Return Bead Swap

These are the bead swaps that I had from my partners. I gave them my suggested colours of

Pale pink, Pale mauve, Pale green and cream and didn't they do me proud!

Marcy did me a gorgeous pink and green square box and filled with glass and mother of pearl beads in the above colours. The picture really dosen't do the centre ring of mother of pearl justice. I love the bead bag they came in too.

I know just how I want to make these up.

Molly made me a gorgeous butterfly decoupeage box and filled it with some lovely vintage beads. I especially like the green beads on the chain that Molly chose for me from an Antique Mall. Iv'e already laid these out in a design which also gives me enough scope for earings.

Claire made me up a flower box with the most amazing leaves attached. They are so fine just like a Dragon flies wings. I love the assortement of beads and the sweet( sorry for the pun) sweety as the focal point. Again I have an idea of how Iwant to make these up and even how to attach the sweet.

So all in all I think I'm going to be pretty busy, for a while anyway!!!

P.S. Cat lovers check out Marcy's hilarious blog post on how to give a cat a pill.

Glutton for Punishment.

I've joined in the Swap for all Seasons matchbox swap. Where you decorate 25 little matchboxes and add a gift inside. Now me being penny pinching thought "I don't want to buy 25 matchboxes and have hundreds of matches left over I will make them myself. Easy Peasy!!!!"

I found a template for a larger box found what the measurements of a matchbox are and scaled it down to size. So far so good.

Made up the 1st proto type. Perfect. Made the 1st little box up. Again OK. Two days later I have only got 2 boxes done. Why? I am finding it exasperatingly difficult to get the measurements precise when cutting out from old Christmas cards using a pencil and ruler so I have given in and ordered A Scor-Pal scoring board. Cost? £29.99. Could have got a Martha Stewart Scoreboard for £19.99 but having watched a You Tube video doing a comparison between the two fancied the Scor-Pal more. Hope I'm not disappointed.

Bead Swap No 3.

This is the last bead box swap. I was searching around for inspiration on how to design the last box when 'The Doc' stuck his head around the door and waving an empty toilet roll in the air said "You don't want this for anything do You?"

Erm actually yes !! Problem sorted.
So here it is. I had some small pieces of assorted silk samples enough to cover the roll and using a flower die cut petals out. Small beads sewn randomly on the lid and flowers finished it off.









Molly was my bead partner and told me her chosen colours were Purple, Teal, Pink and Emerald Green. I found this bead selection the hardest to put together as they are my colours too. I put together about 3 different selections before I was happy with the result, not because I didn't want to part with any but because I was very critical that if I didn't like it Molly wouldn't.
Thankfully Molly did.

I am entering this in the following challenges.

All Sorts Challenge. They are asking for Park inspiration. These flowers remind of a dahlia. Anybody who has been to Kew Gardens or RHS at Wisley at this time of year will have seen borders full of them.

Aud Sentiments .They are saying Anything Goes.

Top 3 at Craftalicious.

I like making things.I like making things for other people, but it is also nice to enter some into the various challenges and even nicer to be in the Top 3.

I made it on Craftalicious challenge 5 "Make your own Flowers" with the bead box that I made for my swap partner Marcy. Thankyou Gina at Craftalicious.



I have found 2 more swaps to enter.



Victorian cuff Swap.

This is me to a T. Just itching to get started.



Countdown to Christmas Matchbox Swap.

You make 25 decorated matchboxes upwith a little gift inside post off to the swap host and get back 25 boxes. One to be opened each day of Christmas. Cool!

Now my 1st thought when I saw this swap was I will give them to Faye, but then everyone knows that Fluff would just open the whole lot in one fell swoop so no mummy is having them first and then next year Fluff can have one posted daily to her. I can just hear the screech of frustration followed by "that is soooooooh unfair"!!!!!!! but Mum always knows best.

While I was away!

While I was away Faye snuck an award to me.

There are a few rules attached.

Firstly to thank the person that gave the award. Thankyou Faye for thinking of me.

Next to tell you 3 things about myself so here goes.

1. I hate the colour black. I once had a car sales man try to sell me a black car, x demo with 1,000 miles on the clock but on being told the colour I refused to even go into the car compound and look at it! I ended up with silver model with 17,000 miles on the clock. I loved that car.

2. I hate Jeans. I don't own a pair, never have and never will. I mean how can you possibly accessorise with a pair of jeans!! Nope. I don't do jeans end of story.

3. I can't stand pictures hanging on a wall wonky. I have been known to straigten pictures up hanging in hotel receptions and in resturants. Have had some funny looks but what the heck a picture has to be straight right!

Lastly to pass onto 5 other people.

Terry Ouloub. A gorgeous lady who loves colour as much as I do.

Catherine. A fellow cat lover.

Val. We have so much in common.

Shelly. Also a fellow cat lover.

Ceeyra. A young lady who never lets life get her down.

The winner is?

Hi Everyone,
Thankyou all for entrying my little competition, I really appreciate you finding the time to stop by and leaving your captions. There were soooooooh many entries I had a hard time choosing a winner. I must be a glutton for punishment because I have picked not one but two winners and they are

The Crafty Den (Denise) with
"Well you did say you wanted a thick pile carpet!!!"

and

Rose Petal (Sandra) with
"Its a hard life you know, I need my beauty sleep"

Congratulations ladies. Please get in touch via the email at top of page leaving me your colour preference and address and your little bags will be with you a.s.a.p.

Thankyou to all my new followers I will be visiting your blogs shortly.

Blue Boy Caption.(Now Closed)

Time for another competition.

This was Blue Boy always doing what he loved best , well when he wasn't eating that is.
Now can anyone come up with a suitable caption please to fit the photo. The one/ones I like the best will win one of my little Japanese hand made bags made in their favourite colours.




So if you want to be in it to win it just be/become a follower and leave your caption on this posting which will stay open until Thursday 26th Aug.