Friday 31 May 2013

FOs and Stash- Busting Update

drops verdie 127-33

Woo!! Finally finished my "Perfectly Pink" - only took me 7 months to complete :O!! That must be my longest project to date! I must admit that I am so glad it is done though.
As Jas is not here to model her sweater, I have done so for her. I am quite impressed as it does look quite like the original from Garnstudio on the left.

The sweater weighs in at 214g

From the rest of the enormous ball, I knit Jas a cowl:

cowl drops verdi

The cowl weighs in at exactly 100g

That makes this months' stash-busting total 314g :)

Added to my stash-busting total so far - 1504g

Gives me a grand total of 1818g so far -Woo!!


So a recap:

1. Jassy' Jumper - Completed
2. Birthday Gift for my Sister-In-Law - Completed
3. Birthday Scarf for Kayla - Completed
4. Socks for me - Completed
5. Socks for Jas - Completed
6. Socks for Kay - Completed
7. Pullover for Hubby
8. Cleo for me
9. Scarf for me
10. Fingerless Gloves for hubby - Completed
11. Perfectly Pink Sweater - Completed

Which project is next you ask?

Number 8 - Cleo for me :)

drops stash

You can see my yarn for the project is Drops Baby Silk.

drops 141-18

I can't wait to start and will be casting on a little later - it will be knit on size 3mm needles - so I do hope it won't be another 7 months until this one is done!

How is your stash-busting going?

By the way - do you want to be part of something unique?

Have you 2 hours to spare?

I still have a couple of spots available for the first ever "Knitting Madness Video Hangout" which I will be hosting on 21st June 2013 at 9:00pm (Central European Time) / 3:00pm EDT.

It costs you nothing, and I am hoping it will bring a lot of enjoyment for those who will be taking part.
All you need to take part is a webcam, a Google+ Profile and the urge to learn a new stitch :)

For the first event we are going to be sharing Stitch Patterns.

 Sound good to you? Then reserve your spot today - space is limited to 10 people and is filling up fast.





I will be sharing this post with Tami, Linda, Linda and Andrea.
Have a great weekend.
x

Thursday 30 May 2013

Tutorial Thursdays - 5 Easy Crafts - A Round Up

Today I want to recap on the last 5 craft tutorials I have shared with you over the last while, incase you have missed them.

recycled flowers PET

Spring Invitations

Spring Vases

Recycled Terracotta Pots

Decorate your own clock

Which of these crafts did you enjoy?
Which did you reproduce? 
I would love to hear from you and see your creations, leave your comments below.

What have you been up to this week?

Thank you so much for all who linked up their lovely posts last week,
there were so many fantastic posts from last week, I loved visiting each and every one of you. 

This weeks featured links are:

The Most viewed link this week:

handmade Buttercup Bag
This cute Buttercup Bag by Deby @ So Sew Easy

And my fav choices for this week:

Fabric Butterflies
Such sweet Fabric Butterflies in a Cloche by Gail @ Purple Hues and Me

Mass producing gift bags
An awesome Tutorial on how to mass produce Gift Bags by Joy @ Joy's Jots, Shots and Whatnots

Well-done ladies and thank you for sharing your wonderful Crafts with us all.

I have pinned your crafts on the PinBoard and added them to the Tutorial Thursday Album on my Facebook Page :)

(If you have a Facebook Page or account, I would very much appreciate a share :))

Don't forget to grab your button if you haven't done so already :)


”Marigolds

Now it is your turn - what have you been up to this week?

Please feel free to link up your crafts below.

They do not have to be tutorials, I would love to see any crafts.

