A Couple of Journal Pages and Cards

A few more pics of my exploits

into my next journal of

heritage organic vegies and plants.

I was inspired with this idea whilst I was wondering around our own vegi and

flower garden when I remembered that I had in my possession a not so Vintage

but very beautiful Italian calender which inspired me to create

around some of these most gorgeous heritage plant drawings.

The binding for this journal will be made from some vintage hessian

saved from two chairs which were actually beyond

redemption

so

I was very fortunate to be able to recycle it in my

latest journal.

You might remember from my last post that I have also used

paper shopping bags as the basis

for the pages.

Thought I would also share with you two more cards

I have made recently.

These have been created in shades of olive and deep turquoise greens.

I have used printed silk on serviette with laces and machine embroidered

stitching.

The second one also from the pre-raphaelite area has been embellished with silk, crushed velvet, lace fabric and silk-dyed lace.

Hope you are all having a fulfulling week in your latest endeavours.

Thank you everyone for your love and continued support and a special

"THANK YOU TO ALL MY NEW FOLLOWERS"

I shall endeavour to visit you all soon!

Suzy xxx

My Garden is My Inspiration

Recently I was given a box of brand new paper shopping bags

from a friend who closed a boutique in our town

so I decided I would use some of them

as the basis of a

 new journal

and as I was wondering around our Winter garden I gained my inspiration

from this vegetable artichoke plant sitting right in front

of the Chinese Lantern.

So I photographed this plant which is just in its early stages of growth

being winter

and

looking at me at the same time through the fence of their huge paddock

were

our feathered friends eyeballing me as they do

in the hope of getting something to eat.

So once more inside

I started to tear and cut the paper bags apart

and

thought the lovely grey cord could also be recycled

in binding the pages together

and before long I was started with

a new journal.

I had collected a very beautiful Italian Calender from 2001

which I trotted out and found

the most beautiful drawings of an artichoke

which I have used in my collages.

Hopefully there may be more pages to see as I go!

Hope you are all having a most creative and relaxed, worry-free week.

Love, Suzy

Petite Rose Journal

I do believe by now you know just how much of a passion I have for

ROSES

so it was just a matter of time before I made a journal with

roses being the theme.

I have been a collector of a wide range of fabrics now for many years and so I just happened to have in my stash

a variety of the most gorgeous pink and red
 Silk Rose Fabrics

which I have used to make

this journal.

There are a total of 16 pages of water colour paper

and each page has been collaged, stitched and

edged with a variety of laces, napkins, fabrics and scrim.



Several of the pages are blank with headings

to inspire your thoughts.

These headings have been printed onto handmade paper. 

This journal will be available for purchase

from my Etsy shop.

(The two journals on my previous post

have just been SOLD!!!).

So you may see more info. there.

My Etsy shop can be accessed from

the sidebar on the right.

And, even though we are experienceing Winter in Australia where I live,

these few roses are among the ones still flowering

through this very cold weather

and so rich in colour

for your enjoyment.

Trusting that the week is going well for you

 with much inspiration for creating.

Love Suzy xxx

It's Winter where we live in Australia

The branches are bare
The skies are grey
The bird's nest is empty
 but remains strongly woven and gathered
The kindling is piled high
  in the old baby's bath

The wood is stacked
The Silver Birches have shed their leaves
 to expose the goats' shelter shed
The goats have relocated to a new paddock
The weeping cherry still stands proud

The last of Pierre de Ronsard blooms are hanging on

And everywhere you see it is wet wet wet from glorious rain!

"To everything (turn turn turn)

There is a season (turn turn turn)

And a time to every purpose under heaven" quote the Byrds.

How fortunate are we to experience all four seasons of the year!

Wishing you all a most wonderful weekend

whether you are sweltering

or rugging up

or

somewhere in between

enjoy your time!

Love Suzy

For the Shabby Chic Romantics

On the weekend I have been busy

making more items for

my Etsy shop.

Firstly

this little fabric journal featuring a favourite

pre-raphaelite print adorned with

printed silk, dyed doilies and laces.

The edges of the felted pages have been embellished

with more vintage laces and silk.

And secondly,

is another needlekeep

(or for that matter, a small booklet

with plain felted pages which could be used to

store photos or scrap booking ephemera).

Detail of closure shown here and

back page.

These items will appear in my Etsy shop as soon as I

can organize this.

For all of you who just can't go past beautiful old lace

I thought I would show you some that I

purchased at a local Flea Market

on the weekend.

Most of the lace shown in these images has been completely
hand made, crocheted or tattered.
I purchased them from a woman who used to make
period costumes
so she was very pleased to see them being used for keepsake items!

Wishing you all a wonderfully productive week

of creativity as well as some fun in the sun!!

Love to you all, Suzy xxx

For the Shabby Chic Romantics

Journal - From Buds to Blooms - Items for My Etsy Shop

As there has been a bit of interest in my

Needlebooks

and

Fabric Journals

I have decided to make some more for my Etsy Shop.

So here we have a new fabric vintage lace collaged journal:

I have titled this one "Buds to Blooms"

It contains 16 inner pages of stained water colour paper

all stitched and embellished with  vintage laces, sari ribbon,

scrim, fabric, braid and handmade paper.

Here are a couple of pages to give you an idea of how it looks inside.

and this

and this!

I have put little headings on each page to help people

with their thoughts and ideas!

Also in my Etsy shop I have just added another Vintage lace and collaged Needlebook.

The front cover shows an Australian Kookaburra

and it has been made along similar lines to the last few needlebooks which were displayed here quite recently.

This particular piece has been embellished with some gorgeous antique lace -

I think it originally bordered a tablecloth.

I have just been chosen to enter into a fascinating Etsy Treasury

called "Arsenic and Lace"

see the Treasury at the top of my blog.

So  pop over to my Etsy shop and see more images

if you like them at

http://www.suziqu.etsy.com/

Hope your week is going well and that everyone is

healthy and happy.

xxx Suzy