Please don't make me do it again........................

I truly admire anyone who can make inches.  I love gazing at those wonderful individual works of art.   But they give me so much angst.

I just can't make them.  I have big hands, fingers bent with arthritis - and inches are my worst nightmare.

I really like to support forum swaps - and try my best but............................

There is a swap on a forum I belong too, it was an open 'theme' and I sent in my nine Oriental inches - but didn't feel they were my best.  I tried my best - but they lacked something.

So I have spent all of this morning trying again!  (Click to enlarge if you dare!)

They do look better in real life - but as you can see, I can't even arrange them properly to photograph - they are just too small.

I have 'lost the plot' - Idon't even remember which way up some of them are meant to be!  They have a Cosmic shimmer sheen here and there which the photo doesn't show.

In the photo some don't even look square - but they are - they are just not lying flat!

I have made 54 I think, this morning, and I am going to send them all off in the vain hope that the host can find nine suitable.  I still have to write my name on the back of them.

Please, pretty please, don't take offence if I don't  join in any more inches swaps.  I feel about inches, the way most people feel about spiders, or daddy long legs, or snakes.  My grandson loves me to read him a book called 'Arghhh Spiders' - he and his mum are scared of them - I'm not though - but I think I might write a book called 'Arghhh Inches' - and he can have the same delight reading it to me in a scary voice - as I do reading to him!

I won!

Having the problems with my computer internet connections have been such a bind!  But there is always a rainbow out there somewhere and here is mine!

Unbeknown to me, I had won a fabulous prize which arrived Saturday afternoon.

Not for my talents I hasten to add, but for just joining in and making something using a technique from the Time for Crafting on line magazine.

It's full of ideas and demos of techniques, card templates, and the latest 'must haves' in the craft world.    Each  issue gives you a chance to win a great prize which features supplies used in one of the articles.  I think that this is going to kick start my inky papercraft mojo this week - the rainbow of little prima flowers are better than a bouquet.

It is half term holidays this week - so an extra day to play - watch this space

And a sincere thank you to Sara of Time for Crafting - for the surprise.  I hadn't been able to get online for long enough to visit the latest issue of the magazine - to claim my prize - but I got it anway!

And guess what - she even sends the prizes all over the world - now that is a winner!

Blog Candy on Adorable Overdose

Gorgeous blog candy on Minxy's  'Adorable Overdose' blog here

Happy Birthday Kath

It is a dear friends birthday today, and I have had such a great time making this Messenger Bag for her.

Kath is of Irish decent, and I love all the little stories she had told me of her parents and grandmother, so the colours etc reflect my 'dreamy' interpretation for this bag.

(Click on photos to enlarge)

I found some vintage silk ribbon which was perfect.  Its the size of a tote bag, and whilst not designed for a weekly grocery shop, it is capable of it.

I envisaged it being used when visiting and taking goodies or presents - rather than in a plastic carrier bag .  Or perhaps on a picnic - or even for storing things hanging on the back of the bedroom door.

Or maybe keeping the holiday scrapbook you made of your trip to Ireland.

Whatever it gets used for - I know you will enjoy it.   And at least it is original - there will never be another exactly the same!

Happy Daze Blog Candy

Some great blog candy  up for grabs here

Ruth Phillips has designed a gorgeous layout and class for this week's UK Scrappers Home Page class using one of the Happy Daze Page Kits featuring 7 Gypsies Victoria range and some Prima bling.

You can find the kit in the shop.  You can find Ruth's instructions on how to make this lovely layout in the Articles section of the shop here.

To win the Happy Daze Blog Candy of a FREE Page Kit and a £15.00 Voucher to spend in the Happy Daze shop simply become a follower of the blog, exisitng followers are entered automatically.

Tuesday's work of art

I have spent all morning whilst my husband is out, shifting two tons of gravel and this is the end result.  Believe me - it is a heck of a lot of gravel -like moving a mountain.  (That is my next door neighbour's car and garages.)  The variegated holly bushes have finally after over ten years, thickened out, so that they could be cut down to make a nice hedge, and still leave me lots of foliage for my Christmas flower arrangements.

