Easter Swop

A little while ago my Blogger friend and actual friend Joy, arranged for a Swop amongst her Blogging friends. I was lucky enough to be picked and also extremely lucky to be twinned with Ellie.
I do not know Ellie, only a few of her interests. Ellie does not know me either, obviously, but knows of some of my interests.
We planned our parcels and in due course sent them of to the Post Office.
(Mine was late going. Mainly because of work commitments and being disorganised!)

Opening Day was yesterday and WOW!

The pictures on this blog are all from Ellie's parcel.

The eagle eyed among you will notice that the bag of Galaxy Caramel Eggs is empty. I assure you it was full when it arrived, Ellie did not send me an empty packet!

I have a notebook and colouring pens. Chocolate. Seeds. Cake cases, gorgeous quartz earrings. The most stunning felt embroidered egg. I believe Ellie makes the felt herself. Amazing and beautiful. Very pretty fabric and pale chiffon ribbon wrapped the parcel.

So many things I would go on for pages so will leave you with the photos and go and eat the rest of the chocolate! Apologies for missing out one of the gifts. A tiny pair of ceramic bunnies. Very Sweet.

I am very fortunate to have drawn you Ellie. Thank you so much joy and Ellie. I am not a gardener but I will be planting the seeds and crossing my fingers!

New to Jean

I have been crafting now for around 50 years. Good heavens, if I think too much about that sentence I will feel very old!

Anyway, I digress.
A very good friend told me about Somerset Patchwork when we met up recently to celebrate our birthdays. We came back to my house and whilst the men were watching football we sat at my work table and as usual some of my machine patchwork was there waiting to be finished. It was then that Penny told me about a type of patchwork I had not come across.

So, Penny, this one is for you. I have not decided how I will make it into a gift yet. The embroidery frame is 7" and the backing fabric is 8" square so not big enough for a cushion!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the hand folding and stitching, so everyone is a winner!

All our Yesterdays

Today my little Granddaughter, Alice starts school. Would someone please tell me where did the last 5 years go?
She is adorable and I love her to bits of course. She now has a sister and a baby brother and is such a caring big sister. I am a very lucky Granny Apple.
Last night my daughter asked me for a picture of her aged 5. So I set to and came up with my daughter through the ages! She was very special too.

Little Scruff for Samuel

This little man is for my new little man. Samuel was born in August of last year and of course I had to buy a miniature bear from the lovely Jean Grogan.
I have her bears for his sisters so it is only fair. I also have two more in case my son wants to settle down and have children, but he can only have two as that is how many bears I have for him!

Anyway, Samuel's bear is just gorgeous, of course, and I wanted a vintage tin for him. This tin is an old Clotted Cream tin I found on eBay. Just perfect in size and aged looking.

Did you ever go on holiday to Devon or Cornwall and send a tin of clotted cream home for Granny? Happy days. This tin is still shiny bright on the inside but has oxidised on the outside with a few tiny paint spots on it. I like to think that someone's Grandad thought it was a good tin for bits and bobs and popped it on a shelf in his shed. I don't think he ever used it though as there are no scratches.

Well that is my news for now, if I was clever I would put a link on to Jeans's site. However, if you are reading this Jean, please put one in for me!

Help - I Can't Remember

For around four years I made and sold jewellery at Craft Shows, online and to friends. I sold a coral glass and china bead necklace to a work colleague who is now a friend.

A few months ago this friend handed me a bag of beads and told me her granddaughter had had an accident with it and would I please mend it for her. No Problem Sue.

Came home with the bag of beads and looked in the bag and closed it again. Oh My, I had no recollection whatsoever. . . . . Perhaps my bead friend had made it and Sue saw it at a Craft Fair. Nope!

Tonight I have settled down with the beads and this is the design I have come up with, but I have a feeling it was a-symmetrical design, maybe? I hope Sue likes the new way. ( I have a few beads leftover, bit like a flat pack kit I suppose)

15 Minutes a Day

Some of you know I have family abroad! I may have droned on about it occasionally! Can you imagine how many pictures I have on the computer, two computers actually. Plus hard copies.

The first baby was born in 2007, the second 2009 and the third was born in 2012. All gorgeous children, of course, and happy and healthy, thank God.

So, I have decided to sort out the pictures, keep the best and make albums. Proper, old fashioned photograph albums.

I read somewhere that a lot can be achieved in 15 mins a day. This is true with washing dishes, ironing and tidying up. So, will it work with photos?

I will show you how I am getting along next week!

Old Pyjamas!

I wear pyjamas! Usually Marks and Spencer's. I hate to throw them out so usually keep them for just in case. (Not sure when I would ever need threadbare p.j.'s with the elastic missing. . . ) anyway, I digress.
I found a post on the Internet by, I think, Flossie Cupcakes for these sleeping bags and used up some of my collection. For some reason I always buy Pink, other colours seem wrong......Bye for now.

Work!

Well, that is it, holiday over. Now back to work. The new switchboard decided to malfunction today so not an easy day for my colleague and I. But, at least I have a new coffee mug for work. I like to see the good in most things!