Wednesday 28 August 2013

A Liebster Award Nomination!

Upon returning from holiday and attempting to catch up on all things technology based, I was thrilled to receive an email from Lucie at Love, Lucie (http://lovelucie1.wordpress.com/) to say that she had nominated me for a Liebster Award. The award is passed between bloggers with less than 200 followers (I have learnt from Lucie that ‘Liebster’ is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome). I have read many blog posts from people who have been lucky enough to be nominated for this award or similar so I am absolutely delighted that Lucie thinks my blog is worthy of the badge!

These are the rules for receiving this award:
1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post. (I’ve found 9!)
4. Go to their page and tell them.

So here we go......

11 facts about me:

I am married with three sons.

I live in Surrey (not the posh bit - the bit right next to Gatwick airport).

I have a caravan.

I have a Beagle called Flash.

I work part-time in a doctors surgery.

I will reach the big 4-0 at Christmas!

I am an avid reader.

I love music, and really enjoy going to concerts.

My favourite colour is purple.

I love food! I enjoy cooking, but I particularly love eating!

I live in the house that my husband grew up in.

Lucie's questions for me:

1) Is your work/life/family/craft balance as you would wish it?
I am very lucky to have a great job that I love, at a workplace that offers me great hours that fit in wonderfully with the needs of three small children. Like most people, I'd love more time generally, and I'm sure I would spend some of it crafting, but I would have to say that I think I'm really fortunate that I am able to spend a reasonable amount of time pursuing my hobbies vs the time spent at work (and with my family of course!).

2) What else are you passionate about that you don’t normally blog about?
I love reading and I watch lots of films but I generally don't write about these interests in my blog.

3) Do your friends read your blog or do you keep your personal friends separate from your blogging friends?
Many of my friends read my blog and my best friend has always been very supportive and has helped me with design and content at various times. Generally my friends don't write comments on my blog because we often talk about what I've been making when we are together, but I love to think that some people just have a quick read of my blog, or look at the pictures, and others have something to say about my posts. I'd welcome new followers!

4) Why did you start your blog?
My best friend and I have often talked about starting a blog in which we would put the world to rights as we often do this during dog walks! I had started reading lots of blogs last year, not necessarily based on craft - some lifestyle, some cooking - and found I often wanted to join in the "conversation". I started crafting more and more, for myself and others, and I was baking an awful lot, and I just thought that it might be fun to have a blog to share what I had made.

5) If you had to choose one craft and discard all others, which one would it be?
Tricky question! I think I'd keep knitting.

6) Do you buy books, magazines and patterns with regards to your craft or are you inspired just by what you come across on the net?
I usually fill my Christmas list with books about craft, and I make great use of special offers on magazine subscriptions so that I get a regular stream of magazines to read. I also enjoy pinterest, though I can find it time consuming. I'm not very good at art so tend to find "inspiration" from photos and pictures in magazines or on the Internet (or in shops, where I can often be heard saying "I could make that!"). I always give credit to the person who gave me an idea where possible.

7) Have you started thinking about projects specifically for Christmas yet?
I'm always thinking about Christmas! I have been thinking about making some Christmas coasters and hanging felt decorations but I've not done anything yet.

8) How many works in progress do you have on the go at the moment?
Honestly? At least 3 cross-stitch projects, but other than that, I can proudly announce that I have spent some time during the school holidays finishing off lots of projects. I have a very long list of things I want to make though!

9) What do the closest to you think about your craft?
My husband is hugely supportive of my crafting - as a keen hobbyist himself, he loves the fact that I have something that I am passionate about. My children are always very complementary when I have finished a project, as are my close friends which is very kind and generous of them. I hid my crafting for very many years but now feel confident to enjoy it "in public"!

10) Has your craft been taught to you by a family member or are you self taught?
My Mum and my Nan taught me to knit and embroider. I had never done cross-stitch until I met my husband and I was introduced to it by my mother-in-law who was a very keen cross-stitcher. I did a textiles GCSE at school but didn't find it very inspiring so until recently I haven't really done any proper sewing. I now enjoy having a go at sewing projects that I would previously have shied away from. My aim is to make a jelly-roll quilt.

11) What is the best and worst things about blogging for you?
I think of blogging as a sort of on-line WI. Although I do dip in and out of blogs all week, I like to set aside a couple of hours one evening a week (whilst car or sport programmes are on the TV) to really catch up with what people have been doing and follow links given by people whose online opinions I trust. I think there is so much to be gained from seeing what other people have been doing, and to read about others with similar lifestyles to your own. Like many people, I often read a blog and think "that has happened to me". The worst thing is time - it takes longer than some people probably realise to write a post that is vaguely interesting, and keeping up to date with blogs that you follow can take a long time. Everyone has so many interesting things to say!

My questions to my nominees are:
1)Where do you see your blog/craft in 5 years time?
2)What was the first thing you ever crafted?
3)Do you make mostly for yourself, others or to sell?
4)Why did you start blogging?
5)Do you have an allocated craft space/studio?
6)Do you have a dream project that you'd like to make if money and time were no object?
7)How much time do you spend each week writing posts and reading blogs?
8)Is there a craft that you would like to be able to master?
9)Do you only make things for a purpose or do you have a "stock" of items that you've made for fun?
10)How many Works In Progress do you have?
11)What are you most proud of having made?

And my nominees:
http://gertiesmakesandbakes.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.lifewithpickle-lily.blogspot.co.uk/
http://amigurumibarmy.blogspot.co.uk
http://atimeforstitching.blogspot.co.uk/
http://howardscosyhouse.blogspot.co.uk
http://knitnrun4sanity.wordpress.com
https://tillymintboutique.wordpress.com
http://alibeecreations.blogspot.co.uk/
http://ladybirddiaries.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.misadventuresincraft.com/
http://buttonsandpaint.blogspot.co.uk

I look forward to finding out more about the people behind these blogs!

This post has felt terribly self indulgent - thanks for reading!

Love Natalie x

6 comments:

  1. Hi Natalie,
    It's very kind of you to nominate me but this is the 6th time I have been nominated for this type of award and I have genuinely run out of random facts. So sadly this time I am saying no. But thanks for highlighting some other lovely blogs.
    Ali x

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  2. Very well deserved and good to know some more about you. Looking forward to following your future post. Lucie x

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  3. What a lovely post. Thank you very much for nominating me, it is very sweet of you.
    M x

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  4. Thank you ever so much for my award. It was a real surprise xxx

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  5. Thanks Natalie for the kind award nomination. Have enjoyed reading your fab blog! Just to let you know that when we first started blogging we weren't around to take part in a few nominations, so decided from then on that it wouldn't be right to take part in others. I hope you understand :) x

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  6. Oh my goodness. Thank you Natalie! I'll have a think about my answers to your questions and then do a post with my nominations.

    Ali
    xx

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