Daydreaming and busy buzzing bees

It's been so very very hot and I had to stay indoors out of the sun.  Instead I sat in the conservatory and looked out of the windows onto the garden.

Little bantams chasing butterflies and insects, hiding in amongst all the flowers and shrubs laying eggs that I can never find - and just running around full of joy.
In the flowerbed near the window, there were bees buzzing in and out of the orange calendula, and alstromeria, and very soon they had a 'coat' of orange dust on their backs as they collected pollen.

I thought I saw a little fairy amongst the flowers - but I must have been day-dreaming.  Or was I?

Well there's a little bee - whizzing around so fast it's a bit blurry

I wasn't dreaming - there is a little fairy nestled in the flowers

There is gold fairy dust on her wings and crown but it is hard to see, it did look so lovely in the sunshine though

She's a fairy princess called Jasmin, with her magical bumble bees

And she is hiding a surprise for little Kerys on her birthday

It's a magic wallet!  Keep watching that money

You blinked and missed it!

It's jumped from one side to the other!

Open it one way and the money is on one side - close it and open it again - and its jumped to the other!

These days children seem to want money instead of presents, but I do miss the 'old days'. 

We will be adding a cheque too of course for Mum and Dad to put into her savings account.

I do think it is nice to have something that no-one else will have, their very own magical fairy wallet!

Slim enough to pop into an envelope - and can be used for all sorts of occassions other than a birthday.  And something that will last longer than a birthday card - hopefully! 

Stamps used:  Stampotique designed by Jo Capper Sandon are:  Jasmin, tiny bee, crown, and bow heart.  Available as before from Happy Daze -  and a link in my side bar.

The fabulous template for the magic wallet is a download from Time For Crafting  -  and a link in side bar.

It's called 'Jacob's Wallet'. 

The great thing about the templates on Time For Crafting is that you can use your own imagination and turn them into anything you like - as I have done here to create something a little bit different.

I am entering this in the Lots to do Challenge

What's on the menu today then?

I have used Jo Capper Sandon's  Stampotique giant 'shroom, daisy, and bow heart stamps (available from Happy Daze see link on sidebar) to create this tag for a 'Cuisine' tag swap.

Can you guess what is on the menu?

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

It's chicken and mushroom pie

The Pi symbol I have drawn on the little heart.

And the chicken is a rare breed - so won't end up in a pie really!

Math's was one of my favourite subjects at school!

I hear a mass groan!

Slide Mailer

You can probably guess by the cover that it features Venice.

And the sentiment

'All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware'

I have re-stamped the sentiment since I took this photo.

Well this is my first attempt at altering a slide mailer - and as usual it tells a story!

I started this by inking up the dark cardboard all over, then stamped on top with acrylic paints

I rubbed over some stickles to give it a flavour of the 'carnival' and used lovely images from the Crafty Individuals book.

As you can see, the microscope slides have been edged with silver tape and inked with alcohol ink colours to tone with those of the mailer

The back cover - with another C.I. image.

I used ribbons to bind the spine to make it look like a book

The inspiration for this came from a four day break I spent in Venice in 1994.

Little did I know that it would change my life forever!

This is for a swap - so I won't be seeing it again - but I do have my memories, and living happily ever after with the gentleman who shook my hand and gave me a polite 'peck' on the cheek, whilst standing on the steps with a group of strangers, overlooking the bridges and canals of Venice, as the bells rang out, the clocks chimed, and the sky was alight with fireworks to welcome in the New Year!

More stamping with Jo Capper Sandon

I didn't mean that I actually did some stamping with Jo - in my dreams!

I meant that I used her latest stamps to make a card - and silly me - I forgot to blog it!

Floral Art

On Wednesday I spent two hours in the afternoon doing a bit of floral art. 

Topiary - which I haven't tried before.

Above is the arrangement my tutor made.  I just love the colours - yellow and blue - so I bought it off her for my home. 

And here is my effort below

I tried taking a photo in the garden, but the sun was too bright.

We live in such a tiny bungalow that it is hard to get a decent photo!

To make it you just need a pot of any description and sticks/pole for a 'trunk', which you cement into the container.

Wrap some rubber bands around the top of the 'trunk' and after soaking a piece of floral foam (either a ball or a piece which you cut from a block), push it onto the trunk to sit on the rubber bands, and away you go!  I put foliage in first then filled it out with flowers.

It was a bit of a 'knack' to get it ball shaped, and of course I had to 'alter it' with a bit of hessian - but I really enjoyed the couple of hours and it's great to have flowers in the house and it only cost me £15 all together including the cost of the lesson!

Once these flowers die, I will just put another piece of foam on top and make another!

It'll look great as a Christmas arrangement for my porch - just imagine a topiary tree of holly and ivy and conifer or box hedge with oranges and nuts etc in it.

July we are making an arrangement with a breeze block - the mind boggles!

Alter it monthly - Tin Pan Alley

This is my entry for Alter it Monthly - where you have to use metal in your work

Zuzu says that we can use something we have made, not specifically for the challenge

So that's good as I haven't been able to do any crafting lately

Here is something I made earlier

 I made in December - it was a present for myself for my 60th birthday

New Stamps - Jo Capper Sandon's

I haven't been able to do any crafting - but today I did get more inspiration from the famous JCP

Firstly I received more of the stamps I ordered from Happy Daze (big link on the right hand side bar)
I am not 'just saying it' - but truly, the service from Moira is absolutely amazing.  I think that when you have your own company, and enjoy crafting too, you  have an understanding  and go 'that extra mile' to ensure that orders etc go out asap - especially when they come from overseas.  Thank you Moira.

So here's what arrived today.

I even cleared out a draw for them all to have their own space!

(I have room for a few more Jo if you get the creating rubber urge again)

 

It is going to be such a joy to create work having the right stamps for a change.  I know it shouldn't matter, but it gives me more confidence if I can start by having inspiration with the same stamps first, then once I get the hang of using them  -  I can create something in my 'own' style

Talking of which, I have been studying Jo's blog and have had a go at trying to take a better photo of my work.  Here is my first attempt.

 

I think it is an improvement on the previous photo of this tag

 

The idea was good - but didn't quite work - the proportions were all wrong.  I wanted to make the wooden shroom look like a shadow of the tag shroom.

If anyone has sent me something by Recorded Delivery - the postman came today - but stupid, stupid man stuck a card through the door, so I won't get it until Saturday now.

My lovely post lady Karen is on holiday this week, and she knows that I can't always hear the doorbell even though it is one of those you can plug in any room.  If she was delivering it, and I didn't go to the door, she would have seen all the windows wide open, noticed the car and trailer on my drive with work tools in and put two and two together thinking 'Ah Lottie is in, but out of ear shot of her bell.  There are obviously work men in the garden, so I'll shout or bang on the gate'.   Logical for us women isn't it....but NOT for a postman - who shoved all the other mail through the letterbox, stood and filled out the flipping card, and put that through too.  It would have been so much quicker to bang on the gate - he would have heard the men talking.

Ah well - I'll have something to look forward to  on Saturday now won't I.

Not been able to craft - won't bore you with the details, but Saturday or Sunday I hope to get going again.

Hmmmm    I wonder whose stamps I will use?

Oh I must just say this - I noticed that all JCP's stamps have her name on them - how cool is that huh?  Wouldn't you just love to have a stamp with your same on it - going all over the world, being bought by all sorts of people?     I know I would  - off to dream of world fame!