Annie's Friday Smile No 3

Some of you know that I've been making fancy dresses this week for my little grandees. Just after  Christmas, when the family was all together for the very first time EVER, it was wonderful (and the best reason for me to SMILE). While the little fraulein was here I had to make some other costumes.....matching Minny Mouse ears, all with red bows for all of the precious toys she brought on the plane with her. 

Now, in order of size, there was .....

Baxter Bear, Little Ted, Horsey, and Mouse (just peeping over her left elbow) all lined up for fitting.

I had to hide anything smaller eg., her Playmobil figures! 

Here they are, and I bet you are smiling, both at the pic and at the thought of my face as each toy was brought to me to stitch, stick and make those pesky little, teeny weeny, fiddly, minute, little ears. 

What we do for love!

Two smiles from me this week as I am smiling so much every time I see the wondrous results that have come in this week from lovely blogging friends for LillyBo Quilts and there are lots more to come. 

Take a look here to see all about this worthwhile project. 

  

 If you look back a page on Annie's blog you can see the beautiful quilt which she has made and her lovely Big Sister Jo has so kindly made one too.

 Once I've added the labels over the weekend, this batch will all be donated to the children in the hospital next week along with one of the special cards which I received this morning from SueH.

Pop over to Annie's blog at a stitch in time to set you up for the weekend with lots more SMILES!!

 Remember... if you're too busy to smile.... you're TOO BUSY!!

So keep smiling!

WOYWW 191 Fancy Dress

WWOYWW comes every Wednesday to remind us that we really should be tidying ready for the big reveal but instead I'm up to my eyes in fabric sewing, not only quilts, but fancy dress costumes for my little grandees. This one is for my 5 year old Brighton Bell who wants to be "Merida" from the Disney Film "Brave". I think Merida looks just like a mediaeval Princess in all her pictures and I think the film is set in Scotland. 

The bodice is almost finished and a lovely frilly voile petticoat ready to fluff out the skirt. 

Oooh, I am enjoying making these little outfits and so wish I'd had them to dress up in when I was little.

I've made a velvet hooded cape, lined in gold

with a medallion fastener at the neck

I must confess that I am really pleased with the medallion I made

from these super blingy cheap trimmings and sequins

I tacked some to a disc of grungeboard, converting the straight braids to curves. I then squirted a layer of Glossy Accents over it all producing  substantially solid medallions to use on the head dress and as a fastener at the neck of the cape. 

I've also made capes for two little Snow Whites and bows for their hair.

Now here are my orders for the day...

First, make sure you take a look at Julia's blog, stamping ground, to find out what WOYWW is all about. In fact why not join in this weekly whirlwind around the crafty desks of the world!

Also, take a peek at my previous post and if you'd like one of the little pocket crosses, I've still got a few left. Just let me know but the instructions are there if you want to make some for yourself or your friends.

Finally, don't forget to pop over to Lillybo Quilts to catch up on the progress and see the lovely cards WOYWWer SueH has made to give with each quilt. 

One quilt has arrived and more are on their way so it's getting really exciting. 

The Cross in my Pocket

( Update......Please note, it might help to look at my post in Feb 2015 as I have altered the template and details are HERE)

A short while ago I made these little packets and sent them out to several friends. I didn't divulge the contents of the packets and so many people wanted to know what secret lay within.

The template for making the packets is HERE from a week or so ago..

They held, a pocket cross and a little card with the poem

A Cross in my Pocket.

Years ago when I was a Guide Leader I used to make them with my Guides and we made so many as they were so popular as tiny gifts and a super church fundraiser. 

For many years when I was asked again for them, I just could not find my sample and couldn't remember how to make them but by chance I recently found it in my workroom and decided to make them for a few friends who I knew would value them. 

I still have a few in hand so let me know if I didn't previously know you'd like one, and I'll give them out in order of request until they run out.

Whilst I am not very religious I found it quite meditative to make them, and it's  so therapeutic to sit threading the ribbon and beads. It's so simple too.

Everyone knows someone special who would value this symbol of their faith so at the special request of some of the recipients I am posting details below for how to make them.

They would be lovely on an Easter card or for Christenings and Confirmations. 

