SparkleSmith

Day 28 of 28.

2011-02-28T21:02:00.005Z

Day 28 of Three Things February. Monday 28th February.

Oooh its the final day of Three Things February. Well done to everyone who took part for the whole month, whether it be through blog, twitter or blog comments. Remember it was SarahRooftops who came up with the initial idea. I await to see what her next blog plan will be. My final day of February has been spent indoors. I haven't left the house once.

01. Bunting. The Hello Kitty bunting I've been making today. I ran out of fabric before the last flag so might be a while before it is finished.

02. Remote Control. Makes life so much easier. Pathetic I know.

03. Twitter. Have spent quite a while on Twitter today. Just 5 more minutes turns into an hour each time.

Goodbye Three Things February. See you in 2012.

Day 27. Last But One.

2011-02-27T19:33:00.004Z

Day 27 of Three Things February. Sunday 27th February.

01. The Pentlands. Even though I've lived in Edinburgh for 10 years, today was the first time I went walking in the Pentland hills. Should have done it a long time ago but will definitely be there a lot more regularly now. Absolutely gorgeous and right on our doorstep.

02. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Oops, bought a packet to last the week. They lasted about 2 hours.

03. My Woolly Hat. I love my hat. It stopped me from getting earache and brainfreeze today. It's superwarm, bright blue and just fab. Lothian Buses held it to ransom for £2 once. I love my hat.

Day 26.

2011-02-26T21:28:00.005Z

Day 26 of Three Things February. Saturday 25th February.

Very lazy day, hence 3 very lazy things.

01. Philadelphia. Eaten a whole tub today. As dip with thai chilli crisps, as dip with celery and on toast. Mmmm.

02. Television. Let's Dance for Comic Relief actually made me cry with laughter tonight.

03. Interweb. Been looking for self catering accommodation for Wales tonight. Love the interweb, and love TripAdvisor.

Day 25.

2011-02-25T22:52:00.007Z

Day 25 of Three Things February. Friday 25th February.

01. Surprises. I got home today to find the fabulous Things on Toast book. The lovely @SarahRooftops had seen it and thought of us. Must be something to do with my love of weird things on toast.

02. Ketchup. Think I've been eating a bit too much ketchup recently. Tasty on my cheese and onion pasty though.

03. Tuc Tucs. Enough said.

Day 24. Three Things February.

2011-02-24T20:58:00.002Z

Day 24 of Three Things February. Thursday 24th February.

01. Creme Eggs. While tidying the living room this morning I found a bag of 4 Cadbury's Creme Eggs. Yumm. Mother in law had bought them at the weekend then lost them. Finders Keepers.

02. Visitors. Some friends came to visit with their 6 children. Had a fun day of hide and seek, giant straws and eating cookies. The weather was even so good we had lunch in the garden.

03. Salmon. I didn't think I liked salmon, but had it for dinner tonight and it was absolutely gorgeous. Along with potatoes from the Farmers Market at the weekend. Much better than the chippy.

Day 23. Three Things February.

2011-02-23T21:44:00.002Z

Day 23 of Three Things February. Wednesday 23rd February.

01. Tuc Tuc Biscuits.

02. Cereal.With red berries, mmmmm.

03. Weird conversations. They make me laugh at work making it go that oh so tiny but faster.

Day 22.

2011-02-22T20:35:00.002Z

Day 22 of Three Things February. Tuesday 22nd February.

01. Cashew Nuts. Kept me going all day.

02. Getting a lift home. Which meant I zoomed home and was back by 1830hrs.

03. Cottage Pie. Yumm.

Day 21.

2011-02-21T20:40:00.005Z

Day 21 of Three Things February. Monday 21st February.

01. Chocolate Chicken.

02. Capital FM. Better than expected even if they do play Rhianna every third song.

03. Post. I like getting post that isn't a bill.

Day 20. 8 Days Left.

2011-02-20T22:13:00.003Z

Day 20 of Three Things February. Sunday 20th February.

01. Wedding Fair. Today I did a wedding fair at the Grosvenor Hilton in Edinburgh. Met lots of lovely folk, spoke to lots of brides and learned a lot about the benefits of signage.

02. Toby Carvery. The inlaws are visiting so we went to the Toby Carvery in Corstorphine for dinner. For once I didn't eat so much I thought I was gonna burst. Yorkshire puddings mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

03. Sunday Evening. Playing on Twitter and Facebook, watching Dancing on Ice and generally having a relaxing Sunday evening. Good weekend.

Day 19. Three Things February.

2011-02-19T20:15:00.008Z

Day 19 of Three Things February. Saturday 19th February.

01. Selection Box. In laws came visiting and bought me a left over from Christmas selection box. Pretty much gone already, moo.

02. Garlic mushrooms. I love garlic far too much.

03. Being Warm. The heating has been on all day and for the first time in weeks my fingers haven't gone numb while working at home.

Forgotten Day. Three Things.

2011-02-19T20:06:00.004Z

Ok, I missed a day yesterday. I blame SarahRooftops though, as she made me lose time, and as she is the creator of Three Things February I get away with missing a day. You're welcome.

Three things for yesterday. Day 18. Friday 19th February.

01. Garlic. Garlic cloves, garlic bread.

02. Visitors. SarahRooftops from Among the Chimney Pots fame came visiting for the evening along with Steve her lovely boyfriend. Food, garlic, wii.

03. Ice Magic. Mmmmm far too much of fake Ice Magic on far too much ice cream.

Day 17. Three Things.

2011-02-17T22:25:00.004Z

Day 17 of Three Things February. Thursday 17th February.

01. Freddo. 1900hrs. Had a sugar slump, fixed immediately by Mr Freddo.

02. Willpower. 2045hrs. Left work and resisted the urge to go into the chippy. Would have been tasty but glad I stopped myself.

