paper and sewing

Here are a few cards I've made this week for a friend. (I haven't got around to putting anything in the etsy shop yet but I do make cards to order, just drop me an email if you'd like anything!)

made using patterned paper/book and an ol' button

Nice one to get in the post

 I tried sewing the paper bunting directly to the card rather than glueing and threading the bunting on (as on the card below). Threading it was quite fiddley and took a while to do so I think I'll stick to the new way, although I do like the way the bunting hangs freely.

It looks scappy in this photo but its better in real life....!

 off to the park now

wishing you sunshine

x

Delegation weekend

I got lawns mowed and hammocks hung (£5 carboot bargain woohoo!)

It is so lovely to lie in but not so much when kids jumping and climbing on you..! ouch
Also been starting on the broad beans, kindly de-podded by my demanding and somewhat volatile assistants.

 enjoyed the flowers..

Foxgloves (definitely NOT edible!!!)

lovely Borage flowers (which are edible)

Calendula (edible petals) 

 and randomly...here is the final piece I did for the course.

All stitched and painted from a photo I took of the (slighly run-down) beach huts in Hove. I always liked the ones with peeling paint and warped wood the best. They look like they've had a good life by the sea!

bye folks x

Sketchy stuff

I did a brilliant and inspiring evening course (NCFE level 1) in creative machine embroidery back in Brighton (lovely lovely Brighton...I miss you..!). The teacher, Wendy Dolan, was really generous in her teaching and we covered alot of the methods used by textile artists (www.wendydolan.co.uk.) The beginning of the course was mostly about learning how to draw and write freehand with the machine. Its a really exciting way of working on the machine and has been made popular lately by textile artist Poppy Treffry (see her at .www.poppytreffry.co.uk )  Here are a few pages from my sketchy work folder.

 My final project was a picture of the beach huts. Stereotype seaside image but its a lovely reminder of my (child) free seaside days...

I'll post a pic of the huts on the next uinstallment!  I really need to find a creative course of some description around here...I'm having withdrawal symptoms since leaving Brighton!

A geeky (not so crafty) moment...

My apologies for this somewhat random post...featuring no crafting at all, but its been a hectic few days and this video just amazes me. I may just watch it every morning as my meditation!

This may seem bizarre but when I find myself feeling overwhelmed by the relentless nature of life, I find solice in remembering the fact that we are spinning about at a colossal speed in space..it always puts things into perspective for me!
I love this little film...hopefully this link will work!

(ok I am a bit of a weirdy geek, I blame Brian Cox and Bill Bryson!!). Oh and I am loving reading his new book "At Home:A short history of private life". His book A short history of nearly everything was amazing, just wish I had the brains to remember some of it!)
enjoy x

Dashing in and out of the house on these past few rainy "summers" day we've been...

having a chat with some cows

picking/dropping/picking up again some (pretty mashed up) strawberries.

considering (albeit very briefly) living n a yurt, then after manic kids nearly trashing it,  thinking maybe not such a good idea!

  discovering that climbing up is a tad easier than getting down!
Got to go and attempt at some fudge making now (rum and raisin...mmm if the rum lasts long enough)

See ya x

this and that

I remembered this morning about these random word things I bought a long while back...

so many word combinations!!

messed about a bit, thinking how they might look cool on a card...

 then J (aka the destroyer) found me...

and that was the end of that!

Sew many owls..

Was busy last night (faffing about on computer..ahem) and making this for fathers day. I do have a mild obsession with owls, although I know I'm not the only one, there are alot of bird crazed crafters out there!.

Then this one, not sure if  "Wise Old Owl" may offend a not so young recipient, but it would do nicely for grandads and the like!

The inspiration blatently came from these lovely lot...

from the polkadotshop on etsy.com

...and these little fella's I made for M a while back. The first (rather scrappy) one is the Mama and baby J bird and then M demanded another Daddy and M bird.

The M bird has wings! (random pouch is a new genetic adaptation!?)

 I came across this old rhyme the other day, it was featured on a poster in Country Living magazine.

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird

As Alice once said "But that's just the trouble with me. I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it."  Lewis Carroll

cheerio x

Daydreaming on a rainy day

First an apology for the onset of rain....It was literally the day after i bothered to join 3 hoses together and gave the garden a good soaking that the hot spell and drought came to an abrupt end. It has rained ever since and now my drooping garden is washing away! Anyways, some food for thought...

I am in love with this bed...if only I could find a few thousand quid! It really is a thing of beauty. I like to think I'm not too materialistic but I just know it would make me happy!!!! honest!

no...sadly this is not one of my creations (i wish!!!)

Its handmade by an incredibly talented lady metal worker, Shawn Lovell over in California. Check out her website at http://www.slmetalworks.com/beds_a.html. 
It makes me want to train as a blacksmith or maybe I'll just bribe a certain friend of mine to make me one!!
I'm planning on painting a mural on the kids room wall. I like the idea of a tree silhouette and I love the idea of a bird house mounted on the wall. The inspiration came from this image...

The light can be bought from www.kidslovedesign.com. The website has some of the most gorgeous things, not cheap but very lovely, nice stuff for inspiration. The tree is made from vintage wallpaper (which you can buy too).
Also loving this lamp...

there's always room for shrooms!
and these...

dream away x

Being and Doing

It's a bit daft to buy a cover just because of its title...but i glimpsed it sitting in the window of the charity shop and i was intrigued!

being and doing what with whom...?
The dedication is pretty mysterious too...who are the being and doing guild?? Thats a pretty big premise I reckon!

anyway, a few little helpful snippit from my new wise book of words...
" Exactness in little dutues is a wonderful source of cheerfulness"  and " Don't speak of what you are going to do. Do it.". The last one was W.H Hunt...not Nike!

Anyways, apologies for randomness of post, have been crazy hectic with work & family lately...some crafting soon (I'll do it....oops I may have gone against the advice already!!). But hey, unfortunately this evening I just want to slob out drink tea and eat chocolate!  Heres a good ol' pic of a card I made for a lovely friend.

Take care x