Diary Covers

As I was wanting to make Birthday Gifts and a Swap I came up with the idea of making my friends Diary Covers with a diary for 2011.

T

This first cover was collaged in Indian cotton, shot silk, dupion silk, crushed velvet, printed organza with some Vintage sari braid which came from my friend Jo in New Zealand and for whom this gift was made.  Jo is a wonderful dyer with natural fibres and plants, and is currently running a week's workshop with India Flint in New Zealand. 

This second cover for Andrea who lives at Coff's Harbour in Northern News South Wales, Australia

was made from some silk and satin strips which I ripped and roughly sewed together

and which I attached to some grape coloured velvet  and then collaged with some

lace and purple roses.

and the final Diary Cover I made for my friend, Judy, at

Judysfabrications.blogspot.com

as part of a swap.

I used some homespun cotton here which I dyed

then collaged several layers of cottons and silks with a very old piece of lace dyed in turquoise on top of which I added these blue motifs.

Oh Yes!

and

finally added some gold bugle and other beads

to set off the beautiful lacework

and

VOILA!

Pierre de Ronsard

From this gorgeous display of Pierre de Ronsard climbing all over this fence at the entrance into our front garden has come this:

beautiful bowl full of dried but fully formed

rose buds all by themselves without

any

human intervention.  First they were rained on

and then the hot sun came out and

totally dried them.  There is still some evidence of their soft pink shade left.  They almost look like they have been made with paper.  How can we possibly compete with the hands of nature!

Hope you all have a restful and peaceful weekend!

We have a Winner!!!

I wish everyone could be a WINNER but in fact we all are - as we are ALIVE!!!.  However,as it is in  the nature of these little competitions there can be only one Winner.  So my friend, Maggie, this morning, drew the name of that happy little blogger whose name is:

Oxana

from

lisa-alisashobbyhimmelen.blogspot.com

a wonderful and most talented mixed media, fabric collage and jewellery artist!

Oxana will win this package of goodies which will be sent all the way to Norway.

Congratulations to you Oxana - Hope you will enjoy this!

But

because everyone has been just so generous with their support and comments over the last few months

I have decided to give a small surprise gift to 2 more bloggers.

The second winner is

Dian

from

beachtextiles.blogspot.com in Victoria, Australia. 

Dian will receive this Christmas Card made by me to keep or give as a gift.

and

Third Place Winner

is

Gaby Bee

from

colourfuladventures.blogspot.com in Germany

This gold metallic Christmas Card also made by me.

So all I need from you three happy bloggers is your email address with details of full names and addresses so that I can pop these in the mail to you as soon as I receive them.

THANK YOU BLOGGING FRIENDS

for being part of my life

and

I am sure there will be another Giveaway in the not so distant future!

Making Christmas Cards

This really beautiful hand painted cotton from Lorraine at Creative Daily was the inspiration

for these Christmas Cards and I have used it in several cards now.  The colours are of a buttery yellow and muted greens.  I will be sad I think when it runs out.  So often the fabric is what gets my creative juices running.  The other materials I have used are some paper bark from our wetland and Wild Cherry both from our property.