Attic24

Weekend Colour

 

 

 

 

My weekend was full of C's :: comfort, cosiness, crafting, crochet, cuddles, cake, coffee, colour.

Enjoyed it enormously, this homey time with my little family.

Enjoyed the comfort of being within our four walls while the weather did unspeakably miserable things outside.

I need to tell you that  in amongst all these lovely C's, I also had a little ponder about Attic24 over the weekend.

I had a good long think about the time and space that blogging takes up in my day (which can be quite considerable at times).

I balanced it out against the pressing demands of Other Things also needing my time and space right now.

And I came to the the conclusion that as much as I have to attend to Other Things in my life at this time, I quite simply also have to continue to find a little time in each day to be here at Attic24.

I have to continue to record the things that make me tick, to document my thoughts, observations, ideas, pleasures, creativity.

Because it makes me feel so good to be here.

And it makes me feel so miserable thinking about not being here.

And I'm all for the Feel-Good.

However, for the time being I'm going to have to reduce the time I spend blogging.

So I shall try to be here most days, but making shorter postings. 

Its a compromise you see, and one that I feel will do us all fine for the time being.

I know you'll understand, cos you're so good like that.

Right now then, I'm going to finish up with the words and say Toodle-ooo.

I'm off to wield a paintbrush and get busy with those Other Things.

See you Tomorrow for some outdoorsy pictures from my weekend.

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Providing Inspiration

Morning all.........hope you likeee my photos today???? If I say so myself (and I am honestly a modest soul), I think they are quite gloriously fabulous :o)

All of the above hooky items reside in my downstairs living/dining room, spread about the place you know. Draping here and there, snuggling and nestling amongst the various bits of rather worn out furniture that we own. Because the room is large (and very untidy), I think I can just about get away with this much colour and pattern in one place, and like i say, it is quite spread about really. But it does give the room a lovely colourful, homespun, cosy vibe which I adore :: I just love to see handmade things in a room, things made with care and love and happiness. And if those handmade things are colourful and vibrant, then so much the better.

I had a great deal of fun taking these photographs, piling up my crochet creations on the sofa, seeing them all come together in one big heap of Colourful Hooky Happiness. It really made me smile to myself in my own little dizzy world, hopping about from foot to foot, arranging and styling my very own personal photo shoot. Such fun! Such delight!
There is a point to all of this though....yes, honest there is. I promise you this is not just eye candy for the sake of it (although nothing wrong with pointless eyecandy at all).

Today I wanted to chat to you a little about the business of Providing Inspiration. You know, the way in which us creative types use one another to spark and generate and create new ideas and projects. I think it's one of the most fabulous things about being a part of this online community :: the sharing, the inspiring, the creativity and the spirit which happens daily in Blogland and Flickrville absolutely knocks me for six. I think it's blooming marvelous, I really do. 

So are you all familiar with Flickr??? I just love Flickr. Absolutely Love it. For someone like me who cannot survive a day without drinking in some sort of visual inspiration of one kind or another, it is a godsend. And most especially for me in recent months, when I've been keeping very odd hours with myself, I know that Flickr is always there to feed my soul, 24/7. Like this morning, when I was up drinking tea and browsing through photos at 4am, I was so glad that I could tap into that place, could spend a happy hour or so perusing such inspiring pictures. The group pools are amazing resources, chocka-block full of ideas and inspiration. There are some fabulous group pools for crochet, if that is your thing. If you are not already familiar with them, please do go take a look at a some of my favourites ::

Granny Along

Granny Squares

Ripple Along

Crochet Afghans

Crochet Bags

The Happy Hookers

Attic24 Inspired

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you notice that last group pool there in the above list??? Did you see it???

"ATTIC24 INSPIRED" indeed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As the title suggests, it's a cololurful, wonderful little group for you all to come and be a part of. For you to share pictures of anything you've made that has been inspired by my patterns and crochet creations. So if you've been up to anything hooky that has Attic24 Inspiration behind it (bags, ripples, flowers, summer garden squares, garlands, cushions, blankets, jam-jar covers etc etc), I would LOVE for you to join this little group and share your hooky-goodness with us all.

