Handmade with love

Because I am able to do all sorts of craft, I don't often purchase other people's, due to the mistaken belief that I will have the time and inclination at some vague point in the future to make something similar. Which has still to arrive for many nebulous ideas.

However, sometimes I see an item which I really love, and know I would never make and I buy it. Yesterday I was at the Handmade Expo in Ipswich and spotted this cute little fellow, made by this very talented crafter. Just lovely!

Lucky me

Don't be fooled by the title of this blog. I'm not one of those people who are forever winning things; you know the ones, everything from chook raffles to Lotto - they always seem to be in luck. Not me. Anyway, imagine my surprise last October when I actually did have a bit of luck- I won an iPad. Not that this was something I desperately wanted or anything - I really didn't know too much about them (I'm not really a technophobe although my mobile phone doesn't even have a camera- it's not that smart!) but decided I should embrace my good fortune and find out.

I have discovered that on my iPad I can

• read books





• listen to music





• log on to the internet (I haven't done it yet- I will when I find out how to)





• keep an electronic diary





• store photos

and much, much more!

Of course if I want to take it anywhere it needs protecting, doesn't it? So I made it a nice padded pouch using some floral fabric (once a furnishing sample) and the synthetic felt from a tote bag received as a free gift with my favourite magazine. Sandwiched between felt and fabric is some cotton quilt wadding to keep the screen from getting scratched. Oh, and a little applique cut from the floral fabric, just so it doesn't look too boring on the outside.

Trash or treasure?

I just love the design on this vintage tin, mine for 50 cents at the trash and treasure stall at Wolston House Christmas craft day last November. No question in my mind- it's a treasure!

My apologies for the slight fuzziness in the photo- no matter how I tried, I couldn't get it in focus. Probably something to do with encroaching age (sigh!) - it looked fine on the LCD display. Maybe I need to visit the optometrist again??

PS Wolston House is open tomorrow - drop in and say hello. We do scrumptious Devonshire Teas!

Willow Pattern

One of my favourite china patterns is Blue Willow. My everyday china has the pattern and I have accessories, teapot, jugs and sugar bowl to match; even a set of tin canisters. None of those is particularly old or especially precious, however, the one in the picture is a favourite in my collection.

I don't know how old it is , as it has no backstamp or markings. I bought it on my first trip to the UK in 2000, from an antique shop in Chester, which is a fascinating city. It has Roman remains and is surrounded by a 2000 (almost)year old wall. It is also credited with having what could be called the first shopping arcade. There are lots of half-timbered shops and dwellings in the Tudor style, but apparently they were mostly built in the Victorian era.

Another one bites the dust....

All crafters have UFOs, some recent, some not. This one would have to be classified as vintage. The 'unfinished' doesn't refer to the embroidery itself, I hasten to add; that was finished long ago. It's the turning it into a useful article that has taken time. Oh, occasionally I would take it out and ponder, only to put it away again, its fate still undecided. Eventually I determined that it would become a cushion, but of course there were decisions to be made about fabric and trim, so the poor thing would once more be stashed away for another day.

Well my friends, that day has finally come! Hooray!!

A bit of a cover up...

Like many crafters, I have a bookcase full of pattern books, magazines and bits and pieces torn from magazines with the thought that maybe, one of these days, I might just make that! Fat chance! The several lifetimes I have mapped out to sort my stash would have to be extended to infinity in order for that to happen.

However, I do enjoy looking at them from time to time, to get inspiration and continue dreaming.. and just occasionally, to make something.

The book in the photo is one that I love and I have made quite a few items from it. Two of them are in the picture, one with dark blue beads and one with light blue. I have a bit of a thing for vintage linen, especially items used for serving afternoon tea. The cover with amber beads is one I picked up years ago from an antique fair and the net one with red beads came from my grandmother's house.

Along with my goal for 2011 of sorting my stash, I may have to include making at least one thing from some of the books I have received as gifts or purchased on a whim; after all, something must have attracted me in the first place.

I suppose this idea could be extended to all those recipe books I have in the kitchen.... but maybe that's a thought for another day.

Furry friends

They live in my shed roof and often disturb my nights by galloping over my tin roof. I rarely see them during daylight hours, although I sometimes hear them moving around if I'm in the shed. I heard a kerfuffle the other day and the cat was behaving strangely- when I saw this I ran for the camera.

My granddaughter calls them Mr & Mrs Cheeky.