Friends are the brightest flowers.......

.....in the garden of life..

....hello everyone and a very happy Sunday evening to you all.

I thought it was about time I made a card after all that sewing!

So I have made this one for my friend Fiona, aka Fi Fi la Flea!

I love this little image by Leanne Ellis,

it is a fundraiser stamp and 100% of the profits go to

Breast Cancer, it's available here at Funky Kits.

This week over at the Sugar Bowl that v.talented lady Marlene

has produced this amazing sketch, what a fab one it is too!

I have rotated it as I preferred the large flower to the left.

I have water coloured my image then used TH distress inks-

aged Mahogany (love, love, love this)! and tattered rose to

distress all papers. Papers are from DC and are from a Wedding

Pack, I thought those gorgeous roses matched the one in

her hair! There was also a little extra theme to the challenge

which was to add something recycled onto your card so I used

this large flower which came off (fell, not pulled)! a silk bouquet

I have. You can see this got a bit of an inking too!

Can you see....I have slipped a little tag into that right hand

corner....shhhh no one will notice (it's not part of the sketch)
but I really wanted to used this stamp (which was way too big)

for my tag, so I stamped half on one side..

and the other half the other side... see!

Stamp from Hampton Art Stamps

added these two pearls at intervals and then my little

hand made with love charm on the end.

Sentiment printed from PC, ribbon and doily from stash.

Think that everything, enjoy the rest of your Sunday,

TFL, Happy Crafting, Suexx

WOYWW

Hello and a very happy Wednesday to you all, well doesn't time
fly!!! I must have been having some fun along the way!!Hee hee
Here is my desk today....

Firstly can you spy my fabby fabric with the cats on? and.....
this is what's on the floor next to my desk, two bargains
of the week, this pillow which has the little split at the top, I
got for £1.00 from the Range, I just need the wadding from it
and will make Milton (a.k.a. Snooze Monster) a nice new bed!!
Will he be grateful? No, he will probably sniff at it and just jump
right back onto our bed!! I will make it anyway!!
Next to the pillow is this extremely gorgeous fabric from
Laura Ashley, they have a sale on at the moment and this
was reduced from....wait for it!..... £35.00!!! to £5.00!!WOW
with an extra 10% off!! Whoopee, don't know what I'm going
to do with that just yet, but as soon I get my hands to work with it
I will let you know, you can't miss a bargain like this now
can you girls! ...Now next on my desk is another set of baby cards,
this time Birth Announcement with a thank you note inside, I
have printed these off and just need to fix inside, then they will
go, (all 25 of them), plus those envelopes with matching pink hearts,
to their new owner.

Here's a little piccie of them, isn't she a cutie!
Next is a finished needle and pin book I have made with some
other beautiful LA fabric I have. I have been hand stitching on
and off for the last couple of weeks and finally finished it this
weekend! Hooray, here it is in stages......

Firstly when I cut out the fabric length I wanted to make
sure that this fab rose was directly on the front of the book!
I found this gorgeous ghost flower button too after rummaging
through my button box!

Then pinned all the lace and inside fabric together and
cut out 4 lengths of felt with pinking shears for the inside
to hold all the needles and pins.

This is the cover which I cut out from some very stiff card
and covered with some wadding!

Can you see that gorgeous card on my window sill? it's from
that very talented lady Maya, (go and visit her blog if you
haven't seen her work, it's just amazing)! what a gorgeous girl
she it, "Thanks Maya" it has pride of place in my posh easel
when I'm not photographing my cards.

So, getting back to my needle book, here is the finished
item....

Voila!!!
Finally, last but by no means least did you see this little
chap upside down on my desk? hee hee hee

Well he had a nasty fall from the window sill in the kitchen!
I do love him and every time I wipe the window sill down he
goes for a Burton!!! and falls right into the washing up bowl,
but today however, he hit hard terrain and his little sign broke,
so out came the glue and hey presto it's fixed, I might give him a
little touch up with some paint and pens as he is looking a
bit battered and bruised!! Phew must learn to clear my
desk before Wednesdays, how do writers sit at their computers
all day, typing away??? Hope you had fun looking and are
inspired, TFL, Happy Crafting, Sue xx

What to do with your drooping roses!!!

