Mini Fabric Collage.

At the beginning of the year I joined the Swap for all Seasons mini fabric collage swap.
The idea was to make a mini fabric collage 5" x 7" in a style and colour that you knew your partner would like from the information given to you . My partner was Angela from Pages by the Sea. I found that her favourite colours were blues and greens, sea colours being her favourites. Angela also liked lace, beads, ribbons buttons and has a love of birds and animals.
So armed with all this information I collected all the necessary from my stash.


I then set about playing with all the various bits and bobs until a layout I was happy with what evolved. This is the first one that I came up with but having loads of bits left over I started playing around with another blank canvas and made also made the one below.

Now I was in a dilema as I just didn't know which one Angela would like the most so in the end I sent them both off to her.Luckily both were liked but now Angela dosen't know which she likes the best!!

Backs of both collages showing the buterfly details. One from material and the other stamped on.

Workdesk Wednesday No 91.

So what is on your workdesk this Wednesday. This is mine taken at 3am this morning. The lighting is incredibly dim as the 100 watt overhead light bulb went and The Doc only had a spare 60 watt to replace it with.

I have been working on making some paper flowers, cutting round circles freehand with pinking scissors , using plain papers and white printer paper that I have used distressed inks on the edge and then cut into thin strips nearly to the centre of the circles. Once layered up I think they rather look like carnations.
Right in front are two hearts that I was experimenting making from shrink plastic. They will go on the next ATC playing cards.


In the middle is an hibiscus flower made from merino wool using the wet felting method. (I was not impressed with this way of felting the wool and much prefer the dry method.) So to the left is a pile of Bagpuss's fur (taken from where I have groomed her over several months) ready for me make the last self furred picture .You can see the other two on the right of my blog. These will eventually go onto frames that need to be painted in the dinning room colours and then hung.

If you want to see lots of other desks today then head on over to Julia's blog where you will be able to snoop around well over 100 desks.


P.s. The cardi (from last week) felted up really well. After putting through a hot wash I stuck it in the tumble dryer on a hot cycle for 40mins fro good measure. It is now half the size and twice as thick and perfect for the project in hand.

Two's company.

Here are two of February's ATC's for the playing card challenge.
I had hopped to have all four suits to show you but sadly events overtook in the month.

Two of Clubs.
The idea for this card is very loosely based on 'Bill and Ben the flowerpot men. (Does anyone else remember the childrens tv programe.) Again the clubs are on boingy springy things so that they stand away from the flower pot.


Mr worm just popped out to say hello!


The back with butterfly.



The two of spades.


Do my Ears look big in these?


Random butterflies for the back.

Elevenses anyone!

Time I think for some cake (ok lemon meringuq pie on a chocolate biscuit base)

and a nice mug of char.

I made these as extras to go in with a mug rug swap I did a while ago. I was in such a hurry not to miss the deadline for the swap that though I took photos of the mug rug I completely forgot to do the pie and mug .Doh!. Fortunately my swap partner was kind enough to take photos her end and send them to me. They have been sitting in my photo album ever since waiting for the right moment to appear.

Entering this into the following challenge. (lets see if they notice.)

Cup Cake. Cake and / or icecream.

Snickerdoodle Bag

The theme this month over at Frosted Petunias February Artful Bag challenge is to take an object (any object) which clearly isn't a bag and make it into one whilst still retaining the original shape/concept.
My choice is this Snickerdoodle cardboard box which came to me courtesy of my lovely blogging friend Barbara at christmas time. Contents long been consumed (Thanks Barbara). I kept the box because of the straw weaving design and thought I could use it again.
Here you can see I have already cut the top down in preparation.

And this is the result.

I covered the front and back panels with cream cardstock and neatened round the top both inside and out with lavender satin ribbon. Attached organza lavender ribbon for the handles

and then went to town making up some flowers from yellow and mauve paper and some matching brads. I think they look rather like pansies.

I trimmed the back with my now customery butterfly made from mauve spotty paper.
All ready now for popping some Easter treats into.

Yep I know its not Easter yet but when I first thought of this idea it was going to be a Valentines bag with pink flowers and pink heart shaped cutouts but as it happened events at home delayed the project somewhat. As I was putting the pink stash away I spotted the cream card and mauve ribbons and this bag was born instead. ( You see thats why we need so much stash in order to accommodate such snitches and hiccups.)

Going to also entered into the following challenges.

The Creative Cottage: Fabulous florals.

Flutterby Wednesday: Anything goes theme along with a butterfly,angel or fairy.

Delightful challenge: Use your scraps. (Everything was from my stash).

All Sorts: Inspired by Nature (spring flowers and butterfly).

Penny Farthing.

Thought I would have a go this week on making an ATC.
The idea for this one came to mind when looking at a challenge that asked for a Bottle Cap on the card. I imediately thought Penny Farthing (as you do)!
This is actually the third try. First card couldn't fit all the lettering on. Der!
Second one, went to upload the pic and decided the back wheel was way way too big (looked more like a lopsided bicycle) so hopefully this one works (well not literally).
Used the bottle cap of course for the large front wheel.

As the penny farthing is an old design I tried to give the ATC an aged feel about it.
Used 'Spiced Marmalade' distress ink around the card and 'Jet Black ' StazOn on the edges.
Then painted the bottle cap and the penny farthing using Jo Sonja's paint.


On the back my standard butterfly using my new stamp!

Entering this into the following:

Fun with ATC'S. Use a bottle cap.
Anything Goes. Distressing.
Make It Monday Party.

Workdesks 89 and 90!

Two desks for the price of one. What a bargain!
This was my desk taken last Wednesday but not uploaded. Thought you might like to see it anyway.
Somebody broke my sewing machine bulb!!!!!!
Couldn't have been due to a certain little character using it as an unauthorised sun bed could it?



My desk taken at 2.30 am this morning.



No. That's not one of the cats but a strip of fur that I have just unstitched from my latest charity shop find. Namely a pure lambswool and angora cardigan which I'm hopping will felt up nicely on a boil wash. Watch this space to see what will become of it. The fur and hooks/eyes will go into my stash.(Waste not want not).

The snickerdoodle box pushed to one side is in the process of being turned into the February handbag challenge and the bottle top sat on my computer is going to be for an ATC challenge which requires you to use one on your entry.

If you'd like to snoop around lots of other desks then head on over to Julia's blog here.