Lizzy T Designs

IT'S GETTING COLDER

2011-11-30T15:44:00.006Z

This time of year is only good if you don't have to go outside! I hate the cold weather, I wish I lived somewhere warmer. I spent a couple of months this year in Australia, unfortunately it was winter whilst we were there but even then it wasn't as cold as it is in the UK in winter. We had a good time whilst we were there, this time we flew via Hong Kong and it was a wonderful experience to see the city even if only from the windows of the plane as we flew in to land. Hong Kong Airport is amazing it is enormous. My husband didn't come with us this time so it was just me and my 11 year old daughter and I was a little apprehensive flying without him. But we managed to do it.

With being away and other things that have been going on I have had little spare time to give to my Etsy shop so sadly it has been neglected this year, something I hope to rectify in the new year.

I have been crocheting though, although not for the last week due to a nasty burn on my hand, which I stupidly did whilst cooking Sunday lunch last week and didn't use an oven glove when putting yorkshire puddings into a very hot oven!

A couple of months ago I decorated Amy's bedroom, she wanted rid of the pink walls and fairies. So it now has yellow walls, purple curtains and a purple, pink and yellow 'Me to You Bear' duvet cover. I decided to crochet her a matching purple, pink and yellow afghan after seeing quite a few of them at my aunt's in Australia.

I have decided to become a Registered Childminder so I am going through that process at the moment. I have just had my pre-registration visit from OFSTED and I am now waiting for my Registration Certificate so that I can start childminding. I am hoping to start taking children in the New Year.

IT'S ALREADY MARCH

2011-03-13T14:51:00.005Z

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a year can pass by. It doesn't seem 2 minutes since Christmas and we are already almost a quarter of the way through another year. I think this is probably an unfortunate side effect of getting older along with all the aches and pains I seem to be suffering with, although that might have something to do with the unfortunate incident involving me, the dog and a pavement! Anyway it is nice to be getting winter out of the way, hopefully we wont get anymore snow now. The weather seems to be getting slightly milder, the spring flowers are starting to appear and the sun is shining.

My DH has just got me a new phone, it is a Galaxy Samsung S. It is amazing what you get on a phone now, they are more like mini computers, I can even update my blog from it. I was going to have an Iphone but the cheaper deal we got with this one was too tempting.

I have been busy crocheting an afghan, it is pink green and white. I love the colour combination and it would make a lovely baby blanket.

NEW YEAR THOUGHTS AND A VALENTINE SALE

2011-01-19T13:53:00.004Z

Sorry it's a bit late but Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Chritmas with your family and friends. Christmas here was quite busy, my eldest daughter and her family spent Christmas Day with us so it was a noisy, exciting time with the children. Amy, my youngest, got the Ipod Touch she wanted so much so she was very happy. Unfortunately my eldest son didn't put in an appearance this year. I was sad when he didn't bother to answer the phone to me when I called him before Christmas to invite him over.

I am hoping this year brings us some good news with the exchange rates and house selling. I would still love to make the move to Australia.

Prices are going up so quickly here I might have to start looking for a job. I quit my job nearly 2 years ago because I was finding it more and more difficult to balance my work and home life. Also I thought I was going to be moving to Australia within 12 months, unfortunately that didn't happen.

I have at last got round to starting the SALE in my Etsy shop. I have been thinking about it for a couple of weeks. I have also started jotting down ideas for new items to make and some new designs. I want to start writing simple knitting patterns to sell, I am excited about this. I have wanted to do it for ages but like alot of things have never got round to it.

Items from my shop have been featured in several treasuries on Etsy recently so I need to do a feature on them too.

STITCH MARKERS

2010-12-02T10:08:00.005Z

When I first opened my shop on Etsy I was selling jewellery. I absolutely adore beads and I enjoy making beautiful beaded items. But my first passion was knitting and crocheting and over time I have gradually introduced more and more knitted and crocheted items into my shop until there is no more beaded jewellery. So I had to think of a way that I could combine both passions. I had always made my own stitch markers, although not quite so glamerous as those shown above. One day when I was playing around with my beads I put together some stitch markers which I thought were nice enough to sell in my shop and so now I get to satisfy both my passions. I have several friends who love knitting and I like to put together gift bags for them at Christmas and birthdays. I watch out for lovely knitting needles and yarn and now I always include a set of stitch markers. If you would like to give stitch markers to a knitty friend, you can find a selection in my Etsy shop.

Etsy Knitters Treasure Hunt

2010-11-22T10:03:00.002Z

Get 10% off your winter warmers with the Etsy Knitters Team Treasure Hunt! With everything in our stores from novelty golf club covers to heavenly handspun yarns, you are sure to find great gifts for all!

To qualify for the discount in participating stores, simply find FIVE listings containing the Etsy Knitters Treasure Hunt graphic (search EtsyKnitters Team) and convo EtsyKnittersTeam or JayCeeOriginals with your list. The Treasure Hunt will run from midnight November 25th to midnight November 30th.

The small print:

You must correctly identify 5 listings containing the image displayed above.
The 10% discount is good for one transaction in ANY participating store.
A unique discount code together with a complete list of the participating stores will be provided once your entry is verified.
Only one entry per person/shop please.
The Treasure Hunt is open to ALL.

Have a Handmade Holiday!

YOUTUBE

2010-11-09T15:19:00.007Z

I love the cowl neckwarmers that are so fashionable this year and as well as wanting to knit a few for my own personal use, I decided to include them in the new range for my Etsy shop. I wanted to knit them in a continuous loop to keep them seamless. I had never attempted this kind of item so looked in a few books but found the instructions a bit complicated to understand. So I turned to the place which has helped me out so many times with different stitches and methods - Youtube. I find Youtube an invaluable place to get information on how to do things and of course it is a video site so you also get shown how to do things. I learned how to do magic loop knitting on here. I watched a video created by the theknitwitch and so of course when I again became stuck with provisional cast on and the Kitchener stitch I immediately turned to Youtube and straightaway found lucyneatby and her easy to follow instructions on provisional cast on and theknitwitch showed me how to do the Kitchener stitch.

These 2 cowls are the ones I have made to be included in my Etsy shop. The one at the top is made in a gorgeous super chunky yarn in a lovely lime green colour.

The one below is made in a super soft chunky yarn and the colours in this one are ochre, aubergine, rust and chestnut.

Both will make great accessories for your winter wardrobe and are now available for sale in my Etsy shop.

GETTING FEATURED IN TREASURIES

2010-11-04T09:49:00.009Z

One of the most exciting things is to receive a message from someone informing you they have featured one of your items in a treasury on Etsy. Over the last few months no less than 5 of my items were featured in 5 separate treasuries.

This is the First Mumph. As his name implies he was the first one I made, I was going to make a whole series of these but never seemed to get round to it. I did make a Baby Mumph who never sold and who now resides in my finished drawers. Thank you to paleorama for featuring him in her lovely treasury.

My Big Button Ginger Phone Case was featured in a lovely treasury by jayceeoriginals. These cases can also be used for various other gadgets and I make them in other colours. If you don't see the colour you would like you can contact me through my Etsy store and request one in the colour of your choice. These cases have proved very popular with my daughter's Uni friends.

I love knitting items with cables and this style of fingerless glove/armwarmer is one of my favourites. This pair were featured in a lovely treasury by tootsytwo. This style of glove is very fashionable this year and although you can buy cheaper versions in some shops, nothing beats handmade items.

I was recently contacted by Look Magazine, which is the most popular glossy weekly magazine here in the UK, they were interested in one of my coffee cuffs. During the conversation I was asked if I could knit an aran style coffee cuff as aran is very in this season. I produced the one you can see above and sent off pictures to them. Unfortunately I have never heard back from them, but it was exciting to be contacted. This one is now for sale in my Etsy store and was recently featured in a lovely treasury by PinkPolishDesign.

And finally my lovely pair of cream cable fingerless gloves handknit in a gorgeous merino blend 100% wool yarn. A feature of this yarn is that it is anti-tickle and it knits beautifully. This pair were featured in a lovely treasury by palaceofdarning and whilst there they sold so that is a double thank you. I have since made another pair and they are now for sale in my Etsy store.

Thank you so much to my fellow Etsians for featuring me in their amazing treasuries. Please click on their names to discover some wonderful crafters who make gorgeous handmade items.

