Bead Swap 1.

I have just completed a bead swap with 3 partners. Claire has just received her stash.so I can now show. We were given colour details for each partner and had to make up a bead box using those colours and then make the box to put them in. Claire's colours were Red,Blue,Purple and Green all vibrant colours. I decided to use red as the theme for the beads and then from my stash pulled out bits and bobs to make the box.

This is the 1st box that I made using the template that Terry had sent me. The paper is very thin so I decided to sandwich a piece of jiffy bag in between and then stitch the bag together using blue and red braid and small seed beads in pink and green. Finally I adorned with layered flowers and buttons to make the closure. The bag of beads fitted snugly inside perfect for being sent in the post.

I am entering this into the following challenges.

For fun Challenges. Are asking for bright summer colours.

Crafty Creations. They are asking for summer lovin. (summery, beachy,or warm weather friendly). These colours make me think of summer.

Have a good weekend everyone. We are off to see the 'God Parents' and spend some time in their breeze hut.

Plain & Simple

Take one plain uninspiring note book and what can you do with it?

Add some embellishments from my lovely swap partners Sherry( Lace, ribbon,Love)and Ann(crochet flower,button) and I now have a far from plain book, pretty enough to leave out on a desk.

I am entering this into the following challenge.

Wild Orchid  who are asking for Lovely lace

Dolly Bag

My lovely blogging friend Terry very kindly sent me the PDF download for this little bag and I couldn't resist having a go. The 1st one I made has already gone to a swap partner so I have made a slightly different one here to enter a few challenges.

.

Fab 'n' Funky challenges are asking for buttons and bows on your creation.

Anything Goes are asking for Punches. The flowers are punched from card.

The Shabby Tea room are asking for one ribbon. two buttons,and three punches or dies.

(There are two different flowers punched and the tag is a Sizzix die that I have been having fun with. Q.Do you know how many tags you can get from old birthday/christmas cards?

A. 100's!!!!)

Japanese Silks

Remember that Margreet and Jo in Tas won my little caption competition. Well they have both now received their prezzies and here they are. I asked them both to tell me their favourite colour.

Margreet told be blue. I had this gorgeous Japanese Handmade gifts book (by Kumiko Sudo) given to me for my Birthday and the design for the "Dutch Cat" bag just told me it had to be for Margreet.


Both the bags are made from original kimino silks that have been unstitched and the pieces then sold off separatley. I have sorced most of the silks directly from Japan so had to wait for them to arrive.


I have stitched them by hand and found the hardest part was learning how to do the decorative knots. After much trial and error I found the trick was to start with a very long piece of cord. It is amazing how much each knot took!

Oh yes,Wrapper heard there was a new cat on the block and had to check it out for herself!!!!

I am entering this bag in the following challenges.

Rosie D's challenge. They are asking for All creatures great and small.

CREATIVE INSPIRATIONS. They are asking for Animals.

Charisma Cardz. They are asking for Something with a tail.






I am entering both bags in the following challenges.






The creative cottage. They are asking for Touchy Feely. (You just have to touch these bags the silk is so soft.)




Creative Inspirations. They are asking for Anything goes.



Jo told me she was into reds. This Japanese girl in her kimono seemed very appropriate as Japan is in Jo's neck of the woods so to speak.



Again, Wrapper just had to get in on the act!


P.S. I have just got book 2 and the page fell open at a very appropriate page , so Sherry watch this space for your little prezzie.

Hello Bobby

I can't help thinking that if Bobby had been on the England team the results might have been a little different!!!!

I first made one of these little chaps (stands 22" tall in his boots) nearly 30 years ago for a friend's football mad son (now grown up with a son of his own) who supported West Ham so the strip was blue and burgundy.
Half way through making this little lad I realised why it had taken me so long to make another. You have to turn the body right side out through a 1"diameter hole at the base of the head. 3 stupid o'clock bells later (curtesey of the local church) in the morning I managed to get him right side out. Then I made the mistake of going on line and just checking that the picture I had down loaded of the current kit was ok. Bad mistake. the 2010/2011 season is now on show and completly different. Grr. (whats with these footballers needing to change their strip each year. 5 minutes out on the pitch and its caked in mud. Do they ever ask us wife's , who after all are the ones who have to wash it what colour it should be? Khaki springs to mind).Suddenly the shorts have changed from white to blue with no red stripe, socks are now white with a blue turn down instead of all blue and the shirt instead of being a round neck is now 'Fred Perry' style with a white collar so back to the drawing board I went for a quick change.





