Happy thoughts of a mini making mum

Baileys Mmmmmm

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:44:00 +0000

I keep being asked for this by my friends, & I keep forgetting to copy it out, so I thought I would post it & thats done!

This Baileys recipe is far nicer than the bought stuff & much cheaper, if you keep it in the fridge, it turns into mousse!

This recipe makes 2 pints, so it's to SHARE!

1 tin condensed milk (14oz)
Small carton single cream
3 beaten eggs
1 mug of whisky
3 tablespoons camp coffee.

put milk into jug, stir in coffee & whisky, beat eggs well & tip in, then stir (not beat) cream in lightly.

ready to enjoy immediately! you can also use it as a sauce over ice cream (Adults only though obviously!)

At last!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:31:00 +0000

I'm here again...finally I have got round to posting again, although there's other things I should be doing, but never mind!

while I had no computer I learned how to make basic clothes, this came about after I madde a viking costume for my daughter for school & was amazed it was still in one piece when she came home, so I thought I'd give proper clothes a go! I was really pleased with the result & so was she, I used some lovely red fabric which my Aunt brought back from Nepal & it looks lovely on her, so I have to make about another 150 in different colours now as it's comfy!

poor pc:(

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 18 May 2008 11:39:00 +0000

I won't be able to post for a while as my pc has packed up & died, so I have to go round to my mums & use hers (which is even slower than mine was)so once I have checked emails & ebay, I will have to go home!!!!

will have more time for making miniatures though!!!!!

heres a picture of me & my friend Rhiannon on her birthday, where there was lots of food & it was past my bedtime, but it was good fun

Football!!!!!!!!again!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:52:00 +0000

My drawing of Strawberry Fields......

Despite the title, this post is not going to be about football, I have called it that as it is because there is football on, I have been able to catch up on all my ebay stuff, emails & add a new post!

It's not that I don't like football, I was brought up on Liverpool FC & I then married a Man utd fan, so I can hardly avoid it can I, but it's on for so long, it ties up the tv for the whole evening, & by the time I get to watch Eastenders, I'm too tired to watch it & I fall asleep !

& is it me or is it on aaaaaaaaallllllll the time!

enough of that now....3rd birthday went ok, it was apparently pink enough for her highness, although I think the much anticipated shop bought scooby doo cake was a bit of a let down! I was told that she wishes I had made her cake!!!!! would you believe it, nearly a whole year of asking for that cake, & it wasn't easy getting it either...first of all the supermarket concerned discontinued it 2 weeks ago, so I ordered it from another (not very popular one in my house) one, only for them not to have bothered getting it for me! luckily (for them) they managed to phone around & get me another one!

so she had a nice day & she feels bigger now she said!

todays happy thought:A football fan & a normal person lives here!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:51:00 +0000

Here I am again, I've been busy lately as Mr H has his arm in a bandage so I've had to cook "real food" not so much fun as clay food, I've also opened an ebay shop & thats kept me really busy as well & I have my littlest ones birthday tomorrow, so trying to arrange as much pink as possible has left me ...well, tired. I have also been working on a new caketopper, a 40th birthday one, it gave me a new challenge, a newspaper, I was really pleased with the result. anyway got pink birthday things to do, & washing up& uniforms to get ready & of course a pile of ironing bigger than me, (plenty to stop me falling asleep on the settee tonight then & missing midsomer murders! )

Todays Happy thought: Chocolate makes my clothes shrink!

cake success.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:21:00 +0000

Miniature seedlings & seed packets, a present for my sister-in-law, for her miniature greenhouse.

Well the cake was good, seeing as I didn't know what I was going to do it like right up until the icing was going on! the lego snakes didn't arrive in time so I had to make them out of marzipan, & I was pleased with how they turned out!
It was a very indiana Jones themed day, with a hunt for treasure in the garden first, then lots of indiana Jones lego to put together (daddys job, not mine).

As for putting the clay away for a bit, well, I've just opened an ebay shop as things are going well on ebay, so I have been making some more delicious minis. I have made some bagels, eggs in boxes, & boiled egg & soldiers mmmmmmmm! I have also started on the miniature greenhouse! will be adding those soon, then I have a new caketopper to start work on, so it looks like the spring cleaning (including the ever present ironing) will have to wait a bit longer!

