeves – a serious essential in the current cold climate.

January 5

Custom diary order – through my website (yes, this website – another 10 and I might actually have made it pay its way) – so that’s what I’m working on.

First thing is the printing.

January 6

I’ve reached the gluing stage on the diary, where I’ve been sewing all the signatures together, sticking the fabric to the covers and generally getting really covered in glue.

But it’s looking good, it’s now got to dry overnight before I can finish it off.

Hemming my dress is probably on hold now till the weekend.

I’ve noticed that when I write my blog I use a lot of sub-clauses and brackets, I think this is because I can’t at work.

Mainly enjoying the fact I actually had a holiday rather than five and a half days off consisting of weekends and bank holidays.

I’ve been at home with my parents and brother for most of the week enjoying doing fun Christmas things – like making a gingerbread house. I have good skills at icing construction work!

The kit was from Lidl and while it doesn’t taste that great, it was amazing value, I’m glad I grabbed it when I spotted it.

I’ve also had the chance to catch up with friends, as I’m usually heading back to work while they’re still on holiday.

Yesterday I went ice skating at Hampton Court with my mum and brother. I managed a few laps without falling over (relying on my average one hour a year previous experience) but I think my mum and brother decided it wasn’t really for them after clinging to the sides.

This afternoon has mainly involved reducing stock in my Etsy shopfor the January sale, which is such a tedious task – but it’s done now and there are bargains to be had as I have a clear out

Very pretty, winter wonderland snow.

Last night I wasn’t sure there was really going to be that much – until I looked out the window at about 10pm and saw there was already about an inch of snow and it was falling fast.

This morning I got up to find 8 inches and no trains. The garden was covered, including the washing line.

I did eventually find trains and make it to work, lots of fun kicking through deep piles of powdery snow in wellies.

I went out to take pictures of people enjoying the snow (as all our photographers couldn’t make it out of their houses) having snowball fights and tobaggoning down great big hills.

During this, I managed, somehow, not the strand the work car in a snowdrift. But driving in the snow is scary – particularly in a Volkswagon Polo – sometimes the only way to get anywhere was to rev the engine and then try to hang on as the car skidded about, hopefully in a forward direction.

PS You may have noted I’ve moved to a new blog, which is hosted at my website. It’s all a bit functional at the moment but I’m planning on working on it to get it looking suitably shiny.

People are driving me nuts today, I could really do without the hassle at the moment. In other news been half a sleep at work does not make for good mood or efficiency.

I’m trying to give myself more of a break when I get home as I usually have tv going and am working on my laptop and its all too much so I don’t relax and then don’t get enough sleep.

So I actually turned off the tv for an hour and listened to Elbow’s Seldom Seen Kid. I think it helped.

I’ve been on a bit of a bookmaking spree the last couple of weekends, and a lot of it has involved leopard print material.

I’ve made all different sizes and in lined and blank. They are all newly uploaded to my website.

I also made my 2010 diary. It is gorgeous. I’ve gone for the day to view version but in A6 as I figure it will fit in a bag better.

It is so solid, with lots of pages, which I’m hoping means it’ll last out the year. The last diary I made lasted fine, just very grubby and slightly bent corners.

I feel like I’m gonna be super prepared for next year (this will not last).

It’s that time of the year when thoughts turn to Christmas and then New Year.

And New Year means a new 2010 diary (which also make great Christmas presents).

This year Pink Flamingo Swizzle Stick is offering custom made diaries – so you can pick your size, fabric and layout.

Yes, layout! Because this year I’ve added a day to view version, with a page for each weekday and half-pages for Saturdays and Sundays.

The handbound, hardback diaries come in A5 and A6 sizes to suit both those who like to keep it on a desk and those who like to put it in a bag.

I have just finished putting together my first A5 day to view version and the finished product looked amazing.

A thick stack of printed pages with lots of space for writing, which fitted perfectly into the fabric-covered cardboard cover. (I’m planning on making myself an A6 version).

The diaries are designed with lots of handy pages for all your information.
- Personal information
- Dates to remember
- Calendar
- Monthly planner
- Addresses (A5 version only)
- Notes
And a ribbon bookmark so you can find it all easily.

If you want one, they can be ordered through Etsy. They take about a week to make up (though I’m away from home this week so any orders won’t be started till Sunday).

Fabric choices

A: Red Leaves
B: Orange Butterflies
C: Yellow and Orange Swirl Flowers
D: Bright Flowers – SOLD OUT in A5
E: Green PaisleyF: Dark Green Retro Flowers
G: Autumn Flowers
H: Lily
I: Red and Blue Daisies
J: Navy Dots
K: Bright Blue Dots
L: Blue Plaid
M: Burgandy Roses
N: Brown Pinstripe
O: Leopard Print
P: Purple Flowers
Q: Cherry Blossom
R: Hibiscus
S: Pink Butterflies
T: Strawberries

I had a super productive day!

I finished off the mini lined notebooks. I love this leopard print material, it’s so fun!

And I made cake…cake is far more important.

It’s chocolate and vanilla marble cake with chocolate icing and white chocolate buttons. I needed to use up some eggs and this is far and away the best way (the alternative is huge amounts of egg fried rice and that’s nowhere near as fun.

Ingredients
175g sugar (205ml, I don’t own a set of scales so I use a measuring jug instead)
175g butter/marg (I use the Stork for cakes)
3 eggs
175g self-raising flour (325ml)
Vanilla extract
Tsp cocoa power

Icing
Knob of butter
Icing sugar
Warm water

• Cream butter/marg and sugar together.
• Add flour and eggs and bit at a time and mix in a few drops of vanilla extract.
• When the mixture is well stirred together, blob spoonfuls of half the mixture into a greased baking tray leaving gaps between spoonfuls.
• Mix cocoa powder into the remaining half of the mixture.
• Add this to the vanilla mixture in the gaps
• Use a fork to mix the vanilla and the chocolate together in a swirly pattern
• Bake in oven at gas mark 4/160 for 20min or till cooked through

Most of it is going into work tomorrow, to power two days of paper creation, but I had a small piece earlier and it is very nice. It’s not that marbley as I didn’t get the fork all the way through the mixture.