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.

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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.