Todays Happy thought; apparently, you can never have too much lego!-Harry age 7yrs 6 days

Spring cleaning!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:38:00 +0000

I've been so busy sorting out, cleaning up, throwing out, I don't know where the weeks are disappearing to! I fel like I am drowning in piles of (organized) chaos. I have got piles of boot sale stuff sorted but absolutely no time to do a boot sale & don't even mention the ironing!

I wish that I didn't mind not having ironed stuff, then I could just fold it up & put it away & forget it, but I can't, I feel like thats cheating, perhaps if I make that the major job for today, then I'll feel better....but then I have got an Indiana Jones cake to plan & an Indiana Jones treasure hunt for Saturday, (my sons 7th birthday) & wrapping presents & making a card so how can I waste time on ironing-perhaps I'll have to cheat this week, just a bit!

Happy shed is, well , it's been so cold over the last few weeks (remember I don't have heat, electricity or even much light in there) my craft stuff, paints, boxes, pots etc have just been put in there, anywhere they fit, rather than me staying in there to find a space for it, I bought a dolls house too so that takes up a big chunk of the small space there is-so it is in dire need of a spring tidy (cleaned it not too long ago) before I can work in it again!

we loved the snow at Easter, my 2yr old didn't know where to look-chocolate, snow,chocolate, snow.......I can't remember when there was enough for them to build a snowman!

you have to be quick though, to take a photo before it starts to melt, it used to stay there for weeks, you actually used to have time to start getting fed up with the snow!

No crafting for a bit then, except for birthday stuff-chaos to sort out first!

Todays happy thought; cleaning the house while the kids are still growing, is like clearing the snow while it is still snowing!

Race for life 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Hello, I thought I'd let you know about the race for life I will be taking part in this year.

I will be walking with Ruby (unless Ruby decides to run), & Rose will be running with my Auntie Margaret, please sponsor me if you can!!

you can sponsor me online by visiting my sponsor page at http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/samanthahumphreys

thank you!

photos

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Here's the pictures that I was trying to get on my last post! I haven't tried posting these yet, I suspect that they may be too fragile for that!

Dry & not being blown to pieces!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:59:00 +0000

I thought I'd catch up a bit as I am not picking up from school today so I'm catching up on the ever increasing housework, putting away my craft bits in happy shed (which is a bit draughty today) & sharing my Hylands house weekend with you! I can't post any pictures as that doesn't seem to be working at the moment, I have some pretty pictures of my dolls house gardening creations too!

Saturday was quiet, or should I say quieter than Sunday! My stall was busy all day though, I have to say I am nearly always busy chatting to people about miniatures, dolls houses, the materials I use! quite often childhood memories are stirred up & people have lots of interesting stories to tell, mainly I have to say, these are stories of how they had wished they had a dolls house as a child, but never got one!
Most of my customers though are not children, they are grown men & women who have indulged in their dolls house dreams when they have the time (& maybe money) to appreciate it.

One thing though-I always get someone who tells their children, you know while I am sitting right there, " I'll get you some plasticine/play-dough/marzipan, & you can make some of those":)

I had a good weekend though, I like Hylands house, Hylands park was where I saw my first Take That concert, I think though that as good as my weekend was, Take That probably made more money at their one gig at Hylands than I did at my three!!!!!!

Back again!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:42:00 +0000

Hi long time between posts I know but we've had half term, & I not been feeling too well on & off, this weekend I have had flu & felt pretty bad, but had a lovely Mothers day with lots of presents & pampering!

I have been bursting with ideas & have created plenty (more ideas than creations though, ideas take less time) I had a sort out of Happy shed, & was faced with a rather large spider, I don't mind this except when I find them while rummaging around in my paint box or clay stash!

....now if it had been a mouse, then I'm afraid that it would be sometime before any creations would be created!

pancakes!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:54:00 +0000

Heres my latest caketopper, this one was for my auntie, who has just had her 6oth birthday, she likes diving, beekeeping, growing veg & her cat sasha!, she loved her topper!

hope you all enjoyed your pancakes, & your dolls house residents too!

todays happy thought:growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional!

workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:35:00 +0000

last weeks workshop went very well, I think all the ladies really enjoyed it, I was really nervous, but as it happens, I didn't need to stand there & talk as we wouldn't have finished claying until really late!

Todays happy thought;Chocolate makes my clothes shrink! :(

hot cross buns!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:22:00 +0000

I decided that for tonights workshop, we will make hot cross buns! from the supermarket, I am so nervous, it is my first adult workshop, but I know once i get going I will be in my element, I mean I'm going to be claying & talking about claying, so can't be bad! I'm very organised (makes a change).

