Autumn 2025 has officially arrived - storm Benjamin is raging outside; it's a nice feeling to be safe and cozy indoors!

I won't even mention how long ago I typed in this blog - but ... I will do a quick catch up. So the last post was just at the start of lockdown. I was in a full time job and the day I took my resignation letter into the office 23rd March 2020 - is the same day we officially went into lockdown and told to take our laptops and work from home.

This suited me remarkably well, as the reason for my resignation was the inability to be at the office and still be available to my son who has SEN. It worked out really well for a few months - I was able to get him to school and start work and used my lunch hour to pick him up and start dinner. The trouble began when they closed down the schools. Then I had to juggle not only my bosses demands but the online learning for Boy2 - and let me tell you ... that was no joke. Firstly he wouldn't get dressed so effectively do lessons in pj's ("do lessons" is a severe overstatement!). He would roll around on the sofa while the teacher was doing the lessons, make animal noises while she was talking and worst of all the "funny" facial expressions. As I was working in the same room - trying to do team meetings with all the shenanigans in the background. In the end not only did the teacher mute and "off screen" him - I had to do the same with my meetings.

So for 2 years the only respite I got - was when the school decided he met the criteria for a "vulnerable child" and allowed him to go back. Of cause, he was in Year 6 at this point and has no actul learning for 2 years. Secondary school was looming and there was no way he could cope - but it was mostly the social aspect - his needs means that without his peers' social que's; he was lost. So while his peers were in a year 6 mindset he was still a very childish year 4.

Once everything opened up and we had to return to the office - I had to resign as I needed to catch boy2 up academically and allow the school and peer groups catch him up socially.

The first 2 years of Secondary was PAINFUL and even had the police involved at one point - he is now Year 11 and doing his GCSE's this year - we still have our up's and down's but for the most part we have turned the corner (touch wood!!!).

As far as crafting - that was continuos (as it's my calming relaxing time) - when Boy2 went to bed - the books, paint, knitting and sewing projects would come out in turn and I'd happily craft away.

Boy1 is doing really well too - he is second year Uni - I feel OLD lol!

I am currently working on my second room box - yeah I am now into miniatures. Here are some pics of the first room box I made - it's a sort of Green witches cottage scene.

I'm pretty happy with the results - although the main light on the top left is completely out of scale ... that was really poor planning on my part. I put the ceiling and beams in before finding the light at my local Poundland. Oh well - I had a lot of fun.

My next roombox is a Memory Veranda - it's a nod to my 2 siblings that have passed over during the last 5 years ... so all the plants will be handmade miniatures ... the veranda is giving me the biggest headache at the moment ... I will try to remember to take photo's as I go along and post in my next update.

So for now as always,

Happy crafting,

Fae x

How times have changed!!!

 So last year I decided to leave the working from home and go out into the big wide world of office work. I duly applied and got a job in January 2020. By March we went into our first Lockdown and I was once again working from home.

Only this time - full office hours and remote schooling (for the kids) all at the same time! 

All my lovely "office" outfits - stayed exatly where I put them when I first bought them. No time for crafting and playing with my lovely items.

My new testing craft is ... ta ta daaa ... RESIN.

I'm soo excited to test it all out and promise to post some pics of the items made.

I've been making some lovely bunnies though ...

Until next time - hopefully sooner than the last time!

September 2018

Wow - and just again WOW!!! I've actually forgotten about the blog. Life gets in the way and although I'm still crafting and making stuff - I just forget to take pics and post it.

So for those missing years - I've completed a fair few scrapbooks; made more art journals; filled in a few more pages and started making my own Travellers Notebooks and inserts. The result is hybrid art journal / travellers notebooks.

I've finished some knitting projects and created a little sewing corner in my kitchen. So although I haven't posted on here for years - I certainly wasn't static with my crafting.

My little studio in the back garden is still happy and waterproof and it just had its 5 yearly check up and all is good. We re-sealed the corners with silicone and no water damage or mould anywhere.

It gave me a chance to paint the walls and re-jig the layout - of cause the chaos of unpacking is ongoing as I will pack the items somewhere and everything is lovely .... until I look for something and realise its all in the wrong place and re-jig. It's not 100% perfect but it's certainly getting there.

So proud of the other half - he really is a trooper and a veritable saint to put up my constant changing plans lol.

Seriously chuffed with the end result. A few more tweaks were needed however - specifically the corner with the 2 ikea blue carts. I really wasn't happy with the chaotic effect of that corner.
By mid-july I finally decided to put a desk in that area. Boy oh boy did it make the world of difference.
I'm finally happy with the studio.

