Lorna Smith - Blog
Jun
11
2009
I'm having a Yart Sale on my Etsy shop KnitTwits.... FREE worldwide shopping for all of my knitted goods from 10th til 14th June. Stop by and have a look. L x
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Jun
09
2009
I've had a very exciting week of creativity and it's only Tuesday! It started off on Sunday night with a two hour mammoth session of chatting with fellow members of Etsy from around Scotland. We are reviving our Etsy group McEtsy with a fervent passion, so watch this space for our new adventures.
I have had my second glove commission order within the past month going to Australia, so I am desperately thinking of ways to promote my knitted wares to the good people of Oz....any ideas would be appreciated.
I have also posted some new items to my KnitTwits Etsy shop, my favourite being these cute pink chunky knit gloves with assorted buttons... cute as a button!
My lazy butt has also been motivated to pick up my paint brushes as I have two commission that have been hanging over my head since Christmas! I thought I would show you how I go about painting one of my paintings with Acrylic paint...
First of all I paint a monochromatic under painting with black, white and a brown (Raw Umber). This gives me my very darks and very lights and helps me plot where everything goes. This is the hardest part for me and the most frustrating...I just want to paint with the pretty colours! But the most valuable. 
I then do a wash of colour using different colours over different parts of the painting. Here I use the watered down colour straight out of the tube and nice bright colours. This acts as a another base to the paintings and makes sure I get some paint into all of the dips in the canvas. As it is watered down you can see the monochromatic under painting still. I love seeing some of these bright colours creep out when I put the next layer of paint on. These layers give the painting real depth and interest. I have just started adding the next layer of colour. As I have my under paintings it's almost like painting with numbers and is my favourite part. I love colour and will show you how I get on in the next few days.
Hope you all had a good weekend. Get up to anything nice? We went to have a nosy around the grounds of Glasgow University...i want to go back to Uni now! x
I have had my second glove commission order within the past month going to Australia, so I am desperately thinking of ways to promote my knitted wares to the good people of Oz....any ideas would be appreciated.
I have also posted some new items to my KnitTwits Etsy shop, my favourite being these cute pink chunky knit gloves with assorted buttons... cute as a button! My lazy butt has also been motivated to pick up my paint brushes as I have two commission that have been hanging over my head since Christmas! I thought I would show you how I go about painting one of my paintings with Acrylic paint...
First of all I paint a monochromatic under painting with black, white and a brown (Raw Umber). This gives me my very darks and very lights and helps me plot where everything goes. This is the hardest part for me and the most frustrating...I just want to paint with the pretty colours! But the most valuable. 
I then do a wash of colour using different colours over different parts of the painting. Here I use the watered down colour straight out of the tube and nice bright colours. This acts as a another base to the paintings and makes sure I get some paint into all of the dips in the canvas. As it is watered down you can see the monochromatic under painting still. I love seeing some of these bright colours creep out when I put the next layer of paint on. These layers give the painting real depth and interest. I have just started adding the next layer of colour. As I have my under paintings it's almost like painting with numbers and is my favourite part. I love colour and will show you how I get on in the next few days.Hope you all had a good weekend. Get up to anything nice? We went to have a nosy around the grounds of Glasgow University...i want to go back to Uni now! x
May
25
2009
Hope you all had a spiffy weekend? It was a bank holiday here in the UK so hubby and I had a extra day off today which was lovely....though we spent half the day cleaning upstairs and the other half taking a trip into Glasgow to buy some holiday clothes for Miss G and I'm pooped!
I thought I would share the gig Mr Smith and I went to on Thursday which took us to King Tut's Wah Wah Hut for the first time (a long standing, and legend of a gig venue in Glasgow). It was like watching your favourite band in your living room! Lovely and intimate and made even better that we were standing on a bench in front of the sound dude...prime viewing. The band we went to see is BellX1....everyone say "who?" An Irish band that do really well in Ireland and rather well in the USA and have been on the soundtrack of The OC, Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill.
The lead singer has a truly amazing voice and great quirky lyrics....just fab. From the crowd at King Tut's who knew all the words to fantastic tunes such as Eve the Apple of My Eye, Bad Skin Day, I'll See your Heart (And Raise you Mine), Flame and Rocky Took a Lover, it's obvious there is a very strong fan base here in the UK. I have added some of their tunes to my Playlist at the bottom of my blog or you can go to their MySpace page. It has been three years since BellX1 last came to Glasgow...hopefully they won't take that long again!
You should also check out Prascilla Ahn. I saw her support Ray LaMontagne earlier this year and I loved her. Again there are some of her songs on my Playlist at the bottom of my page or her MySpace page. Happy listening x
I thought I would share the gig Mr Smith and I went to on Thursday which took us to King Tut's Wah Wah Hut for the first time (a long standing, and legend of a gig venue in Glasgow). It was like watching your favourite band in your living room! Lovely and intimate and made even better that we were standing on a bench in front of the sound dude...prime viewing. The band we went to see is BellX1....everyone say "who?" An Irish band that do really well in Ireland and rather well in the USA and have been on the soundtrack of The OC, Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill.
