Saturday 17 December 2016

The Night Voyage ~ Watson-Guptill Publications ~ Book Review


by Daria Song

ISBN: 9780399579042
Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications
Publication Date: November 2016
RRP: £9.99

Available Direct from GMC.


Enchanting
Beautiful
A story in itself.



I have never seen a colouring book like this.
It's amazing.
From the first point of opening the book
you know it's something different.
It really is special.


The book starts with a short story
about a little girls whose parents
have to be away for her birthday.
They have left her with a mountain of presents.
She decides that if she distributes them
to all the boys and girls of the world
then she might make some new friends.
The question is how will she do this.....??


This book takes the story and takes you
on a journey with the girl, her presents
and her pet cat.
You get to take the journey with them and
to colour it in to make it even more of
a special journey.
Once you have finished colouring it in you
get to keep this special story book.
It might not have words but the pictures
tell you the journey.

 

The pictures really are beautiful!
This is just so special.
It would make the perfect gift
for any age.
As soon as my father saw it he was even
taken with it and he doesn't even really
like colouring.



This is one colouring book
you'll really want to treasure.


 Available Direct from GMC.




I received this book to review.
However all opinions expressed are my own.
Affiliate links are included on the post.
No monies were exchanged.

Friday 16 December 2016

I've Made Friday Week 206


Good Morning everyone!

Hi I'm back.

I know things have been a bit hit
and miss lately.
It's mostly down to all the medication
changes and the lack of sleep.
I can cope with just about anything
if I get some real sleep but
I haven't been having any of that for
quite a long time.
Fingers crossed this new medication
carries on working and I don't get
all the nasty side effects and have to
come off it.

Anyway onto a more positive note
I can't remember what I have shown you
so I will show you everything I can.
There are some Christmas Presents
so they'll have to wait till after Christmas.



I have been making lots and lots of these.
I give a Christmas decoration to each
of my family members each year.
I also made them for friends this year.
Then Red Monster asked me to make them
for teachers and teaching assistants as well.
He now has 4 teachers and their teaching assistants
at school now.
1 set for Maths and English in the morning.
1 set for his year in the afternoons.
1 set for art and 1 set for music.
Luckily when he gets to high school next year
the most he will give is his form teacher.



I also made Poppy a jumper.
She seems to like this one
so much more than the normal dog coats.
I am hoping to make her another
one after Christmas with some alterations
and then I will hopefully put the pattern on here.

I hope you are all well
and thank you for all your support!


Sew Flower Quilts & Gifts ~ Search Press ~ Book Review


Sew Flower Quilts & Gifts
by Absuko Matsuyama

ISBN: 9781782214892
Publisher: Search Press
Publication Date: 17 November 2016
RRP: £14.99

Available Direct from Search Press.

   

First of all I would be say please don't
be scared off if you don't like flowers.
There is so much to this book and all
of the designs can be transferred to different
fabric designs.
Yes the fabrics used in the book are flower fabrics
but you don't have to use the same fabrics.


This is a step-by-step guide to making
so beautiful projects.
Absuko has used flower based fabrics
and themes for her projects but I feel
that they would be easily transferred to different fabrics.



The projects are designed to be made by
people who are already quilters but the
instructions are clear and easy to understand.

The projects are:

  • Triangle Baby Quilt
  • Flowers & Birds Baby Quilt
  • Patchwork Pencil Case
  • Patchwork Scissor Caddy
  • Dresden Plate Pin Cushion
  • Sewing Kit
  • Yoyo Lanyards
  • Floral Corsage Bracelet
  • Lunch Tote
  • Snack Sachel
  • Lunch Mat
  • 3-D Applique Mini Purse
  • Heart Tea Pot Cozy
  • Heart Pot Mat
  • Patchwork Placemats
  • Strawberry Spring Mini Quilt
  • Sweet Summertime Mini Quilt
  • Autumn Symphony Wall Hanging
  • Winter Wonderland Wall Hanging
  • Floral Applique Tote
  • Scallop Pouch
  • Hexagon Zip Pouch
  • Happy Flower Clutch
  • Lovely Vines Quilt
  • Windmill Passport Case
  • Big Sister Tote
  • Little Sister Tote
  • Happy Flower Quilt Sampler

As you can see there are a lot of
projects held within the book.
The book will keep you busy
for a long time!