The re-worked corner. Just need to find a home for all the displaced items - in the meantime I went a bit crazy in the house as well.

Re-freshed the bedroom ...

Re-did the stairs (I was really fed up with carpet!)

Rose crazy of cause lol.

Then went back to the studio for some more tweaks ...

And finally at the end of this Summer holidays - decorated my youngest's bedroom.

The other half is ready to go back to work for a rest lol.

Still I am pleased with the progress of decorating the house and studio. Still a few more projects to work on but I think the whole family is looking forward to going back to school and work and just do normal things for a while.

I'm busy on a few new crafty projects - and a brand new tutorial. So will get working on those and update as I go along.

Happy Crafting x

Where has all that time gone???

It's been a very busy two years - with huge learning curves. Thankfully - I'm finally feeling in control of my emotions and reactions. I've been working on some new crafty projects - mainly making my own Traveller's Notebook covers. (Work in progress pics to follow).

WOW where has February gone?

The month of February has flown by - so many changes in my personal life and a raft of appointments to keep.

The weather is improving and its finally light when I wake in the morning. This has really put me in the "Spring" mood - I am determined to clean out the studio. It is still knee deep in half finished projects from last year and the over spill during the Christmas period.

I have been ruminating and procrastinating for far too long! I have cleared my diary for Saturday and the kiddie parties seems to have slumped for now. If I don't get any work in then my day is free to spend in the studio to clean up and pack things away.

All I need is a bit of sunshine to make it perfect! Failing that - I'll put the fairy lights on to cheer myself up. That is my goal for Saturday - when my DH built the studio and I kitted it out - it was beautiful. I guess I just have to console myself that it's in the state it is because creating is messy business.

Some pics of when the studio was re-jigged for the 4th time. Ahhh The good ole days

Faces.

I love seeing the drawings of faces on Pinterest - people are so talented. I've always wanted to give drawings a go. Not the fine art stuff though - that just won't happen in my lifetime.

I decided to sew a book of watercolour paper together and practice faces. This has been going on for an entire year!!!

You be the judge if practice does indeed make perfect. I think I need to work on the shading and perhaps trying to centre the features better. I'm really happy with all the practising, but will note that my other half has had a whale of a time critiquing my efforts. Even laughed out loud at some of the attempts.

So your turn to critique - I have drawn faces in this book but will only post a few - the first one, some boo boos and the end result of those practices.

The first go:

These are some of the ones that my other half had a good laugh about:

 Staring eyes and huge cheek area.

 

I messed the eye up and he couldn't contain himself over the eye patch.

"OMG!!" with a very loud lengthy braying sound - (must be a bloody donkey!)

 And last but not least - "Squash-ball face".

Then I started producing these and there was moderate praise.

And these are the ones that I really like. Some are still works in progress (re. shading and colouring) but thought I would post it anyway.

 

 

I'm sure you would agree that it is a VAST improvement - just have to work on the shading of the faces to make them look a little more realistic.

I drew these last night.

So to conclude - I do think that practice definitely makes better (not perfect).

That's it from me -

Happy Crafting x

So it was my little one's 5th birthday on Saturday - I've decided to give him a Pirate Party. I hired a hall and set about making the decorations, I also planned to bake the cake myself. A bit terrifying (the cake - I've never made one quite as big) - 24 kids and parents to eat on it.

Of cause I couldn't just stick with a tray bake - oh no ... it had to be a Pirate ship!

I first started with the ships for the tables - I bought 4 paper mache sailing ships and decorated it. I plan to attach the balloons to it.

I created a holder to keep the boat secure and covered it with some tissue paper - then added glass marbles to weight the bottom of the boat so the balloons don't lift the boat off the table.

Next I bought few paper mache treasure chests - just painted it and added jewels and a skewer to hold the balloons.

Finally the cake - I was so pleased it all turned out ok. I baked it in a roasting tray - I needed a big pan but didn't want to spend £12.00 on one cake tin. It turned out really well. I baked two 9" x 12" Madeira cakes then froze them. Its easier to cut the shape the cake if you do this.

I iced it with Buttercream icing and this is how it turned out.

I added the paper sails and there you have it. One pirate ship cake for my cheeky little monkey.

I sprayed some Oreo cookies with some gold spray and had instant "doubloons" to add to the main table - I also covered flavoured water with pirate labels I printed off the internet, to add to the main table again.

The party went down and storm and the cake was lovely and moist and everyone loved it.

Some party pics.

Right I'm off to pick the boys up from school.

Happy Crafting.

Fae x