Belated birthday Belle.....

So it would appear that I am a totally rubbish friend..... Last year I forgot J's birthday - a friend who dates waaaayyy back and this year I forgot the birthday of the youngest daughter of one of my most special friends - it was nearly two months ago and I only realised at the weekend - according to her Mum (my friend Lynda) this is what happens when you get to 40 - you forget everything apparently. Actually I am blaming it on how very stressful and hideousmy life was on the 9th June, when I was attempting to put up 25 final shows, deal with the tantrums that happen alongside this and cope with the mine field which is our marking system........! So I needed to pull something lovely out of the bag - this is what I have come up with - though I expect a bagful of sweeties and something pink might have sufficed!



Belle's Birthday Bunting!

Cushions cushions cushions cushions cush.....

So I had some fillers left over and well,, you saw the new prints - had to do something with them - now all I have to do is sell the wretched things!!!! How about the new Petersfield craft market on Sunday 14th August in the square - be there or be......

There's always someone who ruins the photo isn't there! Maybe he has a point though - enough's enough!!



Stool number two...

So here is the next after the before all done and dusted - blimey I am knocking 'em out - hmmmm, maybe I need to get me a real life.....!

Thief.....

So I promised you some pics of the fab weekend that we shared with Ned on his arrival at the downward slope! So I have stolen some of his from FB! Here you are.......

Michelle - the woman behind the event and on a mission

And the tents went up....

The animals were inflated.....

....and assembled for duty....

Time out - spot the difference...

Tom, the father of the son

The barbie got fired up...

Clive and Gill arrived with pudding - always a good thing to do...

The cake - a gadget of a thing for our modern boy..

Ned - all a glow..

Ivan (Mr Bicknell) and Leo enjoying the party favours - amazing glowing rings so that we could find our way in the dark - blimey the things you can buy on line....

As you can see, they were quite a talking point....

It wasn't just the big kids that loved them!

The camp fire, a first for Thedden - they are normally towering infernos! This time we could all lounge around and just chill without fearing for our lives!!

Early riser

Steve and Sarah looking far too fresh for first thing in the morning!

Unlike the two of us! Trust me, the face is best hidden!!!

A much more relaxed pair of girls - thank goodness benchmark birthdays only come around once a decade!!

Harry catching a ride as the campsite gets dismantled!

And now he's 40......



Coming along nicely....

The chairs and rougue other stool are now all painted and ready for a bit of distressing and new seats too, but these have yet to be printed, ahh, all in good time, I have forgotten birthday presents to make.........!



After the before and a bit before the after!

So I am still painting the rubbish I picked up at the dump - furiously turning it into treasure......!!! Here is a reminder of what this funny little stool/cabinet looked like and how it has been transformed.........

It had a horrible old bit of sheet covering some foam padding on the seat too - ghastly! But I have lost that particular photo somewhere, so you will have to use your imaginations!

Painted

Distressed - I just talked at it for a bit...

Covered

Poncy styly photo - love poladroid, don't use it enough!!



Weekend away

My Mum and I, a few years ago, started going on the odd weekend away jaunt, it really started when Ivan (Mr Bicknell) and I got married (nearly 5 whole years ago) and we did a sort of mother and daughter hen weekend with Annie and Judith (Mr Bicknell's sister and Mum) and has now become something of a tradition. I guess it probably stems from the days when my Mum would go away with her Mum once a year and leave the rest of us to fend for ourselves and of course survive dad's cooking (Just kidding Dad!), and I am very happy that it is me that gets to spend such great quality time with our Mum now, as she really is brilliant company and makes me laugh more than just about anyone else I know! This year we headed up to Market Bosworth in Leicestershire, although they would have you believe that it is in warwickshire! The hotel Mum found was called Bosworth Hall (funny that) and was housed in a rather magnificent building. There was of course a spa which we took full advantage of and a not half bad restaurant, although I cannot say that the majority of the clientele were as refined! Just to be really silly we also visited Cadbury world - enough to put you off chocolate for life if you worked there I would imagine and on the way home checked out the Outlet shopping place in Bicester Village - there were of course many bargains to be had, but I tell you what, half of the stuff was hideous and I have no idea what Viv and co were thinking of when they first let it leave the studio! I did pick up a couple of bits and pieces though, so I can't complain too much!  The weekend was also a gift from my Mum, so thanks Mum! xx

Bosworth Hall

Market Bosworth

self-explanatory...

You get too many freebies (ughh - how will I ever lose 2 stone - my new goal in life!), but amongst the horrible novelty tat, they had some Pantone mugs for sale - Cadbury purple of course, and as they were very reasonably priced and I had always fancied one, I thought why not?!