Thursday 19 April 2012

April x

Hello lovely bloggy friends ,thankyou all so much for your wonderfully uplifting comments on my last post your such sweet people ,its funny isnt it it i would love to meet you all in person,have coffee or wine !,chat about our hobbies ,about life but the reality is we probably will never meet but its lovely having you all as friends all the same and sharing our lives with each other ,we are all so similar ,busy with our different but similar lives,the ups and downs ,we share so much xxx The picture is of course a lovely cath kidston image,isnt it lovely ,i have popped into the york shop often lately ,i love to see new lines the displays,always a joy to see although i have only bought some fabric of late
We have been celebrating this week ,my daughters 13th birthday ,and next week is my sons 16th birthday so we had a lovely birthday tea for her,lots of balloons and cake
This is my youngest helping me make the cakes and licking the bowl out afterwards ,we love the raw cake mixture and the 3 of them share licking the bowl and spoons
We made cakes,flapjack and a bakewell tart
From these very old cookery books
I have been doing a lot of crochet lately with all my lovely wool
Heres a jubilee inspired cushion to go with this cushion i finished today
The villages are planning a street party in our village which is always fun ,we always have a summer fair and bbq which are always very successful and lots of games for the children so our jubilee party should be fun ,im busy making bunting for it
I also attempted to knit a union jack throw in case its cold but the pattern seems a bit complicated so im going for simple stripes instead !!
My weekly trip into york this week found me these lovely fabrics,the rose one is from cath kidston and the others are from laura Ashley who had a half price sale on so in i rushed and came out with these ,york market is another place i always visit ,the weather was awful and i do always admire the market traders for standing out in the cold all day hoping for a sale ,i know because i have done it a few times myself ,i always vist a fabric stall and fell in love with these lovelys
The weather has been pretty awfull of late ,it has rained every day for about 2 weeks,the sun seems to have gone on a very long holiday, but on the odd bright spell i made it out into the garden to check on my seedlings which are coming on nicely,these are my strawberry plants that need potting on ,i do love growing my own veg and flowers and its so easy ,i buy my seeds from Boyes in york for 60p i sprinkle them on some compost and they grow ,im lucky now to have my pollytunnel but i used to grow them all on my window ledge and im no expert by far
The garden is springing to life now and with all the rain everything looks really green and fresh ,im hoping for a sunny summer so we can eat outdoors and have lots of bbqs x
I have also been busy making these 120 hearts in cath kidston fabrics for a wedding,
now all i have to do is sew on the ribbon and buttons and ship them off to Ireland
And of course my post wouldnt be the same without showing you a few home makes !!
Thankyou so much for popping by to see me ,i really love your comments and a warm welcome to all my new followers ,much love francine xx

34 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday, to your kiddies!!! Lovely work and such beautiful pictures. From across the pond, Victoria

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  2. Happy Birthday to your son and daughter. Your little one is a cutie. Your home looks like a doll house......so cute.

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  3. Oh, I absolutely love the red cushions!

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  4. oh i love your works and your home!! eveyrhing is so colorful and full of life!! :D

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  5. Dear my friend, I am following your blog very closer. I like all your crochet cushions as I lile crochet cushions so much. And quilted cushions are beautiful and colors are so so and romantic.. I wish you a very happy weekend...

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  6. A Happy Birthday to both your Son and Daughter. Those fairy cakes look very yummy indeed!
    You sure have been busy..you make such lovely things! I like the pretty fabrics you bought.
    Your plants are coming along..I have been busy in my greenhouse as well planting away. It sure saves money planting them by seed :)
    Have a lovely weekend..here is hoping for some sunshine.
    Magie x

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  7. Hi Francine,I often wish I could meet with my blogging friends have a coffee and chat it would be lovely,I visit york quite often in the summer so maybe we could meet up sometime. Love all your makes as usuall it all looks so pretty.Happy birthday to your children dont they grow up to quickley.Love Jill xx

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  8. Red white and blue is popping up everywhere isn't it (I'm giving away an Emma Bridgewater Union Jack Tin just now - last day to enter folks!).

    Love the spatula licking pics ... that smile takes me back to when my lot were small enough that that constituted a treat :D

    Great post, I think it's wonderful that we're all part of a big, friendly bloggy community :D

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  9. UNa niña muy bonita FElicidades un saludo..........

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  10. Your cushions are so pretty, and I would love to sit out in your garden for a chat and some of that cake! Have a great weekend.

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  11. I love the Jubilee pillows and the red one with the white dots. You have been a busy lady!!

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  12. Wow, Francine, more gorgeous images for me to drool over! Thank you!

