It's Here!!! Winners of Giveaways announced!!

It's the big Ta-Da moment!

The announcement of the giveaways!
This was no easy task people!! I had to get the names of my 94 Followers, plus the 155 subscribers to my newsletter plus all the enterants on the blog. Then it was duplicating the followers and subscribers for each giveaway (cos they each got one free givaway entry without having to do anything!) And then it was putting them into two groups. One group for giveaway 1 and one group for giveaway 2. And then duplicating the blog enteries accordingly, and sorting out of those that only wanted to enter EITHER giveaway one or two....

So plus/minus 270 entrants for EACH giveaway...and lots of cutting later....we have our winners!!

Giveaway One-the hamper pack of luscious embellies (hee hee) goes to.....

sticking all the itty-bitty printed out names in a tin. (blurred it a bit cos there are some email addy's on them and don't want to publicize them!)


The hand goes in...
The hand picks one...

*drum roll*



Congrats to you, if your email address starts with "ttimes33" !!!! (sorry don't know your name!) I will email you to get your postal address!
This person is a newsletter subscriber!
(PS For any reason, should the chosen winner not want the prize, I have chosen a back up for each giveaway!)

Giveaway 2....

Again...cutting out the printed entrants...

mixing it up...
And the winner of Giveaway two goes to.....



*Big drum roll*



*wait for it*.....



Congrats to Terry!! Terry entered on the blog. I will email you Terry!!

Thanks again to everyone that entered!! It was fun!


Before I go, I wanted to show you these lovely vintage finds I found...
A beautiful little side plate...It was a bit worn and faded but I just LOVED the color (matches my kitchen!) and the pretty little edging detail. And some crocheted dollies!! (****squeal!!!!****)
Sigh...so pretty...the rose pattern in the center must of been beautiful "back in its day" when it shone in all its glory!


And of course....now I MUST go and eat a muffin as all that cutting and then trying to take photographs with one hand while mixing papers and trying to focus on such a tiny piece of paper, has made me hungry...




I will leave you with some more of the lovely Vintage postcards I picked up at a flea market in Paris...right click and save as to use in your personal art projects. The first installment in this set is in this post!


Now Excuse me while I go and eat my blueberry muffin!

Vintage Postcards from Paris

When I went to Paris in March I went to the flea market and picked up some lovely vintage postcards. What a find!

I am sharing them with you here. Unfortunately my scanner is broken, so I had to photograph them as straight as I could, but I hope you will be able to use them in your personal projects.
Right click and save as to your PC.


Enjoy!Will be back with more throughout the week.

*Today is the LAST day to enter my giveaway! Winner announced on the 1st June!*

Birds on my wall

{congrats! you found the code: welldone45}



When a creative idea hits you, just go with it. Don't stop to think about it, don't wonder if you can do it, don't think "what if it looks terrible", Just do it.
This is how I am when I create. I can be inspired by a word, a photo, a phrase, a quote, a sound...and an idea will wash over me and in that moment I can already see the final result before it's even created.
And it's these moments that normally bring me the best results.

So when I had an idea this weekend for my blocks...I just went with it. Inspired by birds as always*I love birds* and remembering beautiful spring days that hubby and I shared in March while in Paris...I created these 6 watercolors to go onto the blocks that are on my wall.


(the photos were taken a bit skew, but on the wall they are straight!)












*I had forgotten to mention when I asked for suggestions that the blocks are not removable*

So I cut out 6 of my favorite birds from vintage images supplied by Karen of the Graphics Fairy.
Firstly, I prepared my card, by painting each in a background watercolor and setting them aside to dry. Then pasted on my cut out birds and did the watercolors around them. I wanted something fresh, inspired of nature and spring. I did some stamping too.

I finished them all and hung them up over the blocks and left a slight "border" of the block on each one to make it look like they are framed.

I think me likes...
What thinks you?

*Oh yes, don't forget my little giveaway ends 31st March!!Enter HERE*

The last of the cushions

So I finished up the last of the cushions for my lounge...






And that completes my sewing for the lounge for now!

Next project: Dining Room wall
I have 6 of 25x25cm wooden blocks screaming at me to "embellish" them somehow.


A friend of mine made them for me and I don't want to take them down, I like the idea but after close to 5 years now, I need a change...
The following ideas have popped into my head...


