Good Luck and God Bless You All! May all Your Dreams For 2010 Come True x

Wishing you all love and happiness. My one resolution in entering a New Year is to do a weekly post on my blog. So I will end this post with the note - speak to you in the week!

Christmas Time x

Today I received my Christmas swap parcel from Ros of  Rosa Munda! It was beautifully wrapped and ever so squishy! I behaved well and opened only my tree decorations - a beautifully stitched heart and a lovely tinkly bell which my westie Alf was very intrested in! Here is a picture of my tree decoration gift from Ros, I've hung it on my modern tree in the lounge, I can then enjoy it more!

THANK YOU ROS! AND A BIG THANK YOU TO KIM AT HEART IN THE COUNTRY FOR ORGANISING THIS SWAP XXXX

I posted my parcel last week and know that it arrived safely so Rosa and I have completed our Handmade Christmas Swap. It is my first swap and I have to admit that I am a little worried - you may know what I mean - a crisis of confidence, will my gift be good enough?? So Ros, I hope you do like it! xx

Here are some more Christmas pics! This is my real christmas tree, I have it in the hall as it is cooler there. More importantly, it is out of the reach of my 3 dogs. My real tree houses my precious collection of vintage baubles and they a gorgeous, all hand painted. I do worry that if the dogs knock a bauble it may shatter and cut their little paws! Also my scottie jack would surely try to eat one!

We have also been very busy getting our jars ready for their 'gift hampers'. Last year we received a lovely handmade hamper and decided there and then to do something similar this year!

Each hamper will contain a jar each of sweet pickled beetroot, pickled onion, lime marmalade and green tomato chutney, also a small christmas cake which I am pretty sure is near 100% alcohol,  all this has been made by my OH! I am going to make peppermint creams!l

Christmas Swap Update!

I am just finishing my Christmas swap parcel to send to my swap partner! I have been so busy with my little felt shop that I have had no time to post on her!

Note to self: Must do better! lol!

Look What I've Just Bought - A Faboulous Recycled Tin Brooche

I bought this one of a kind brooche from OnceUpon a Tin. She is a very talented Designer Maker living in rural Warwickshire! I love Golden Syrup so this upcycled brooche is perfect for me!

OFF ON HOLIDAY FOR MY BIRTHDAY

I'm off on holiday for the week, it is my birthday on Thursday and i am so looking forward to the break! See you next week fellow bloggettes! x

Lest We Forget

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.. ...when you go home, tell them of us and say..    ..For your tomorrow, we gave our today...

LOOK WHAT I'VE JUST WON ON THE BAY!!!!!

How gorgeous are this pair of lovelies, I've just won them both on ebay! Yes, I'm in love and just know that when they have been given a make-over, they will be even more irresistable!

My favourite is the pistachio green cabinet although I really love the pull out enamel counter on the orange larder - maybe I should keep them both. In all seriousness though, this type of cabinet is fab as a laptop workstation / mini office!

These date from the 40's, 50's or 60's I believe and are soooooo hard to get hold of now. I suppose they were just scrapped - they could hardly have been seen as antiques of the future and yet once done up they can fetch a small fortune these days!

International Handmade Charm Swaps

I have been lucky enough to take part in many International Handmade Charm Swaps over the years and though I would show you how I display my collection!

The Beauty of this kind of display is that I can see all the lovely charms I have recieved  in one display!

Rae Gun Ramblings: GIVEAWAY: Japanese Fat Quarter Fabric Bundle

Rae Gun Ramblings: GIVEAWAY: Japanese Fat Quarter Fabric Bundle

Yippee!!!! I've had another sale!

Whooopy! I have made another sale! Yes another little Stanley! I am so pleased as it always gives my confidence a boost - I find it difficult at times to believe in myself and these little nudges are soooo gratefully received! He was for sale in my misi shop but is now SOLD!

I will be listing more bits on wednesday http://www.misi.co.uk/store_info.php?user_id=1147 here!

I am a Collector of.... Everything. What Do You Collect?

My family despair of my collections! I seem to have collecttions of just about everything starting with the obvious - fabrics, threads, buttons, buckles, bottle tops, wine corks, old keys, marbles (although I could swear Ive lost them!), I could go on!

I knew my huge collections where getting to be a problem when I saw on the News a while back that a tornado had hit Birmingham and they showed picture of houses with their roofs blown off! You could see bits of what people had in the lofts - well I started to worry about a tornado hitting our village - NO not because of losing my roof but at my overflowing but extrordinarly tidy loft - how would I explain that level of collecting to anyone seeing it on Sky News or News at 10! My collection of vintage eiderdowns sit neatly next to my beautiful candlewick throws. Next is vintage luggage, vintage budoir chairs, boxes or daulton china,ten or more mirrors lean up against a pair of wicker manequins legs! oh I could go on and on.....but the men in white coats might take me away!

Come on girls, make me feel better, confess you collection habits to me!!! I dare you!

Fun Stamped Brooches

I made these fun brooches by stamping the image onto board and then double embossing them! They make me smile!

Stanley the Fox Terrier!

As you know, I love dogs, so what better than to make a few little Stanleys - (Cath Kidstons Fox terrier) from a pattern she published online a good few years ago! I have now sold a good few of these lovely little chappies!

Mary Mary.....How Does Your Lettuce Grow...

I bought some fab mixed lettuce leaves from The National Herb Centre, they included a spicy mix, chinese mix and in the wooden crate is baby pak choi. I love my rescued tin bath and singer sewing machine stand, I only have a tiny garden and containers are a real bonus. On a practical level I cannot have any food items growing at floor level ~ the mutts either eat it or pee on it! lol!

Fabric Fabric Everywhere...

I have been collecting fabrics for a few years now, often from charity shops, dealers and sometimes but rarely new! Many of my finds are in the guise of seconhand curtains.... lovely, lovely florals!

Due to a lack of space I have been squirreling these purchases in my loft which is big, boarded and dry! Anyway, as my new 'craft studio' aka spare bedroom is now ready, I have brought my whole stash down. Whooohoo! It has been folded into semi-orderly piles and I can now gaze at its loveliness to my hearts desire!

I am now considering giving up any thoughts of future crafting projects and taking up residence in a comfy armchair in order to gaze at my lovely vintage fabrics full time! I will post pictures soon.

Hello, let me introduce myself!

Hi, my name is Carolyn and I live in Warwick, England. I share my happy existence with a wonderful partner Tony, and 3 gorgeous dogs, Alfie, Jack and Betty! Alfie is a 7 year old westie, Jack a 6 year old scottie and Betty is a 2 year old chihuahua. My precious daughter Amy lives close by.

My creative endeavours are kind of random and disorderly; I try to turn my hand to whatever takes my fancy which means that my projects are pretty chaotic but fun! There is one theme that runs throughout my work though and that is my commitment to incorporating what I call “the 4 R’s into my work ~ recycle, refurbish, reuse, restore ~ oh joy of joy, a great excuse to rummage through more rubbish! I am a real collector of just about anything and everything, I see beauty and value in things others want to throw away; their junk really is my treasure! Both my partner and my daughter tell me it is like living with a womble!

I have FSH (Facio Scapulo Humeral) Muscular Dystrophy which allows me to stay at home and create! It does impose a few limitations on my energy but I try to work around this - usually in leopard print Pj's!

I love vintage, kitsch, cabbage rose, Ms Kidston, in fact I love everything! I will be posting my creative endevours as and when I can. See you soon. x