Sunflowers

Happy weekend everyone..such a relief to have no where to go...and nothing much to do! I'm just planning on pottering around the house and garden midst feeding and tending to little ones!

I made this cheery window panel/curtain for my mama on Monday (Full moon meaning that I was super hyper and couldn't sleep!). She wanted a sunflower to brighten up the little window. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and I'm keen to make a matching lampshade and some cushion covers too...hopefully this will actually happen or it will be added my infinite to do list!

Well..am off to make some spinach & cheese pancakes...and a nice strong coffee!

Love Dotty 

xxx

and the WINNER is.....

I put all your names in a hat and my trusty assistant Little Miss M picked out a winner.....

wow................how long can I drag it out....how many full stops can I use...........????!!!

The winner is Marina from the Handmade by Marina blog. Well done indeed, a little dotty heart will be winging it's merry way to you over in Greece! It seems my hearts like to fly to far away lands, the last giveaway was won by MJ from the  Wander Wonder Discover blog over in America.

I'm planning another giveaway for one of my rather handsome googley eyed Owl door hangers once I get them in the etsy shop. I just need to work on making a little batch of them and getting a bit organised then I'll let ya'll know!

 I've also been making some foxy little fella's too

and rockets...

and planning out my new addition to the door hangin crew...the badger!!

but alas..really, this week I have been mostly cleaning and clearing out my craft room big pile of mess room.

It had got pretty bad in there but it's looking a whole lot better already, I just need to get rid of a lot of "stuff" I seem to have accumulated vast amounts of crud, broken things, things I'm supposed to be ebaying etc etc..

I'll post a pic as soon as I find my camera!

Take care folks, 

love Dotty xx

***A GIVEAWAY***FOR YOU***

Just to spread a little LOVE around the bloggersphere I'm hosting a little giveaway for one of my handmade dotty heart brooches. I am indeed very dotty about dots and this dinky brooch has red polka dots fabric and a tiny little blue dotty button!

To enter all you need to do is to follow this little dotty blog and leave me a message to say you'd like to enter .....if you are already a fellow blogger buddy then fab..just leave me a message to let me know you want to join in!

If you would like a few chances of winning then you can also share the picture above on pinterest/ flickr/ facebook (my facebook page is www.facebook.com/littledottybirddesigns and there is a post to share there)or give me a mention on your own blog...and for each way you share the love...I'll give you an extra chance. All names will go into a hat to be drawn on Monday 4th February at 7pm.

So just let me know if you want to join in and if you've shared...well I think that's it!!?? oh and its open to folk all around the globe!

on a random note..this is the little cafetiere cosy I made for the Mr. It's the first time I've made one and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. The writing scrawled across it reads "Owl always Love You"...I'm a sucker for a pun!

I am in love with a book called "Findings" by Kathleen Jamie, it is so beautifully written and I'm now scheming and dreaming about visiting Scotland again, especially the Orkney Islands...I would love to go there!. Thank you to my lovely friend for introducing me to her work. x

on a final note...the winner for the facebook giveaway, which was pulled from a hat by my trusty assistant little M,  turned out to be MJ from Wander Wonder Discover blog who I have followed for a few years now and happen to think is very lovely indeed! So a little heart is winging it's way to the USA..how exciting!

Well, that is all folks!!

I hope you are well, warm and happy

Love Dotty xx

(If you would like to buy a little dotty brooch of your own..they are for sale in my ETSY SHOP too.)

and I give to you...My heart (a giveaway!!!)

Just a quick post to say that I've ***finally*** begun to list a few items in my etsy shop and to celebrate this rather humble but none the less great achievement I'm hosting a giveaway tomorrow on my facebook page. See here for a link or search for little dotty bird designs.

and for those of you that are not of the facebook variety..fear not.. because I'll be doing another giveaway here next week!

One of my Dotty little heart brooches is up for grabs so keep yer eyes peeled!

 It may seem silly but as excited as I am at listing things on etsy I also get a bit anxious about the whole thing...It's venturing out of my friends and family audience and selling online is a whole new thing for me. Do any of you lovely fellow bloggers sell online..any tips are most welcome!

Thank you for visiting...oh how I hope it snows tomorrow! I'm stupidly excited!

Take care

Dotty xxx

love is in the air...

Hello there friends!

Hope you are keeping warm on this chilly winters night. I'm tinkering about with some designs for Valentines day cards. I'm going to keep them simple and not too mushy! Of course...they are mostly birds...I'm a bird crafting addict...I confess!

Here is this evenings work in progress...

and I might have to make some Owly cards too (a printed version of Owl dance card is in my etsy shop).

well...really must stop faffing about and procrastinating...it's Friday night and its time to party craft!

take care my lovelies

sending some love, light and laughter to ya'll

Out with the old....in with the new!

I've got that new years buzz today...wondering what the next year will bring...so many questions...so many possibilities!
....will my children eventually learn to play together without it ending in a brawl?
....will I ever sort out/ebay/carboot the growing pile of stuff that is beginning to take over my craft room?
...will there be some snow....? pleeeeease I have a sledge at the ready but we've not even had a frost yet!

 The first mission this year is to get some chickens. My parents have moved in next door so between us we should be able to care for them, I keep being told how easy they are to care for but as I have never owned a pet I'm a little nervous! Any advice on which breeds to choose would be most welcome. We are looking for interesting eggs and funny feathers rather than prolific layers (daft I know!).

