Tuesday, March 27, 2012

New Beginnings and Some Endings

Thank you to everyone who has visited here recently,
leaving such inspiring messages and following along also
 -
thank you all so very much!
I try hard to visit you all and leave replies when I can!!!

There is some new artwork on my table
in progress for you to view -
a couple of pages 
for a
 new fabric, lace, paper and textural journal.



This is the front cover and already it has changed quite
a bit from this little part of what you see here
and


I have been using my felting machine
to create some of the pages in this
new book
so there are a combination of many fabrics, laces
and fibres like raw silk.
Hopefully it will be finished by my next post.

The next two pages are part of a Lacebook Round Robin
collaborative which I am part of and
these pages are for Karen Dorcas
you can visit her blog by clicking on her name.
Karen's theme in this book is
The Madonna 
and here are my interpretations of her two pages:




This is the second page of her book
here:






Some beautiful embroidered silk organza in 
the most beautiful shade of taupe/grey/mauve
colour. 


I have also been experimenting with some new digital
effects that Picasa has introduced
as well as some changes to my digital camera settings
so this explains why the images
all have different effects!

Finally just to show you some remains of the day
(if you like!)
from our Summer garden as we approach the more
subdued colours of a cooler Autumn
down here in Australia
such as these Hippeastrums


looking tired and spent after heavy heavy rains
in our part of the world
and
the roses
now into their third flowering of the season but still
showing rich and vibrant tones
like these -


and 


(I think just a little out of focus)
but this rose is a David Austin Rose
named "Ambridge".
It is described as a medium schrub and strong.
Our particular rose has grown to a height of approx. 3 metres!

****************

I'll leave you with this lovely little quote
by Orison Swett Marden:

"If you feel yourself growing
in your work
and your life
broadening and deepening,
if your task is
a perpetual tonic to you,
you have found your place!"

Have a wonderfully creative and fulfilling week!

Love and hugs, Suzy xxx




Sunday, March 18, 2012

A bit of Lace and A dash of Velvet


Now get ready for a lace and doiley 
extravaganza!!!
(Not too much of an overload I hope!).


Well I have just been going through some of my
quilts
and I found this one 


in the stack which I made nearly


3 years ago now
and


thought I might share it with you
as I know


there are a lot of you who just
adore lace and doilies
just as much as 
I do!
So here are some of the doilies which I have
layered and collaged.











As you can see these doilies have been machine
sewn onto a beautiful shade of
champagne coloured crushed velvet
surrounded with two rows of
soft matching floral
cottons.

and each corner has been patchworked
with an embroidered taffeta
and then layered with more

doilies.

Finally after layering and quilting many of the laces
and doilies (many of which have been crocheted)
 together
I then hand sewed a very large number of 
vintage pearl mop buttons through all
layers to stabilize
the quilt.

I honestly couldn't tell you how much
(if any)
of this lace is actually handmade
but
I can really appreciate these gorgeous pieces
for their sheer beauty!!!


I need now to go and visit my friend Liz
as Liz has been collecting the most beautiful
vintage
linen and laces from France and England
for the last 30 years
and 
she just may know the answers
to which may be handmade
and which are most likely machine made!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend
staying well and happy!




Love Suzy xxx

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

More Creative Works from Blogging Friends


As I mentioned in my last post
I have some more beautiful works and gifts
given to me recently from dear blogging friends
including this



most gorgeous lace and fabric collage from my
very dear friend, Dorthe,
www.denlillelade.blogspot.com





Now isn't that a most beautiful image and she is surrounded 
with some of the finest organza and lace fabrics 
you could imagine adorned and embellished with
doilies and laces
and
also included were these


and


for a much closer look - one of Dorthe's tags embellished with more
tags, a bird image and one of her special transparent leaves
so delicately sewn
and some ephemera to use in my journals


Dorthe your heart is so much bigger than your clever
creative hands and your friendship is a real treasure to me!
Thank you so very much! - You know where these
will live in my home!


sent me this from Germany



Look at these beautiful collaged cards with hearts
and butterflies and a sweet image!
and


a collection of unusual braids to use in my creations.
What a lovely friend you are Alexandra.