Available Direct from Search Press.

   


I received this book to review.
However all opinions expressed are my own.
Affiliate links are included on the post.
No monies were exchanged.

Thursday 15 December 2016

kraft-tex® 5-Color Sampler Pack, 10 Sheets, 8 1/2 x 11 ~ C&T Publishing ~ Product Review


Kraft Paper Fabric

ISBN: 9781617454714
Publisher: C & T Publishing
Publication Date: 09 November 2016
RRP: £14.99

Available Direct from Search Press.


   

Wow I have to say this stuff is amazing!
I love it!



It's just so versatile.
Any crafter would love it.
When my mum found out I had some
she also "borrowed" some.


 

There is just so much you can do with it.
You can treat it like card.
You can treat it like fabric.
It is as easy to use as card but as
strong as fabric and has a feel of
something inbetween.



It almost feels like leather but but sews, cuts, 
and washes like fabric.
I would however would say it's even easier
than fabric to cut.



You can use it for everything from card making,
crafting, craft-sewing, mixed-media arts,
home decor & book making.
They can be used in die-cutting machines
and are really easy to cut using scissors.


Durable fiberbased texture softens 
and crinkles with handling and washing.


You can sew it, glue it and generally just
use it like you would any other crafty
material.


I decided to use mine for some fridge magnets
to try it out.
It was so easy to mark, so easy to cut
and so easy to glue together.


I personally will be using this material lots more!


I love the fact that it comes in different colours.
They are a good base that go together to make
some beautiful projects.
Next I'm going to be making myself an owl glasses case.


Available Direct from Search Press.


   


I received this book to review.
However all opinions expressed are my own.
Affiliate links are included on the post.
No monies were exchanged.

Tuesday 13 December 2016

The Rich Can't Get Richer without the Little Man

The Rich Can't Get Richer without the Little Man

I don't normally discuss these
subjects on my blog but I am getting frustrated.
These companies are making huge profits
but still making staff redundant.
Do they not realise that if every company
makes more and more staff redundant
then there won't be anyone to buy anything.
The man at the bottom of the pile needs
to have a job to buy the things they are selling.
If they aren't in jobs then they won't be able
to sell any of them and then they won't
make ANY PROFITS!!!!!!!!

I get so frustrated when companies
post their profits and they are HUGE,
then a couple of months later they say
they need to streamline the business
or move the business to a country where
wages are cheaper.

If you move to a country that is cheaper
their wages go up and the people who
were in jobs who bought your product can't
buy it anymore.
Then all the happens is everything comes
to ahead and we have a world crash again.

It just seems like at the moment the rich are
getting richer.

The unemployment figures are all false as well.
I know someone who is on Job Seekers.
They go 3 times a week and sit for 2 1/2 hours
at a time to search for jobs.
They are being told to apply for jobs that are
for 7 hours a week.
Less than 16 hours and they will loose all their benefits.
Can you please tell me how you feed and house a family
on £50.40 a week?
If they don't apply and attend the interviews etc
they will be sanctioned and reduced even further.
They are attending a college course and volunteering
to get experience to have a better chance at a job.
It's not as though they aren't doing anything.

I am disabled and will suffer from these
nasty diseases for the rest of my life.
I will probably live the rest of my life
in pain as I do everyday at the moment.
I am unable to drive anymore and
am unable to use public transport
so I spend most of my life at home.
I have come to terms with that.
I am lucky enough to receive one of the benefits
but I didn't get that easily.
My husband had to spend hours filling in forms
for me.
My dad had to take me to assessments.
I didn't get the pip and even if I had I would
of only received £22 a week.
It's not the figures bounced about that most
people get.
I also get reviewed on a regular basis and have
to go through the whole process all over again.
Each time not knowing if I am going to end up with nothing.
I also have to live with the constant threat of being
spied on. I am doing nothing wrong and have
nothing to hide but you see what it feels like
to have a car sat outside your house for 3 hours
at a time.
And no that isn't paranoia, family, friends and other
people passing my house have noticed it.
Even the postman has commented.

