Relief at last!!!

Well, at least for the time being,

it looks like our prayers have been answered with the

most welcome arrival of some beautiful refreshing

rain after an abnormally hot and hazardous week of bush fires

surrounding many properties and homes in our area.

(100's properties damaged but thankfully no lives lost).

I have been totally pre-occupied this week with the

care and safety of ourselves and our family and friends

living close to the bushfire areas here where we live in a coastal

area of the far south coast of Australia in New South Wales

Our family - kids and grandchildren

have just this morning travelled

back to their property which was undamaged.

♥♥♥

I do apologize to everyone, who left such supportive comments

in my last post, if I didn't get back to you this time but

your kind thoughts were soooooo appreciated and

I thank you for each and everyone 

and 

welcome all my new followers also!!!

  

This is how some of our hydrangeas were looking only a

couple of weeks before we went into the heatwave

and after one day of 42 deg.C (107 deg. F) with a roaring hot wind

it turned these gorgeous blooms into this! 

  

burnt and scorched (like much of the garden and trees)

but 

 it will all recover -

maybe not this year but certainly next Summer

we will see their beauty return.

♥♥♥

This morning I went out into that lovely soft warm rain

and visited a local market where I purchased 

this!

Being a lover of spinning wool (particularly that of our

angora goats) and still owning my spinning wheel

of almost 40 years (now that's almost vintage - hey???)

I couldn't resist this beautifully hand crafted spindle

from the 1800's made from copper and brass

with tiny rusty hooks

and 

it weighs a ton too!

♥♥♥

Just before Christmas I was commissioned to create a needle book

as a gift for another fibre and textile artist as a surprise

and I used this beautiful image of William Bouguereau

to create this.

The image depicts "Sisters"

I dyed the smooth woollen felted pages in a soft mushroom pink

before embellishing with 

pieces of vintage printed satin, dyed laces and silk fabrics.

Now before leaving I thought I might just remind you that

next Saturday, 19th January is the

"Grow Your Blog" Event

which is being sponsored by Vicki at

vicki-2bagsfull.blogspot.com

so if you would like to visit the list of bloggers

entered into this along with my own

then you will be entered into

my small Giveaway

Here 

on the 19th by leaving a comment.  This party was so very

generously created by Vicki as a way of promoting

an awareness of new bloggers as well

advertising their creative arts and skills.

So

come on over and join in the fun then.

Until then, I'm sending you some rose love from

some of the roses I have recently dried from

my garden.

See you soon!!!

xxx Suzy

More Hearts, Hydrangeas, Home Decor and Giveaway Reminder

I was the very lucky winner of this gorgeous fabric from

Jillayne

(A Fine Seam)
(thank you just so much Jillayne - what a lovely thought!)

recently and loved it so much that I had to purchase more!

It inspired me to create more Hearts like these below:

adding burlap, vintage laces, an embroidered hankerchief

dyed scrim, tulle, netting

and this beautiful metal embellishment

from Liz included in an order I purchased from her 

Etsy Shop - visit Liz here to see her very 

 French inspired Blog and then over to

her shop.

Some more beautifully green tinged hydrangeas

(originally in blue tones)

were ready for drying

as well as these ones which were originally

in pink tones

And yes - another Heart but this one is flat

and backed in chocolate coloured felt

with more burlap, vintage laces

a suffolk puff and chiffon rose

dyed seam binding, guipure lace

and scrim

And just a pic of a couple of recent trays

I purchased
which I find are so useful for a number of projects
(as well as serving cups of tea on, of course!
or the odd glass of wine!)

as well as two small metal plates.

Somehow these items of metal, wood and silver plating

with etched glass on the clock seem to co-exist

very happily together!!!!

There is just one thing else to mention

and, that is,

MY   GIVEAWAY

of a Fabric Collage

so if you would like to enter before 29th Feb.

please go to the previous post

and

leave a comment there with your email address

so that I have a way to contact you!

In the meantime,

remember that:

"happiness is a way of travel each day

and not a destination"!

xxx Suzy