SUMMER HOLIDAY

2010-10-11T09:43:00.003+01:00

I am a bit late this year writing about our summer holiday. Getting new stock ready for my Etsy shop has kept me busy and away from my computer.

This year we stayed in the UK for our holiday and took our caravan to Dorset. Last year we went to Australia and the previous 2 years we went to Cornwall. We had awful weather when we were in Cornwall so we were a little apprehensive about Dorset, which is only a short way along the coast from Cornwall. We needn't have worried, we had gorgeous weather and the site where we stayed was lovely.

We had views of the sea from our caravan and the surrounding countryside was lovely. The site was really clean and there was a pool which I couldn't keep Amy out of.

HOW TIME FLIES

2010-06-24T10:32:00.004+01:00

Once again I have been caught out by how quickly time goes by. I thought that once I finished my job I would have more time at home to do the things I loved - knitting, crocheting, blogging, I have found this not to be the case. But for the life of me I don't know what I am doing. I get up in the morning and get my daughter ready for school. After dropping her off at school, I return home and take the dog out for his walk. I love this part of the day. I take my time and if I am on my own with him I can go over things in my head, think of new designs to knit and crochet and if I have any problems going on I try to straighten them out. When I get home I have breakfast and whilst eating my bowl of porridge I go on the internet and check emails, send replies, check if I have any sales on Etsy and take a look at my Facebook page. Now I know that this is one of my problems, once I get on the internet I seem to spend ages on there. I click on links I am sent and end up on some gorgeous blogs that I just have to read. And then there are those games on Facebook. I have had to give up on Cafe World because it was starting to cut into my time too much when I had dishes that were ready to be served. I am trying to keep away from Farmville now because I always seem to have crops that need harvesting and now there is Frontierville which is another kind of farm game which requires crops planting and harvesting and trees and grass to be cut. The day is just not long enough. Anyway if I am not careful I can end up on the computer for most of the morning and before I know it, it is lunchtime and I haven't got anything done.

I have been able to fit some crocheting into my busy routine. I have been trying something new to me, something I have always wanted to have a go at. I have been crocheting granny squares and the first ones I made are waiting to be sewn together to make a small baby blanket for a pram or crib.

I love crocheting these but hate the fiddly bits, weaving in the ends and sewing the squares together so next time I am going to weave the ends in as I change the colours. I have already finished crocheting another baby afghan, this one is blue and I again I am having to sew the pieces together. I haven't taken any pictures of this one yet but will do once it is all finished. The next one I make I am going to try and crochet the pieces together as I make them.

BABY BEANIES

2010-03-18T18:57:00.006Z

My granddaugters have been asking me to make them crocheted beanies for some time but I have been that busy with orders that I have had to put them off (naughty nanna). Anyway I have finally got to make them and they turned out really cute, although my first attempt was too small.

Which then gave me the idea of adding baby beanies to my shop. Here's my 'mistake' hat, what do you think?

BIG BUTTON PHONE CASES

2010-03-11T10:03:00.007Z

Here are some more of my big button phone cases/cozies. They do stretch and will fit a number of gadgets.

I have already sold quite a few of these off Etsy, now I am hoping they will become as popular on Etsy! As an introductory offer I have reduced the price of them.

STITCH MARKERS

2010-02-24T09:43:00.004Z

I have been making stitch markers for quite some time but it is only recently that I have listed some in my Etsy shop. The ones I use are made with some odd beads I had, but the ones I make now for my shop are so much prettier. I have also made them for presents for my knitting and crochet friends.

I have recently made these 2 sets and they are now for sale in my Etsy shop. All sets come in an organza bag for safe keeping.

NEW ITEMS

2010-02-09T10:13:00.004Z

These are the latest 2 phone cozies I have added to my shop. I got the new buttons I had ordered and I have put one on the brown cozy. I think it makes it look really good. I haven't sold any in my shop yet, I seem to be having more luck selling off Etsy at the moment.

Speaking of which, my daughter came round this weekend and she bought one of my hats. I wanted to let her have it a bit cheaper but she insisted on paying the full amount. So now she has ordered one for her daughter, Chloe who is 8. I have never made beanie hats for young ones so I am trying to adapt my pattern to a smaller head. This has given me the idea of maybe making more of the children sizes for my Etsy shop.

I am hopefully going to a wool shop this week and I am going to look at yarns that will be suitable for summer and winter wear. We don't have a good wool shop near us, well what we consider near us in the UK. I usually rely on the internet for most of my yarn, but nothing beats going to a lovely wool shop where they stock a beautiful selection of yarns and being able to feel them.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-02-03T08:47:00.008Z

December was a good month, sales wise, on Etsy so I have spent most of January re-stocking my shop and thinking of new ideas. I have added coffee cuffs and phone cases/cozies to my shop.

I love these coffee cuffs. I have knitted them in a stitch which gives them a padded feel. They are so much better than the paper ones and they are eco-friendly as they can be used over and over. I am a coffee addict so I keep one in my pocket. I am always getting asked where I got it from, I have sold quite alot of these by keeping some with me when I am out!

I have made phone cozies before, but this time I have changed the design. I have knit these in a basketweave pattern and finished them off with a button. I have ordered some new buttons and I am hoping they are going to come today. They are big and bright and I think they will look great on my phone cozies. I had an enquiry about this one. I was asked if I made these cozies for Iphones. Unfortunately I don't own an Iphone so I asked my daughter if she knew anyone who did. Luckily she did and she took it to Uni with her yesterday so that she could try it on one. Anyway this one fits Iphones and my daughter's friend loved it that much she placed an order for one, the same colour as this but with a yellow button.

DECEMBER ALREADY

2009-12-03T11:12:00.003Z

Watching surfers on a beach near Newcastle, NSW

Where has this year gone? I can't believe we are getting close to the end of 2009. We had hoped to be living in Australia by now, but we haven't been able to sell our house. It has been on the market since February this year, unfortunately we have picked the worse time of all to sell due to the credit crunch. And to make matters worse the value of the pound has dropped dramatically against the Australian dollar which of course reduces greatly the amount of money we would have once we get there. It just seems that at the moment nothing is going our way and it is very disappointing. We are keeping our fingers crossed that things start to pick up next year and we can start our new life in Oz.

FREE SHIPPING

2009-11-26T14:30:00.006Z

I hope those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving have had a wonderful time with your families and friends. Tomorrow is Black Friday so from then until Cyber Monday any item purchased in my Etsy store will be shipped to you FREE OF CHARGE. I have some lovely knitted and crocheted items that you would make fantastic Christmas presents - prices start from $9.00.

SYDNEY

2009-11-11T10:11:00.012Z

Of course we couldn't visit Australia without spending some time in Sydney, my favourite city. This time we went on the train, it was safer. Only kidding, we went on the train because we all enjoy the journey. There is some lovely scenery between Wyong, where my aunt and uncle live, and Sydney. Also it gives my DH time to sit back and enjoy the scenery too. The train was very busy but we manged to find seats. I love the Australian trains, they are on 3 levels, although if you are looking for seats it can be a bit awkward on a moving train having to go up and down stairs.

Anyway we arrived in Sydney and it was a beautiful day, blue sky and the sun was shining. We didn't have any plans as to what we were going to do, just have a wander around. Amy wanted to go to the Opera House, it is her favourite place, probably because they always show it on TV. So we decided to walk through the city and make our way there.

We got to Darling Harbour and had a look round there. The Australian National Maritime Museum is situated here. There is a submarine to look around and a large ship, a destroyer. It all looked very interesting and certainly somewhere we would visit on another occasion.

We crossed over a bridge, I think it is called the Pyrmont Bridge, and carried on through the city to the Opera House.

We had a walk around the outside of the Opera House and stood and looked at the views over the harbour, the bridge and to where we had been at Taronga Zoo a couple of days earlier. It is a beautiful spot to just stand and take in the amazing scenes. I love it!

We got one of the ferries back to Darling Harbour, Amy spotted somewhere else for us to visit, I told her we would put it on our list for next time. We got on the tram from Darling Harbour to take us back to the station. We had had another amazing day but I was glad to get back on the train and sit down.

I took this photo as we went over the Hawkesbury River, I was amazed I caught the sunset through the bridge supports.

When we were getting closer to Wyong I phoned my aunt and told her we were nearly there. She said my uncle would meet us at the station, thank goodness, I don't think my feet would have made it back to their house.

