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Laura



Lori




I have some more photos from France to show, when I get round to downloading them, and also an update on my crochet projects, so this is just an inbetween post to inform you all about these giveaways,you must pop over and visit.


back soon
Joan

at last

Fabulous three weeks holiday in France

I've been building up to this post, reading everyones lovely blogs, with loads of colourfull pictures, and I doubt that I can't even come close to a post as good as what I've been looking at. So, thats why i,ve been putting this off, but needs must, its gone on for too long now
its time for me to make a start
here goes with some holiday photos



 A visit to Bayeaux to see the War Graves and the Bayeaux Tapestry see more
The War Graves are very humbling to see , how clean and tidy and well looked after.

The pictures won't behave, I've given up on putting them in order,

 Look at the beautifull wisteria , would we see anything like that in our graveyards ?
It contains the graves of 4144 Commenwealth soldiers who died during World War ll , 338 are unidentified.

Next stop was Omaha beach , and another moving tribute to all who lost their lives , hard to imagine the devastation what happened all those years ago

 A must see visit , was to Ste Mare Eglise and the Airbourne Museum, featuring a life-sized scene depicting American Paratroopers,
As it was coming up to 6th june, (D Day Landings) the small town was being made ready for the celebrations, A small shame that we timed our visit a week early, at least we could get parked up and have a cafe au lait.
read more about this town here and the Church with a Parachuter stuck on the steeple.
A most enjoyable visit.

I managed to get loads of crochet work done, including this Kindle cover for Tania as a thankyou for goldfish sitting
Mostly I worked on my ripple blanket as its nice and easy to do

Well, thats it for now, more photos to follow, hopefully not too long,

I would much rather read other peoples blogs than post my own at the moment, but I guess we all feel like that at one time or another.

The Book Thief link

The Book Thief


Here is a link I've found from The World Book Night site
About my book I was giving away, It's worth at look, especially if you are unsure what to think about it.

As i've said in my last blog, I've just finished reading it for a second time, And i will probably read it again in the near future.  I would be interested to read what your reviews of it is, if you've read it that is.


Thanks

Btw I know some of you have been having problems leaving comments, hopefully I've resolved the problem, the setting on comments were set to registered users only !!??? now I've changed it to anyone, thanks for all your patience

may is here

 Hello everyone and how are you
May is here, the sun is shining, and its quite warm outside, roll on summer,

I'm very pleased with this plant, what is it called ?? answers on a postcard please (or a comment will do ). It's been in the garden for a while now (years) I can't remember seeing all these flowers on it before, maybe now its matured, if thats what plants do !!!


Not much to show on the crocheting front, I made another Bride and Groom ,this time with pink rabbits instead of gray, for my Grandsons Teacher , I'd like to see his face when he presents it , I just know he will be so proud.

These are the original ones which I made for a friends wedding, and the newest, pink rabbits, I wanted to show them side by side to see which I prefered

I think I prefer the original, gray ones, after all its not very often you see a pink rabbit.


I made this coloufull bunting with the latest issue of Lets Get Crafting Mag,  I'm going to send a picture in, and who knows If i'll be lucky enough to get it shown.

I've also been messing about making a few crocheted bags, very easy and satisfying to make, as quick as I can make them I give them away.

Quite like the shape of this one.
This is the original pattern  Jewel Box Drawstring Bag(sorry I couldn't get the link up) and I made a few adaptions.

Here is Moe again, keeping guard on my bags,

It all started with  these   Jolly Little Goody Bags   which I made for friends for Christmas. If you do happen to visit Janet over at Yellow Pink and Sparkly, have a look at the free pattern for Paddington Bear, that is a project I'm taking to France with me.

Then  Laura  at Cute Crocheted Creations  sent me one in a swap, and I love it, but I've never been able to make one as nice, so Laura, if you read this , have you got a pattern or did you just make it up as you go along (I'm not very good at doing things like that ) I have to start with a pattern as a guide and take it from there.

I'm also finishing off  this   Super Self-pouching String Shopping Bag            which I must have started last year, I thought it would come in handy in France when I walk to the Boulangerie for our morning croissants and petite pains.

