Bower Bird

Hello.......... On Sunday afternoon the rain was lashing down and the wind was starting to blow a hoolie as storm Angus barrelled through our little corner of the world.

So it was the perfect time to settle down under a blanket with yarn, hook and a cuppa and get my Hygge on

and what could be more perfect than this little Bower bird kit for that, it came with a issue of Simply Crochet magazine, probably around this time last year.  The kit contained everything you needed to make the birdie, other than a hook.

 The pattern is one of Lucy's from over at Attic24 and you can find the tutorial for this make here if you'd like to make one too.

In no time at all I was making my birdie

Which is another make to go on the craft clubs handmade tree in the local library.

Now the kit came with a written pattern and at first I was following along well, but for the trickier bits of making the bird I hopped over to Attic 24 and used the photo tutorial which is great, for pattern phobics like me.  

Then it was birdie assembly time, I got a bit carried away at this point and forgot to take any pics. Opps  any road.......... (just imagine lots of sewing and stuffing going on.)

I did add a little decoration to my bird using you guessed it some sparkle yarn.

I added some to the wings too instead of the buttons that came in the kit.

Ta-Dah

One Scandi style Christmas birdie

Who is spending some time hanging out with the twinkle lights until it's time to go to the library and nest in the Christmas tree.

This week I've also hooked up this red sparkly bauble for the tree, with hopefully more to come energy permitting.

Ta-dah

Happy Crafting

Clare xxx

A huge thank you to Lucy for sharing her wonderful patterns she really is a crochet star.

8th December- Little Owlie

Hello....... well I'm sure you guessed it but I just couldn't resist

Making a little companion for the cute little owl I made on day 2 of the advent calender

Ta-Dah
I'm sure they are going to be very happy together, hanging out on the tree.

Ho ho ho

Clare xx

2nd December -Tiny crocheted owl

Hello........... Behind the door of today's advent calender you'll find the cutest little owlie you ever did see.  These tweeny tiny owls are sooooo adorable, that I just couldn't wait to make one.

I'm using up some of left over yarn from my ice cream cushion for this make, and a 4mm hook

Following  along with the fab tutorial, in no time at all I had the makings of a cute little owl.

All I needed was some sparkly eyes

and some tuffty ears, looping through the yarn ends to make them

Once I had my little owl hooked up  it was time for the fun part adding some decoration and at this point I deviated a little bit from the tutorial...

 By sewing on some cute little pom pom eyes and a pearly pink button beak.  

Ta-Dah
Aww isn't she cute.

Here's Elizzza'a wonderful tutorial, you really should have a go at making some of these cute little owls, it's such a hoot!!

Ho ho ho

Clare xx

Patchwork June

Hello......It's round up time again, here's the patchworks from June at the Summerhouse.

A month with lots of birthdays, flowers and crafting, I tried my hand at decoupage and made a pretty butterfly, we went garden visiting and played some music, in fact I starting to learn to play something new a Ukulele and of course there was some crochet too.  You can find out more about each project over in the June blog archive on top right of the page.

Out in the Summerhouse garden the roses were at there best so it was the perfect time to put the Summertime wreath back up.  With Iris, fuchsia and the Penstemon in bud too, the gardens looking very colourful if not a little weedy, oh and not forgetting the wonderful fragrance from the orange blossom.

As for July well I really need to get on with some of these WIP's my Cosy blanket and Ice cream cushion, plus the sparkling flowers that I made last year for a Cowl, best get on with putting them together, ready for Autumn oh and these little birdies need some attention too, they've been on the go since before I started this blog eek!!

What have you got planned for July I'll love to know ?

Linking up with KCCO

Happy Crafting 

Clare xx

Birthday Birdie

Hello......... Today I'm going to share with you a little bit more about the Birdie I made at my Birthday Crafternoon,  I found the pattern in my Mum's copy of the Woman's Weekly from the 14 April  and thought it would be a perfect little make for my Crafternoon.

So amongst much chatter and cake, I cut out the little felt pieces and stitched the wing in place with embroidery floss adding some leaf detail before popping on a cute little button,

I then added more buttons, felt flowers and beads.

 I then stitched on a little birdie eye, in black floss and blanket stitched my birdie together before adding a hanging string, the original instructions were for a little birdie brooch, but I decided I wanted to hang mine on my blossom tree lights, in fact I think I might make a few more of these cute little birdies, to hang on the tree.

