Ever started a job and thought why, why....WHY?!

Well, that's what I did on Saturday.  I woke up and thought, "I know, today I'm going to completely sort out my craft room!"  I hadn't even been drinking the night before so no excuse there!

Well, once I started, I had to carry on, but it was no easy task, I can tell you.  I have way too many clothes (my craft room also serves as a 'dressing room'), way too much yarn, way too many books (and a load more are stuffed in the bedroom waiting to be discarded to charity shops once they've been read), way too many beads/ findings, etc. and just generally way too much junk (but hey, I may need it at some point!)

I think the bookcase was probably the biggest task.  It may not look much from a distance, but appearances can be deceptive!

So much stuff!

I also decided to sort out my entire box of buttons.  You know what it's like, you get a spare button with a garment and just throw it in a box and finally you end up with a mess like this!  Well, this took well over an hour dividing the buttons into colours, but I was so pleased when it was done and I've got some gorgeous buttons I never knew I had.  I can feel some button jewellery coming on......




See, there weren't as many buttons as you first thought!

All nicely divided into bags according to colour

 

While I was in the zone, I even tackled my little baskets of general nik-naks and again found lots of little things I didn't know were even there!

I got rid of quite a few knitting needles (freebies from magazines or plastic ones given to me when I first started out) so I shall donate those to my work's knitting group.  We've got a few new knitters there, so it'll save them having to spend their pennies.

I even unearthed some jewellery making kits that I'd been given quite a while ago, so they are now in my 'projects to do box'. 

I haven't made any knitted wire bracelets for a while and I love doing them, so I promise I will crack on with these projects this spring!



Well, after all this sorting, I really felt that I was getting somewhere, and then turned round and was faced with this......

I won't tell you what I said, because it was rather naughty!  By this time, I thought a well-earned break was called for, so I stuck my head out the window and called in HP (who was doing a sterling job of clearing the garden) for lunch.

Come 2 o'clock, there was no putting it off any longer, so armed with a few of my favourite CDs, I headed back to the craft room for round 2.  Well, to cut a long story short (too late, I hear you cry!) I finally finished around 6 o'clock and once again the room was clear.

The finished book shelf

You may not be able to see too much of a difference in the before and after picture of the book shelves, but there is a vast difference, trust me.  I felt so great when it was done.  Getting a big project like that completed is great for you qi energy (so I've been told!)

In between all this spring cleaning, I still found time to catch up with some lovely friends.  It was AJ's birthday on Friday so we all met up that afternoon for a few cups of tea.  I made her a brooch, a shamballa bracelet, a necklace and a leather bead wrap bracelet:

A rather dark piccie, but the birthday girl loved it

I cheated somewhat with the necklace.  I found these beads in John Lewis, already on a wire strand, so they did the design for me.  I just turned it into a necklace.  The colours are lovely and very AJ!

This is the necklace on.  What I love about making your own jewellery is that you can make it exactly to your specifications.  I find most necklaces are way too long for my taste.  My Mum likes her necklaces to be almost chokers so she gets me to make a lot of stuff for her!





And what birthday is complete without flowers?!  Hope you had a lovely day, AJ!

Then, on Sunday, me and HP met up with Lady Char-Char and Dazzle for Sunday lunch and it was my turn to get some pressies.  Lady Char-Char gave me a pair of gorgeous sling-backs which are too big for her and a little silk bag that she found and bought for me.

She knows me well - green is my favourite colour...

....and it matches my knitting needle case perfectly!  Thank you!!!

And I even found time to do some baking.  Yesterday afternoon, I made a strawberry and white choc chip loaf, some raspberry cupcakes with coconut icing and some blueberry and raspberry muffins.  Fear not, they're not all for me and HP!

 Anyone fancy a cup of tea with their cake?