Just finshed reading The Book Thief for the second time, loved it again, I will probably read it another time, I think with a book like this , you miss quite a lot the first time around ,
or I'm usually in too much of a hurry to take it slowly.

Not much progress on my Ripple Blanket,  in fact its all packed up in the caravan, I've had to sneak it in without hubby knowing,(although he now tells me he saw me doing it oops) I hope to work on it whilst in France.

Did you know we are going in two weeks times for three whole weeks ?  Never been away for three weeks before,,  wow,  I'm hoping to take my laptop with me, plenty of places with wifi,  who knows I might even get a post in, while over there.

I might even have a new profile picture, my current one is when we were in France last time.
That is if we come back, we keep joking that we are staying over there , only wish we could do it, that reminds me to put some Lottery tickets on.

And of course plenty,plenty crocheting.

Take care everyone, And I'll speak to you all from France, If I can, or in about six weeks time, which is more or less normal for my posts lol

books books a mountain of books

Collected my books Thursday from Waterstones, just look at them wow,

Feel so proud to have been nominated 

It was absolutely throwing it down,
I got wet thro, the box was too heavy for me to carry, I ended up getting an abandoned trolley and pushing it back to the car, and all the time the box was getting wet, I must have looked like a mad woman.

What a day for picking my books up,
Fortunately the books were wrapped in plastic, so no damage done.

That was the hardest part now on to the easy bit, giving them all away.

Looking forward to World Book Night on Monday, when I can start dishing them out.

Changing the subject

What do you think of this little cutie

She's called Moe and the pattern is from the talented Dawn Touissant

I can't take the credit for finding her, saw her on another blog(can't remember which, shame on me) but I'm glad to have found her.

Guess what, she's staying at home with me, this is not one I'm going to giveaway.

So different to make but what a result,

And here she is, sharing my love of books

 

Thats it for now, thanks everyone for taking time to visit

great giveaway

Visit this link for a fab giveaway,  from another superb blogger

http://dollydollydaydreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/its-giveaway-time.html?



While I am here,  I'll just post a few photos of what I have been upto

 I've been wanting to make this baby giraffe for ages (like everything else I suppose), Its for a friends grandaughter so that gave me a good excuse,  I thought It would be a lot bigger, but pleased with the result,,  now my friend wants a dolphin for her other (older) grandaughter ,  I am happy to oblige.

Easter time again, This Chick is on display in our shop window,  wonder what I can do for the summer display???

Finally ,  couldn't resist taking photos of these beautifull birthday/mother's day pressies I received,  makes my kitchen very summerfull !!!!! looking.

Short and sweet (not like me)

Oh btw , I received an email telling me when I can collect my books from Waterstones, for World Book Night,  yeah

giveaway

great giveaway going on at Cuddly Yarn Creations, follow this link to go there, not to be missed

  http://yarnabees.blogspot.com/2012/03/happy-crochet-month.html

Would you like an update on my ripple blanket?
Are you sitting down for this?
I've decided I've used all the colours I've been wanting to use, so now I'm just repeating the pattern, definitely looks better from a far

This is the beautiful bookmark I received from Loopyjess's Giveaway, lovely crochet work, takes more patience than I've got, for crochet that is.

But talking about patience, I have started my biscornu and goodness me I need a magnifying glass to see the stitches, should have started with something simple and bigger holes


Received this parcel today, all the way from Wisconsin as I took part in a swap with The Flower Bed Blog,
Thanks a lot Laurel it will go on display in the kitchen

I love the variegated yarn and the effect it creates, A lovely large flower/ pot holder,  not that i will use it for handling pots its too beautiful for that, the photo doesn't do it justice ,  the pattern is similar to the one I used for my pinwheel cushion .


This is what I sent to my swap partner , all the way to Belgium, she should have received it by now so I hope I'm not spoiling any surprises

That's it for swapping at the moment (says she ) I really should get all my wip finished before starting anything else, saying that I have just started on a Giraffe for a friends Granddaughter.