Add a little more creativity, here's a white one I spritzed with water then sprayed with blue and purple Dylusions. It looks more shaded IRL.

The base is cut from Plastic Canvas (7 gauge i.e., 7 holes to the inch) and an a piece 12 x 18inches costs around £2 and will make over 20 if you are careful cutting them in alternate directions. Apologies for my error clipping off one square too many on the bottom left one...so take care!

A guide below for threading the ribbon. After you've done one you will find it really easy thereafter.

(April 2nd 2016) Just noticed Mountain View popped in to look at my blog..... as they have done so often .....please leave a little comment to say "Hello" and tell me who you are, please!

I'd love to know.

The poem for you to copy and paste to print....

Just make a tiny card to fit into the packet and print it small enough to fit the card.

The Cross in my Pocket

by Mrs Vera May Thomas

I carry a cross in my pocket

A simple reminder to me

Of the fact that I am a Christian

No matter where I may be.

This little cross is not magic

Nor is it a good luck charm

It isn't meant to protect me

From all physical harm.

It's not for identification

For all the world to see

It's simply an understanding

Between my Saviour and me.

When I put my hand in my pocket

To bring out a coin or key

The cross is there to remind me

Of the price He paid for me.

It reminds me, too, to be thankful

For my blessings day by day

And to strive to serve Him better

In all I do and say.

It's also a daily reminder

Of the peace and comfort I share

With all who know my Master

And give themselves to His care.

So I carry a cross in my pocket

Reminding no one but me

That Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life

If only I'll let him be.

Friday Smile

I'm joining in again with Annie's Friday Smile on this dull snowy day. Popover to Annie's blog, a stitch in time, for some more.

I'm remembering the super sunny holiday I enjoyed last July when Donna and I visited Dolores in Slovenia. What a laugh we had together and it was so HOT, Hot Hot!

Having lunch at the restaurant atop Slovenia's highest mountain we had  forgotten the hats and sunscreen so we were trying our unglamorous best to keep the sun off our delicate English skin.

Remember Cole Porter's song about Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun? Here's his inspiration! Well at least I didn't tie knots in the corners of the hanky on my head!!

 Three crazy women had such a hoot crafting in the early hours of the morning... we hadn't even had a drop of anything other than TEA!

Just so if you really don't know us, here you can see us looking nearer to normal and we're not really crazy, we just love having fun!

It's Friday so SMILE!

WOYWW 190

Thanks to everyone who joined in for the LillyBo Quilts project. I've set up a dedicated blog and you can see it HERE or click the button with the bubble on my side bar! All the information and guidelines are there if anyone else would like to get involved and thanks if you do!

It's Wednesday and it's WOYWW 190 so I'm here again to fess up all about the state of play. 

I've been keeping up with Creative Jump Start and I've loved most of the posts with so many ideas for techniques and inspiration to boost my creativity. I think you can still sign up and catch up with earlier posts but, although it's FREE, you do have to sign in.

I've been captive indoors, whilst the white stuff was deep and crisp and even, I enjoyed a nice quality playtime this week experimenting with backgrounds and you'll spy the evidence here on my work desk. 

It's messy enough but it's only due to the things I'm playing with and could soon be tidied away. A much better snoop than a clean tidy boring desk, don'tcha think?!

Here below a close up of one of the the pieces on my desk. I stamped a face image then dolloped stencil paste around it before stamping into it with a crackle stamp. I then sprayed over with a few shades of Dylusions. After drying I rubbed perfect pearls over the texture and obtained this result below.

I laid acetate, stamped with script, over the top which but it hides the rich texture so it will be coming off!

Mind you, I think I rather like it before I started spraying colour over it.... back to the drawing board!

This, below, is something really different. It's the rather kitsch birthday card I made for my lovely DD2 who was 39 yesterday.
 I wish her all the luck and happiness in the world! 
The card has arrived at it's destination and I am pleased to say that she loves it! Shame that the parcel, which was posted the same day, hasn't arrived!

A couple of shout outs!

This bargain is in newsagents right now... 2 balls of wool, a purple crochet hook and a pattern magazine, all for £2.50...Great value... anyone interested!? 

Here's another of me bargains... I'm going to alter this multi frame as if it was a set of configuration boxes. It is about A4 size and cost only £1.99 at Home Bargains.