The lead singer has a truly amazing voice and great quirky lyrics....just fab. From the crowd at King Tut's who knew all the words to fantastic tunes such as Eve the Apple of My Eye, Bad Skin Day, I'll See your Heart (And Raise you Mine), Flame and Rocky Took a Lover, it's obvious there is a very strong fan base here in the UK. I have added some of their tunes to my Playlist at the bottom of my blog or you can go to their MySpace page. It has been three years since BellX1 last came to Glasgow...hopefully they won't take that long again!
You should also check out Prascilla Ahn. I saw her support Ray LaMontagne earlier this year and I loved her. Again there are some of her songs on my Playlist at the bottom of my page or her MySpace page. Happy listening x
May
20
2009
My favourite ribbon shop (VVRouloux) closed in Glasgow a few months ago I thought "no problem I'll buy it online"...famous last words! I just spent a good part of the last hour trying to decide on which web site to buy from, trying to figure of the tones of the colours, crying at the cost of postage and packaging for a couple of metres of ribbon *sniff*. I don't like to buy whole spools of ribbon as I'm not making that many gloves at the moment and I don't have the money to spend. So I'm at a bit of a loss. All I want to do is go to a shop and have a feel and look at the ribbon... buying over the Internet just isn't the same. I bought some around Christmas time online and it is still sitting in the box it came in as it is much heavier, not as silky, as the ribbon I bought from my favourite shop. Well the up shot is I still haven't bought any ribbon! I think I'll just have to be brave and go for one of the shops I found and pay the minimum £10 order with postage grrrrrr.
The ribbon is for my first order of gloves from Australia! Very exciting the thought of my gloves going to the other side of the world!
There are been quite a few lovely things coming through the post in the past few weeks, one of which arrived this morning from Gorjuss.
This lovely keyring is going on my work keys...something handmade from Etsy to cheer me up on my working days. What makes this even better is that Suzanne Woolcott from Gorjuss lives in Glasgow, Scotland where she runs her business with her husband (read this lovely article from Etsy The Storque on Gorjuss and "Quit Your Day Job".
One of the lovely friends I have made in blogland is Kenneth Anderson who sent me these amazing postcards of his work with an extra special one especially for me. If only I could draw like that by freehand. It's a picture of Grace with her pet Stegosaurus.....when she draws our cat Gizmo they always look like little Stegosaurus cause he's very hairy and spiky! I'm so happy with them and they will be going up on Grace's wall pronto.
I took the plunge the other week and ordered my first set of business cards for my KnitTwits shop from moo.com and I am so so chuffed with them. I think they look fab....what do you think?
I also ordered some labels for my knitted items but they are a bit bigger than I expected (I should have read the size print!!) so I'll keep them for my larger items such as this scarflette I knitted for Grace.
The ribbon is for my first order of gloves from Australia! Very exciting the thought of my gloves going to the other side of the world!
There are been quite a few lovely things coming through the post in the past few weeks, one of which arrived this morning from Gorjuss.
This lovely keyring is going on my work keys...something handmade from Etsy to cheer me up on my working days. What makes this even better is that Suzanne Woolcott from Gorjuss lives in Glasgow, Scotland where she runs her business with her husband (read this lovely article from Etsy The Storque on Gorjuss and "Quit Your Day Job".One of the lovely friends I have made in blogland is Kenneth Anderson who sent me these amazing postcards of his work with an extra special one especially for me. If only I could draw like that by freehand. It's a picture of Grace with her pet Stegosaurus.....when she draws our cat Gizmo they always look like little Stegosaurus cause he's very hairy and spiky! I'm so happy with them and they will be going up on Grace's wall pronto.
I took the plunge the other week and ordered my first set of business cards for my KnitTwits shop from moo.com and I am so so chuffed with them. I think they look fab....what do you think?
I also ordered some labels for my knitted items but they are a bit bigger than I expected (I should have read the size print!!) so I'll keep them for my larger items such as this scarflette I knitted for Grace.
May
10
2009
Miss G has been watching old kids cartoons on DVD recently and there are two firm favourites coming out tops. No.1 is Sooty and No2. is Dangermouse. Now for my American friends who haven't heard of either of these you can probably watch clips of both of these on YouTube. Grace is loving Dangermouse so much she's asking to dress up as Dangermouse for Halloween (a while to go yet so she'll probably change her mind), but I'm getting all excited at the prospect of making a Dangermouse costume. This brings me to draw up my own 80's retro top 10 favourite kids programmes. What's your favourite programme of your childhood?
1. The Flumps
2. Mr Benn
3. Banana Man
4. Bagpuss
5. Trumpton
6. Fraggle Rock
7. The Wombles
8. The Raccoons
9. Pigeon Street
10. Button Moon
Happy days xxx
May
08
2009
I was speaking to someone today at work (I promised you an image of the gallery I work at so here you go) who has just finished her degree in Art History at Glasgow University. She asked my what my dissertation was about, which was turn of the 20th century Scandinavian Impressionist art. I loved doing my dissertation so i thought I would share some of the paintings that I enjoy. Another reason this came to mind today was I came across the paintings and prints by Janet Hill. Janet's interior paintings remind me of the interior paintings that the Scandinavian artists, such as Anna Ancher, Peter Ilsted and Vilhelm Hammershoi loved to paint. It also reminds me of the work by one of my dear friends Caroline Walker, who is currently in London finishing off her MA in painting at the Royal College of Art, London.
