Flat Susan Sets off for Liverpool

Here she is - all ready, Friday night, to begin her travels.  Here is Flat Susan sitting in her little case in which she is going to travel.  I know she should maybe just travel in an envelope but as she is so tiny it is a bit daunting for her to rattle around in one so she has her own little travel case.

Well, Flat Susan (FS for short) set off on her worldly travels today, Saturday, 11th May.  I took her with me to Port Sunlight to HSNW stamp show, where she was introduced to Jo who is taking her on a short holiday "on a plane" and then on another short trip before sending her off to her next new hostess, Elizabeth.

Here is the handover which took place in front of the refreshments at the show.

She was actually waving to you all as Jo held on to her and I feigned a smile as I let her go.  I know she will be perfectly alright in Jo's capable hands and because she has not got a passport and Jo lives near the passport office in Liverpool she will have one before she boards the plane.

Well, it could be a while before I see FS now as she will move from one host to another and have a wonderful time.  I can't wait to read about her travels.

Just in case you haven't signed up and would like to have her visit you there's still plenty of time to do so as she will be away months now and until she is about to return home to me she is open to invitations.

All you have to do is email me (addie in the right side bar third from top) your snail address and I will add you to the list which is about 21 people long at the moment.  I will let you know when to expect her and when she arrives with you hopefully, she will have a tag to give you from the previous host.  So I just ask that you make a tag for the next host when you pass her on.

Please write about her and her stay with you, what she did, where she went, giving a little bit of information about where you live, on your blog with a photo or two and then I will make a copy of all the blog entries and compile a book of her travels which I am giving to a couple of little girls who would love to read the adventures FS has had.

Please sign up if you are interested and Flat Susan will be delighted to visit you.

WOYWW 206

Well, I am not at home but my desk still holds my stash from Saturday when I went to Port Sunlight for the HSNW show.  Had no time to put it away before we headed off in search of a lovely garden but more about that in another post.

The show was great and I really thought I would get around and watch loads of demos but instead I did a load of chatting.  Saw so many people - I counted 26 on my way home but I think I still missed some.

Here are some photos of the show starting with Ali of Ali-Crafts

and her lovely display

Then I had to go and see Leandra from PaperArtsy

You can just see Mark in red

and I got an ATC from Redanne and one from Pearshapedcrafting and a secret one (not to be opened) from Jo.

Sorry for making this a long post Julia, will try better next time (but probably not succeed).  If you are wondering why I am mentioning someone called Julia it is because she runs the biggest blog hope every week.  Pop over here and see what I mean.

A Little Bit of Crafting

A week of crafting!  Sounds bliss to all you crafters out there.  No cooking either (unless you had drawn the short straw and had to provide a meal).  Actually three cooked last year so the other three cooked this year and I was one of them.  Luckily I did Monday and took it ready and the other two, Mary and Liz, took theirs for freezing so there was no major cook out at all.

The theme for the week was "Trash to Treasure" so a bit of recycling was called for and Monday evening we did some cutting up of old t-shirts.  I won't embarrass the ladies by showing you the poses we did but I am hoping these two will forgive me for putting this one on my blog.  I just had to include it as they are laughing so much:

All the t-shirts looked great after being cut and woven, or whatever

Next day was Mary showing us how to make a patchwork bag from an old cotton shirt.

The squares are from different parts of the shirts, the pocket is the actual pocket, the decorative panel down the front is the button bit cut off and the handles are made from the neckbands with the collars removed.  Is Mary clever or what?  (It's all fully lined too)

In the afternoon and the following morning Wendy led a two part session making books from Lutrador but as mine is not yet completed I don't have a photograph for you.

Then we used Paverpol the next day with Liz and made faces from Cloud Clay to decorate these pots.  It was great fun making the faces and I think we could have carried on into the night enjoyilng ourselves.

Close up of the faces

Mary did hands too

Love this one

The next day we did some clay tiles but I didn't make any but in the afternoon I played with Adrienne's Gelliplate and made some backgrounds.  

Then she showed us a technique to turn card into something that looked totally different.  I loved this but didn't finish it.  Bought some translucent paints on Saturday so hopefully will get it finished later.

All Behind, Upside Down and Wherever

That is just how I feel about my blog.  I am so behind with updating everyone with what is going on in my little part of the world that my poor blog is getting neglected.  Remember how I went away the other week to Shropshire?  Well not posted any pictures or anything and it was so nice to go there.

Here are some photos of the week away with the girls - on the way down I saw Elvis!