:::NEW:::

I have started a new Sunday Linky Party for Social Media/Blogging Tips and Tricks - If you would like 
to link up your tips and tricks on this topic you can link them HERE

Rules for todays' Craft Linky Party:
  • Firstly, your link must be craft related! Please do not link up goodies which are on other topics. 
  • Grab my button below and showcase it somewhere on your blog OR create a visible link.
  • Do not Link if you are selling something. 
  • Be sure to only link the relevant Blogpost and not your whole blog.
  • Please be so kind and visit at least 2 other posts linked below, it is always nice to receive visitors, this is a linky party after all! :)
  • In linking below you are giving me the permission to use of your image if it is being featured the following week. If I am unable to use your image I can unfortunately not feature you.
  • Please do not link up stuff you have already linked up before!
  • Please note: I will remove content that does not abide by the rules mentioned above. 
Do you have your own Linky Party happening? I would love to hear about it!
Link it up HERE

Marigolds' Loft


Have a great Week.
This weeks linky is arranged in a random order, so that all your links get a chance to be at the top :)

Wednesday 29 May 2013

Knitting Madness - An Invitation


Want to be part of something really exclusive and unique?

I would like to invite you to the first Knitting Madness Video Hangout that will be taking place on Google+

I am looking for 10 ladies who would like to get-together and chat stitches!

When: Friday, 21st June 2013

What time: 9:00pm Central European Time (3:00pm EDT)

To take part in this event you need to be on Google+, and you need to download the Hangout Video Chat App.

What is the challenge?

The people who want to take part in this event have the opportunity to push their boundaries in their knitting skills. 

Is there a stitch that you have always wanted to try, now is your chance.

If you are taking part in this event, you are required to find a new stitch in a stitch dictionary that you have not made before and once chosen you need to create a swatch with this stitch pattern included.

Once knitted, consider where you could possibly include this stitch, and with which kind of yarn it will look best in. 

Did you experience difficulties in the pattern? 
Tips to the pattern?

Bring this swatch with you to the Hang out, and then we will learn and discover new stitches through each other.

Think about it, in this hangout you will have the opportunity to see 9 new stitches in action - how cool is that?

Places are limited to 10 people, so reserve your spot today :)

To grab your spot please Fill out this form to reserve your spot.




The Event will be opened to those of you who have signed up on the day. You will receive an invitation to take part on the day of the event :)

A week before the event, I will send you an informational email.

Here are some Stitch dictionaries:


Online Stitch Dictionaries:

The End in Sight

Drops verdi
Yeah - the end of the pink is near!
The Perfectly Pink Pullover is finished - at last - and will be introduced to you all on Friday, as well as ( I am hoping) the pink cowl I am busy with to use up the rest of the enormous ball! :)

My project basket looks very empty without the huge ball of fluffiness living on top of it, but it is with a sigh of relief that I can say that I accomplished it, I finished it up! 

project basket

(Did I mention I still have two more of these balls in different colours hiding in my cupboard? We won't focus on that today, that is a story for another time :O)

Drops Verdi

Onto my Reading: I finished "The Housemaid's Daughter (You can find my review HERE) and I am busy with "The Woman in the Fifth" by Douglas Kennedy  so far I can't really say if I am enjoying this title or not, I will let you know shortly. I got Hubby the new Dan Brown - Inferno and I can't wait till he has finished with it so I can get my teeth into it, he said it is already quite good.

What are you reading at the moment?

Do come by tomorrow and link up all your crafts on Tutorial Thursdays Linky Party, I would love to be able to feature you :)

Until tomorrow.
x
I will be sharing this post with Tami and Ginny today
P.S: If you want to take part in the Knitting Madness Hangout taking place on 21st June, grab your spot now :)


Online Knitting Class

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Book Review - The Housemaid's Daughter

the housemaid's daughter

ISBN: 9780755392124

Synopsis: Cathleen Harrington leaves her home in Ireland in 1919 to travel to South Africa and marry her fiancé that she has not seen for five years. Isolated and estranged in a harsh landscape, she finds solace in her diary and the friendship of her housemaid's daughter, Ada. Under Cathleen's tutelage, Ada grows into an accomplished pianist, and a reader who cannot resist turning the pages of the diary, discovering the secrets Cathleen sought to hide.