"Tea Service" by Janet Hill
Peter Ilsted
Anna Ancher
I have a very special charcoal drawing by Caroline in my hallway and I would love a oil painting to go with it, but I think she has hit the big time now and is destined for great things... keep you eye out for her name in the bright lights!
Apr
15
2009
Hope you all had a fantastic Easter and ate a huge amount of chocolate? I know I did and I then spent the rest of the day (and the next day) telling Grace 'NO' to any more chocolate!
My Hubby likes to do treasure hunts (see the post for Grace's birthday in November) and this Easter he didn't let us down. Grace, me, sis and Granny all had to go from room to room finding colour coded cardboard egg parts, until all our parts made four eggs in total. I think my sister enjoyed it a bit too much and beat us all (including Grace) to finding all the parts! Great fun though and Grace loved helping Granny who couldn't find any of the parts!
I've been trying to make pouches for the summer months to sell in my Etsy shop and here is my first one and I'm rather pleased with it.
I also knitted these dark gray gloves with a touch of cashmere embellished with a light silver satin ribbon....lovely, soft and cosy.
It's my Hubby's birthday today....32 and still looking fab! So this is a birthday post dedicated to the birthday boy. Grace and I are off to meet him for lunch, then I'm cooking a birthday dinner, followed by a game or two on the Wii I think. HAPPY BIRTHDAY J xxx
My Hubby likes to do treasure hunts (see the post for Grace's birthday in November) and this Easter he didn't let us down. Grace, me, sis and Granny all had to go from room to room finding colour coded cardboard egg parts, until all our parts made four eggs in total. I think my sister enjoyed it a bit too much and beat us all (including Grace) to finding all the parts! Great fun though and Grace loved helping Granny who couldn't find any of the parts!
I've been trying to make pouches for the summer months to sell in my Etsy shop and here is my first one and I'm rather pleased with it.I also knitted these dark gray gloves with a touch of cashmere embellished with a light silver satin ribbon....lovely, soft and cosy.It's my Hubby's birthday today....32 and still looking fab! So this is a birthday post dedicated to the birthday boy. Grace and I are off to meet him for lunch, then I'm cooking a birthday dinner, followed by a game or two on the Wii I think. HAPPY BIRTHDAY J xxx
Apr
05
2009
Well after much deliberation and procrastination I have decided to post on my blog again. I think I had a touch of writers block because of course I write so much text on my blog! I've left my memory card with all of my photos on it at work so not many photos to show and tell today.
Talking about work, one of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately is due to the relocation of the art gallery that I work at 4 days a week. For the past 10 years scotlandart.com has been in the southside of Glasgow...tucked away in the a suburb of Glasgow, with regular customers and sales, but not much passing trade. So, a week past Wednesday the gallery finally, after much blood sweat and tears, moved to a very swanky new space right in the heart of Glasgow. The day after we moved we had our first exhibition opening at the new address. Very exciting with lots of people...I even got my hair done for the event! We plan on having a lot more exhibition openings and cocktail evenings. I have been working at the gallery three years this month and it's taking me a while to get used to my new surroundings and my new customers coming through the doors, but I'm getting there. If you are ever in Glasgow come and see me (I'm part of the furniture!).
I have still been knitting and once I have my memory card back I'll post some images of what I have been up to. I have also just come off Etsy where I have been featured on the front page which was a lovely surprise...just the kick up the butt I needed. Thank you Penny Glass Girl.
I'm off to say hello to everyone. It's nice to be back...maybe this will stop me watching too many cop programmes (the real life ones) and Girls of the Playboy Mansion! what am I like. L x
Talking about work, one of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately is due to the relocation of the art gallery that I work at 4 days a week. For the past 10 years scotlandart.com has been in the southside of Glasgow...tucked away in the a suburb of Glasgow, with regular customers and sales, but not much passing trade. So, a week past Wednesday the gallery finally, after much blood sweat and tears, moved to a very swanky new space right in the heart of Glasgow. The day after we moved we had our first exhibition opening at the new address. Very exciting with lots of people...I even got my hair done for the event! We plan on having a lot more exhibition openings and cocktail evenings. I have been working at the gallery three years this month and it's taking me a while to get used to my new surroundings and my new customers coming through the doors, but I'm getting there. If you are ever in Glasgow come and see me (I'm part of the furniture!).
I have still been knitting and once I have my memory card back I'll post some images of what I have been up to. I have also just come off Etsy where I have been featured on the front page which was a lovely surprise...just the kick up the butt I needed. Thank you Penny Glass Girl.
I'm off to say hello to everyone. It's nice to be back...maybe this will stop me watching too many cop programmes (the real life ones) and Girls of the Playboy Mansion! what am I like. L x
Mar
10
2009
Good evening all. Thank you so much to everyone for entering my blog giveaway and so many kind words about my special pouch. If I had this pouch I would have to buy a lovely mirror compact to keep in it as I think it's ideal for something girlie and gorgeous. Without much ado I would like to announce the winner... congratulations to Windy Cindy xx
I'll be having more blog giveaways soon so please look out for them.
