Monday 20 April 2009

Old Bags and Beans....


My good deed for last week was making a new bean bag cover for the Balfron Nursery outdoor classroom, or the 'Jolly Coup' as it was officially named (by my son!)

The previous couple of years have been focused on raising funds to build the shed and to develop the Nursery Garden.
Last year saw the fruition of all the hard work when the children were able to make their own tattie soup and eat plums of their new fruit trees, the flowers survived the odd football and scooter rolling over them.
As the main layout of the garden has now been achieved, instead of raising funds for more plants we are having a Plant Donation Day on Friday 24th April (all day). So if like most people I have spoken with, you have spent the last few days enjoying the sunshine in your garden, and have noticed a few plants that could do with dividing, or some stray seedlings please feel free to pop them into the Nursery ( if you live locally!).

They will be very much appreciated and the children will no doubt enjoy getting their hands dirty.

The fabric for the bean bag was a pair of curtains donated by Alice. The old bean bag contained three smaller 'bags' so rather than making another round bag I made a rectangular one which is much bigger and will accommodate a few more little people.


I simply folded it in three and sewed down either side and slipped the bean bags in - like a giant pillow case - then closed it with a red ribbon. This means the bean bags will be easy to remove so the cover can be washed. I also made a pair of curtains for the shed and some bunting with the left overs.

I couldn't resist hanging them in my garden yesterday to celebrate our first barbecue of the year!

As my 100th post will be due soon I will be giving away a My Baboo Bunting Kit to knit - watch this space...

Thursday 16 April 2009

Sand , sea and sunshine


We've just returned from spending five fabulous days in Firdhorn on the Moray Coast. It will be nearly twenty years ago that I first visited with my boyfriend - who is now my husband - and every time we stay it seems as if the sun shines just for us.

This Easter was no exception, it was so warm our boy managed a few dips in the sea - the above picture was before he threw caution - and his shorts - to the wind whilst shouting 'This is totally awesome - woohoo'. Very cute and funny for a four year old - but it summed it up what we were thinking too.

Have a look at Karons blog for some lovely pictures of the village itself.


If you ever have a weekend to spare it is certainly worth the visit.

Wednesday 15 April 2009

My Baboo on Facebook

I have created a My Baboo Facebook page for those of you that are interested.....just do a search for My Baboo on your Facebook page and become a fan!

Thursday 9 April 2009

A Wedding Bag for Kirsty

The Finished Bag

Last year at the Country Living Fair I met Brenda who enthused about my Cup Cake Tea Cosies. She mentioned her daughter Kirsty was getting married in 2009 and that her wedding cake was being made up of lots of little fairy cakes. Brenda asked if I would consider making a wedding bag for Kirsty with a Fairy cake on the front, of course I said yes.

The Happy Couple - look at those fab shoes!

Brenda contacted me in February this year and confirmed that Kirsty wanted me to make her a handbag for her wedding. She sent me a picture of Kirsty from the waist down with her dress and amazing red shoes on and a picture of one of the Butterfly cakes she was going to use as the wedding cake, sitting in a little red polka dot cake case.

I could see right away this wasn't to be a traditional white wedding so after some discussion about colours I set to work.


Kirsty
Once I had the bag made - which was the easy part - I spent a while trying to create a knitted fairy cake - the kind with the 'butterfly' wings, which was not as easy as it looks! A cup cake is simple - put a cherry on top and every one knows instantly what it is to be. Kirstys cakes had butter icing so I knitted a tube and layered it to look like it had been squeezed out of an icing bag. The little butterfly wings were simple enough as was the cake case. I finished it of with lots of little clear glass beads to represent a dusting of icing sugar, and the polka dots to the case were red sequins.


I then put a brooch clasp on the back so that Kirsty could take it off the bag as she wanted to be able to use the handbag after the wedding - although I think the cake is sightly abstract so wouldn't look too out of place as a daytime brooch.



Kirsty also bought some of my Bunnies as favours and made them all little handbags from some of the material she had left over from her bunting then put Thank you notes in them - so sweet and such a good idea.I really enjoyed making the handbag, even more so because it was for Kirstys wedding. It's so nice to think I have been part of such a special day.

I often make on-off handbags (look out for a bag for Tracey soon) as commissions, they are such good fun to make as it's nice to deviate from my main range. And when the bag is made, you know there wont be another like it. Being the designer and maker allows me to offer this service, something you wont find on the high street.

We are off up to Findhorn tomorrow for the Easter break - back on Wednesday. Hope you enjoy the Easter weekend!

Wednesday 1 April 2009

Is there anybody there?

not a very crafty photograph, but special none the less - Centy the Centipede, my boys 'first real pet'

I feel like I am out of touch from my blogging world it's been so long since I last posted. Thankfully it has been because I have been so busy getting orders out the door. I am delighted with the response I received from Scotland's Trade Fair and I am even seeing some stockists re-order already. You can get an updated list of my stockists here.

I have lots to write about but I think I will do it in bite sized pieces to get me back into the swing of blogging.

The most recent being My Baboo's trip to London (although my feet have stayed firmly in Balfron). I will be stocking Inver Cottage soon and Jasmine passed my information onto Carole who does a wonderful job in prompting the West of Scotland with her Seafood Trail.

Carole has just been down to London to promote Scotland at the Best of Britain and Ireland tourism show. She kindly took a selection of my work to exhibit along side other treasures you can find on her trail. I haven't quite had the full 'debriefing' from Carole but all in all the show was very successful. Although as it was held at ExCel, and all the undergrounds were closed over the weekend due to the security for the G20 summit that is now being held there. I wonder if all the world leaders had a chance to visit to see what we have to offer?

What struck me the most is the fact that someone thought enough of my work to want to use it in a show case for Scotland. Very flattering indeed.

Next will be the wedding bag...
...