Winter Mourning

I finally decided on 'Winter Mourning' as the words for this fabric collage. Behind the girl there is something that could be a gravestone and it could be one of our wet winter mornings, hence the play on words.

My love friend Anne saw my previous post about this collage and a similar one and could see what I'd done with some of the lovely tweeds and tartens she's sent me a while ago that she sent me this parcel.

Some more beautiful fabric pieces! I can't wait to use them :-) Big, big thanks lass!

Remember - little Giveaway on it's way!

Harvest ATCs, Giant Poppies and News of Birthday Giveaway

The theme for this month's ATC swap over on Roses on My Table was Harvest. I started thinking about horticultural shows and the gardeners trying to grow the biggest, heaviest and longest vegetables. I thought this Victorian gentleman looked like a gardener in his Sunday best and here was the results of his labours, a giant pumpkin or a giant onion. I also liked staying with fall colours, so lots of oranges, rusts and browns.

I got to do some crafting at work today. A colleague asked me to make some poppies to use in her Rembrance Day display and here is the result, large giant paper poppies. They are about
1 1/2 foot across. I got the pattern and instructions from this website.

Then as my birthday is around the corner I've decided to run a small giveaway, I'll pop the details on here in the next few days so keep looking!

As it is soon to be my birthday I decided to treat myself to this wonderful journal by Suzi at Suziqui's Threadworks. I just couldn't resist it when I saw it earlier, I've admired her work for a little while now and this journal just screamed my name and when you see it you might see why, lol, you know how I love my cemetery angels. It is just so gorgeous, beautifully shabby and chic, I can't wait to hold it in my hands :-) Do pop over to see her beautiful work and blog!

Strange Weather this Autumn

"What have I done now? Not me, totally innocent me! Nothing to do with me." And this time Billyboy's right, the weather is just plain freaky.

Rosehips are to be expected but what's that in the background?

A delightful rose, with more buds forming! By now flowering should be over and the roses losing their leaves


but they are putting on new shoots and growth where I tidied them up a couple of weeks ago.

My cosmos are still flowering their hearts out as well.

Mary of Tin Can Tart fame was also commenting on this strange weather on her blog. It's been warm again in the sun today, warm enough to sit out and read but it's beginning to turn I think. I had to have the heating on for the first time last week, we are on the way to how it should be I think. I'm hoping to get to the local Botanical Gardens this week and see the leaves turning.

I decided to update my blog look for the autumn and found this lovely background and header on Shabby blogs - see link in the top left. Still floral and birdy but more autumnal colours I thought. Just wish I knew how to use Photoshop properly as it took me over an hour to resize and write on the header - but I got there in the end :-)

Enjoy your autumn, whatever the weather!

A Sunday in Autumn - Chutney Making

I finally got going on the first chutney of the season, a mixed tomato chutney, recipe from Nigel Slater. Aren't these green tomatoes like jewels?

Red jewels as well

At the start of the cooking the red tomatoes are left out and added later.

Half way through cooking the mixture looks like this, so colourful and the smell is gorgeous. I'll be putting it into jars later, for the dark winter days ahead :-)

Peonies Journal #2

A while ago I made a second Peonies Journal and I thought you might like to see some piccys.

This is a theme I love working with as I adore peonies and have a couple of plants in my own garden.


Lace, acrylic paint, shimmer sprays all came out :)

I thought this geisha looked as if she was juggling with peony flowerheads. She's transfered onto fabric with Transfer Artist paper.

I used photos of my own peonies to indicate little flaps and pockets that things can be kept behind, putting lined scrapbooking paper on the back of the photo so the person receiving the journal can journal there easily.

A little butterfly tag made using my favourite napkins.


Stamps and vintage book papers

Another little fabric collage with a lovely image of a bluebird from the Graphics Fairy blog.

I love to see all the lace peeking out of the sides but I've left plenty of space for journalling in this journal.

Enjoy your weekends wherever you are. Be creative!

WIP Fabric Collages

I've been having fun working on a couple of fabric collages for my new Heavenly Gardens journal

One of the nice things is that I've used some lace and fabric given to me by friends so it makes it more special, thanks Anne and Lorna! I'm pondering words to put on these collages as I think that would finish them off nicely, mmmm..............

Page for Milliande

Back in June I made a page for a collaborative book to thank Milliande for all the hard work and inspiration she puts into her site and as she's now had the book I can share my page.

If you look up Milliande on Youtube you'll see wonderful videos that she has made, very inspiring and informative. I used to watch them whilst I had my breakfast :) and it would set me up for the day.

I was having fun with tissue paper, vintage book paper, my sewing machine, alcohol inks and Pitt pens.