Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Distractions, Butterflies & PsAZZ-ing...

 I've not been getting a lot of time to blog lately which I think is largely down to the general distractions of the school summer holidays and all the ins-and-outs that entails!  My making moments seem to have been crammed into little bursts of activity here & there which means this post is going to be a round up of several things...

To start with I've been spending a lot of time writing articles & producing the 'PsAZZ News' (which was originally a basic newsletter but now more like a mini-mag!) and also organising our next awareness campaign.  Some of you might remember the yarnstorm that was last years campaign and this year it's going to be  'A Bouquet of Hands'...


PsAZZ Awareness 2013


(I covered my first hand shape in lots of little fabric left overs and have lots more ideas in my head to make a few more - feel free to pass the poster around & join in :-)


Another thing connected to PsAZZ is that I have decided to make up some jewellery bits & pieces to sell so that I can use any profit to pay for things like getting some proper leaflets, posters & contact cards done or maybe even get a couple of copies of the mag printed to put at The Min. 

It's been a long while since I've made-to-sell but I been busy raiding my bead stash..


ready to make to sell


...and started making lots of earrings


earrings made by hand
It's filling up!

I also have to confess, that with the sunny weather and flowering of the buddleia we are seeing lots & lots of butterflies in the garden which I just love and keep get very distracted by! In fact, I have become a tiny bit obsessed with trying to get a photo of each different species that visits (and even did the 'Big Butterfly Count'!) 

So far we've had lots of 'Peacocks'....
Peacock butterfly
" Fancy meeting you here!" 


...several visiting 'Tortoiseshells' 
Tortoiseshell butterfly


Sadly there's not been very many 'Red Admirals' so far (and those that have visited are being rather camera shy)...
Red Admiral butterfly
" No pictures please...."

We've had masses of large & small 'Whites' fluttering prettily around together (and who seem to love the lavender more than the buddleia)...
Small White Butterfly



And we had a fleeting visit from a beautiful, raggedy winged 'Comma' which I haven't seen in our garden before so got quite excited about...
Comma butterfly


Then yesterday I spotted this little fellow flittering around on the lavender bush who I didn't recognise but,  I think is a 'Brown Argus' (thanks mum for doing a bit of quick research for me!) Like the 'Comma', it is also one I've not seen in our garden before so it got me a little over-excited again.  Anyway, he was very small & very cute and took a bit of a liking to my shoe..
butterfly on my shoe


Talking of lavender, today I've been making up some lavender bags which is a lovely pastime - not least due to the scent of the dried flowers that wafts around you as you work and generally induces a feeling of calm...
shabby chic lavender bags


So that's it. I think.

I guess I should really go make some more now I've got all that updating out my system!


Happy Making whatever you're creating!
xxxx