I confess that this group-sharing thing was not in fact my doing, although I have been meaning to do it certainly. It was in fact created by the lovely Steph who writes the Lovestitches blog. Cos she obviously got fed up waiting for me to do it myself, she very kindly took it upon herself to do the job for me, and I couldn't be more grateful. I am honestly thrilled from the top of my head (around my big belly) to the tip of my toes. Thank you Steph.

I would also like to send a big hug and thanks to Kate, the Garden Bell, who wrote me this fabulous post yesterday, and I know has been very excited by the thought of all this lovely inspirational stuff coming together. Thank you Kate.

So.........am hoping you are gonna be as excited by this as I am. And I for one shall continue to Provide the Inspiration. Whether you want it or not haha.

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ps managed to add a little linky Flickr badge thingy for the group in my sidebar so that you can always find the group easily....oooo happy browsing!

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The Perfect Project

Attic24, my precious little patch of Blogland, is now 18 months old, and during that time I sure have shared a lot of stuff with you all. Oooooodles of it.

Scattered across the weeks and months and seasons there have been hundreds upon hundreds of photographs, thousands upon thousands of words. Over three hundred posts have made the journey from my rather scatty brain and out into cyberspace to reach you.

And in return, you have repaid me with your own words. Oooooodles of them. Over eleven and a half thousand comments to date, each and every one of them read and enjoyed. Yes, it's a time consuming job these days, but I promise you I do read each and every word you write to me. Always. And I am always thrilled to hear from you each and every day, whatever you have to say, I read your words and smile and feel thankful for your friendship and enthusiasm. It touches my heart, makes me very happy indeed.

Anyhow....to the point....(don't I just ramble on sometimes, do forgive me)....

You may remember sometime last week, at the end of this post, that I showed you an armful of rather scrumptious looking yarn?? And remember I told you that there was a Story behind it? Well today The Story unfolds.

See that fantastically wrapped parcel up above there, with its jaunty striped paper? Well it was sent to me all the way from the US, by a most lovely lady called Emily. Now I've never met Emily, and she has never met me. Yet through the fantastical world of Blogland, she pops in to "see" me most days in the Attic and as a result wished to send me "a little something" by means of a thank you.

It still seems a little unreal to me, that someone would wish to thank me for doing what I dearly love, ie blathering on day after day about my rather ordinary ideas and thoughts, experiences and excitements. But there you have it. I am not one to argue with the world of Blog and all the generous delights that it brings.

But oh. My. Goodness. This perfectly wrapped gift was Generosity on an unknown scale for me. Opening this box was like stepping in to my own personal fantasy world! So many beautiful colours and textures and ribbon-wrapped goodies!!!

There was much gasping. Much exclaiming. Much oh-my-goodnes-ing. It was utterly overwhelming, in the best sort of way possible. I do believe I swooned a little.
 
 

Emily's parcel contained a couple of fabulous crochet books...

...haberdashery of the most delectable kind...

....but bestest of all it contained yarn.

Fabulous, scrumptious, delicious, heart-skippy yarn.

In the most amazing colours.

This is yarn that I've never encountered before, a chunky merino wool that is wooly, yet adorably soft. Oh, sooooooooooooooo Soft!!!!!

Words cannot describe how this yarn feels to the touch, it is an utter delight.

I've lost count of the number of times that I've scooped this yarn up and carried around the house with me, not wanting to put it down. It just begs to be cuddled, to be loved and adored and fondled. And I have loved doing just that.

But eventually the skeins of yarn were wound into balls (a delightful job that J and I shared one Sunday afternoon), and my bag was once again full of yarny goodness, waiting patinetly for a project.

But not any old project.

Oh no no no...it had to be the Perfect Project.

I did not want to rush it.

I pondered it.

I continued to cuddle-love-adore-and-fondle the yarn.

Pondered some more.

Considered a scarf.

Decided against.

And then.......I HAD IT!!!!!!!!!!!

The most Perfect Project suddenly sprang to mind.

The time was right.

It would be Perfect.

I emailed Emily straight away to tell her of my plans, and she was as excited as I was.