03. Toast. 2200hrs. More balsamic vinegar and pepper toast when I got home. Yumm.

Day 16. Three Things February

2011-02-16T21:33:00.004Z

Day 16 of Three Things February. Wednesday 16th February.

Short and sweet.

01. Twitter. Kept me amused while at work. People on Twitter are funny.

02. Facebook. Also kept me entertained for a lot of the day.

03. My Stripey Notebook. Very pleased to remember it today seeing as I forgot my memory stick.

Day 15. Three Things February.

2011-02-15T20:47:00.005Z

Day 15 of Three Things February. Tuesday 15th February.

01. Lateness. The 8pm bus home running 4 mins late which meant I got to the bus stop on time and didn't have to wait another 28mins in the dark and cold for the next one.

02. Peeking. Looking into peoples windows from the top deck of the bus. Saw some lovely rooms and lots of people watching tv.

03. Dinner. Lovely husband having mushrooms on toast ready for me when I got home from work tonight. Loads of butter and even with a slice of lemon. I like.

Day 14. Valentine's Three Things.

2011-02-14T19:54:00.006Z

Day 14 Three Things February. Monday 14th February.

01. Valentine's Day Secrets.

02. Cactus. Heart Shaped :)

03. Brussel Sprouts for tea.

Day 13. Three Things.

2011-02-13T20:52:00.006Z

Day 13 of Three Things February. Sunday 13th February.

01. Breakfast. Tattie Scone Butty from Snax for breakfast. Amazing.

02. Seals. This forward my Mum sent me. Adorable video for all animal lovers http://vimeo.com/18479035

03. Dinner. Mushrooms, red onion and garlic on toast. Yummm.

Day 11. Three Things February.

2011-02-12T20:27:00.005Z

Day 12 of Three Things February. Saturday 12th February.

01. Free KitKats. Some forgetful person hadn't emptied their shopping properly at the supermarket. So when I grabbed a trolley in the carpark I got a free packet of 10 KitKats. Hurrah.

02. Coconut Gunk.
Bought a wee coconut thing full of lard stuff for the wee birdies. They found it within the hour and have been happily chomping away on it all day.

03. Scrabble. Becoming a bit addicted to the Facebook Scrabble again. My rating is down to 64%. Used to be 72%. Must keep playing to get high again.

Day 11. Fabric, Food & Films.

2011-02-11T20:42:00.005Z

Day 11 of Three Things February. Friday 11th February.

Three things that made me smile today.

01. Fabric. The lovely fibrousarts from Twitter asked the other day if anyone had a good home for her fabric to go to. Met on Leith Walk today and got a fabulous bag full of scraps and lots of other crafty goodies. Thankyou Thea.

02. Lunch. Having lunch with a pal at Lebowskis, Morrison Street in Edinburgh.

03. DVD. Buying a new DVD player for a paltry £15.

Day 10. Three Things February.

2011-02-10T19:04:00.011Z

Day 10 of Three Things February. Thursday 10th February.

Three things that made me smile today.

01. Get it on. Radio Scotland. The theme tonight was life changing lyrics. Listened to almost the whole show with tears streaming down my face. Such amazing stories and emotional songs.

02. Garlic Bread.

03. Tennis. Tennis on the Wii. Have almost got to pro status.

Sarah Rooftops, Diamonds on Toast and Lil Miss Katy are also taking part in three things February.

Day 9. TTF.

2011-02-09T23:06:00.003Z

Day 9 of Three Things February. Wednesday 9th February.

01. Finding. Being told my mp3 player had been found alive and well in the glove box of the car. I haven't seen it since October so very pleased to get all my cheese back.

02. Bracelets. I have a wedding fair coming up in a couple of weeks. Spent most of the day twisting small pieces of silver into smaller pieces. Resulted in some beautiful sparkles ready for some beautiful brides.

03. EdTweetUp. Went along to my first Edinburgh Tweet Up at Illegal Jacks. Had a great night, tasty chilli and got to meet the real life versions of lots of lovely Edinburgh tweeters.

Day 8. Sleep, Read, Eat.

2011-02-08T20:16:00.008Z

Three Things February was started by Sarah Rooftops. If you want to read 3 things by more people you can follow the #3thingsfebruary hashtag on Twitter.

My 3 things for today are

01. Lie in. Didn't get up till 0830. Lovely.

02. Emails. Got a much awaited email this afternoon. Can't say exactly what it was but I've been waiting on it for 3 weeks. Made me very very happy.

03. Dinner. My lovely husband had dinner on when I got home. A lovely beige meal of scampi, cheese & onion rolls and garlic bread.

Day 7. Three Things.

2011-02-07T21:06:00.004Z

Day 7 of Three Things February. Monday 7th February.

01. Gardening Book. Today I bought Gardening Through The Year, its a month by month guide of how to look after your garden. I have no idea what to do so bought the book with the simplest steps I could find, this one is excellent. A lot of my family are great gardeners so hopefully gardening skills are hereditary.

02. Free Surprise Food. Nipped out of work for 5 minutes to get some lunch. When I got back there were 2 mini burgers a sandwich and a drink sitting on my desk. Lovely.

03. Snow. It snowed again.

Hungover Three Things.

2011-02-06T17:56:00.004Z

Day 6 of Three Things February. Sunday 6th February.

01. Bacon, Tattie Scone Butty. On toast with far too much ketchup and dripping with butter. Mmmm the perfect breakfast after a late night.

02. Columbo. Perfect Sunday afternoon viewing.

03. Birds. Watching the wee birdies in the garden eating the peanuts. Happy.

Wiiiiiiiiii.

2011-02-06T09:24:00.008Z

This is my Three Things February for Saturday. Running a wee bit late cause yesterday was housewarming day.

01. Housewarming Party. Lots of lovely people, many that I hadn't seen for ages. New babies we'd never met. Lots of fun and lots of laughs.

02. Wii. We love Wii Party.

03. White Russians. With a Woozle twist, yummy. Suffering for it this morning though.

Day 4. More T's.

