Versatile Blogger - My First Blog Award

It will come as no surprise that I've never won any kind of blog award. Mainly because I'm often guilty of criminally neglecting this poor blog when life gets busy, like just recently. But, while taking a sneaky hour to catch up on some blogs this morning, I noticed to my surprise that the lovely Jennie from Fancy Dresscapades has nominated me for the Versatile Blogger award! Some bloggers may be well used to receiving awards like this, but this is my very first, and I'm grateful to Jennie for passing it on to me. You should all check out her blog too, as she is he very definition of a versatile blogger, covering loads of topics, from cosplay, to vintage style, and even her own wedding plans.

I also have to give everyone 7 unknown things about myself, and this may be a bit of a struggle, because I'm pretty much an open book!

1. I have a crazy secret crush on Gambit from the X-Men that I've kept pretty quiet about. There's plenty about him that's despicable but I can't resist his charm!

2. I love dresses, but the combination of perpetually breezy Scottish weather and insecurities about my legs means I more often than not resort to wearing jeans instead. I wish I could be a bit braver with my style choices.

3. I don't like dogs. I mean, really don't like dogs. I live in a neighbourhood with tons of dog owners, so I try not to be too vocal about it though.

4. I'm uncomfortable with direct eye contact. I've no idea why. I don't think it's part of any larger problem, but I'd rather focus on a person's mouth that their eyes. It freaks me out.

5. I love dinosaurs. Always have, always will! I wish I'd studied paleontology at university, but it didn't seem the the most sensible of choices back then.

 6. My kids were named after comic characters! Some people know that, but loads don't, so I think it counts. The characters in question are Ben Grimm (aka Thing), Jake Olson (one of Thor's earthly identities) and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow)

7.  I'm not keen on other people's kids. I love my own, of course, and other family members but I've never been a kid person.

I also have to pass the award on to some other bloggers. There's a wide range of subject matters here, so hopefully something for everyone. I recommend you check them out.

All Things Made

The Agoraphobic Fashionista

Jenny Stitches

fayeslifelist

Circle 7-2099

Pretty Little Pictures

Shozzy's Place

It's A Good Place To Start


Anywho, I promise I'll be back more often soon. I hand in my final assignment for uni on May 31st, and after that I'm taking a break from studying for a while. I didn't want final exams etc to be happening around the wedding next year, and to be honest, I'm in no rush to finish. That's the great thing about the OU, you can finish your degree at your own pace. I won't be going out to work again until Olly is in primary 1 at least, so I have plenty of time.

I have quite a few things to share, wedding related and otherwise, so hopefully I'll be updating regularly from the end of May.

The Comeback Kid

Apologies for being gone for so long. I'm studying creative writing at the minute and it appears to be using up all my writing mojo as well as my will to live. Besides that, I've also got wedding panning stuff going on. For those who aren't aware yet, the wedding was moved forward to April 18th next year, and while a year seems like plenty of time to sort things out, when you're making a lot of the decor, favours etc yourself, it actually seems like no time at all. Plus, the boyfriend and I have completely opposing tastes in music, which is becoming a major problem, as choosing ceremony music is making me want to kill him :(

I've also changed the direction and focus of my etsy store, moving away from completed cross stitch samplers, which weren't selling well, and on to original geeky patterns that customers can stitch themselves. We've invested in pattern making software and we've already made 4 sales this week. That might not seem like a lot, but it's super exciting for us. If any of you are cross stitch inclined, head over and check it out. We're really flexible about custom orders too - I just made a tinkerbell pattern for a customer, even though it's not something we usually would do, so if you would like something different, just ask! And be sure to pass it on! All funds go towards our wedding, so we'd appreciate any shout outs you could give us.

In other shop news, I will be maintaining another blog specifically for the store, including news on new patterns, works in progress and discount codes. You can find it here and I recommend you become a follower too :D I have a new Twitter account specifically for shop news too, @capesandcrafts, and if you're very lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a creature rarer than a unicorn. The tweeting boyfriend! There's already a discount code active and available through to the end of May. You can find it at the bottom of this Daily Waffle article. And finally, a Facebook page for the shop, where I'm hoping people will be able to share photos of their completed patterns! I'm updating stock at least twice a week and we've got tons of new pattern ideas knocking around our brains, so there should be a great amount of choice pretty soon.