Whilst I'm here I thought I would post some of the tens of photos that my adorable daughter took of the TV one morning whilst I was busy on the computer. It wasn't until I got hold of the camera later that day did I realise how many photos she took! I think they are quite clever, and if you put them altogether would make a great flip book.
I'll be having more blog giveaways soon so please look out for them.Whilst I'm here I thought I would post some of the tens of photos that my adorable daughter took of the TV one morning whilst I was busy on the computer. It wasn't until I got hold of the camera later that day did I realise how many photos she took! I think they are quite clever, and if you put them altogether would make a great flip book.
Mar
04
2009
Hello hello hello. I am so easily distracted...one wee holiday to London and my knitting and blogging gets pushed aside. Yes, hubby and I went off to London for three days whilst Miss G went up to Forfar to visit Granny. It's amazing how much she seemed to grow up in the few days we were aways from her. Her speech is so clear now and appears to be still growing. Such a tall girl...she's only 4 and is wearing 6-7 year old clothes. my goodness.We had a lovely time in London. I couldn't tell you what we did but we had a lovely time bumming around together.
I know I promised you a blog giveaway in February, but February kind of disappeared on me. You know how it is. However, I am very happy to announce that I have made a special 'Knick-Knack Pouch' 
Feb
22
2009
I have found some of the most beautiful silver work on Etsy...want it want it want it. It's by LA Valley Girly (aka Laurel Glendale), who as you can guess is from Los Angeles, California. Laurel makes gorgeous, simple pieces of jewellery at very affordable prices. She also has a blog with some very wise words on making sales and getting noticed in the world of Etsy. These earrings and necklaces are definitely going on my birthday wish list x
Really lovely so please check out Laurel's shop if you are looking for something special.Hope you all have had a good weekend. My little one is still ill so we are off to the doctors tomorrow. It looks to me that she has a throat and ear infection...poor sausage. I don't think she will be going to nursery tomorrow so she'll have the joy of coming to work with me! Today we just stayed in and made a tent-bed in front of the TV and made chocolate cupcakes and you guessed right that she didn't eat any of them....strange child!
Feb
17
2009
I normally have Wednesday and Thursday off so Tuesday is my Friday (I normally work Saturday or Sunday), so I went to the movies with my sis to see "Confessions of a Shopaholic" staring Isla Fisher. Twas good. Amusing but not big belly laughs, but I recommend it if you like to shop and you like good looking English men (it had the very lovely Hugh Dancy...one to look out for I think).
Of course it was based on the books by Sophie Kinsella which I have upstairs in my mini library but haven't got around to read yet....I'll let you know when i do and we'll do a compare and contrast.
I have finished my white gloves order and have added them to my etsy shop. However, I think it is definitely time for something different for KnitTwits and a blog giveaway is a calling. I haven't been blogging as much as I would like as I have been spending my computer time looking up life insurance and pension stuff (very boring) and things to do in London as hubby and I are off for a three day trip next week....very excited. We got such a bargain deal with our train and hotel. Now all I have to do is to decided if I want to go see a play or a musical or the opera? decisions decisions! Any suggestions? Hubby and I used to work in London so we will be revisiting a few haunts.
Miss G has been a bit under the weather recently with swollen glands. So she has been stuck in the house quite a lot over the past week and cabin fever struck on Sunday and she demanded that we make chocolate chip cookies. So, being the good mother that I am, I duly got the recipe book out and all of the ingredients. I would like to point out that mummy was a bit hung over and had the beginnings of a head cold....so mummy wasn't feelin too hot. All of the ingredients were measured and added then whisked together....my electric whisk is a bit old and goes a bit too fast! "Mummy does it go any slower?", "No" said a cross mummy with cookie dough all over the kitchen (I like controlled cooking!). After many nibbled chocolate chips we eventually get them into the oven. After all of this Grace refused, as she always does when she bakes, to eat any of the cookies! strange child. I had three of them with a lovely cup of tea watching "High Society" whilst Grace fell asleep on my lap. bless x
My cold is a bit better today but I think I'll head to bed now read my book (a classy chick lit novel). Tomorrow Grace and I are off to see Bolt...can't wait. Oh and I have added a playlist to the end of my blog. Feel free to have a listen to some of my tunes. I had so much fun making it last night and I have so many more tunes I want to add. Thank you to Georgia B. at Etheral who gave me the idea of creating one.
Of course it was based on the books by Sophie Kinsella which I have upstairs in my mini library but haven't got around to read yet....I'll let you know when i do and we'll do a compare and contrast.
I have finished my white gloves order and have added them to my etsy shop. However, I think it is definitely time for something different for KnitTwits and a blog giveaway is a calling. I haven't been blogging as much as I would like as I have been spending my computer time looking up life insurance and pension stuff (very boring) and things to do in London as hubby and I are off for a three day trip next week....very excited. We got such a bargain deal with our train and hotel. Now all I have to do is to decided if I want to go see a play or a musical or the opera? decisions decisions! Any suggestions? Hubby and I used to work in London so we will be revisiting a few haunts.