And so, a few weeks ago, I embarked on my Perfect Project and began to crochet...........

...........a ripple blanket.

I sat in bed with BB one morning and began to ripple.

Ripple ripple, ripple ripple.

Delicious.

The more I rippled ,the more I fell in love with the yarn and the colours.

Did I tell you how soft this yarn is??

How cuddly and lovable and adorable it is to work with?

It's just fabulous.

Perfect even.

Perfect yarn for the Perfect Project.

The above photo was taken this morning, and I would say I am almost half way there with this ripply project.

But oohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Silly me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't actually told you what the Perfect Project actually is, have I?

What these ripply ripples are to become?????

Well.........a blanket thats what.

A ripply blanket.

But not another Big Blanket, thats for sure, cos this one is much smaller.

A small, neat kind of blanket.

Neat and baby-sized.

Yes, I am making my first ever baby blanket......................

 

..............for an Attic24 Baby.

Like I say, the Perfect Project.

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Edited to add :: more details to follow, I am quite overwhelmingly emotional at the moment, so will tell you more very soon I promise. I just can't manage it today!

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T*h*a*n*k*Y*o*u

Afternoon my Lovelies!!
A quick posting from the Attic today as I'm feeling a little bit droopy. Don't be alarmed, I'm not unwell, not sad either (far from it), just very low in energy is all.

But I could not let the day pass without popping in to send you my heartfelt love for all your fabulously generous and enthusiastic BB comments. Last I looked there were a hundred and seventy comments on yesterdays post...wow, that really is a LOT of World Wide crochet-love!!!!!! You are such sweethearts, and I feel quite overwhelmed and emotional to tell the truth.
Thank you all, so very very much.

I also want to quickly update you on the Dorset Cereals Little Blog Awards, you may remember me mentioning it a short while ago?
Well thanks to you all, I did indeed win the award for July, with a staggering 750+ votes. I was amazed, truly I was :: so many of you taking the trouble to do that for me, it makes me want to cry with gratitude.
Thank you all, so very very much.

So....with BB off the hook what's next I hear you ask?
Well I'm continuing to crochet my Little Squares cushion cover (above photo taken whilst hooking at the park this morning).
I'm also planning/designing a couple new things :: a new scarf, and a new shoulder bag, and am very excited about both.
And then I expect blanket #5 will begin in the Autumn, in time for some fireside snuggly-hooky action as the days shorten and the weather cools. Bliss.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing my Tiffin recipe, ready for you to make yourselves a little weekend treat....so hoping to see you then.
Toodle-oo for now...
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Rosy Outlook

Hello my lovelies....how you doin'?
Well it's been a whole week since I last came to sit in my scruffy little cosy Attic space to chat a while with you all, and honestly, I've missed it.
You may (or may not) have perhaps noticed that my blogging voice has been struggling a little of late, that there has not been the usual, regular blurb of words streaming from the Attic Monday-to-Friday. In fact, it has been down right Erratic in the Attic recently hasn't it? Yes, Attic24 has become Erratic24. Deary me, it has certainly not been intentional.
All I can tell you is that my personal life has been extremely topsy-turvy during this past month or so. I have tried hard to retain my Rosy Outlook, to blog when I've been able, but it has not been easy. Please don't feel sorry for me, I am OK now I promise, and I do believe the worst is hopefully behind me now.
And oh I have missed you all! I've hardly been visiting with anyone at all in Blogland, just bobbing in here and there when I've been in the mood. But like I say, I feel in my heart that I am back on the up again and yaaaayyyyyy I am So Glad!!

My fresh flowers for this week are these utterly delectable bright pink Roses. I am quite smitten with them, especially as they have a beautiful, subtle rosy scent which is unusual for shop bought roses I find. I am suffering with hayfever at the moment too, but it doesn't stop me sticking my entire face right into this bunch and sniffing and snorting that irresistible scent. And then sneezing aaaaChoOoOoOoOOooo.

I have a couple stems in the bathroom as well (which is STILL NOT FINISHED) and that pink colour looks absolutely delicious in there. Really yummy.

