Birds!!

I got my paints and pencils out last night and had fun trying to paint a few birds.

Tag Tuesday-Valentines Day.

 My tag for this weeks title is a mini book. It is 8" x 3" so a little bit longer than my other tags.  This challange is giving me the chance to use up all the embellishments I have been collecting over the last couple of years, just waiting for the 'right' thing to put them on.

More goodies.

Toady, the postman bought me some faces( and some embellishments) that Lottie had made for me. She has left them plian so that I cam colour them with whatever colour/medium I want when the time comes.   I haven't got a project in mind for them yet.  Thank you Lottie!!

On a grey wet Monday........

 A lovely surprise arrived on my doorstep today from Lorna aka Artymess.  She had a giveaway and I was lucky enough to win a piece of her artwork-this stunning brooch.

I have done a close up for you to see it better.  I have pinned it to my inspiration board and shall be wearing it to T.I.F. on Saturday.  Thank you so much Lorna!

Weekend away.

Went down to stay with my mother this weekend.  The temperature on the drive down went to -12, never been out in such cold weather before!!  Saturday morning, I could see the hoare frost on the trees, so I just had to go for a walk round mums garden.  As I stepped out of the copse, I was stunned by the magical scene before me. 
I didn't have any stitching to take with me, but spent the time doing some research and thinking so hopefully I will be starting to do something creative very soon.

Tag Tuesday-Hearts.

This weeks title gave me the chance to complete a UFO.  Last summer I had been thinking about basing some work on the poet Shelley, who drowned in a lake in Italy.  I had started making a milagros (an Italian charm that would have been bought to ask for a special blessing for the person represented on the milagros)

To make my milagros:_
I cut and embossed a metal heart and then soaked it in vinegar to rust it. The background heart was cut from 2 pieces of felt, that I then stitched layers of lace and pearls ( to represent tears) around. The words on the heart are taken from Shelley's headstone on his grave in Rome, which I typed up on the computer and printed onto vellum. This was then machine stitched to a tea dyed piece of tape. Metal heart and words were attached to the felt heart with 2 brads. Dangles at the bottom include another bit of my Grandmothers jet as well as some beads I had had in my box for ages and yet more pearls. This was then stitched to a card tag covered with part of the poem Adonais, he wrote when his friend Keats died.( these words are also on a memorial to him in the Old Priory Church, Christchurch, Dorset)

Bluewater.

I went to the Creative Stitches and Hobby Crafts show at Bluewater yesterday, the first time it has been held here.  I am so glad that we went yesterday as we would never have got there today because of the heavy snowfall.

 Last year I entered the Maderia/Stitch Competition and was awarded Highly Commended, so had to have the obligatory photo by my piece of work.  It is nearly 7' long.

 I enjoyed making it and must admit to feeling a bit chuffed to see it hanging on display.  There was a small quilt exhibition but no photos were allowed to be taken.

 This is a very small piece of a knitted project to raise funds for the R.N.L.I. The children who were in the tunnel the same time as I was, loved going through the undersea tunnel spotting all the different creatures

I had to take this photo for my grandson Josh who is doing a project on pirates at the moment.

There were some of the wonderful costumes from Downtown Abby, would love the red dress below.

The Embroiderers' Guild stall was very busy, lots of hearts being stitched for Valentines.
 

Popping over the water.

Not to France, but going over the QE2 Bridge into Kent to go to the new Creative Stitches/Hobbycrafts Show being held at Bluewater for the first time.  Hope to go to John Lewis as well while I am there.

Love is in the air.

 January completed.

I went out of my comfort zone for February.  I like nice white squares for my journalling, but as this month is all about romance, I am going to try and work with the heats cut from an old music book.  The background was white acrylic paint which when dry, I coloured with walnut ink, the white was too stark against the aged music pages.  Flowers were made with a couple of heart punches.  The words love and February were cut on my cricut .  To see more journals hop along to Kates blog here.