Mess, mess, mess, mess, mess

Just look at the state of my desk, and the rest of my room is not much better. It is no wonder my head is chaotic. Far too much going on. I need a big spring clean but prefer to spend what little time I have tinkering, or looking at other peoples tinkerings!!! Samlesbury Hall tomorrow, so felt the need last night to make some new cards (apple and pear motif stitched onto card), and a batch of fudge to lure people in! It's a new marketing ploy to get people to stop and at least look..... watch this space.... I may have no stock left tomorrow. Hmmm......

A taste of summer

Look at my clematis. I love it and it is absolutely covered. Shame it doesn't stay like that all summer. I have also had loads of blossom on our little apple tree, so we are hoping for many apples later in the summer.

I have been busy making ready for the Craft Fair at Samlesbury Hall this coming Sunday (an restocking after a successful stall last week). If you are in the area, do call in and say hello. I have been frantically making cosmetic bags as they have been going like hot cakes, all good, but more work!!! In saying that though, I guess I am also catching up from quite a relaxing weekend, which involved sitting in the sun, reading (something I generally only do before bed to

knock myself out!), playing, walking and having a lovely bbq at mum and dads. I walked over to mum and dads with the children and had a picnic on route. I love walking through trees when the sun is shining, and on Sunday we were grateful for the shade. The birds were singing and the bluebells were bobbing about in the breeze.

We saw lots of beautiful dandilion clocks, and my children helped to contribute to this......

A blanket of sugar stealers right along the side of the canal and a layer on the water also. A gardeners nightmare!!!!

New cosmetic bags

A few weeks ago I received a lovely parcel with some fantastic fabrics that I had bought for new cosmetic bags I wanted to make. I have spent a bit of time tweaking them, and am now happy with the design. These are a couple that I have just put up for sale in my Folksy shop. I did have a few more made up, but attended a party last night selling my lovelies and they went down a treat. Luckily I have more fabric, and stitchy fingers so am off to make!!

Liberty Prints

I was just having a browse through Liberty fabrics, and although most are a little too much for me I just loved these. The first one is just so summery with its bright colours. I love the simplicity of the structure of the flowers in the second. There is a lot going on, yet it still keeps its simplicity so stops it from becoming fussy.

Little fish

I was going to burst into the song 'we will have a fishy on a little dishy....' for my title, but I think I'll leave it there!!!! I have a bit of a thing about fish (amongst many other things). Well, not really fish, but images of fish. This weekend I have had a few projects on the go. One of them has been making these lovely (though I say so myself.... I am very pleased with them) cards. I have even managed to get them listed in my Folksy shop, so if you like them, you can buy one here.

Food, food glorious food - Chicken and Leek Pie

I have had a busy weekend, managing to fit in some fabulous time with family whilst also getting crafty. I have had a few project on the go (think I have been making up for last weeks illness and inability to do anything productive) and they are coming together nicely.....

..... whilst I have the opportunity though, I thought that I had better put up the Chicken (Quorn) and Leek Pie (aka Love Pie... and now you see why) that I mentioned a few weeks ago. It was renamed Love Pie by my daughter after I put three love hearts on it one for each of my lovelies. Ahhhh. This is a really easy recipe and you can make it using left over chicken or turkey, or as I did, Quorn. Served up with some new potatoes, or even better, roast spuds, and some greens it makes a great meal.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

500-700g cooked and shredded chicken, turkey (or if vege use Quorn)

50g butter

2 leeks

500ml veg or chicken stock

2 tbsp plain flour

bunch of parsley, chopped

3tbsp creme fraiche

250g pack of ready made puff pastry

milk to glaze

1. Heat oven to gas 6/200C/fan 180C. Grease a 1 litre pie dish (I only used a small one as I put half the mixture in the freezer).

2. If using Quorn put a little oil in a pan and fry for a few minutes until starting to brown slightly, then place in you pie dish. If not put your cooked meat into dish.

3. Melt butter and fry leeks until soft. Add sifted flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually add stock and stir until sauce is smooth and glossy. Take off heat and add parsley and creme fraiche. Pour sauce over the chicken.

4. Roll out pastry so that it is about 5cm bigger than the pie dish. Brush the edge of the dish with water and place pastry on top. Press the edges to seal and use left over pastry to decorate if you want! Make a few holes for the steam to escape. Brush with milk and bake for 30-35mins until the pastry is golden.

Yum yum.

You can find more delicious recipes here.

We're off to Button Moon....

Yesterday we had a welcome visit from Mr Postman. Not a single bill or piece of junk mail. Instead a package for me and a package for my hubby. He got (yet another) piece of vinyl to add to his collection and I got a package of buttons, kindly sent by Incy Wincy Stitches.

My daughter was impressed and these were the ones she decided she liked the best!!!

Claire Hurd posted a blog today with a picture of a heart she had made using some of her buttons. Maybe I will have to make one for us too as I have a load of my granny's buttons that I inherited. It would be a lovely way to use them.

Cough, cough, splutter!!!!

What a grotty weekend. I have felt dreadful all weekend thanks to a nasty cold. Luckily my lovely mum and dad came to the rescue on Saturday and were able to have the children for me whilst hubby (would it be Mr. Pukka or Mr Pinny? I'll have to ask him so as not to offend!!!) worked and I slept (all day, I mean literally ALL day!!!!). I had stitchy fingers this evening though, so dragged myself upstairs and finished off the two sets of place mats/coasters I was making.

Also, whilst up here I was starting to have a browse through a couple of my favourite blogs and became aware that a fellow blogger needs votes. Flossie Teacakes has made a lovely top and needs your votes. If you have chance this evening please bob over to her blog and follow the link to vote for her (very pretty) top.

Oh, and another thing. I have won some buttons from Incy Wincy Stitches!!! Yey, I know it's not the lottery (I don't have much chance of winning that as I don't partake), but I am very excited!

Cushion Tutorial Part 2 (as promised)

Thought I'd best get my second cushion tutorial up. The link for it is here.