doily gone wrong + fabric + cards

I meant to post yesterday and just completely forgot, and now today I'm having the most stressful day in living memory!  Work is a nightmare and I bought the wrong colour tile-paint. Perhaps not a nightmare on its own, but it does mean that Mr CA couldn't paint the bathroom tiles and is working this weekend so now I'M going to have to do it!

I'm taking 2 minutes out of my nightmare to whip up a quick post!  It's all over the place this post, a bit like my brain today.

Random topic number one - big fat fail
I don't know if you remember I told you I was working on a doily and it wasn't going well?  It turned out that I was using the wrong hook.  Oh, the number was correct, but a UK 6 and a US steel 6 are very different creatures...  why??? why do we need 2 systems??

Here's how it was looking:

I frogged it and started again.  It's going much better with a smaller hook, but each round is taking me twice as long as it should as I get to the next round and realise I made a mistake at the beginning of the last round!  I didn't get an in-progress shot but I will soon.

Random topic number 2 - my first FQ bundle

I mentioned to my brother that I'd love to make another quilt for my nephew, my brother was quite chuffed, so I got online and looked at fabric.  I already knew which line I wanted to use.  Over at Prints to Polka Dots I found a bargain FQ bundle and snapped it up.  Want to see?

Yum!  I laid it all out so you could see the different prints.  I just fancied bragging about it!  For any US readers that are amazed I've never bought an FQ bundle before - this cost me £50 (€75), and that was on sale.

Did you see in the corner of the top picture my sewing machine cover?  That's the back which faces the window and all the prints are so faded now!  I real lesson about what sunlight does to fabric.

Random topic number 3 - lovely gift from a friend

I think you may have noticed that I'm joining in the Zakka Style SAL?  One of my friends Fiona is in Latvia and couldn't get hold of the magnetic sheet for week 6.  I said I'd send her some and look what she sent me in exchange!

Luscious, luscious Latvian linen!  Love that green... and a wonderful card.  I can't believe I recognised the buildings in this, it was 9 years ago that I visited the beautiful city of Riga.  She also sent me some chocolate, but I scoffed that. 

Random topic number 4 - Beaded cards

I showed you my teeny-tiny beading a week or so ago.  I made them up into cards at the weekend and I'm pretty chuffed with them.  Somethign tells me everyone will be getting beaded cards this year...

I needed to make an acceptance card for a colleague's wedding reception and an engagement card for my brother and his lovely missus, so I decided to do them both the same and just change the wording.

Very simple, the beading is attached to card and layered on gold card.  The wording is embossed and layered up the same way.

Random topic number 5 - my competition

I have had 10 entries for my competition so far - 10!  I can't believe it, I really didn't think anyone would enter!  But you've still got plenty of time ladies, remember, there's a prize!  To read about it, go here.  You can enter as many times as you like, enter by adding your link to the comments of that post or email me directly.  I have other comments on that page too and as I'm taking email entries, what I'm going to do is write a "final" post with a picture of each project and a link, plus a number.  I'll use that to choose my winner.  The more entries you submit, the more chances to win and it doesn't have to be sewn!

Random topic number 6 - a giveaway

I'm probably shooting myself in the foot by telling you about other people's giveaways, but this one is too good to miss.  Shape Moth is running a giveaway to celebrate the launch of a new German sewing supplies on-line shop patchwork-oase.com.  There are loads of prizes to be won and it's open until the 7th July.

Random topic number 7 - my Friday evening

Mr CA is on site tonight.  I will be working til quite late I think, then I have to go to B&Q to buy tile paint.  Mr CA bought some in Brilliant White.  We then decided it wouldn't match the Antique White we were painting the walls so I took it back.  It was traumatic, I don't think the shop assistants had a brain between them and said I couldn't exchange it for a different colour as I didn't have my husband's credit card on me.  Make sense?  Erm no.  I "talked" them round.  I bought Ivory.  Hubby painted the tiles (thankfully only a few).  It's yellow.  I'm going back to buy Brilliant White.  Then I'm going to the tip.  Then I'm going to Asda. 

I know, I know, I have the most exciting life you've ever know.  Seriously, I could weep.