Sunday 31 January 2010

Intoduction to Cavalier King Charles dogs and their snoring habits.


It is Amie's Birthday, for all that have asked to see her snoring video again, here it is.




She does do other things than just snore, but when you get an older lady, you tend to sleep more. shhhhhh........ don't wake her up...................
She's quiet !
Yes really she is, this is one of her quieter snores.

Saturday 30 January 2010

Cotttage attic find - 1935 silver Jubilee badge.


I knew I had this little badge, around somewhere.



I found it inside a small decoupage box, inside another box, well I'm sure you know how it goes when a forgotten box comes down from the attic

Also a little white porcelain dog...

I have plans for the vintage Christmas paper I won back in December, hope my decoupage project planned in the Summer lasts as long as this little box.

Thursday 28 January 2010

Yellow and Tabby Cat



When I was small I never had any pets.
I waited until I was old enough to rebel and have as many as I could afford to feed.


I used to borrow our neighbour's cat and dress him up in doll's clothes.


The Soggibottom Bear has a new jumper, Mew was lucky enough to try it on first.
Before you wonder my other hand is holding onto the rest of the bulk of tabby cat.


It looks better on the bear than on Mew, yellow just isn't her colour...........

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Sepia


It's time to paint.........but not on canvas. Time to splosh paint on the cottage walls.
The painting isn't mine, I'm not that clever. The art is all Karina's. Sploshing paint on walls is about my limit. ............


I have also been playing around with the Sepia button on the camera. It seems strange, as we are all so used to colour now. I can still see someone has been sitting on top of the stairs. There is a fluffy bit......

Who can have left that Frank ?

Monday 25 January 2010

Breeding rabbits.


Wondered how all the bunny making is coming along.
If you have clicked and want to know about breeding real buns, be warned.
You will always end up with more than just three.


Soggibottom was very honoured to have a Beautiful Blogger award from Allie.
at Allie-Opps sweet happy life a few days ago. Thank you ALLIE.


I normally like to think (harder than normal) before I display awards....

This one took a few days, I tend to be rather boring, but here goes.
Interesting I am not ! Please don't keep emailing me about rabbits :-)

To accept this award, you have to thank the person who gave it to you.
Paste the award on your blog, link the person who nominated you, tell 7 interesting things about yourself, nominate 7 blogs and post links to them.......

1. Number one is easy, the last rabbit we rescued (Impulse buy) from a pet shop we called Ron Slippers. At one time we were the proud owners of 19 rabbits. Angora and Cashmere they took all my time to look after. If you couldn't find me in the house you would always find me with my rabbits. I love Rabbits.

2. Can't think of a two..... um.... I was so interested in watching a turtle grazing on a reef, I took no notice of the reef sharks above me. (they weren't really interested in plastic snorkels)

3. Only a few more to go. I have never crossed the Equator, but have been within 100 miles of it.

4. I always wanted to swim the Channel, I never did or am never likely to.

5. Although I did swim around a dessert Island.

6. I have a guitar that I used to play. It now gathers dust upstairs....

7. I had to dress in Elizabethan costume when I had a market stall many moons ago.
Visitors always stopped and wanted their photo taken with me in it. (it was the costume not me).
I'm camera shy,
so in the end they used to have to make a donation to my favorite charity before I would stand and pose and grin !

Phew, there you go.....now I have to nominate 7 other blogs...



The Friendly Company of Bears

True Blue Canadian

Wendy Carole's stuff

Uniqart

Quilting in the Valleys

Preferably Prim

Purple cats corner

These are in no particular order by the way, after reading soggibottom blog you all deserve one................

If you want to give your self the award...your welcome, just make sure you play by the rules.....

That's it...done !

I'm off to feed the rabbit, or I would if I had one.

Thursday 21 January 2010

Free and easy Soggibottom Bunny pattern ready for Easter


I keep getting asked when the next Soggibottom pattern will be on here, so here it is.


I know that some of you are wary of joints and eye's and putting on ears and cutting out patterns but this soggibottom bunny I promise you....... is an easy little tot.

As usual I haven't given written instruction, but if you have a problem as I know some did with the rag doll a while ago, email me and I will try to help.


The first pattern is one that uses gussets...oh my word disaster, what are they ?

They are the bits that go between the ears and the tum on the bun.
Sorry for the pun !

There are no paw pads and foot pads to worry about here, the legs and arms are sewn together without having to use any. Notice there is a dart on the head. I have made a dot on the pattern where I have put the eye, but it is entirely up to you if you place it lower or higher.

TIP about the gusset, sew up from the bottom of the neck up to the nose. Then place the middle of the gusset to the middle of the nose, sew backwards towards the neck on one side. Then go and do the same thing, nose to neck on the other.

With the body gusset sew the back (leaving an opening to stuff your bun) to the bottom of your bun. Place the middle of the gusset like you did the nose to the middle of the buns middle. Sew one side and then sew the other. This should make the pattern accurate. Use nice strong thread, small back stitches. Aim to sew just a few centimeters away from the edge of the pattern. Any trouble yet ?


Here is the second pattern.
Same as the first, but no gusset bits to worry about. EASY STUFF, you can make it from any material of your choice, just because I have used mohair you don't have to.
If you use material back it with something that will make the material stronger, iron on "stuff" works well. If you can't get any, don't worry.

You can make the pattern smaller or larger. The one I have made sits on the lintel over the fire place of Soggibottom in one photo. In the niche/ shelf on the other.


Hope you have fun, you have plenty of time to make lots of Soggibottom Buns before Easter.
The one in the photo also has a knitted cardy, made especially for her, think of the fun you can have dressing your bun for Easter.

