Ursela the Vampiress

Ursela didn't want to be a vampire, she didn't want to be or do anything but read her beloved books. But then she learned the most marvelous magical thing...well the most magical things if you are an immortal wallflower...Vampires dont need to sleep...EVER. Ursela could spend her immortal afterlife roaming bookshops and late night cafes, reading book after book and nibbling on the shoppers and coffee drinkers. She never missed the sun for she never saw it to begin with.

Ursela was sewn for my frien Marina's birthday on Tuesday. Harrison helped me to pick out the fabrics and vintage buttons to use, and he helped stuff Ursela with toy filling. I think she is one of my favourite dolls and I may have to make another similar in style as I love how her mouth turned out with a wide grin and little fangs. So if you love her too, drop me a comment and I will see what I can do to make another little vampire doll.

typed on a note card that had been coffee stained

a little pumpkin

a little bit of inspirational crafting... or that's what I thought I was doing anyway. Tis a little decorative pumpkin/pincushion made from some orange fabric and a vintage doily. Oh and a little piece of a stick Harrison gave me. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but I think its growing on me now. In fact I might have a go at making one or two more once I have been to the shop to get some more toy filling. I'm posting this photo today because today feels very much like a crisp autumn day and not so much late August, so what better to blog on an Autumnal feeling day than an Autumn inspired fabric pumpkin.

bookish craft swap sent and received

Things I recieved from Kirsty in the Bookish Craft swap

Appologies in advance for my stupendously bad photography, but H did help me and the past few weeks have been non stop! I recieved some lovely purple fabric (that might become a doll), a green and blacks espresso chocolate bar (which is now gone), a beautiful framed photograph of a page of Kirsty's favourite Poppy Z. Brite book (which I will hang up when I paint the bedroom...eventually), a teastained copy of a Scottish poem, red buttons, and two books!
The Midwich Cuckoos

John Wyndham

John Wyndham (Author)

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The books were The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham (aka the book they made into the film Village of the Damned)



Blood Read: The Vampire as Metaphor in Contemporary Culture

Brian Aldiss (Author), Joan Gordon (Author), Veronica Hollinger (Author)

I have flipped through it and found quotes from some of my favourite vampire movies and books so I'm sure it will make a facinating read.

things I sent Kirsty

A werewolfy book (Ivy Cole and the Moon by Gina Farago which looks to be collectable or something, as its showing up at a rediculous price on Amazon very odd) and a trashy witchy book by Cheynne McCray.... I made a bookmark with soem lillalotta book tape, black and red fabrics, a little needle book made from Cath Kidston fabric, a collage art doodle of a flapper girl on vintage book page, an onyx bracelet, and some fabric and buttons.

I really enjoyed this swap and can't wait to think up an idea or two for the next one...possibly a quirky film inspired swap as I was chatting on twitter the other day with the amazingly talented Monica of Happy Zombie about the amazing films Amelie and Waitress and other such quirky flicks. We daydreamed of doing a swap with a little gnome to pass along in a chain along with crafty goodies and to post a photo/postcard back to the original gnome maker. Monica thought I should design and sew a little gnome... which sent me loopy as I'm not sure my crafting is anywhere remotely near her level but she is fantastically awesome so I may listen to her and give it a go. Two weeks till school starts again and I will be able to think and craft without a certain helpful little boy being HELPFUL. hmmm I'll keep thinking about it and do some doodles in my journal/notebook.

giveaway winner

so sorry for the lateness of this post but its been mad, mad, mad around here!

the winner is:

' ClaireP said...

Hmmm. I think I'd maybe treat myslef to a new pie dish, or just get a pretty cake stand!

congrats Claire... I will email you and CSN to send you the £30 voucher!

thank you everyone who commented!

the sky rained stories

...the sky rained stories...

raindrops filled with
words.
Each Cloud a book, every storm
a library

a little card I made for the Bookish craft swap, with vintage book paper and typed on the little typewriter. The words are just something that popped into my head. I will blog about the swap later (it was awesome), but right now I'm going to work on crafting something new as today H is at Holiday Club and I have the house to myself so I feel the need to create something.

I'm off to be crafty and I hope you are too.

CSN Review and Giveaway

email from A few weeks ago I recieved an email from CSN Promo Team enquiring if I would like to review one of their shops or do a giveaway on my blog for a voucher for anything from Ceiling Lights to Cookware. I looked at the CSN sites...mostly the cookware because more than anything else I like to potter about in the kitchen, and I emailed them back saying I would like to do a review and a giveaway for my readers.They sent me a voucher code and I toddled off to the cookware site to find something to make my little baker's heart happy. I looked through everything twice before ordering a KitchenCraft Cake Biscuit/Icing set. The website was easy enough to navigate and order from. My order was to be 5 working days to ship but it arrived in three. I tore into the parcel and oggled the new icing gun with glee.


I baked cupcakes and mixed a great vat of icing which I split into two portions adding fresh raspberries to one, and chocolate to the other. The icing gun took a bit of practice to get the icing looking nice but it was great fun to play with and I shall be baking some cookies with it in the near future. I may use the site again in the future (I quite fancy one of those creme brulee torches), as the service was good and they emailed you updates at each stage of your order being processed.



Now for the good part...

the promo team said I could giveaway a voucher for £30 for the CSN sites to one of my blog readers. I used the to order my icing gun set from by you can use the £30 voucher code at any CSN site.

Have a look at what they have to offer and leave me a comment of what you would spend the £30 on, leave me your email and I will have the voucher code emailed to you!

good luck... a name will be drawn at random on Monday the 23 of August.

bookish craft swap update

I hope everyone is happily finishing off their bookish craft swap parcels and happily sending the off to their new homes. I will be sending mine off a little later...its finished I just need the chance to wrap it and run up to the post office without a lot of whinging from a certain 6 1/2 year old.

I started a flickr group for the swap so please pop your photos in the pool and leave a link to your blog there too!

I know a few of you are running late with the swap that's OK as long as your partner knows... summer is a busy time filled with obnoxious needy children taking up all that precious crafty time. I hope you all had fun with the swap and enjoy your goodies and books!

tired and whingy

I'm working on things honest i have abandoned my blog and crafting, but this 6 week summer holiday with out a holiday is tough stuff, Matt is so busy working and H is busy being crabby and waking at stupid o' clock every damn morning. Today I have been busy tidying the house sugarsoaping the walls, touching up paint and arguing over the darkness of the shade of grey (something called Smoulder) that I want to paint a wall in our bedroom and Matt thinks is way too dark. But its my craft room and my choice unless he wants to give up the office to me. And I don't think that will happen anytime soon.

The doll above is named Iris, I'm working on her story and I won't put her in my shop till she has a story to go with her. She is made from a vintage embroidered linen tea towel that I found at a charity shop that was badly stained and torn but I managed to rescue some of the embroidery. I have enough tea towel fabric saved to make another doll or possibly two. I really like how Iris turned out I think she is a bit of a dreamer.

Right I best go make dinner, chicken enchiladas (left over from last night but the sauce always tastes better the next day) and settle down for the night and watch a bit more of V the mini series... the original one, we haven't seen the new one yet.

I will be posting a few recipes in the next day/week/whenever and having a giveaway too!

really really gone now... I'm starving.