Well I've got oooodles of sewing to do this week, but have some lovely things to share with you too....so all being well, I shall make time to pop in and chat tomorrow. In fact, yes, I just remembered, I have something new and hooky to share with you tomorrow....so see you then....

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a Thank You & a Request

 

:: a Thank You ::

Ahhhhh you, you, you!!! Yes, you, I am pointing my crochet hook in your direction! You get me so overwhelmed sometimes, do you know that??
Lordy, do you realise that every time you take a weeny bit of a moment out of your busy day to sit and type a few words into that comments box, you are sending me on a roller coaster of feel-good emotion? Its quite a dizzy experience for someone like me who normally keeps head down and feet on the ground. Oh, but I wouldn't have it any other way my friends. You are delightful, you lift my days up to dizzy happy places with your compliments and enthusiasm and feel-good.

Thank you so very much for all the crochet-love that you showered me with yesterday, both here in Blogland, and over at Flickrville too. Last I looked there were more than 150 comments, now thats an awful lot of dizzy appreciation for one smallish, square bit of crochet!
And let me tell you, in case you just might doubt it, I do always read every single comment that comes my way. Every. Single. One. Typepad very kindly generates a separate email for each comment you leave, and so there is no danger of me missing a single one. I sit with a cuppa and read every word, every exclamation, every sentence. And if you inhabit Blogland and leave a bloggy address with your comment, then I visit with you too. Don't always have time to leave comments these days, (although I do try), but I nosey in your windows, peek at your projects and enjoy your comings and goings.

:: a Request ::

I know from your comments, emails, and blogs that there are many of you who've made (or are currently making) Attic24-inspired crochet projects.
There are waaaaaay too many for me to keep a track of these days.
So I was a-wondering.....if you've been inspired by the projects you've seen here and have given it a go yourself, how about a little sharing??

I have to confess I did have a little go at trying to include a fancy widget thing in this post where we could create a list of links. But I am not geeky enough to be able to work it out and gave up trying. So I thought perhaps I could simply request that you leave a little comment at the end of this post, including a link to any blog posts or Flickr pics of crochet projects, either completed or WiPs. I know that many Attic24-stylie bags have been created, jam jar jackets, hexagon blankies, Summer Garden squares and many many flowers...and I would very, very much like to see them.
Please??
Pretty please???

Thank you so much, I can't wait to hear from you.
You are, quite simply, Awesome. The whole lovely lot of you.
Thank you for being my friend.
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BBG

Hellooooooooooooo!!! Thanks for stopping by, it's good to have your company as always.
So here we are on Monday and a new week unfolds before us. I know that I for one am glad to wave goodbye to last week, it was just waaaay too Full-on for me last week, I was so relieved when Friday evening rolled around. Thank heavens for a touch of alcohol and a deep hot bath, not to mention the rather super weekend that followed.
Saturday saw us pottering about at home in the morning with my customary baking-in-pyjamas, and a picnic lunch and afternoon spent by the river. How soothing it was to sit by the riverside in the late afternoon sunshine with yarn and hook, the memory of that makes me want to kind of go ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Sunday was a dawdling morning at home followed by a fantastic pub lunch and a pootle round town in the afternoon. More crochet, a little light reading...all in all quite simply blissful. And here I am now, bright as a button and feeling totally refreshed and raring to go. Woohoo!!

 
I was sorting through some bits and pieces at the weekend and I found my little box of Moo cards hiding underneath a big pile of books and papers. Do you like them? I confess that I'm rather pleased with them actually, well put it this way :: I was leaping off the furniture with excitement when they arrived in the post, but shhhh don't tell anyone how ridiculously excited I get over things like this, don't want folk to think I am crackers.
Yes, I had these printed before Christmas when I was optimistically attempting to open up my Attic24 Etsy shop, do you remember? Well what can I say about that then? The banner was made. Moo cards were printed. Supplies were purchased. And my Little Shop was created. It sits waiting patiently with empty shelves, waiting for some Stitchy Goodness to arrive. I do want to make it happen, honestly I do. Just need to Fit It In. And I don't seem to be too hot on fitting things in. But I shall try....shall I? Do you think I should? Do you think my little stitchy things would be able to find loving homes? I like to think so.

