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Not quite to the end, but V was going to be for Vintage. And I was going to show the cup that I'm sending to my Swap-bot partner for Tea Cup Swap 6 but then I realised that although it's a very remote possibility, there is a chance that the person I'm sending it to could find her way to this site and see it. So that's under wraps still.  Until it gets wrapped. I'm waiting for another little something in the post to complete the package so I can't send it yet. 

W is for Woo-hoo I got some creative stuff finished! 

As my swap partner's favourite craft is making cards, I thought it was the ideal time to try hand-carving a stamp. (Sometimes I do marvel at how my brain works.) I decided to do a Halloween one, and a cup of tea to decorate the package. But this is a god-fearing Christian grandmother, and my first offering is a deranged Jack-o-Lantern that resembles something from Tim Burton's 'Rejected as Too Scary' pile.  And the cup looks like it's from the cafe at the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa.  I had fun though...Back to the drawing board/clip art library/pink rubber block.

I also finished some sewing - just a sneak preview as these may be the Quilt Quiz (or as Danielle calls it, "Whoring for Comments") prizes.  But I'm pleased with how they turned out and will be making more!  You can probably guess what they are, or the first one at any rate.  I am also proud of myself for getting over my Stash phobia (I know a lot of us have this - buy-buy-buy, hoard-hoard-hoard) and using some of the Denyse Schmidt fabric that I bought in New York earlier this year at the City Quilter, and some of my vintage haberdashery bits from eBay - I've got such a bad eBay habit going on at the moment.  The problem is that I keep finding great
bargains, and it's naughty because I guess a lot of it is just adding to The Stash (I've decided it needs Capitals)  I may even start a Stash Swap on Swap-bot, although I know I'm not as bad as other people but then again, I have subconsciously put stuff all over the house so that it's a series of Mini Stashes rather than one location which could for example be shaky-fingeredly-pointed at by a clutterphobic husband. It's funny though, we justify purchases to ourselves by saying 'But this will go so well with x and y which I've got already' as if we're saving money... when the little angel on our shoulder should say 'but you've had that for 12/18/24 months and haven't used it'...

Spent yesterday up at Epping Forest, (can't believe we'll miss the festival there next week - there's going to be jousting!)  I walked/ran while DH cycled, both very happy bunnies after that. I used to run miles, but now am overweight, have knackered knees, dodgy shins, lousy back (and bad hair today, but I digress so much) and even running a little has given me some hope.  And some pain, today, but the trade off is worth it.  Time to get the running shoes back on.

Ok, time to fulfill the other deal with myself - out to do errands briefly (doesn't that just sound so 1950s?) - well being honest, I'm off to Fat Girls' Club - the double W in Alphabet August! -  and then two hours to attack the ironing pile; followed by crafty fun making a birthday present. Effort, reward; effort reward; repeat ad naseum.

Comments

[raesha]

I love your stamps!! They really are cute...even if you're not too happy with them:):)

[melissa f.]

the little cushion looks good. mine always end up so lopsided and understuffed. kind of like me, except replace the "under" for "over".

[Flibbertygibbet]

Thanks Raesha - it was great fun and it's an interesting challenge to get my head around the negative/positive space when I'm carving. Ahem.

Melissa - the answer seems to be stuff, stuff again, stuff in a bit more, wedge it in with the dull end of the stitch ripper because that's what's handy, and keep stuffing :-)
Keep sewing to stop eating chocolate, that's my theory!