Purple and Green Necklace

I sat quietly this afternoon watching Christmas films on the tv, but I knew if I sat in the armchair I would fall asleep.  Having had a few sleepless nights recently I didn't want to nap in the afternoon, so I occupied my time making a necklace.  I haven't done any jewellery making for ages.  It does tend to be something I do on days I can't get out in the garden.

I had a present of some beads in a secret santa last year.  They wouldn't normally be my chosen colour, and I needed some gold findings to match the beads, so I raided my stash and found chain, findings and a clasp.and a few extra beads that matched in with the string of assorted beads.

I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.  I threaded the beads on eye pins, and then joined the eye pins with "w" clips to give it some movement and added some chain (which you can't see) and  a magnet clasp.

The colours are more jade than the blue shown in the picture, or perhaps I should say more a "greener" shade of  turquoise.

70th Birthday Card

Another card made from one of the Victoria Nelson digikits - love her designs

Variations on a theme

Today I am sharing two cards I made recently the one above for a female friend's birthday ....

... and this one I made earlier in the month for a male friend who is a flotist

Basically the same but different!

Watermill

Do you remember this?  

Well I have painted  it now

Having taken these photos earlier, I didn't like the fact that you could see down inside the post support for the wheel.   On the package for the kit - it has a top, so this evening I set to and cut a top for the post from the sheets that the piece came on .......

..... that looks better!

another view

and another

Pleased with it now!

More Christmas Ornaments

A couple of baubles - one for me on the left with some folk art on it, and the one on the right in gold and silver as requested by my son

I also repainted the Gingerbread men from the other day, as didn't like the initials on them, so now plain......

..... but I did put the children's names on the back and added some simple folk art, so if they spin on the tree there is something else on the back

Crocheted Owls

I was looking for a picture for a friend of some owls I crocheted last year, and I couldn't find it - so I thought they will be on my blog!  Well it appeared they weren't.  So having taken a photo tonight, I am rectifying the situation.

Card for a teacher friend

a quick card for a maths teacher friend made in CAP2

Birthday Card

in the MacIntosh style

Love these images from an old Sharon Duncan cd.  Imported tin CAP

Wooden Christmas Decorations

I have had such fun today.  My crafting mojo is returning.  It was too cold and wet and miserable to go up in the Den to paint; so I was very naughty and brought my paints down into the house and painted on the dining table!  I don't think my husband would have approved when he was alive particularly as I do have a craft room/study to use (but the desk was full of computer and other craft stuff and I didn't dare risk getting paint on the computers!).

Anyway I did, and hopefully he is looking down on me with approval for finally getting my crafting mojo back.   It was so therapeutic sitting painting with the christmas movies on the tv to watch at the same time.  It was just like sitting colouring in but with paints.    

Here are pictures of the individual items:

My son has just moved into a new house, and I wanted to make something for his girls for Christmas when they come to visit.   I hope they all like them.  (They had seen them unpainted, and originally they all wanted a gingerbread man - so I bought a couple more to save any arguments - just hope I have painted the right "favourite"colours on them!)  For info the wooden decorations came from Hobbycraft.

I have a couple more similar items to paint (baubles), one of which at least will be for me, and I have my wooden watermill to paint too.   So that should keep me out of mischief for a little while longer! 

Meet Wol

the finished Proggy Owl

Wooden Watermill

Work in Progress

 I had watch Paul church demo these kits on Create and Craft and was very tempted.  However, there was a chap selling them on a market stall in town ther week before last, right next to where my son was taking part in a "Hack Horsham" demonstration.   Well it would have been really rude not to buy something wouldn't it?

I could have bought loads.   Anyway I fell in love with the Watermill.  Goodness knows what I will do with it or where I will display it.   Perhaps I will get some yacht varnish and coat it when I have painted it - and it can go in the garden by my bridge and imitation stream!

Nearly completed - one piece of wood to go on after I hace removed wheel and painted

Just needs painting now - can't wait.  Watch this space for the finished result.

Proggy Owl

Work in progress - as you can see I have ventured into the world of Proggy, encourage by my crafting pal I had staying with me. 

This takes me back to my childhood and sitting making rag rugs with my grandmother.  It is all the rage now apparently, and it quite relaxing and therapeutic.  This was a kit I bought from Hobbycraft, and I had to by the proggy tool in addition to the kit, as they don't come with one.

You never know I might actually buy some hessian and make a rag cushion or even a rag rug, when I have finished the owl, as rag rugs are also coming back into fashion.

New Home Card

A new home card using one of my favourite images from Joanna Sheen's Diary of An Edwardian Lady, imported into CAP and some wording added.  Mounted on grey pearlescent card.

The verse inside says:

When the boxes are gone
And you've cleaned up the mess
You'll make a home of the house
That was just an address

Crazy Quilted Cushion

My pal Sassie has been staying with me for most of the past few weeks.  She came up from Devon for our Sapphire Wedding Anniversary celebrations.  Went home for a few days and then came back up for the funeral.

During her first visit she got me to buy some calico to make a crazy cushion, and finally yesterday I got to attempt to make the cushion, under her supervision.   The first time I have done any quilting!

Work in Progress

Finished Cusion

I wasn't all that happy with the finished result.  Mainly, due to the fact that I didn't like some of the results of the top stitching, but it is the first time I have used this new machine in earnest!   Fortunately in my stash I had a flower I had made some time ago with some of the fabric I used, so I was able to strategically sew that on to cover one particular bit I didn't like when the machine threw a "wobbly".

I used to be very good at sewing in my younger days and made all my own clothes.  Quite often when my husband I were courting, I would meet him for lunch on a Saturday, nip and buy some material and catch the three o'clock train home and by the time he picked me up to go out in the evening, I would have made a new dress!.  ( Mind you with the cost of patterns and material these days, don't think I could do that now, wouldn't be able to afford the pattern let alone the material!)

Flowers

urin

We had a beautiful tribute from the family for my husband, which reflected the fact that he died  during the week of our Sapphire Wedding Celebrations.

The same flowers in vases - they are beautiful a week later