Category Archives: Felt

Dolly Peg Dolls for Handmade Monday

It’s Handmade Monday again, isn’t it scary how the weeks fly by? Even though I’ve spent time having fun with two small boys last week, I still have a few handmade things to share with you, as I’m still beavering away making for the Pick’n’Mix Makers Market in just over 3 weeks time.

I really, really don’t like it when the clocks go back. I’m sitting here looking at the gloom outside, and it isn’t half past four yet! a few people suggested that the extra hour in bed is a compensation, but it only happens the once and not in a house where the body clocks of children and animals are still running on the old time. So it was out of bed at 6.30 for CeeBeebies and Henry/Higgins breakfast!

Added to which the boys went home this morning so it’s very quiet as well as gloomy so I have been SO appreciative of all the lovely links for Reasons to be Cheerful, thank you very much. And if you are feeling a bit like me, pay a few bloggy visits and say hello!

Anyway, this week we went to a windswept beach to do a bit of charging about…

To a mini funfair to do a bit of flying around…

To the cinema for some 3D magic…

… to Bewilderwood for some Halloween spookiness…

Topped off with a trip to Norwich Castle for some more half term fun.

And I bet you’re wondering where the dolly pegs come in!

Well they’re here…

Happy little ladies decorated with needlefelt and yarn, crochet fleece and buttons.

I’ve had such fun making them, and although they’re perfect for hanging on the Christmas tree, they could keep you company all year round, hanging on a door knob, a pin board, or the dressing table mirror.

So they might be hanging around, but I haven’t been!

As usual there is a link to Wendy of 1st Unique Gifts, who kindly hosts Handmade Monday each week, and there you can visit all the other makers to see what they’ve been up to! Have fun, and see you soon x

Good Grief, is that the time?

I always start out with such good intentions to do a post twice a week, and then I skid to the last day and find it hasn’t happened. So not much of a theme to this post, rather an eclectic mix of happenings.

On Monday, I went to Norwich Deaf Centre, where I had a long standing booking for a needlefelting class for the Craft Group. Good fun was had by all…

The felting needle related injuries were minimal…

..and everyone was very happy with their own needlefelted cupcake pincushion!

Good enough to eat!

Talking of eating, has anyone else made sour dough bread? I’ve been wanting to have a go for ages, but chickened out of the little pot of bubbling goo thingy that you have to go through to make it. Any way, I consulted Mr Fearnley-Wittingstall here, and started out on my scientific experiment a couple of weeks ago.

(I put a little label on the lid saying don’t be scared ‘cos last time I tried I threw it away in a panic!)

Anyway it sat for nearly two weeks bubbling away while I fed it and this week I decided to actually make the loaf. It starts off overnight as a spongy batter, then with more flour added and kneaded in it progresses over the day…like this…

And the verdict? Well, I’ve not had sour dough bread before so I’ve no idea how it compare to the experts’ version. It’s tasty, with an extra edge, a slightly sour tang like lemon juice or vinegar, without the flavour. It’s good with cheese, and toasted with lemon marmalade. It seemed to go dry quite quickly, almost as it cooled, but that could be a fault in the making. But it was fine toasted. I’m fairly confident T will NOT be impressed, being a fan of the sliced white or 50/50 loaf so it’s quite faff for one person, but I’m glad I gave it a go. I’d love to know if you’ve tried it. How did you get on, and what did you think?

I’ve been creative in other ways too. I had a special commission, a present for a small boy who isn’t really into birds, or sheep or frogs, but really likes his bike. So let me present,

The Biking Bear, complete with cycle helmet…

And I’ve also been working on a new Bluebirds of Happiness project…

What do you think?…

And finally, I’ve been doing a little dressmaking. This week I came across this lovely blog, Sew Scrumptious and Louise, who is currently collecting little dresses for Dress a Girl Around the World. You can can read all about it by following these links, and it’s such a lovely thing to be involved in. today I made my first dress…

It’s a really easy pattern which you can download, and with a brilliant tutorial here, even a novice can turn out a beautiful dress to make a little girl happy!

It would be lovely if you could join in too, what better way to use up all those pretty scraps of fabric you can’t bear to throw away, but don’t know what to do with?

See you soon! x

To Market, To Market…

..probably not to buy a fat pig, though. I seem to have had this little nursery rhyme running through my head for the last two days while I’ve been dashing about sorting out the last minute things for the big day tomorrow.

I’m feeling a little embarrassed about my lack of ‘cool’ about the whole thing, compared to all those seasoned craft marketers out there, but maybe reading about my exploits might be helpful to other market ‘virgins’ out there – and probably amuse the professionals!

I wanted my stall to BE Planet Penny, which requires grass, and sky or rather green and blue felt. And although a table is provided, I needed something to give some height, and a third dimension. So the thinking cap went on and PING! Dog food cartons! Higgins is now set up with food for the next few weeks…

Stall for Pick’n’Mix Makers Market

…and I spent a sticky afternoon covering the cartons with felt…

…and I’m pretty pleased with the result! The sheep look very happy too.