2011-02-04T17:25:00.006Z

Friday 4th February. Day 4 of Three Things February. You can find more posts by people taking part in #3thingsfebruary by following the hashtag on twitter.

Today has been a pretty rubbish day. Lots of things went wrong but I have to write about happy things.

01. Tunnocks Teacake. Yummy, wasn't meant to open them till tomorrow but needed a sugar fix.

02. Toast. Breakfast of toast with lots of butter, black pepper and balsamic vinegar. I know that sounds weird but it is so good, I've eaten it for years. Try it.

03. Toms. We have 2 neighbours called Tom. Both are lovely and came round to help me with todays leaking window disaster.

Turtle & Pals.

2011-02-03T21:04:00.008Z

Thursday 3rd February. Day 3 of Three Things February. You can find more posts by people taking part in #3thingsfebruary by following the hashtag on twitter.

01. Turtle. My poor wee turtle in the garden is falling apart. When he came out of the kiln he had already lost a leg, but now his face is falling off. That's a bit sad but he still made me smile when I saw him in the garden. This picture is from a few weeks ago, less snow now but more flakey turtle skin.

02. Photographs. I was looking through our computer albums this morning to find pictures to fill some of the many photo frames we seem to have lying around. It seems we have been given a lot of picture frames, and never seem to have got around to filling them. It was lovely looking through old pictures of smiley people and happy times.

03. Bus Stop Lady. Some people are so friendly. Had a lovely chat with the lady at the bus stop while we waited in the monsoon for the #44. She told me all about her loft, her welly boots, her £10 boots which had lasted 5 years and her trip to Jenners. Brightened up 5mins in the rain.

Trainspotting, Twirls & Twitpics.

2011-02-02T22:01:00.006Z

Wednesday 2nd February. Day 2 of #3thingsfebruary

1. Trainspotting. We're just back from the 15th anniversary showing of Trainspotting at the Royal Scottish Academy. I won tickets last week on the radio, was really chuffed as I hardly ever win competitions so was really pleased to get a phonecall saying I'd won. From the reaction of some of the audience I would say there was a fair few people at the viewing seeing it for the first time. Seeing it on the big screen really did make such a difference, the last time we had watched it had been on VHS. What's VHS I hear you say?

02. Twirls. Currently my chocolate addiction is Twirls. I love them. Only one eaten today, but it was good.

03. Twitpics. Today I learnt how to do Twitpics for the first time. Turns out its ridiculously simple. Must not get carried away uploading rubbish now I've discovered how easy it is. Take picture >> Share Picture >> Select Twitter = Done.

Three Things February.

2011-02-01T20:48:00.015Z

I've tried listing a product a day. I failed. I've tried eating a piece of fruit a day. I failed. I've tried walking at least 1 mile a day. I failed. Pretty sure I will be able to manage this. Unless I have some sort of finger catastrophy, my brain falls out or I lose all interweb connection I will manage to do #3thingsfebruary every day this month.

It's all the idea of Sarah Rooftops and the idea is to simply find joy and good things in every day life. Sometimes days are long, drawn out and full of stress but there must always be something that can make you smile. In the case of this project, there must always be 3 things that can make you smile.

In Sarah's words (she explains it better) "These can be big events or exciting news; they can be silly little jokes or fleeting, seemingly insignificant moments; they can be pretty sights, nice smells, compliments, ideas, anything at all as long as they put a smile on your face."

Tuesday 1st February. Starting off a bit bus themed.

01. All Day Bus Pass. Today I loved my all day bus pass from Lothian Buses. I don't often hear people praising the Edinburgh bus services but their £3 all day pass is excellent value. Today I went on 9 buses so it saved me a massive £7.80. I like this.

02. People Watching. One of the advantages of travelling by bus is sitting on the top deck and people watching, I could people watch all day and never get bored of it. I particularly enjoyed looking into basement offices on Queen Street and seeing one guy with a picture of Jedward on his desk?

03. Being Thanked. Getting on the bus on Lauriston Place there was a lady struggling to get off the bus as the hoards hadn't waited for her to leave before cramming on. She had a pram with a sleeping child in it, and was also carrying a baby. I took the pram to the pavement for her while she carried the baby off. She thanked me and told me that I was the first person to ever offer her help since she had been in Edinburgh. It's nice to get thanked although I felt quite bad embarrased the rest of the bus just sat and watched her struggle.

Mini Purse Parade.

2011-01-31T17:23:00.007Z

I've been busy today making lots and lots of mini purses. I found the most gorgeous fabric that is just perfect for them. Light and bright with a fabulous mix of pretty flowers, retro funky patterns and brilliant colour.

All the mini purses are fully lined inside and perfect for filling with trinkets, toiletries and little nick-nacks when you're on the move. Mini purses are available on the SparkleSmith website or just get in touch with your requirements. Hope you like them.

Beautiful Snow.

2011-01-28T10:25:00.001Z

When the crazy snow fall begain in November last year it was time for us to move house. If things had gone according to plan we would have moved the previous week before Jack Frost even thought about making his appearance. However as we found out when it comes to new houses few things run smoothly. The picture above shows the view from our flat the morning of moving day.

The picture below is me in the garden a couple of days after moving in. Check out the depth of the snow!!! We were the only household on the street to not have a heavy duty arctic worthy snow shovel. We have learned our lesson for Winter 2011.

Chimney Pots, Rooftops & Photographs.

2011-01-08T20:54:00.026Z

I need to read more blogs. I need to make time to read more blogs. I need to make time to trawl the web and find new blogs to read. Currently one of my favourite blogs and one that I do always find time to read is Among the Chimney Pots from Sarah in Aberdeen. No matter what Sarah is writing about I always really enjoy and look forward to her blog. Topics in the last few weeks have ranged from a step by step guide to making a mini book (with pictures), new year fireballs in Stonehaven, neglected projects (neglected projects update) and book recommendations to name just a few. Sarah really gives an insight into her life, exactly the sort of fly on the wall and well written blog style I like to read.

