Wax Melts & Jane Austen

Spending ban over ~ I've been stocking up on lots of crafting goodies and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the postman. Meanwhile I've been using up what's left of my wax and making some more melts.

I love this Ikea silicone heart mould ~ makes loads of lovely little hearts, that look a bit like butts from certain angles!

I'm awaiting delivery of some new fragrances to try out and I've finally bought the packaging materials ~ the finished melts should be appearing in my Misi shop early next week.

I expect you're wondering what has Jane Austen got to do with wax melts? Absolutely nothing!

I've been tracing my family tree for years and it can be quite addictive. Some years ago a lady emailed me through a family history forum and told me I was in some way related to Jane Austen (yes, that one).

 As she couldn't provide me with any conclusive proof I didn't take it that seriously; after all, most people who take up this genealogy game hope that they're related to someone famous or, at least, interesting.

Family history is one of those things that I do on and off, sometimes not looking at it for months at a time as I'm easily distracted by other 'stuff'.

My subscription to genesreunited is coming to an end and I was umming and arring about renewing, when I got the reminder email it made me look through my genealogy stuff again and has perked my interest in trying to find out if the Jane Austen link is actually true.

After some digging around, it actually looks promising ~ I have a distant GGGGG... Grandmother, Elizabeth Austen from Horsmonden in Kent.  Now I just have to figure out who her parents were and if they fit in with Jane's Horsmonden ancestors! Not as easy as it sounds, but I like a challenge!

Don't laugh at my granny square!

I've been wrestling with a crochet hook and wool for a couple of weeks now and after countless false starts this is my first attempt at a granny square! The only one I've managed to finish. Now I know it's, well what can I say, um; oh, alright then have a chuckle.

Feeling better for that? Good. Right, I could do these when I was a kid, my Mum taught me with the help of a really good Ladybird book; but I haven't touched a crochet hook in years.  After seeing all the lovely crochetted flowers, hats and all those gorgeous amigurumi whatsnames thingys, I thought I can crochet. Armed with various books I sat down and quickly discovered that actually, no; I can't crochet at all.

I've watched videos on youtube (really good by the way), read books, magazines and picked my Mum's brain (she's forgotten as well) I came to the conclusion there seem to be lots of different ways to actually make a granny square.  I've got this far and the thing I can't figure out is what you do when you get to the end of each round ~ if I could work that out I think I might be able to crack it! But then I've got to think about changing colour on each round. Now that's opening up another can of worms! I WON'T GIVE UP!

February Jewellery Making Giveaway

I'm doing my first giveaway, the plan is to do a regular giveaway each month and have a different, but craft related prize, each time.  I wasn't sure what to do, but as one of my first loves is making jewellery I decided to choose some findings.  I've been having a root around in my boxes and have come up with a few things.

All findings in this giveaway are silver plated and includes everything in the picture ~ some adjustable charm rings with one, three and eight loops, some clip on earring backs, a charm bracelet, some bead caps, a pack of ten trigger clasps, twenty pairs of earring hooks and a pack of twenty 8mm czech glass purple heart beads.

To win this giveaway all you have to do is say hello in the comments section and next Saturday (27th Feb), I'll pick the winner using the random number thingy. Best of luck!

Goodbye, purple baseball boots!

Oh, well ~ didn't win the lottery as planned so I'm writing this in my sitting room rather than in a hammock on Bora Bora!

Been having a mooch round the garden as the sun shone today.  Trying to remember where I planted my parsnips and following the foxy footprints in what's left of the snow.

The allotment at the bottom of my garden is looking really sad ~ I'm trying to pick a spot for a row of lavender bushes.  Grew too many potatoes last year ~ although once they were bagged up and stored a pesky mouse ate through one of the sacks.  Planning more fruit and flowers for the coming season.

I'll be saying a fond farewell to my favourite boots as they've finally fallen to pieces ~ I have a pink pair waiting in the wings, but it's tough giving up on some old favourites.

Still busy sorting out some new jewellery designs and plans are finally afoot for my website (at long last).

Swarovski Crystal and Pearl Bridal Bracelet

Swarovski, button pearl and piattine earrings and matching pendant

I'm planning my first blog give away for the end of the week ~ this will be a selection of jewellery making bits, so watch this space. Should be appearing on Friday.

Meanwhile I have an appointment with

Opened Misi Shop

I finally got round to opening my Misi shop ~ only two things in at the moment, but it's great to get started.