Miss G has been a bit under the weather recently with swollen glands. So she has been stuck in the house quite a lot over the past week and cabin fever struck on Sunday and she demanded that we make chocolate chip cookies. So, being the good mother that I am, I duly got the recipe book out and all of the ingredients. I would like to point out that mummy was a bit hung over and had the beginnings of a head cold....so mummy wasn't feelin too hot. All of the ingredients were measured and added then whisked together....my electric whisk is a bit old and goes a bit too fast! "Mummy does it go any slower?", "No" said a cross mummy with cookie dough all over the kitchen (I like controlled cooking!). After many nibbled chocolate chips we eventually get them into the oven. After all of this Grace refused, as she always does when she bakes, to eat any of the cookies! strange child. I had three of them with a lovely cup of tea watching "High Society" whilst Grace fell asleep on my lap. bless xMy cold is a bit better today but I think I'll head to bed now read my book (a classy chick lit novel). Tomorrow Grace and I are off to see Bolt...can't wait. Oh and I have added a playlist to the end of my blog. Feel free to have a listen to some of my tunes. I had so much fun making it last night and I have so many more tunes I want to add. Thank you to Georgia B. at Etheral who gave me the idea of creating one.
Feb
08
2009
Well a touch of snow has finally arrived in Paisley, much to my four year old's delight! I think Paisley has to have been the last place in the whole of the UK to get some. We have had a few sprinkles, but there was finally enough this afternoon for Grace to make a wee snowman, but then the head fell off and it ended up being a rather deformed snowman with a tiny head! I watched and took photos from the safety of our top floor flat kitchen window...very wise I think.
off with it's head.
got the giggles.
throwing snowballs at mummy.
Then over the past few hours there has been more snow (very exciting..."mummy look at all the snow"), so I wonder how much there will be when we wake up tomorrow morning?
Our street
Well, 2009 has started out rather well for me. Not only did I reach my goal weight, but on the same week I finally received confirmation from my boss that I am getting my long awaited (three years) pay rise an a new work title of "Gallery Principal" (I work in an commercial art gallery for all those who didn't know). I feel very blessed as I know people are losing their jobs at the moment. I like my new title though... something different from the norm.
I'm still knitting and getting a few orders here and there, one of which is a commission of white wool and white ribbon...sounds lush and very in-keeping for all this snow we are getting. I'll post a photo of them when they are complete.
Hope everyone is well....any good news out there? I'm staying optimistic so I hope you are too. x
off with it's head.
got the giggles.
throwing snowballs at mummy.
Then over the past few hours there has been more snow (very exciting..."mummy look at all the snow"), so I wonder how much there will be when we wake up tomorrow morning?
Our street
Well, 2009 has started out rather well for me. Not only did I reach my goal weight, but on the same week I finally received confirmation from my boss that I am getting my long awaited (three years) pay rise an a new work title of "Gallery Principal" (I work in an commercial art gallery for all those who didn't know). I feel very blessed as I know people are losing their jobs at the moment. I like my new title though... something different from the norm.I'm still knitting and getting a few orders here and there, one of which is a commission of white wool and white ribbon...sounds lush and very in-keeping for all this snow we are getting. I'll post a photo of them when they are complete.
Hope everyone is well....any good news out there? I'm staying optimistic so I hope you are too. x
Jan
30
2009
I feel like I have fallen off the edge of blog land. I've been having a bit of a break and my ma and pa have arrived so i thought I had better pay them some attention!
I have been going to Weight Watchers since the end of October to loose some weight that I have been carrying around for the past few years and I reached my goal weight on Wednesday. I'm pretty chuffed with myself. I had to ring a bell to let the meeting know, stand up in front of everyone and tell them how I did it! I got a special keyring and my certificate is on the fridge letting all and sundry know that I lost 15lbs :O)
As I have nothing new to show you I thought I would share this YouTube video that my hubby found the other night. I almost fell off the chair laughing and I think it works better without the sound. Sneaky cat! x
I have been going to Weight Watchers since the end of October to loose some weight that I have been carrying around for the past few years and I reached my goal weight on Wednesday. I'm pretty chuffed with myself. I had to ring a bell to let the meeting know, stand up in front of everyone and tell them how I did it! I got a special keyring and my certificate is on the fridge letting all and sundry know that I lost 15lbs :O)
As I have nothing new to show you I thought I would share this YouTube video that my hubby found the other night. I almost fell off the chair laughing and I think it works better without the sound. Sneaky cat! x
Jan
24
2009
...this will be me. Head to toe in my own knitted garb with people whispering "how strange, yet how cool"! You think? I already knit on the train so I'm halfway there x
Jan
21
2009
Well, as always we have had a busy Wednesday. This morning was taken up with mummy being a boring poop-head on the computer as I was adding my latest edition to my KnitTwits store....