Doctor Who pattern - £2.30

Black Books quote pattern - £2.30

Game of Thrones Night's Watch oath pattern £2.30

My eyes practically bled designing that last one, and discovering I'd left out a bit at the beginning almost made me give up completely, but it's one of my favourites now, so I'm glad I didn't! So remember to check the store regularly, make it one of your favourites and pass it on if you like it. We'd be super grateful :D

My Etsy Shop is Open!!

I have finally opened my Etsy store, which will hopefully add a little bit of money to the wedding fund. You can go and check it out here. There are only a few things up at the monent, and I'm hoping to add more today. I'm also doing a giveaway on Daily Waffle - you can win some of my hand made cross stitch badges. So why not check out the tutorial and enter?

The Joy of a Good Fabric Store

One of my pet peeves is when I am shopping online for fabric, and find a print I really love, only to find that the reasonable price is actually for a fat quarter and not a full metre or yard. This is one of the main reasons why I have used old superhero sheets for a lot of my sewing jobs, as they are tons cheaper, and when lined properly, work just as well as heavier fabrics. Plus, they seem to have the widest range of interesting motifs. However, on my latest search for sheets to use for upcoming projects, I came away empty handed, so I decided, just on the off chance, to have a look at new fabrics on eBay. I was looking specifically for superhero motifs, and that can be surprisingly tricky to find in the UK.

As per usual, there were endless listings of cute fabrics which were £4-5 for a fat quarter - prices that I'm just not willing to pay. Finally though, a listing caught my eye, that promised fabric 'sold by the yard.' And lo and behold, I found the most amazing fabric seller I've yet come across on eBay. Though situated in the US, The Pirate's Royal Bootie have great international shipping prices (up to 12 yards can be sent to Europe for under $17) and a fantastic range of printed cotton. I was there for the DC Super Friends prints, and also got some Transformers and Toy Story for the kids, but I spotted Snoopy, Disney Princesses, Hello Kitty, High School Musical and countless other branded, and non branded fabrics, most for under £5 a yard! I can't think of a single physical fabric shop in Glasgow that could match those prices. And for any quilters out there, the store also stocks a great range of panels.

I seriously recommend you check this store out - it only took a week for my fabric to arrive, beating some UK sellers, and Elizabeth, who runs the eBay store, is just lovely - a total pleasure to deal with and makes the shopping experience so easy. Considering that I've had a run of bad luck with eBay sellers recently, she restored my faith in ordering from overseas. I've ordered from her twice now, and she will be my first stop when I need fabric in the future. Check out my haul. This is just the first batch of fabrics I bought - the second batch is basically just more of these prints.

 I originally only bought 1 yard each of the Transformers and Buzz Lightyear fabrics, with vague ideas of adding them to my ever growing stash of boy friendly kids fabrics. But when the twins saw them, they thought they were totally awesome, and I've decided to make them little bean bag chairs, so I've ordered more.

I also bought two cute batman prints, which I'm going to turn into bunting. Because if there's one thing the Dark Knight loves, it's festive party decor. I've ordered a lot more of the darker print, which I may also turn into a skirt.

And finally, I got a yard each of these cute super friends prints, featuring Superman and Green Lantern. As yet, they have no pressing purpose, but I'm sure I'll think of something soon.

As soon as I've finished some projects I'll share them here. And remember, go visit The Pirate's Royal Bootie and just try not to spend a fortune on fabrics!

EDIT: Check out the comments for a postage discount for my readers from the lovely Elizabeth!

Wedding Planning and Other Hijinks

So, it's the beginning of a new year and a perfect chance to start some new projects in earnest. The biggest and most daunting of which is planning a wedding. That's right, the boyfriend wonder finally stepped up and popped the question. Ideally we would have had the wedding next April or May, but some good friends are getting married in France next summer, and we can't really afford to throw a wedding and go to France in the same year. Plus, a lot of our guests would be attending both, and it's not really fair, as they'd all have to travel to Belfast for our big day. So it'll be spring 2014, which isn't really all that far away when you think about it. Especially when we'll only have a few trips to check out venues etc. However, I've already started looking at venues - the Ulster Museum and the Grand Opera House are the current front runners.

Ulster Museum wedding - Photo credit (and stunning wedding photos) here

 You can't see it in that picture, but there's a Triceratops skeleton on the second floor, which both me and the boyfriend wonder agree is just awesome!

