Apology`s All Around !!

I know Christmas is a few months

off - but when i get an idea - i go with

my muse . So i apologise if you`re not ready

to see anything yet !!

An altered bingo card hanger.

Sewn material , vintage metal bingo marker

and one of my favourite birds - A Robin -

Pom pom berries - and my hand felted holly leaves .

This will be one of my giveaways -

as i am near to my 300th post !!

And i caught this creature - a slug -

which i nearly stepped on in my garden

while bringing in my washing early last night .
They`re not one of the best loved creatures -

but i had to snap him - and another apology

if you`re squeamish out there !!

I would also like to wish a

" Happy Labour day weekend "

To all my readers out there !!

To everyone else - Enjoy your weekend !!

And - if you`re interested in knowing how to

alter a book - i have just posted part one

HERE

Sitting Pretty ...

I saw some styrofoam rings in a craft shop

and thought it was ideal to create something

for the Fun friday challenge on Etsy cottage .

The chosen theme`s were :

Circles - And the colour - Purple

Having not used these before , i wanted to do

something bright and cheerful - along with being

simple . The colour of the chenille wool was perect

for it . 2 layers were wrapped around , with a

vintage clip on earring piece , with a seam binding

hanger .

I then " sat " a glittered bird , along with

fabric peonies flowers on the ring . And a small

pom pom - to look like an egg .

And there you have my

" Sitting pretty "

Bird in a ring !!

Time for another break here ...

It`s a long bank holiday weekend again here -

the final one for this year ...

It`s my time to fly and do my things -

to complete creations , sort out , rejuvenate

myself , then be back to share with you all soon .

In the mean time -

Here is a Halloween image - for you to

grab and use as you wish !

Enjoy your weekend !

Giving Hope ...

Above is my gift of hope and support

to my dear friend Rhonda`s mum - Lynn .

She is one of many breast cancer sufferer`s ,

and will be having radiation treatment soon .

Rhonda had asked anyone - if they wished to make

and send her a card - to help her through this

trying time , give her hope that it can be beaten

and that we are thinking of her - however far away

we are , and of whom we have not met .

I have done a hanging card collage . Just something

simple - that only took an hour of my time to

create - but may it bring Lynn - everlasting

inspiration - hope - For many more hours / days

that she needs to overcome and beat it . When she

will have those down days .. She can glance at this

one of many sent for her ...

I hope she likes it !

Glossy accents are on the butterflies

and you can click on the photo - to read

the message .

Mine will be winging it`s way to her soon -

But if you feel you can help - i know many have

already done so - please read it HERE

Little Castle

I haven`t much in the artsy way to show off

yet . . I am on with a few projects and my

creative and blog time has been limited the past few

days now - with bad headaches .

However i do have a place we visited a few

weeks back ...

Bolsover Castle - in Derbyshire .

Dating from the 12th century , and the only thing

left in tact is the Little Castle , Venus garden ,

and some stables undergoing renovation .

The view from the castle ..

What it would have looked like .

We walked in from the left handside -

The Little Castle and Venus Garden is on

the far right handside

The entrance to the Little castle

Outside back view from the Venus Garden

Looking down from the Little castle into the garden

which had many alcoves with love seats .

To say it was called The Little castle -

is an understatement ! It had many tiny rooms and

stone stairs - and what`s more - i got to take some

inside photographs ! Which is very rare - even in stately

homes - photography is banned . It was unmanned as well

but had CCTV - as there were many large oil paintings hung

and i found it odd , that no-one was there just to keep

an eye on things .

So here`s a selection of my best shots as

some of the rooms were very darkly decorated .

Every room - had a corner fireplace like this -

No central heating in those days !

And my favourite - a gorgeous painted cherub room

Just a short video of the fountain . The

only original piece - is theVenus staue on the top

and the rest is restoration - of how it would have looked .

I was pleased the other week to

find a good selection of ephemera .

I thought i had hit the jackpot - all of which were

from the same stall holder i frequent . My

searches are becoming less frequent to purchase

these items - they are either not available or

are " collectors " items which have a high

price tag - and if you are cutting into them ,

you don`t want to pay over the odds .

I snapped up these without any hesitation !

Bird postcards ...

The left one is a French one - addressed to

a Mademoiselle Marguerite

And a beautiful selection of celebration cards .

I think it was from the same household - as the names

of who they were from - are the same .

I feel lucky to have these - i have wanted to find

such cards for a long time . It will be hard to actually use

these in a creative way - just look at them , and admire the

graphics . They certainly do not make them like these today !

Or don`t you just wish - you could go back in time -

and do a really big shop and buy so many ! ?? I do .

This is a programme - with the events of that

evening printed inside - and i love her dress !

very Marie Antoinette !!

And i have still being busy with the jewellery makes ..

An altered kilt pin -with found pieces of jewellery .

alcohol inks on the moon crescent and long

gold dangle

And a start on a bamboo tile ..

Weekend trip ...

We stayed in The lake District - last weekend .

and here are my shots .

Lake Windermere - on a misty but warm early afternoon .

This was a view we had when we walked

down from our hotel that was situated nearside it .

The view we had from our room .

And another view further up the lake .

sunday we spent a delightful few hours

at Levens Hall and Gardens ...

of which we were not disappointed with at all !

It is an old edwardian house from 13th century -

and as usual - you could not take inside photo`s .

But i think the topiary gardens speak for themselves

me underneath a shaped yew tree !

And me taking a photo from underneath it .

Wild garden patch - and there was also

a vegetable plot . As the house is still lived in .

A pair of bronze fighting stags . Which were padlocked

to the ground - so they wouldn`t be taken ..

And a bronze statue of a girl looking upon a

small fountain .This was done by Anne Curry

who i have not heard about myself , but she does

many bronze sculptures .

It was feast for the eyes visiting this place ,

especially if you are into plants and gardening .

I hope you can appreciate it too - through my

pictures !!