i made a hammock for my new rat girls ...

...and i think they like it ...

the weather is getting better, and we can play outside ...

the weather is getting better and we can play outside ...
Originally uploaded by RaggyRat

daisy, mary and matty have been enjoying playing with the roll inside some fabric i bought years ago for my last flat ... i just used the last of it to make some curtains for my dining room, which for the last three years have been the curtains left by the late Mrs A, and on more than one occaision i had put my fingers through them while pulling them closed!

i had to chop the roll in half of course, and when one of them has finished, mary gets a go!

so now my dining room has a blackboard wall, and some new curtains ... but also some half stripped walls and some BIG post re-wire holes to fill!

off to visit steve's old grandma now, over in bridgewater ... loading car with lunches, nappies, wipes, potties, a toilet seat and lots of small children ... byeeee !

no, its not a school room ....

it's my partly re-vamped dining room ...

and my 3 of my four girls love it ...

i also do interior designing ...

my kitchen was re-done last year and i still havent painted it, but i will soon as those blue walls just dont go! i am pretty sure i have found a good match for those tiles though, after bringing a few samples home from the local paint shop ...

steve bought a new jug filter recently, so thats why it doesn't match the walls or counter ... he bought it ! i had to have one as the other was over 9 years old not fitting together as well ....

three little chickens ...

the bigger chicken is my child friendly dining room doorstop - all these 1950's self-closing hinges would trap little people - and the two smaller softie chickens are presents...

i know that steve craves three chickens of his own, but for now, we just have chicken art ... and our pet rats of course!

Cives romanes exeunt .....

roman soldier!
Originally uploaded by RaggyRat

its time to go little roman, who has been on my dining room wall for a few years ... he was a 'year 2' creation by louise .... one of the things she actually finished, her teacher said ...

time to decorate my dining room and lose that awful walpaper ... !

i do think he would make a rather nice doll ....

three, aged three and under ....

hmm, that's a bit more of a mouthful, and a slightly bigger handful for crafty cat, of course ! well matty and daisy turned three ... we made some big badges and they wore them all day until bedtime ...


matty was grumpy most of the morning ... but matty-daisy did give each other a lovely hug and said happy birthday before breakfast!

i made them some 'MOGS' and they were delighted ...





we took the mogs to solomans house to meet with fellow HEers, and then went to the farm shop in martins town to see the animals and buy a cake for tea...

eat the doggie !

kissss!!
Originally uploaded by tantehilde

i made this for TANTEHILDE's 5th baby, and now he has grown a bit he looks like he is really enjoying it ...

the pattern is from MY FUN TO SEW by janet barber, a book i grew up with since i was about 7 years old.

thanks for the photo hilde!

presents for friends ....

this bird sits in Davies window, at Camden Street Studios ... he is made from part of a vintage printed skirt, and the pattern is symetrical which suited thwe bird well ...



i made this Cat for Ally, who engineered my trip and put me up after the gig on saturday night. Her cat Ellie was very taken with me ...perhaps because i am a raggy-rat lady?

TOP SECRET MISSION - complete !

a few weeks back i put up a couple of posters on my blog, one the local choir concert and one this -
but i didn't say i was actually going to travel to this venue to surprise my friend Davie, and sing a song with willie!


it was a fantastic night, and the fun didn't end until near midnight, when i turned into a pumpkin and went back to Ally's house to sleep...

my friend Davie was very surprised! he let me play his mandolin over the weekend, and i played in his recording studio on Sunday!

a special thanks to ally for daring to share her fantasy of getting me to the gig, and to all the artists and other folk that made this wee Dorset lass very welcome, and wonderfully entertained! special thanks for the slice of chocolate cake go to Annette and Ashley too ....

squish of girl rats

squish of girl rats
Originally uploaded by RaggyRat

three girls in a log cabin, called badger, acorn and sweetie - by the markings on their tummies! (and badger because she nips !)

yes, i have real rats again, taken in on sunday to help a friend who rescued them, which makes me a propper raggy rat lady after all ....

this morning daisy and matty were putting their hands n the cage saying, c'mon badger, bite me badger!

they often say they are going to see if the rats are ok .....