show and tell and bloggy thank you...

Aren't bloggy friends the best? I'm sure you will all agree :)

This post is bit overdue mainly due to the fact that all it has done is rain here
[which I'm not complaining about] but makes it hard to get decent pics. So today the sunshine is out in full force and i grabbed the opportunity to photograph while i could.
First of all Jan sent me a lovely surprise or my birthday , one of her beautiful matchboxes filled to the brim and also some flowers which I've since used, so no pic... sorry...
i took it it into work and all the scrappers/mixed media peeps went gaga over it. It was huge hit. The little birdy in the nest is so sweeet...


I am having trouble with my pics not saving the right way round. I have tried to rotate it but it still wont save to blogger properly.
This was a bit fuller but ive been raiding it!!

Thank you Jan, you made my Birthday very special...

Then i did a swap with the lovely Margaret. I swapped her some Japanese fabrics, papers and general pretties...and this is my loot!!

Wonderful Asian napkins, bits of fabric papers and even a lantern :)
see i kept the blue tape off the parcel. Margaret said it was falling off at the post office, so it was lucky to make it :)
all beautifully packaged and even a little origami kimono...

also some lovely Swisse things,tickets, cards , lovely cutouts, it was all wonderful.
All sorts of little treasures in there....


She made me an atc too, which has gone into my favorites, i just adore it...


and.....
I haven't really gotten into inchies but I've received the most gorgeous inchie books lately, this one from Margaret....




beautiful HUH?

and this one from my friend Les for my birthday too. It has the most beautiful quote from Michelangelo.







They are both such beautiful little treasures to look at and keep...... I tell you it was the birthday that went on and on!

Maybe all 50's should be like that!

August dressups

I'm early this month, its so good when inspiration strikes...

This is August Dress, made from woven sari silks...... aren't the colors delish!!

Ive been seeing a few woven backgrounds around here and here. Jacky's been inspiring me :)

I thought it would be perfect for this. However, it was incredibly fiddly but i do love the end result especially all the frayed fibres and twisty bits.



The dog had another go at my wardrobe after i resurrected it [it had come up pretty good]. I've stuck a pole in there for these shots. I think i need a bigger box too. They aren't all in there as i need to make hanger for Feb's dress and finish Junes.



I love visiting all the other dresses and cant believe how the numbers are growing still...

Fletcher update....

We had a phone call from a lady last night who reckons she and her hubby have seen him in area just out of Castlemaine. They have whippies and said it looked like him. He was running next to a man on a leash along the roadside. The only way he would've survived this long is if he had found a home, its been so cold........ It may not be him but all we can do is try and find out.

Hubby and Luce will be doing a letter drop and knock on a few doors tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed..... I'll keep you updated...

this and that...

I've had a lovely weekend puddling about making things and packing up stuff to send off for swaps etc .
We've had some massive downpours so it been really nice to be inside in the warm making my usual mess :) last week i thought the coldest days of winter might be behind us as we had some lovely sunny weather, but no, they are back :(

The week before i went to the Stitches and Craft show with my bestest friend Ann on the train. We met up with some others from our craft group but generally wandered around on our own, meeting for lunch etc.
Now, i haven't been for years but i was really impressed. There were so many interesting stalls to appeal to all tastes plus the quilt exhibition. I found this wonderful chipboard from here and could've spent a fortune but i reigned myself in. sigh.
I bought two hanks of this wonderful sari silk which I've pulled apart and have started using...

a housewarming card and thank you card. My free motion stitching is very 'free' i need to practise it more on paper....



I do so love the last little house, it looks like a little gnomes house Lol

loads of beads , charms, velvety flowers , printing sheets in silk and cotton and some cogs and sprockets used here.
All in all a fabulous day was had by all...


here are some other Atc's ive made for recently . This one i sent to Margaret...cut into my japanses fabrics, that was hard !
Backgound is masking tape with metallic crayons, rubbed back.




This was for a bridges swap which had me really stumped [not that hard to do lately]
Before you say what a wonderful drawer i am ;), its a magazine image gessoed and colored in with watecolor crayons. The big cloud was the Goodyear Blimp! It looks pretty ordinary until you tilt it and the water sparkles with that stampee foil. So hard to get a good pic though...

I call it ...The Best Bridge in the Best Location in the Best Country!!!!!