I then did half an hour on the Wii fit (does that class as exercise?), had lunch, then off we went to Rouken Glen Park with friends to play in the park. Wellies were adorned with coats, scarfs and gloves and a lovely time was had by all. Not only did we play in the playground, but we also took a nice walk to the waterfall at the rear of the park and threw a penny in for a wish. We then fed the ducks followed swiftly by a much deserved fruit scone and a cup of tea. Then back to the car via another quick play in the playground. Miss G is now all snuggled up on the couch watching "Mounsehunt" and looking very sleepy, which isn't surprising.
Last night hubby and I went to see a special preview of "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" which stars Michael Cera (Juno and Superbad) and Kat Dennings.
It's all set in New York over one night and a series of events happen whilst they are trying to find a secret gig of their favourite band. If you love New York, music and romantic comedies (this one is a High School romance comedy)...this is the film for you. I loved it. It had some brilliant one-liners ("I love you so much, it's retarded"....hee hee he (I was the only one laughing at that moment!)) and just made hubby and i super home-sick for New York....not that we are from New York, but hubby worked there for one and a half years and we fell in love with the place. We would move there in a heart beat.
I then did half an hour on the Wii fit (does that class as exercise?), had lunch, then off we went to Rouken Glen Park with friends to play in the park. Wellies were adorned with coats, scarfs and gloves and a lovely time was had by all. Not only did we play in the playground, but we also took a nice walk to the waterfall at the rear of the park and threw a penny in for a wish. We then fed the ducks followed swiftly by a much deserved fruit scone and a cup of tea. Then back to the car via another quick play in the playground. Miss G is now all snuggled up on the couch watching "Mounsehunt" and looking very sleepy, which isn't surprising.
Last night hubby and I went to see a special preview of "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" which stars Michael Cera (Juno and Superbad) and Kat Dennings.
It's all set in New York over one night and a series of events happen whilst they are trying to find a secret gig of their favourite band. If you love New York, music and romantic comedies (this one is a High School romance comedy)...this is the film for you. I loved it. It had some brilliant one-liners ("I love you so much, it's retarded"....hee hee he (I was the only one laughing at that moment!)) and just made hubby and i super home-sick for New York....not that we are from New York, but hubby worked there for one and a half years and we fell in love with the place. We would move there in a heart beat.
Jan
18
2009
I'm here a bit later than anticipated. Miss G wanted to play a game of guessing what the other one is tracing on their back then drawing it and then a story! However, before bedtime my lovely assistant did me the honours of choosing the winner....
who is.....
...Jeanette....CONGRATULATIONS xxx (contact me on lornasmith77 at yahoo . co . uk with your details for shipping)
A huge thank you to everybody who entered the competition and for visiting my blog and as a special thank you I would like to offer free shipping on any of my gloves from my Etsy shop before the 31st January 09 (Just mention the competition in the comments box and your blog name). Such an amazing response and I hope you all come back again soon. I plan on having one competition a month, so please keep an eye out this time next month for another fab giveaway.
I'll post something soon about the "favourites" that everybody put...there were a few reoccurring ones and interesting ones.
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend...here's to a productive week ahead with a few of your favourite things to help to go by that bit smoother x
who is.....
...Jeanette....CONGRATULATIONS xxx (contact me on lornasmith77 at yahoo . co . uk with your details for shipping)
A huge thank you to everybody who entered the competition and for visiting my blog and as a special thank you I would like to offer free shipping on any of my gloves from my Etsy shop before the 31st January 09 (Just mention the competition in the comments box and your blog name). Such an amazing response and I hope you all come back again soon. I plan on having one competition a month, so please keep an eye out this time next month for another fab giveaway.
I'll post something soon about the "favourites" that everybody put...there were a few reoccurring ones and interesting ones.
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend...here's to a productive week ahead with a few of your favourite things to help to go by that bit smoother x
Jan
17
2009
What a fantastic response to my blog giveaway...there is still time to enter as I won't drawing the name until I get back from work tomorrow, had my dinner, and put Miss G to bed! So lets say 8pm GMT (3pm EST, 12pm PST). Good luck to everyone x
Jan
16
2009
Hope everybody had a good week? My week seemed to disappear somewhere...has anybody seen it?! My biggest news has to be that we registered Miss G with her primary school which she will be starting after this summer! Very exciting and Grace is already talking about her school uniform and is requesting a pinafore...do you have pinafores in the US? My only complaint is that it took us 25 minutes to walk to the school as we don't have a car, so I'll have to allow half an hour in the morning just to get there....her nursery at the moment is literally right across the road! My hubby used to live right across the road from his primary school when he was wee and could hear the school bell from his bed and would still be late!
Anyway, I have been busy making plans for my blog and I am going to try and have some regular spots, one of which will be my 'Feature Friday" where I will feature other bloggers, fellow Etsyians, artists, designers etc.
My first to be featured is the lovely Blue Moss. Not only does Michelle have a beautiful blog with interesting bits on crafty items, designers etc., but also a gorgeous Etsy shop showcasing elegant and well made jewellery "With attention to detail each item is handcrafted using a mix of elements that include vintage and found pieces to achieve a truly individual work of art for you to wear and treasure" (as put by the lady herself). Really lovely pieces of art that would make an ideal gift for a loved girly.
