With everything that's gone on over the last few months there are a few things in live that have had to slip. One of those has been the time I've had to spend crafting. In many ways crafting (along with running) is my therapy. It keeps my head in the right place when the rest of life is manic and it's certainly been manic of late. Over the years I have written many times on this blog about losing, and then re-finding, my crafting mojo, but this time it's different. I've wanted to craft. Desperately so at times. But there just aren't enough hours in the day and the kids, keeping a roof over our ... read more
Wine and Wigwams – more WI summer fun
Almost a year to the day since my WI story stepped up a gear it was time to again get the tent out, but this time I wasn't heading as far as Nottinghamshire (Tea and Tents is taking a year off this year, much like Glastonbury does when the organisers feel the need to put their feet up for a bit). Instead I was heading to a farm in Ware, Hertfordshire, for the Hertfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes (HFWI) take on Tea and Tents - Wine and Wigwams.I should probably come clean here and tell you that technically I was on the organising committee of Wine and Wigwams, but with life and loads ... read more
The Pirate Craft Book
Sometimes in life, timing is perfect. And that was exactly the case when an email popped into my inbox asking if I'd like to review The Pirate Craft Book. Little Miss C has just had pirates as a learning topic at school and this culminated in a pirate dressing up day. Strangely we don't have a pirate costume in the dressing up box at home, so I knew I was going to have to pull together a costume from somewhere and this book is the perfect place to start. Written by Laura Minter and Tia Williams (the mums behind Little Button Diaries) the book is packed with "15 things a pirate can't do ... read more
My 2016 in crochet
Now normally reviews of the year come at the end of the year. It's the kind of blog post that people publish between Christmas and New Year as a sort of round up. That was my plan, but like all the best laid plans it didn't happen. Many reasons, but the biggest one being that by the time we got to that weird period between Christmas and New Year I was just absolutely shattered! I also sat down then with a notebook and realised that I actually did far more in 2016 than I'd realised, and just one blog post wasn't going to do the year justice. So, welcome to what is likely to be the first in a ... read more
My The Works Crafty Christmas Wishlist
If you've been anywhere near a shop since Halloween you'll now that Christmas is now in full swing. It almost felt like a protest action when I came out of the supermarket yesterday with a packet of hot cross buns instead of a box of crackers and a Christmas pudding! I'm trying so hard this year to be organised for Christmas. I know that I say that every year, but I've been annoyed with myself these last few years for not actually managing it, so I'm determined that this year will be different. Especially as I'm hosting the family here this year. So, the first step of organisation has to ... read more
Advent House for Master C
It seems hard to believe that it's over a year now since I made an Owl Advent Calendar for Little Miss C (and nearly a year to the day since I blogged about it too). Master C wasn't quite ready for an advent calendar last year, but even then I knew that I would need to do something for him this advent, so it was perfect timing when the team at Ocean Loans got in touch asking if I would like to be sent an Advent house from Hobbycraft and a nice gift voucher so that I could decorate it. This was of course back in early October and I was rather proud of myself for getting on to it straight away, ... read more
My fortnight in crafts – upcycling and chicken scratch embroidery
I do love writing these posts where I try and keep track of what crafting I've been doing as it can be so easy to forget. Even just week to week. Maybe it's a sign of getting old. It goes without saying that the crochet ripple blanket is growing and growing, but in all this heat I have discovered that sitting down and doing it is getting harder and harder, especially during the daytime. What is completely impossible though is taking it with me to swimming lessons. Sat up high in the viewing gallery is hot enough anyway, but with a huge crochet blanket on your knee it's pretty ... read more
My week (or two!) in crafts
This week I've discovered that it's really hard to run a blog when you end up with splitting headaches due to being given a pair of contact lenses that are the wrong prescription! No wonder I was getting lots of pain every time I sat down at my laptop. Still - problem now solved thanks to the lovely lady in the local Boots Opticians and hopefully I can now go full steam ahead again. It's been a couple of weeks since my last crafty update here, and they've actually been a really busy couple of weeks of crafting. To start with I went off to the wonderful BritMums live - a huge blogging ... read more
My Week in Crafts
It's been all about crochet here this week. Well crochet and a spot of name tape sewing seeing as Little Miss C went back to school on Monday. In my usual disorganised fashion I suddenly realised at 8.30am on Monday morning that a ski coat probably was no longer appropriate for school seeing as the forecast was for 20 degrees. Luckily I'd picked up several coats from a half price sale in Millets so the kids should be correctly attired for the next couple of years between them, but of course the new coat was un-named and anyone who has had to spend an hour searching through a smelly pile of ... read more
Halloween crafts: Peg doll witch
Since making the decision as to where I want Being Mrs C to go next, I've really be catching up on all the crafty things that I enjoy doing and this meant that the latest bloggers box of goodies from Bostik and Craft Merrily couldn't have been better timed. The obvious themes with this one was Halloween and autumn and I really was itching to get stuck in with things. The wonderful thing about the boxes that Merry puts together is that it's possible to do so many different crafts with what's inside them. A week later and I'm still crafting and still coming up with new ideas of things ... read more