Sunflowers for Laura

Toddler's sunhat.

Child's bracelet

Hairclips

Bracelet

Corsage

Those of you who have been following my ramblings on Folksy forums will be aware of my pledge to raise funds and awareness fo Cardiac Risk in the Young.

http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/hillier_my_story.htm

This is an account, written by a very close friend, of the day his daughter, Laura died. It's beautifully written and still makes me cry when I read it !

To raise awareness of this tragic event, and funds for research, I have been creating various sunflower accessories - sunflowers were Laura's favourite. These are all available to buy in my Folksy shop and a proportion from every sale is donated to this worthy cause. Details of the work done by CRY is available on their website - when you've read Tony's story feel free to browse further.

I hope my next blog post iappears sooner than this one - I WILL attempt a Folksy Friday very soon !

I had a little nut tree - - - -

When I inherited my garden, nearly 3 years ago, it was a cross between a wilderness and an Amazonian rainforest ! Once we had cleared away the waist high weeds I ordered an almond tree, something I always yearned for. When it arrived from the nursery it looked like a dead twig, but ever the optimist I planted in a nice, sheltered, sunny spot, and watched over it like a mother with her precious babe. On several occasions I thought it was dead, still bearing a strong resemblance to the original ' dead twig ' ! Then last Spring a few little leaves appeared and it grew about 6 inches ! WOW ! With the harshest winter for 30 years I thought it had succumbed, then ,again this Spring, a few more little leaves followed by BLOSSOM ! It lives ! It grows ! It flowers ! I just had to share my delight with you all !You can get an idea of it's miniscule size seeing it surrounded by daffodils.


Next week I will attempt a Folksy Friday , probably with a Floral theme.
Here's a glimpse of my Daisy hairclips.

New hats for Spring and Summer.

It seems like ages since I added anything to my shop, no-one seems to want winter woolies anymore so have added 2 more hats to my Spring/Summer collection. I really enjoyed making them and love how they turned out ! What do you think ?

Both available to buy in my Folksy shop.

Easter Crafts

On Saturday morning our church was a hive of activity as children and helpers decorated with flowers.

Easter morning saw the chilldren decorating hard boiled eggs, and engaging in a hunt round for chocolate eggs, which were eaten before we could take any pictures !

Easter bonnets and Spring swap

Here's three hats I made for Spring, in the season's trend colours. All available to buy in my Folksy shop !
And I'd love to show The beautiful earrings and phone charm I received from Kaz at Buteartism For the Spring swap. Gorgeous, aren't they. My favourite colours !

Mother's Day treats

Sorry if you've heard enough about Mother's Day to last you a lifetime , or at least until next Mother's Day !But I really wanted to share my experience with you because it was quite memorable.
It was preceded by many Birthdays - my Grandson was 5 on the 10th ,and his mummy ( my daughter) was 29 the following day, sharing her Birthday with her Mother -in- law ! So a very expensive and exciting week with lots of presents and tea parties !
For Mothering Sunday my son made the trip from Kent with his girlfriend to stay with us, and came laden with presents for my Birthday (in October ! ) Christmas presents for all, and a Mother's day gift for me (Mamma Mia DVD )
On Mother's Day afternoon we all congregated at my daughter's house where she presented me with a beautiful box of hand made cup cakes !
And of course, the Mother's day tea she had prepared boasted some more beautiful cup-cakes ,plus a large cup-cake for her Birthday ! I think you have to agree she's the Cup-cake Queen !

Spring is just around the corner !

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, I've had a horrible chesty cold and been feeling very sorry for myself ! However, today I'm feeling a bit more like myself, so I've been for a little amble round the garden with my camera.

I will be returning to my series of posts on allergies and sensitivities just as soon as I've worked out the technicalities involved, but for now just enjoy these pictures !
Sue xx

Natural remedies for sensitive skin

I have been looking round Folksy for some remedies for problem skin, look what I found !




very kindly sent me a sample of her best selling 'Omnibalm ' which I tried out on my dry, flaky knitter's fingers - it was amazing ! I'll definitely be back for more ! I highly reccommend a trip to her shop, she's got some beautiful potions on offer, and as a qualified aromatherapist can offer advice on a multitude of products. I also bought my daughter some personalised body butter to rub into her 'baby bump' !'

Allergies

I have been allergy aware all my life as we have a strong family history of asthma , hay fever and eczema. My second child in particular has suffered from eczema since infancy and still has flare-ups now, at 26. This has inspired me to offer advice on coping with this condition, based on my experience as a mother , sufferer and nurse. These skin problems have also led to me offering a range of knitwear suitable for people with sensitive skin, who cannot tolerate wool.

ADVICE TO SUFFERERS>

Avoid stress where possible.(!)

Use alternatives to soaps ,or specialised emolient soaps and shower creams.

Avoid over- heating , this definitely seems to aggravate the irritation

Moisturise your skin frequently with unfragranced , pure substances.

Wear cool loose clothing made from natural fibres, and use cotton bedding washed frequently at high temperatures - dust mites are another common irritant.

Many sufferers find food supplements helpful -Starflower oil for example ( rich in GLAs )

I hope these tips help, if you have any more please pass them on !

Here are a few knitwear items in my shop suitable for wool allergy sufferers.

Keeping Warm

Well, another cold snap predicted, so how about some tips on keeping warm ?

!) Layering - 2 thin garments are much warmer than 1 thick one

2)Keep active - excersise keeps the blood flowing and raises the body temperature

3) Eat regular warm meals, home made soups are ideal, and frequent warm drinks too.

4)Visit my shop for a wonderful array of winter warmers !

It's cold out there

It's been another cold day , but my shop is full of lovely winter woollies to keep you warm !

http://www.folksy.com/shops/susiej