" Pretty " - In Pink ...

A hanging heart - made for Etsy Cottage

fun friday challenge again .

Made from a jigsaw - painted and edged with

strung pearls . Aged small doily and vintage

baby image , lace piece and dictionary word .

And a scan of my copy of

Kelly Rae Roberts new book !

I got this yesterday - and what can i say

about this book - so far ...

Beautiful !! Amazing !!

Inspirational work !!

I would like to create something having

just thumbed through this . I am just reading

it through while i am laid low with an aching

body and extreme tiredness ! I have a few

days to recover before i meet up with

Lynn

Who is the creator of Etsy Cottage Style -

i have got to know her well over the past few

months . I meet up with her this friday

in Harrogate and i am so excited to meet

someone who i have met on here in blogland !!

So i hope to do another post before i go -

with a sneak peak of what i have made for her !

Not Quite there Yet ....

Falling leaves and a change in the winds ..

Autumn is not quite here ..

A single flower ....

And rabbits enjoying the late evening

grass . I was captivated by these - so many

- so near and tame enough to film and

photograph while we watched them .

Enjoy your last days of summer !

A Gift ....

Sherry`s Shop

is up and running !! If you have not taken a look

please do - it explains in words - better than i can

explain - the reasons and her items for sale

to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research .

Having seen it yesterday - i took the

opportunity to create a banner for her -

as Sherry herself had stated - she had forgotten

about having one done .

Just another way for me to help

all those out there . If i could give you a

hug Sherry - i would do ... Good luck in

raising all the money you can .....

My friend - I love you !!

Oceans Blue ...

A mixed media collage -

" A Tear In The Open "

7" x5 " flat canvas .

Made using faux pearl seed beads ..

pieces from a fancy lace knitted scarf ..

using an acetate sheet - with alcohol inks

Mother of pearl button and various

beads

The fragility of our oceans -

and the way we pollute it -

can have a devastating effect .

More details on how i made this effect

is on my other tutorial blog

HERE

And today is the lauch of

The Shop For the Cure .

Please - if you have time -

visit SHERRY

Who is the person behind creating

this campaign - to raise more

awareness and funds for breast cancer research .

All the details will be there for you to read .

Handmade items are available for purchasing -

and all proceeds go to this cause .

October is the month of breast cancer

awareness worldwide ......

so if you can give something back -

so many people have been affected by this

disease in many ways - your help is so much

appreciated for those who are diagnosed and

those who will be in the near future ...

A Most Unusual Castle ...

Having spent a night at a hotel -

for my partners long term service work

award - enjoying the meal - and having a photo

taken which we will get at a later date - and

no one knew this was planned for us all !

We took advantage of visiting the surrounding

area .

Stratford-Upon -Avon .

We have visited before - but ended up on the

outskirts this time - and found this old building ..

The Lord Leycester hospital .

Not a hospital as such - but a residing place for old and

disabled soldiers dating from 1571 .

More can be seen HERE -

as it is a place where wedding celebrations

can be held there today .

The building was closed off - as a wedding

party were there that day - but we managed to

visit - The Brethrens Kitchen - named

after the soldiers who lived there - and

it is the oldest tearoom we have visited

from 1571 .

I managed to get a couple of shots

inside the courtyard - once the party

had gone inside the great hall .

This certainly would be a historic and
memorable place to celebrate your wedding day !

And most likely an expensive one !!
Next door was The Masters Garden .

Where the happy couple could have photographs

taken ....

Our next stop off was

Stokesay Castle .

I have to say - that this one is a

favourite place i have visited - and we

were lucky with the weather - a gorgeous

sunny day !

It is a fortified manor house - from the late 13th

century - and one of the most unusual

building i have ever seen !

Gate house entrance .
And there was no public access to this

building . I would have loved to have

looked around this building !

the other side ...

A small wild garden flower patch .

The small " hut " on the side -
was the smallest tea room i have come across !

So we sat outside where tables

were placed around the lawned grass .

The hall `s exterior ..

And inside the hall - with the original

medevial staircase

wood carved fireplace in the private

quarters of the house .

A tower room ..

The view from the south tower .

Then we took the moat walk -

all the way around ... and obviously

where the water would have been ..

I would highly recommend visiting

this place if you can !!

Free To Fly ..

Photographed in

The Master`s Garden

Stratford- upon - Avon .

A spider " floating " in it`s web ...

Red Admiral butterfly ....

I was reminded of story i was told -

and how it related to my early teenage years .

On feeling "different " and an outcast , lonely

and no real direction in my life ...

A butterfly had just emerged from a chrysalis -

having spent time inside during it`s transformation .

Spreading it`s wings in the sun . Another cocoon was

nearby - not yet opened - and it seemed to be

struggling to break out . It was helped out into

the world - by someone opening the cocoon - and it

once it opened and spread it`s wings .. it

turned out to be a moth ....

During difficult times - we can rest and receive

support from others ... You are an individual

and unique in your own way - whatever you

look like on the outside and feel in the inside .

