Torn Kimono!

Help, cried my friend, I have Trodden on my tail! And, as you see here, her Kimono became torn!

I took a piece of red cotton, and placed it behind the tear, and pinned it ...

Then of course i machined over the torn edges, that's better!

Now the Tie can be sewn back in place, and covers up the horizontal part of the repair, too ...

Today I made ....

Cornbread ...Yummy!

Added the tail to a monkey ...

And let my friend play with my pins!

Book Keeping!

Another tatty book, well loved and in need of some TLC. This is a bible lacking a complete cover, never mind the spine like my last book project! Bibles get very personalised with notes and highlights, so it can be a blessing to find a way to keep yours a bit longer ...

Looking good with a Hard cover again, but pages also need to be uncurled!

And finally, the book's owner said they would be pleased with 'blue fabric' and I think this looks very smart! I am just going to put it under a weight to help flatten some of those corners ...

Edward Tulane and Picasso!

This is the Smaller Edward doll again, of course ...

Remember Crabby? GIVE-AWAY!

Crabby came back from his holiday in the US and skipped gratefully back into his shell which i had dusted weekly in his absence ... well ok, maybe not weekly!

Anyway Crabby wants you to look at this book and go 'ooooh, that looks good' ... you can peep inside it HERE!

And see dear crabby, spread completely naked across the pages, he is obviously really pleased to be back in his shell of course! And in this lovely book you can find out how you make your very own crustacean! I can sign copies for you and will have some at my open studio event this year, but how about a free e-book for you now?

If you want to enter the give-away for the e-book leave a comment below, and tell me what's the most interesting thing you have found on the beach? For further chances to win, share on facebook and twitter and leave another post letting me and Crabby know of course. We will do the draw on Sunday. See you then! xxxx

two little white rabbits ....

Hello Edward Tulane, again!

WIP children's book - the first picture ...

added a duck and some broken bread ....

And there's space for text too ...

but bread is rather hard to draw ...

Monkey Business!

We got this lovely book, with monkeys to make and a funny rhyme to read, and I saved it for an after-dinner chill activity ...

There are bits and bobs to make three monkeys, with the book, and some things for them too ...

The instructions were easy to follow and our new friends began to take on their cheeky characters!

Bending the shaped pipe-cleaners creates the knees, elbows and little hands and feet!

Daisy chose this amazing orange monkey, and only needed a little bit of help ...

This is the best bit because we are nearly ready to play!

With pop out ties, the monkeys can dress up as in the fun rhyme too!

Or fly around with super-hero capes on!

Make some yourself, find out more here!

On thumb sucking ...

So what's that on Mary's thumb? I have two thumb sucking addicts among my daughters, and Mary had it bad, that it until I took some sock scraps and ribbon and created a means to inhibit this little habit!

meet froglet! He is tied on with ribbon, but is only at best a good deterrent, as he can actual stretch off if the addict is finding the day a bit tough! Also, the addition of some nice fruity hand-cream, lovingly applied by mummy for those sucking blisters, can also help with that, esp at bed time. A bonus if you little one likes the smell!

And Daisy liked the idea of frogglet too,so that she asked for one, and wears hers at night!

WIP Illustrating again ...

Adding depth ....

I am so excited with this project, I have wanted to work on the children's book for years! xxx

Goat Doll - finished!

Goat Doll WIP

I am working on this lovely chap, goat doll the forth ...

He likes his new waistcoat!

WIP pastels, and pottery!

Yesterday i did not post because i was far too busy having a fun birthday, but today i took a wonderful picture of a friend of mine and her daughter, and my box of pastels out ... This needs a lot more work of course! I have not used my pastels for a long time.

And as the sun went down and the chickens went to roost, I make myself a hot chocolate in one of my birthday presents, see beaker folk to get your own lovely mug!

Happy Birthday Noncel!

Got together some bits and bobs today to make a special present for a friend ... The rope came from furniture packaging and the twig was found on a local walk.

Here it is, and i do hope she likes it - i now want to make another one right away! Maybe a whole stick full?

Do you remember me showing you this book that was coming out? Well, I will show you more of it tomorrow, but i was very much inspired by a design found in the book to make this gift ...

There's is much more colourful than mine of course ...

Do you like handmade gifts? Its my birthday tomorrow!

Saving Dora! a simple tutorial ...

Mary loves this top, but the neck is too tight, especially for her to get dressed independently!

So I cut off the tight collar part and carefully unpicked it where it was double stiched at the back of the neck

Then I cut a strip of stretchy fabric, a kid of fleece, and sewed that around the neck, right sides facing, as they say!

Roll the strip around and pin, then sew in place with tiny stitches ...

Then i cut off the excess ont he inside and voila - Mary is very happy!

Face it!

Some times I treat myself to a face mask - but then I don't answer the door of course! This is a bit of a pre-birthday pamper!

and I began to sew a rather lovely goat doll, I love to make goats! That's a nice Harris tweed i was evil to and put in the washing machine to 'felt' !

Fab Cat Purse!

This Cat purse is finished and given as a gift, I made it from lovely pieces of felted knitting, when a friend's blanket got washed wrong. The acrylic squares went slack and stringy but the woollen ones felted beautifully!

Tinsel the Cat, all hand stitched!

Rabbit and Cat

Edward Tulane again, this time wearing some red pyjamas, and looking very much like the little figure on the spine of my copy of Edward Tulane .. He will also get the frilled coat and trousers, and is off to cheer up a poorly little girl now ...

If you would like your own Edward, please contact me. I am making a purse for a birthday girl tomorrow, it is of her cat tinsel and here it is WIP!

Little Pyjamas!

I am making come cute pyjamas, but who are they for?

I even learned how to use the button hole job on my sewing machine!