Iris’s End Of Term Sweetie Bag Presents.

Iris completes her first term at morning nursery in a couple of weeks time and I said I would make a few sweetie bags as a Thank You to all the fantastic staff. 

I had bought the ice cream sweets from the Co-Op a little while ago thinking that they would be perfect for a some sort of summer project and at 3 bags for £1 it would have been rude not to buy them.

I am always careful to use plastic gloves when taking sweets out of their original bags and then seal them immediately in clear cello bags using my ever faithful, but of late, under used  bag sealer.

I cut out the bag topper with my new White and Gray Big Shot, using a largish Spellbinder label die, going back goodness knows how many years.

I folded the topper in two and the used double sided tape on both sides of the reverse to securely fix the topper to the bag.

I then used plain and scalloped edged punches to make three layered circles, sticking them together and then handwriting two parts of the message on either side, adding a spare ice cream in the middle to continue the theme.

I have to be honest, the tops did take me quite a while to work out, using just one circle, as I had originally intended, just looked unfinished and a bit lost, however three circles together just seemed to finish them off perfectly. 

Craft Stick Jewelled Christmas Tag Charms

By rights these jewelled tag charms should have ended up in the bin on the day I started them, but the more time I invested in them the more loathe I was to give up on them, hoping against hope that these sows ears would somehow end up as silk purses, put simply, …….they did not!

They started out as small craft stick, measuring 7cms in length, glued together to make a snowflake shape.

……. but as soon as I started sticking the gems on the first side I knew they spelled disaster, as they just didn’t seem to want to stick, and the more glue I added the gungier everything became.  But, not to be beaten, I added a small pendant bail fitting, before adding gems to the second side. so that they could be hung or tied.

And after that,  I just kept mithering with them, with gems not lying or fitting right until I finally gave up, deciding not to fill any of the small gaps with smaller gems but let the stick/wood show through.  I added a narrow, red ribbon to each, and although these were intended to be Christmas tree decorations I think, if they stay stuck until then,  I will use them as charms on my plain, Kraft paper wrapped presents this year.

I’m done with them!!!!

Halloween Satsumas/Clementines

This was not my idea at all, I found it on Pintrest and it was just too brilliant not to have a go at ……. all I did was draw the faces using a Sharpie pen on a clementine/satsuma, I don’t have a clue how to tell them apart! It took seconds.

Iris Roo will definitely be finding a couple in her lunch box this Halloween, anything that gets little ones to eat their fruit has to be a good idea!

Two Covered Notebooks

I like to have a notebook either on my desk for my “jobs to do” lists or, if I am going away, for roughly putting posts together for The Monkeys blog.

But, I don’t like lined paper and I like a good quality paper, so I tend to go for an artists notebook, and, as I had too much time on my hands just before I went on holiday, I decided to cover two that I bought from The Works.

The red A5 sketch pad cost £1 and the plain black one was £2.  The paper quality is perfect.

I covered the front and back of both books with a patchwork of scrap papers using Modge Podge. There is something about Modge Podge I don’t like, so I am glad I used all I had on these books, its the slightly crumbly feeling it has when it dries on your fingers, it just feels too strange!

When the first layer was dry I added assorted punched foliage and flowers in the same papers, for a subtle finish on the fronts only.

I did wonder if the foliage and flowers might look better edged in black, I tried a small area in a corner, which thankfully came off, as it looked pants.

Instead I tried some Ranger Enamel Accents in black and white for the first time, in the centre of the flowers and in lines here and there.  They were pretty easy to use,  but a quick up and down dab action was best to stop the Accents from trailing.  I am really chuffed with the solid enamel finish, something a bit different from 3D pearl effect paints etc., I am already thinking about looking at what other colours are available with possibly decorating Christmas baubles in mind.

Craft Sticks – A Bit of a Shout Out

I am really into projects using craft sticks at the moment, mainly tags and tree decorations, but who knew that they come in so many bewildering sizes!

I only discovered this fact when I ran out of, what I would call my half size ones, I thought I would be able to just pick up another couple of packets from e-bay, how wrong I was!  After much searching, I did make a considered purchase, but imagine my surprise when my order arrived only to reveal a bag of even smaller sticks ….. I don’t think measuring has ever been one of my strong points.

Now, I am really thrilled with what I got (bottom sticks in picture), with another batch of ideas forming in my head as these are quite dainty!  But, I still need some more of the half size ones.  I didn’t buy them that long ago, and I thought they were from Hobbycraft, but can’t find them on the website so I could be mistaken(?)

It’s really flummoxed me!  In the end I have resorted to Amazon and the US to source them, I think they are a pretty close match in size, but I will have to see when they arrive.

So, what I am asking is …….. if you see any on your crafty travels could you give me a heads up please!

My Holiday Souvenirs.