Look out for next Friday's feature and more lovely things in between...also don't forget my blog giveaway in my post below. Good luck to everyone and keep an eye out on Sunday for the grand draw! Your comments have had me giggling...lovely x
Anyway, I have been busy making plans for my blog and I am going to try and have some regular spots, one of which will be my 'Feature Friday" where I will feature other bloggers, fellow Etsyians, artists, designers etc.
My first to be featured is the lovely Blue Moss. Not only does Michelle have a beautiful blog with interesting bits on crafty items, designers etc., but also a gorgeous Etsy shop showcasing elegant and well made jewellery "With attention to detail each item is handcrafted using a mix of elements that include vintage and found pieces to achieve a truly individual work of art for you to wear and treasure" (as put by the lady herself). Really lovely pieces of art that would make an ideal gift for a loved girly.
Look out for next Friday's feature and more lovely things in between...also don't forget my blog giveaway in my post below. Good luck to everyone and keep an eye out on Sunday for the grand draw! Your comments have had me giggling...lovely x
Jan
14
2009
....cuddles from my little girl and reading her a story at bed time
....My mother-in-law's golden syrup pancakes with extra syrup on top...yum
....sitting down with a cup of tea, a big bit of cake (any kind, I'm not fussy!) and watching a good girly film or period drama...girly heaven.
.....going somewhere romantic just with my hubby and not being ill!
.....going to the movies
.....finding in my house a nice pen that works!
What are some of your favourite things....let me know and on Sunday 18th January I'll draw a name from a hat. The winner will receive a pair of my camel brown gloves with plum ribbon as pictured here, but the only difference is that the ribbon will be at the other end of the gloves! Something to cheer you all up and to banish away those January blues x
I managed to bag myself a treasury on Monday and I have filled it with lots of luscious plummy coloured items....here's to the front page of Etsy!
When the bee stings,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel, so bad."
Jan
07
2009
I have almost finished all of my knitting orders and I can tell you it is quite a relief. Once I am completely done I am looking forward to creating some new knitted gems and getting stuck into some painting. I have two painting commissions for a friend of the family and I have just sold another painting up in Forfar so I need to get another one up there to replenish the stocks!
Another thing on my "to do" list is to design new stationary, labels and packaging for my knitting shop. As soon as I have any ideas I'll post them up for you to give me feedback. I think I know how I want it to look but I just find it hard to get it down on paper.
Happy New Year by the way (I almost forgot!). We had a very quiet but lovely Hogmanay up north in Forfar and we all had a gorgeous walk on Montrose beach on New Years Day. With toasted rolls and homemade soup in the car beforehand whilst waiting for the cold rain to stop. As the clouds rolled away, out rolled the nutters having a New Year dook in the sea! Total madness!!
Miss G was playing chicken with the waves and lost! Luckily I had a change of clothes in the car.
I am thinking of having my first blog give away to celebrate the New Year so keep an eye out towards the weekend for that.
Here's to a fantastic, productive, creative and profitable (!) 2009.
Another thing on my "to do" list is to design new stationary, labels and packaging for my knitting shop. As soon as I have any ideas I'll post them up for you to give me feedback. I think I know how I want it to look but I just find it hard to get it down on paper.
Happy New Year by the way (I almost forgot!). We had a very quiet but lovely Hogmanay up north in Forfar and we all had a gorgeous walk on Montrose beach on New Years Day. With toasted rolls and homemade soup in the car beforehand whilst waiting for the cold rain to stop. As the clouds rolled away, out rolled the nutters having a New Year dook in the sea! Total madness!!
I am thinking of having my first blog give away to celebrate the New Year so keep an eye out towards the weekend for that.
Here's to a fantastic, productive, creative and profitable (!) 2009.
Dec
29
2008
I got home today from work and I could not feel my feet so Miss G offered to feel them for me! Made me laugh anyway.
I almost forgot to ask how everybody Christmas was!? We had a lovely time slobbing about in our pj's, eating and playing our new Wii console...and getting eaten by a giant brown paper snake...as you do....
....even Gizmo was getting in the festive mood hiding among the pressies. Spot the cat...
I have had amazing success with my gloves recently and have been featured on the front page of Etsy no less than 5 times! It's slightly overwhelming but I'm very happy to go with the flow of it and give it a go of making my shop a success. My only complaint is that I am so busy with my current orders I'm not getting to play with my new wool that I have bought.....I want to play and I want to play now!
My most resent feature on the front page was from the very lovely MyissaG who makes beautiful crocheted items. These dishcloths look beautifully made and tasty enough to eat!
and here is the front page in all it's glory...
Well, the year is drawing to a close and me and my wee family are off up to Forfar to see in the New Year. Hope you all have great Hogmanay and I'll see you next year! xxx
PS...if anyone is interested in my Christmas top 10 here is the final 4 in my rockin' chart!:
No.4..."Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin Stevens
No.3..."I believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake
No.2..."All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey
No.1..."Last Christmas" by Wham (an eternal classic..!)
