Monday 30 December 2013

Lavender gift set

 
I just had a mad half hour putting a few of our crafty bits and bobs on ebay so I thought I would put the pretty lavender bag collection on here to show you.
 
Pretty isn't it.
 
This how I described it for ebay so you can see what is in it.
3 handmade lavender bags made with vintage fabrics and trimmed with embroidery and buttons
AND a Natroma handmade organic goat’s milk lavender soap
 
Filled with lavender from the Shropshire Lavender company
 
All contained in a fabric gift holder which can be used as a desk tidy or to hold “bits and bobs” on a dressing table


We have a few lavender sets left so I am putting them on ebay while they still smell beautifully of that lovely Shropshire lavender.

Hope you are all enjoying a happy "in between Christmas/New year" week.
x Jo

Friday 27 December 2013

Friday smile

Happy Christmas Friday to all.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas and that you will be looking forward to a  Merry New Year!!!

Above are the little piggies waiting patiently to be wrapped ready for their big day.
They went sqealing and giggling into their Santa sacks and I believe they were well received by the 4 little ones who found them under the Christmas tree!



AND here are a few of our Christmas parcels that put a smile on my face this Christmas.
I think I shall have to ration them over the next six months don't you!
All yummy and much appreciated.
Do help yourself to your favourite and enjoy it with a coffee or glass of sherry with me!!
All the best
- Jo x x

Wednesday 25 December 2013

WOYWW - A Very Merry Christmas!

 
 
 
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas!
 
I guess we will all be a bit too busy to spend too much time on our computers, but just in case a few of you pop by, I thought I would post one of my little embroidered tree cards for you.
 
Have a super time and thank you for all your lovely comments over the last year.
 
All good wishes
Jo

Friday 20 December 2013

Friday Smile



 
 My daughter Maxine's display of beautiful needle-felted pictures at the craft fair certainly made me smile. They all looked so lovely and she had made a big effort to set her stall out so nicely.
Hopefully she will get a few more sales in the New Year. She has a few on her Tilly Tea Dance Etsy shop at the moment.


Now I know Annie will be recoiling in horror at this - sorry Annie.
This gorgeous slow worm was right outside my back door this week.
He was so beautiful and looked like an 8 inch molten copper bracelet.

I have never seen one close-up before.
He isn't a snake Annie - he is a member of the lizard family I think.
I think he is living under the paving slabs near the manhole cover.
Hope I haven't spooked too many of you today!!


Hope you like my Friday show and tell and that it has raised a smile too.
Join in with Annie's smiles over on her "A stitch in time" blog.

x Jo

Wednesday 18 December 2013

WOYWW - Tree Fu Tom!

 
Here I am folks!!
A bit late - well very late as I wasn't even here last week!!
I seem to have had a very busy crafty time over the last few weeks.
Above is my latest little dressing up outfit.
I made two of these little Tree Fu Tom costumes for my friend's grandsons.
(Tree Fu Tom is a mini super hero on CBeebies)
I hope they like their little suits - I certainly had fun making them.
 

My work room is a total mess as I still have loads of bits and bobs left over from the craft fair. We did sell a bit but, although the venue was brilliant, I don't think it had been well advertised. The rooms were full of fab craftwork and Christmas stalls so it was a disappointment to all the stall holders I think.

Maxine had lots of lovely feedback for her needle-felted pictures and she has put a few on Tilly Tea Dance - her Etsy site. She has been invited to give a talk and a workshop at the local Embroiderers Guild so she was really thrilled and it gave her such a boost to know her work met with their approval!!




 
So my table today just has a few oddments!!
If you saw Peppa pig on my Friday Smile post (scroll down) you might also recognise her brother George. He will be well loved when he is unwrapped this Christmas, I know!!
 
