We had a good day out today.

Mary was given a bug hunting kit by her daddy so today we decided to put it to use. First of all we went into the garden and the bug hunter Mary was very brave until I lifted up a stone and the many scurrying woodlice sent her backing off in a hurry. And I have to admit me too! But I was braver when it came to an earwig and I captured it with a special bug-catcher thing and popped it into the viewfinder pot. It was very interesting to look at it.

Then with further bug hunting explorers, namely daddy and Auntie Claire, we set out to the local museum and nearby park.

Daddy managed to capture a fly in the museum gardens. Here is a photo and I must say that I am very pleased with the way this photos turned out.



Here are the bug hunters. That isn't me. My bottom would be much much bigger. That is the svelte form of Auntie Claire.


And on the way out of the park daddy noticed I had a beetle sitting on my back. We had a good look at it and it was very beautiful with a gorgeous green iridescent colour. But I have no idea what type of beetle and the photo is not much good as the bug hunter's hands were shaking a bit as she held the pot but I like the view of her big eyes looking.


So a very good day out. We also took the I Spy Trees book and managed to spot a London Plane, a Sweet Chestnut and a Horse Chestnut.

I was hoping to show you some buttons that I had made but since I seem to be suffering from crafter's block or simply pure laziness I am afraid I have nothing..nothing!

But as luck has it the lovely CardsandCraft has included me in a lovely treasury on etsy. Since it is full of buttons it is perfect for me to show you today.


Click here to go to the treasury so you can have a closer look at the items and their makers/sellers. Enjoy!

For more Button Wednesday please pop over to Kraplap's P8 Buttons & Fabrics Blog.

I have joined the Creative Colour Challenge as created and organised by Louise Gale.

Each week in August we will explore a different colour (and just add white or black).

The first colour was Sunshine Yellow. I was a little bit late with this one and did not do anything until last night. I played around with some simple embroidery stitches - just doing the first thing that came into my head and out of the needle - so it was doodling with thread.

I think this challenge is going to be a great way to find out about colour and texture. There were some wonderful creative projects from other people and Louise is showing some on her blog here.

Week 2 is Raspberry Red. Here I come...

We went to Brighton last Saturday. It poured with rain but did not dampen our spirit and brightened up in the afternoon anyway.

I love the North Laines area as it has such interesting shops. We went into a few bric a brac shops and I enjoyed myself immensely looking through buttons on offer. I bought these ones.


The pink sparkly ones were the most expensive at £2 but I love them. One is chipped, tiny scratches on one but the others are fine.

And I think you can tell what other colour I like!

For more Button Wednesdays pop over to Kraplap's P8 Buttons & Fabrics Blog.

New Kitchen cupboards and worktop all in now. And it is heaven. Just flooring and tiling to do. Oh yes and finish washing up and putting away all the crockery and pots and pans that now have a nice new place to live.


And getting the cat off my lovely new worktop too!

It is Button Wednesday again!

I was going to just show you some yummy handmade buttons that I found over on etsy. Which I will do anyway.

But then I read P8s Buttons and Fabrics blog, and it reminded me of Pearly Queens and Kings. Now many of you may never have heard of them. They are a London thing. It started in the 19th century by Henry Croft and continues to this day. Pearly Queens and Kings sew on hundreds and hundreds of pearl buttons to their suits, and they raise lots of money for charity. You can read more about it here.

Here are the promised button yumminess:

Handmade Fabric Buttons Water Splashes ;


Set of 8 One-of-a-Kind Buttons;


Crackled Ceramic Buttons Frost White;


Organic /crocheted Summer Beads


And here is a couple of wonderful Pearly Kings


I did try to get the photo smaller but did not manage it and anyway you can see the details of the clothes this way!

For more Button Wednesdays pop over to Kraplap's P8 Buttons & Fabrics Blog.

We are having a new kitchen. In actual fact it is someone's old kitchen which they have replaced with a brand new sparkling one. Being in need of a new kitchen we happily took their old one. So at this moment it is half in and I am looking forward very much to it being complete. Having a nice kitchen means a lot.

So my Monday Moodboard this week is all about kitchens, keeping cheerful and looking forward to the future.



1.Bread Cutting Board
2.Reusable eco friendly snack bag
3.Set of 2 Crochet Round Coasters in Purple
4.Whimsy Breakfast Plate Set

For more Monday Moodboards see fleurfatale's blog.

It is my aim to post more regularly on my blog and because I am not working over the Summer, I hope I can use this time to do so.

One thing I want to do is dedicate a day to a theme, as many wonderful bloogers already do, and today being Wednesday is Button Wednesday. Before you all jump up and down thinking 'how clever you are Alix' well of course I am clever but not in this particular instance as it is not my idea. Button Wednesday has been created over here on P8 Button and Fabrics blog.

As you may know ('he he he' she laughs!) I make buttons. However, I plan to show other buttons as well.

This my first ever Button Wednesday post is dedicated to just one button (or set). Mainly because I am doing this post in the last 10 minutes before I rush to work.


So the other day I was searching for some very important papers and in doing so pulled out a drawer. And behind the drawer were these buttons.






I do not think they are really old. They are plastic. But I love their white eyes in black bodies.

Now what shall I do with them?

I was walking to work the other day and I thought I would pop a Charity shop and see if they still had the vintage dress. Of course they didn't. My rule should be 'If you Like It - Buy It' because other people will.

Anyway I saw something interesting in the window. It was a teeny sewing machine.
The lovely shop lady got it for me and I had a play. But it didn't have a bobbin and I know from previous experience of having a Singer with a shuttle bobbin that these things are hard to replace. So I said I would think about it. And so I wrote the manufacturer's name in my notebook and off I went to work.

That evening I did look online and found out that it did not have a bobbin as it never had one. It only did chain stitch and thus was bobbinless.

The next day was Saturday and I have my daughter home and knew that the walk was too long for her little legs and the bus service to that place appalling. So I went round my mum's, abandoned my daughter, and walked to the shop. Oh yes I phoned first and reserved it.

And there the dear little thing was! I popped it into a carrier and went home (having collected daughter and had a cup of tea at my mum's).

I worked out how to thread it eventually, it needs adjusting but works well.

I am happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so I now own 4 sewing machines - from 1915, 1968, 1996 and now this one from the 1950s.

There is a bit missing from this story about my asking my sister's advice but since she was not much help apart from saying 'buy it or I will'..I will miss her part out.

The sewing machine is made by Grain in the 1950s, and made in the UK.

And I found this lovely site Sewing Machine Collector. Here are some photos from the site. And here is a wonderful report about a Toy Test carried out on machines in the 1950s.

I have been told to add, by my very demanding daughter, that Mary took the first photo.

I am going through abit of rebranding or even branding. So you may see a new banner and if you visit my shop new banners and avatars there.

I am using my new logo which has the fantastic font. I love it and am using it on my tags and button cards.

The banner at the moment is a work in progress. Mainly because I have not yet mastered Gimp. But I am working on it.

Over on etsy I am taking part in the Christmas in July sales. So pop over and have a look in my shop as I am offering 25% off everything.

Click here to see my etsy shop.