I must dash off and carry on with the preparations, not least getting Higgins ready for a sleep-over with Auntie Lizzie. I’m still debating about bathing him…maybe some doggy Febreze?

So if you are in North Norfolk tomorrow, please call in at the Pick ‘n’ Mix Makers Market and say hello, and if not, well I’ll be back to tell you all about it next week!

Blossoming…

There’s a LOT of blossoming going on at Planet Penny at the moment.

Still running to keep up, and apologising for not announcing the results of the Easter Cup and Saucer draw, I am very pleased to say that it was won by Teje, of Nero’s Post and Patch and the cup and saucer have been very cosily packed in LOTS of padding and are now winging their way to Greece. I hope that Nero allows Teje to enjoy her coffee in it, although I suppose at a pinch he could have dog biscuits in the saucer! Do go over and say hello to Teje and the handsome Nero, and have a look at the beautiful Garden quilt that Teje has made.

Young readers are blossoming too…

Who would like to see my younger grandson, reading Daddy’s book?

A definite little blossom!

And if you go to Thomas’ blog, you’ll find that there will soon be exciting books for older boys too, (hopefully you will forgive a little maternal pride creeping in at this point! )

We had a little blossoming at the last meeting of our local Knit and Stitch Group too, when I did a needlefelting class, and we ended up with a delicious plate of felted fairy cake pin cushions…

I hope once the holiday weekend is over – and I’m not wishing it away! – I will have more blogging time, so please forgive this being a little short and sweet. Thank you to all the knowledgable gardeners who identified the weed as Coltsfoot. I now know to eradicate it on sight!

If you want a little Eastery fix, have a look at the Indie Quarter where you will find a Planet Penny Alpaca Bunny with some friends.

I shall be having a grandson fix, as the boys are coming tomorrow for the Easter Weekend so I will be back next week when all is quiet and the chocolate has been eaten! I hope you all have a happy and sunshiny holiday break with family and loved ones, and I’ll see you soon x

An Easter Present…

Firstly I would like to say thank you SO much for the good wishes that have been sent for my Mum. One of the pleasures of the blogging community is precisely that, community. It’s easy to feel very isolated when these things happen, especially when you are in a rural area and you have to be on hand when someone’s ill. I can’t tell you how it’s helped to have your kind thoughts to read. Nan (yes, that’s her name, it’s not short for Nanny!) is gradually improving and getting stronger, although not nearly fast enough for her liking. I’ve ben asured by a nurse tho’ that the Noro virus takes ages to get over when you are generally in good health, so it will take while yet for someone like her. (And I’m sorry Alice, that the name of your favourite wool obsession has been hijacked for something so nasty!)

It’s been tricky fitting in as much making as I would like with all the to-ing and fro-ing going on, but with Easter in mind I’ve produced these for the Easter Tree.

Do you have an Easter Tree? We first saw them in the Netherlands nearly 20 years ago and I have had one ever since, it’s such a lovely herald of Spring. These decorations are the size of a hens egg, and being needle felt are light enough to hang from a twiggy branch of twisted willow. They will be in the Folksy Shop very soon.

And I though it would be nice to have an Easter giveaway, especially as I have found the perfect thing for your morning cuppa on a bright spring morning!

So if you like cows…

or hens…

or even sheep…

…it doesn’t matter because they are all here together on this one sunshine yellow cup and saucer!

All you need to do is to leave a comment here, and if you put a link to your blog, Facebook page or Tweet about it be sure to let me know and I’ll put you in the hat twice! I’ll keep it running until the 15th April and get Higgins to help me with the draw. (I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it eventually!)

Alpacas and Piglets

Blogland is meant to be a jolly place so I don’t like to bring along any trials and tribulations but I just want to briefly say things have been a little tricky over the last week or so if I’m not about so much, or fail to sparkle conversationally, please bear with me. My mum was whisked off to hospital ten days ago with heart problems and contracted the Noro virus and so has been very poorly. She’s home now and recovering, but her weak state of health means quite a bit of to-ing and fro-ing between houses, and I’m spreading myself a little thinly at the moment.

However, I do want to keep on top of things on Planet Penny and Higgins and I have our little trip out last week to meet the Alpacas down the road to tell you about. I wanted to get some more fleece for felting, and it’s nice to meet the four legged suppliers in person. Higgins was also very interested to meet the resident pussy cat, who was beautiful, white with apricot ears and apricot stripes on her tail…

Higgins still hasn’t mastered the social niceties of meeting cats. His bounce and squeak technique just doesn’t work…

He wasn’t fazed by the Alpacas either…

…and was happy to be introduced…

I’ve just got to make sure he doesn’t discover the bags of nice soft fleece I’ve brought home or I think he’ll be lining a little Higgy nest with it!.

I haven’t processed this yet, but I had just enough left of the last bag for this little bunny to come into being…

and also this one…

and they will be on Folksy as soon as possible.

And finally, if you haven’t had enough of cute animals, I’ve got to show you these, spotted next to the the little stall at the end of the road where I buy my eggs…

Altogether now… Aaaaah!…