My Sewing Adventure !!

For my ABC Wednesday theme I have chosen to focus on my sewing adventure. Basically I want to be better than I am and want to extend my sewing skills....although I chose A for Adventure last week I am doubling up.....2 for one this week....

A is for Applique.

In its broadest sense, an appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of ceramics, for example, an appliqué is a separate piece of clay added to the primary work, generally for the purpose of decoration. The term is borrowed from French and, in this context, means "applied" or "thing that has been applied."

Appliqué was first discovered when clothes ripped and needed fixing so they used to sew over the top of the rip patches of different material otherwise known as patch work.
In the context of sewing, appliqué refers to a needlework technique in which pieces of fabric, embroidery, or other materials are sewn onto another piece of fabric to create designs, patterns or pictures.

B is for Buttons.....

This technique below is called "yoyoing".....I am still experimenting!

All in all, I am pleased with my efforts and hope to show you the finished product next week.......C for completed........??????

For more ABC fun visit the link on my sidebar.

For cat lovers and owners, make sure you see my Giveaway post yesterday!

A Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago I received a request from Whiskas for contact details.....this is what followed!



Hi Denise,

Thank you so much for your email - really appreciate you taking the time to contact me. :)


This January, Whiskas is launching a brand new range of cat food called "Tasty Textures" and I wondered if your cat Ella would be interested in trying out a few different flavours for us?


As one of our regular Facebook contributors, we'd be really interested in hearing your (and Ella's!) opinion on the new food. She would be one of the first cats in the UK to try the new meals, which have been created with cats' instincts in mind as we know how much they love different textures in their meals to bite and chew.


If you would like to try some Tasty Textures pouches, let me know your address and I'll pop them in the post to you.


Many thanks!


Needless to say Ella received and indeed LOVED the parcel contents.
Charlotte, the lovely lady at Whiskas read my blog and has really kindly offered to give some Whiskas free gifts..........WOW! Isn't that FANTASTIC!
If you would love enter the giveaway please leave a comment - Ella will pick a few names out next week(5 in all ) and the lucky winners will receive a little something in the post!

Watch this space!

Great News!

Look! Yes Bev is laying her blue eggs again - and from this collection I can see the others are too. Mabel is still laying her eggs near the old seat but as I have marked the others I know which is the fresh one.

If you remember, the hens were housed in two sheds, but last week the wind blew the door shut on henhouse 1. The hens, and Ernest all went into henhouse 2 and have been going in every night now and laying their eggs in one of the nesting boxes. This is Great News! We are now up to full production.

Well done Gals!

I noticed from my blog that this is post 194 - so post 200 is drawing close and I am going to have a Give Away!

Watch this space!

ABC Wednesday (although it is Tuesday) and a Giveaway!

It is time for ABC Wednesday again. For round 8 I am using my home and life as a theme, sharing various posessions and keepsakes.

B is for Bev - one of our hens.

Bev is a Black Marran breed and gives us Blue eggs!

We have not had many eggs of late but a few weeks ago Olwyn started laying the occasional egg. Olwyn is one of the larger brown ones. A few days ago Bev joined in with the laying and now lays an egg each day. When I let the hens out each morning there is usually 1 or 2 eggs in the henhouse. Eva or May have joined in again, I know this by the colour of egg.

Last year Bev became broody, along with Mabel and spent a while over the road with a neighbors eggs. Bev was not successful in hatching hers, but Mabel was. Sadly the snow was the unexpected hazard and her chick died. Bev returned here and after a short period of establishing a pecking order, soon integrated with the rest of our hens. In the meantime it would seem Mabel has a fan! A banty cockerel who sits by her side day after day and follows her wherever she goes. She will be returning home sometime this week - together with the new love of her life. Currently he hasn't a name - so I am looking for ideas. We tend to name our animals with traditional names. So any ideas?

The suggestions received will be dropped into a box - the winner will receive a set of my cards.

If you fancy joining in gwith ABC Wednesday go here