Oooh Ahhh Fresh Flowers

We spent a lot of time, effort and money last year having our kitchen re plastered & re jigged into a new layout. With it looking so nice I have decided over the last few months it deserves to have fresh flowers in it at all times. We are not talking anything extravagant just a £3 ish supermarket bunch added to my weekly shop. Believe it or not it is having such a positve impact on us, (my husband has barely noticed or commented) but my 3 yr old son loves helping me choose and my 6 yr old daughter takes a mega interest in each and every bloom! Each morning she is guessing which bud will come out next and is gutted when they start to droop and turn brown. With it cheering me up on a daily basis I thought I'd share them with you each week.

So here's this weeks, 2 bunches of Co-op daffs @ £1.20 each.........Spring is well and truly in my kitchen !

Welcome New Followers & Customers

There's been quite a bit (for me) of on line activity here at Muddy Puddle Crafts in the last few days, just the boost I need. Welcome and thank you to my new followers and a huge thanks to Heather who has become my first Folksy customer!

Back in October I'd never even heard of blogging and was happy crafting away here on my own in Herefordshire. A friend of mine (Raggedy Revival) kept telling me "get blogging then get selling online its the way to go". So with her push and help I did and here we are. The Folksy shop is about 2 months too late but never mind I'm up and running now! Thanks to all of you who follow me and for all the inspiration I get from your blogs. I intend to keep plodding on and who knows whats next?

I enjoyed wrapping and packing up my first Folksy order for Heather today and as she's the first I've added an extra little gift, hope she likes them ?

Here's to more sales, keep on crafting everyone xxx

Easter Tree

With a week to go and the sun shining (a bit) we decided to do our Easter Tree today. Me and the kids cut down a branch and brought it inside. As usual it looked small in the garden but once inside it was huge and we clearly needed a few more decorations. So begged by the kids I got out my craft bits and nicked some felt flowers from my daughters sewing kit and we got making. My 3 year old son was bored after 10 mins and only wanted to make green things but me and Phoebe has a great time. A bit of ribbon, some beads and the felt flowers and "voilà" 5 new decorations. We added them to my chick eggs made last year, my painted and collage eggs and the kids' tat' and it looked lovely. A fresh, bright, up lifting spring feeling is now in the house, just a shame they are forecasting SNOW this week !

10 Followers, WOW Double Figures!

Reached a bit of a mile stone tonight, well a little one for all you with loads of followers, but a big one to me..........10............double figures !!!

Thankyou Carolyn from The Mosaic Garden xxx Have just checked you out and popped over to your Folksy shop, I am loving the makeup bag mirrors. For any of you who know me pink and hearts, so me, may just have to get saving for one of those!

Folksy Shop is Taking Shape

My Folksy Shop is taking shape, I know I said watch this space but its taken a lot longer than I expected. Not wanting to make excuses but I have been so tired each evening listing has just been too much to bare! Now I'm into it I'm away, why not pop over and see what I have been up to.

My Folksy Shop

I have eventually got my act together and got myself a Folksy Shop , check me out!!!

Its still early days and I'm still in the process of setting it up so be patient and watch this space. I've managed to do my profile and header and hope to have items listed during the next few days.

All very exciting!!!

The Day I Met HRH The Countess Of Wessex!

Today was the day HRH The Countess of Wessex came to Bromyard and what a great 45 mins it was ! All the weeks of planning and preparation was well worth it and the nerves went out the window. The afternoon went to plan in a very informal and relaxed way,the friendly atmosphere was quite a surprise to me and I'm not sure where the heirs and graces were ? The Countess was lovely, very chatty and interested in everything we all had to say, and she was great with the kids. I finally got my thinking cap on and produced the gifts for her and her children, a brooch for her, a hairbrush and bookmark for James Viscount Severn (age 2) and a necklace and bookmark for The Lady Louise Windsor (age 6). I guess I'll never know what she and her children think of them but to hand over 5 pieces of my handiwork to a member of the Royal Family is quite something !

Easter Eggs

Been getting in the Easter mood this week collaging polystyrene eggs. I made these last year and they got a good reaction. Had a bit of a change this year and combined some decoupaged floral papers with the tissue, plain papers and painted dots.

Not sure how to display them in the shop, for now I have added a little washing line of eggs to my area of the shop but may change it on Thursday when I am working ??? I'm thinking of doing an Easter Tree with a lovely twisted willow branch, I'll let you know .....................