As well as a being a wonderful from-the-heart blogger, Sarah is also a fabulous photographer who sells her work as From the Rooftops on etsy. Sarah's new year is starting on a wonderful high with her first exhibition in conjunction with Lola a fellow photographer opening tomorrow night in Aberdeen. The exhibition is open to the public from Monday 10th January to Saturday 26th February at Kilau Coffee on Little Belmont Street in Aberdeen. Good luck Sarah and Lola, hoping this is the first of many exhibitions to follow in 2011.

Resolutions.

2011-01-04T11:23:00.015Z

Happy New Year to all reading this. This year I have made my resolutions much more achievable. Food wise, instead of cutting things out, I am cutting back on them. Exercise wise, instead of crazy mental daily torture I'll be taking a more Woozle friendly approach to exercise and building it up gradually. I have my Wii personal trainer to help and it is shameful to admit that despite the acres of fields and woodland around me, I am more motivated by a tiny bouncing computer generated figure and a virtual hula hoop. To be honest I blame the instant gratification of a scoreboard.

My Wii fitness age this morning ..... 23, woohoo. Super hula hoop 745 spins, hurrah!!

Oh, and after neglecting my blog since October, one of my other many resolutions is to update on here more often. Good luck with your resolutions.

Motor Neurone Disease Auction.

2010-10-10T20:19:00.007+01:00

In September I heard about a facebook auction site which was raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. It was a great idea and a wonderful way to raise funds in aid of the organisers mother, Marion May. If you joined the facebook group or bid on any of the auctions thank you very much.

The auctions all ended tonight, and the amazing sum of £1000.13 was raised in just a matter of weeks. Overall there were over 100 items donated, along with a charm necklace from SparkleSmith which sold for £19. The auction page can be seen here. A very big well done to Caryl Purdy who organised the auction, for her great idea and all her hard work.

Open 24 Hours, Excluding Mon-Sun.

2010-09-28T11:54:00.006+01:00

The "24 hour" Asda at Junction One, Antrim. We arrived at noon on a Sunday. Need I say more?

Old Bracelet Reinvented.

2010-09-02T10:59:00.006+01:00

I got a gorgeous deep blue dress to wear for next weeks wedding and wanted some sparkling jewels to go with it. As I have so much jewellery already, instead of starting from scratch I decided to adapt the Halo bracelet I had worn for my own wedding last year. Original bracelet above, new electric blue bracelet below. Comments welcome.

Laughter & Horror Gauranteed.

2010-08-27T09:32:00.004+01:00

Couldn't resist snapping this one as we walked up Cockburn Street last week.

Purses & Pouches Giveaway.

2010-08-16T20:09:00.018+01:00

A new SparkleSmith competition has started and you can enter for free over at our Facebook page.

Its very easy to enter, simply find the Purses & Pouches album on our page and comment on your favourite picture. More will be added as the weeks go and feel free to comment on more than one picture.

The closing date is Sunday 26th September 2010, and the winner will be chosen at random from all the comments. The winner can choose any 2 available purses from the SparkleSmith website or Facebook.

New Site. Again.

2010-08-05T20:43:00.006+01:00

Ok, I know it hasn't been long since I last revamped the SparkleSmith site, but once again I got bored with it and before I knew it half the pages were upside down, inside out and back to front so I had to start again.

As well as jewellery the site now includes a selection of the purses and pouches I've been working on. More textile funk to follow soon. I've had a few requests in the past for an easier to navigate layout, so have now incorporated shopping by price and shopping by item functions which should make it more user friendly. The pages are also whiter and cleaner, and the images are more crisp.

Its taken a good few days work to get the site ready this time. This one will be sticking around for a while.

Relocating Where?

2010-08-01T20:27:00.012+01:00

I've just entered a giveaway and looking back on what I wrote after publishing it I can see it is full of mistakes. My excuse is I didn't get to bed till 4am, have just woken from a 2 hour evening snooze and my brain is totally scrambled.

I wonder what excuse the maker of this horrendous gaff on Shandwick Place gave?

Green Afro Man of Glasgow.

2010-07-23T10:04:00.006+01:00

A totally random and short posting today of a man I saw many years ago with huge green afro hair. He was bending down on Giant Western Road in Glasgow, and was at the perfect angle to get his new stunning bushy hairstyle. Oh, how we laughed. Click the pic to enlarge.

Rain and Rod.

2010-07-15T09:38:00.019+01:00

Rod Stewart was playing at Edinburgh Castle last night. We didn't have tickets but decided to go for a meal then have a wee dance along the Royal Mile to his music. We had a speedy meal at The Outsider on George IV Bridge, spent 20mins waiting to be served at Bar Kohl, then ducked into The National Library to avoid the monsoon, and spent about 20mins reading up on the history of golf. Turns out if you visit the library at 1950hrs on a Wednesday you have the whole place to yourself.

The rain got heavier as we got closer to the castle. Below is the queue of sodden Rod fans as they waited to get to in. As we walked down the Royal Mile we were offered 2 tickets (5th row from front) for just £50. They cost around £60 each at face value but fortunately we don't love Rod enough to sit in the wind and sheet rain for 3 hours. Plus the fact we were already soaked to the skin. We decided to head home.

Waiting for the bus on North Bridge the rain was so heavy we couldn't even see the other side. The picture below is of the Balmoral Hotel on the left, and the Old Post Office building on the right. Fingers crossed it's all gone for my outside fair this weekend, unlikely.

July Jesters

2010-07-08T19:36:00.013+01:00

I'm currently taking part in July Jesters on Folksy. This is a concerted effort by shop holders taking part to list a new item every day for a month. I'm not sure if I'll make it through to the end but I've made it to day 9 so far.

The Folksy shop for SparkleSmith can be found at http://www.folksy.com/shops/sparklesmithscotland

The picture above contains just a few of the many amazing handmade items available on Folksy. I especially love the bun with icing and the crazy purple fluffy teapot cover.