I made the little Christmas trees with some scraps of Christmas fabric and some twinkly beady braid.
Friends and family will be getting one of these!
Below is my latest cosy infinity scarf. I found the idea on Lunch Lady Jan's blog and she was kind enough to tell me how she made them. They really are so cosy - I have 3 in different colourways now.
 
So that's my week.
Today I fetched my Christmas tree.
It was windy and as I opened my boot one of my carrier bags blew across the car park.
I didn't know if it had anything inside, so just picture me on my hands and knees grovelling under someone else's car trying to retrieve it!! I managed it but tweaked a muscle in my neck and got two wet knees only to find that it was empty anyway!!! Lol. Mad or what?!!
 
Have a great week.
Thanks for calling by.
Join in with the WOYWW fun over at Julia's Stamping Ground - there will be lots of busy crafters getting ready for Christmas.
 
x Jo

Friday 13 December 2013

Friday smile.


 
Happy Friday everyone!
Just a quick Friday smile for you - I am busy getting everything finished and ready for the craft fair in Craven Arms tomorrow!!
 
I think little Peppa Pig might find herself tucked into someone's stocking this Christmas.
 

Hope you like my Friday show and tell and that it has raised a smile too.
Join in with Annie's smiles over on her "A stitch in time" blog.
Have a great weekend.
x Jo


Friday 6 December 2013

Finished by Friday with a smile

 Three little finished items that make me smile!
Little Katie Morag dolly now has some hair - she complained bitterly about the cold until I finished stitching her lovely copper brown hair in place.
Each one seems to be better than the last but they take about two days to make so really I just make them for fun, because it's what I like doing.

Some folks wanted a better picture of my little needle-felted robin.
He still needs a bit more "dumfing" with my spiral needle-felting needle to tuck in all his stray fluff  feathers!
I made him at the workshop with Gretel - Middle of Nowhere blog - she makes amazing little needle-felted sculptures. He is just a tear shaped ball of brown wool roving needlefelted and then details added. He will be hanging on my tree this Christmas.

Lastly, the cheery little pink "In threes" cardi for Lexi.
It is made in DK and is just enough to give an extra layer of warmth without being too bulky.
She loves pink!

Hope you like my Friday show and tell and that it has raised a smile too.
Join in with Annie's smiles over on her "A stitch in time" blog.
Have a great weekend.

x Jo

Wednesday 4 December 2013

WOYWW



Good morning all.

My desk is looking a little bit tidier this week - that's because all my bits and bobs and piles of fabric are tucked away under the table!!!

As you see - I have still been very busy.
I have a new Katie Morag style dolly to finish - she just needs hair and a face.

On the left are the little embroidered Christmas trees that will eventually become Christmas cards.

On the right is a little needle felted robin and the Christmas tree that I made at the workshop I went to on Saturday with my daughter Maxine. (Scroll down to my earlier post if you want to know more)

In the front of the picture is the juicy, raspberry pink sleeveless cardi that I am knitting for Lexi.

That's it for today folks.
I will pop in to visit later in the week - we have a funeral today.

Have a great week.
Thanks for popping in.

x Jo

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Needle felting with Gretel Parker

Just a few pics to show from our lovely day with Gretel at a workshop in Rustic and White, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury...

 
 A shelf with some of Gretel's books and little needle felted characters.
 
 
Maxine in action "dumfing" her Christmas tree

 
The array of finished trees at the end of the afternoon.

We had a brilliant day working with Gretel - she was a very patient teacher and we certainly developed our needle-felting skills - though I doubt we will ever reach Gretel's skill level. Her little characters are so cleverly made with such artistic flair  and, no doubt, many long hours spent working on each and every one.

Jo at Rustic and White provided us with the coffee and cakes needed to sustain a high level of industrial activity!! It was just brilliant to chill out and craft together with Maxine and other lovely crafters. I am sure Gretel will be doing more workshops so, if you are interested, pop over to her blog The Middle of Nowhere and see what she is up to this week.

Thanks for calling.
x Jo