Bobby is now with his new owner but can anyone tell me (apart from Faye) which club he supports.

I am entering Bobby in the current challenge over at The Crazy Challenge this week who are asking for "Boys & their Toys"

Also All sorts Challenge are asking for something for a baby or child. Well Bobby is for a 2yr old
so I reckon he fits.

Return Whimsy Jar.

I had intended for this post to go out two days ago but the internet both at Faye's and then home here last night had other ideas, so apologies for taking so long.

This is the Whimsy jar that I received from my swap partner Ann. Isn't it sweet. Made to look like an old fashioned jar of home made preserved jam.

I love the crocheted doily that the lid had covering it. I gave Ann the colours pink, mauve, green and blue all in pale to work with and said that I liked cottage garden styles, flowers made from fabric, knitted or crafted from paper and just loved buttons. Didn't she do me proud!

When the lid popped off all this spilled out. I couldn't believe how many buttons there were and lovely crocheted flowers in all the colours. Ann had also made me some lovely tags and butterfly cut outs both in felt and paper/card. I really am lucky.

Thankyou so much Ann I love every single bit of it and would be proud to be your swap partner again.

Whimsy Jar Swap

I have just completed my latest swap which was Jessica's Whimsy jar swap. The idea was too fill a glass jar with suitable items that you knew your swap partner would appreciate.

We were given colours and likes and dislikes to go by. My partner was Ann who told me that she liked the colours Cream, white, ivory and brown. From her blog I found out that she was a keen gardener so armed with this information along with knowing from her list that she liked vintage lace, buttons/ribbons and anything home made I put together the following jar.

I had already seen this glass in the local charity shop and had decided it was ideal for my purpose. The only thing was it didn't have a lid. So I set about making one from felt .



I cut a round circle from cardboard to fit the neck and covered in green felt then made a rose flower from cream felt and dabbed with yellow paint to get the two tone effect. Then added my secret ingredient the smell! Yes it smells just like a rose. The centre bud on the flower serves as the knob.

Next onto painting the glass. I chose a design from a silk embroidery book that I had and then

drew it in on.



I then mixed yellow and brown to get a lovely amber colour which I think compliments the colour of the lid.

Lastly I filled with goodies. I made a little bag from some rose patterned silk and filled with cream, white and brown vintage buttons. Also a small felt/silk pin cushion and a silk flower brooch.

I covered some button shapes in various coloured silks and found some polka dot ribbon that I thought Ann would like. Then I found some lace at least 20 yrs old, some fancy glass beads and
a trowel and I love gardening trinket.

I can't wait to show you what Ann has sent to me.

I am going to enter this into the the following.

Wild Orchid Challenge #1 who are asking for Say it with flowers.

My Right Shoe

Take an old Birthday Card, cut it up, sew a little pink felt add some ric rac braid and what do you get? A keep sake Birth Day momento for a new Baby Girl.

I am entering this into the following challenges this week.

Anything Goes challenge #7. They are asking for Sparkle and Shine. Well the silver on the card sparkles when the light catches it and the little butterfly is sparkly.

Aud Sentiments. They are saying you can't use Any Sentiment on the project. Well my lips are sealed.

C.R.A.F.T. challenge 59. They are asking for Babies and/or children as their theme this week.

Well this fits the bill.

Charisma Cardz challenge. They are asking that your creation must be PINK!!!. Well looks pink to me.

Flutterby Wednesday #113. Are asking for a new creation using a Butterfly, Angel or Fairy and use at least 3 or more layers. Well I have used ric rac braid on top of card on top of felt plus a Butterfly.

The Creative cottage #18. They are saying no cards allowed. Well that's okay then.

Crafty Catz #40. Want Anything but a Card. Well ok again.

I made the top 3!!!!

I can't believe that I have got another award. I never win anything! (except a turkey once in a christmas raffle when I was six, only cos Dad wrote each of the families names on the back of the four tickets he bought. I do remember Mum was very cross when Dad brought the turkey home still with its feathers on and I refused to eat a dead bird on Christmas Day).



I'm really chuffed that my little balloon made the top 3 in The Crazy challenge last week. Thankyou so much.

Blogger Award

Look what I have received. My very 1st award. Thankyou so much Margreet.

Now as part of the award I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself. Now that would be too easy so you are going to have to find the answers for yourself. They are all contained in my blog somewhere and for those of you who have been following me you may even already know. Faye you are barred from this as you have insider information. That goes for you too Julie!