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  13. Wow you have been so busy. Such amazing things you are making and the picture of your daughter is adorable.
    Have a great day,
    Meredith

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  14. If ONLY we could all meet up in 'real life'! Wouldn't that be wonderful?!
    There's so much to see in this post - you're such a busy bee!!! I have to say that I adore your crocheted jubilee cushion.
    Oh, and I love the photo of your little one licking the spoon. I LOVED licking the spoon when my mom was baking. And I love it still!!! :-)
    Carly
    x

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  15. Hello sweet Francine,

    I love the display in Cath Kidston's store. I would love to go there! Your kitchen is so pretty and looks very festive for your daughter's birthday! I hope she and your son have very Happy Birthdays! Your youngest is adorable and I can see she is a very good helper too! The cakes look yummy and pretty! I love your pretty and colorful crochet and yarn! The fabrics are lovely too! The seedlings look fantastic and your garden is very beautiful! Love all of the darling hearts and your gorgeous cushions! xo~Paula

    PS~ I loved your previous post too! Everything is gorgeous and I love all the same things you shared! Nothing is boring about your life or the things you love and share! You share, joy, beauty, creativity, and a love for your family and friends! That is beautiful!

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  16. what a pretty post< so uplifting! Love your makes especially the jubilee ones, I have just made a jubilee egg cosy - so easy and fast .......love that kind of knitting x

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  17. Such a wonderfully heart warming post Francine....Happy 13th birthday to your daughter and hope your son has a great day too!
    So much loveliness here...you have been busy...love all your cushions (especially the crochet ones as I can't do it and so want to!) your lavender hearts and those pastel buttons...Aah..all so lovely!
    Hope you have a happy weekend,
    Susan x

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  18. I never fail to be inspired by your posts... and this one is no exception!! Absolutely loving your crochet cushions... and those Cath Kidston fabric hearts are gorgeous!!
    Happy Birthday to your Son and Daughter, I hope they had a great day... I'm sure they did with all those scrummy cakes to eat!! Yum :)

    Hope you and your family are having a great weekend and thank you very much for your kind comment on my mini quilt!!

    Louise xx

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  19. Gosh you have been busy love the jubilee inspired textiles. Birthday looked real fun and I cannot wait to get into the cath kidston shop when we visit york in ten days time. It will be my first stop. You have been busy making hearts , they are quite fiddly to make I think I will give them a go though. thanks for all the continuued inspirtion
    pippax

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  20. I'm catching up on my blog reading and so enjoyed your post. My "kids", who are all in their 20s still love licking the spoon, or the beater or the bowl, or whatever they can get their hands on when I make cookies or cake. I always like seeing your pictures-they're so cheerful.

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  21. Happy Birthday to your children. It is always so inspiring to visit your blog. The colors are so yummy. Just love them. I wish it was that easy to find Kath Kidston here. Hope you are enjoying your day.
    Hugs,
    donna

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  22. Just found your blog and I'm your newest follower! I'll be back see updates on your projects.

    chris

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  23. You have been so busy making the most beautiful and delicious things, AND getting your garden ready, AND celebrating birthdays - you are amazing :) I'm so inspired! Have a delightful week! xo Karen

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  24. I'm so glad to have come across your blog, loving your crochet and the little heart cushions. Your strawberry plants are coming along well, not sure who stole spring! Look forward to visiting again'. Catherine

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  25. Your house looks so lovley and cosy - love all your new cushions and crochet makes especially the Jubilee inspired ones! April sure has been a busy month for you :)

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  26. Oh my you have been a busy bee....those little heart pillows are adorable...what a great idea for a wedding. Your new cushions are darling...the red ones make my heart sing. Happy Birthday to your dear ones. xoxoxo Enjoy your weekend.

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  27. Love your blog!! Thank you for showing us your great, lovely home. We'll be visiting more often.
    groetjes

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  28. Hi, I don't know if you take part in blog awards but I've nominated you for the Sunshine Award over at mine. Love your blog, glad I found you!
    Nicki x

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  29. Hi there, I am a new follower and I am loving your blog, I am always looking for crafty/gardening inspiration so I am so pleased to have stumbled across it!
    Love Amie xx
    www.creditcrunchchic.com

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  30. Have just discovered your blog and I love it! We seem to love the same things, so I'm afraid I 'll have to become a follower! Have a lovely weekend, Claire xxx

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  31. Hi Francine, what gorgeous work. I'm just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
    http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.ca/

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  32. Pretty pretty pretty!! :0)
    May I ask a quick question?
    How do you make your hearts and sew the button/ribbon on??

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  33. What a pretty, pretty blog you have....so much lovely stuff I don't know where to start....I love your new shoes....oooh they are lush :o)

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  34. So adorable Francine! I love all your pics! Your house is like no other, and should be in a magazine! So charming, and quaint! Love the quilts, and of course the pillows!! I love all the heart garlands too! the pics of your kitchen are so adorable! Love all the colors too! Thanks for sharing, soooo sweet!! xo p.s. Can't wait to receive my pillows!! :) Thanks again!

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