I have trawled and trawled for a cute bunny pattern and haven't found one yet. So decided to do my own.

One last thing.

Thank you Mark for the
Soggibottom New Header. I shall miss Mew Cat.
But your right. Easy to see and love your clear style. If you need Mark's help you can find him by the click of a mouse at the side of the blog... on Yeah Yeah Designs or Sparky Brand.............again.........enjoy your bun.........

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Guided photographic tour of Cornwall's crash barriers and hedgerows


Enjoy a few fantastic photo shot's of Cornwall today. Keep reading !


We have all done it (great pic too much road).


Except I have a knack of taking great photo's of bushes and crash barriers.


Sign posts and bits of the car dashboard.....


See what I mean, great view, shame about the crash barrier.


Or hedgerow.


For a change I thought I would let you see my perfect (of cause they are perfect) blunders.


I did snap a few good ones.
If you really want to see more out takes than let me know.
I HAVE LOADS MORE!

Sunday 17 January 2010

Sun in January on Teignmouth Beach.


There is nothing better after a walk on the beach than to cuddle up in front of the fire with your favorite toy.
This is Chris the boxer, the love of Amie's life.


After the last few weeks it was really good to get out this morning.


Doesn't look like January, didn't feel like it.
It was 12 Degrees and the sun was shining.


Looks like most of the snow has gone on Dartmoor.
This is one of my favorite views of Dartmoor as we sneak through the back roads into the village.

Saturday 16 January 2010

Free quick Guide to keyboard EMOTICONS



I know that I should know the basic keyboard cheats, but if your like me I haven't a clue about some of them. This list might help.

:-) Hi
;-) Winking
:-( Frown
:-I Indifferent
:- Sarcastic
>:-> Devilish
:-o Wow!
:-C Astonished !
:-/ Grim
:-, Smirhing
:-ll Angry
:-x kissing
:-" Pursed lips
:-# My lips are sealed
8-l Amazement
>-<>-- Rose

I'm sure you know more of these than me..
This list is especially for my friend Michele. The other Michele, I wouldn't dream of telling you who is the youngest out of the two of us.

Hope it helps............ there are more, but because of their composition of funny computer stuff they won't come out when I click to post......
Need more, then have to email me....

The raccoon isn't a native of Britain, this little fellow lives in Dartmoor Zoo and is called Oscar...
We were there one early morning last year. They have bears at Dartmoor Zoo, but that is another story for another time....

Visit Polina's Give a Way by clicking on the right.

I don't speak Russian either, before anyone asks!
Or dares to email me................................................. !
This clever lady doesn't use a translator she has her last blog posting in English as well as Russian.

If you have trouble leaving a comment. Tip.....Press the biggest button...........all the time....

I can't display the Russian here for "comment", but give it a try. If I can do it anyone can.

Please, please, don't keep emailing me with EMOTICONS.
I never use them. I click onto the google one's . Thought they would give me time to do the things I do best...make bears. x x

Hi Malc. X love Midge







Thursday 14 January 2010

Power cut pranks


When the sun goes down and you have to turn on the lights....


Fantastic to know at a flick of a switch you have endless electricity at your command.



Ours electricity flickered and went out a couple of nights ago.
For us it wasn't the end of the world, we lit candles and messed around with the camera for an hour.


We also remembered we had a wind up torch. Really clever invention.


It works just like the wind up radios you can buy.
We haven't got a radio but the wind up torch saved us from tripping over Amie and the cottage cats. Who for some reason all woke up as the lights went out.


Our lights came back on.

About the same time in another part of the world.....
well, lets say sometimes silly stuff like snow and power cuts are put into prospective.

Tuesday 12 January 2010

South Devon cut off from the rest of the country AGAIN


I did promise more snow photo's.........


I had the intention of showing you the ones taken the other day.


This is a picture of the road coming back from Exeter.


Things got slightly snowy again.


South Devon is now cut off from the rest of the country.
This road is now closed.


I only went into Exeter to visit the Lush soap shop.
I was the only one in there so I felt obligated to buy lots of soapy stuff.



At least when the snow all melts I'll have loads of water to use with it.

Sunday 10 January 2010

Things to do when it snows in Devon


There must be only so many snow pics you can take before you start to get bored.

We have had to resort to the scrabble board again.



Mis-spelt words probably. Although looking at this board I'm sure you can tell so much how people's minds work (or not) !

Can't spell springs to my mind !

Thankfully no words like frost, snow, ice, freeze or slippy..
But we do have GRIT.


When we get bored we also start to play around with the camera.


One of the cottage inhabitants doesn't care as long as she has a warm fire.
More snow for the South West on Tuesday, so I promise we will go back to snow pictures.

Saturday 9 January 2010

Icy finger chart of the Northern Hemisphere


I am not being lazy, thought you might find this map of interest
It says all about the big freezy fingers that we have had. Soggibottom is there in the blue.


Ask the sheep on Dartmoor if they really love it.


Going to into the kitchen last night. I found this....aw...... it was really very cold.
As the cat flap had just banged and "someone" looked rather pleased with himself not too sure if he had found it or it had been roosting very low in the bushes outside. It was late, birds aren't around after dusk normally.


To think he had retired..... as you see he wasn't hungry for bird.
Even such a pretty one as the one he brought in .


Did he or didn't he.... ?
Maybe he found it....yeah right.....GUILTY or not he has had a hard day !

I made loads of suet balls and dished out seed and honey things for the bird feeders today ....
I felt guilty......
Frank........none what so ever !