TARONGA ZOO

2009-11-03T11:15:00.000Z

We did find Taronga Zoo and enjoyed a fantastic day there. I can definitely recommend it and it is a place we will certainly go back to. As well as all the amazing animals you get to see close up there are several shows you can go and watch. We just caught the end of the elephant show, but we watched the sealions and a fantastic bird show, where birds swoop around the crowd. The setting for the bird show was fantastic too, overlooking Sydney Harbour. We also saw the red panda, I had never heard of this animal before. Whilst we were there it was on the news that the red panda had given birth at Taronga Zoo. We didn't get to see the baby, but mum was gorgeous.

Taronga Zoo is well worth a visit not only to see the residents, but also to get the most amazing views of my favourite city, Sydney!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T09:25:00.004Z

Sorry I haven't been around for a while, but I have had swine flu and didn't feel like doing much. Thankfully I am now on the mend and looking forward to things getting back to 'normal'. Thank you to everyone who kept visiting my blog and dropping their Entrecards.

Hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween.

MySpace Graphics

LOOKING FOR TARONGA ZOO

2009-10-11T11:07:00.004+01:00

We decided to drive to Taronga Zoo using my uncle's sat nav. This was a big mistake! Before we left the house I had had a look at the map with my uncle and he had pointed to where the zoo was and also told me about various buildings we would pass and areas we would drive through, so I had a rough idea of where we were going. But then we made the big mistake, we took his sat nav instead of taking the map. My uncle's sat nav was nothing like the one we have back home, it is very confusing, to us anyway. Once we got into the outskirts of Sydney it all started to go wrong. We seemed to drive around in circles, driving on and off motorways, paying tolls. We guessed he hadn't updated it for along time. We drove around streets and even pulled up and asked a couple of men for directions, mistake number 2. They seemed more confused than us.

We kept ending up on a road which was leading to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, I knew we didn't want to be on the other side of the harbour. So I made my poor husband turn around again and tried really hard to remember the names of the roads I had seen on the map.

We eventually found a hospital I remember my uncle saying we would pass and I instructed poor husband to carry on driving. At last I spotted a road name I remembered and from then we seemed to find our way. What a journey we had had. I am surprised we both stayed so calm.

AMY'S FIRST MODELLING ASSIGNMENT

2009-09-25T10:33:00.005+01:00

I am taking a break from my Australia Adventures to share this picture with you. I have recently added hats to my Etsy shop and sold my first one (you can see it here) to someone in Australia which was very exciting as this was also my first Australian customer. I was having a problem displaying the one above on my upside down vase to show it off so I asked Amy to be my model. The hat is made for a teen/adult, but it looks really good on Amy. I really need to invest in a proper display head but until I have the funds I have to use whatever I have. Anyway Amy was delighted to do this. I think she makes a lovely model!

WARNER BROS MOVIE WORLD

2009-09-14T09:52:00.006+01:00

There are several of these theme parks on the Gold Coast and we chose Warner Bros Movie World. We arrived early to get a full day there. Amy was very excited, she has just started going on the big rides with her dad and she loves them. It was a beautiful sunny, winter day, perfect for this kind of day out.

The first ride Amy and her dad went on was the Batwing Spaceshot, a tower which shoots you up into the sky, no thanks I will pass on this one and take a photograph! Of course they ended up on the seat where I couldn't get a good shot of them, typical. Amy came off this looking slightly shocked.

Next we all went on Batman Adventure The Ride 2, which was a tour round the bat cave and then we all got strapped into a kind of vehicle thing which shook us about, whilst watching a movie of batman chasing a criminal, sorry I can't remember the full story, but you probably get the idea.

The next was probably the biggest disappointment for Amy the whole day. There were only 2 really big rides in the park which considering what you paid to get in wasn't many. I haven't been to many theme parks, but I have been to Alton Towers in the UK and the number of rides and attractions there was considerably more than this place and that was quite a number of years ago. Anyway back to Movie World, 2 Big rides and one, Lethal Weapon, was shut! So we queued up for Superman Escape and it was a very long queue. We measured Amy against the post and she just came up to the required height. So we queued and queued and queued. I was getting nervous as we got nearer to the front as I am not that bothered about these kind of rides, but I wanted to go on with Amy. So it was our turn, Amy had to be measured and guess what, she was just too short. The measure just skimmed over her head, that close it moved her hair. I felt so sorry for her, the look on her face. The girl measured her with another tape, but she wouldn't let her pass, she was so slightly too short! So that was that, the one big ride and Amy couldn't go on it. Can I just say at this point if anyone from Movie World reads this please, please, please put someone who measures at the start of the queue to avoid this kind of disappointment.

Shrek 4D Adventure was next and we loved it. You walked into an old style cinema, into a foyer where you had to listen to an introduction. After this we went into the cinema where there were long rows of chairs and sat down. We had to wear funny glasses but it was well worth it. You got rocked about in the chairs, things ran around your feet, spiders jumped out at you from the screen, you felt as though you could put out your hand and touch things. It was very good, that good we went in there twice.

Next was Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster. Luckily we didn't have to queue very long for this. This was a big surprise. We got in a the car and set off. The ride was in the dark and Scooby Doo music was playing very loudly which we were all singing along to. The car went into a lift kind of thing which rocked from side to side as you went up, we then left the lift backwards and I was waiting for it to turn round, then came the surprise. The car set off backwards and the next thing we knew we were dropping down backwards, in the dark. I think I left my stomach somewhere up in the lift. But it was amazing, I loved listening to Amy's reaction and we laughed and screamed all the way around. I went on it again with her later and we had such fun. In fact because there wasn't much else Amy and her dad went on that several times whilst I went around a few gift shops.

The next ride was the Wild West Falls Adventure Ride. I volunteered to take the photos because I hate getting wet. Amy and her dad are somewhere in that splash and you can imagine what they looked like when they got off. Amy loved it and so they went on again and got even wetter!

So despite the earlier disappointment, Amy enjoyed her day out and said it was the bestest day ever.

BRISBANE

2009-09-01T12:42:00.009+01:00

Whilst staying on the Gold Coast we visited Brisbane and had a lovely day there. We walked along the river and had a look at the manmade beach, which was different to what I had imagined, but they were working on it so didn't look as it should.

We then got on one of the Citycat ferries which I had really been looking forward to, I have seen them so many times on the TV. I was taking photos of it before I got on and I was called to hurry up by the boat person, whoops! We had just got on and my aunt had sat down when we reached the other side, it was funny.

There was a market on the other side so we had a look round that. All sorts of lovely foodstalls. My aunt and uncle decided to leave us to it and they wandered off on their own and we continued round the market. We tried some German sausages they were delicious. I found a gorgeous fruit stall on one of the streets and got a lovely fresh fruit drink from it.

We walked back to the other side over one of the bridges and walked along the bank of the river to where we had started.

It is a lovely area of Brisbane and I am sure there are many others. We didn't have long there but hopefully when we are living in Australia permanently it will be a place we will get to visit again.

BURLEIGH HEADS

2009-08-11T07:32:00.005+01:00

I just wanted to mention something else before I move onto the Gold Coast. On our way out of Coffs Harbour we passed the Big Banana, I have noticed this about Australia, everything is bigger. I love looking round the fruit and vegetable shops there and I have noticed the size of the produce is HUGE compared to what we get in the UK, and here is the proof!

We arrived on the Gold Coast later on Monday and found where we were stopping, a place called Burleigh Heads. We stayed in a very nice complex of apartments. After unpacking and changing, as the weather was noticeably warmer, we had a walk out to find somewhere to eat. As we were walking through the grounds of where we were staying, we saw large flying things above our heads and stopped to watch. We soon realised they were big bats, fruit bats, I think. Amy wasn't impressed!

We spent the next few days looking round the area. Burleigh Heads is a nice place. Where we were staying it was a short walk to a beautiful beach. I have never felt sand like it, it was like soft, white talculm powder, oh yes and BIG birds wandering about, called Ibis.

Just off the beach is a pathway where they have placed excercise machines for anyone to use. I thought they were a great idea, we have nothing like this in the UK. Of course Amy had to have a go on some of these!

OUR ROAD TRIP

2009-08-04T09:30:00.000+01:00

We had decided that we would like to see a little bit more of Australia on this visit, plus my husband had been in contact with an employer in Brisbane who had an expressed an interest in meeting him. So it was decided that we would spend some time on the Gold Coast during our stay and that we would drive up there. We were booked into a motel in Coffs Harbour where we would spend 2 nights on the drive up there.