Lots of people out there are told they aren't sick enough
to get pip or esa.
They go to Job Seekers and are told they are too sick
to get Job Seekers so they are given nothing.
Lots of these people have given up and committed suicide.

All the while the people who are rich have people
who make sure they pay as little tax as possible.
Some don't pay any tax at all.
Quite a lot of the companies don't pay any tax either.
They pay their employees as little as possible,
expect them to work as many hours as possible for free.
Your salaried, if you want to get anywhere in
the company you better offer your time for free.
They expect less staff to do the work of all the
people they have made redundant so the
company that doesn't pay any taxes
can make even more profits and can pay
huger pay and bonuses to the top staff
and the share holders that don't pay tax either.
The man doing all the stupid hours is paying
most of his wages to the tax man
and doing as many hours as possible hoping he
can keep his job as so many people are losing theirs.
He is lucky to be in a job so he needs to do
everything he can to keep it.
Then he looses his job and their isn't anyone to
buy anything and the company goes out of
business but the rich man has loads of money
in his account so he doesn't CARE!

Sorry I had to rant.
I care about others!
I give what I can to others.
When I can't we give all my sons
clothes and shoes to friends that
can't afford.
I look after animals that can't be in the day
 by their owners because
they have to go out to work.
I don't charge for it I do it because I can.
I always smile and say good morning.
It doesn't cost anything.
If someone wants to stop for a chat I do.
I have quite a few people I don't really know
but I know they live on their own and they stop
and talk to me everyday.
I know that little chat I have with them makes a difference
to them.
It's only a small thing but it makes a difference.
Everyone round here has to go out to work so all
their parcels come to my house.
They know I am usually in and in means that they
don't have to worry.
A recent friend has to work over Christmas and
I heard she might not be able to get someone
to look after her daughter so I offered for her to come here.
They are only super little things but they are the little
things I can do.
If companies thought more about what they could do
for their staff and the community they live in then
the world would be a better place.

When you go out tomorrow smile and say
good morning to someone.
It could make the difference to their day!


Monday 12 December 2016

Kids Learn to Stitch ~ Berry & Co ~ Book Review


by Lucinda Guy
& Francois Hall

ISBN: 9780992796853
Publisher: Berry & Co
Publication Date: 7 Oct. 2016
RRP: £9.99

Available direct from GMC.


I am giving this book to my ten year old
son for Christmas.
It's ideal for both girls and boys
and that's what I love the most about it.



So many craft books are designed towards girls
and isolate boys away from them
but this book is so inclusive for both boys
and girls.



The book is packed full of fun pictures
and I think everything can be done visually
without even having to read a word.


There are full and easy to follow instructions
as well but if like me you have a son who
is dyslexic they are still going to be able
to achieve everything in the book.



I love the two funny mice who make the
instructions fun and interesting.
This book is really designed to keep
children interested.



I love the fact that there is a project
for each stitch and it starts off
super easy and then adds a little bit
at each stage till you can complete
the fantastic Hothead Helga Dragon.


The projects are:

Big Bad Bug
Needle Holder Nell
Pin Cushion Percy
Did the Dog
Bill the Bird
Hothead Helga


They learn:
Why Stitch?
What do we stitch with?
What do we stitch on?
Cutting out felt shapes
Threading a needle
Straight Stitches
Seed Stitch
Running Stitch
How to stop stitching
Cross stitch
Let's do some applique
Star Stitch
Simple Loop stitch
Fly stitch
Chain stitch
Special loop stitch
Feather stitch 
Blanket stitch
Buttons, beads & things


Wow sooo much packed into a book.



To be honest I've been using this book.
The diagrams and pictures are so
easy to follow I have been using
them when I have been stitching
stitches that I am not sure of.
It really is a fantastic book.


If you have a child that you think
might like to learn to stitch then
it would make a brilliant present.
Why not buy them some felt, needles & thread.
They could have hours of fun!
In no time they will be making themselves,
friends and family gifts.
7


Available direct from GMC.




I received this book to review.
However all opinions expressed are my own.
Affiliate links are included on the post.
No monies were exchanged.