This was me on Friday (the day that was shaped like a pear), in amongst the chaos of that particular day when things just did not go to plan, finding a moment to finish crocheting the posie-brooches for the BBG (Big Blogiversary Giveaway, in case the letters confused you).

I did say I would try and make as many posie brooches as I could manage for the giveaway, and that number amounted to four. I wish it could be more, but even to make four humble brooches means making twenty four separate components remember, not to mention buttons and felt circles which still need to happen. So four it is.

And there is the textile picture too, all ready and waiting to go off to a new home. I have to be honest with you here, this little picture is still hung up in my hallway and I have fallen in love with seeing it there. Its a very happy, cheery little number and  I confess I shall be sad to take it down. But hopefully whichever name comes out of the hat to win this picture will be the name of someone who will love it just as I do. Someone who will find a little spot for it in their home where they can walk past and smile when they see it, just as I have been doing.

So.......this BBG of mine. Shall I say a few words about it? Shall I tell you how utterly awesome it was to receive so many wonderful comments on Attic24's birthday? Well it truly knocked my socks off. I was shocked. Stunned. Excited. Bowled over. Thrilled. Overwhelmed. All of those things and more.
I took a look at that post this morning and the final number of comments was 394. Uh-huh, threehundredandninetyfour. Such a crazy-big number!! Please know that each and every comment that you leave on my blog gets sent to me by Typepad as an email. Please also know that I read every single word you write, no comment gets "lost" amongst the others because I systematically go through my emails one by one. And if you leave me a www with your comment, I also visit with your blog too. It was very time consuming, but oh, so enjoyable! You are such a super, generous, creative, talented, funny, special bunch of people and I consider myself so lucky to have you all as friends, checking in on me, giving me a wave, a nod, a hug, a pat on the back, a giggle.

OK...on with the show.
Five numbers to pick out from the threehundredandninetyfour.
I cannot possibly write out 394 bits of paper, so the Random Number Generator has to be employed.

Posie brooches first...
78 :: Karen in Somerset, UK
149 :: Marian in the Netherlands I think?
279 :: Dorrie (no blog)
389 :: Alessandra in Tacoma, USA

And the Primula Picture...
156 :: Wend (no blog)

If your name is one of those above, CONGRATULATIONS!  I'll be sending you an email and will need your postal details....I only wish I could give you all a little something, I truly do.
Thank you so much for making this a very special experience for me.
Right, off now to enjoy a quick cuppa in the sunshine before I jaunt along the canalside to go get my Little People back from school...have a fabulous rest-of-day, see you tomorrow
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One Year

Hello, thanks so much for calling in to the Attic today, I'm really glad to have your company because today we are celebrating!

Yes indeed, dancing about in the usual ditsy, excitable fashion (well thats me doing the dancing, not you, although feel free by all means to join in), making a mess in the kitchen with the brightest icing I could manage, smarties and stripy candles too. Singing Happy Birthday to the furniture, lighting and blowing out candles, drinking coffee and generally being really rather happy. That's been the extent of my morning, and for all that it amounts to (ie kitchen mess, some photos, some beauuuuutiful buns and not a lot else), I feel fulfilled and contented, cos it's been a Great Morning. Doesn't take a lot, as you well know by now, to keep a smile on my face and a jolly spring in my step.

Today, I'm celebrating the fact that Attic24 has been sitting in it's little patch of cyberspace for One Year. I believe it's officially called my Blogiversary? Uh-huh, one whole year ago I sat down at the computer and decided that was the day I would become a Blogger.

The above photo was the first one to be uploaded to accompany my very first little sea green words last March. My first tentative, rather shy steps into Blogland. Back then I had no idea, NO idea what to expect from writing a blog. I knew that I desperately wanted to do it, wanted to be a part of this giving, sharing, creative, friendly community that I had discovered.

But back then I had no real way of knowing what would happen, how I would come to be so excited by the world of blogging, how Big it would become. Because to me it is Big indeed. The emotions that blogging generates are big, and the part it plays in my daily life has become big also. At times it has been almost overwhelming and I have found myself in tears over the sheer emotion of it all. But it is all good. All of it. Every single, tiny scrap of bloggy related goodness fills me with happiness.