We set off quite early on Saturday morning for the 448 km drive which was going to take us approximately 6 hours. One of the stops we had was at Nambucca where we called in to see the V Wall. The tradition of tourists painting names and dates on this wall started in the early 1980's and now there is a long line of rocks covered in all sorts of artwork, some of which is very elaborate.

We chose this one as it had 'Chloe' on it, one of my granddaughter's name. We didn't have any paint with us so unfortunately we were unable to leave an momento of our visit there but hopefully we will be able to visit again and then we will be able to create our own piece of artwork.

We carried on with our journey and arrived in Coffs Harbour later in the day. We were all quite tired by this time. We went out for a meal and then returned back to the motel and had an early night. The next day we went out for a look round. We drove around looking for a beach and came across a small craft market.

I loved looking round this, we have nothing like this where we live. There were stalls with knitted and crochet items, handmade soap, all sorts of things. I bought 2 lots of handmade soap as I have always wanted to try some. There was a group playing in the middle of it all, some kind of country music which isn't my kind of thing, but which seemed very appropriate for the occasion.

We enjoyed our short stay in Coffs Harbour, especially the craft market.

Monday morning we were up bright and early and back on the road again. Gold Coast here we come!

AMY'S BIRTHDAY

2009-07-28T07:20:00.004+01:00

Amy's birthday was on 9 June which was on the flight over and so we were unable to celebrate it properly. My cousins wife very kindly arranged a family party for her on the Friday night. We had a lovely meal and of course a few glasses of wine and there was this gorgeous chocolate birthday cake. HAPPY NINTH BIRTHDAY AMY!

FIRE AT THE ENTRANCE

2009-07-22T09:50:00.007+01:00

One of the first places we visited on the Central Coast was The Entrance, this is one my daughter's favourite places. One of the main attractions here is the pelican feeding which takes place every afternoon. We had a walk around the children's pool area and got ourselves ice-creams and smoothies, they were delicious. We carried on our walk and as we did noticed a fire shooting out the side of a house. At first I thought this was garden rubbish that was being burned. I then saw, who I presumed to be the occupants of the house, running around, shouting and moving a car that was parked close to the house. An ambulance drove past us and I saw one of the crew was on the radio and she was reporting the fire.

We watched as the fire quickly caught hold of the house and people were running around shouting to see if there was anyone in the house. The roof of the house started popping and explosions could be heard inside, so everyone had to move back to safety. Still the fire service had not arrived and we wondered how long it was going to take them. By now the fire was spreading into a nearby palm tree and I asked if there were any occupants in the apartments that were at the side. I was told that they were empty.

A man, who was walking by, told us that we should move as the roof probably contained asbestos. As soon as that was mentioned we moved quickly away, my dear dad died of asbestosis only 3 years ago, so I know the dangers of this awful substance.

We moved further along the street and when I looked back I could see that the fire engine had arrived and the police. The plume of thick black smoke was going high into the sky along with debris from the house.

It certainly wasn't what we expected to see on our visit here. I felt so sorry for the occupants losing everything like that. We heard a report on the radio later about the fire and it appeared that no-one had been injured which was a blessing.

FIRST FEW DAYS

2009-07-17T11:42:00.002+01:00

Those first few days after we arrived passed in a blur. I was suffering with jet lag which made me very tired. I couldn't sleep in in the morning and stopping up after 9 at night was impossible. We did manage to get out though and on the first day I went to meet somone I had met through an internet forum which is for expats and people who are going through the visa application process. A few of us had gone on and 'met up' again on Facebook. I had arranged to visit Catherine at her home. Catherine is originally from America and had been living in Australia since last year. Catherine and her family were at the end of their stay as they had a home to sell back in the US. I was a bit apprehensive going to meet her as I am quite a shy person and don't find it easy making new friends, but I knew that once we moved to Australia I was going to have to make more of an effort to get out and meet people. I needn't have worried Catherine was a lovely, friendly person. We had a great chat, a cup of tea and cake. It was a wonderful experience meeting up like that. I hope that we can meet again sometime!

OUR TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

2009-07-09T09:47:00.006+01:00

We left home at 11.30 am on Monday, 8 June and drove to Heathrow airport. We got held up in roadworks but arrived at the airport in plenty of time. Whilst we were checking in I thought about how I would feel the day we did this when we were making our permanent move to Australia. I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and got on with feeling excited about our arrival in Australia and our time there.

A few hours later we were boarding our flight to Japan. The flight passed ok. The usual meals, drinks, in-flight entertainment, more drinks, try to sleep. And then it was midnight and Amy's 9th birthday had arrived. We were very tired but she had her present and card from us, the rest we had left at home. I am not sure what time we arrived in Japan as the time difference always confuses me. But we had a 5 hour wait at the airport for our next flight.

Whilst waiting I heard a strange announcement. It was a male voice (who seemed to be trying to hide a laugh as he spoke) and he was instructing passengers, for a different flight to ours, to visit the washrooms before they boarded due to the turbuluence they were going to have during their flight. At this point I said a little prayer, thanking God that was not our flight. Our flight was finally called and it was onto the plane for the final leg of our journey.

We arrived in Australia on at 6.40 am on Wednesday, 10 June. It was a beautiful, sunny morning, quite cool as it is their winter at this time of year. We got through immigration and that was our Visa's validated. A man approached us and asked if we had any food, we only had chocolate, so he sent us through another door, we didn't have to get into the next queue for the baggage check thank goodness and that was it through the arrivals and there were my relatives waiting for us. At last we had arrived!

HOME AGAIN

2009-07-05T15:15:00.003+01:00

Hello to everyone and thank you to those of you who have kept dropping your Entrecard, it is much appreciated.

We have had a great time in Australia and I am looking forward to sharing some of the things we have done with you over the next few weeks.

We arrived home yesterday evening after 2 days of travelling, which included an overnight stay in Japan. My body is still confused over what time it is. I was really tired when I went to bed last night, but was awake at 4.00 am and got up at 4.30 am so I am writing this with very bleary, tired eyes. I am looking forward to going to bed again tonight and hopefully having a good sleep.

BON VOYAGE

2009-06-04T15:56:00.005+01:00

On Monday, 8 June we set off to Australia to validate our visas. We are going to be there for almost a month. We are getting really excited and are looking forward to seeing our family again. My daughter has her 9th birthday somewhere on the flight so I will have to keep my wristwatch to UK time so we know when to celebrate it. She is a little concerned because her daddy is teasing her about missing her birthday due to the 9 June disappearing somewhere along the way. We take off on 8 June and land in Sydney on 10 June, the flight takes 24 hours, we are going via Japan. I have told her not to worry, that mummy will know exactly when it's her birthday.

We are also going to travel north from the Central Coast where we are staying and spend some time on the Gold Coast and visit Brisbane. I am really looking forward to seeing a different part of Australia and also the weather should be a bit warmer there.

I have spent the last few days doing last minute shopping, washing and ironing and generally getting everything ready for our visit.

Our dog Jasper is going to stay with my elder daughter whilst we are away. I don't know what he will make of it. But he will be happier with her and her family than he would had we put him in kennels for a month. We will all miss him whilst we are away.

Amy was 6 when the above photo was taken, it is one of my favourites. I am going to renew it this year and will post it on my blog on my return.

When I am back I will be able to let you all know how we got on. Bye to you all for now!

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME

2009-05-18T12:46:00.003+01:00

I have read many posts on blogs stating how the blogs have been neglected due to other committments. Well readers that is exactly what I am going to do today, write one of those posts.

I have not only neglected my blog, I have not done much dropping on Entrecard, I have not been very creative. My poor shop on Etsy has hardly anything in it. I have been so busy with other things that there has been little time for anything else. I have had so many decisions to make that my mind has had no time to think about doing anything else.

The biggest thing I have done is quit my job! It has taken me several months to make this decision but it was becoming increasingly difficult to juggle being a mum and working and I was getting fed up with that juggling. I feel so much happier and relaxed now I know that I don't have to go to work anymore and can get on and do the things that I want to do. I am looking forward to the school holidays so much more now that I know I don't have to make arrangements for childcare. I feel free!