-a scrap page on each
-a photo on each
-cover with pretty contrast fabrics.

Then I go blank...


Can you offer any suggestions?

Scrapbook page:mini crochet bunting

I had this urgent desire to make some crochet mini bunting for a scrap page. So here is the result.
I must admit, I LOVE this...I can see future scrap pages having mini crochet bunting on!! It's so quick and easy to and a lovely homemade embellishment to a page!

I simply sewed on the bunting with my machine (you could do it by hand too) and did a bit of layering under the photo(all sewed by machine first), left the loose ends cos I like it like that!

And then I added some tags into the "pockets" made from the bunting where I didn't sew it down.*Enter my GIVEAWAY here ends 31 May 2011*

Braid Hairstyle

I wanted to share this lovely hairstyle with you. I found the tutorial (and many others) on this blog: Love Megyn.

I tried it and here is what it looked like.
It is a braid that starts at the top and goes diagonally across the back of your head. Really, were it not for this tutorial, I would never have tried this. I have long hair and while I love wearing it down. (especially in winter-keeps me warm!) I often get bored with it and "up" styles are so hard to manage to do on your own. But I really want to experiment more as I have the hair to try many different styles with and I love braids. (not the usual little girl style) but sort of in an up-style. I think it can look so romantic and soft and pretty.
Have a look at Love Megyns blog, her blog is full of such hair tutorials and she makes it really easy to follow. I am sure with a lot more practice, I can do a better job of this one!

Just a quick question: When you comment on someone's blog, does it matter to you if you don't get a personal reply via email or a comment left on your blog or even a reply to your comment on the blog you left it on?

I was just wondering what the general feeling on this is....if you can take a moment to let me know, I would appreciate it!

**Enter my May 5th Blogaversary giveaway HERE ends 31 May 2011*

Who says cooking can't be done in style?

Once I get into the swing of things I normally exhaust myself on the same "subject" before getting bored and moving on...
Take for instance my latest love for sewing...Done the cushions, and have now moved onto some aprons that are going into my ETSY store. (cos I am too lazy to put them in my shop!).

I love making Aprons. You can see some I have made here.

I use a collection of fabrics normally rose-inspired, very feminine, pretty, spring-feel to them.

This one I crocheted a little flower on it. It has a pocket to store your recipes and wooden spoon! (hee hee) and two little birds I hand cut and sewed on.


see, the pocket is deep enough for a A5 little book.


And it has a crocheted edging on it too.
I like my aprons to be unique and won't make two the same.

Then there is this one...Made from a Stuart Graham fabric (love his fabrics!!!) The same fabric behind the dress.
Also a hand cut bird sewn onto a pocket.
Tied with a satin sash.


Again, the pocket is deep enough to hold a recipe book (A4) and a spoon!! (or a whisk, whatever you fancy!) The top has some pretty vintage inspired lace.

The entries for my giveaway are flooding in. You can Enter *HERE*
You can find these Aprons in my ETSY store. (only two!)

Vintage Inspired makes...

Congrats!! You found the code! use VINTAGEKITDEAL1 for a 10% off!


Today is horrible weather. We had such a storm last night, the lashing wind kept making it's way into my dreams-I actually had dreams of trees breaking and falling onto houses! And I kept waking up imagining all kinds of garden things having been blown away! Thankfully all was in tact this morning....but the wind and rain is relentless today.

It's been a busy weekend, cleaned and packed away our big pool.
Planted seeds for Spring and summer.
Worked in the garden clearing away and making room for new growth and pretty flowers to go in soon!

So happy as my sweat peas are coming up all by themselves! Cannot wait for spring, last years show of flowers was amazing!

Today, after the usual Monday cleaning, I got some craft things done...
First up was to re-decorate my dining room dresser. It had become a bit messy, so I spruced it up a bit!


I made this patchwork cushion yesterday, complete with blanket stitch and a crochet edge, it closes with some buttons.


It is for my lounge. I then decided I liked it so much, I would do a few more for the lounge. Just for a change! So I did this one with the word "Home" . I am still going to do another one with the word "love" and one more...not sure yet what the 4th one will be.

This is the back of the above cushion. I did a blanket stitch with crochet wool and then a crochet edge.



Don't forget to enter my giveaway!!