The PB Family

A UK Family lifestyle and beauty Blog. We are a family who range in age from 2 months - 70years! Join us as we review items, live our daily life and discuss the worlds happenings!

Friday 23 December 2011

Christmas food shopping and finding bargains!

Hello everyone!
So today was the dreaded food shop!  I had booked a delivery for today from Asda but  Mr Cm decided we should cancel it and do our own!  I was dreading all the pushing shoving and general greed and disrespect that goes on each Christmas time.  The bulk buying of bread and milk as the shop will be shut for two whole days!
But I have to say that it was generally calm and Tescos had everything we needed.  i thought it would be manic as we didn't get there till 11am but people were not buying anymore than they usually do on Friday it seemed.  We had long ago decided that we would only spend the same amount on shopping as we do any other fortnight and we pretty much stuck to that, spending just £10 extra due to picking up a little something as a gift and some really very reduced cake mixes.  Which brings me to these:


They were reduced to £2 and have the main ingredients to make a rich fruit cake.  the fruit is pre -soaked in brandy and nearly blows your head off when opening the sealed packet!  I have made mine tonight and its cooking away making the house smell lovely!
Ive bought four packets so i can enjoy them later in the year!  In our house there is only my son and I who eat them so fruit cake lasts a while in a air tight tin!

Well tomorrow we have my brother and children visiting for hot chocolate and treats and then its the top to toe house clean!  Tho the family have been looking forward this all week! lol!  The four of us will be beavering away all day and then will sit down with our tea and watch Merlin.  The perfect day!
Well if we get carried away with the cleaning and I don't get back till after the big day then I hope you all have a very good Christmas.  Just remember 
THE REASON FOR THE SEASON IS JESUS!
Happy birthday!
God bless you and yours
xx



Sunday 18 December 2011

Christmas preparations


Hello Readers!
Well with just under a week till the big day I have been a busy bee here at Crafty-mum towers!
As you know I have been a little poorly this last year and so all my plans for a handmade/homemade Christmas have fallen short of my expectations but never mind.  Over the last few weeks I have been beavering away making some items for our family.  these include:

Cardigans for our Granddaughters


A crochet blanket
Some scarfs made from super chunky yarn


Add caption
Ten pairs of these wrist warmers/fingerless gloves in a array of colours!


And I'm still knitting! 

Princess and I have been busy decorating the house and making decorations.  I will post some photos later in the week to show you what we have been up to. 


Just to finish this post I will include a photo of princess all ready to go off to her horse riding lesson
She loves having her lessons and has already progressed into the next class after just a few lessons.  She loves horses and always makes Daddy go a hour early so she can visit each of the 25 horses at the riding school.  Poor Daddy comes home freezing now that the evenings  are getting colder but i think he secretly enjoys it!

I have been inspired by the many and varied blogs I have been reading.  there are some amazing crafters out there.  Peoples creativity is something that still amazes me and I look forward to reading and learning from the amazing crafters out there in 2012.
Bye for now xx

Friday 2 December 2011

been away again

Hello everybody
Seems once again I seem to have deserted my post here at crafty mum towers. I have been poorly again and my kidneys are misbehaving so I have just returned from a lengthy stay in hospital.
My plans for a handmade,homemade Christmas have gone drastically wrong. Infact im struggling to finish my only homemade gift of a cardigan for my granddaughter. However I am enjoying looking at everyones lovely crafts and praying for my health to be Restored in the following months so I can have a creative spree myself
Love to you all
X




Tuesday 25 October 2011

CHALLENGE 52 COMPLETED!!!!!! and Finished hat!

Wow this is good. Two posts in two days!
So as you may have seen I have been taking part in the 54 week 52 item challenge.  It was suppose to be  make on thing a week for a year but Ive finished.  I haven't always made one thing a week and have made more than one some weeks but its all levelled out and now, I have finished.  The list on the right is not a complete list of things I've made as I don't always remember to write them down but it gives a insight into what I've been up to.

I finished the Hat I was knitting for Mr CM.  I'm really pleased with it as I have only just learnt to cable knit and apart from a couple of pairs of wrist warmers this is my first real project.
Ive Knitted it using chunky wool and so its really warm and cosy and perfect for the winter evenings that seem to be coming in now. the pattern can be found HERE
IT has worked out so well that  may make one each for my sons to go in their Christmas stockings.

Well time to start another project.  What can I be tempted with on Ravelry!
Bye for now xx


Monday 24 October 2011

October is nearly gone!

Well here I am again over a month from my last post.  I'm still suffering with the effects of my hospital stay but feel better than i have for a long while.

SSSSSSSSoooooooooo   What have i been up to?  Well a bit of this,


A couple of pairs of cosy slipper socks for GD2.  Ive made her a couple of pairs as she keeps kicking off her socks

and then a bit of this...........






My Daughter-in-law makes THE BEST choccie cake and shared her secret with me.  So I had a go and added the strawberries as I couldn't resist!  But i have to say hers is still better


Then we went to visit friends in the midlands and attend a birthday party.  We had such a good time there.  Cant wait to see them again soon.


My Husband and I
Daddy and Princess


My school friends and I

and twenty years on from us leaving school, here are our daughters!

As for Wips?  Well I'm still working on the giant granny blanket.  I have a hat on the go for Mr CM and I'm also making a knitted cardigan for one of my granddaughter's.  I will add photos soon.

I hope all is well in your corner of the world and we will meet again soon xxx









Sunday 18 September 2011

The summer ending


Hello
If there are any reader left after my long absence!
The thing is Ive been very poorly over the summer and too weak to even think about posting.
To cut a long story short It all started with pneumonia and ended with septicemia and a burst cyst on my kidney.  Fortunately I am on the mend and God is good so I know I will be fine.