Ooh er Missus!! Well I just get so frustrated when this happens
to my new bunch of Roses, I know they are only supermarket
£3.99 jobs but as they are food for my soul I try have to have my
two vases filled nearly every week! So when this occurs after
just a day or so rather than take them back, out come the scissors
and just like Morticia Addams I chop their little heads off!

Voila!

These I think I left to dry out a bit in the vase first; Don't they
look fab already! So once they are completely dried out,
(I place them on top of my radiator cover shelf, on a paper napkin
or kitchen roll), make sure none are rotting, you will be able
to tell by the colour and if they don't appear to be drying very fast!

Then place them in a pretty dish, this one is from good old
Woolworth's a few years back, I miss Woolies!!!

and this little one is from Ikea about a couple of quid! So,
they can adorn any room and give off a natural perfume
and when that runs out I have been using this......

oh it's gorgeous, really really Rosy smelling mmmmm.

Now for a card! hee hee, here is just a simple one I made
yesterday for my friend birthday on Monday

I have made a similar one here if you want the instructionies!!
Have a fab weekend, Happy Crafting, Sue xx

Classic Cottage Chintz

Hello everyone, hope you have had a productive day today, here

are the lovely Chintzy fabrics I bought on Tuesday aren't they fab!

This is a picture of my old Peg bag! I bought this in Hawaii in 1993

and I do think it has seen better days don't you? although I really

can't bear to throw things away like this, as every time I hang my

washing on the line it brings back such wonderful memories...........

but it has to go.....so here is the new one I made today

With my new chinzy fabric.....

a lace doily that I stitched with ribbon to try to read Pegs!!

don't know if it looks like it though? and then threaded

the ribbon through the outline holes and tied a bow...

I then stitched it on by hand using a green silk thread that
is used for embroidery, as I wanted it quite thick I used all
six strands....

then finished off with some wide green ribbon for the pulls
either side, well I'm quite pleased with it. That sewing
machine is getting a little airing! hee hee
Here is WOYGTT...What's on your Garden Table Thursday!!Lol
I went outside to eat my sandwich at lunch time and where was
Milton!!!

chilling with Zesty the budgie!! ha ha!,,Ooh what a life!!

Here's a close up of that snooze monster!!
Hope you have a lovely evening, TFL, Sue xx

WOYWW

Hello everyone, happy Wednesday to you all, I thought I would
share with you today what has been on my work desk through-
out the day (well some of it)! firstly I made these...............
.....little "Thank You" baby cards, 20 of them, I didn't make
them all today, but finished them off and they are now winging
their way to their new owner.

All boxed and ready for their journey to South Glam!
I also took a picture of my purchases yesterday, firstly
this little beauty caught my eye...

Oooh this is going to be fab for Summer and a steal at £3.00!!

I also splashed out and bought my first...............ever...........
COPIC MARKER!!! Dun Dun Dun SHOCK HORROR!!!
is this the road to financial ruin???
Well I only bought one but at £6.83 each!!!
So there you have it..I also purchased some fabby fabric
all chintzy and gorgeous but my hubby has arrived home
and wants his dinner!!! so off to the kitchen I must go.
TFL, Happy Crafting, Sue xx

Oooh Look Who's Made her little Nest.....

outside our little Nest!!!

Whilst we putting our flag up today, look what we spotted in

amongst the budding Wisteria tree........oh I was so excited I

rushed outside in my dressing gown and started to take these

pictures...enjoy

Can you believe the plastic twine and bag in there?
Click picture for a closer view.

