Hippy Knit Hand-Warmers!

In-keeping with my current obsession with roses, I made these little hand-warmers for Yasmin who is kindly supplying her pretty face for the picture below. Our wonderfully talented friend Heber Hanly took the photos, sometimes it's wonderful to have a photographer who can take great photos even on my sub-par camera! I have to say that my chest swells a little bit with pride whenever I see her wearing them. Being my usual incredibly skint/thrifty self, I used wool I bought in a charity shop for about 50cent a ball. The red mohair for the rose was bequeathed onto me by a lady who was offloading her unwanted excess wool. The green was just lying idle around my house waiting to be transformed into a pair of luscious leaves.

I freelanced my way through them. No pattern, barely counting the stitches. It was complete and utter hippy knitting. I sewed them up leaving a little hole for the thumb. I am rather fond of the hand-warmers it must be said. The product of a night of getting in touch with my inner knitting hippy leaves me feeling a little warm and fuzzy inside. Usually I am a hideously-horrible-knitting-perfectionist, it was nice to know that I could throw it all out the window. Patterns were burnt, stitch counting was shunned! I must say that it was rather lovely to let loose and see what became of it...

I'm staging a knitters rebellion! Haha! Have a great day and let your inner neurotic knitter go :)

Bríd x

Craft swap painting!

The torture, toil, terror and tribulation that occurred on Panda night all seemed worth something when I saw what I was to receive in return. I am completely in love with the painting that Sarah did for me. Awesometastic does not quite begin to describe it...

When we planned this swap, Sarah asked me what exactly I would like on the painting. I said I wanted Chinchillas and Toadstools. Undoubtedly the most "unique" request Sarah's ever received for a painting. But as with all good friends, they love you for just how weird you are! Hee Hee. I love the tree and the little flowers done out of gold leaf add such a special touch to it.

This craft swap has set me salivating. I want to swap my little handmade goods for those of someone else. I want to have a collection of things made with the love and attention of my friends. I'm currently trying to negotiate a craft swap with a friend of mine involving an elephant tea cozy for a birdhouse. We'll see what comes of this... Oh the excitement!

Sarah is currently planning on setting up a blog and etsy shop so when she does, I shall post a link to it and you can enjoy more of her amazing art work. I love my oh-so-talented friends.

Have a great day everyone. It is one of those rare occasions where the sun is shining in Dublin. I think I'll just have to go out and soak it up! Make hay while the sun shines eh? x

Time For Tea For Two

This batch went to a friend Alannah's Dinner party and as Yui's birthday gift also. 

But not before Mum and I had stolen some and had tea for two. 

I tried out blue icing for the first time this week. I have stayed away from it until now as I really think there is something not very appealing about blue food. But these get away with it, there's sparkles and they're edible, enough said.
Ok I think i'm starting to OD on cupcakes. Too much of a good thing so I promise no more cupcake posts. Next stop wedding cakes. Watch this space! 

xx 

Nat

Panda Panda Panda

The story of the Panda is one of torture, toils and tribulations... It involved 3 girls, a VERY late night, considerable amounts of alcohol, crying, shouting and arguing. I must take responsibility for the Night of the Panda. The burden of the blame must be carried by me. Here's where the saga begins...

I decided to engage in a craft swap with one of my friends from work. She loves to paint and I love to knit so we struck a bargain, a painting for a panda. Oh what a wonderful idea it seemed like at the time. I found a pattern for a teddy bear on the "Prima" ladies magazine website. I alternated between black and white wool for different body parts to transform him into a Panda. In a move so typical of me, I left the sewing up until the night before! Fooled by my own blissful ignorance, I believed I could sew him up in a matter of minutes. Oh how wrong I was!

After receiving a text from the leading man in my life, I decided to meet with all my friends in the local for a solitary drink. I emphasise that a SOLITARY drink was my intention! Three hours later I stumbled up the road home with my beloved sister and Nat. The unassembled Panda lay in my bag. Drunken reasoning told us that we'd manage to combine our skills to sew him up in a few short minutes. Alas, if only.... We sat at Nat's kitchen table for 4 HOURS trying to sew up the loathed panda. Hangovers were setting in by the time we were half way through. There was shouting, anger and insanity in the quest to put this little guy together. But finally at 4.25am he was finished and all sewed up! I have blanked many of the in between events, my brain cannot handle the memory of them.

Between us three girls, the panda is an unmentionable thing. It causes shudders and sparks of anger. How could something so cute with an adorable "butter wouldn't melt in my mouth" look cause such a hideous uproar! We are not allowed to talk or ever refer to the panda. The words "panda night" have become a synonym for a terrible event. We now use it to describe the unpleasantness of burning the midnight oil for an essay or an unsuccessful night out. Hahahaha!

A lesson for all: DON'T LEAVE YOUR SEWING UP TO THE LAST MINUTE.

Have a nice night! Pics of the painting I received in return are coming tomorrow :)

This little project combines three of my recent crafting obsessions... Chunky white wool, roses and cosmetic bags. Hahaha! It was totally easy to knit up, quick and painless! I used some of that amazing American thrift store wool. I seem to have a never ending supply of it. Not that I'm complaining about that! I'm pleased with how it turned out and it made a lovely little project for a lazy weekend.

I lined it using some leftovers from the curtains my Mama bought in Ikea recently. Cheap and cheerful I say! I actually love the curtain material so much that I'm thinking of having a Sound of Music moment and making myself a dress out of the rest of the surplus material. Oh the excitement! If only I lived in Salzburg and could run around the place sporting some curtains and singing with Julie Andrews... *chuckle*

Happy Monday! I hope all your crafting is going well. Have a good week :) x

Snuzzle Cat The Second!

A new friend for the Snuzzle cat has now been completed. He is another cylindrical bundle of kitty cat joy. I was rather happy with the way he turned out. A big fat cuddly cat. It must be said that there's nothing quite so wonderful as that. Hee Hee.

He's knitted in Lamb's Pride Bulky which is quite possibly the most wonderfully easy wool out there to knit with. He's lovely and soft. He was very well appreciated as well by his new owner!

Have a fabulous day and weekend everyone! Thank god it's friday :)

Cupcake Frenzy

Hi everyone!

So as I said in my last cupcake post it is time to up my game on the icing front. This resulted in a dirty apron clad, frizzy haired insane version of Natalie up till 3am on two nights in sucession trying to make magic happen! 

Below are my mini mouthfuls of joy. 

Went with a black theme here and used a piping bag for the first time. 

The pink glitter on this set of cupcakes is edible! Very exciting... yum yum.