I've got a Kindle, (sorry Petty)
So what with my Kindle, Blogging,Crochet, Biscornu,Pet Zoo (phone) I wonder how I find the time to go to work.

world book night

I've been chosen
I've been picked
I've been successfull

I've been chosen to be a giver for World Book Night yeah
And its all thanks to Tracy

I noticed the Logo on Tracy's blog and remembered from last year, when we went to an event at Waterstones for a book signing by  Ian Clayton(see post , dated 6th march ) a lady was giving books away and I thought how lovely to be able to do that.
So when I saw the World Book Logo I had to investigate what it was all about, I filled in the forms , never hoping that I would have a chance. When I saw the 25 books to pick from, I knew straight away which book I wanted as my first choice, and this is what I got.

Its a good feeling , I haven't got any plans yet , as to what I'm going to do with my 25 books, apart from giving them away that is,  but I'm looking forward to it and feel pround that I've been chosen.
I so much love books.
Anyone want a free book ????

hi Ashley
I've got a new follower,thanks to Ashley, that takes me up to a round number of 80
who knows, If I ever get to 100 I might hold a giveaway lol
http://crochetishandmadehappiness.blogspot.com/
Follow this link to see loads of crochet goodness


I've won a giveaway  Yeah thanks a lot Jessica.
A beautifull crocheted bookmark from  http://www.loopyjess.co.uk/
I think I've fallen in love with blogging again lol


My ripple blanket is coming along nicely, it looks better from afar than close up, and its growing on me.


I've become greatly intrigued with " Biscornu" Mainly from Laura over  here who makes wonderfull ones , so as if I haven't got enough going on in my life
 I bit the bullet and bought a kit from ebay.  I keep picking it up and looking at it, when I will get round to starting it, who knows, a bit like my ripple blanket I suppose.
This is the kit, pretty good, I like poppies and it comes with all instructions,

Maybe, just maybe on my next post will be a photo of my completed biscornu, what do you think  ??

must go my ripple blanket is calling,



centre parks

Hi everyone

Well I had a great time at Center Parks thanks to Catherine and John for inviting us, that's the two grandma's.  Lots of swimming and eating and just chilling out, bliss,  Here's a couple of photos, a truly winter landscape of the frozen lake, very inviting for ice skating but also very dangerous. We actually saw some people stepping onto the ice for a photo, and they had children watching, such a bad example to set. Apart from the cold the weather was dry so we were able to get out and about, just finding your bearings, then its time to go home.
A brilliant time was had by all.

Didn't do much crocheting while I was there, finished off a dolls blanket, just the border to add on ,
I love this variegated yarn ,

This is my Ripple Blanket in process , I've still got a love / hate relationship with it ,  managed to persevere  with it though after pulling over half of it out,  because I wasn't happy with the colour

Its not as wide as I thought it would be, even though its got over 200 chains, I'll carry on with it now and maybe it will grow on me ,  If not I suppose I could always give it away, which I have done with all my past projects, at least its a good stash buster

I started a new book while I was away, just for a change.  Back in 22nd October 2010 I posted about a book I had read and what  pleasure I found in it,
I finally plucked up the courage to read the sequel and how disappointed I am with it.  Usually with a book, I can't put it down and must sit up all night reading but not this one,  I started it last Monday and its not finished yet,  definitely not as riveting as the first book, and to think its been everywhere in the caravan with me waiting for me to start reading,  I will persevere (my second persevere)with it though , I never give up on a book.












My last book was very compelling and highly recommended.  A book I could not put down



It was an impulsive buy, from Doncaster Market,  new only £1.00 a bargain,  its now passed on to my Daughter to read.



I know i said I was on a bit of a crochet lull at the moment, I couldn't resist whipping these two up,  Excuse the pyjamas,  totally lazy,, Took the photo while updating this post.
The Cheeky Monkey , faceless at the moment, only took couple of days to make and is from a pattern off Ravelry, I joined Amigurami Of the Month group and this is where I got the pattern from, He just needs a banana and a smiling face.
The tiny turtle I made in a night and again needs finishing

I,m also doing a swap on The Flower Bed Blog,,  Thank goodness its been put back till the end of the month, giving me a bit more time to make some flowers.

I better get on with that now

Thanks again to all comments on my last post, they definitely cheered me up