Well, it snowed and snowed ~ one of my schools closed for a snow day, the other opened. They're only a few miles apart; don't know what difference that made, the snow was bad in both places!. So I had to go out in the snow anyway.  Got to school and they'd all gone home early cos of the snow; didn't bother letting me know though.  Everything back to normal (?!) for the last day of half term.

Managed to give my craft room a good tidy, which was well overdue as I'm the messy one in our household.

Buying my Euromillions ticket on the way to work ~ fingers crossed; don't normally get a single number, but I can dream!

Just thinking; this is where I'll be writing my next blog from, if my numbers come up! Good luck to everyone who buys a ticket ~ but you do realise I've got the winning numbers ;)

Wow! The snow!

It's snowing really hard at the moment!  I have to go into work later, hope I can get in!  Love the snow, but would prefer it snowed overnight so I can have a snow day and not worry about getting there.  I work in two country schools and with living in a rural area the roads can be really bad as they never grit this far out. The forecast gives more snow tonight so maybe a snow day tomorrow.

This is part of my garden and my summer workshop ~ not too inviting; it has electricity, but no heating! Brrr!

Feeling a bit sorry for myself as yesterday I had my immunisations for going to India; one was really painful and my arm is swollen and bruised :(

Spent yesterday catching up on earring making ~ had loads of single earrings from when I was messing around with beads so decided to finish them off.  More to list on Folksy! And still trying to take those photos ~ when my spending ban is up I must buy a light tent and some daylight bulbs!

Frosted Snowdrop Earrings

Opened my Folksy shop!

I've been planning it for a few weeks and despite having a few problems with getting the photos right, I've finally opened my shop on Folksy.  It was so easy; I was really impressed.  I've only listed four things so far, but I was really chuffed to see my little heart brooch on the front page! Fingers crossed for some sales.  I'll add some more things tomorrow.

It's been snowing again today so yet again I was a coward when it came to venturing into the garden ~ I forgot to look at the lunar calendar anyway.  I decided to dig a few parsnips (I can just about remember where they are); the snow finished off the leaves so I had to poke around a bit.  It was too cold so I gave up!

Returned to the warm and made another brooch instead

Why do they call ladybirds, bishop barnabees? I haven't a clue!

Wax melts instead

Today was just as gloomy, so another day has gone by without any of the planned photos being taken. I decided to experiment with my new weeny wax melt moulds.  I was a bit worried about these; they're silicone and they seemed a bit floppy when they're empty.  Luckily they kept their shape when I poured in the hot wax and have worked just great ~ I think I'll have to buy some more!

The kitchen smells of ylang ylang which is gorgeous. When I've decided on my final smells I'd like to use both fragrance and essential oils. So I've lots more experimenting to do, but I'm almost out of wax.  I'm currently on a spending ban as I've just bought this Dell Notebook thingy and as I'm away to India in April I can't keep buying things (can I?).

I look forward to seeing what the melts look like when I de-mould them tomorrow.  It smells like a tropical paradise here ~ shame it's raining!

Just wanted to wish a friend a happy birthday ~ 100 years old this year!

So much for that idea!

The plan for today was to take some photos so I could finally upload some items onto Misi and Folksy.  But you know what it's like; day starts off fairly bright ~ I don't have a fancy photography set up so I have to rely on some decent light through my window.  When the window of your workroom is as small as mine you need all the help you can get!

These teeny 17th century windows aren't much good for such purposes, so I've given that idea up for another day ~ maybe tomorrow.  Oh, the snow on top was the January weather which is suppposed to be coming back again next week.

So I decided to take a photo of my current work in progress which is almost finished ~ this didn't come out too bad.  I love making charm bracelets, but they're so time consuming!

Crochet Puzzling!

The aim for this week is to wrestle these bad boys into some granny squares ~ watch this space!

Yikes! The sheep are back!

Just noticed the sheep are back! I have wonderful next door neighbours ~ very quiet, a little bit smelly when the sun shines and last year they ate my busy lizzies, sunflowers and tomato plants.  I can forgive them as in a month or two they'll let their lambs play outside my kitchen window.

February already!

The 1st of Feb brought a fresh covering of snow for parts of Sussex ~ only a light sprinkle here, not enough for a snow day!
Looking at the lunar calendar I should be doing something flowery or rooty in the garden today, but the ground is so hard; a good enough excuse to be staying in the warm and making things instead!

These freshwater pearl and sterling silver drop earrings were a bestseller when I had a shop on ebay ~ they will be making a return when I finish building my website.

Pale Blue Morning Glory Earrings made with jumbo kidney wires and beautiful frosted lucite flowers.

And, if I can't go into the garden to plant flowers, why not make some instead