The next big thing we have been arranging is our trip to Australia. Our flights are booked for 8 June and we will be over there for almost a month. We have not sold our house yet so this is going to be a visa validation trip, but at least it will give my husband an opportunity to look at the job market whilst we are there. We are both quite concerned about the current employment situation, he has a very good job in the UK and doesn't want to give it up to move to Australia if he is going to be unemployed for a long period of time.

Whilst in Australia we are going to visit the Central Coast region where my relatives live and we are also going to drive up to Queensland and visit the Gold Coast, Brisbane and surrounding areas. We are all getting very excited about our trip.

So hopefully now that things have settled down I can get back to my blogging, crocheting, knitting, beading and maybe now that I have more free time I will be able to have a go at other crafts.

SUPER SKINNY COTTON SCARF

2009-04-24T17:58:00.005+01:00

I love accessorising and I love to wear scarves. I have knitted loads of cotton scarves for myself and have been asked for them by customers, but this is the first scarf I have crocheted and I am really pleased with the finished result. Up to now I have knitted all my scarves and they have been really popular. I got the cotton yarn I used for this scarf when I was on holiday in Cornwall. I went to one of my favourite yarn shops in Penzance. I purchased several balls of this beautiful cotton yarn in different colours. I have put this one for sale in my new ArtFire shop and it is available for purchase here.

HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-12T19:45:00.004+01:00

I hope you are all enjoying your Easter Day as much as I have. We have spent the afternoon at Clumber Park, which is a National Trust Property near to where we live. Every Easter they do an Easter Egg Trail for the children and we have been going to it for several years. The children each get a booklet which includes a map with which they have to follow the trail. At several points around the trail there are boards which have a word on which is shown using small pictures. These have to be deciphered using the key in the booklet, eg a picture of a flower = the letter E. At the end of the trail these words then have to be put into a poem and then the finished sheet is taken to get your prize, a chocolate egg.

We then had a picnic and followed that by feeding the ducks and the swans. The weatherman had promised us a lovely day, but unfortunately they got it wrong again. It was a grey, overcast day and we had the usual spots of rain. But we all enjoyed it and it was nice to have a family day out.

WELCOME BACK

2009-03-25T19:28:00.004Z

Welcome back Tina Turtle Keyring Buddy. This has been the most popular item I have sold in my Etsy store and today I finally got to make another one. She is now for sale here and due to the exchange rate she now only costs $7.00, what a bargain!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

2009-03-23T16:11:00.005Z

It was Mother's Day in the UK yesterday and we decided to spend the day at the coast, at Cleethorpes. I must say this particular area isn't the most attractive that the UK can offer, but it is the nearest coastal resort to us and the dogs love a good run on the beach. I have never seen so many people there. We have been having some particularly mild weather at the moment and obviously the sun and the fact that it was Mother's Day drew out the crowds. My eldest daughter, her husband and my 2 granddaughters, plus their dog, came with us and we had a lovely day. We had a good long walk along the beach, our dog Jasper loves chasing Kay, my daughter's dog. The sun shone most of the time but it was very breezy. We had fish and chips and then doughnuts, very fattening but delicious.

I love this photo of my youngest daughter and my eldest granddaughter, walking along deep in conversation.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who celebrated it yesterday, I hope you all had such an enjoyable day!

TWITTER MOSAIC

2009-03-13T21:28:00.004Z

I have just found this fun Twitter thing that makes a mosaic of all your Twitter followers. You can have this put on mugs, bags, t-shirts. What a great idea! Can you find yourself?

Get your twitter mosaic here.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM

2009-03-08T20:52:00.003Z

It is so many years since I have been able to say those words. My mum died in 1985 age 56. I love her so much and miss her terribly. There have been many times over the years, difficult times, when I would have loved to have turned to my mum for help and advice. This weekend has been difficult for me and I have shed a few tears, thinking back to those wonderful days when I had my parents to share my life with. My dearest mum has missed out on so many things. She never got to meet all her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. I would have loved Amy, my youngest daughter, to have known her. Yesterday would have been her 80th birthday. Happy Birthday Mum, I love you.

LET'S BE FRIENDS

2009-03-04T16:24:00.009Z

It was a lovely surprise to find that I had been awarded this "Let's Be Friends Award" by Nicole at Beadwright. Thank you very much Nicole it is very much appreciated to know that you consider me a 'blog friend'. This award states

that ...

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

There are so many blogs I come across that I love, but I can only pick 8, so here they are:

http://cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.blogspot.com

http://rosecreekcottage-carol.blogspot.com

http://sewingmom.com

http://chica-pumuckl.blogspot.com

http://lenoxknits.blogspot.com

http://triz-beadingmania.blogspot.com

http://steampunkrings.blogspot.com

http://tinylicousbytizzalicious.blogspot.com

There are so many more that I could have included in my list.

ANOTHER THANKYOU!

2009-03-02T17:15:00.009Z

When I checked into Etsy last week I was very happy to find a message from Bionicunicorn. This wonderful seller from Etsy was letting me know that she had featured my Sydney Elephant Pincushion Desk Buddy in her beautiful treasury. Sydney is not a stranger to publicity he recently made an appearance on the front page of Etsy. My sales have been down since Christmas so any help I can get in advertising my shop is much appreciated. So many, many thanks to Bionicunicorn for featuring Sydney. Check out Bionicunicorn's shop for some gorgeous vintage inspired costume jewellery. Here is one of her many amazing pieces.

Magic Bubbles - Whimsical Spring Steampunk Necklace

NEW TREASURY

2009-02-17T09:42:00.003Z

Many thanks to Nemeton for including my simple cream brooch in her very elegant treasury. I crocheted this brooch in a lovely cream yarn, it makes a great accessory for hats, bags or coats and the colour enables it to be matched with a variety of other colours. Nemeton (aka Lynn Davey) is one of the most talented beaders I have come across on Etsy. Visit her shop to see her amazing creations.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

2009-02-13T14:28:00.004Z

I am feeling really happy today because next week is half term in the UK and that means no school for a week for Amy and I have taken the week off. Hopefully we will get to have a few days out, weather permitting. We are planning a day at the coast. I love those days when we can get onto the beach and walk with Jasper, our dog. My eldest daughter and her 2 daughters are also planning on coming with us so we should have a great time. It looks really lovely outside today, the sky is blue and the sun is shining but it is really cold. The snow has all gone now and hopefully that is the last of it for this winter.

I hope you all have a wonderfully romantic Valentines Day this year. Let's hope that special someone in our lives has remembered to buy the card and the most amazing box of chocolates to deliver to us in the morning.

AMY'S FIRST PROPER SNOWFALL

2009-02-03T16:38:00.005Z

Amy is 8 years old and this is the first proper snowfall she has experienced. She got really excited on Sunday when it started to fall and when she went to bed Sunday night she could hardly wait for the morning. This picture was taken at 6.45 am Monday morning. She was dressed and out there before I could say anything to her. Unfortunately for her, her school was not one of those that closed so she had to spend the day at school. Luckily the school gave them plenty of playtime outside so that they could make the most of this experience. We don't get this amount of snow very often in the part of the UK where we live. As soon as she was home from school, she was changed and back out there until nightfall.

VALENTINE TREASURY

2009-01-28T19:17:00.004Z

Many thanks to Beadbeautyboutique of Etsy for including my pretty pink heart keyring buddy in this ever so cute Valentines Treasury. I made this keyring with Valentines in mind but it is a cute accessory that would look great any time of year If you are looking for some fabulous jewellery making supplies at great prices, check out the Beadbeautyboutique.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - CUTE FOR VALENTINE

2009-01-14T17:42:00.005Z

Amigurumi Sock Monkey

SCHMAP SYDNEY GUIDE

2009-01-09T17:43:00.006Z

I was recently contacted by Schmap asking if I would give permission for the above photo to be submitted for selection for the sixth edition of their Sydney guide. I have just had an email from them to let me know that it has been selected and it can be viewed in the guide here.

THREE TREASURIES

2009-01-08T19:08:00.006Z

Thank you, thank you, thank you. How exciting to be featured in THREE treasuries this week. Capecodconsignments, who produces the most amazing crocheted items, featured my sweet Ellie Octopus Pincushion in her cute treasury. And Jolijoli, who makes beautiful pieces of jewellery, has featured me in two of her treasuries. The first had my Berry Red Glass Bead Bracelet in it and the second had cute Petunia Rabbit. Thank you once again ladies it is much appreciated.

