A Tiny Obsession

This week's obsession.... teeny teeny tiny!

How amazing is that?!

I am totally in awe of that lady! She has an amazing site, Bugknits with so many pictures of her work. My favourite so far has to be tiny socks.

So feeling totally inspired by the tiny knitting, I picked up the smallest crochet hook I have and decided to give it ago...

...ta da!

Using 2mm hook, a single strand of wooly embroidery floss and the exact same pattern as my round green sample (5mm hook), it came out just over an inch in diameter. I know its not as small or as impressive as tiny sweaters, but it was fun to give teeny ago. I probably will be sticking to the bigger hooks for now. I'm definately not even thinking about knitting on pins... well, I am thinking about it but the fact I find knitting hard enough means I'll resist that urge for a while :)

I've been reading and watching a lot of Coraline things on the internet. I am so excited about it - stop motion, tiny, handmade and a little creepy too, it all sounds too perfect. Unfortunately I have to wait until May for it to come over here....

Happy Thursdays!

(oh my, is it Thursday already?!)

Latest Love

Since my discovery, I've been a little obsessed with little arctic unicorns.

My sketchbook has pages of scribbles and I just had to make myself a little pin from one.

He still needs the brooch back sewn, but then I'll display him proudly on my coat.

This is my favourite scribble, my narwhal prince.

Have a wonderful, magical weekend!

xo

I Saw a Unicorn

I just had to share this... 

...even though it makes me look completely daft...

I honestly believed Narwhals were mythical creatures. 

You know, like Unicorns... 

(Horse + horn on forehead = myth so my logic followed whale + horn also myth as illustrated by this Argyle Whale print) 

So just imagine how I felt when I saw this...

Do click its wonderful even if you aren't as silly as me

Picture from the BBC's "Nature's Great Events" 

and the whole episode is here if you're in the UK

Its was like how you'd feel if you saw a unicorn in a field!

xo

Because I love him...

... and he loves tanks and coffee!

So this is my 'Love without the lovey-dovey' guy Valentine present.

I really wanted to make something myself and although I usually find designing boy stuff difficult, for a coffee-drinking, tank-loving army boy its was a pretty easy call. After a lame excuse for my "what's your favourite tank?" question (this was probably the hardest bit of the whole project!) and looking at more pictures of the Challenger 2 than I ever wished, I made my pattern and embroidered it on to felt through a piece of calico then somehow turned it in to a coffee cozy... 

That's the bit I made, the other much cooler bit is the cup its wrapped around...

It is a "I am not a Paper Cup" cup!

Its a ceramic cup with a silicon lid that looks just like a take out coffee cup. Unlike the paper ones, it doesn't need a paper sleeve really as its insulated but I thought I'd faux it up a little more. I saw them online a while back and thought they were cool - anything that's not quite as it seems is fascinating to me, but as I don't drink coffee, its one of those things I'd never use. 

At least I thought so... now I want one for myself too! 

xo

Happy Valentine's!

I hope everyone had the most lovely days.

I indulged in a bit of heart shaped Valentine baking - Shortbread with strawberry centres and little dusted shortbread hearts. 

I followed this recipe to make the strawberry heart, just swapped the raspberry as we get the yummiest strawberry jam from the local country market, and once I had enough large hearts used the rest of the dough to make lots and lots of the little dusted ones. They are very lovely if I do say so myself...

xo

Random Acts of Photography

I have been having a photo clearout as poor little laptop here is being quite stubborn about working properly while holding on to my 4500+ (un-back up) photos. Turns out I have lots of 'I should blog that' pictures so here is a few:

 

Chocolate Cola Marshmallow Muffins

recipe from 'Muffins Galore'

They sound disgustingly sweet and sickening, but surprising not! The chocolate is unsweetened cocoa and the cola can't really be tasted at all, just makes them all floaty light. I can't really say how much sweetness the marshmallows add... that creamy coloured stuff on the top of a couple is all that remains of them and that stuff was solid like toffee. The marshmallows are supposed to be a gooey centre hidden in the muffins, but just like the halloween muffins they escaped through the top in the first couple of minutes. These muffins were made back in November, but I made them again at the weekend without attempting the soft centre and they were just as good and dairy-free so I could give them to my poorly friend :)

Black-eyed Bluebird

This little guy hops around my craft room and makes me smile everytime I notice him - I can't believe I haven't shared him sooner. He flew all the way here from Squishy Cute Stuff's etsy shop with a cute little story of a bird seed scuffle and I am a sucker for little creatures with sad tales to tell. He also makes me wonder how many other lovely etsy bits and bobs I've forgot to share....

...and a black eyed heart

No fisty-cuff here, just a prototype for the lovely hearts.

Buttons galore!

Santa brought me a 2kg bag of loose charity shop buttons this year, oh happy happy happiness! I have slowly been sorting through them, but above is the scene from 2 weeks ago and not much has change, except that empty jar is full of white 1cm buttons... I need more jars!

So little laptop can be happy to have a tiny bit more memory all to itself, but I had to give it one more picture as I went to get my cup of tea to blog with (a tiny tradition here) this had appeared by the kettle...

I don't know how it got there, but its is always good to spot swirly baked goods when the rest of blogland is making you crave them.

Happy Random Mondays

xo 

Love Letters

As promised I have made something for everyone and here they are... 

my little gift to all my blog Valentines!

Valentine's Note Set

If you click the picture, it *should* open larger in the window for you to print off at A4 size on thin white card. (Any problems let me know)

The Valentine Note Set contains a small folded Valentine's card, 2 heart-shaped tags and 2 notecards, each with a little heart holding bunny!

I'm so pleased I have found a way to give you all a gift! As I am rather keen on the printable freebies I have seen around blogland, I don't know why I didn't realise I could do some sooner. I do hope you like them, and if you do let me know as I'll be sure to make more printable in the future.

xo

Snow Day

Thank you all so much for all the lovely Valentine comments!

It's so exciting to have a little giveaway on the blog again, it feels like way too long since the last!

So I put all your names into my favourite super random name picking fruit machine and after ticking its way around, it landed on....

...Karin of Nordic Craft!

Please let me know your mailing address and I will post out a little parcel to you as soon as possible. My email is jeni_s@hotmail.co.uk

And because everyone was so sweet with their comments (and reassured me I'm not the only mushy one around), I am going to make that little bunny up there into something printable and free. Hopefully it will be here tomorrow and I will not have been to distracted by playing in the snow with Sir Woofington...

My snow finally came!

 and it literally feels like ALL my snow wishes fell from the sky at the same time. I can't think I have ever seen this much snow before, although the news does keep telling me I must have... biggest snow for 18 years for the UK. We managed a small walk this morning, before Ol turned into a snowball and needed defrosting with a hairdryer (him) and a cup of tea (me).

And a one last thing... Happy Birthday Bunzi!

If you haven't already been over to her Bunny creates blog, she is having the sweetest little competition right now.

xo