Accidental Handbag

I've working on my skills in reading crochet patterns. The snood in my previous post was my first attempt.

I am relieved I finally understand what DC and HDC and SS mean after years of being baffled and flinging the pattern across the room and running away screaming.

It has literally taken me years to take my basic knowledge and teach myself all the different stitches, yes I am all grown up *gfaw*

I am quite pleased with this cute little bag...except it looks nothing like the picture on the pattern. 

I was trying to make a string bag for my shopping, but I ended up with a cute holey purse. 

It could be that I completely ignored the yarn advice and used the wrong thread? maybe. I am not too fussed.

In honesty I do like a creative surprise. SURPRISE you've made something completely different, lol.

The bear head was an addition I created a while back and now has a new home on the bag (also crochet or amigurumi to be exact)

Room with a View

Morning all, tis my week off work on day 4 I have finally wound down.
Before Grizzle awakes I had a little creative burst in my new office corner.
This is my first free hand proper sketch using my wacom and photoshop.
I am quite liking the result, I think I shall do more.
This is the view from my bedroom window.

Snoody Goodness

Really into the snood/cowl thing going on at the mo.

I'm not much of a knitter so was looking for a workable crochet pattern.

Had a crack at one in Mollie Makes (which I subscribe to and love) but it was more of a collar and didn't suit me. So I reconstituted the wool into a long cowl, which is a bit scruffily done but is my new everywhere neck-a-chief.

Found a fantastic snood pattern on Ravelry and some pink/orange wool at John Lewis and decided to make my sis one for her birthday. Here's the snood I made Roo, it looks fantastic on her:

I also got her some Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes which are amazing, nom nom nom.

She just gave birth to my new gorgeous niece Chloe.

Been enjoying hanging out with my sis and  baby Chloe and singing at her. She smiles and farts at me (Chloe not Roo), I think we shall get along just fine. Here's me and my sis with brand new baby.

The Sandwich of Disappointment

what is in my sandwich

my sandwich contains:

a portion of ham, a slice of cheese, a smidgen of mayo and

a thick layer of disappointment

It was a risk, a calculated risk, how well a sandwich, not bought but made, would be.

I took a gamble at 7am, staring at the last slices in the open bag of bread.

I took a gamble at the mayo left out all night, warm to the touch, slightly sweating round the edges

think of the money you'll save, I thought,

how positive, how frugal, how healthy.

I took the ham out the fridge, intentionally ignoring the thick lumps of potential gristle.

I cut the cheap economy extra mature cheddar thinking, it'll be alright.

I made that sandwich, cling filmed it up, popped it in my bag and,

forgot about it.

Till lunch.

I ate half the sandwich.

Betrayed, by all the good a homemade sandwich could be and do and represent, that sandwich was a great disappointment.

Worse still it was all the things I had a feared a homemade sandwich could be.

Today I am having a day off from sandwich making, today I am recovering from the trauma.

Today I am buying a sandwich.

And let that be the last we ever say about it.

Mushroom Paperweight

You may have seen I created some crochet mushrooms a while back.
I felt at the time that they would work nicely mounted on a mossy bank as a paperweight.
So I got myself a smooth flat rounded stone and covered in two layers of wadding, stitching it together.
Then I knitted a square of plain green wool and sewed that round then got some gorgeous lumpy fluffy green wool and loosely knitted that in a square and sewed a couple of layers around the layered stone.
Then finally stitched the 3 mushrooms into place. I like it.
I have 3 blue mushrooms to do the same with, but I shall make that one more urban.

Hand Stamped Craft Business Cards

I have lots of projects to show you but am still in the purgatory between housing, and live life between boxes.
Last night, thanks to some inspiration, and the arrival of large novelty erasers, I pumped out a few stamps.

Crazy Crowded Craft Table

My goal is to make business cards for my arts and crafting.
This is my first attempt as I thought handmade makes sense.
The design is cause I grew up in a very urban area with very country parents and we was neither fish nor fowl, and cause I like drawing tower blocks and houses.
I took a pick of my overcrowded craft desk too, cause I like creative chaos.

By the way I am haveing a very dyslexic day.
My shopping list today included meet (meat) and deodarant (deodorant) amongst others.

Me and My Comic Books

I have a life long love of comics. I grew up with Pogo Possum, Tintin, Asterix, Wizard of Id, Garfield, Family Circle, The Perishers, Beano, Dandy, Beezer and that's just to name a few.
In my teens I devoured 2000AD annuals and Neil Gaiman's Sandman.
Around 17 I ventured into my first comic shop alone and ignoring the sweaty stares of fanboys,  I brought my first grown up comic, which was The Furry Freak Brothers, this was my failsafe to avoid the uncomfortable looks girls get in comic shops. I would browse then as soon as I felt creept out I would grab the next FFB and get the hell out of there.
My collection has grown much since then, as I mainly collected graphic novels, I have boxes and boxes of books, love them.
Now I work 2mins from GOSH (the best comic store in London, if not the world) and 10mins from Forbidden Planet, yep I'm screwed. I shall live in a house made of comic books.
Here are my latest acquisitions:
My Fav was Hildafolk, a surprise buy and a pleasant one at that.
Though, in truth, all of these are stella and recommended...

Heartbreak Soup-Pressy from Big Griz, one of the legendary Love and Rockets range, a must read for any comic buff.
Tales from Outer Suburbia- Shaun Tan is magical and this is atmospheric magic captured on paper.
Burma Chronicles- I read another one of his books and find them compelling mundane reads.
Habibi- OMWord! Mega, Humongous, phenomenal, breath-taking, the dreams I had after reading this were warp and epic. I am a longtime fan of Craig Thompson, his Goodbye Chunky Rice was one of my first indie/alt comics.
Flight 7- and yes I have the previous 6. always a pleasure.
Hildafolk-magic fun, lively, gentle, silly, mesmerizing. My friend at work kept saying Nobrow to me, important publishers I guess, so when I saw this I snapped it up.
Blacksad-An Emi reccomendation of epicness, film-noir cat detective, better than I have described it.
Bone- Borrowed from the library years back and vowed to buy my own copy. Pogo Possum meets LOTR.
Copper- a real pleasure and I truly identify with Fred the dog. Came from the pages of Flight.