NEW YEAR AND NEW PINCUSHION

2009-01-05T12:14:00.008Z

Welcome to 2009 and also welcome to the latest addition to my pincushion buddies. Ellie Octopus is made in a sunshine yellow yarn, she is a sweet and useful addition to anyone's sewing accessories. Ellie is now available to purchase in my Etsy store.

I have had a couple of bad colds over the Christmas and New Year period which have stopped me from making new items and posting on my blog. I am slowly getting over them and looking forward to getting back into creating and posting.

Luckily I wasn't struck down until after Christmas Day so I was able to enjoy the festivities with my family. On Christmas Eve I managed to make an old fashioned sherry trifle, I hadn't made one of these for years. It turned out really well and it was as delicious as I had remembered. I had 4 egg whites left over from this so I had a go at making meringues. This was the very first time I had attempted them but they were so easy and they were perfect, crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. The other things I had a go at were Pudini bon bons which were featured on one of Nigella Lawsons' episodes. They were made with a mixture of christmas pudding, dark chocolate, sherry and golden syrup. The mixture was then rolled into small balls and then decorated with melted white chocolate and small pieces of cherries. The idea was to make them look like old fashioned Christmas puddings. They were very nice, but very rich.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-12-30T09:10:00.005Z

Myspace Graphics, New Year Graphics at WishAFriend.com

I wish you all a very happy and prosperous

New Year!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

2008-12-23T17:43:00.003Z

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

FRONT PAGE OF ETSY

2008-12-20T21:53:00.003Z

Congratulations to Jolijoli for her fabulous treasury that was featured on the front page of Etsy. A fantastic early christmas present for me to be featured on the front page of Etsy and to actually see it. The first time one of my items was on there I missed it so this was a great feeling to go onto Etsy and see something I had made have pride of place. Thank you so much Jolijoli for featuring one of my items.

FEATURED IN A TREASURY

2008-12-18T19:30:00.008Z

Thank you to Jolijoli for featuring my Sydney Elephant Pincushion in her fabulous treasury on Etsy. She has some beautiful jewellery in her Etsy shop and to read more about this talented jewellery artist, visit her blog at http://jolijolidesigns.blogspot.com.

NEW ITEM ARRIVED IN STORE

2008-12-17T16:43:00.007Z

I have been making these amigurumi figures for quite a while now and I really love them. I am always trying to think of new ways to use them. I have had a pink elephant in my sewing box for quite some time and I have been using it as a pin cushion. So I thought why not make one and put it in my Etsy store, so here it is. Sydney is absolutely gorgeous and he makes a great pin cushion. Always have needles and pins to hand with this cute guy.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - G'DAY MATE

2008-12-03T19:31:00.001Z

TODAY I FELT CREATIVE

2008-11-20T22:23:00.004Z

I haven't made any jewellery for several months, I have been concentrating on my crochet and knitting. But last time I was in the craft store I saw some memory wire. I knew I had some beads at home that I could use with this so I bought it and you can see the result above. I am pleased with the way it has turned out. I love the colour combination cream, gold and bronze. I really enjoyed making this one and now I can't wait to have a go at another one.

MY 50TH SALE ON ETSY

2008-11-12T19:22:00.004Z

It was a great feeling today when I checked on Etsy to find that I had made my 50th sale. The item shown above, a lip balm holder keyring was bought by a fellow seller on Etsy, Zozocards. Check out her shop for a fabulous range of cards, prints, magnets and keyrings. My favourite item is this tote. I am putting it on my wishlist for Christmas to see if anyone takes the hint. As a thank you I am sending a free gift, this pretty pair of earrings. I have tried to match the colours of the earrings to the hot pink and yellow of the holder.

I'VE BEEN FEATURED

2008-11-08T09:32:00.002Z

Many thanks to NiftyKnits for featuring my pretty blue teacup keyring buddy in her recent treasury. The treasuries on Etsy are a great way for a sellers to showcase their fellow Etsians work and there is the added bonus that your treasury may get picked to feature on the front page of Etsy. They are also another way for buyers to see the fantastic range of items that are available for sale. If you are stuck for Christmas present ideas this year take a look at Etsy, do your gift shopping from the comfort of your own home.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-11-01T21:29:00.004Z

I know this greeting is a bit late. I wanted to share this picture with you of my daughter, my 2 granddaughters and Jasper trying to get in on the act. Hope you all had a happy halloween.

WORK IN PROGRESS

2008-10-30T19:12:00.011Z

I just thought I would share with you some of the things I am working on at the moment. The first one is a new idea I have been thinking about for some time and thought it was about time I had a go. It is going to be a cheeky monkey. I have seen images of these monkeys and fancied having a go at recreating one in crochet. I don't know if the finished item will look anything like a monkey. I will put a picture on here when I am finished.

The second one is another amigurumi sock monkey, I love these. The first one I made sold immediately, I have another for sale in my Etsy store. I think they are really cute and if you love sock monkeys they are a great way to keep one with you at all times.

WE HAVE OUR VISA!

2008-10-20T10:24:00.002+01:00

I can't believe it, it has actually happened. We checked our online application and there it was 'Applicant Approved'. We now have our permanent residency visa for Australia. It has taken 4 months and 2 weeks to get which has surprised me as I always thought it took over 12 months. We have until September 2009 to validate the visa and 5 years to move over there. Hopefully it won't take too long to sell our house and we will be able to move there early next year. I think selling the house may prove harder than getting the visa as house sales have fallen dramatically. Fingers crossed that someone will fall in love with it, offer us the asking price and then we can start our new life in Australia.

MEET KEVIN THE KOALA

2008-10-18T17:47:00.006+01:00

Amy, my daughter, has been asking me to make her a koala for some time. I finished one for her last week and then decided to make another, and here he is. I chose the name Kevin only because it started with a 'K'. I have yet to add the keyring to his head, I think he would look great hanging from a bag. He is not going into my Etsy shop straightaway as I have not decided if I want to sell him. If anyone would like to purchase one though, just get in touch with me either through my shop on Etsy or via this blog.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

2008-10-15T09:11:00.004+01:00

Well it has come around again and today I am celebrating my birthday. This birthday may be the last one I spend in the UK. We have had an email from the agent who is dealing with our Australian visa application in which she tells us that we should have our grant letter in the next 1 - 2 weeks. I have such mixed emotions about our move to Australia. It is somewhere I have wanted to live for so long, but going there means leaving my son and daughter and my 2 grandchildren back here.

My daughter has just started her training to become a nurse and I am really hoping that once she has qualified they will join us in Australia. My son has always fancied moving over there so he too may join us. But of course then they have to make that decision because they will be leaving their dad and other family members back here.

Nowadays with the internet it is so much easier to keep in touch. I have an aunt in Australia who I am able to 'speak' to using MSN and, when it is working, use the webcam to see and speak to her.

THANK YOU

2008-10-13T17:49:00.003+01:00

Thank you to everyone who has dropped by my blog over the last few days and left comments for me about my aunt. They have been a great help and all are very much appreciated.

SAD TIME

2008-10-07T16:24:00.002+01:00

My Aunt died on Saturday, 4 October. She was in hospital and the staff told us that she died peacefully in her sleep. She was 90 years old and a great lady. We will all miss her very much.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE

2008-10-01T18:53:00.003+01:00

NEW SCARF

2008-09-28T13:44:00.005+01:00

One of the things I love to do when I am on holiday is looking round yarn shops. I have to rely on the internet for buying yarn at home, but nothing beats going into an actual shop and seeing and feeling all the different colours and textures. I was in Cornwall earlier this year and whilst there I had to re-visit one of my favourite shops which is in Penzance. I bought some fabulous yarn, one of which has been knitted into this scarf. The balls of yarn are made up of all different textured yarns it is amazing. I am really pleased with the finished item and feel tempted to keep it for myself.
Now available to buy here

I'VE BEEN FEATURED ON THE ART ZOO

2008-09-23T19:43:00.002+01:00

It was very exciting to discover that one of my items was recently featured on The Art Zoo. Petunia, my purple amigurumi bunny, who is for sale in my Etsy store was there as large as life staring back at me from the page of this great blog. Go check out The Art Zoo which is a photoblog featuring handmade products by independent artisans and crafters.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - FEEDING THE PELICANS - THE ENTRANCE, NSW, AUSTRALIA

2008-09-17T16:37:00.006+01:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASPER

2008-09-15T17:42:00.003+01:00

It is Jasper's birthday today, he is 2 years old. He got some new rubber balls to play with and some extra special doggy treats to chew on. He is being very uncooperative and will not let me take a new picture of him. Therefore I have used this one which is one of my favourites. He has a habit of jumping up into my chair when I take a break from the computer. I regularly find him asleep here. He is not looking so clean and tidy at the moment as this photo was taken not long after he had returned from his pampering session at the doggy beauty parlour. I think I might get him booked in soon as an extra special birthday treat.