Top row, left to right. Pipistrelle, Mrs Toad Designs, Fresh n Funky Cards, Designs by Maxi

Bottom row, left to right. Great Green Ltd, Pavlova's Art Loft, The Crafty Bride, CheeryMishMash

Horseboy visits Amsterdam.

2010-07-03T09:59:00.015+01:00

Last September we went on our mini honeymoon and were lucky enough to stay in the beautiful Hotel Toren in Amsterdam. Sitting outside the hotel on Keizersgracht one morning, I saw an odd site coming across the bridge towards me. I quickly dug my camera out and managed to get a couple of snaps of the strange horseman. Click the pictures to enlarge.

Fast forward a few months and Horseboy is all over the news thanks to Google Streetview. He was spotted on it in Aberdeens Hardgate area, and then again on Hazlemere Road. Could this possibly be him on his holidays?

For a couple of other excellent Streetview images take a look here.

Folksy Friday. Dots, Spots & Louise the Chicken.

2010-07-01T12:45:00.016+01:00

Recently I've developed a bit of a thing for polka dots and spots. I have a fabulous polka dot bag, my spotty shoes are once more on show and I rarely am seen without my dotty summer scarf. With this in mind my Folksy Friday for today is pink themed and based around some of my favourite spotty dotty makes.

Top row, left to right – 1000Degrees Art Studio, Right Hand, Sarah Waterhouse Textiles

Bottom row, left to right – Tagus Gifts, Hollie Lollie, Titchables

I particularly love the spotty mugs and Louise the chicken. Click on the picture to see bigger images.

Patchwork Purses, Dots and Spots.

2010-06-23T20:50:00.015+01:00

Buying fabric is becoming a bit of a new addiction for me. Once my workroom was full of beads, and now its full of beads, fabric, random pieces of ribbon, crystals, silver and wood among other things. When we eventually get our new house I can't wait to have a bigger room with lots and lots of lovely storage. For now, small room = organised chaos.

Here's a few of the wee purses I've been turning my fabric hoard into recently. I went to town for mascara today and ended up coming home with masses of tartan, so lots more on the way soon.

I want a Tigerdog.

2010-06-11T09:17:00.005+01:00

Looking through msn's week in pictures, I found this gem of a pic and had to share as it made me laugh so much. Thankfully it's just ~~hair~~ fur dye, not some new tigerdog creation. I msn'd the pic to a friend who immediately pinged me back a link to the panda dogs below. All the dogs live at the Dahe Pet Civilization Park in Zhengzhou, China. They were dyed as a publicity stunt. Enjoy.

The Out of the Blue Arts Market. Edinburgh

2010-06-09T09:03:00.006+01:00

This Saturday as part of the Leith Festival, SparkleSmith will be having a stall at the fabulous Out of the Blue Arts Market in Leith, Edinburgh. There will be over 50 makers and designers there selling their painting, jewellery, furniture, clothes, photography and much more. SparkleSmith will be selling our fab range of sparkles as well as a mix of purses, mini purses and bags.

The market is open 11am to 6pm and is just 80p entrance fee. The Drill Hall Café will also be open throughout the day for snacks, meals and coffee. Hope to see you there.

The Bank, Open to All?

2010-05-28T16:47:00.010+01:00

Nothing says come and eat in my restaurant quite like a bleeding horse head does. This is such a bizarre advert, it definitely got us talking but definitely didn't make us want to eat there. I take pity on any bankers who unwittingly wander in for a swift half, particularly if they work for Lloyds TSB. Click on the picture to enlarge it and read all the text.

Folksy Friday. Bumbley Bumbles.

2010-05-21T09:44:00.016+01:00

I finally joined Folksy last night. There are only 2 SparkleSmith items there just now but more to be added soon, once I work out a faster way of doing it. And I have now discovered Folksy Friday which promotes other fabulous makers and designers. Thanks to the 2 giant bumble bees which flew into my living room this morning, my first theme is the humble bumble. Enjoy.

Top row, left to right. Pookie Su, Spoilt Pig, Julia Smith Ceramics (I have a bee bowl)

Bottom row, left to right. With Hugs and Kisses, Chain of Daisies, Vintage Candy

Click the pic to enlarge.

Norman. Happier times in St Andrews.

2010-05-09T00:16:00.013+01:00

This is one of my favourite pictures of Norman. Quite happy and full of chug as he drives along Granny Clarks Wynd and across the 1st and 18th fairways of the Old Course. We were lucky to get such a great shot with no golfers on the course and hardly any tourists in the background. Unfortunately due to the vandalism of mindless idiots we had to put Norman into early retirement. He’s been in my family longer than I have and hopefully he'll be making a comeback someday soon.

Below are some brilliant mini inspired items from etsy. I love them, especially the gorgeous lower 3 items all by Vitamini. Top row, left to right - Bag with Mini print by NKanner, Mini cufflinks by Blinkphoto, fabulous Mini drawing (which could be Norman) by Annechovie. Bottom row - Mini cards and lavender sachets by Mini lover Vitamini. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Ribbit Ribbit.

2010-04-23T10:12:00.006+01:00

A few pics of just some of the many many frogs we dodged on the way round Arthurs Seat a couple of weeks ago. It was a pretty amazing sight. They were all over the place, literally hundreds of them. Ribbit ribbit.

Today is Earth Day.

2010-04-22T09:05:00.008+01:00

Thanks to the ever changing Google Doodle I've just found out that today is Earth Day. To find out more and add your Act of Green go here - http://www.earthday.org/ My small acts of green today will be unplugging the television, putting out the recycling, walking home and picking up plastic litter along the way. The text below is from Earth Day.

Forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future.

Earth Day 2010 can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and green jobs. Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day

Chloe, are you out there?