The 1st person to comment on this blog with all the correct answers will win a little prezzie from me. Now my prezzies (I was going to say are not to be sniffed at but most are made to do just that. Ann have you sniffed you roses yet?) whilst small are always different ( you will never be told what you are getting)so if you feel like sleuthing here you go.

1. Which month does my birthday fall in.

2. Nick name hubby goes by.

3. Names of two of my current cats.

4. How many embroidered boxes have I made so far from the 40yr old vintage silk.

5. Which County do I live in.

6. How many dolls went to America.

7. What are the choklits shown on my blog made from.

Recycled.

Take one old cd case and draw a picture.

Then what? You colour it with glass paints.

Finally you enter it in this weeks Charisma Cardz Challenge. They are asking for "Watch The Birdie" so I did.

For Evie

I had a special request asked of me to make another of these little dolls. The only criteria I was given was that it must be in pink (I need no second bidding to make something in my favourite colour) and that it would be For Evie.

The problem was that I only had 24hours in which to make her and I also had deadlines for 2 challenges that I wanted to enter.

What to do? Don't just double up but treble up and only make one thing.


)

From start to finish I actually made her in 14hours!!



Over at Allsorts challenge this week they are asking for you to show your love by having a Heart on your project. Let the heart be the focus point and let your love show. Well there was certainly a lot of love gone into making this and sorting through my stash I found this pink material with little hearts all over it. Perfect.



Flutter By Wednesdays challenge this week is to have a Butterfly, Fairy or Angel on your project.Look what fluttered in the window and settle on Evie's hat for the photo shoot. Perfect.



Yes. 3 into 1 most certainly does go.

I'm off to bed now before the birds start chirping as it is stupid o'clock in the morning.

Oh' I do like to be beside the Seaside.

Take one old birthday card, some sandpaper, assorted shells collected over the years , paint and distress an old picture frame and what have you got?
A picture of the seaside.
I am entering this in the curent challenge over at Anything Goes who are asking for "Seaside."

Up Up and Away.

Over at The Crazy challenge this week the theme is "Up in the Air".

I don't know why but the following words popped into my mind "Up Up and Away in my Beautiful Balloon", so of to the felt drawing board I went and have come up with this little number. Enjoy.

Pockets Full of Love

I have several things to show but they are either still in transit or will shortly be enroute to their swap partners so no reveals at the moment. I can show you this though as it is now with its rightful owner!
When I did the pretty pockets swap with Sherry a terrible wail went up in Devon which could be clearly heard 200 miles away here in Hampshire. Roughly translated it said "Those are my colours.I want it."


Never one to miss a damsel in distress here are Faye's very own pockets. Picked out in yellow this time. Not filled with goodies, just made with love and sent with love. Enjoy.





Close up detail of each pocket.

Flowers R us.

In the summer months I like to wear a wide brimmed straw hat when doing the gardening.
This is Wrapper, she also likes my hats. she likes to sit on them! I get through a great many hats this way.


This is the latest one she has managed to trash. In the bin for that do I hear you say? No, cos I have a secret weapon my Sizzix Big Shot.


With a pile of different materials from my hoard I have transformed trash into new stash.
I cut the head part down to leave about 35mm and covered with a plain green linen. Then I added flowers to give a new lease of life using different sizzix flower die shapes. Buttons added the finishing touch. I have entered this into 3 challenges.

Magical Crafts have a current challenge asking for Flowers on your projects
and By The Cute And Girly have a Warm Summer Days theme asking for our most summery creations so I think my hat fits the bill in both cases.

Oops. Faye has just found me another challenge.

A Pocket Full of Posies who are asking for something floral.

Wrapper was most impressed though I have now relegated another straw hat
for her which has feathers on so that should keep her occupied for a time.

Love Is.

The current challenge theme over at Aud Sentiments is to use the word Love in a phrase.


This one popped into my head straight away and I just couldn't resist having a little fun with it. So off to the drawing board again and this is what I have come up with. You cannot really see the detail (I have proped it up with pins to show the top) on the rolo as I have ended up making the replica true to size. It just didn't work making it any bigger.



The Doc is now busy polishing of the real thing which I bought to use as my model!!

Prezzie sneak preview

Remember that Margreet and Jo (in Tas) won my recent Caption competition. Well they both gave me their favourite colour so here are the fabrics that I chose for each one.

Margreet said Blue. Your prezzie is in the post to you today. Wonder what it is!!!

Jo you told me Red. If you send me your addy to the email at top of my blog page yours will also be with you shortly. No conferring cos they are both different.!!!

Now everyone is going to get a stiff neck trying to read the page upside down. He He.