Friday, 28 February 2025

This week's smiles....week 404

 Oh what a week.  I managed to make 12 Memory bears around a wonderful weekend in Blackpool.  We went up on Saturday morning and were treated to a really sunny day.  We booked into a Travelodge for the night and caught a tram from just over the road to right outside the Tower Ballroom....couldn't have been better.




Our little Lexi really did us proud.  She danced her heart out with her group.  They performed two different dances and really made our hearts sing.  It was so very special to see them in such a huge venue and their dance teacher should be very proud of herself for their performances.







The only other things I have for you is a couple of collages of funnies....I hope none offend and something here makes you smile.

Have a great week my friends.
Hugs,
Annie x


Wednesday, 26 February 2025

WOYWW....

 Hello all and happy Wednesday to you all.  It's been a very busy week here while I've been here....we had a night over in Blackpool on Saturday to watch Lexi dancing at the Tower Ballroom.  Lots of very proud moments and I will share a few pics on Friday if you'd like to see.

On my desk this week has been a lot of bear making.



I managed to cut out the 12 bears I had to make before going away so Monday morning saw my desk looking like this....the 9 at the back are already sewn and the 3 on my ironing board are cut out and pinned together ready.

They all needed backing with iron on interfacing to stabilise them so that meant cutting out 48 panels to make the 12 bears!!








I had the help of my bear stuffer...he's a gem.  We make a great team.



I managed to make these 9 on Monday.  They are made in memory of a much loved Grandad and the two on the front with purple on also had panels added to remember a daughter/mum.



I made these three yesterday in memory of a 14 year old young man who died on his quad bike....so sad.

I get to share so many sad stories but I know just how much these bears will help his family.






That's all from me for this week.  I hope you're all keeping well and happy.  I hope to pop to see what you're busy with when I can find a minute between my sewing jobs.
Hugs,
Annie x









Friday, 21 February 2025

This week's smiles....week 403

 Hello all.  If you read my Wednesday post you will see that I am busy with sewing this week...mainly the 12 Memory bears I have been asked to make so I have lots to smile about.




One of my biggest smiles was that Little Louie came to us on Tursday and for the first time in, what seems like weeks he was well.  It had been such a nasty virus so it was soooooo lovely for him to be better.  Here he is trying on his Daddy's kick boxing helmet...what a cutie.







The only other things I have to share with you this week are a few funnies.

I will have lots to smile about this weekend because we are off to the Tower Ballroom at Blackpool to watch Lexi dance....I'm so excited and plan to take a few tissues with me for the proud moments....I'm a big softy at heart.

Hugs,
Annie x


Wednesday, 19 February 2025

WOYWW.....

 I've been making the best of the lull before the storm here this week...






I finished off the little rabbit bags I showed you last week and now have a basket full.





I have also made 10 little felt carrots to hold little chocolate rabbits....these are for the charity I sew for and were fun to make.






I had to buy a new magnetic pin holder because I dropped my old one...it broke and the pins went to every corner of my room!!  I treated myself to new pins too because a lot of the ones I'd been using were bent or blunt.








That's all from me for today because I will be head down busy sewing now....I have several pairs of trousers coming in today and 12 memory bears coming in before the end of the week!!  It's all or nothing here :-)

Hugs,

Annie x




Friday, 14 February 2025

This week's smiles....week 402

It's been a busy week here with having the boys here for a long weekend [Thursday to Sunday].. Sadly little Louie was very poorly with a virus that caused him to run very high temperatures.  He needed lots of sponging down and hugs [ ...and Calpol/Nurofen] but thankfully I'm hoping he's now on the mend.  His Daddy took him to see a Dr on Saturday morning but she couldn't find anything that was obviously causing the high temperatures saying it was probably just a virus.





We did manage some lovely crafty time with them both while they were here....they painted a garden gnome or garden dinosaur each, decorated several wooden key rings and did some amazing building from our crafty box of goodies....they love creative play.





Lexi entered several dancing competitions on Sunday and came away with a second in her Jazz solo, second in her Commercial Solo, a first in her Senior dance team performance and her group also won the overal Ist in the whole team performance.
She  was also given the award for the most potential in the morning's competition....talk about a superstar.  We are so very proud of her.






Sam had his first day session with Emil Dale Associates down in London.  He came home buzzing.  It sounded like he had an awesome day. :-)








The only other things I have to share are a few funnies.  I hope something here makes you smile and you will leave me a little comment before linking up to your own smiles at the bottom of the page.
Hugs,
Annie x



Wednesday, 12 February 2025

WOYWW...

 Here we are at another Wednesday's catch up with our creative friends all around the world by linking up over at Sarah's Craft Shed.....we're a friendly group so why not join in the fun?




I have been updating my Memory Bear folder that holds a photo of every one I've made...and the latest ones have brought the numbers up to 882.

I love looking back through my folder and looking at all the special ones I've made.




On my desk today is a, fast filling, basket full of little Easter bunnies [each one contains little chocolate eggs].  These will go to raise funds for the Harry Johnson Trust.






That's all from me for this week folk.  If you leave me a little message so I know you've called in I will do my best to pop over to yours to see what you've been up to this week.
Hugs,
Annie x


Friday, 7 February 2025

This week's smiles....week 401

 If you read my Wednesday post you will see that I was feeling pretty rough...and I still am sadly.  It's a case of teaching your grandchildren to share and they, of course, even share their bugs.   Hopefully it will go soon because it's sapped my energy levels and we have the boys for a long weekend this weekend so I think I will be needing all the energy I can summon :-)



Monday night we had a session with a dog trainer with Peggy and, as you can see she was 'dog tired' after.  The trainer said she did very well and is a fast learner .  We have had training sessions every day since and she seemed to have grasped the idea of what is expected of her.








I'm labelling this photo 'the promise of things to come'.  There are signs of Spring in every corner of our garden and I love it....that's got to make you smile surely?

















I saw this on Facebook and it made me chuckle...I just felt there are so many of these amongst us.
Can you find yourself or maybe some of your friends?








Of couse, I have also found you some funnies...I hope something here makes you smile.  Please leave me a little message before linking to your own smies at the bottom and stay well and happy.
Hugs,
Annie x




Wednesday, 5 February 2025

WOYWW...

Happy Wednesday to you all and I really hope you're feeling rather better than me.  Last Thursday we had a poorly Louie with us all day and he needed lots of cuddles [and calpol to keep his temperature down].  Needless to say he shares everything and since the weekend we have both been full up with the bug....high temps and a streaming head cold :-(  Hopefully it will go soon and my energy levels return.  I do have a few things to share with you [and no, I don't mean the head cold ].... 




This is my best news....I found my needle holder with all my favourite needles in it....and yes of course I had bought new ones!!  It was in the bottom of my handbag with some red thread and some snippers....I have no idea when I put it there or what I had been doing :-)
Just glad I've found it.



More good news....I've been restocking my fat quarters.  I used so many at Christmas time that my box was nearly empty.


A customer called in Monday morning with clothes that belonged to her father in law hoping I could make her 5 Memory bears for the family....two of them were to have little ties made out of his favourite blue tie.
I really enjoyed making these even though I was feeling pretty rough and, because of that, they took a little longer than normal.



I did have a little help from my bear stuffer and he had two fur babies interested to learn....actually Peggy usually chews a hole in her toys and pulls the stuffing out so I'm not sure they would make good bear stuffers lol

That's all from me for this week.  I will do my best to pay you a visit if you leave me a little message [head cold allowing of course].
Hugs,
Annie x