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