Little Moments

Today was the day I have been waiting for since Fat Mum Slim (aka Chantelle) announced that she had designed her own app! Fat Mum Slim is a blog I've been following for a few years since discovering her Photo A Day challenge. So when the app, Little Moments, was finally ready to buy, I had to get it!

Only available for the iPhone or iPad at the moment, you can use this app to edit your photos. Here's a few I've played around with today:

When editing your photo, the first option you have is which size you'd like it - 1:1, 3:4 or 4:3. Once you've cropped your photo, the fun starts! Like Instagram, you have the option to add a filter. Only Little Moments filters are so much more fun! With names like "candy", "popsicle" and "daydream", what's not to love?
You also have the option to add text, in a range of colours and fonts! Can't think of anything inspiring to write? Little Moments comes with it's own sayings for you to chose from. There's also a selection of images (like the heart I've added on my photo of Bailey sleeping) which again you can change the colour of.

Not only does this app come with an editing feature, if you are taking part in the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day challenge, the app will send you prompts (as long as you have it turned on) to let you know what the day's photo challenge is. You can also have a look at the list for the month and see what photos Chantelle has picked for her fab four for that day. You never know, one day, I might be lucky enough to have one of my photos picked!

No Buy July!

I follow a few crafty people (crafty as in those who make things, not crafty as in shady people, although I think I follow a few of those too! Haha!) on Instagram. I came across a post that immediately appealed to me from belloquacity entitled No Buy July. Here are the rules!

- No new fabric purchases
- No patterns, no books, no fancy rulers or non-essential notions
- Goodies to accompany swaps allowed
- Existing club commitments/bundles or subscriptions already signed up for allowed
- Thread for current project allowed
- Wadding for current project allowed
- Zippers for current project allowed (but no large quantities of these!)

We then write out our list of projects (here's mine) and post our lists up on Instagram using the hashtag #itstimetostopbuyingandstartsewing:

Now, it might not look like too much, but there is a lot of work in this list! The cardigan makeover is basically just replacing buttons on a cardigan that my sister was going to throw out, then trying out some embroidery. I got these adorable buttons in a Hobbycraft sale and I think I'm going to use those along with some tips from my Doodle-Stitching book by Aimee Ray.

My Spring Stitching Club Quilt is getting there. I've got most of the coloured hexagons do, but I really have to get cracking on the embroidered ones.

My summer quilt....well, I haven't even started this yet and I've received 40 issues of the magazine (Sew and Stitch) with fabric for a square from each issue! This is what it should look like:

And then we have the cross stitch that I am slightly ashamed of.....It was supposed to be for my niece Niamh's first present from me and well, she'll be 1 in August....bad Aunty Shelly. As excuses go, this is actually one of the most complicated cross stitches I've done so far - there's about 10 different shades of grey thread and the thread isn't the best quality in the world, often snapping half way through. Now that I've finished the solid part of the cross stitch, I have to do the tatty bear part and this is the part that's making me feel like I'm totally hashing it all up :( 

And lastly, what I have been saving up ALL the corks for (this has taken a looooong time!), a home made cork board for my mum (not stitching, but a project nonetheless).

The birthday gift is being kept secret/a work in progress! But let's see how much of this I can get through in a month. And how long I can last before I sneak into Hobbycraft!!

A Jaunt Around Glasgow

On Sunday, I had the lovely opportunity of taking a wee wander around Glasgow (with some very good company). As my Saturday photographing trip got postponed (car issues), I decided to take photos of the trip!

After a ride on the Underground (which I sadly realised was the first time in over 10 years.....) and a walk down memory lane (in the form of Byres Road), our first destination was The Hill for food! 

As soon as I saw this wall, I was immediately glad this is where we chose to eat! I tried to do something similar in my old house, but it was nothing compared to these amazing photos. 

Next up was a walk to the Botanic Gardens. A short walk in, I was shown this:

Old underground platforms for a station that was opened in 1896. I had no idea this existed! I love history, so this definitely appealed to me. 

We decided to go into the glass dome (which we almost instantly regretted after being met by the humidity) and managed to get a look around in amongst the screaming kids. There was a little art exhibition and this painting caught my eye (I wonder why....):

After all that heat, it was time for ice cream!

Toffee fudge and after eight ice cream is probably the best combination ever! 

More walking later (apparently we walked 7 miles altogether, which is a pretty good "jaunt" I think!), we walked past a live band with a huge crowd.

The sign next to them was promoting their band and lessons, but after this performance, they did mention something about not quite beating the world record for the number of people dancing. 

We also walked past my old university. Lots of memories! 

And just before it was time to get the train home, a little seat (after all the walking....) in George Square. Trying to get a photo of this with no one trying to hang off/sit on it was quite difficult!

Encouragement Cards

As I sit here in the mess that is my room, I thought what better time to start writing on my blog again!

I came across these gorgeous Encouragement Cards as designed by Mollie on her Wild Olive blog.  At first, I thought they'd be great to write down reminders for my mindfulness training.  After writing a few though and seeing my mum come home from a bad day, I decided to put my project down and start one for her.

Here are my version of the cards, with a few sayings to keep my mum smiling if she's ever having a bad day:

The photos are of my gorgeous niece and nephew :)

To make the pouch, I used some fabric I got free with my subscription of Mollie Makes (lots of Mollies in today's post!), and some quilting fabric to give the cards a little protection:

And here's the finished project!

Mum loves them! Although she did ask if they were meant to make her cry....she got the point though, lol!