Colourful ATCs

 (By Wendy)                                                    (By Annie)

I have had the most incredibly creative post through this week. All of my returns have come at once!! Above are the Green & Pink Postcards. I am very jealous of Wendy's sewing machine, she must have a very posh one with lots of pre-loaded stitches- she uses so many different kinds!!

Annie has also used quite a variety of embroidery stitches from a machine. I think I am more of a hand embroiderer but I really ought to get on the sewing machine and try some out of my own.

Also from Wendy & Annie were my Black, White & Red ATCs- I got one of my own back as well, we seem to be the only three participating in fabric only swaps. The beetle one is by Wendy, see the stitches again?

And this on is Annie's. I like how she's recycled some kind of leather tag or swatch, it adds a completely different texture to the card.

And finally, from the 12 Days of Christmas swap, Hazel has been working through her back log and sent me two cards that I was missing from my collection. She got a little muddled with the 'Seven' Swans a Swimming, and put six instead, but we are pretending that one little cygnet is hiding. Plus the card is so pretty I don't really mind how many swans there are on there.

She also sent me my Lords a Leaping card which is really clever!! All of the lords are on a circle that you can turn so it looks like they are leaping over the fence. (It's quite fun making them go backwards!)

Inchie Postcards

I am coming on in leaps and bounds with my new hexagon blanket. I have now made at least two squares in each colour- some of them look a little similar in the photo but they aren't in real life believe me- and am loving how they work together.

(To flower or not to flower, that is the question?) I am debating on whether or not to have a kind of colour tone thing happening, a dark to light thing or just a careful spacing of colours thing. Lots to be thinking about whilst these fly off of the hook!

But, today is not about crochet, 'tis about postcards!! With inchies on!

This gorgeous piece of artwork is by the talented Annie. The textures in this you would not believe. Some kind of felted (probably by hand) background with tiny delicate machine zig zag stitches, encircling four squares made from some kind of textured and painted fabric/card/clay, on which sit four miniature little beads and an embossed clay pebble (for want of a better word). It is really lovely and a new treasure for my collection.

Then we come to Wendy's very fresh looking piece, with lots of layers in it itself. A layer of striped fabric briskly brushed with gold paint is slightly hidden behind a layer of green organza, heated in places to melt and remove it to show the layer underneath. The inchies are more layers of the green organza with playful machine stitches over the top. Another treasure to add to my album!

A fantastic swap with some brilliant results from the ladies- such gorgeous post to receive on such a lovely day!

Beautiful Post

 (By Wendy)

Evening All!! I have some beautiful things to show you this evening. Gorgeous returns for the Spring Green Postcards, and of course, the Blue and Copper ATCs.
The best bit about this ATC swap is that the returns go so nicely together this time around, they look like a set- which doesn't always happen as everyone usually has such different ideas about how to approach a theme.

 (By Annie)

 (By Janet)

They have such cute little sequins and bits on them too, it's amazing what people can find in miniature to put on these little cards. Look at the gorgeous 'Made with Love' charm that Janet has put on hers. 

(By Annie) 

And of course, the very timely Spring postcards. There is some fantastic tonal machine stitching in Annie's that you can barely see in the photo, and Becky has used an ombre thread to great effect with her couched floral motif. It all makes for some really beautiful post.

(By Becky)

A Sunday Supper

Morning All! Isn't it nice to have some rain UK peeps? It has been getting a lot chillier in the evenings we have noticed, yesterday we even shut the doors and were cosied up inside for the evening. Actually iNsIdE!!! It is nice not to have to worry about watering the plants and keeping an eye on those that are prone to droopage, and everything looks so green this morning!!

Sunday evening was a different kettle of fish though as we had a spontaneous fish and chip supper in Lewes. We drove to two fish/chip shops before finding a third one open and then went to the stoolball pitch to sit in the golden sunshine and eat our tea.

There is something very lovely about sunshine in the evening. All golden and warm without being too hot and bright. It makes everything look pretty.

Our stoolball pitch is right next to (and within the old grounds of) The Priory of St. Pancras. It used to be one of the wealthiest monasteries in England, although you wouldn't know it, looking at the ruins now. There is so little of it left, considering the size and height that it would once have been. Oh to have a TARDIS and go back in time to see how it was when actually in use by the monks.

Monday of course, was the British Legion, Centenary Lights Out Day. We did our bit, albeit slightly earlier than the 10pm it was supposed to be- Dad wanted to go to bed so ours were lit at 9 so we could enjoy them.

I have just been sorting through some photos on my camera, and came across these two random ones. Do you see the grumpy little face in the Snap Dragon below?

And then there is Ziggy, trying to copy the expression.

I had some lovely post this week. ATC returns!! They never fail to make me smile. These are the returns for the 'Beside the Seaside' swap.

 (By Hazel)

 (By Alison)                                                 (By Wendy)

I recognised Wendy's before looking at the back to check, there is a very familiar little starfish on hers!! Very much like the one on the Seaside postcard of last week. 

Mother's Day!!

Good Afternoon Everybody!!! Happy Mothering Sunday to you all. I hope that you Mothers have been spoilt rotten today, and that all you others are those doing the spoiling! It has been really lovely today and the french doors have been open for the majority of the afternoon to let in the warm fresh air.

It was hamster cleaning time too (stinky creatures)- I'm never sure if they like it or not. Maybe they are like me and hate having their beds changed (it's usually just as you get it really nice and comfortable), or perhaps they enjoy having fresh clean bedding and lots more food to fill up their houses with. Milo was certainly straight in to the middle of his food bowl!

Cheeky little thing!

Throughout today I have been sent lots of photos of things happening back in East Sussex. The family went out with my Grandmother to Eastbourne to see some Saxon bones, and Daniel appears to have adopted the fashion! Then I was sent a series of photos to do with a mutated daffodil in the back garden. It seems to have multiple layers of the yellow centre and the white outer petals. (I think it looks a bit like a fried egg.)

The Mother took a photo of the M Day parcel that I sent her. Fully of interesting and edible goodies!! I think she liked it. I think Mother's Day is always a good time to recognise just how brilliant The Mother's children are- especially me. Tee hee. Happy Mother's Day Mum!! xx