INTRODUCING .....

2008-09-14T08:52:00.004+01:00

Thank you to Purrprints for giving me the idea of purple and green for my sock monkey. The colours have worked really well together and I am pleased with the finished result. The first amigurumi sock monkey was put in my Etsy store last week and was sold immediately to a regular customer of mine.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - AMY ON BIRDIE BEACH, AUSTRALIA

2008-09-10T18:37:00.003+01:00

THANK YOU TINA

2008-09-05T21:50:00.003+01:00

I had a google alert in my mailbox today and I was both surprised and very excited to find that I had been mentioned on a fellow Etsian's blog. Check out Craftheart's lovely blog.

AMIGURUMI SOCK MONKEY

2008-08-31T10:47:00.005+01:00

I first saw sock monkeys on Etsy and fell in love with them. They are so cute and colourful and it is hard to believe they are made from Socks. So when I found myself thinking of something different to crochet, it isn't too difficult to see why sock monkey popped into my head.

I wanted to make this into one of my keyring buddies but it has turned out too big. I think this size, approximately 6.75" (17 cms) is perfect for hanging from a bag or even for sitting on your desk, a pocket sock monkey. I am hoping to start another today, but I have not decided on the colour combination.

NEW KEYRING BUDDY

2008-08-24T13:50:00.004+01:00

Here is my latest keyring buddy, a cute little octopus. I already have Sunshine Sally for sale in my Etsy shop, but she is a little larger and probably too big to hang from a keyring. I did make a pink one like this one before, the same size as Sunshine Sally, her name was Polly and she is now residing in Kazakhstan. I think I will call this one Ellie. I have also made another Nellie the Elephant keyring buddy pictured here with her brother Sydney.

BEST SELLER

2008-08-21T16:54:00.006+01:00

This cute keyring buddy, known as Tina Turtle, has become my bestseller. The first ones I made were in a different colour combination, they were orange and yellow and I also made one in blue and green. Most of them have found new owners in the United States, another has gone to Greece and several are residing in the UK. This latest one went on sale in my Etsy shop last night and has already had 16 views. I have now adopted Tina Turtle as my Etsy avatar so hopefully she will attract more customers to my gift shop.

I am now trying out different colour combinations, but I think the yellow and green is very eyecatching.

HOME AGAIN!

2008-08-11T18:10:00.006+01:00

We arrived home in the early hours of Saturday morning. We travelled back through the night to avoid the traffic. We have had a good holiday and have enjoyed relaxing and being away from work. Unfortunately the British weather let us down and we had rain nearly every day.

It was a little sad being in Cornwall this year. I have so many happy memories of family holidays spent there with my parents and this year may have been the last time I will visit. As I have mentioned in earlier posts we are in the process of applying for our Australian visas and next year we are hoping to move there.

Amy got to see the Dr Who exhibition she was so looking forward to, this is her with one of the many 'monsters' on display.

We did have a few days of good weather there and we managed to get on the beach a few times. Amy was able to practice her surfing skills ready for her new life in Australia.

Thank you to everyone that has continued to visit my blog whilst I have been away and dropped there entrecard and for all the comments left. I am going away again on Wednesday, this time for 5 days. We are going to a family wedding and taking the opportunity to have a few days away. After that things will be back to normal and I will be catching up on dropping and commenting on all your lovely blogs!

HOLIDAY TIME

2008-07-25T21:56:00.005+01:00

We are going away tomorrow for a couple of weeks to Cornwall. I hope the weather stays as good as it has been here for the last couple of days. It is has been beautifully warm and sunny. It is about time we had some good weather in the UK. I am looking forward to searching for new beads and yarns whilst I am there and getting inspiration for new items to make.

The picture above is the cove near to where we are staying. That picture was taken last year. We had some great days on the beach, in the sea, searching the rockpools and having barbecues.

This second picture is taken at Lands End. We had a great day there too. There was a Dr Who Exhibition on, Amy loved it and she wants to visit it again this year.

THIRD COLUMN

2008-07-24T20:26:00.002+01:00

I have been wanting to add a third column to my blog for ages but I know nothing about html code and I couldn't find simple instructions to do it. That is until today. I came across this fabulous blog Blogger Buster which is written by Amanda Fazani. Her instructions for creating a third column are so simple that even I could follow them. There are other tutorials on there but I have yet to look at them. Thank you so much Amanda!

BEADING SUNDAY

2008-07-20T20:06:00.006+01:00

I wanted to have a relaxing day today so I decided to have my second lesson in beading. I recently bought a book, which I mentioned in an earlier post. It is a beautiful book and has some gorgeous projects, but I think it is probably for someone who has a little more experience than me in the art of beading. I am still learning the basic stitches. I would love to go to a beading class, unfortunately there are none close to where I live.

I have discovered the second best thing to classes is You Tube. There are some great videos on there which show you how to do these stitches. I find it so much easier watching someone actually doing it rather than just reading and looking at diagrams. So today I have learned ladder stitch and herringbone stitch, it looks a bit wonky but apparently the beads are supposed to be offset like that.

FIRST CUSTOM ORDER

2008-07-15T16:02:00.004+01:00

I was recently asked if I could make a guinea pig keyring buddy. I must admit I was a bit worried about getting it to look like my client wanted. I wasn't given any directions, just 'no pink'. I can picture finished items in my head, but sometimes they don't turn out the way I hoped and can take a few attempts to get it right. Fortunately this little one looked right after my first attempt. I checked with my my daughters to make sure he looked like a guinea pig and they both agreed that he did and that he was cute. He is now with his new owner in America. I was pleased to get a message from her to let me know that he had arrived safely and that his new owner was pleased with him. If you would like your own keyring buddy, I have others for sale in my Etsy shop.

FREE SHIPPING

2008-07-12T12:52:00.005+01:00

Purple & Lilac Fantasy

by LizzyT Designs

I have reduced the price of all the bracelets in my Etsy shop. PLUS you can now save even more money because I am also offering FREE SHIPPING on these items. There are even more bargains to be had in the Sale Section of my shop. Here you will find some great items at reduced prices PLUS a lovely selection of scarves. All the scarves are shipped free of charge.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2008-07-09T20:15:00.002+01:00

Can anyone see my pink elephant?

FIRST ATTEMPT

2008-07-06T18:54:00.003+01:00

On an earlier post I wrote that I was going to have a go at beading. I have seen some wonderful blogs that have given me the inspiration to have a go at this craft. I have 2 favourites they are Triz Designs and Smadar's Treasure. The pieces they produce are just amazing and I am sure I will never reach that standard. But anyway here is my first attempt, a beaded tube, hopefully the first of many. I used the book I bought but I also found it very helpful to go onto Youtube and watch videos of people beading.

IS TIME PASSING BY FASTER?

2008-07-02T21:04:00.006+01:00

Is it just me or does anyone else think that this year is passing really quickly? I went part-time in my job just over a year ago in the hopes that I would have more time but it is not happening. I can't believe how quickly the weeks are passing, it is Thursday again and the weekend is almost upon us. There are so many things I want to do but I never seem to have the time to get round to them.

We were hoping to go away this weekend but have cancelled due to increasing fuel charges. We are going to Cornwall at the end of July for a fortnight, so we have decided to save our money for that instead. We have a caravan and bought a diesel car to tow it with as at the time the running costs were cheaper. Unfortunately the price of diesel has increased and now it is more expensive than unleaded petrol.

Jasper was sick on Sunday and when he is sick he always does it in his bed. Anyway I put the cushion out of his bed into the washer. When I went to get it out all the contents of the cushion had come out and the washer was full of polyester filling. What a mess!

We had to rush to our local pet store to get him a new bed. I picked him a very smart red tartan one, brought it home and put it in his corner. He wasn't impressed. I made him sit in it for this picture, look at his ears. I don't think he has slept in it yet.