Our Muntjac was back over the weekend, I'm certain he was sleeping all saturday morning, behind happy shed, as he came out for breakfast at about 8ish, disappeared behind the shed, & then came back out at about 11 o clock, getting a bit brave I think, perhaps he needs reminding whose garden this is!

I have booked Hylands house Guild craft fair for March 8th & 9th this year, looking forward to that, will get to work on Mothers day, fathers day & easter presents!

Todays happy thoughts (see I remembered!) ; Cleaning your house while the children are growing is like shovelling snow while it is still snowing!

you miss 100 % of the shots you don't take!

Visitor in the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:20:00 +0000

Well, I was well pleased that I had got up early enough to get to sainsburys early enough to beat the rush ! (if you can call it a rush in Braintree) & just as I was about to leave,..... well I saw it in the garden!

Now I have got used to the squirrells, frogs, mice & even snakes over our first year here in happy house, but I was not prepared for a muntjac, jus wandering around poking its head in the greenery, it even looked right at us humans staring at it, 3 little noses pressed up against the glass in amazement! (that was the 3 children by the way) they loved it, we saw some of these at Centre Parcs last year, so they were well impressed!

no happy thought today, got to get children ready for bed, will do 2 next post!!!

Don't stop me now!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:51:00 +0000

Hello, well so you know, I got a new sewing machine for Christmas, and now Mr H says he is looking forward to seeing bits of thread all over the floor & table now, instead of bits of clay & card (which might have happened once by the way!)

he is much tidier, no, I might as well say, he is a tidy person, I am not!!!

So, now there'll be no stopping me, I'll be making curtains, cushions, peg bags & so on, the house will be bursting with soft furnishings!...I have already made my little girl a cosy toes (pink of course) that will fit, to keep her little toes warm on our long walks to school!

I have got a workshop booked in a couple of weeks time, & I'm still wondering what to do, it is a group of adults, so it can't be anything too easy, but I only have a couple of hours so it can't be anything too difficult! I'm thinking hot cross buns, but I might pre-mix the clay & take it in ready to use little bags.

anyway my youngest informs me she wants to play a game on the "pooter" now, so I'm not going to get anything else done for a bit, back later!

Todays happy thought;-Creative minds are never tidy

Happy new year!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 11:36:00 +0000

Hi, sorry its took me so long to post again, but I hardly had time to check emails over Christmas let alone anything else!

The theatre exhibition was ok, didn't sell loads, but I really enjoy setting out all my miniatures for display.

I made lots of family presents this year, favourite meals in miniature, they went down very well, I have pictured a couple here.....anyway, we're off to lunch at my mums now...I have spent all morning finishing off a load of ebay listings, which I am goiong to keep on top of this year (suppose it's a sort of resolution)

Todays happy thought: Smile, you never know who's watching!

Civic theatre exhibition up & running!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:47:00 +0000

Hello, sorry it's been so long, but I am unbelievably busy with it being nearly Christmas, not with claying & fairs, but with family , school, cards, you kknow the usual stuff that could have been done & dusted weeks ago but obviously wasn't!

I was so pleased with my display at the civic, I really enjoy setting it all up, we're going to the panto today, & the children will see not only the show, but Mummy's "stuff" too!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:32:00 +0000

Take that never fail to provide us with the best night out ever, & an atmosphere that I can't describe, we were a bit higher up than we have ever been (scarily so) & a bit further away, but still close enough to feel the fire!

they managed to get in all the old favourites, (some nearly forgotten) & the best of the new ones, it was fantastic! I screamed I shouted I waved my arms about (like I'd forgotten I could!) they were better than ever!

The 02 wasn't what we expected, seems much smaller than you think, but inside is enormous, I didn't realise there was so much there, I just thought it would be the same as any other concert venues, but theres an ice rink, the Tutankhamun exhibition, a cinema & various bars & clubs.

Todays very happy thought-That there'll always be more Take that !

Can't wait for Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:09:00 +0000

Hello, finally got round to posting again, Hylands house was a success, I loved setting up my little scenes, even if it does take me 2 hours or more! I forgot to take my camera with me, (annoyingly) so no pics of my new stall layout yet!

I have my exhibition at the Civic theatre starting Monday it's called.......

Itsy Bitsy Theatre
An Exhibition of miniature scenes based on musicals & pantomimes.

I'm busy getting the finishing touches done, but first I have a Take That concert to go to, am I excited or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2 days to go!!