As the wedding will be a semi DIY affair, this blog may become a tad more wedding orientated, especially as I'm buying many things early to try and spread the cost. Some of the wedding favours will be made by me, likewise the confetti alternatives for the service. And of course, we must get back on track with our crane folding! In an attempt to drum up some cash for the big day though, I'm going to be opening an etsy shop next month which will be called Capes and Crafts and will sell mostly cross stitches and bunting of the nerdy variety.

All the proceeds will be going towards the wedding fund, and I may even be buying my dress next month, as I've seen it on etsy and want to snap it up before someone else does! However, some aspects of the wedding are already causing headaches, as there are those who are probably a bit surprised by how untraditional and offbeat it'll be. When I laid down my 'no speeches' rule, I was almost immediately informed that I 'have to have speeches.' Of course, the only things I 'have' to do are the legal parts. So there may be a few cases of not backing down on traditional aspects which don't feel right for us.

Also, rather pathetically, during one of our wedding discussions, it was discovered that both I and the boyfriend are most excited about the prospect of at least one night in a hotel without the kids! As terrible as that sounds, I've never spent a night away from the kids, and I could certainly use it!

Stay tuned for more etsy updates as I start to fully stock my store, and a post about the best fabric seller I've found on eBay.

Merry Christmas!

I quick reminder that I am, in fact, still alive, despite online evidence to the contrary. You won't have been able to find me on Twitter, or either of my blogs or even on Daily Waffle recently, because my house is plague-ridden. Ever since the kids started nursery, it's been one bug after another, and the eventual cumulative effect of so much disease has knocked us all out for about a month. But, I'm able to prop myself in front of the computer for a little bit to tap out this post, wish you all a Merry Christmas, and share a few photos of my other Christmas crafts.

The Christmas panel my Nana gave me to finish off. I added some East of India ribbon at the top for hanging and I absolutely love it!

 My super cute origami wreath which I made with squares of wrapping paper and was ridiculously easy to do. The tutorial is here (not by me) if you want to rustle up a few yourself. There's still time!

I also made this bunting for my mantel. I would usually having bunting hanging a little more loosely than this, but I have too many children and cats who would be tempted to swing off it, so I made it to fit the mantel exactly. If you look closely, you can also see the tiny mochimochi snowmen I knitted last year!

I also made a table runner, but have no photos of that as of yet. Maybe when the dinner table is all set on Christmas day, I'll get a few snaps. I hope you all have a great Christmas with lots of pressies and yummy food and I'll see you all in the new year.

Operation Christmas Crafts: The First Wave

My Christmas crafting has begun in earnest. I've already started sewing up the lovely festive alphabet wall panel that my nana gave me, although I've had to abandon any plans to pad it, as I simply can't get the knack of sewing wadding :(

I have, however, cut the fabric for a table runner for my dining table. The sewing up will be interesting, as I decided to try my own method rather than following a pattern, and despite my fondness for maths, I found working out the measurements for the edging a bit fraught. Experienced pattern drafters out there may think I'm daft, but trying to remember to include seam allowances seemed to be more than I could manage. Anyway, photos may follow depending on my level of success. I'm also sewing over 50 bunting flags (and that's just the kids stuff!) for both the boys' nursery classroom and their bedroom. I'm making strands of about 15 flags each, and here is my first one.

I know that's only 8 - some of the flags are behind the door. I made them with the gingerbread man fabric on one side, and the green and gold stripe on the other, and then just alternated them. I sewed them onto green satin bias binding tape (22mm) that I got on eBay really cheaply and I think it looks suitably festive. The flags are slightly bigger than my Halloween bunting as I had plenty of fabric. You can follow my bunting tutorial here if you'd like to have a go at making your own.

In other festive news, I've decided to make Christmas cookies and snickerdoodles for the nursery teachers, as I was pretty much going to buy them a box of fancy biscuits anyway, and as I already had all the ingredients, it works out cheaper to bake them myself. Only time will tell how much I will regret this as I'm not the keenest of bakers. I tried a batch of snickerdoodles last night, as I've never made them before. Here is the result.

They seemed okay, although I'm not sure about the taste. They taste vaguely familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. However, I discovered that I used baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda and that they are not, despite my protests, the same thing. So I'll be trying them again tonight to see if using the right ingredients gives better results.

Fingers crossed!