2010-04-14T13:51:00.007+01:00

The Twisted Silver bracelet below has been chosen by Dawn, one of our recent winners as her prize. "Clementine" is a one-off Twisted Silver bracelet made with puffed banded agate, carnelian and creamy freshwater pearls. This bracelet has around 5ft of Sterling silver in it. The other winner is only known as Chloe, no email was left and no contact details on her out of date blog. So on the off chance anyone knows a Chloe who writes a Dr Who blog, please tell her to get in touch. Her prize awaits.

And the Winners Are.....

2010-04-01T09:01:00.013+01:00

Firstly a huge thankyou to everyone who entered, altogether there was just over 300 entries with a massive 247 email entries, thankyou. The favourites chosen by entrants were quite interesting, I certainly didn't think the no2 favourite would be anywhere near the top.

Top row, left to right. 20 votes, 18 votes, 13 votes

Second row, left to right. 13 votes, 13 votes, 12 votes

Third row, 11 votes, 11 votes, 10 votes

Fourth row, 10 votes, 10 votes, 10 votes.

The competition ended at midnight last night, the winners were chosen by the random number generator this morning.

Blog Winner - Chloe

Email Winner - Dawn Earls, Cornwall

Thanks again and don't forget to check back for the next competition starting soon.

Purses and Pouches.

2010-03-27T19:23:00.005Z

Interfacing. Calico. Seam rippers. A wee while ago I hadn’t heard of any of these and wouldn’t have a clue what they were for. Now I’ve learnt the terms, mastered the seam rippers for sure and have an ever growing and already massive range of brightly patterned fabrics. Oh and I've also made a load of bags, purses and pouches.

Today was my first fair of 2010, and as well as my usual range of bracelets, rings and necklaces I took along a selection of zippered purses and mini purses. Have a look and please let me know what you think. Thankyou.

The Wonders of Google.

2010-03-18T14:19:00.004Z

Personally I love Google Street View, and to be honest I don't have a huge problem with Cradley Heath in the West Midlands either. Not so sure other people feel that way though.

Take a look at these brilliant street view snips. The first one you need to look up once fully loaded. The second, you might feel the need to zoom out. Enjoy.

http://bit.ly/9L2sTG

http://bit.ly/abQBiE

Brand New Site on the Way.

2010-03-17T14:16:00.007Z

For anyone that regularly checks the SparkleSmith website you will no doubt be aware that the layout has changed a good few times over the years. So no surprise, once again I've been busy with my html and a new design is on the way.

Here's a wee sneaky peak at what the homepage will look like. The colour scheme will change to match the focal point. Any comments gratefully received, thank you. Oh and we'll be up and running again very soon.

More Pretty Things.

2010-03-15T20:44:00.006Z

A wee collection of items that make me smile, from some of the many talented people I follow on Twitter.

Top row, left to right. The Dog House, Taraduff, Dots & Spots

Bottom row, left to right. Ark Designs, SketchStitch, Hat Therapy

Please Ask for Furthur Details.

2010-03-12T12:19:00.010Z

To kill time and avoid frizzy hair during one of Edinburgh’s recent downpours I popped into the Cath Kidston shop on George Street. Very special and overpriced it was too, with pretty floral patterns, expensive aprons and tea towels aplenty.

However, the item that caught my eye is above. A sign telling customers to “ask for furthur details”. Amazing that a company that made £34m in profit last year hasn’t spent £2 of that on a dictionary. Have a look at some of the great images here for more classic mistakes.

Fifty Marathons in 56 Days!!

2010-03-09T19:12:00.007Z

Every year, along with millions of others I make a resolution to get in shape and take up jogging. This year that resolution hasn’t totally gone by the wayside, but I also haven’t quite managed the weekly run round Arthurs Seat I promised myself.

Someone who puts me to shame and has probably run further this year than I have in my entire life is Mark Cooper. Mark who lives in Edinburgh is currently in training for a massive marathon of marathons. Starting in May, Mark will be running a huge 50 marathons over just 56 days. His first marathon begins in Holland, and 8 weeks and an exhaustive 1300 miles later the last marathon ends in Barcelona.

Mark is running in memory of his mother Sheila who passed away in 1997. He is aiming to raise £25,000 for Edinburgh Headway. You can find more about Mark and his challenge here, follow his blog here, tweet at him here, and most important of all donate here. Photo courtesy of Fourtheye Photography.

Lovely People with Lovely Things.

2010-03-01T12:34:00.005Z

A small selection of gorgeous and tasty items from just a few of the lovely chatty people I’ve met at fairs over the years. From top left clockwise,

AliBali Jewellery - Bertie Girl - Scaramanga - Black Dog Textiles - Lauras Chocolates - Ruby Loves Red

Spell check is currently unavavailbale.

2010-02-26T20:43:00.010Z

While waiting for some printing to be done in Mail Boxes Etc the other week, I spotted this excellent sign on the counter. How this could go so horribly wrong I'm not sure. Even when spelled phonetically, I'm pretty certain available doesn't come out as avavailbale, teehee.

For more see this blog http://thegrammarvandal.wordpress.com/.

Winner of the OWOH Giveaway

2010-02-15T20:08:00.005Z

Its been a busy few weeks getting through the One World One Heart Giveaway blogs. There were 1105 bloggers from 40 different countries taking part this year, the biggest so far. No doubt next year will be bigger and better.

Big thanks to everyone who commented on this blog, we had 254 entries which is amazing and so much more than expected. The random number generator came up with number 54. Congratulations to Candy from Oregon, USA who runs the lovely Moments in Time blog. I'll contact you direct to get your details and your bracelet will be heading across the pond very soon. Well done.

Valintine's Weekend. Eeeekk!!

2010-02-08T10:35:00.004Z

Spotted this weekend in Co, Antrim, Northern Ireland. Honestly, how could nobody notice the blazing error in this poster before it went in the window?

By no means am I perfect myself at spelling and grammar, but there are some things that really should be double, and sometimes triple checked. Have a look at this fab blog by the Grammar Vandal for more cringe worthy mistakes.