Ta-Dah

But of course there will only be one Crafternoon birthday birdie amongst them, a lovely little reminder of the day.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx

This Week

Hello.... This week here at the Summerhouse has been a bit mixed, so here I am trying to find the positives, part way through my week of many medical tests, but there is always something good to be found.

This week there has been cheery post from lovely friends

and gorgeous Sun Flowers too

I've been doing a bit of sewing

and have completed all my little felt birdies. Now what am I making? I here you ask, well they are destined to become a Birdie Bunting for the Summerhouse.

All these lovely things, flowers, birdies and good post have been a great distraction, as last Thursday, I had a phone call from the Doctors surgery telling me that I am Diabetic and it's so bad I will have to start insulin.

All a bit of a shock, the tale doesn't end there though, I already eat a really healthy diet, but after the Dr said how high my sugar levels were, I decided to reduce my carb intake until I saw the nurse. 

I was issued with some leaflets on taking insulin by the nurse and she was saying this is all very odd we don't know whats going on, as your levels were fine six months ago. 

 She then took my blood sugar level and it was........... fine

completely normal, so she sent me home with a monitor and I spent Wednesday taking readings, again all Fine............ Yippee,

I saw the doctor yesterday and she said she has never ever seen this, it's like my pancreas packed up and went on holiday for a few months and now it's back!!!

So they don't really know why or how, but the theory is it's either the Lyme Disease or Auto immune as my immune systems so stirred up by what ever it is I have. My GP told me she thinks I may have a condition that has not even been discovered yet (well done Clare)

So what to do, I've been put on a low dose Diabetes medicine just in case, I'm even more seriously watching my diet and I'm going to monitor my blood sugars and hope it doesn't happen again or hasn't left to much permanent damage.

So anyone out there is this a Lyme Disease Symptom?  So little is known here in the UK.

This morning I awoke to a swarms of Sea gulls swooping about trying to catch a swarms of flying ants, not the best shot, but they were up really high, so had to zoom a lot, there were so many of them, like something out of The Birds, even more so after I read on Facebook yesterday that the sea gulls were attacking people after getting drunk by eating flying ants eek

Worryingly this week I discovered signs of Autumn out in the garden, come on garden it's only July

 So I thought I'd take you on a little tour around the garden, first we have to go down the steps to the Summerhouse and lawn, lots of things seem to be finishing but I'm still waiting on my sweet peas.

When I took my camera outside earlier

 I discovered most of the plants flowering at the moment seem to fit one colour palette,  I do love a bit of magenta, so if the garden must colour coordinate it's picked a good colour.

Back up the steps again, please mind the weeds, the gardens run away a bit with me ill and 'P' recovering from a eye op

Aww at least Merlin was waiting for me at the top of the steps bless him he's got hay fever with all this dry weather and pollen.

As for the rest of the week the test continue I'm having a 24 hour heart rate monitor as I type and Saturday I have to go and have a CT of my kidneys, my advise don't get ill it's no fun, I'm also planning on trying to keep cool in this heat and making up this cute little mouse. More on that next time, if  it  makes up OK.

Just before I go, do you remember the Seaside Bunting I made 'here' well currently it's up for auction with lots of other wonderful crafts and makes to raise funds for 'Invest in ME and Shelter' the auction is being run on Facebook by a wonderful group I'm a member of called Chronic Creatives I've put a link to the auction page 'here' if anyone fancies having a look, maybe even having a bid. This year the Auction is only open to UK bidder but go on, why not go and have a nose and perhaps even share the link on you're facebook page too,  many thanks

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Clare xxx

Summer Living

Hello......... today's post is going to be a bit of a catch up of the Summer living that's been going on here at the Summerhouse over the last few weeks.

There has been girly nights of crochet and cocktails, mocktails for the non drinkers and

frozen cocktails for those who could indulge

Yummy Strawberries to

and making cute little felt ones, this one was made as a gift.

I've been drinking lots of green tea too, not that it's been much help health wise, things have gone from bad to worse and I have yet another week of tests to look forward to this coming week.

but at least the Geraniums have started to flower in the Summerhouse window boxes,we just need this drippy rain to stop now.

 I'm getting there with my little felt birdies with only two more to finish, then it's onto phase two of this make, more on that another day.

I've also been watching the cycling, enjoying the Tour De France a trip round Europe from the comfort of the Sofa, didn't Yorkshire do the UK proud.

While watching I've been hooking up some squares for my Spring Time Throw.

Well that's about it for the goings on here at the Summerhouse thanks for all the lovely comments  and well wishes left on my last couple of posts.

Happy Crafting

Clare xx