Todays happy thought:Whenever you're lonely, whenever you're blue, somebody somewhere is thinking of you!

Slow progress!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:04:00 +0000

I feel like I'm getting nowhere fast this week, I've so much to do & its just not happening...no matter how much ironing I do, the pile is still bigger at the end of the day, nothing looks clean no matter how much I clean it.

someone sent me this just as I was feeling very stressedyesterday, & it made me laugh, -

Diet for stressed women.

This is a specially formulated diet designed to help WOMEN cope with the stress that builds during the day.

BREAKFAST* 1 Grapefruit* 1 slice whole-wheat toast* 1 cup skim milk

LUNCH* 1 small portion lean, steamed chicken with a cup of spinach* 1 cup herbal tea* 1 Penguin Biscuit

AFTERNOON TEA* The rest of the Penguins from the packet* 1 tub of Gino Ginelli ice cream with chocolate topping

DINNER* 4 bottles of wine (red or white)* 2 loaves garlic bread* 1 family size Supreme pizza* 3 snickers bars

LATE NIGHT SNACK* 1 whole cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

REMEMBER:'Stressed' spelled backwards is desserts'

even my clay roast potatoes went wrong, (there was a bit of an emergency in happy shed though, whilst I was creating these, so I can blame my disaster on that, I will tell you that story later in the week!)they went into the oven looking like perfect little roasties, like the ones my husband makes, with crisp edges & all, I was "well" pleased with them, & they came out burnt & too dark, like the ones I make!..... anyway, I soon sorted that out, I had mixed in too much ochre & I re- made them & this time they are delicious looking & look fab on my christmas table.

anyway, more about the diet for stressed women;-

Dr. Neil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.So I looked around my house to see things I started and hadn't finished; and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Pinot, a bottle of Cardonay, a bottle of Baileys, a butle of Kehuha, a pockage of Pinqeuns, tha mainder of bot Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke, some saltins an a bax a cholates.

Yu haf no idr who gud I fel!

3 days to go until Hylands house, soooooooo not organised, but then I never usually am, I never make everything I intend to:)

Todays happy thought; "As you travel on your journey through life, don't forget to stop to smell the roses"

Recovery!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:37:00 +0000

Sorry there's such a gap in between posts, our half term was swallowed up by sickness, worry & a stay in Broomfield hospital, all is still not well in Happy house, sore throats & headaches, I think we need to make an extra effort to eat our 5 a day.

I managed to get some claying done (but not the ironing) I have got the Hylands house craft fair in a couple of weeks, & theres still lots to do, I still need to construct some sort of display stand, as my current arrangement isn't big enough, might have to concentrate on that for now and pack away the clay.......

Todays happy thought; Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing, is like clearing the path while it is still snowing!

Cleaning not claying!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:39:00 +0000

I'm catching up on some housework today, seeing as the weather is so nice & blowy, I thought I would get loads of washing done (tumble drier broken!), the children are poorly, & I gain 2 extra hours in the day when they're off school...so I thought, cleaning, then maybe we can snuggle up & watch a film or something(probably scooby doo)!

I've been getting back into my painting since we moved here, and I painted a picture for my sons room the other day, the Tardis of course, handy for making cards for his friends birthdays using the prints, I suppose I'll have to get to work on some Daleks & Cybermen now to complete the set.

anyway, back to work, washing to be put out, ironing to be done!!!!!

Todays happy thought; Only dull women have immaculate houses!

half term countdown

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:54:00 +0000

I had an exciting delivery of clay yesterday, thought it would be held up in the post somewhere until the middle of next week, so I can get on with more minis today....We're looking forward to half term holidays already, only one week to go! the children are excited about seeing our cousins who are coming to visit from Liverpool, they can't wait!

Hello, to all the family & happy birthday to Mike, Sean & Auntie Jean!

Cold misery!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:02:00 +0000

I've had a bad cold, sore throat & earache for the last 2 days now, I feel horrible & don't feel like doing much, I feel hungry but don't feel like eating, so I thought I would sit quietly & redesign my brochure that I hand out at events.

a nice, easy job... if I can manage complicated polymer clay techniques, this will be a piece of cake! I thought as I loaded in the new software to make it even easier, how wrong could I be....2 days in & I still haven't got to the point where I can print it out:(
I just fit one page in nicely, just how I want it, then notice that it has shoved the last page into oblivion, I cant even find the text & the pictures refuse to go back to where I put them!

think I will wait until I am feeling better x

todays happy thought; “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!”