Can't wait for those little birdies to hatch, hopefully before the
Wisteria is in full bloom and covers it all up!
TFL, Sue xx

A Very Happy St. George's Day

Here is a plain and simple card to celebrate St. George's Day,
this beautiful Rose stamp is an oldie but a very much loved
and used one, it's from Rubber Stampede and I have inked
it with Timber Brown Staz On and stamped directly onto
this gorgeous red card stock from The Paper Mill Shop (saves
on colouring), cut out and mounted on 3d foam pads.

This poem is called -The True Dragon by Brian Patten

St George was out walking
He met a dragon on a hill,
It was wise and wonderful
Too glorious to kill

It slept amongst the wild thyme
Where the oxlips and violets grow
Its skin was a luminous fire
That made the English landscape glow

Its tears were England’s crystal rivers
Its breath the mist on England’s moors
Its larder was England’s orchards,
Its house was without doors

St George was in awe of it
It was a thing apart
He hid the sleeping dragon
Inside every English heart

So on this day let’s celebrate
England’s valleys full of light,
The green fire of the landscape
Lakes shivering with delight

Let’s celebrate St George’s Day,
The dragon in repose;
The brilliant lark ascending,
The yew, the oak, the rose

Have a fabulous Friday,TFL, Happy crafting Sue xx

More Fun with Fabric!

Just made this fun card with some little pieces of fabric and some

paper off cuts, don't you think its amazing what you can do with

these little bits and pieces, that's why I hate throwing anything

away, there is always a use for it!!! The craft paper for the

the boat I have used part of a stamp from PSX Santa Rose

Journey and stamped first class, the little birdie at the top has

been made from my Cosmo Cricket papers and also the sea

waves, available here, sentiment hand written courtesy of

David Gray! he he, Sorry about the bad picture quality the

sun has gone to bed!! TFL, Happy Crafting, Sue xx

Happy Birthday Queenie!

Well can you believe our lovely Queen is 84 years young today?

So in honour of our Queen and Country I have made an English

Lavender Pillow with a Union Jack on the front, very Chintzy it

is too!

I thought I would have a play with a difference today, as you

can see by the mess, it's fabric time, I intended to cover this

box, same as the Magnolia covered one (see last post)

in fabric with a Union Jack on the top, well that's

how it started!!! Then I liked it so much I thought I

would use it instead to make a little lavender pillow,

all stuffed with my vintage (2005) home grown, organic

Lavender, I cut and dry it every year from my garden

and store it in these old Sweetie Jars!! mmmmm wish you

could smell how lovely it is. All this fabric is either Laura Ashley

or old remnant's from curtains or pillows I've made, plus a

pair of old stretchy jeans cut up too!!!

Here's a little close up of these gorgeous fabrics and braid.

This is the back with silver heart used as a weighted button.

TFL, Happy Crafting, Sue xx

Just Magnolia Challenge Blog is One Year Old!!!

Wow can you believe that? I always knew there would be some

beautiful creations, I never knew that there would be so many

though! with so much inspiration too! So I had to have

a go at this one, they also have a blog hop going on over there

this week so pop on over and play along. I have had this beautiful

Princess Tilda for a while and have been itching to give

her the old sprinkling with fairy dust!!! and you just can't have

too much of that now can you. This little stamp is my fav at

the moment!!! famous last words!! I decided to cover

this little box I had and use Mina's fab sketch on the lid.

The papers are from PM and this is my third pack!!!
they are called Rose Garden and are just beautiful!I have coloured

my Tilda with water colour paints and added stickles Star Dust

all over to make her sparkle.

I punched small holes around the oval and threaded ribbon,

then placed small diamante stones in between the gaps and also

on the bow at the bottom. Flowers are from stash, leaves have

been punched and the memories tag is also from the PM pack.

Lace and trim also from stash. Heart pearls from Artwork. The

lace border around the edges has been done with Martha Stewart

Doily punch.

Think that's everything, I hope you all enjoyed your Easter

Break and had lots of lovely choccie!!!

TFL, Happy Crafting, Sue xx