Just the other day...

My little girl is growing up....
What is it with little girls and their determination to assert their freedom of choice? (more on this...read on)

My little girl is now 8. First of all that in itself boggles my mind as just the other day she was handed to me in hospital and I gazed into her tiny half-slit eyes and wondered if I had ever seen anything more beautiful and perfect than as at that moment...
Just the other day I held her tiny body in my arms while she curled her pink fingers around my thumb...
Just the other day I was changing nappies, sterilizing bottles, dragging my zombie-like body out of bed for the 2am feed...
Just the other day I was clapping excitedly as she gave her first smile, said her first word, took her first step...
Just the other day I cried like a baby on her first day of play school...
Just the other day I cried again when she graduated Grade R ...
Again when she started grade 1...
Again when she started grade 2...
And now is she is 8 and all the glorious, fantastic little hundreds and thousands of memories are tucked away in my heart forever as I continue to watch her grow...

And now she is insisting on wearing skirts and tops. She suddenly "hates" wearing dresses. I digress as she has a whole cupboard of beautiful dresses she once "loved"... She comes out her room wearing the strangest ensemble of clothes...

I want her to wear the dresses. I NEED her to wear the dresses as this change is all too much for me. I am not ready for her to become a little lady just yet.

She is still "my baby"....


*****


I have Been making paper garlands for the market...

Paper garlands



And little crocheted flower garlands.

Spring! {Giveaway!!}

I so badly wanted to post on the actual official day of SPRING, but never got around to it!
So here I am, the 2nd...not too bad!

We had a long, cold, wet winter and I am glad to be seeing the back of it.
Although the warmer weather hasn't really started yet...

But the signs are there...
My sweet peas are blooming again...
The orchards are popping out blossoms like white popcorn...
The trees lining our roads are fresh and bright green

I cannot wait for this season! I lOVE spring, it's my favorite season of the year.
The weather is JUST right. Not too hot or too cold.
Everything is new, fresh and full of promise and hope.

It's such a re-invigorating season, energetic and ALIVE.
I think why I love it so much too, is that I get to spend more time out doors and I am definitely an outdoor kind of gal. I love nature, forests, parks and just breathing in the fresh air and of course taking photographs!!

I have 3 weeks until my market day *panic*
And have started the awful task of pricing and stock inventory! ARGGGG.

I made a test head piece and I like it so much I am making more for market day!!


And I will be giving away one for ONE winner!!!

These blooms will also be sold at market day as brooch's.


And some as head bands.


And just cos I want to, I am hosting a little giveaway.
You will win a surprise package, among which will be a unique headpiece (comes as a band), a felt flower brooch, some gift tags and other bits and pieces I will be selling at market day!

All you have to do to enter is follow these steps:

1) leave a comment in THIS post. {comments must be in this post to qualify}
2) answer this easy-peasy question : What do you love about SPRING?
3) leave me your email address or blog address so i can contact you. {If I can't contact you via either, you won't be entered into the giveaway.}
4)For an extra entry tweet about this giveaway and leave another comment here.
Follow me on twitter while you are there!
5)for an extra, extra entry, blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and leave another comment here

Winner announced the 12th September!!
Here is a little button you can post on your blog or use in your blog post.

Have a great weekend!!

Mini Notecards gift

Just sharing a little gift I put together for a sweet older lady I know whom I know loves birds just as much as I do.

These are so basic to do.

I used some plain Kraft blank cards and envelopes.

Printed out a page of bird images from Karen of the Graphics Fairy.
Cut them to size and with a white marker did some simple little markings on the borders and envelopes and stamped the pictures and envelopes with various postage stamps or birds.


Put them in a little cellophane wrapper and wrapped them up with vintage music paper, a paper doily and ribbon.

Voila!
Cost: nothing except a little bit of time and ink.

8x8 scrap kits in action

I thought I would share a few pages of a 8x8 album I did last week.
I used the papers I sell in my shop. (although these particular papers are not the ones in the kit, but they are ones I have designed and printed). I wanted to show what they look like with all the ribbon, lace and tags in the kits.