So what can we say about this past year at Attic24? Has anything changed? The above photo was taken this morning, and I think this just about sums it up really :: nope, not a lot has changed around these parts in the past year. Still quite a lot of the same stuff going on this March as there was last March. The same cornishware bowl with primulas. The same table cluttered with stuff. Crochet things happening, mess in the background. The main difference is that I take looooonger to write these days, I am so wordy now compared to then! 

I guess you could say I gradually found my writing voice, and I found that I like the sound of it as it comes tumbling out of that whirlygig tangled place that holds my thoughts. I enjoy being able to articulate the thoughts, feelings, activities, observations, delights, frustrations, discoveries and creatvity that form and shape my little world. I like sharing it. And that my friends is what it comes down to :: the sharing. I just love love love to share out these things, delight in it, dance around in it, it thrills me to be able to put all this stuff-of-daily-life "out there", to preserve it, record it and share it.

I never expected to feel so excited about blogging, about writing and sharing photographs. But to me it is really exciting. Every day, with every post I write, I feel a huge buzz of creative excitement. Sure, it's addictive, and yes it takes up quite a decent part of my free time to post as often as I do, and at the length that I do. But it has become essential to my well being. I find that if I don't post, I get a kind of "clogged up" feeling. I find that ideas and thoughts and stuff begins to get jammed with no way of being let out, and that makes me feel very disorientated. Writing this blog has given me an outlet, a way to take all the itsy bits of visual, mental and creative stimulation that streams into my chaotic brain and share it out so that I don't feel like I'm going to go PoP! Does that make sense? Its quite hard to put into words, but hey, I'm giving it a damn good go, and hope you get what I'm on about.

So, I've been pondering on what I can do to celebrate this little milestone here in the Attic. Cake? Of course, you can't have a celebration without cake. Gifts perhaps? Yes  I can do gifts too. But before we go and get all gifty and cakey, lets have a look at some pretty pictures shall we?

I'm aware that Attic24 has become known as the place where people come to "brighten their day", that my obsession with colour has become well known. So in honour of that fact, I've spent a little time this past week putting together some mosaics for you.

An Attic24-year-in-pictures......

:: there have been flowers, oh so many flowers ::

:: there has been baking, lots of baking ::

:: there's been the view from the Attic, in all weathers ::

:: there have been many cups of tea and coffee shared ::

:: celebrations too, the high days and the holidays ::

:: there have been outings, visits and jollies to share ::

:: there have been shopping trips and pretty purchases ::

:: and  crochet, yes there's been a great deal of hooky goodness ::

:: and there's been bog-standard, everyday domestic home life too ::

It might interest you to know that over the course of the last year, I've taken 3,485 photographs and a good many of those have been shared here on the blog.

There have been 242 posts written.

And you my friends have also been busy, leaving me a delightful, astonishing, wonderful, fantabulous 5,416 comments.

For the latter, I am truly, utterly thankful. For the friendship, encouragement, enthusiasm, humour and generosity in every word that you write to me, I am Thankful.

So....shall we proceed to the gift-giving now then???

Above photo is of my hallway this morning, right near the front door. That's my latest textile picture hanging there look. Looks quite jolly? Pretty even? Want a closer look?

There you are. I made this picture during yesterday, and  in truth, it did not happen easily. I am out of practice with making textile work, and I so wanted this picture to be perfect, for you to like it, love it even. I'm glad to say that in the end, yes it did come together pretty much exactly as I had imagined it in my mind and I am quite delighted with it actually.

Tiny pieces of fabric cut and stitched by hand and machine, with care and love. As a gift of thanks from me to you.

I have also been hooking some flowers to make more of these posie-brooches. Excepting eh-hem I have to confess I haven't quite finished making them yet.

But I figured you could overlook that little fact, because you are generous like that I know. So........if you would like your name to be popped into the hat for a chance to win this Blogiversary giveaway, all you have to do is leave me a comment at the end of this post. You don't need to say anything specific, just a few words cos I do so love hearing from you.

