A chocolate kiss from the USA

A week ago I received a surprise package from the USA

It was a lovely Valentine's surprise from the wonderful Pat

I am beginning to think that we don't celebrate enough in the UK.

Take Valentine's Day for instance.  We send a Valentine or celebrate it with our loved one.

Whereas is the USA , having read a lot of blogs, it seems that they spread their love around to include others.  I think that is brilliant, and I will do so myself in future.

But take a close look at what Pat has made

Isn't  it just cute, and dainty and feminine?

Guess what was inside?

A chocolate kisses tea bag! 

I have never seen these before have you?

So tomorrow afternoon, I shall experience for the very first time

Chocolate kisses in a cup of tea.

*****Oh I forgot to take a photo*****

I also received one of the gorgeous little heart Valentine brooches Pat made.

It is pinned to a jacket in my wardrobe - I will take  a photo tomorrow.

Thank you so very much Pat.

(I am currently working on a couple of projects for two people in the USA)

So might not be blogging much this week

Something different. Ikebana-ish - with a twist.

Before I begin my usual waffle - can I just say thank you so very much for your comments.  You have not idea how much they mean to me.   I haven't been able to do my usual blog rounds to all of you - but will do - I'm working my way around.

I went to a flower arranging workshop yesterday afternoon - torrential rain, flooded roads, but it was worth it.   I am really getting back into the 'swing' of things and hope to go more works shops in all things arty crafty this year.   I didn't get it finished yesterday as I only had two and a half hours and there was lots to do, so I completed it this morning.

To make this you need a some shrub branches, large metal rings, something to cover them with, some test tubes, spring flowers, a container and a bit of imagination!

 

This was really difficult to photograph as it is very tall. Here are some close ups.  The tulips have opened out overnight, the closed ones are those I arranged today

I used a square green plastic container which I have put in the basket

Our first task was to cover the bare metal frames with something.

I am not the most patient in the faffing about department but it was worth all the effort, so I was  told, as they liked the finished effect.  I wrapped the ring loosely with orange crepe paper, and stuck the ends down with double sided tape.  On top of that I layered some shades of orange sisal, and some knitting wool.  Then used silver wire all around to hold it all together - oh and some wispy bits of Kapoc stuffing - thought it would match the white gypsophelia and the other colours.

I had to repeat the process for the two rings and added the pearl beads as an afterthought

I cut up the branches and arranged them in the oasis, and secured the rings to them

The test tubes I covered in ivy leaves and wrapped silver wire around them,

 fixed them to the branches so that I could put tulips high up, and looking natural.

(Sadly you don't get almost 4ft high tulips)

I have tried to make it look interesting all the way around

And have use gypsophelia right up the middle through the twigs

It smells divine and the colours match the colours in my home.

It's a bit difficult to photograph indoors but here it is.

It looks better in the hall with a cream backdrop, but it was too dull there to take a photo.

Not bad for a total of £18 for everything - including the workshop!

I have booked myself in for next month - going to do something more traditional

I think it looks a bit Ikebana-ish, but with a modern twist.

 

Hey - the sun has come out - I am off to play with inks!

A bit of Oh La La - from beans

It's been a whole week since I have been able to do any crafting, but I was determined to do so today - even though it was tipping it down with rain and my studio shed is at the end of the garden.

Patrick thinks I am mad - I am convinced - but I do feel a bit stir crazy being hemmed indoors in our little bungalow day in day out in grim weather - there is only so much reading a gal can do!

We went into a biggish town about ten miles from us to get some shopping.

We had some store vouchers and I wanted to use them before they ran out of date

So I bought a tin of beans because I wanted to alter it.

Not eaten the beans though - sigh.

 Click photos to enlarge

I covered the tin with a piece of cardstock which had some French words on it, and some gold patterning.  So I stamped some smaller words and French images and embossed them with gold.

I did a heat tranfer of an image onto cream satin

and added a French stamp

Slinky satin, embossed images of all things French

Can you see where this is going?

The lovely material drape in the background I bought in a charity shop

yesterday after I had been to my weekly Adult Education class

And as soon as I saw it I thought - Oh La La.

So off I went to a great blog I follow here Ink Stained Roni

and downloaded the pattern.

I then commited sacrilege and copied it, drawing it in a smaller size.

I cut out the corset from the peach material.

Then I stamped the middle panel with a lace pattern

Then coloured it with Promarkers, and painted

the flower centres with gold.

And coloured the rest of it with Promaker.

And glued it on!

Off to daydream of summer weekends in France

Altered Box

You know how it is - you are in the middle of cooking lunch and you get a flash of inspiration!

Well you would, wouldn't you when you see an empty OXO box?

So you find and download of images from Crafty Computer Paper

and enhance the colours with chalks

They are so sweet

You paint the oxo box with blue pearlescent paint, and stamp it with a lace stamp - all over.

Glue it all back together, and add a picture for the front

Another for the back - and then fill it up with whatever takes your fancy!

Vintage Notebook

I had fun making these two notebooks and they didn't take long to make - which makes quite a change for me!

This was made from a little notepad available from most supermarkets.

I removed the front cover which I used as a template, and made this.

Printed card cut to size, using co-ordinating colours to enhance the image which came frm Crafty Computer Paper.

I enhanced/coloured the image with chalks to bring the colours out.

Added some vintage lace top and bottom

Finished!

Simple vintage note book

The are little note books with lined pages which you can buy at any supermarket at little cost.

I took off the front over and replaced it with one of my own making

This is the back - it covers the plain cardboard

And here is the front. 

I want to build up a collection of these so that I have some little

gifts to hand - probably instead of cards!

Image from Crafty Computer Paper

Thankyou to for my blog candy Linda B

My blog candy from LB Crafts

A B Line printed paper template

To make a paper art doll - never had a go at one of these

so will need to do some research.

I also won

a lovely butterfly rubber stamp.

Linda does great courses at her shop and she has  brilliant blog too

Thank you very much Linda