I almost forgot to ask how everybody Christmas was!? We had a lovely time slobbing about in our pj's, eating and playing our new Wii console...and getting eaten by a giant brown paper snake...as you do....
....even Gizmo was getting in the festive mood hiding among the pressies. Spot the cat...
I have had amazing success with my gloves recently and have been featured on the front page of Etsy no less than 5 times! It's slightly overwhelming but I'm very happy to go with the flow of it and give it a go of making my shop a success. My only complaint is that I am so busy with my current orders I'm not getting to play with my new wool that I have bought.....I want to play and I want to play now!
My most resent feature on the front page was from the very lovely MyissaG who makes beautiful crocheted items. These dishcloths look beautifully made and tasty enough to eat!
and here is the front page in all it's glory...
Well, the year is drawing to a close and me and my wee family are off up to Forfar to see in the New Year. Hope you all have great Hogmanay and I'll see you next year! xxx
No.4..."Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin Stevens
No.3..."I believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake
No.2..."All I want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey
No.1..."Last Christmas" by Wham (an eternal classic..!)
Dec
20
2008
So sorry for not posting anything on my blog for so long. As you all know it's this time of year that has eaten all of my time and I just wish there were a few more hours in the day.
We have been getting in the Christmas spirit today as we went to see the Wizard of Oz at the theatre with Grace, who loved it but I think it tired her out!
I have just written my Christmas cards and I'm looking forward to eating pizza watching the Strictly Come Dancing final tonight on the TV...very exciting and I do hope Rachel and Vincent win.
I have also neglected my Christmas music coundown so I would like to give you No.5 and No.4 today as a Brucie bonus!
At No.6 is a song that nearly always brings a tear to my eye. Such a beautiful song sung by a beautiful lady, the late Judy Garland featured in the movie "Meet me in St Louis".
In at No.5 is a true classic and my second entry by the crooner, Mr Bing Crosby. It's more likely to be a wet Christmas here in Paisley this year, but we can still dream of a white one....These are both dedicated to my dad xxx
We have been getting in the Christmas spirit today as we went to see the Wizard of Oz at the theatre with Grace, who loved it but I think it tired her out!
I have just written my Christmas cards and I'm looking forward to eating pizza watching the Strictly Come Dancing final tonight on the TV...very exciting and I do hope Rachel and Vincent win.
I have also neglected my Christmas music coundown so I would like to give you No.5 and No.4 today as a Brucie bonus!
At No.6 is a song that nearly always brings a tear to my eye. Such a beautiful song sung by a beautiful lady, the late Judy Garland featured in the movie "Meet me in St Louis".
In at No.5 is a true classic and my second entry by the crooner, Mr Bing Crosby. It's more likely to be a wet Christmas here in Paisley this year, but we can still dream of a white one....These are both dedicated to my dad xxx
Dec
11
2008
...has to be the strangest line in a Christmas classic ever! (the Hooded Claw being from cartoon The Perils of Penelope Pitstop). In at No.6 is "The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Such a gorgeous song and was released in November 1984, reaching No.1 early in December that year, but was pipped at the post by Band Aid "Do They Know it's Christmas?" for Christmas No.1.
Dec
10
2008
I've been told off by hubby for not posting anything of any substance (he doesn't like my Christmas countdown...bah humbug) so I thought I would post my paintings of Lock Lomond. I still need to do some work on the 3rd one, but I think the other two are finished. Let me know what you think of them.
""Inveruglas, Loch Lomond", Acrylic on canvas panel, 60x40cm unframed
"Inveruglas, Loch Lomond", Acrylic on canvas panel, 28x36cm unframed
"Tarbet, Loch Lomond", Acrylic on canvas panel, 28x36cm unframed
Dec
09
2008
At No.7 in the hottest top 10 Christmas countdown in town is one of my favourites and has been on my ipod all year! 'Fairytale of New York' by (the tragically late) Kirsty McCall and the (still going strong) Pogues was released as a single in 1987 and reached #1 in the Irish charts and #2 in the British charts.
I would like to dedicate this song to Ben McFuzzylugs...let me hear you sing!
I would like to dedicate this song to Ben McFuzzylugs...let me hear you sing!
Dec
07
2008
Such a wonderful juxtaposition (big word for midnight on a Saturday night!) of David Bowie and Bing Crosby singing this classic and was recorded in 1977 a month before Bing died of a heart attack. I recommend reading this article I found in the Washington Post about the song and how it came about....pa rum pum pum pum.......
Dec
05
2008
Good morning pop pickers and coming in, down two places, at No.9 is "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree" by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde which reached No.3 in the UK charts in 1987 and was released for Comic Relief. So silly, so 80's, yet so good!
Dec
04
2008
I think now it is past 1st December and I've made a good start on my Advent Calendar I am officially allowed to crack open my collection of Christmas tunes...hoorah! So as a gift from me to you I would like to share my top 10 Christmas songs with you over the coming weeks. Right pop pickers at No.10.... Wizzard "I Wish It Could be Christmas Every Day". First released in 1973 by Wizzard, when it reached #4 in the singles chart, famously beaten to #1 by Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody which remained there for five consecutive weeks. I much prefer Wizzard...rock on XX
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