Being South African and growing up at the end of the Apartheid, I could totally relate to this story. This too was the South Africa I recall as a young teen. The park benches, public toilets and beaches with their signs "Whites Only" - a picture I still have in my head.

apartheid


I found the book was very readable, but I didn't find it going anywhere fast. I found that the book went along in a straight line, and did have a hint of predictability, which was a bit disappointing. 

I  also found that the events taking place in the Apartheid times were very toned down, I recall some of these events happening, like the necklacing that took place, which was just gruesome, and yet, I did not get that feeling when reading her descriptions of these actions. 

Maybe it could be that being South African I have a biased expectation of the story, which I found fell a little short of the mark.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the scenery, which was most visible to me through my mind's eye. 
My favourite being the Hadedas calling - made me quite homesick, they are the first birds I used to hear upon waking in the morning - definitely a South African experience :)

So you can experience the Hadedas firsthand, I found a video on Youtube, that is very realistic ;)



I award this title:

My book rating scale can be found in my side bar.

Monday 27 May 2013

5 Easy ways to Advertise with Marigolds' Loft


I have opened some new options for sponsorship and advertising on Marigolds' Loft and would like to introduce them to you today.

I have a Media Kit available on request, please Email me if you require one :)

Below you will find 4 of the "Paid" or "Swap" options.

The other option is a FREE Sponsorship.
You can find more information about Free Sponsorship offers HERE



Craftsy

Sunday 26 May 2013

Social Media Blog-Hop


Welcome back to the 6th week of social media tips and tricks.

As you may have noticed I have turned this into a Blog-Hop event - Yay!

Would you like to be my first co-host?

Thank you kindly to those of you who linked your social media posts last week.

Rules:
  • Follow your Hosts and Co-hosts
  • Link only tips and tricks for Social Media or Blogging 
  • Do not link if you are selling something!
  • Please link your creative posts on this week's Tutorial Thursdays Linky Party and not here!
  • Link the Relevant Blog post and not your homepage!
  • As it is a Linky Party, it would be nice if you would visit at least 2 other links.
  • Do not link the same topics twice.
  • Share the word, please grab my button and place it somewhere on your blog or link back in some way :)

Do you have your own Linky Parties happening?

I would love to visit them - Link Them up HERE

Friday 24 May 2013

Sleepless Nights with Benefits!




Yes that's me, a bit red eyed and out of sorts - but with good reason :)

Since Friday 17th May until Sunday 19th May, I took part in the fantastic Blog Workshop.

The workshop took place in the wee European hours and at first I didn't think I would be able to take part.

As it so happened, I was still awake on Friday at 11:30pm and so I thought I would stay awake for an extra hour to see what it was all about.
Well after Friday, I changed my entire sleeping habits (going to bed at 3:30am each morning) so that I wouldn't miss a moment :)

It was fantastic!

The speakers were super, the sponsors were amazing and the team at Your Life after 25 arranged the entire workshop wonderfully.

They also offered some amazing Giveaways that we could all take part in!

I can warmly recommend their courses, not only did I get to learn all about the blogging basics, but I could network with other bloggers wanting the same thing - all in all a great success.

As A great round up of the conference we all got to take home a Uber Discount and a Rafflecopter trial blogger subscription for a month from two of the wonderful sponsors :)

As I am not going to be able to make use of my Uber Discount, I would love to offer it to you, my readers.

Ride in Style with Uber - your on-demand Private driver.


uber car service coupon


I am offering you the chance to win a $20 Discount coupon on your first ride with Uber.

Good Luck :)
This Giveaway is open World-wide!
Just enter yourself in the Rafflecopter below.

Thursday 23 May 2013

Tutorial Thursdays - Time To Have Fun :)

Welcome back to Thursday fun on Marigolds' Loft.
Today I am going to show you how I created this clock.