It was hard work and I am exhausted - but it was worth it.  The huge pile of gravel has been heaped up for a week, covering the tree stump - and what with me having a cold, and also being so busy it hasn't got done.  We used to have a huge silver birch tree which was taller than the house,  (planted before we moved here) but it had a split trunk and was in danger of crashing in the winter storms, so reluctantly it had to go a couple of years ago.  It covered this whole area with its canopy and you couldn't really see that there was any land here because it was full of shrubs.  Once the tree went,  it left a massive cut down trunk, so gradually I have cleared the land and made it easier to look after.

I rather wish this bit of land was encompassed within our back garden - as we don't get the use or pleasure from it at the side of our home - still I am sure our neighbours appreciate it.

The hedge has been pruned for the winter - in the summer it is a mass of colours and flowers, and covers the fence and hides my studio - but it really does benefit each year from a short back and sides.

My next task is to paint that blue pot dark brown to match the rest of the paintwork - and I really need to paint my studio, before the winter sets in.

I do make sure to leave plenty of berries on the hedge when it has a hair cut

Not only for their colour - but primarily for the wild birds.

Vintage sewing treasures

I was so lucky to get these from Freecycle. I have given lots away on that site from a shed to tools, and craft and gardening things.

To get these treasures was amazing.

Some vintage buttons all of which are over fifty years old apparently.   Here is just a selection.  I have been sitting daydreaming of the person who owned them years ago.

I saw the advert for "buttons and bits" and was so lucky to be one of the three chosen.  We went to collect them this afternoon - and I have been drooling over them ever since.

I keep wondering what garments they came from - who was the lovely lady who collected them to 'make do and mend' the family clothes.  The centre circular button looks like mother of pearl in the light.

There were metal 'bits and bobs' in the bag too - can you recognize any of them?

Do  you know what this is please?

It has what feels like a Bakerlight handle and the metal piece is rusty - but in a wonderful way!

How about this?  It feels lovely in the hand.

This had got a long prong on it ending with a hook - do you think I could be a teddy bear's eye?  I wonder what happened to the teddy - did it survive with only one eye - this one looks unused.

And what might this well worn star have come off I wonder.  It has been well 'touched' hasn't it - oh I am so happy, I feel as though I have an inheritance.

Now take a close look at these buttons - I have never seen any like this before - but maybe you have.  They feel as though they are made out of stone -they are quite thick, and are definitely not plastic or metal and are very cold to the touch - any ideas?

They have used the rest - on what I wonder - isn't it all intriguing - and what until you see what else I have

Everything smells so wonderfully musty and old - its like perfume to me!

There is more - just look

This really moved me - the first one has a needle and thread tucked into it.  I haven't touched the needle yet - I am saving that special moment for another day.  Maybe I can use some of these threads in a vintage piece of needlework - what a treasure.

Now this did make my eyes moist - the nostalgia of someone's mother, grandmother, or maybe even great grandmother holding these scissors.  Using those sewing needles, one of which still has a piece of thread in it.  Do you recognize the bit of metal in the middle?  What is it for I wonder.   Are the stubby scissors in the middle made for a specific use?

I have saved the best until last - this tiny fragile decaying box

Look at that - A M A Z I N G!

And this is what was inside..................

Tiny, fragile pieces of material - monogrammed.  So this holds a clue to who owned them once I guess - they must have been the family initials.

I have looked up the name of the manufacturer on the web and could only find one mention - which was in someones scrapbook - no photos or anything - and they date they mentioned for them were the 1860's until the early 1900's - if anyone has any information about them I would love to know more.

To have such wonderful treasures is such an honour - I can't believe my luck

Edited too add

I have spent a lovely couple of hours this evening sorting through the bag of buttons (just a few of which I photographed above).

I have had an email from the kind lady who gave them to me - and here is what she said.

"The items you have been given belonged to my Son in Law,s   grandmother.   His father who is now  93 gave them to me,  as I have known him for almost 30yrs and still see him each week.   So in fact some of the items could be 100 yrs old.  The metal tool was I think for pulling the wool or rag through the hook for making a rug.  The other with a hook on the end is for lacing up the boots or shoes.   The stone buttons were to put in curtains to make them hang properly I believe. The stubby scissors were for toe nails I think and the little corso monograms were some of the family names. I am glad you liked them if you make anything with them I should love to see them. Best wishes  Ann"

Wow - how wonderful is that  - so some of my questions have been answered for me already!  Thank you Ann.  Of course, I can't wait to get going on something to include the buttons - a project for next week!   And I will email Ann a photo before I blog it - you can be sure of that