Stand by your desks and I'll be around soon on my weekly check up. I have to report to our Headmistress Julia over at the stamping ground and she will no doubt drop in on you too, quite unexpectedly, so be warned. She's been snowbound for a while so she might be quite tetchy this week, so be on your best behaviour!

LillyBo Quilts Launch

LillyBo Quilts

Just want to announce that I've got the new blog up and running although it does need a few more tweaks to the set up, the info is there to start the ball rolling so everyone who intends to join in and make a quilt can get going.

All the quilts made will be documented and photographed there so let's get cracking folks and make the blog your own showcase!

Looking forward to any comment and suggestions but most of all the pictures of the finished quilts.

Thanks to everyone involved.

As an afterthought ...I should have waited until tomorrow for the launch as it is my DD's 39th birthday! (she looks no more than 25) so Hippy Birthday to my lovely daughter and may it be a wonderful day with lots of fun and I hope the parcel arrives in time. 

The birthday card, posted the same day last week, amazingly arrived in Germany the NEXT day!!

Snow People Friday Smile

 Just look who was in my garden when I went out to feed the birds!!! Just had to add them to (Wipso) Annie's Friday chuckle. Pop over there for some more smiles to cheer you up during this cold spell in England and for all our friends sweating in Australia, USA, Africa etc......stay cool and don't complain!

 

 No lawn to mow and my garden looks picture perfect and as good as anybody's!

Stay safe and warm and keep smiling!

Little Packets & Jodrell Bank

Thanks so much to all you superstars who have joined up to make a little LillyBo quilt. Keep watching ... full details will be posted soon.

Little Packets

This easy little project gave me my start to get back into creativity this year. These little packets hold a craft item that I used to make years ago and when I found an old sample amongst my boxes I thought of so many blogging friends who, I'm sure, would love one.   

7 have now been posted to some lovely people but whilst I will show their packets, they don't know they are on their way and I will wait until they are received to divulge the special contents. 

Here's a template to print off if you'd like to make the simple packets which would also hold ATCs. Two can be cut from an A4 card and they can be made from card you have decorated artily or you can add some of your lovely small offcuts of printed papers to decorate them.

Here's one cut from my own arty stencilled card. 

Cut out, scored and folded, ready to stick flap x to side x

and the bottom flap to the bottom edge

I spritzed colour on the inside just on the part that shows.

All ready to add brads, ribbon, trims and embellishments of your choice.

What secrets will your's hold, I wonder?

A freezing foggy day in January and we decided on a day out somewhere a bit different.

Jodrell Bank to see the Lovell Telescope.

I didn't think we'd see much with the fog but as we drew closer it became clearer and so impressive.

We saw into the studios of the TV programme "Stargazing Live" but Dara O'Briain and Prof Brian Cox hadn't arrived for the evening show.

It would be a great visit in the good weather to explore the Nature Trail but not on the day we chose!

There were crows all over the stanchions but none of them would pose for a photo except this brave soul. 

Inside the Discovery Centre it was really interesting and, although geared for children, I think it appeals to all ages with lots of hands on experiments. 

We checked out our heat output via the infra-red screen and whilst DH looks hot stuff I must be a real cool chick! Just look at the difference!

We also printed off the fascinating graphs of the constant outer space information readings from the telescope. Don't know what they saw out there but once again such a difference between each one. 

Nicolaus Copernicus 1473-1543

This is one of the ancients we can praise or blame for leading us onto the space trail via his early scientific theories....

We ended an interesting jaunt with a super meal in an old tavern in Plumley...the Smokers. Old oak beams, a warm fire, copper kettles, great food and lovely service from friendly staff. A lucky chance find to which we will certainly return.

WOYWW 189 & LillyBo's Quilts Appeal

 At last, I have begun to craft for the first time since Christmas and there on my desk  is the first little project I have made. It's a cute little package but I can't divulge it's contents until I make several more and they are received by various people around the world.  I'll show the project and a template in the next day or two as nobody knows they are to be sent out and it's the contents that will be important to each of them. You'll find out soon!

