Friday smile

Bathtime!

 

I keep topping up my bird bath and this fastidious male blackbird keeps emptying it!

I think the look says...

"Just pass the shower gel will you."

What do you think he is saying?

Join in with Annies' Friday smile over at "A stitch in time"

Have a great weekend.
x Jo

WOYWW

I know we all say it BUT ...
I can't believe it's Wednesday already!!
Where do the weeks go?
Here we are again joining all the other WOYWW bloggers who enjoy a good snoop round other crafters work spaces. You know who you are and if not, then pop over to Julia's Stamping Ground and find out more!!

Another tableful of vintage linen bits and bobs on display today.
My bunting and ring cushion are also on the posts below - so scroll down for a better snoop!

Some of you might recognise the pink and blue bits.
I took photos of my ATCs before posting them and have tweaked the photos to make little "Thank you" cards. I have printed them on canvas paper and I am quite pleased with the result.
I think they will look good mounted on some cream card.

I think I shall make a few more little stitched pictures as I really enjoyed making them and I have lots of scraps of vintage linen to use up.

Below are the little snakey hand puppets that I made for the twins this week.
They love the snakey puppets on CBeebies so I found a couple of my left over socks from sock dolly making and made two tiny snakies which just fit nicely on a little hand.

That's it for this week - see you next week!
Thanks for calling by.
Hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine.
x Jo

Handmade ring cushion

I decided to make my linen crazy quilt square into a little ring cushion.
It is a neat 20cm x 20cm square made with vintage linen and decorated with hand stitching, beads, a mother of pearl button and satin ribbon ties. (Ring not included!!)

Here is a close up of some of the detail.

I have really enjoyed the hand embroidery that I have been busy with recently.
I have now finished 3 lengths of white bunting made with vintage linen and decorated with vintage crochet and lace plus my own embroidery (here if you are interested)

I will probably put them in our Sisters Crafty Creations blog shop or ebay but if you are interested in the meantime, you can email me.


Thanks for popping in - I hope the day is a bit drier and sunnier for you than it is here!

x Jo

Finished by Friday and a smile.

Just a couple of photos of my white bunting that I finished this week.
It is made with 7 flags of vintage linen decorated with vintage lace/crochet/embroidery and my own hand embroidery stitches.
It is attached to 3 metres of white tape so is just enough to go across the top of a double bed and fasten securely at each side.
Here is a close up of one of the flags . There are several different flag designs.

 

I shall probably pop it in our blog shop (Sisters Crafty Creations) later - maybe in the wedding section.

 

Now for my happy story.

It certainly made me smile.

 

Yesterday evening, just as I started eating my tea, a young woodpecker (probably the one I showed you last week on my fence!) flew into my window. I think it was being chased by the sparrow hawk.

It tumbled down and landed right outside my patio door and lay panting, wings outstretched.

Then the panting stopped and it was still.

I was sure it was dead.

I know you are supposed to just leave birds in shock alone so, I just kept an eye on it whilst I had my tea.

It lay completely still, spread out across the patio.

About half an hour later, as by now I was conviced it was dead, I thought I would go and have a look at its beautiful feathers, take a photo to show Annie and then dispose of the little body.

Imagine my shock - as I opened the door-  it took off and flew to nearest oak tree chirping away as it went!!

A little miracle I am sure. I was so glad to know it was alive and well and had not been another casualty of the hawk or my windows!!

 

There now I bet you are smiling too!!

 

For more smile, pop over to Annie's blog " A Stitch in Time"

 

Have a great weekend.

x Jo



WOYWW

Good morning all!

I hope you are all well and that you are making the most of the occasional sunny day we have been having.

Today my table is awash with white linen bunting.

I started making it last year and even sold one or two lengths.

Yesterday I found it lurking in the bottom of my "needs finishing" drawer.

I thought I might add hand stitching to each flag - a bit like my crazy quilting square on the left.

Then I am going to sell them.

 

At the back of my photo is this little picture.

 

Maxine made it for me and I decided to pop it in a box frame to go in my sewing room.
I love it and it has a lovely message inside so worth saving and making something special with it.

And lastly - below is my latest LillyBo quilt for Jo's "LillyBo quilts for poorly children scheme". (see here)
Annie had all the fabrics, so it was just a case of using bits and bobs creatively!
I even found enough to make a matching tote bag and little bear.
I think someone will love them don't you!!

Short and sweet today.
Thanks for popping in here.
I love to know what you think and so many folk leave kind comments.
I will try to visit as many desks as I can - but I have a day with the twins tomorrow - great fun - so will maybe take a while to get round this week.

Have a good week.
x Jo

Saturday smile!

 

A bit late with my smile for this week!
Just spotted this baby woodpecker and its mum on my fence.
I love this time of the year but so does the sparrow hawk!
Within five minutes of taking this picture there was a beautiful male hawk sitting in exactly the same spot - I don't think he had been quick enough to take this baby but I am sure there are plenty more fledglings around that he will be whisking away in no time!

Have a good weekend.
x Jo

WOYWW

Good morning all!
Just a few more of the lovely ATCs that have arrived here over the last week - er plus maybe  a few I recognise from last week's post, now I am looking again!! Oh and in the foreground the little poem that came with the one from Shaz in Oz - what a creative bunch you are!!
Each little ATC is so different and I find all the techniques fascinating. Some came in equally beautiful little cards with tags etc. Brilliant!
Thanks lots everyone.


Now, last week I told you that no crafting had taken place on my table - a rarity, as some of you kindly pointed out!
BUT.....



This week I have actually finished the wee mousey quilt and bag to send of to Jo for her LillyBo Quilt appeal. If you think you would like to make a little quilt for a poorly child then follow this link to the LillyBo Quilt blog and find out more.





And finally.....
These little sparrows were helping themselves to a wash and brush up in my bird bath today.
There are some young ones in my garden clamouring for food too.
I have also seen young chaffinches and a baby robin this week.

Hope you have enjoyed a snoop around my little blog.

Join in with the other WOYWW blog hoppers by following the link to Julia's Stamping Ground - you never know what you will see or what useful little gem of information you might pick up.

Have a good week.

x Jo

Friday smile - Funny email subject

 

I get regular email updates from Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine.

Today's subject was.....

"Getting relief from stencils"

Now I know exactly what it means but something in that title just made me giggle.

It's not just me is it??

Join in with more Friday smiles over at Annie's blog - A stitch in time.

x Jo

WOYWW

Good morning all!
Unusually for me - I have not crafted in my little room all week.
So no crafty creations of mine on display BUT.....

Just look at this feast of crafty wonderfulness that has arrived through my letterbox over the last week!!!!!

I hope I have thanked each and every one of you by email but if not, I will be doing so - In the meantime a big thank you for all your hard work and creativity.
Annie and I had a "show and tell" on Monday and it was so lovely to look at each one and see all the processes involved.
What a clever bunch you are!!!
Do click on my photo and have a close look - they really are fab!

We have loved making ours and joining in the swap but best of all we love the friendship that Julia and her clever invention - WOYWW - have created.
Various folk who went to the celebration "crop" have shared their photos - what a fab day you all had and so nice to put faces to names too.

May we enjoy many more happy WOYWWs and make connections with more global blog buddies!

x Jo