One World One Heart Giveaway.

2010-01-28T11:23:00.008Z

Three days ago the brilliant and now annual One World One Heart blogfest started. I am taking part this year along with, at this point over 760 other bloggers around the world.

To take part yourself all you need is an active blog and something that you can put up as a prize, preferably handmade. For more details and for a huge list of all participants and chances to enter go to the One World One Heart blog.

Up for grabs this year from me will be a bracelet from the SparkleSmith Twisted Silver collection. This bracelet is a totally unique one-off piece designed and made by me. It is Sterling silver and made with gorgeous Chrysophrase spheres and Swarovski crystals. Chrysophrase is pale green with strains of brown throughout, it gets nicknamed mint choc chip for obvious reasons.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment. Make sure to leave your email or blog so I can contact the winner. Entries can be received up till Sunday February 14th. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator and announced on Monday 15th. If the winner is also a follower of this blog an extra prize will be heading their way. Good luck.

Don't forget our other competition giveaway which is open till the end of March.

Edinburgh Zoo

2010-01-25T11:50:00.009Z

One of my favourite places to spend a rainy day is Edinburgh Zoo. And if anyone else loves the zoo as much as I do, you will love this link too. The zoo is opening a new jungle themed restaurant this Easter, and they are currently looking for a name for it.

The winner gets a family pass valid for a year, excellent, as many days of penguin watching as you can cope with. So get thinking and email your entries to the zoo. For full details and the boring bits etc follow the link.

Edinburgh Zoo Competition

Sparkles to be Won.

2010-01-15T15:16:00.001Z

The first SparkleSmith competition of 2010 is open. And as always its easy as pie, extra easy pie this time.

Simply go to the SparkleSmith Sold page, have a look at the pretty bracelets then either email or comment on this blog to let us know your favourite (theres 72 sparkles and all bracelets have a grid reference number to save you typing descriptions).

A winner will be picked at random from both the email and comment entries.

Winners can choose any item off the site (except Halo bracelets). Closing date is 31st March. Winners will be emailed if possible and listed on this blog in April, so remember to follow us or check back to see if you've been lucky.

Sold Page
SparkleSmith

The Woolpack at The Sheep Heid Inn

2010-01-13T19:02:00.001Z

My favourite pub is the Sheep Heid in Duddingston Village, and luckily enough it is also my local. Usually we go for bbq's, beer festivals, banter and board games, but last night I went along for the first meetup of the Woolpack. Slightly apprehensively, as despite being given knitting needles 4 years ago last night was their first trip out the packet. Not that that mattered as I had some great coaching from Lauren and Evelyn, who were also very patient with me as a complete beginner. Good night, go at your own pace and eat tunnocks teacakes. Everyone is welcome, knitters extrordinaires and novice knitters.

The Woolpack at the Sheep Heid Inn runs on the first Tuesday of every month. Half seven till approx half nine. See the links below for more info, see you there.

http://www.woollysheep.blogspot.com/

http://www.sheepheid.co.uk/

Goodbye Snow.

2010-01-11T09:48:00.001Z

So the lady in the radio said today we are starting to come out of the big freeze. Hurrah, boo!! Hopefully that means the heating bill will start to drop, other news might be mentioned and wearing gloves in the house might come to an end. But on the boo side, the thought of no more snow till Christmas makes me sad. Its lovely to see the snowflakes falling under the streetlights, and it was quite funny watching the neighbours cat slipping on the ice. Here is one of my favourite images of the snowfall across the country.

Back with a Bump.

2010-01-08T11:30:00.002Z

Happy New Year. Well after two weeks on honeymoon in the sunshine, we are def back in Scotland enjoying the cold. Currently in flat with gloves and blanket wrapped around me even though the heating is on. Gotta love it. Just thankful we haven't been stuck in massive traffic jams overnight, or lost our electricity, yet.

Two weeks on an all you can eat buffet saw me put on 7lbs whilst on hols, so 2010 on a mission to lose it and the other 7lbs I put on after Sep, oops. Already lost a couple of pounds from going back to work, turns out they don't have non stop ice cream and pina colada's in the office - shame. Temperatures are apparently diving to -20 here tonight. We're off to a Russian night out this Saturday so I think the temp seems very apt for that, here's hoping there will be White Russians aplenty and the health can restart again on Sunday morning.

Happy days everyone.

So Much Food, So Little Time...

2009-12-16T14:54:00.001Z

Since our wedding in September I seem to have been in a constant state of hunger. I didn't starve myself before it, or have huge amounts of stress or lose weight with nervous energy. But since, oh my god. Anything and everything thats put infront of me is gone within seconds.

This week alone I have, or will be eating at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, The Outsider, Mother India, Zizzi and possibly The Sheep Heid. On top of this I had an Indian thali delivered on Sunday (x factor final so only expected), had Chinese in London last week plus another GBK plus an Italian before getting the train home. So much in just a few days, not much wonder I've put on so many pounds since Sep.

2010 is going to see a radical change to my diet. Its only been 3 months of crap eating but 3 months too many. Big improvements coming here soon...

I'll just finish these chocolate pennies.

Pretty Pretty Charm Necklaces

2009-12-03T23:21:00.002Z

So after quite a few months I've finally got round to increasing the Charm Necklaces at SparkleSmith. Made with gorgeous Karen Hilltribe silver from Thailand and a choice of Rose Quartz, Turquoise or Aventurine these are fab wee gifts. Remember all come gift boxed and price includes postage. http://www.sparklesmith.co.uk/necklaces.html to check them out.

Perth Christmas Markets

2009-12-02T16:32:00.001Z

Perth Christmas Markets were last weekend, unbelievably cold which I think stopped a lot of shoppers venturing out on Sunday, but Saturday was busy busy busy. A lot of people are getting SparkleSmith earrings for Christmas and our cute little rings are also winging their way to many a stocking. Saw a lot of regular market people including chatty Tom soap man, and Carl and Emma with their goodies from Scaramanga.