As I said, I have to be pretty restrained these days with regards to my souvenir shopping as my flat is pretty much sorted and any space for fripperies is tight ………

……. but I this year, even before I went, I had set my heart on finding an icon of the Madonna. I had seen hundreds of them last year when we visited the cathedral in Zakynthos in Zante, but at the time, though I had put in an offer on my flat, I was more geared up for chucking things out rather than gathering, but ever since I have driven Lu mad saying how much I wished I had bought one.

I found this one in Corfu Town, I made the poor woman climb up on a chair to get it down and ermmed and ahhhed, and then I said I would think about it and come back, to be honest I knew I would have it, I just didn’t fancy carrying it around for the rest of the evening in all the heat.  But for the first time ever I got my credit card out …. on  holiday!

I put the bottle of Holy Oil I got from the church in Kassiopi under a small Ikea dome …… it sort of looks right and goes with the icon.

And my final purchase was this evil eye, I have quite a few of the usual round glass versions around the house, but I have never seen anything like this one before, so it would have been rude not to make a considered purchase. Perhaps it’s a bit creepy, but it’s a reminder that I hope there are a few people “up there” who are keeping an eye on me.

So that’s it, other than a few bars of nougat and some Donkey Milk shampoo and conditioner.  Things might get moved around in time, but while the memories are still fresh and a bit of my tan remains they are OK where they are for now.

A Trip To Kassiopi

Kassiopi was stunning, Lu and I didn’t know what to expect, but we found a very beautiful fishing village, with lovely restaurants……..
……. and beautiful views.

It had everything we like in a resort, and I may consider looking at it in more detail when it comes to booking for our 2018 holiday.

 

Part of Lu’s and my Greek holidays almost always includes a peep into a church or two, and the church in Kassiopi was so beautiful and peaceful, I think the memory of our visit will stay with us for a long, long time.

Inside was stunning, with the church dating back to the 16th Century.

I loved the icons, the huge glass lights and the ornate incense burners and glass candle holders, we aren’t very religious, but we always say that if we ever go that way, we will go Greek Orthodox.

What I had never seen before were the Tamata and instantly feel in love with them. They are made from thin metal sheets, stamped with legs, arms, ears, eyes, torsos, hearts, babies, whole bodies, male and female, young and old and as votive offerings are hung from an icon with a prayer and the lighting of a candle, symbolising wishes for a miracle of healing. I desperately wanted one, but this wasn’t the place to get one, so I am currently trying to find a Greek Orthodox shop back home where I might be able to.

There was a lovely lady in the church who told us all about it’s history and answered all our questions, we bought some holy oil, and as we always do, lit candles for all the special people who are no longer with us to share our adventures and memories with. 

Moving on …… there was also two objects of very great desire in one of the ice cream shops, we popped into for a frozen Greek yoghurt and honey …….. to wit the lights ……. OMG, I would give my eye teeth for a pair of these, I have to laugh, my taste is so predictable!  I would love to be regressed one day and find out exactly where my past lives have been spent,  Marc would say that I have definitely got a bit of gay man in me somewhere ……. if you pardon the expression matron!

I don’t usually do wallpaper, but this, in the same establishment as the lights were had me drooling.

Another lovely, day, a day to remember when the nights draw in and are cold and I am snuggled up on the settee wrapped in my duvet!

A Trip To Corfu Town

Lu and my holiday to Corfu was wonderful, the beach, the food and just the rest, doing nothing but drinking in the blue sea, a bit of people watching and quaffing the odd 3 for 2 cocktails! Arillas, our resort was very small, so we decided that we ought to tear ourselves away from the beach for just a little while for an evening trip in Corfu Town and a day trip to Kassiopi. They did disappoint. 

Thank goodness we chose to visit Corfu Town in the evening, it was still pretty hot, but Lu and I are women who were born to mooch, so by taking on plenty of liquid refreshment we did our best not to wilt in the heat

  The old town was stunning ……..

……. so many romantic alleys, leading to mysterious places.

And, in one of my moments of pondering, I couldn’t help wonder why other peoples washing, hung out of windows and on balconies looks so quaint, where back home, it just looks, well …… shonky!

The shops were full of lovely things, but because all the shelves and sills in my flat are just as I want them (for the time being) I had to be restrained………..

……. so my money was safe with this little festive gathering, although I am always on the look out for vintage or “different” Christmas bits and pieces, but it made me smile!

I also decided that if I were ever to get married again (????? heaven help me, and no, I have no such plans) …… but if I did ….. I would definitely go back to Corfu for my trousseau.  The lace was stunning, and so feminine …..
…….. however, perhaps the ensemble below was a little over the top ……
…….. I don’t know why, but Joan Collins springs to mind!!!There were so many objects of desire …………

…… and inspiration, like this display of hand-painted magnets, which gave me an idea, using children’s wooden dominoes …… if I have the confidence to have a go at drawing and painting.

 

Happy days ……..