It's my sister-in-law's birthday today and I had no card, no present and no idea, even if I had them, when I would get over to give them to her.

Not that I was panicking or anything.

Oh and did I mention I had a hospital appointment that was going to take up half the morning too?

So, there I was, running out of time big time, but fortunately I at least knew what I had in mind for her....just as long as it worked.

She and my brother travel a lot...and I mean A LOT! (me, jealous? well, actually, yeah, I am!) and one of the things I love having with me, when I do get to travel, is pretty accessories to organise my packing. My lovely friend, Tara, who is going off on her own travelling adventure tomorrow, showed me something similar that she has for her smalls and it was something I was wanting to try for a while now.

Perfect opportunity and as it turned out a perfect present because, guess what my brother bought her for her birthday? Only a 4 day trip to New York! As I said, me, jealous? Yeah, just a bit...

Hello and a Happy Monday to you!

It's my favourite kind of winter weather at the moment. If you have to have winter, you may as well have it like this...crisp snow, blue skies...just perfect.

2 bits of news this week are...

1. A new Etsy shop!

2. A new product!

First up, my new shop...Blueberry Park Sample Shop...is something I've been meaning to do for ages. I gather a lot of samples from one thing and another. Whether it's from trying out a new design or making up things that don't go with "a range", I have a lot of pieces that don't fit.

In an attempt to keep my original Etsy shop more cohesive I needed another place to sell all these one offs.

The good news is these will all be at a great discount! I've started to load up some pieces (well, two) but watch out over the next few days (I hope) for lots of one offs at brilliant prices!

As for number 2 and a new product...

Whilst screen printing today I thought perhaps peeps might like my Euro design as a fabric patch to use in whatever project you like...add to a tote, a quilt, cushion...I don't need to tell you what you can use a patch for, but I thought they were a cute little purchase for adding a little something. Anyway they are right here, in green cross hatch and navy/grey squares.

Whilst printing up these patches a happy accident occurred...

I was using an old piece of newsprint to test the Euro screen and I don't know about you but I am pretty excited by the result!

These aren't great pics because, as I say, this was just testing the screen, but I like the effect.

Do you?

Now at some point I will be trying out a 2 colour screen and I think this will be high up in the queue. What do you reckon? What colours would you like to see together?

A good start to the week for me...weather...pro-activeness and general happiness...here's to it continuing for a whole week long ;-)

The internet is a powerful and dangerous thing...

...particularly when I'm outnumbered and all we are watching on Saturday night is Match of the Day (that's the day's soccer round up for all you non-Brits)

What else is a girl to do but go fabric shopping?

I've been needing (yes, Nina, needing!) something a little different in my stash recently and this yellow Woodland is just what I'd been after. I've been on the look out for a small yellow pattern that was a little different and this fits the bill perfectly.

This next one, a Japanese Washi piece is just so pretty that I couldn't resist. This one wasn't so much a need, but I'm pretty sure it will come in very useful, so in it popped into the basket.

And whilst I was there I picked up a yard of this Denyse Schmidt that I had seen in the UK, but my usual port of call seemed out of stock, so in it popped too.

Seems like Saturday night's in watching footy aren't so bad after all...

I don't know about you, but I occasionally get what I think are spam comments on my Flickr pics.

I mean, congratulating me on Explore...isn't that for, like, AMAZING shots.

Well, thanks to Lynne for putting me straight that apparently I have been on Explore and so they are legit Congrats AND what's more I've been on 11 times!

I am seriously over-whelmed, amazed, flattered that some of my pics have been picked out, for whatever reason and caught someone's eye, so THANK YOU, Mr (Ms) Explorer Dude for liking me enough to do just that.

And here for you are my 11 Explorer Stars...

1. log cabin olivia, 2. triangle mania 1, 3. brit pillow swap ..., 4. Pillow swap pillow, 5. Pillow Swap...getting there, 6. Pretty Little Pouch Swap Goodies, 7. Pretty Pouch Swap idea, 8. bird cushion 1, 9. 014, 10. 011, 11. hand2b

It's dead easy to see if you have any too (thanks to a quick lesson from Lynne...) simply go to Big Huge Labs Scout. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised ;-)

Taking a look at today's posting you'd be forgiven for thinking it was summer outside, instead of snow threatening the UK this week!

Maybe it was working with this selection of fabrics for Olivia's cushion that infiltrated my brain and got me printing in summery colours this week.

I'm not overly sure what the cause was, but it feels nice to preempt summer a tad and forget that it is so cold outside.

Olivia's cushion was completed last night, having been backed with the prettiest brushed cotton candy pink stripe that I picked up on Etsy recently. It is so super-soft, it is just perfect for the cushion.

I'd had a request for some of my Hexie prints (thanks, Nicky!) and whilst my brain was still on Spring/Summer, that's what got printed up.

Nicky swiped up this pack, but if you too are hankering after a bit of spring, there are more pieces in the shop...

After that unseasonal interlude, normal colours will resume very soon...

Hello and Happy Monday to you!

I can't tell you how much I am loving life being calmer and being in control. Don't get me wrong, I still give my fair share of crabby irrational crossness, but generally life is cope-able at the mo.

Just as I say that watch it change...

First weekend for a long time with no visitors, no trips, nothing pressing, leaving me to get started on a commissioned cushion for a new baby.

I really love doing these log cabin cushions. Every one seems to be different. One of the recent ones was a bit too pink for this customer, so I pulled in a bit more green and teal. Log cabins are perfect for adding a little special piece of fabric without hyper-ventilating at the thought of using up precious stash. Just a little row of Lu Summer's Hearts, along with Mikodesign's Matryoshka dolls work a treat. Oh and let's not miss a couple of teal Scruffy Daisy's here and there ;-) I love the pop of colour in the Erin McMorris Lollie fabrics too.

I've just embroidered the centre panel and am finishing off the personalisation, then magic it up into a cushion and we are good to go.

I have a couple more in the queue...let's hope I'm still enthusiastic about them after I'm done.

By the way...quick question...

I'm thinking of adding to my Take Away Kits and making a Log Cabin Cushion Cover Kit. What do you reckon? Is this something you'd like to see? Will possibly be based on my screen printed fabrics, along with coordinating plains. What do you reckon? A goer or a noer? If a goer , what would you particularly like to see in them?

Answers on a postcard please, and you never know, there may be a little something in it for you... ;-)

I'm feeling virtuous today...I finished my taxes...whoop, whoop!!

I feel so self-satisfied that I've been being kind to myself for the rest of the day and doing a few things that I don't normally allow myself time for...

One such thing is creating an Etsy Treasury.

I love looking at treasuries - such a mine of undiscovered loveliness and I've found that making them is equally addictive.

It's a little like doing a Flickr mosaic...bringing all the things you've found and loved into one gorgeous space.

So here's today's collaboration of pieces that have been hanging out in my Etsy Favourites file of late dedicated to a rare calm mood I find myself in, thanks to a big item being crossed off the To Do List.

Click here for a closer look and for details of everyone included.

Apparently I also had time to change my blog header, but that could be more to do with the panic that picnik is about to go. How very dare it?? And how are we going to edit our photos without it?? Answers on a postcard please - or a blog comment will work too - seriously, I live on that website. I'm a little worried...