I kept the pages very simple, just a few embellishments like washi tape, buttons and lace.
I told you I would find a way to use those organza flowers I made!
A little glassine bag with a tag in it and a bird in a nest on 3d foam. More washi tape (am in love with it!)
One of the tags in the kit, machine stitched with a little pocket for a tag.

And all the pages in my album. Just need to put it together now!

I hope you had a good weekend, what did you get up to?

Anniversary Gift and Free Printable tickets for you

It's friends of ours anniversary coming up on Saturday and I made some little tickets to go with a jar of goodies I put together for them.

So here is the card

Then I recovered two little matchbox's with paper. I used a alphabet for each of their First names.

Then printed out the tickets I designed and cut them up, tied a ribbon around them and put them into the box's.

Each box gets the same tickets. The idea is that, at any given time, one of them can "redeem" their tickets with each other, for whatever the tickets says on it.



Download the FREE printable by clicking opening the image below in a new window.



Also in the Jar are 9 Tags,
Felt brooch I made for her
and the matchbox's .
I then Decoupaged a jar lid,

Popped everything into the bottle,

put some ribbon around the jar, a paper doily and an organza flower I made.

Wrapped it up in brown paper and tied it up with ribbons and tags and now, it's ready!

Piles of softness....

It's been a little while since I last wrote...

*This blog post is coming from the depths of my very messy and unruly craft room*

I have been busy making tulle and organza flowers.
I love making these.
They make me smile.
Even though I burn my fingers quite often.
Which is not that fun.





But once I started I found I couldn't stop...
Hours whizzed by {while the kids and hubby slept!}
Countless cups of coffee were consumed...
40 Flowers later...

Until I had exhausted my organza and tulle supply....

And myself!

and so some will grow up to become hair clips like this one I sported today...




Some will become brooches...

And others yet hair bands.

And so *SIGH* I will have to part with them, but not all of them...
Some will become all mine!

I have a month left before my first market where I will be selling.
The nerves are starting to set in...
But I am excited!
The stock pile is accumulating and soon I will show all the goodies I have been making for the market.

hope you are having a great week!

Etsy shop: NEW 8x8 scrapbooking kits

I love putting together kits for people to use, to preserve their precious memories.

I am in love especially with a more vintage, romantic style for these kits I put together.
I am inspired by Paris, Spring, roses and love.

I have put together two unique scrap booking kits.
Paris in Spring
Consists of:
*10 papers 8x8" (20cmx20cm) printed on high quality card stock

* a pack of trim 1/2 yard each (approx 50cm)

*3 card and fabric sewn tags with lovely seam binding. The fabric on the tags I stamped with various Parisian stamps.

*6 little paper flowers with buttons sewn in the middle. (2 have butterflies I cut from a newspaper I got in Paris!)
* a packet of assorted buttons, a buckle and 2 half pearls.

*3 handmade flowers. 1 large one about 8cm -hand stamped fabric, white tulle and a lovely pearl button. 2 smaller fabric rose flowers with buttons sewn in the middle. You could use the big one as a brooch too, just add a safety pin to the felt at the back!

*2 pieces of A4 size netting in orange and pink

*3 dainty doilies
Everything is sealed and wrapped.
(Click on image for larger view)


Everything you get is not your run-of-the-mill commercial supplies, but a unique, vintage inspired set for your scrap booking projects or card making needs.
Purchase HERE


Kit 2
A Garden in Paris

20x20cm (8" x 8"). 9 papers in total.
Embellishments all handmade by me too and include:
* a pack of 4x trim 1 yard each (approx 100cm)
*3 card and fabric sewn tags with lovely seam binding. The fabric on the tags I stamped with various stamps.
*4 little paper flowers with buttons sewn in the middle.

* a packet of assorted buttons(10)
*4 handmade flowers. 1 large one about 8cm - fabric, orange tulle and a lovely pearl button. 3 smaller fabric yoyo flowers with buttons sewn in the middle. These can be made into a brooch too!

*2 doilies.

Purchase HERE

I have ONE special 10% discount voucher hidden somewhere in this post! You may use it only for purchase of one of these kits (or both of them and other goodies in my shop).Sorry only
one available!