Handmade Mothers Day xxx

Hope all you mums out there had a lovely day yesterday and had plenty of goodies & treats and were treated like a princess all day.

I had a really nice day and was spoilt rotten with "handmade goodies". Not a Clintons Card or Boots Smellies Set in sight !

My 6 and 3 yrs old have had a busy week making me 2 cards each at school, Rainbows, playgroup and nursery. They are just the best you cant beat a kids handmade card with dollops of PVA and colourful tissue paper.

I had a gorgeous hand felted heart and a funky tissue pouch. Both of these are made by my friend Jane, Plain Jane Handmade Textiles. I have had my eyes on her new green corduroy stuff and am so pleased with my daughters colour choice. I also had 2 boxes of bath melts made by Heavenly Soaps, Sadie makes lovely smellies and her website is well worth a visit.

My 3 year old also made me some pink heart sweets at nursery, when I opened them I got a nostalgic feeling and could taste peppermint creams. However when I took a bite they clearly wern't mint flavored and all I could taste was almond. I asked him if he had used marzipan and he replied no "play dough" bless ! My daughter ate them anyway despite not knowing their contents as they were pink !!!

Abstract Mural Painting

I have been roped into helping out in my daughters school again, this time painting a rather large

mural on the hall wall. I may sound like I am moaning but I really enjoy working with kids and they love leaving lessons to get creative ! I have the 16 year 6 pupils that are leaving this year as my victims. I am wanting them to think about the environment they have learnt in for the last 7 years and together we will come up with an abstract mural. Its a very small rural village school (85 pupils) and the old building is beautiful. I was busy with my camera yesterday snapping away and the lines, shapes and patterns I came across were amazing. I have put together these 2 photo collages and left them to come up with a desig ? Watch this space for the next stage ...

Help ! What do you Make for Royalty ?

Hi all, I'm in a bit of a do today, with the kids at nursery and school its my making day but I cant get going........what can I make to give a Royal and her children ?

The charity that own the craft shop I run are having a royal visit next week from HRH The Countess of Wessex (sophie) and I am on the list of people to meet her. She is coming to the charirtys childrens centre (H.O.P.E Family Centre) to meet and find out more about what they do.

The HOPE Emporium shop I run will be on the list of things to tell her about and I have been asked along with another maker to produce a small gift for her and her children Princess Louise (7) & Prince James (3).

I am thinking a brooch, a trinket box or pretty pegs for her ? what do you think, cant exactly give her somthing for the home can I like fridge magnets or a quirky plaque !

My daughter is 6 and has one of my necklaces and so do her friends, so I'm thinking this for Princess Louise. Will make it a little less funky and more pale and pretty I think. I think of princesses in pinks whites and blues not like my colourful daughter in spots, stripes and clashing colours !

My son is also 3 and loves his little wooden hairbrush. I originally made them for girls but he insisted on me making a boy version or letting him brush his hair everyday with a flower one ! I have this boys one left in the shop and am thinking Prince James its also in very apt union jack colours ?

Oh I do love to be beside the Seaside !

I know its only march but I am getting that sunny seaside feeling today, firstly I have booked my summer holiday to Spain today and am very excited! I can almost smell the sea air and hear those waves then tonight I have come across sixty one A. Kirsty who's blog this is has started following me and her seaside inspired work is beautiful. Thanks Kirsty for following me, I am so jealous I dont live by the sea. I grew up in Somerset so the beaches of Devon were never too far away, how I miss it being here in Herefordshire, I'd swap landscape for sea anyday !

an example of Kirsty's work, love it !

the view from my sunbed this August !!

Painted pegs Prove Popular !

For some time now I have been paining pegs in all colours with various coloured dots. I sell them individually for £1 or 6 for £5. They are great for using around the home in the kitchen on food packets, in the office for jazzing up documents, for kids homework or for pegging bills together etc.

Since getting stuck into decoupage I have done some pegs and combined them with dotty ones to create a really nice product in 4 colourways to suit all tastes. I have also been working on my packaging and am really pleased with the result. Packaged like this they now make the deal gift. It seems by hard work has paid off because I only put them in the shop on Thursday and sold 2 packets on Saturday and got some great compliments.

"Funky Flowers"

"Shabby Chic"

"Rose Garden"

"Pretty Pastels"