I've been involved in a Flickr Group Swap this month...Pretty {Little} Pouch Swap. Since I'm big into making pouches at the mo it seemed the perfect group to be in. I don't do many swaps, but this one tickled my fancy - a nice small project, a quick time frame, and quite frankly nothing better to do with my time (and if you believe that you'll believe anything).

I love swaps. Actually that's not wholly accurate, but it's been quite a while since I've been involved in one, so at the moment I love swaps.

I love meeting new crafters. I love browsing the group and getting a feel for what everyone likes and fabrics they enjoy using.

And I love the opportunity to create a one off piece for my partner, using fabric combinations, designs that I wouldn't ordinarily be justified to find time to try out.

With the summer holidays upon us, it was decided that this would be a rapid turn around swap, which suits me just fine. Most of you know my character flaw of being all-consumed by a current project and consequently I made my partner's pouch in next to no time.

I used one of my new hand printed flower patches, some of my favourite blue palette fabrics, a little embroidery, all sewn together in a new (for me) shape pouch.

I'm pretty happy with the result and will just have to wait to see if my partner is too.

If you want to see what the rest of the group is up to, take a look right here...

It seems like a long time ago now that I was obsessing with Freezer Paper as a printing method, but since doing the Screen Printing Course it took a back seat. Not only did it take a back seat, but I wasn't sure if there was going to be a place for it now that I was screen printing.

Having invested in a fair size roll of freezer paper, I was a bit cross with myself for being so flitty with yet another craft.

Today I learnt that there is definitely still a place for freezer paper printing.

It goes without saying that screen printing is perfect for producing quantities in a way that just doesn't work with freezer paper.

And in contrast freezer paper is perfect for one offs. The time and expense of producing a screen for just one print obviously makes little sense.

So I was delighted to remember my stash of freezer paper that I could use to personalise this commissioned cushion. I used to embroider the details but with my recent penchant for printed fabric I really wanted to find a way of doing this.

I was very pleased to discover that freezer paper still has a place in my crafting...particularly since I have one mighty large roll.

And you never know, Jo and Fran, I may even need another one day soon...

Please let me introduce my screen print design Numero 2...Framed Flower...

I obviously had to trial it out in one of my colours of the moment, but very soon, it will be available in other colours too...I'm awaiting a delivery of LOTS of inks this week. VERY excited...

The first item I've made up is this little pouch and lined it with one of my new vintage fabric acquisitions.

I hope you like Framed Flower and if you like the pouch, it's for sale right here...

I was led astray today...

I'd been wanting to get Orla Kiely's book Pattern ever since it came out last year, but couldn't justify the £25 price tag, merely just because "I had to have it".

I met up with my good friend, Manda, today for a quick coffee and her beady eye caught site of it in the half price section at Hobbycraft. As she quite rightly said, I'd be crazy not to.

As I always listen to her, I didn't need much persuasion to grab it and pay for it before I could change my mind.

Since buying it I've hardly been able to take my eyes off it.

As you can imagine, being a self-confessed Orla fan, it is music to my senses. It is, as you would expect, every pattern Orla has ever designed, along with fantastic pages of swatch inspirations of all her ranges ever.

I am such a fan of everything Orla (yes, I would be quite happy to be seen driving around in one of her Citroen's) that my children can recognise an Orla design from miles away.

I apologise to anyone out there who may see themselves as the style guru of the 21st Century, but I'm sorry, you are wrong, it is she, Orla, who is the one and only Queen.

I haven't had chance to read all the interesting prose behind the Lady, but have dipped in and am mesmerised and can't wait to read from cover to cover. This isn't just a picture book.

Besides all the incredible photographs in here from swatch choices to billboard adverts to blogs depicting Orla usage in our own homes, this picture below drew most attention in our house, with comments of "Mummy, wants that one. No, she wants that one. But she's already got that one."

Whichever one that one is, there is always room for one more Orla bag.

Personally that one more would be the grey and blue, top left.

Which one would you choose?

And if you don't already have this book in your possession, i can not instil strongly enough the need to find a friend to lead you astray and acquire it pronto.

This is one of those quilts I so enjoyed making.

It could have been the fact that I knew I loved the colour combination from having done the scrap doll's quilt the other week, so I was excited to see a bigger sized version.

Or it could be that it is for a very special little girl.

Some very dear friends of ours went through extensive fertility treatment for several years and were eventually rewarded with 2 gorgeous twin boys.

Then, as is often the case, less than 6 months later our friend discovered she was pregnant again. Only naturally this time.

Obviously we were all over the moon for them and very excited about the impending arrival.

I don't know if it was just wishful thinking for them, but I had this feeling she was going to have a little girl. After all they had been through, to have a girl this time seemed the perfect addition.

I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting the little bundle in question, as they live in Israel, but we are visiting this summer and I can not wait.

I got back into the screen printing workshop yesterday, having missed a week and boy was I chomping at the bit to get there.

One of the wonderful things about study of any description is the fantastic new possibilities that arise as a consequence. It sounds obvious, but having not formally studied for many years I had forgotten that and started the Screen Printing Course thinking I knew what the sole end result of doing it would be - to be able to print fabric.

But by the end of Lesson 1 this thought had been shattered and so many more possibilities had already started filling up space in my head.

I knew that screen printing was widely done on paper, it just hadn't entered my psyche that that would be something I would be doing with it.

I think I have mentioned before (just the once or twice) the excitement of discovering new skills and the potential of what to do with them, so when I went in yesterday I wanted to spend some time seeing where this would take me.

I was playing around with my Tweet design on paper and am really pleased with the end result. As I said, this has really taken me by surprise, the fact that I'm interested in doing this, and am thoroughly enjoying trying new things and taking skills I have learnt to a different place.

The trouble is, life often feels too short and it's hard enough to fit in all that we need and want to do without adding to it. But, let's face it, I've never been one to put ideas and projects to one side.

This will consequently mean that my shop will have a new section to it...paper goods...of which there is one item currently in it, but hopefully it won't be too long being it is filling up nicely. In the meantime, this sole item can be found right here...

You know when some weeks start off mental and continue at that pace well into the end of the weekend? This week has been one of those.

Starting with the photo shoot on Monday, it was swiftly followed by a trip to Wimbledon on Tuesday. An overnight stopover (would have been rude not to) meant not being back home til Wednesday and back at "the office" til Thursday, which in itself meant 2 days to fit a week's work in. Not surprising that didn't happen.

The busy week itself was sandwiched between 2 crazy weekends. It's all been good crazy. it's all been fantastic things, but I'm far too old for this racy lifestyle quite frankly.

Because the week was so mad I didn't get time to go to the screen printing workshop, which obviously made me quite sad and yearning to get there. Consequently I've booked to go in tomorrow. I've still got a back log of work from last week but if I don't get in on Monday I've a feeling the week will get crazier and I'm not going to miss another week. As it is we are nearing the school holidays (the boys break up on Thursday - more madness) and it's going to be hard to get in much then.

Last time I was in I was trying out my Bubbles design and one thing I have had time for was making up some pouches in it. I'm really pleased with how it's come out, especially with it combined with the vintage fabric I recently bought and tomorrow am going to be printing in other colours as well as trying out another design.

Crazy it may be, but hopefully productive too. This latest little pouch is in my Etsy store, along with more made in the fab Sumemrsville fabrics and hopefully after tomorrow it will be joined by even more Blueberry Park screen printed designs...