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need-

to make us grow stronger . If we were allowed to go

through life without any obstacles , it would

cripple us . We would not be as strong as we could

have been - and we could never fly .

"Pearl " - The Bird ....

A new addition to my nest -

Pearl

Sat proudly on her cage ...

With the palest pink pearl necklace

and a crystal for her eye ...

Made from new/ vintage fabric .

and a ricrac edged tail ...

Made for Breast cancer month .

Have a great weekend everyone !

We have a " do " to attend this weekend .

A longtime service award - for my partner .

Free meal and hotel in

Stratford -upon -Avon - and no doubt visit

somewhere on our way home sunday !

See you all next week !

xxxxx

Altered Book Pages ...

I finally got my book pages decorated

for the tutorial ! I spent yesterday morning

creating before work - and while my other half was

doing some DIY - before he goes back to

work tomorrow - Yippee ! I know that sounds

rotten - but you cannot do the things you

would like - if they`re here ! ;o)

My favourite pages from my book .

A fairy girl - with gold petal wings ..

and lace - which makes me think of ocean

waves ..

My niche - with a simple stated

paper rose placed inside ..

Both pages together - that i have linked .

Remember her name ...

But come , i will show it to you ..

Her name is

ROSE ..

If you want to see more -

It is HERE

I have been busy doing many things -

apart from blogging recently . Trying to sort

my craft room - as it is a MESS - things all over

and i needed some organization of items

in the same place . I cannot go on like this -

this is what i am doing . This is taking time -

and no real creative time for me - when i NEED

to finish an altered book tutorial - or they will

think i have forgotten ! Finish challenge ideas -

as i have guilt over not completing them - when i

set those ! Along with general life getting in the way -

and my other half and I playing musical chairs

to use the computer - when i wish i had a laptop !!

When he has booked a few days off work -

and i cannot share it with him !

Besides all of that going on - amoungst the chaos -

I have made a felt flower - For breast cancer month .

All money will go to breast cancer research .

It is 3" wide - and priced $ 7.25 - incl P&P .

A pin could be added - to make a brooch -

and i will include a couple of my hand felted

leaves to add if you wish !

Please let me know - if anyone is interested in this !

I WILL be visiting you all soon !!

xx

Giveaway Results Are Here !

Many thanks to all who entered my

300th post giveaway ! Seeing some new

and my regular readers who joined in !

Here is the front of my birth tag -

which my mum gave me - along with

christening and first christmas celebration

cards which she had kept . I love the little baby

wearing the crown !

And here is the back - with the

answer to my question -on

the second line down ....

I was born at ....

8.15 am !!

Congratulations to 2 new

visitors to my blog -

Baba`s Blog - she is a retired

premature baby nurse !

Please get in touch stating which prize

you would prefer - the ephemera wallet

or the wool bird wreath !

Second winner is ...

Mary - from Canada

who wins the christmas bingo card hanger !

Please send me your address`s ladies

and i can post these off to you both !

I am sure i will be having another

giveaway soon - so thankyou everyone

who took the time to enter -

Enjoy your weekend everyone -

and to Miss Lucky Troll out there -

I think you rubbed her tummy too

hard - and gave her indigestion !! ;o)

Shop For The Cure Collage Sheet

I had the idea last night - in what seems to be

my ideas creative "hot spot " - the shower !!

To create a digital

collage sheet - to sell as my part of supporting

The International Breast Cancer month -

during this coming October .

All proceeds from this will go to breast

cancer reasearch - here in the United Kingdom .

Sherry also has this available in her

Etsy Shop

of which her proceeds got to the

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation .

It is selling for $3.00 .

If you would like to support Sherry or

myself - you can find mine

HERE

Or any readers wishing to sell this

in their shop - please get in touch with me .

Lets spread the word more -

find a cure - and finally beat this disease !!

Thankyou !

Boxed Memories ....

I bought the above faded box - this week

on my thrift hunting - which i love doing .

I got it - pretty cheap - with the contents

included - which to me - was a pittance for

something which was owned and treasured

by a lady called Barbara . Memories placed into

an 8 " x 5 " box - for someone else to discard

them and have no interest in a past family member .

This saddened me somewhat - but now i have

these and the memories will continue it`s journey .

Inside were gifted cards of Christmas and birthday

celebrations - which she chose to keep -

some dates are from 1936 .

Just a selection of the 30 cards inside .

Is this all that she had kept ? ?

And was this all of her life`s memories - just fitting

inside such a small box ? Do you judge how big the

box and what contents are inside ? ?

How big would my box be ???

These we all going through my mind .

What tugged at my heart strings -

was the below handmade card -

From a gentleman friend called Jimmy .

It reads ....

Though my greetings i send on brown paper

My wishes are hearty and true .

And no costly card e`er brought warmer regard

Than my simple card brings to you .

Something made this simple -

for a dear friend - would certainly have

touched her - like it did me .


Thankyou Barbara ....