Saturday 23 January 2010

Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh......

I don't know about you but I have a house full of stuff! It is getting just everso slightly past a joke and I have decided to try and sell a few things on. The loft is packed to dangerous proportions! There is Quentin Crisp dust depth, on the stuff, as there is too much stuff to dust. I have to admit too, that there is an awful lot of stuff, I don't 'see' any longer and I think I should move a few things on. For example ~
This is the front cover of a vintage children's book that I had forgotten I owned. Isn't the illustration lovely? Going to pop it on ebay soon....On my eBay at the moment, is this old costume doll I purchased in Vienna last December. Lovely, lovely doll but she has to find a new crib...I am so down with the..... erm, .....erm young people's language!
I never have any success with ebay. Whenever I want something, I always seem to be outbid and whenever I sell anything, zippo, zilch, not a sniff of a bid!
The postage is always a stress too. I always seem to pay too much if buying... so in the words of my fav and much missed D.J. old Terry Wogan.....'Is it me?' (Chris Evan's doing a fine job though...'The Candy Man' has been going round my brain all day). (BBC Radio 2)
Dolly sold :-)
Onto the launch of a very special website, built by my little sister .....YAH!!!!!! She is a brilliant paper cut artist and transforms tatty, old vintage books into these works of art and all sorts of other beauties. Go take a look if you can, she would be so pleased! deckled-edged Go Sis go! YAH!!!!!!
Then onto yours truly ~ Here are a couple of pieces I have been working on over the last few days. The envelopes that these have been worked on, are very special. Dated 1946 with beautiful text...everything here, buttons, fabrics, photos etc. are original and rare. Both are over in Etsyland.


And finally, my mate, the wonderful mimiloveforever and I decided to do a swoparoonie! I just told Karen that I love Budgies and left her with a free reign and look what she came up with! She has included everything I love here, Pinocchio, chucks, Jessie's diets from the Fast Show. If you can, pop over and read her post about our swop...it's a scream! Also, remember, if you have a fav pet that could do with the Mimilove treatment, she works to commission. Oh yes she does.
Thank you Karen, I really love my big Jessie x
Thanks so much for stopping by. x

Wednesday 13 January 2010

hey, hey, you, you.......

Hello,thank you so much to everyone that took the time to comment on my last post. I have read each and every comment and really enjoyed all of your new year resolutions or not as the case may be! I'm sorry if I have not replied with a thank you to each of you.
So, as there were quite a few comments, I thought I would UP the 'giveaway' from one measly little brooch to three measly little brooches :-)All the names went into one's studio pottery bowl! They were stirred and mixed and I stood with my trusty camera poised as Holly, with her eyes closed picked three names.....

So.... dear Carolyn of Love Stitching Red, lovely Emma of Silverpebble and fabulous Rebecka of Vintage Fairy Tales, please let me have your addresses!

Thank you everyone once again for joining in the fun, it has been really great.
Onto 'the makes' of this week....I have been mostly making needlecases. The one below has a silk screen printed birdy as the focal design and reverse ... a wire heart.

This is what the needlecase looks like opened up....

Then another needlecase, where I used a paper ephemera collage and copied onto cotton. The colours are so soft and muted and the birds....so pretty. The lace adds some great texture.
On the back...wire again, lots of lace, embroidery and of course, loads of buttons.
The inside is the same for both needlecases, don't you just love a bit of Liberty????

As you can see I have started to use fine wire in my work, lordy I love it. So I have also been mostly making Valentine cards. When I get bit by the bug, it's all or nothing here you know. So everything is being wired to an inch of it's life here!


I'm sure all you bloggers who don't reside in the UK must be a bit tired of us Brits going on about the snow! It has certainly been a shock here to have so much for so long. Sorry, but here is another snow picture. This is my garden studio, where I slip and slide to at every given moment...thankfully it's not too far from the house.
Thank you all once again for stopping by. x

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Just as you take my hand, just as you write my number down....

Hello...
What a surprise it has been that the sky has decided to dump a foot or so of snow on the UK. I hope it isn't hampering your life too much.

Over the last week or two I have been working on a new idea. Keepsake Boxes. Three in total, a Keepsake, a Baby Keepsake and a Wedding Keepsake Box.
All three boxes would have original artwork, but I am hoping to stay with the same kind of format for each type.

Here we have a 'Keepsake Box'. The box is strong ivory coloured card and has an invisible magnet inside to close. Organza pretty ribbon to close too.

Original artwork embellishing the top of the box. A mosaic of various images of this box.
Onto a Baby Keepsake Box. The baby's name, date of birth and weight can be added.

Finally, a Wedding Keepsake. Vintage papers, fabrics, wire heart, foil hearts, lace... and of course embroidery and buttons to finish. The happy couple's names and date of Wedding added to this too.

I hoped that they would be thought of as a special, thoughtful gift, that would last a lifetime.
I would be very grateful for your thoughts.

So all three have been freshly popped over into Etsyland along with the embroidered piece below.
To celebrate the start of a New Year, I am having a little teeny tiny 'Giveaway'. The 'Giveaway' will be a brooch very similar to this one....so if you fancy leaving me a comment, I would love to hear all about your New Year's Resolutions! I will throw the names in a pot and pick one out in a week's time! Have you kept that Resolution? Or are you like me and have not bothered?
:-)
Thank you very much for stopping by. x