From New Zealand came this most precious 
ceramic heart with a lacey design pressed into it -



Isn't that so very beautiful and it represents a special love
and friendship I share with my dear friend, Jo, which spans
more than 40 years now!
Jo's special gift, among so many, is her gorgeous
eco-dyeing - creating sustainable colour
on cloth and fibre
 and the creations made from
these.
So go and visit Jo's blog at
www.aquaplusflora.wordpress.com



All of these beautiful creations plus braid and laces
came from dear Judy of
www.judysfabrications.blogspot.com


Judy's current passion is for paper journals
and she is one of the most talented bloggers in so many different
arts that I have met and she lives in South Australia
which is just across the border from me
which would be more than 500k away -
Thank you Judy so much - you are one of the kindest
friends I know!


and


lastly
from the United Kingdom
came all these beautifully hand created items
from Lynn Stevens of
www.trashtotreasureart.blogspot.com



A cleverly made cone filled with lots of vintage sewing items,
lace motifs and more laces and braid on a card
along with a beautiful selection of
vintage buttons.




I was thrilled to receive all of these gorgeous things Lynn
and you know that every piece will be used
(in fact, I have already used some of these items
in a brand new journal I am creating which
is almost finished)


and just to wet your appetite and with Springtime approaching
in the Northern hemisphere 
here is a little preview -




and just to finish this post I have made a collage
of some very beautiful handmade birthday
cards which I received very
recently!




Aren't these just so gorgeous
and
yes - I have been so very spoiled by
some very beautiful friends!
I feel blessed in so many ways!


I just love this saying too:
"The best feeling comes when you realize
that you are perfectly happy
without the things once you thought
you needed the most"!


Thank you dear blogging friends for visiting, commenting,
following, and supporting me in my endeavours
to become a whole person worthy of
being acknowledged for just who I am!
I hope your days are full of little moments of joy!


Love and hugs, 
Suzy xxx



Thursday, March 8, 2012

Birthday Gifts to Share

It just so happens that very recently I had another birthday
(and I wouldn't dare even whisper the age!!!)
and a few dear blogging friends and other wonderful
friends gifted me with some truly



creative and beautiful gifts.
This very elegant little pouch decorated with a beautiful
rose image 
came from  sweet Marie



Now isn't this the most beautiful image on this tag
she created?
And inside the little pouch was all manner of ephemera items
including these:


Vintage botanical pages, vintage bird images, cards, stamps
and yet another little packet


with this gorgeous miniature tag on the back of which
were these words defining the meaning of
"a friend"
which I will share as it is just so meaningful:


"A friend is 1. a person whom one knows well and is fond of.
2. an allay, supporter, or sympathizer.
3. loves you for who you are.
4. unconditionally accepts you."
Now isn't that the most precise definition of a real friend.


Inside the beautifully wrapped paper packet were these little
gifts which Marie created also
including a little bird tag and matching notebook!

Marie I thank you so very much for your incredible kindness and
friendship.  You mean such a lot to me!!!

And another packet arrived from Germany around the same
time from
Julia, my dear friend, of


Look how beautifully she wrapped everything!
and such a gorgeous card made by her clever hands
and when I opened the parcel I found all of
these gifts -



An incredible  French collage so amazingly embellished
and framed with vintage laces and doilies



A vintage lace heart with a beautiful tin she decorated
which was full of a collection of old buttons
and metal embellishments
for me to use in my own creations.


Isn't this rich in white laces, pearls and a pearl button?

and this Birthday Card


up close for you to see the image of the delicate vintage flowers.

Julia, my friend, how you have so enriched my life
and inspired me so much with your
natural creativity.

I feel so blessed to have met these wonderful woman
and now have them as my dear friends
through blogging!

It also gives me great pleasure in being able to display the
wonderful craftwomanship of some of our fantastic
blogging woman who are out there in all
corners of the world fulfilling their
dreams and creative
ambitions!
and Blogging has made all this possible.
Blogging has also made it possible for us to make valuable
friendships without which our world would not be as
rich!
and I am personally extremely grateful!!!

I have more incredible creations to share next time so 
until then 
continue to follow your dreams and be happy
with the little things that you 
achieve in a day!

Sending love to you all out there in blogland
and Thank you for visiting,
following
and leaving such inspiring comments
it is always a joy to read them and to know that you have
visited.
So for now, good morning, good evening or good night -
wherever you may be!

-Always, Suzy xxx




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