Anyways, gotta go dig the garden now! Hope that your new year is off to a good start too...what are your missions and plans  for the year??! x

Take Care, 

Love Dotty 

xxx

I didn't have a pic of a chick...so a  Flamingo will have to do!!

Everything must go....!

A bit of a longshot but I thought I'd post a few pics of the things I have left after the last craft fair. I haven't had much luck finding a pitch at another fair before Christmas so thought I'd put my offerings on the web! I will get round to updating the etsy shop but that might take me a little longer!

If there is anything you are interested in, please message me through the comments or on my email: littledottybird@hotmail.co.uk

thankyou x

there are 7 left, yellow, red poka dot or floral wings £14 +p&p

Add caption

Dragonfly brooches and Butterfly brooches or hairclips are £7.50 + p&p
Hearts and Mushrooms are £4.50 + p&p
Birdhouse hairclip holders are £6.50 + p&p 

 I have a few nest hairpins and clips but I can make more if you would like a brooch!?
They vary between £8 and £12 depending on size.

 some shark fins.. they fit ages 3 - 7 approx The waistband is elastic so they do stretch qute a bit!.
£7 + p&p

and I have plenty of fox tail and ear sets (£12 +p&p)
leopards tails and ears, Dalmations tails & ears, cat tails & ears and wolf tails and ears. I also made some gold crowns to go with the wolf tails so they an be like Max from "Where the Wild Things Are". The crown, ears and tails are £15 +p&p as a set.

There is also the option of adding a little rose bud bow to the ears. I can gift wrap with a box, ribbon, and tissue paper for £2 extra.

I can combine p&p and accept paypal / bank transfer. Thanks for looking.If you want any further photos please message me. 

and check out these amazing Starlings, they were flying about like crazy early this morning at Sunrise. Gorgeous little things!

I'll be away until Sunday night so I may not be able to message back straight away although I will try to check whilst I'm away!

Take care

  Love from the Dotty one

xxx

an oh so brief update...

In between some minor flooding in the hallways, making christmas puds and looking after the kids whilst Mr Dotty is away with work I've managed to finish the butterflies, nests, tails, owls....

Here'ss a little peek of some of the finished goodies.

I'm really pleased with the boxes as packaging for the mini nest brooches and pins. They are made from 100% recycled fibres from post cosumer waste and industrial waste. The company is called Tiny Box Company. I have hand stamped them with a little nest and a bird. I have larger versions of the same box to put the tails in..pics to follow!

Well, must run. The first craft fair is tomorrow! I'm both excited and nervous to see what folk make of my ecclectic handmade wares!

I will be putting some in my Etsy shop soon but if there is anything you are interested in please email me! littledottybird@hotmail.co.uk.

Take Care

Love Dotty

xxx

Winter Butterflies

I've had this idea rattling around my brain for some time now and, as usual, I've decided on making it now because I am super busy and have lots of other things I should be doing!

The wings were made by sewing fabric onto a felt backing and then I drew the details on using freehand machine embroidery. For the body I needlefelted a fat body shape with wool then wrapped it with embroidery thread. Unfortunately some of the thread slipped off of the body so I'll have to make sure I sew in and anchor it better next time. It was originally going to be a brooch but I though it looked quite fun as a hairclip instead! I'm going to make some more for the craft fairs and maybe a few dragonflies too! 

Well, I must go and sew some more ears now...about 30 to go...waaah!

Hope you are inspired and feeling the creativity flow too !!

Love Dotty xxx

A little Owl LoVe

I've been thinking about making a few smaller things for the upcoming stalls and I came up with this mini Owl brooch/hairclip. He's rather cute and has already been claimed by my daughter, Little Miss M!! My brain is going on overdrive with ideas, which always tends to be the case when I've got lots and lots to do!! I am the Queen of procrastination!

I'll post another pic when he's actually finished...I have so many works in progress it's getting a little crazy!

Wishing you a lovely week...Wednesday tomorrow...half way to the weekend..hooray!

Love Dotty 

xxx

New beginnings...

Hello and welcome!
After last weeks lovely findings (a beautiful and tiny Goldfinch nest  ) I was feeling rather inspired so I set about making my own little version in homage to the clever birds! I created this dinky nest by needle felting using wool rovings, moss, threads and sheeps wool I've gathered on my wandering walks.  Its adorned with little bead eggs, glass/wooden bead berries and glass leaves. 

I played around making a few different types of nest with differebnt colour crystal bead eggs.

I thought they would make quite a fun hair clip,the one shown below is a bit sketchy but if I can get the design right I'm sure they'd look great. I like the idea of birds nesting in my wild hair!

This mama and baby cow were watching on during the photo shoot!

We went walking up at Minions, Cornwall and attempted to walk to the top of the Cheesewring.

Here's little J having a cuppa and in the distance is the cheesewring...a long walk away for little legs!

 but he made it to the top! I had to stop a bit earlier on with Miss M who was not feeling so well. The moors are such a stark yet beautiful place. It feels so wild up there and there are always horses, sheep and cows wondering about amongst the ancient stone circles and ruins of old tin mines. It's realy magical.

I'm now attempting to make some more nests to sell at upcoming Christmas craft fairs but I' having a hard time  pricing them. It's always hard to put a price on something you've made, especially when it's quite labour intensive. I do enjoy making them and my brain is whirring with lots of new ideas now. Birds, birds, birds and BIRDS!! 

I'm joining up with Fiona from the Raindrops and daisys blog for another Greenday link up.

Well my lovelies, I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Love Dotty

xxx