Sign at a pub when stopped at traffic lights

The following are photographs of Stockbatch Granary which is on Pitchford Estate where we were staying.  It was HUGE!  Actually accommodates 14 people but as we ladies wanted an en suite each we had to plum for something large.  Worked great!  Big table to craft on and no clearing up to eat either.

Kitchen at Stockbatch Granary

Dining Room which we used for crafting

Top HALF of the Lounge

Right outside my window

This was a Shepherds Hut which has been done up and refurbished (you can sleep inside) that could be seen from the side window in my bedroom.

A close up of two of the MANY lambs that were in the field.  One day I opened the window and spoke to a sheep that I thought was lying in a funny position (wanted to make sure it was alive, you know) and the whole lot came running up - they thought I was going to feed them.  They just came quicker when I waved my arms shouting "go back, I have no food",  The lambs were so funny to watch, lolloping about and jumping like lambs do, sometimes over one another's backs.  Here are the sheep on the last day (see the weather changed) following the farmer with the feed trickling through the sack on his shoulder.

I'll upload some more photos tomorrow of what we made but for now you probably have far too many photos to look at in one go.

Artful Times - Bloomin' Marvellous

Over on the Artful Times Von chose the theme "Bloomin' Marvellous" for this challenge because of the Chelsea Flower Show.  Don't know about you but my garden isn't blooming that marvellously at the moment,  The daffs are dying off now and all that I have are some grape hyacinths to add colour.  Mind you I do like grape hyacinths and mine seem to have doubled in volume - hurray!

I did notice, when on my way to Shropshire, that down there there was more colour than here so maybe we will catch up now that we have had some sunshine.  Anyway, enough woffle from me, here is my rendition

A decorated matchbox containing some tags.

I just measured around the matchbox and cut a sleeve from a piece of cardstock to fit.  Coloured it very lightly with Brilliance Ink over a stencil, cut a hole in for the photo to be stuck behind and made some tags. 

I love doing these decorated matchboxes and am making another now for Flat Susan (see post at top of page and join in if you wish - she would love to visit more places) as she is shortly to set off on her travels.

In the meantime please join in our challenge over at Artful Times - let's have a bloomin' good time creating.

WOYWW 205 and Flat Susan

Well, this is my desk as last night and probably all of today - a view just for all you WOYWW'ers out there

Yes, the sewing machine is out again.  I so enjoyed my sewing session last week with Mary that I am determined to do some more and this time I am pondering what to make with the two Gelliplate pieces of fabric I did with Adrienne.  Apart from book covers I cannot think what to do - each piece measures approximately 6" x 5".  Not sure it is washable so any ideas out there?

I haven't blogged my sewing piece I did whilst away so here it is - my patchwork bag

All made from recycled mens shirts

Pop along to other blogs linking to Ms Julia to see what the great big blog hop has in store for you today - see you there!

If you have not offered to host "Flat Susan" please go to the post above this for full details and think about signing up - she really wants to travel the world - or mention on here that you would be a host to her and I will add your names to the list.  For those who do not know, she is small (made of shrink plastic) and is hoping to travel in a matchbox starting her journey shortly.  All I ask is that you blog once and include a picture of her visiting you (and maybe places of interest) and make a tag to send to the next host she is visiting.  Any takers?

Please let me visit you

Home Again!

Well, I have just returned from my five days away with some crafters and I am hastily putting a photograph up for Annie's "Smile" page on her blog.  Then I am going to bed early because I have a workshop in the morning at Vicky Stampers.  Bag was packed before I went away - just hope I DID pack all that I need.

Before I went I mentioned on here that I was going to stay in Shrewsbury and Annie said she would l love to come and see me as she lives close by to where I was staying.

Well the six crafters arrived at "The Fox" on Thursday evening (can recommend the food and the barmaid is absolutely lovely - she knew what all six of us had ordered to drink, to eat (main) and also puds.  She was a gem - a treasure.  Nothing was too much trouble.  Oh and the food was good too.)  As I looked across the bar I saw someone waving.  It didn't dawn on me at first it would be Annie but what a lovely thought - she had driven over to see me.  She is delightful and so is her hubby.  It was lovely to meet the pair of them and we chatted away until I was summoned to the table for "eats".

I just wish we had had longer to chat but I had to go and dine with my crafting buddies so we said our goodbyes but I did watch them leave and we had lots of arm waving through the window.

Lovely to have met you Annie (Wipso) and Mr Wipso too!  And thanks both of you for coming out to meet me.  WOYWW'ers united!

So here is my "smile" for the week - a photo of us just after meeting

ps she also got sister Jo on the phone and I sent her a wave via the "wavelengths".