I realised recently that the majority of blogs I read are all US based and I struggle to find really good UK ones. My top 4 in the uk are currently:

Attic24 – beautiful rainbow coloured crochetings galore! The inspiration of and pattern for the ripple blanket and home of many a beatiful yarn item, if you can’t get excited about crochet this is the place to change your mind.

Through the Round Window written by the lovely Flora who has the most enviable life I can imagine, living in dorset making the most fantastic stained glass and sharing her process, inspiration and talent.

Then there is of course Ysolda’s wonderful knitting creations and patterns are a must for any crafter, whimsical lace work and wintery cosyness abound.

And not forgetting Yarmstorm, another brilliant photographer as well as prolific knitter, quilter and all round crafter, as well as producing books you’re bound to own one of – ‘the Gentle Art of Domesticity’ being my favourite.

And of course a special mention to my favourite crafter Lizzy, Ruffles and Ribbons is the best new blog around featuring a mastery of sewing, knitting and baking and general prettyness.

I recently (as you may remember) entered the Dorset Cereals blog awards and I have been browsing through the other nominees for some inspiration, here are some good ones I found:

Do you mind if I knit? She’s a really good knitter, she makes clothes and they are NICE and everything!

All Pretty Little Things does exactly what it say on the tin!

Cupcakes for Clara has some really cute things

Fabric Nation Amazing vintage fabric makes

Posh Yarns Some really clever knitting and sewing

However we all know the best things online are the ones that are recommended to you by other people so please please share your favourite UK crafty blogs with me. We must redress the atlantic balance and show we are just as good at homemade and blogging as the Americans! Listen to me sounding all riled up, I’m just excited to hear your faves really

I haven’t blogged for ages, I’m sorry. I have had a very busy birthday, food poisoning and, to be honest, a lot of time spent in my lovely garden. However, this does not mean I haven’t done any craft or thought about craft, quite the opposite in fact.

So here are two projects I have got planned for the summer:

Number one, these gorgeous outdoor placemats

You can buy them from fantastic Etsy shop Once Again but I’m definitely going to make some for some alfresco dining that won’t get spoiled by a light breeze!

My mum also sent me this, no idea where she saw it but it’s a must for the mythical craft room

These are surely just some painted picture frames (Ikea anyone?) with some Amy Butler fabric tacked on, genius!

I see both of these projects as a really good excuse to buy and  hoard use some more fabric, hurrah! Ikea have some really great prints at the moment:

I love these bold brights;

And this whole range, all different fairytale, whimsical designs

A card from my lovely sister Amber, handmade with Liberty fabric

It can not have escaped anyone’s notice that this week was my Birthday, I would have preferred not to have announced my age to the world but my friends had different ideas.

But I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, I got some really lovely presents, had some amazing meals (I would thoroughly recommend L’Art du Fromage!) and was generally made a fuss of, perfect! I thought you might like to share in my craft realated gifts so here’s a quick run down:

Firstly, as if she had read my mind, Lizzy got me a pack of beautiful V&A fat quarters

And after months of excuses for not knitting socks Lizzy also bought me a sock making kit, wool, needles and a pattern. This wool is really soft, Regia 4ply designed by Kaffe Fassett and you can get a free pattern for socks made with this wool on the Coats website.

And I’ve started them already – with a hangover and everything!

My Mum made me a cover for my sewing machine – she’s so clever

And she also decoupaged me a letter ‘K’, it will look great in my craft room (once it’s finished).

As will this sewing box that Liz (Simon’s sister) got me – he has been complaining about my messy sewing things recently so maybe he has been hinting , I love it, now I can finally sort all my cottons and notions out so I can see what I have to play with.

I also got lots of fantastic non-craft related prezzies and so many cards, all in all I am a very spoilt girl!

These made me happy even through my raging hangover!

Well you can tell my Birthday is coming up (Friday if you’re intereseted) as I have spent a long time looking at pretty things to self gift, I thought you might like to share a few…

The beautiful fabrics on sale at the V&A as part of the quilting exhibition, inspired by vintage material in their archive, £25 for a pack of 6 fat quarters, covet covet

These understated Orla Keily bed sheets from Illustrated Living would be perfect with my new iron bed

An Etsy item is a must in any wishlist and I really want one of these mobiles, they remind me of the one in the Peggy Guggenheim museum in Venice (can’t remember the artist off the top of my head).

I would look really good in this dress at my birthday lunch right? (available from Whistles)

Especially with this bag to go with it…

I would also like some colourful knitting needles, maybe like this

And too complete my domestic goddess feel this mixer would be ideal, I could whip up a cafloutis in no time at all!

lastly some striking books, these Orwell classics were designed by Shepard Fairey and are completely inspired. Feel free to buy me any or all of these if you’ve left it until the last minute – if not I’ll start saving…

Well it’s less about the granola bars and more about the fighting to be honest with you, I thought you might be interested in what I do when I’m not crafting and this is it.

So last Friday I made some lovely granola bars using this excellent recipe by Hugh to take with me to what is commonly known as ‘Fight Camp’. I am currently learning Jitsu, which is a martial art involving striking, locking, throwing, holding etc (have a look here for more info) and this weekend we had a competition in which I won a Bronze medal – hurrah. Take a look:

The granola bars were lovely but a little dry, this was probably because I made them with normal oats rather than jumbo as per the recipe but they were perfect energy food for hungry jitsukas in between matches. No photos unfortunately, we were all to busy gobbling them up to remember to take any!

My mum is the craftiest person I know, she also has a known penchant for decoupage but this is her first major work - more of the same coming soon to a Folksy shop near you!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win the lovelt ‘Lost Crafts’ book.

And our winner is….

Commenter number six, who I believe to be Kathryn, congratulations! Email me your address so i can send it to you and I hope you enjoy it’s crafty goodness.

I hope to have more giveaways coming soon and requests, recommendations or donations welcome.