We made a wee weekend of it, stayed in Perth on Saturday night and had a gorgeous meal at the Glover Arms, highly recommended. Got back to Edinburgh late Sunday just in time for X Factor results with a chippy. Great weekend and just enough time to warm up before the next one.

Drill Hall Christmas Fair, 5th for SparkleSmith

2009-11-24T21:15:00.003Z

Saturday 5th (when we're there), Sat 12th (bruncheon & live music) & Sun 12th December

11am - 7pm each day, only 80p entry.

The perfect place to buy unique X-mas presents, seasonal handmade decorations and home accessories, in addition to the diverse selection of artwork and crafts, ranging from painting and photography through fashion, textiles and jewellery to furniture and design. This year more than 120 artists and makers will be selling their own work over three X-mas Market dates in the relaxed atmosphere of The Out of the Blue Drill Hall. Mulled Wine, Music & Christmas Cheer!
The Out of the Blue Drill Hall 36 Dalmeny Street

Located just off Leith Walk/Easter RoadBuses 7,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 22, 25, 35, 49
see http://www.outoftheblue.org.uk/ for more details

Rings, Tweets & Perth.

2009-11-23T19:20:00.002Z

I've been playing around on twitter for a few days and finally starting to get the hang of what all the codes and abbreviations are. Other than spending the vast majority of my time there, I've also been making lots of goodies for the Perth Christmas markets this weekend. Lots of new bracelets, earrings and rings to be seen on Saturday (will get pic up soon hopefully). My fingers are hurting quite a bit from making rings so fingers crossed they are gratefully received by the Perth shoppers.

If you are in the area come along Saturday or Sunday, we'll be there freezing in our layers of wooly jumpers. The market is in King Edward Street, right next to the St Johns Shopping Centre, at the Waterstones exit. See you there.

www.twitter.com/sparklesmith

Flooding in central Cork, Ireland

2009-11-20T15:38:00.002Z

My friend in Cork sent me some pics this morning of the terrible floods over there. Hightide and 2" of rain in 12 hours has caused disaster for many residents. Sandbags aren't going to be much help when the water is this vicious.

Cancer Research Fair, Edinburgh.

2009-11-20T13:20:00.002Z

If you live in Edinburgh and haven't managed to get along to the Art Exhibition on Chambers St yet please shuffle along today or tomorrow if you get the chance. There is three floors of Adam House filled with the most amazing paintings from artists across the country. The first floor also has a great choice of jewellery (including me), cool knitted things, bags, cards and pottery. Great Christmas gifts and even a wee tea room with coffee, tea and cakes all under £1. Bargainous and all for a good cause.

Ever feeling down, ever feeling sad??

2009-11-17T09:49:00.001Z

This is perhaps my most favourite YouTube video ever. If you are ever in need of a quick mood boost or need cheering up watch this, it never fails to make me grin like a loon. Hamish on the left, and Oscar. My pal Karens little men, enjoy.

Sore Heed & Grouches.

2009-11-09T08:35:00.002Z

Three days without the web, but I've tracked down the weekends Google Doodles. Oscar the Grouch from Saturday is on my favourite par with Cookie Monster. Elmo was from Sunday, and this Monday morning is Count Von Count, never liked him much.

We were in St Andrews for a fair on Saturday, it was a great day with over 1000 people coming through the doors. We are back to St Andrews this weekend for another fair and see the plans for the rest of 2009 here www.sparklesmith.co.uk/events.html.

I have a booming headache today, its been with me since Saturday evening. Hopefully on its way out soon, tangerines are being eaten by the bucketload. xx

Bert & Ernie of course.

2009-11-06T09:11:00.001Z

Had an awful nights sleep as so many things going round in my head, well mainly one thing that I just can't shake. Spent all yesterday making rings and earrings, finished a few bracelets off also for this weekends fair, Chambers St next week and Cambo. Today the Googlers have given us Bert & Ernie, couldn't really have their own homepages could they?

Big Bird.

2009-11-05T16:07:00.001Z

Hohoho, turns out the anniversary of Sesame Street isn't until the 10th November. And I have been reliably informed Google will feature a different character every day until then. Here is Big Bird from yesterday, love it.

I love the Cookie Monster.

2009-11-05T12:17:00.001Z

Great TV. Today is Sesame Street's fortieth anniversary. Very pleased to see Google have paid homage to the Cookie Monster with todays homepage. Definitley their best so far.

Probably Great TV for the wrong reasons. On a different note I can't believe Derek Acorah is going to be doing a live seance tonight to contact Michael Jackson. What a numpty!

Lurgy got me.

2009-10-23T10:53:00.000+01:00

Well, I have the lurgy. It's no fun. Am spending most of the day making rings as I ordered about 100 metres of the wrong sized wire, clever me. Now I have no wire to make bracelets with and with the Royal Mail industrial action it might be a while before it arrives. Hopefully not too late as I have a lot of Christmas fairs coming up which I need to build up new stock for.

Anyway away to Mr Hot Potato for a chilli potato to steam the cold out, might just have to put myself through the stress of ordering curry tonight also. Quite a lot of crazy stuff happened this week but still deciding what is a bit too personal to blog about, so for now I'll stick with the mundane stuff. We're off to the emerald isle next weekend, so fingers crossed that this lurgy has left me by then or I won't be able to taste the garlicky chips - disaster!!

The Beginning.

2009-10-15T17:38:00.000+01:00

So, the first blog - where to start? Well tonight Gillian is coming round and we are going to order the biggest curry, I love it. Other than curry my life is mainly sparkles and fairs just now. I run SparkleSmith, we are based in Edinburgh. I am married to Ian as of September this year, and also am now thirty, as of September this year. I'm not exactly where I thought I would be at this point in my life, but I am very happy where I have ended up.