So.......... crafting has been very limited. I am now on round 65 of my giant granny blanket. It now takes over a hour to crochet one round and super snugly so I look forward to finishing this over the winter with it tucked over my legs!  My aim is to make it 200 rounds so that it fits right over our king sized bed touching the floor at all sides.



Princess started horse riding lessons over the summer and is loving it.  Daddy takes her and they have to go half a hour early and come home half a hour after the lesson to allow her time to visit every one of the horses at the stables.  She is fascinated by horses and on a rainy day she can be found in the lounge with all of her horses giving her barbies riding  lessons!  Its funny how this quiet and shy little one has now turned into a confident, thoughtful and chatty little girl.  She really is a blessing.



I have a whole lot of things to post here of things from our summer so I will do so in a few posts rather than bombard all at once!
I hope you all had lots of fun and enjoyed crafting over the summer months.  Its taking me a while to catch up and comment on others blogs so please bear with me and I'm sure I will get round to you soon.

Bye Bye for now

Friday 15 July 2011

Guest post by Cally

Cally’s Creations - Affordable and Unique art!

My name is Cally Clark Traversari and I am a self taught artist from Birmingham, currently living in Wolverhampton. I have always been a creative person and have enjoyed art since I was a child. I have only just recently (March 2011) been painting and creating to sell, as I lost my job in October and needed something to keep me going when I wasn’t successful finding a job. Although I haven’t found a 9 to 5 I would now class being an Artist as my job. I know it doesn’t bring in a regular wage, but it’s much more rewarding as my creative business continues to grow.
I would desrcibe my work as unique, whimsical, vibrant, and most importantly affordable. I see many artists selling their work very expensive these days, so I decided to create affordable art for everyone, whether it be for their home, as a gift or their office space.

Here are a couple of artworks I currently have for sale:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=228400417192023&set=a.228400250525373.62527.198401656858566&type=1
Spooky Friends Original Canvas Painting

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=216358341729564&set=a.207248745973857.56600.198401656858566&type=1
We're Glad it never rained Today original Canvas Painting

I not only sell original pieces but prints, too, at insanely small costs. I also sell printed postcards and various other items with my designs on. I am currently trying to expand this part of my business, however.
I also have recently started creating one off personalised paintings for new borns, children, for special occasions
that you can give as gifts!

If you want to check my work out further you can visit my official web page or go to my page on facebook.

( website is www. callyscreations. co.uk and www.facebook.com/callyscreations)

Hope to see you soon!


Is that okay? Let me know if you need anything else :) And could you send it me once you've posted it please?
Spoky Friends


£75 including postage


16x20 inches (thin canvas)

My newest designs in various sizes and materials. All details of paintings will be below their first picture. Please e-mail callyscreations@hotmail.co.uk for more details about buying :) Thanks xBy: Cally's

Monday 11 July 2011

Growing a Giant Granny!

Happy Hippie July everyone!

Well once again I have been laid up with a rather nasty chest Infection which has egged on my Asthma leaving me quite poorly.   I thank God for Mr CM as I have spent the weekend in bed while he has ran the house. (and a fine job he has done too!)
With that in mind I will be posting items I have made over the last couple of weeks put haven't had the time  to post about.  I have been so tired that for the last week I have been unable to even pick up a crochet hook as I have felt  so rough.
 

An Angel I made by adapting a Holly Hobby eighties knitting pattern



Rear of the angel.  Shes stands about 8 inches high


A Doll my brother commissioned as a gift for my mother
It took me a full half day to add the hair to her.  Each strand was individually added and took ages!
Cuddles


Cards made using vintage photographs
This is a card for my daughters school teacher


I used "bubble" type stickers for the following cards.




My favourite card. 
I love love butterflies! This little girl is so cute!

My first ever Granny square cushion!




And of course it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't modeled by princess


I have been catching up on all the blogs Ive missed and Ive decide to join in with the giant Granny rug/blanket challenge hosted here.  Its something Ive wanted to do one for ages and I really Fancy the idea of having a cosy crochet blanket over our bed on the cold winter nights. Why not join in?  There's no time limit on the completion (although I have set the end of September as personal challenge)
So far I'm on 14 rounds  and so have a fair way to go to make the required 200 round to finish!
I will add some photos on my next post.

Thank you for reading everyone and I look forward to your comments
Bye Bye for now

Wednesday 22 June 2011

summer of colour - green

Hello every body
I hope you are having a really good week.
the weather here in Sunny Suffolk had been not too sunny but, the storms have been spectacular! I love watching the thunder and lightening from my window. Such a beautiful sight! Also its a much needed natural watering for my garden!

I have been joining in with the summer of colour at twinkle twinkle which can be found HERE
This week the colour is green and here is my offering. two green hats!


Granddaughter two was not as impressed with the hat as I thought she would be!
pop over to Kristin's blog and see what everyone else has been up too.

Happy Birthday to our angel baby Victoria.  Mummy and Daddy are sending loves and hugs to you.  We think of you and your brother and sisters alot but know you are safe in the arms of Jesus and the Angels xxx

Bye bye for now



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Friday 17 June 2011

Saying goodbye to a friend

Yesterday we said goodbye to a very good friend of ours.  We started off as neighbours to Brian and his wife but quickly became friends.  Although we were from different generations we got along so well and they both took my family and I under their wings.  At the time I was a single parent to three young boys, 4,6,8 years old and they treated my boys as their own grandchildren.  I can remember going on holiday one year and coming home to a DIY project  (particularly tricky I had undertaken and was struggling with) completely finished by Brian.  The Fishing trips and time spent with the boys will never be forgotten along with the "does my bum look big in this" teddy you bought me.
Much love to you Brian from my family and I and I believe you are sitting with the angels with Pip, Katie dog your roll up and a pint"!