A Zing For Life

Here's Zingy...

Star of the EDF TV adverts

I love Zingy and wanted my own, so I searched the net to find a crochet pattern. I found this one on Ravelry - just search for Tor Thorpe.

It was quite easy to follow and came together quickly. The pattern suggested white felt for the eyes, but typically I have every colour BUT white! So, I crocheted some white circles and used buttons for the pupils and a bead for the nose.

Zingy gets everywhere...

I'm obsessed...

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Crochet Brulee

Mini Crocheted Votives…
The two individual Creme Brulees we bought didn’t last long with my husband around, so all I was left with was the small bowls they came in.

Using my current favourite wool, I crocheted some small jackets to make these plain bowls into attractive votives.

I simply did a chain to go around the circumference of the bowl and joined with a slip stitch.

Then I did rounds of half double crochets (hdc) until it was nearly big enough to cover the bowl, finishing with a round of single crochets (sc).

Quick and colourful.

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He's A Lumberjack...

Simple and effective log cut coasters...

I've seen coasters like these in the shops and they are not cheap! So when my husband collected and cut up logs for our chimnea, it gave me an idea...

Of course, I needed his help to get this off the ground!

He cut me 4 'slices' from the log. They aren't quite the the same thickness, but we thought that made them more appealing.

I dusted them down with a brush and then I applied a layer of Mod Podge to seal them.

Finally, I cut out some felt circles and Mod Podge'd them to the underside of the coasters - something to project the furniture.

Really pleased with these, I love their rustic look.

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Putting Pen To Paper

Do you still write letters? In this technical age it seems sending emails is the preferred form of 'written' communication. But when you receive an email, do you get the same excitement you once had upon receiving a hand written letter?

It's easy to email... type your message and press SEND. But to write a letter, you need to get paper, a pen, an envelope. You have to sit down at a desk and write - being careful to be neat, so your words can be clearly read. You have to buy a stamp. You have to take the letter to a post box. It takes time. 

Last week I met a remarkable young lady. The beautiful Jodi Ann Bickley is a poet from my hometown of Birmingham. In 2011, whilst performing at a festival, Jodi was bitten by a tick. This resulted in a brain infection called mengo-encephalitis and whilst being treated in hospital, Jodi suffered a mini stroke. Since then, Jodi has remarkably learned to walk and write again.

Some days she is too exhausted to do anything, but on the days she feels she has strength, Jodi writes. She writes to strangers, all over the world. Sending them "a hug in an envelope". Telling them how lovely they are. Cheering them up, making them feel special.

IMAGE: onemillionlovelyletters

One Million Lovely Letters is an amazing and beautiful idea. Jodi invites people to email her their details, a little about themselves and then she sends them a letter. So far she has written over 600 letters - so proof right there that people still love to receive a letter!

IMAGE: onemillionlovelyletters

If you would like "a hug in an envelope" why not visit One Million Lovely Letters.

It's guaranteed to give you a warm fuzzy feeling!

I'm Away With The Fairies

It's March, it's officially Spring, yet it's snowing!

This time last year we were tidying up the garden ready for some chilled out evenings sat by the chimnea with fairy lights hung around the patio.

My heart fairy lights from Lights4fun have spent the winter hanging in the dining room, but hopefully they'll soon adorn the patio once again.

I've been looking for some more fairy lights for the garden and these have made it onto my wish list...

Sunflower led battery lights will give a warm glow along with the reds and oranges from the burning chimnea

Colour changing butterflies and multicoloured dragonfly lights will look great hooked up through the trees - and they're solar powered.

And my favourite ... well one of my favourites from my "heart" search ...

... Filigree Heart lights ... the way the light shines through is beautiful and would look great alongside my crocheted tealight holders