I sold one of my favourite pairs or earrings this week. They were bought as a birthday present for the lady's mum. She sent me a message to let me know they had arrived safely and that her mum was pleased with them. I thought it was really nice of her to let me know.

SOMETHING NEW FOR ME TO TRY

2008-06-28T09:49:00.003+01:00

I have just bought myself a new book 'The Art of Beaded Beads' and I can't wait to have a go at some of the projects. I have been looking at the seed beads you can buy and the choice is amazing. There are some gorgeous colours available. I also need to get some wooden base beads, beading needles, beading thread and apparently I need to get wax or conditioner for the thread.

TWO AWARDS!

2008-06-24T20:06:00.008+01:00

It was such a fabulous surprise to receive not one but 2 awards from Kay's K9s. I adore her handcrafted miniature felted dogs, they are amazing. The first award is the 'Arte y Pico' award.

The “Arte y Pico” award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, be it writing or artwork in all media’s. When you receive this award it is considered a “special honor”.
The rules are as follows:

1) The winner of the award must choose 5 bloggers that they consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, posts, and contribution to the blogging community, no matter the language.

2) Each award given has to have the name of the author and a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award winner and the giver of the award must show the link of the 'Arte y Pico' blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Post these rules.

This is the second award I received and this too has to be passed onto 5 other bloggers.

These are the blogs I have chosen to pass these awards to:

FIRST BLOGOVERSARY TODAY!

2008-06-23T18:25:00.007+01:00

I cannot believe that I have been blogging for a year and also I have had my shop on Etsy for a year. It was through Etsy that I discovered blogging. I read about it in the forums where it was suggested that blogging was a great way of advertising your shop. I know I have had one sale through my blog. But it is not just for advertising, I love blogging.

Etsy has also given me another interest, photography. I took so much time trying to get my photographs right for my shop and I think they are pretty much ok now. I recently got a new camera, a Panasonic DMC-TZ3. I chose this one because of the zoom. It has also got a macro setting which my old one didn't have and this is great for taking photos for Etsy, but also I have taken some lovely pictures of flowers and wildlife. I am never without my camera, I have got some great shots when I am out walking with Jasper. This was taken on one of our weekends away at the coast. Jasper loves the beach.

I started on Etsy selling jewellery. The only problem with this is that there are zillions of jewellery sellers on Etsy. I rekindled my love for knitting and then crochet so I now include these items in my shop. I love crafting and Etsy is a great way to finance my crafting habit.

Then earlier this year I discovered Entrecard. I can't believe that some people manage to make 300 drops in one day. I usually manage just over 100, I get sidetracked when I am dropping, reading the latest posts and commenting.

I am going to make an effort to post more on my blog over the next year. It is going to be a strange year for us, as long as our visa application goes through ok, we will hopefully be moving to Australia. Before we move though we have to sell our house and then we will have all the goodbyes to our family and friends. I am not looking forward to that bit.

NEW DESIGN - THE MUMPH

2008-06-22T14:51:00.012+01:00

I started this about a month ago, hence the name Mumph (month) get it? Anyway I think he has turned out kind of cute and he will be on sale later today in my Etsy shop. I am planning on designing some different ones, I think the next one may be a baby Mumph and I will also like to make one into a keyring buddy.

My keyring buddies have been very successful, in particular Tina Turtle. I listed her yesterday evening and within an hour or so she had sold. She will be on her way to America tomorrow morning.

THANK YOU

2008-06-20T12:45:00.007+01:00

I would like to say thank you to a fellow Etsy Hookers Street Team Member, FairyDC2008, for featuring my Sunshine Sally Octopus in her lovely Treasury on Etsy. Treasuries are where Etsy members get to show off some of the items that are for sale. It is a great feeling when you are looking through the list of treasuries and you see a gold star that indicates that one of your items has been chosen to be featured. So if you get time go take a look at her lovely shop where you will find some really pretty crochet and jewellery items.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY

2008-06-09T10:07:00.004+01:00

It is my daughter's birthday today, she is 8 years old. Amy is my youngest daughter. We are having a birthday tea later when she gets home. We got her a Wii for her birthday and she has already been bowling before she went off this morning. It is a beautiful day here, it's a shame she had to go to school. I think everyone should be able to have a day off on their birthday. This picture was taken on last year's birthday. She loves watching Dr Who and a Dalek was at the top of her birthday wish list.

IT'S ALL HAPPENING TODAY

2008-06-06T19:08:00.002+01:00

Today is our tenth wedding anniversary and today our Australian visa application has been submitted to DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship). I cannot believe we have actually gone and done it. I know there will be ups and downs along the way but at least the paperwork is done and it has gone. The next thing we will have to go through are the medicals. Anyway till then we are going to celebrate tonight with a bottle of wine.

BRACELET SALE

2008-05-31T13:01:00.005+01:00

Please take time to look at the show. I have some fabulous bracelets which have all been reduced and all are available at my Etsy shop. Great gift ideas or even as a treat for yourself. As a special thank you to my blog readers if you find this sale through my blog I am offering you a further 10% discount on any of these bracelets. Don't pay straightaway, put in note to seller that you are a blog reader and I will send you a revised invoice. Thank you!

THE BUMBLE BEE

2008-05-29T21:00:00.004+01:00

I was taking a stroll around my garden on one of the recent warm and sunny days we have been having. I had my camera with me as I wanted to take a few pictures of the flowers that were blooming. I am not very good with names of flowers so I am afraid I can't tell you what this one is called. Anyway it is a very large bush in the garden and it flowers in May but the flowers don't last long. I had got a few shots of the flowers when I noticed the bees buzzing around. I managed to get up to this one and get a few shots of it. I love my camera for the close-up shots I can get.

Anyway I put this picture onto Flickr and I got an email from someone asking if they could use my picture as they were working on a story about bee research at York University.

TRA PASSED

2008-05-28T15:24:00.003+01:00

Just a quick update on our emigration to Australia. My OH received an email from our migration agent before we went on our short break. It confirmed that he had PASSED his TRA (Trade Recognition Australia). The next step is our Visa application.

HOLIDAY TIME

2008-05-22T21:46:00.004+01:00

We are going away tomorrow, Friday, 23 May and will be returning on Wednesday, 28 May, we are having a few days at the coast. We are all ready for a break, we haven't been anywhere since Easter.

I am going to take my yarns with me, my knitting needles and crochet hooks and hopefully will have a nice relaxing few days. I am also looking forward to getting some new photos.

Jasper and my daughter love it by the sea, they are both looking forward to some lovely walks along the beach. We have a great time trying to find the prettiest pebbles and shells, we come back with pockets full and never do anything with them!

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM!

2008-05-17T10:13:00.004+01:00

This is what greeted me this morning on my return to my desk. As you may notice Jasper is looking alot tidier since my earlier post. He had a day of pampering yesterday at the beauty parlour.

When I drop him off there it is so funny, he sits on the floor, sticks his front paws out to try and stop himself from going any further. Unfortunately for him the floor is tiled and he just glides through on the end of his lead as the assistant takes him through to the 'torture chamber'. But oh boy what a difference it makes, he smells so sweet and he looks half the size.

JASPER

2008-05-14T20:59:00.004+01:00

Jasper usually sits at my feet or under my chair when I am sitting at my computer tapping away on the keyboard. But sometimes he gets a bit fed up and wants to attract my attention. That is when I have this face looking up at me. This is quickly followed by him jumping up at me and pawing at me, his claws are quite sharp and that bit hurts. It is not long before I have to finish what I am doing, get up and play with him or take him out for yet another walk.

PAYPAL STOREFRONT

2008-05-12T10:22:00.002+01:00

I have just added this new widget to my blog and would like some help please. I know from viewing my stats that the majority of people who come to my blog are from America. What I would like to know is, if you wished to purchase from this storefront, would you prefer to see the prices in US$ or does it not matter to you.
Thank you, your comments are much appreciated.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2008-05-11T13:45:00.001+01:00

DESTASH

2008-05-10T17:57:00.005+01:00

Following on from my clearing out post. I have decided it is time to sort through all the beads I have accumulated over the last year. I have got far too many and I know I will never get to use most of them.

So if you have ever fancied having a go at making your own jewellery, take a look at some of the beads I have for sale in my Etsy shop. A few of them are for sale already and I will be adding more over the next few days.

It is a great hobby, but beware buying beads is very addictive.