There is only one picture to give away I'm afraid, but I'll try and make as many posie-brooches as I can manage. I'll leave this open for a week, so you have until next Friday 20th March.....oh lordy, the fun never ends does it, I am bursting at the seams with all this feel-good happening around here!!

Now then, all that remains for me to say is, as ever, THANK YOU for being so damn nice and for taking time out of your day to pay me a visit. You are the Best.

Oh yes the cakey stuff, I almost forgot...would you like a bun?? Go on, help yourself, I'll go put the kettle on...........

See you next week, enjoy your weekend (I'm off to sea, again, I shall surely explode with excitement!!)

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In Print

Oh it's been a funny old day today. On the one hand I am waaaaay beyond excited about writing this post, and on the other hand, well, I am very apprehensive.
I have almost just deleted it in fact. Almost.
I am not one who naturally likes to blow my own trumpet. I don't like to question things too much, I don't like to try too hard.
I just like to be ME. Just little old me, pottering about in the Attic, gazing out the window at the view, doing the odd bit of crochet, a  bit of baking, admiring pretty things.
It's not ground breaking stuff really is it, the stuff of Attic24?? It's just normal, everyday, domesticated, fairly mundane stuff really.
Bright and colourful, yes, it is that. Creative too? Well yes, it is I guess.
But to make it into a magazine??????????? You WhAt?????? Are you kidding me here???????

But it appears to be true.
The Attic is In Print.
Not once, but twice.

Firstly I was approached by the lovely Cara who is the creative editor of a well known scrap booking publication in the UK, called Scrapbook Inspirations.
And lo and behold, a little while later, PLOP!! The March issue comes through my letterbox and I find myself leaping off the furniture with delight.
Because there on page 10 are my crochet flowers!
And I am called an "Inspirational Woman"!!!
Oh jeez, you should have seen me when I read that.
Words cannot describe.

Secondly, day before yesterday, I start to receive one or two comments about me being "famous" and that the blog is mentioned in "Simply Knitting" magazine.
Eh?? What?? Are you sure??? Is it true????
I know nothing of this I might add, have had no forewarning.
I have to wait until today to go to the supermarket and buy a copy.
I rush outside and rip open the plastic packaging.
I stand in the middle of the supermarket car park, scanning the pages of Simply Knitting, no doubt looking slightly bonkers.
And then there it is, towards the back on page 77.
Attic24. My face. Me. It's me, my blog.
Sh*t!!! It really is true then!

A blog like a rainbow.
A blog like a rainbow.
I still can't quite take it in.
But I am chuffed, oh Lordy I certainly am.
I would be telling big fat fibs if I said this sort of thing goes over my head and means nothing.
I mean, it's not important in the big scheme of things, but just lately my friends I have been feeling a little off kilter, a little doubtful about my life, my abilities, my direction if you like.
You could say I've been having a bit of a wobble.

So between the magazine print and your generous comments left here on the blog, I am beginning to feel very much better. I am realising that it's OK to just be Me, that possessing Direction is not necessarily essential, that it's OK to muddle along, to wobble every so often.

Thank you, as always for your support, enthusiasm and friendship, it means a lot.
Thank you :: thank you :: thank you.
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Housey-housey

Hello!
A very housey-housey post today as I seem to be going through something of an obsession with little houses at the moment. It is nothing new, I have loved housey imagery for a long, long time, and can't see it ever diminishing much. I just adore the heap of emotion that comes flooding in when my whirly-gig brain processes an image of a row of cute little houses.

Thinking about it now, I do seem to have many of these little passions, things that for me seem to have such a lot of feeling attached to them. Too numerous to mention, but I expect you could hazard a guess as most of these passions of mine tend to feature in my daily blogging.  It's the stuff of domestic family life, the stuff that makes me feel glad to be me, the stuff that gives me this emotional heart-skippy and happy jumpity feeling.
Pictures of little houses fall firmly into the heart-skippy category :: they make me feel safe and cosy and homely and glad for my own home life. I think that sort of explains it.