At the back are stacks of boxes.....including  some CD cases to, hopefully, reorganise my unmounted stamps. I saw a friend's stored this way and they were so organised and easy to find so I'm going to see if I can manage to do my stash bit by bit. Each time I spot these handy A4 plastic boxes I buy a few more to replace the many different types of boxes already in use so one day they will all look the same... all so neat and tidy and organised... who am I kidding?!?

That's my work room desk for this week and if you are intrigued enough to want to see more there are far more than you can possibly view and more fun than you can imagine over at Julia's stamping ground. Take a hop!

LillyBo's Quilts Appeal

On my other desk, where I sew upstairs, I am in the process of sorting out my fabric stash for a very special reason. 

Some of you will already know about my 3 year old grandee, and the journey back to health she has so bravely fought over the last couple of years. She is doing so well now and I would like to pay back, in some little way, in thanks for her treatment. Whilst she was in hospital undergoing the worst of her chemotherapy etc., she was given a lovely, small, patchwork comforter quilt, made by a lady, over there in Germany, who makes lots of them for these special children as a comfort during the long processes in hospital and it certainly is special and precious to our little fraulein. 

It can be used as a play mat, a cushion when folded up in it's simple bag, a blanket to cuddle and keep warm when feeling yucky etc., and is handy for travelling in the car, in the hospital and at home. The bag also carries some toys or books when travelling to and from hospital.

In the New Year I decided to make some to donate to children here who are going through similar health  problems. 

Jan, LLJ, also wanted to channel her sewing to charity purposes this year and has so kindly agreed to make my quest one of her charity causes (huge thanks Jan) and so we wondered if there are any other WOYWWers out there or any other bloggers, who can do simple sewing, who would be willing to make a small patchwork quilt or two to donate. 

 I am willing to appeal for fabric if people don't have enough or cannot afford to buy some.

I have approached CHICS, a children's cancer support group who are thrilled with the idea and will place the quilts with suitable recipients and they can find loving homes for as many as we can make. 

They can be as simple or detailed as you like and to make it easier the patches don't have to be too small.

To save postage we can give links to CHICs branches near to your home where they can be donated in your own area.

All quilts will be blogged here no matter where they are donated.

If anyone is kind enough to join in I will post basic guidelines for making them, a picture of my first quilt, when finished, and full details of the CHICs organisation. 

I have a meeting soon with the local organiser.

Dust off your sewing machines and clear out your cupboards to find all your spare fabric and let me know if you are willing and able to join us in this lovely cause.

Every stitch will be so appreciated and each quilt will become a treasure for a special child, just like my grandee's is to her.

WOYWW 188

Shock horror!!! Yes, my desk is clear and almost empty, waiting for me to get my act together and start creating.(Just ignore the work surface at the back!) I've not crafted for a couple of weeks but I have been enjoying Creative Jump Start, all for FREE! Check it out... it's just the  inspirational jerk to get my mojo active and I am dying to get going again to try out some of the ideas I have seen day to day from the participating artists. It help to will fill the void my lovely family left when they all returned home.

Here's another rarely seen angle, taken towards the window and sink area, looking towards the garden.

This next side is well worth a snoop as it looks more like the old bazaar in Cairo but it's always like this and this is as tidy as it gets. It really is quite organised considering that all those boxes and drawers hold at least a million bits and bobs, which I bet most of you would love to nosey through. 

I have hung my flock of angels on high around the room as I couldn't possibly box them away in the dark and cold of the loft for a whole year of loneliness when they were all made with such love and care and sent from far and wide. They brought us so much joy on their arrival, and then during the festive season, so I am going to treasure them all through the year. 

There's a pocket hanger full of ATCs on the back of the door to my kitchen, in fact there are at last two cards in each pocket.

The IKEA drawers and shelves hold ink pads, inks and dyes.

I've shown some of my creative space for this week's expose via Julia's stamping ground blog and that's where you simply must go if you'd like to see more, and more and more and more........and lots more! 

Make a nice cuppa of your favourite brew and make a day of it!

Don't Miss Creative Jump Start

It's fun and it's FREE and you can backtrack all you've missed up to now.

Several of our WOYWW friends will be heading to CHA in California this week so here's hoping they all have a fabulous time and come back with lots of inspiration and photos to share with us all.

 Safe journey to all.