post Christmas crafting

There hasn't been a lot of time for crafting lately.  Thrifty Fox and her new husband Mr Fox were flying home today, so yesterday we felt we needed a project...a  good ' get into it and do something new to you'  sort of project.

A couple of Christmases ago I bought a book by Poppy Treffry and hadn't tried out any of her techniques...the book is so pretty I have browsed through it a lot ...but that doesn't get things made .!!

So out came the wool blankets, the fabric scraps, the wool felting needles etc and away we went.
Thrifty Fox did the most amazing wool felted blanket, but you will have to pop over to her blog to take a peep.

...first of all if you want to have fun...you have to have a very big mess to start with....

...then you get right into it....

 

I cut out Foxglove shapes and zig-zagged round the edges , it looked a bit dull as I used the same woollen blanket to do the flowers so brightened it up with some wool felting which pinged the colours out a bit....

 

...found the writing tricky....

Thrifty Fox made 2 covers too, rainclouds and bunting with bees.

...bluebells for me next...

 

...could be addictive...

 

away to make a cup of tea now before maybe some more stitching and snipping...something birdy?....

I am hooked!!!! its so much fun using up old blanket and fabric scraps, the pleasure of combining them and embellishing them.

Feel great now I have made something again.

have a happy week.

 

My scrappy scrap books!!!

I am such a packrat!!  there is so much to love in this world!!! I love books, paper, cards, images...and some of my precious papers I keep in treasure boxes but others I cut and paste into scrap books, letters and cards I love from friends...how could I bear to just throw them away....a bit of glueing was done this past week.  The chemo treatments are making me very tired and this is fun and relaxing to do...just cutting out and arranging in books...

 

nothing is safe, even paper plates get flattened and slathered with glue!!

 

...oh that blue and white china......

 

 ...exquisite card made by a friend...

 

   some bright...

 ..other pages more subtle..  loved using some of the old music a friend gifted me last week...

 

...I like that poetry that touches my heart can be found in these pages....

 

 

 

 

I attach envelopes and the cards and letters are popped in...

 

 ...not all the glueing is lump or crinkle free...but it looks worse in the photo!

 

 

...beautiful words ...

 

a card from a friend with pressed seaweed.

 

 

 

 

I use old diaries etc, I don't always use proper "scrapbooks" as such.

 

 

...sometimes my enthusiasm gets away on me and I over fill them!!  I do like leafing through these and console myself with the thought that my favourite pictures are all together and it's reducing the piles of magazines around the house!!!!

 

 

There are general scrapbooks and themed ones!!! this is a Fairy one...

 

 ...maybe for children?....but one adult at least likes looking through it's pages!!

 

Over the years |I have enjoyed making little books..

 

 

 

This one is made from pages from an old book and stitched together, I used some paper napkins etc in this one that I liked..

 

I don't always do this alone, I have a special friend who sometimes comes and stays over, we chat and laugh and make a huge mess in the hut and have a wonderful time....

 

 

 

 

Have a happy week doing stuff you love.

xx

A little thrifting and crafting.

We had another Dunedin trip for more chemo this week, we stopped on the way at a couple of thrift/junk shops and found some bargains. 

 

a very pretty Foley cup and saucer

A smallish earthen ware crock....

 

...a retro tablecloth, some crochet and a brand new duvet cover for $2 that will be great for backing the Fairy cot quilts!

...how I love a good bargain...it makes my heart sing!!

 

 

There has been some sewing going on too,  I embroidered these fairies hiding a while ago and finally got round to putting them onto a cot sheet.

 

..its a Brenda Ryan stitch design.

 

It's Friday now so the week has passed very quickly.

We have had sunshine and rain ..both were just what we needed!!

xxx

 

 

 

mid November musings....

....I have had a lovely week, a dear friend came down from Auckland and stayed and we had lots of chat and catching up.

"To know someone here or there
with whom you can
feel there is understanding in
spite of distances
or thoughts unexpressed
that can make this
life a garden."

(goethe)

  

Sweet William

Yesterday another friend came and we spent the day together, a little looking through books, some stitching and a little shopping, a walk around the garden , a posy swap .... a perfect day.

 

posy from a friend....cute little bird popped in.

"If instead of a gem,

or even a flower, we

should cast the 

gift of a loving thought

into

the heart 

of a friend,

that would be giving as the angels give."

(G MacDonald

1824-1905)

 

I believe a lot of my friends are ANGELS....

As we were having a day together I made some of my favourite muffins, Lemon Crunch Muffins, very quick and   tasty and also quite ladylike!

Recipe

2 cups self raising flour

three quarters a cup of sugar

put these ingreds in a bowl

in another bowl combine,

75 gr melted butter 1 cup of milk

1 egg

grated rind of 1 large lemon

lightly mix wet and dry ingreds put into muffin tins

bake at 200deg c for 10 mins

while hot and still in tins drizzle over

a quarter cup lemon juice and a quarter of a cup of sugar.

....these muffins keep really well.

Serve on a pretty plate, with lots of laughter, a cup of earl grey tea and happy chat! and a little vase of flowers .....
I was so excited to see my friend forgot to do the photo with all of the above !!!

There has been some crafting this week too, I knitted up a bath mat from a thrifted duvet cover, I do love making these.

 

 

 

and so nice to stand on...especially barefoot...

 

or in soft red shoes!!

....and another little hat... I really have to stop!!

 

When shopping at A Little Bird Told Me (she is on facebook)

my friend gave my friend and I some old music and some little old battered much used hymn books, so delightful, it will be fun doing something with them..

the music will be good for cards etc and the wee books will look lovely tied with string maybe and gracing a little table....

...nice at Christmas.

Behind the leaves beside the path....

....in a hidden nest, more eggs were laid and some little thrushes hatched...

...hungry...

..I watch the mother from the kitchen window and she is so busy.

 

A lot of my |Viburnums are flowering ..this is a very lacy one....

... I love this antiqued one...its blush of pink and almost tarnished looking foliage looks beautiful in silver containers and just as it is ...

 ...in the garden.

 

This shy camellia was hiding away but too pretty not to be noticed.

Another visiting friend who makes the tiniest most exquisite tussie mussies gifted this little sweetie to me this week...

 

....how lucky am I!

 

 I have cut out and got ready to stitch up the Beatrix Potter quilt tops, will go and get on with that in a very soon moment!!!  it is sunny and warm and I have the french doors open, I can hear the fountain, the birds are singing , the donkeys call out every so often, there is a gentle breeze blowing the washing ... there is a faint hint of roses and lavender in the air...a simply simple and lovely day.

have a happy week.

xx

.