Welcome to the world

Little Michael Dennis Phelan was born this morning at 2.14am at home. My big brother Richard is a daddy for the first time and i am just so over the moon. Restraining myself so that i dont go rushing around there. 8lb 9oz. Congratulations to Richard and Naomi

Shes only gone and done it

Yup gone and got myself an Etsy shop. www.joannabags.etsy.com Only got two items on there at the mo - Christmas was very successful with my stock. Also currently working on an Amy Butler Nappy bag for my sister-in-law and have another two orders after that. So then i will be ready to put more stuff in it which will be fun. I have heard some negative things about people not selling through Etsy but to start off for me it was the easiest, quickest and by far the cheapest starting point.

The nappy bag is going to be SO SO SO funky. I won the pattern in the Amy butler sewing competition on U-handbag and it has to be said i was over the moon. There is so much fabric to cut out for this one, and on the detox thing i am so so tired i cannot seem to get off my backside and do anything.

Anyway that is all for now apart from Hoorah to my little etsy shop.

sorry link didnt work click here

Chickens

As you can see in the right hand tool bar there is a chicken and a banner with the strange title of "Chicken Out". For those of you in the UK you will have seen the big push to get everyone to buy free-range chicken or better still organic. If you havent seen the programme click here. Although i knew about the lives of intensively farmed chickens and as a result buy free range always, i still found the programme harrowing and at times had to turn over as it was too painful to watch. If you havent already, sign up to their campaign you can do so by clicking in the right hand tool bar.

On a lighter note if you want to see a funny story about a chicken click here and go to the lovely marmadaisy blog.

back to craftiness again next time.

Apologies in advance

Just a quick post to say that if any subsequent posts become moany ranty objectionable and argumentative it is because i am on a two week detox thingy. Not a just eat celery and water one but i am cutting out all carbs, wine, coffee and chocolate for two weeks to give my body a kick start.
I drink lOADS of coffee and rely on it quite heavily
I LOVE my wine
I need chocolate to survive.

But hey ho, my waist no longer fits into any clothes so drastic times etc etc

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everybody. With Oliver's last day home yesterday i decided we were going to have a joint effort at making cakes. Something we haven't done very much since Martha was born as she is allergic to eggs and putting her finger in the mixture would just not be a good thing. So having been given a recipe for egg free sponge cake off we went.

Martha had no idea what was happening and spent the first ten minutes banging the cake tins together and then decided that she would just spoon anything she saw into the tin. Oliver as ever was diligently eating the mixture. I didn't take a photo of the finished product as Andrew thought it the best cake ever and ate it.............all

Martha didn't even try it. The thing with avoiding foods is that when you try and give them something that looks like the very thing you have been pulling them away from, their instinct is not too eat it. hey ho Oliver had fun which was the point of the exercise. (yes i know my kitchen looks awful it is on our to do list for 2008 and i cant wait)

So off he went to school today after suffering with ear ache last night, upset that the snow i had spoken about, failed to materialise.

Anyway for all of you out there who also have to cook for children with allergies here is the recipe. the cake tastes amazing

120g marg

12og Caster sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

240g self raising flour

150ml milk

(if also intolerant to milk use milk subsititutes for marg and milk)

Preheat oven to 190 C or gas mark 5

Grease and line two 7" inch cake tins

Cream marg, sugar and syrup together and then slowly stir in milk. Add flour and beat until this forms a batter and divide between the tins

Bake for 25-30 mins. Turn onto wire tray and cool

Or bung all ingedients into a mixer and press start

6 days really it cant be

When i first started my blog, I was writing new posts about 3 or 4 times a week and now i just don't seem to find the time. I can find the time to read other peoples wonderful words of wisdom, but not to update mine which is sad. I love blogland. So anyway we are nearing the end of Oliver's first time in school. He is shattered, on the verge of being ill with something or other and i am knackered with the sewing, cooking, school runs, swimming lessons and god knows what else.



I am now continuing this post on another day. Oliver has finished school, and is full of beans. The whole village seems to be ill so we are trying to avoid any germs. I have completed all of my bag orders and have made the puppet theatre (except the case which i will do this weekend). The basket bags look really good and have already been distributed. The fabric for each of them is similar as they are for different people and everybody fell in love with this one fabric. I have tried to keep each one original by adding different handles or lining fabric etc. I am so pleased with the finish on them, even if i do say so myself they are looking really professional.






Oliver had his nativity play before the end of term and he played a candle. IT was the sweetest thing i have ever watched and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. I would show you photos but as all the other children are on stage as well it would not be fair to the other parents to have their children put on this blog without their agreement. Needless to say he looked fantastic and even sang "we wish you a merry Christmas" and signing it at the same time. They learn sign language as a matter of course at his school which is fantastic.





Trying desperately to get everything ready for Christmas. We are driving down to the in-laws on Sunday for the day where the children we get to open their first lot of presents. I get round this by explaining that Santa only delivers the presents in the stocking by the fireplace, otherwise it just gets too confusing with presents from school, friends etc etc.


I am cooking the Christmas meal for everybody and at last count we have 10 for lunch

Sorry couldnt resist putting this photo up cute eh

Happy christmas fellow bloggers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!