So let's get started!

For this craft you will need:

make your own clock

A MDF Clock face
Serviettes with motif
A fitting clockwork
Gonis Basis Decor* (A white base paste that has a good cover)
Gonis Finisher* (A Water-resistant lack)
Gonis Dekopointers* (A decoration pen for the finishing touches)

* I am a distributor of Gonis Products and use them because I love their amazing quality. If you cannot find these products in your vicinity, you will have to substitute them, hence the descriptions in brackets.

How to make a MDF clock

1. Separate the two halves of the clock face.

2. On the back piece (the face) fill out the space with some Basis Decor*
I filled out only as much as I needed to so that the front piece would cover the remaining bare bit :)

3. Cut the serviette to cover the Basis Decor*. Remove the back layers of the serviette so that you are only working with the top layer.

make your own clock

4. Place the serviette on top of the wet Basis Decor* and smooth slightly.

5. Once dry, use the Finisher* to adhere the serviette to the MDF backing.

6. Once fully covered allow to dry completely.

Make your own giraffe clock

7. Using the Basis Decor* cover the front piece of your clock face.

8. Cut out the serviette motifs that you would like to adorn the front of your clock with and remove their back layers. Place the motifs where they will be on the finished clock.

9. Using the Finisher* adhere the motifs to the MDF plate. Cover the entire piece. Allow to dry.

finishing touches to a handmade clock

10. 11. Once both the faces are dry, insert the clockwork and secure in place.
Glue the two MDF pieces together and decorate with Gonis Dekopointers*.

giraffe clock handmade

There you have it!

What have you been up to this week?

Thank you so much for all who linked up their lovely posts last week,
there were so many fantastic posts from last week, I loved visiting each and every one of you. 

This week I had a very hard time indeed choosing which of your lovely posts to feature here. 

I eventually settled on four amazing posts. 

3 of them are wonderfully foodie and the other a super sewing craft which I am sure we can all make good use of in this day and age!

This weeks featured links are:

Tutorial Thursday features

1. How to make fresh Cashew-Basil Pesto by Kaitlin @ Life's Little Mischiefs
2. Apple Nachos by Katie @ The Crafty Blog Stalker
3. Coconut and Lime Milkshake by Linda @ With A Blast
4. A Great tutorial on how to sew a sleeve for your E-reader by Blissful Sewing

Well-done ladies and thank you for sharing your wonderful Crafts with us all.

I have pinned your crafts on the PinBoard and added them to the Tutorial Thursday Album on my Facebook Page :)

You will also be featured in this weeks Newsletter

(If you have a Facebook Page or account, I would very much appreciate a share :))

Don't forget to grab your button if you haven't done so already :)


”Marigolds

Now it is your turn - what have you been up to this week?

Please feel free to link up your crafts below.

They do not have to be tutorials, I would love to see any crafts.

:::NEW:::

I have started a new Sunday Linky Party for Social Media/Blogging Tips and Tricks - If you would like 
to link up your tips and tricks on this topic you can link them HERE

Rules for todays' Craft Linky Party:
  • Firstly, your link must be craft related! Please do not link up goodies which are on other topics. 
  • Grab my button below and showcase it somewhere on your blog OR create a visible link.
  • Do not Link if you are selling something. 
  • Be sure to only link the relevant Blogpost and not your whole blog.
  • Please be so kind and visit at least 2 other posts linked below, it is always nice to receive visitors, this is a linky party after all! :)
  • In linking below you are giving me the permission to use of your image if it is being featured the following week. If I am unable to use your image I can unfortunately not feature you.
  • Please do not link up stuff you have already linked up before!
  • Please note: I will remove content that does not abide by the rules mentioned above. 
Do you have your own Linky Party happening? I would love to hear about it!
Link it up HERE

Marigolds' Loft


Have a great Week.
x
P.S: Do come by tomorrow to enter yourself in a super giveaway :)

Craftsy

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