Gettin' stitchy with it ...

The weekend saw us visiting our new 'Masters' store for a family fun day. Now we don't usually visit hardware stores for family fun, no...
A member of our family works there and before their official opening, they had a little silent opening just for family and friends to have a sticky beak.
It's huge and clean and orderly and will definitely give OTHER big hardware stores in the area some major competition. The lighting dept, ornamental garden area and wallpaper section were all very exciting to my crafty heart.

But this isn't an advertisement for the new hardware store on the block, 

rather a beginning to how this triptych of hearts came to be.

The course I'm doing called for us to bring an element of a place that helps us dream... into our home. Having quite a small home, that is overly cluttered with the products of my craft addiction i wasn't entirely sure where I could fit an ocean! Calm water, expanse of sand, nothing but nature...

So I parked the idea and figured something would present itself soon enough. And sure enough whilst shopping on family fun day...Go Masters...I found this set of 3 canvas prints. Ocean, sand, pebbles, hearts. Depicts all the things I wanted it to. My only hesitation was the lack of color. So I decided to add a splash of red by stitching a few elements on each canvas.

Now when I look at them I sense wide open spaces,

 my feet in the sand and my heart in craft.

 A little corner to dream in.

Perfect.

Jay. x

Birds...the experimenting begins.

This months design challenge is all about birds. One of my favourite little creatures to include in projects.

I did put a birdy brooch on my exhibition bag the other day and contemplated calling that 'challenge complete' but nah...
There is too much fun to be had with crafty bird ideas, I can't stop there.

So after finishing said bird brooch and beginning my clean up to complete 'project bag', I admired the scrap freezer paper outline on the floor.

I quite liked the shape it left and had a play with making some really basic fabric shapes of a bird. Some with wings some with out.

Then I moved onto thinking about other shapes I like

and had a play with some hearts, clouds and tree's.

Not sure if they will eventuate in to anything yet, but I was having a low energy day and just needed to whip up something crafty and cute to make it feel as though I did actually do 'something' today.

Not entirely mad keen on the outcome. It needs more...

I dunno, some buttons or lace or a print.

Will play some more and see what evolves.

Hope your keeping well in your neck of the woods and don't forget you're all welcome to join in and create some birdy wonderfulness too.

Jay xx

Check these out....at cottage in the sun.

Jeez I love ETSY. I am forever discovering new stores.
When I do come across one that's fresh and exciting and I see that they are quite well established and have been around for donkeys, I wonder how it could possibly be that I didn't find them sooner.
I'm such a fan of anything patterned, textured, and a little bit grungy. So finding these tin creations met all the criteria of something I just gotta buy.

The last house I lived in had a pantry that utilised the most sumptuous sculpted ceiling tin, as the pantry doors. I just loved the effect, and really wished we could take them with us, alas....it was a rental, so it wasn't ours to take.
So when I found cottage in the sun used the same tin, and worked it into something so pretty, I had to have it.

Cottage in the sun is the brainchild of Annette from San Antonio,Texas. She uses old ceiling tin as her medium to create banners, wall hangings and even garden ornaments.
I'm sure you all have received varying degrees of service from Etsy, or any online store really.
I can honestly say that shopping with Annette was one of the best experiences I had shopping online. Why?
The banners she created for me were a custom order. So with my obscure instructions of liking hearts, something textural, and quite a random selection of colors I liked, she was able to work her magic and come up exactly what I needed. There were many convo's and photo's back and forth to make sure we were both on the same path.
Shipping was quick, and packaging was safe and super cute.

There is nothing I value more than that little extra effort that goes into packaging. Especially when your ordering from O.S. Your so excited to be receiving these hand made gems, and arriving in one piece is paramount.

Enjoy.