Let's get making!

My mind is buzzing lately with all things crafty. I've been scouring the internet for inspiration and been collecting unwanted furniture like it's going out of fashion! Which admittedly, some of the items have ;-)

First off I have been organising Jasmine's party, for which I have decided on a Hawaiian Luau theme...... I've had the invites designed and printed (by my good friend and colleague Dan, in exchange for some homemade, organic apple and elderberry Jam, yummm!), ordered in the scene setters, blow up parrots, leis and tiki girl cut outs, ordered colourful paper and crepe for the door streamers and hanging flowers and lanterns that I have yet to make and decided upon a design for her cake (something that does not involve ready to roll icing - I have only bad experiences with the stuff!). Whew!

Next on the list I am re-upholstering some dining chairs that I got for free on netmums. We lost two of our dining chairs to the floods a couple of years back and have been using the landlords ones since we moved in to this house. Before that, the kids sat at their little table whilst I and Nick used the remaining two chairs. If guests came for dinner we got out the camping chairs!!! The problem is that it costs as almost as much to buy a set of dining chairs as it does to buy a whole new table and chairs set. I like our table and anyway, we can't afford the expense of a whole new one anyway. So this find on netmums had me all excited and I sent Nick off to Bicester to pick them up straight after work last friday. And they aren't half bad either. What's more, I bought my first ever lot of fabric from a site I found and have been drooling over for a few weeks. They are so pretty, and the idea is to have an eclectic mix that don't match.

my beautiful fabrics!

I'm making it sound like I am completing these projects in an orderly fashion, but that is waaay too structured for me! I am actually doing a bit of each at any given time. In fact I am also in the middle of making a hanging feature for Jasmine's wall, and have almost completed the birds. I ran out of red thread for the beading on the red bird last night so that is on hold until I get to the sewing shop at the weekend. I also just made a quick picture for her wall out of a pretty flyer I found in a local shop and a wooden frame from Ikea that I painted white.

Ben wants dinosaurs for his version......I made these from Jasmine's old clothes

All this activity means that the scarf I am knitting for Jasmine may well have to be a Christmas present instead of a birthday one as originally intended. And the booties I have been knitting for soon to be born Leo, after having to unravel and start again approximately five whole times, I am resorting to plan B - Alex, you'll just have to wait and see, but if all turns out as planned (and as per the picture and instructions), little Leo will not be disappointed!

ooops, forgot to rotate this one - oh well, I am in a rush....should be making dinner not blogging!

Oh, and did I mention the ugly nest of tables I got off freecycle? I am using the middle sized one for a hall table and have decided to cover it using the 'decopatch' method.......

It is ugly now, but you wait until I'm done with it!

I will post all of the finished projects as and when I complete them....and if I don't get sidetracked by yet more ideas.....do you know I sometimes can't fall asleep because of all the ideas buzzing around in my head......ermm, that actually sounds rather weird. Think I'd better go cook now....