Reconnecting

I know I am "back in business" as they say but I did take some time out. Sometimes you need to switch off to reconnect and this Summer I spent as much time as possible with my two girls having a lot of fun and making memories.

Isobel's long awaited and much wished for sister Ellie made her arrival in March and has turned our world upside down for the better.  She is our rainbow baby after much heart ache so she has brought tremendous joy to our lives already.

So in the last few months we have packed in a lot of fun if you are interested check out some of the pictures below. Some of the things we got upto were:

• Ellie's arrival 25th March 2018
• Ellie's Christening
• Sister photoshoot........... with matching dresses......... and a unicorn. Isobel doesn't half as for much. I got some strange looks dragging a 3ft unicorn down the woods with me.
• First family holiday as four
• Ellie's first time swimming
• Trip around our Town in Mountmellick to admire the Yarnbombing
• Visit Japanese Gardens and Irish Stud
• Visit Kildare Pet Farm and Shop
• Lots of playground fun
• Visit to the Round Tower in Timahoe
• Visit to the Rock of Dunamaise
• Visit Mountmellick Museum
• Build a fairy garden
• Baking (with apples from the garden)
• Toast marshmallows
• Durrow Scarecrow Festival
• Complete Summer Stars reading challenge in the Library
• Start second class (communion next May !!!!)
• and an added bonus was coming home with pupil of the week already. Very proud mammy and daddy.

When Izzy met Ellie

Happy Birthday Ellie

Homeward Bound

 

Banna Beach, Co. Kerry

 

Twinning is Winning

Round Tower Timahoe

Rock of Dunamaise

Mountmellick Museum

Mountmellick Yarnbombing

The Selfie Queen

Emo Court

Famiy Fun with cousins Faith and Hollie in Emo

There were three in the bed and the little one said roll over !!

Checking out Daddys gear

Rock GAA Family Fun Day

Visit to Kildare Village for some Donuts

Pupil of the Week

Summer Stars Reading Challenge at Mountmellick Library

So as you can see I have had little time for crafting and crochet but I am back to it now when time allows. If you want to see my works please check out my Facebook page Little Lids Siobhan.

Narwhal Narwhal swimming in the ocean

So this week I created the elusive Narwhal. Quite a cutie we decided on a rainbow one to add to our collection of pet jars.

There are people out there who believe these creatures are myths just like unicorns, but they are real, live, breathing creatures that can live upto 50 years. The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), or narwhale, is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada, and Russia.


Narwhals can live up to 50 years. They are often killed by suffocation when the sea ice freezes over. Other causes of death, specifically among young whales, is starvation and predation by orcas. As previous estimates of the world narwhal population were below 50,000, narwhals are categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Nearly Threatened. More recent estimates list higher populations (upwards of 170,000), thus lowering the status to Least Concern.[4] Narwhals have been harvested for hundreds of years by Inuit people in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and a regulated subsistence hunt continues.

They have become quite popular amongst kids again as there is a squishy version and the catchy tune on youtube that my daughter and nieces are forever singing. Here is the link if you want to hear it Narwhal Song

If you want to keep up to date with my creations or order one please visit my facebook page: Little Lids Siobhan

What to get the crafty one for Christmas

It can be hard to pick a present for people for Christmas and even more so for the creative person in your life. As a crafter I know this and the problems I cause people like my poor husband when picking out presents for me, so I have done a little research and found some wonderful items.


For the little yarnbombers in your life I am loving these Pom Pom makers which are on offer for €7.49 in Smyths at the moment.

Stick, Pull and WOW! Decorate your room, stuff and style with the Pom Pom Snap and Decorate set in 3 simple steps. The Snap & Decorate Set, allows you to snap, create and decorate with cool Pom Poms. The set includes; 18 plastic letter snaps so that you can create any word you like and decorate it with Pom Poms. There are so many ways to decorate, Pom Pom your World!


Top of my list last year was a light up crochet hook. I bought mine from a shop on Etsy but they can be readily sourced on the internet. Great for anyone working in the evenings or with dark colured wool, it helps take the strain off your eyes.

storage is always a problem for a crafter and keeping all your supplies together. I spotted this in Homestore and More and it would be a steal at €4.99 for holding, wool, needles, glue gun etc.

 

Even when crafters are taking "a break" sometimes they need to be at something. These adult doodling books are great. There are loads of designs on offer from the Book Depository website at the moment and all with free shipping !!! 

and for me personally I love anything that is handmade, be it a cookie, piece of jewellery or crafty.

Also I cannot stress the importance of buying locally especially this time of year. I know not all items and gifts can be sourced locally but I would encourage people to have a look around their own towns before they go online or into their cars.

My own local town is Mountmellick and it has a great selection of shops and services with something to suit everyone and suit your pocket. Check out their page:

https://www.facebook.com/christmasinmountmellick

Plan the work and work the plan

My big task at the moment to help move my business forward is to create a business plan. I've made a few attempts on my own but it goes back in a folder and hasn't been completed. Luckily in Laois we have a great Local Enterprise Office and they recently gave me a session with a mentor so talked me through the process and gave me a template to work from.  It was a very positive experience and I would definitely recommend you see if the same is available in your area through your Enterprise Office.

Definition of a Business Plan: A business plan is a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals.

This formal definition can be a bit daunting. To myself a business plan is a guide—a roadmap for your business that outlines goals and details how you plan to achieve those goals. I am not going to write mine like a school essay, I would rather you pick it up and see a little of me from it. So for me a business plan is just a plan for how your business is going to work, and how you’re going to make it succeed.

I understand it is an important document and a very useful resource. I will use it in the future to help look for funding or a loan to further my business and to get my items stocked in shops.

I think the proces will also help me see where my time is spent and how to manage it better. From research, making items, buying stock, social media, interaction with my Facebook page audience and also keeping proper financial records to see how my business is running.

My Little Doll

While i was pregnant my only misfortune thank god was my low blood pressure which lead to severe boredom and watching the clock to see was another day over. But i thought ahead of all those nice walks in the crisp weather and then a baby blanket was born. Not happy with that of course there had to be a scarf and hat made to match.

As every girl knows you can never have enough clothes, so Isobel’s collection of hats is a work in progress and definitely a labour of love. Isobel loves her fashion (even back at 21 months old) and if the hat and outfit aren’t working I get the words “no like” and its back to the drawing board. I can’t wait till she is big enough to come up with her own ideas and designs, could be quite the little partnership I reckon.