Crafty Mermaid

I'm thinking of making curtains for my craft room. Its a strange decision as we're still considering buying another house and selling this one. If so, I'd like the curtains to be quite cheap but I'd also like them to be to my taste in case we stay here for another year. Decisions, decisions... The fabric above is $10 a metre on sale in spotlight and would suit the colour of the room. It isn't quite to my taste but I definitely could live with it.

These were white!!!!   Oophs!

A house warming gift for a friend I helped move recently.  One of those times that the finished product actually looks like the plan in my head!

I really do have a backlog of posts!  The first photo is a small sample of fabric I bought in a sale less than 1/4 meter I think.  But I was very taken with the colours.  The second photo is two sheets I found in a second hand shop and I'm pretty sure they already knew my name before I walked into the shop (how's that for justification?).  I haven't managed to make anything with them yet but they have been washed, folded and put away!

(another backlog post from my camera - we've had a good few of these since!)

On my (not so) recent trip to Auckland, I fell deeply and madly for some baby merino wool in gray and blue.  Lovely soft colours and lovely soft wool.  When I got home I started a cushion cover - thinking comfy and soft.  Unfortunately my tension is so tight that its like 'the cloth monk's wear' as one of my friends put it! :( Ah well its a wavy pattern and I still love the soft colours! Apologies for my absence recently, we've been house hunting - which not only involves looking at houses but also getting BM's house in order in case we find another house we like and have to sell his!  So we've been clearing the gutters, spraying lichen, etc. etc. etc.  It also happens to be my really busy period in work (and coincides with BM's manic time too) so not much time or energy for creating or blogging.  We've seen a house we like and are going to see it again this week - hopefully bringing two friends of ours in tow to get an unbiased opinion.  Its a

My fancy all grow-ed up crochet pattern scarf is finished and is just waiting for the ends to be sewn in.

We had glorious* weather on our trip to Auckland. BM was there for a conference and as I knew I had to go up for meetings in the same month, we managed to coincide and then stay an extra day on our own dime! We went for a boat trip after work on Friday to Waiheke Island.  Unfortunately, while being a lovely location, we had a bad experience at one of the restaurants.  One of my meetings was with a colleague who lives on Waiheke Island and we bumped into her on the ferry.  She recommended Cable Bay as a restaurant if we were looking for a treat!  BM and I got a taxi to the vineyard and were pleasantly surprized by the view and fantastic sculpture garden outside.  While BM decided on his wine selection in the bar as the restaurant wasn't yet open - I walked over to see if I could make a booking.  Only to be told they were booked out. Understandably disappointed we phoned around and booked dinner in another restaurant and then booked another taxi back to the main village once w

I haven't been great about a number of things lately (like posting and buying!).  I've tried over the last year to be a bit more sensible about my purchases and have been restricting myself.  Which, if I'm honest is working quite well, except for spurges like my trip to Auckland (photos coming soon!) and these notebooks.  I'm not sure what I'll do with the lavendar scrub - I have a large box of miscelleous presents which its currently residing it.  As most of my family and friends are living in Ireland, the postal times means that sometimes I have to avail of the box for presents or they would never get them around when they should.  I think I may also need to own up to developing a thing for Orla Kiely prints.