These first two images are "New Home" greeting cards that I found in my card stash a few days ago. I had quite forgotten I had bought them, I think they came from Marks and Spencers.  Of course I wouldn't dream of sending them to anyone, they will eventually become part of my big Inspiration Wall which one day I intend to create and share with you. For now, they are propped up near my sewing machine in the Attic, looking all cute and sweet, making me smile.

Its been quite a week for me, this one. After I made the stitched postcard for the Houseyversary giveaway (yes, it IS that day, but naughty me I am making you w.a.i.t), I realised that the time was right to be doing more with my skills. Making more. Sharing more. Achieving more. That I could talk about it and write about it and think about it and plan it, but really I should be getting on and actually doing it.
It was your comments and response to my little houses that have tipped the balance for me, and I cannot begin to think how to thank you. Each and every comment that came in on last Fridays post has made me so happy.
I had been pondering an Etsy shop for a while now, but had not quite had the confidence to do it. And now, thanks to you all, I think the time is right for me to give it a go. Katy, you in particular have helped make this happen for me, and I am sooperly-dooperly grateful for that.

So this week has seen me beetle about ordering supplies and materials and taking the first little baby steps towards setting-up-shop. Such fun!! As you probably know if you popped up to the Attic yesterday, I have been stitching a banner to head up my little shop :: I finished it last night, and am SO HAPPY to be sharing it with you! I think it's one of the best things I've ever made, and there is so much happiness and love and hope in every stitch.
The above image is how it was yesterday morning when I'd finished doing all the cutting and piecing and machine stitching, but before I started any of the hand embroidery. It's kind of like a lady without her makeup and jewellery on. She is there and dressed, but not yet ready for the party.

I really love how the hand embroidery brings the whole thing to life. When I'm designing a piece of work, I pretty much know from the outset how the hand embroidery is going to work. I cut little flower pots just so that I can hand stitch miniature flowers to fill them. I cut little windows which cry out for hand finished window frames.

You can click on these images to pop them up in a larger window if you like, to see the stitches. I love that you can do that, I always do it when I blog-read, I like to get right into the images and see every little last detail.

I drew the picture of the hill exactly as I see it out of my Attic Window. I had great fun stitching it whilst actually sitting in my window seat looking at the real thing (even though the real thing was/is white with snow)

And this is the finished banner. It had to measure just right to fit the rectangle needed for Etsy, so it's very long and thin, measuring 59cm x 8cm. And quite simply I love it.

But do you know what the nicest thing is about all of this? That my family also love it too. That they are proud of what I am trying to do and appreciate that I am attempting to begin working again. The Little People have been very curious to see me sit and stitch, and I have explained to them what I am doing. Little man even said to me this morning that he was very glad that I would be "starting a business", although he didn't elaborate on why exactly.

So my banner is made and hanging above my shop ready and waiting, and all I need to do now is work like the clappers and produce some colourful stitchy goodness to put on the virtual shelves. I hope that this will be in about a weeks time, depending on how clappery I can work.

Right then, finally lets stop talking Shop and start talking Gifts, shall we?
I have to be honest here and say I was/am astounded by the number of comments that have come in for this giveaway. Really, I have been bowled over by it all. It has been an absolute delight to read all your housey tales, has given me so very very much pleasure. And I think the overwhelming feeling that has come from this is how really the fabric of a place does not matter so long as there is love and happiness and warmth within the walls. That HOME matters so very much more than HOUSE. I truly wish I could make something for you all as a thankyou, but today there is just one winner.

There were 147 comments when I looked this morning.
And sorry, but I couldn't face writing out one hundred and forty seven slips of paper to put into a hat.
So instead I used the marvelous computery jiggery-pokery that is the Random Number Generator to select the number....

....and it's number 76.

Number 76, the 76th comment on my houseyversary post belongs to Tracy of Cupcakes at Home. Well done Tracy, I hope it will go some way towards brightening up your days. I'll be sending you an email to get your address, cos don't think I can put "almost as far north as you can be" on the envelope.

Incidentally, Little Lady (age 4) drew me this picture of a house and garden yesterday, specifically for my "compy-tition". That is me in the picture, wearing high heels, doing a little jig and looking quite funky.

Have a great weekend you all, see you next week
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