Hello dear friends & readers
I noticed my angel wall in the Cottage was looking a little depleted lately - although they are not a huge seller, sometimes you can sell 1 or 2 & suddenly ... its looking rather empty
So I set about remedying the situation ... first up was my old favourite "friendship angel" from Rosalie Quinlan
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| You may perhaps recognise the dress fabric Catherine ??? |
I also made 2 other bodies so will endeavour to show you them as they "get their clothes on" ! ! !
Next up I decided to make some more angel magnets, but I thought I would use up some of my doiley offcuts for their dresses this time round
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| little ladies all lined up waiting for their wings & their hair :-) |
Some of them have tin wings & the top 3 have wings made from stiffened lace scraps
(I once made a dozen of these for a lady going overseas & she sent me a postcard from Chile to tell me my angels were "flying all over the world" - she used them as hostess gifts)
Although it is mid summer here, we have had all 4 seasons this past week ... on the nice sunshiney days you get to do chores like this ...
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| One poor ol' ted is hanging by his foot as he has no ears to peg on to !!!!! |
On those off days when you are feeling just a tad grumpy & out of sorts with the world in general (or perhaps with The Mr!!!) I have discovered a bit of a tonic . . .
I have discovered - quite by accident - that if you sit outside for a couple of hours in the fresh air & the sunshine rubbing lavender stalks, &... (as an added bonus) ... listening to Fleetwood Mac at quite a high volume . . .
but my friends . . .
you also end up with a lovely big bowl full of lavendar to use :-)
My friend Lois had been on my mind alot lately & I remembered that it was coming up to the one-year anniversary of her sons death - he died just a month short of his 30th birthday - so I decided to make a lavendar heart & pop in the post to surprise her
For some reason this years lavender crop seems very high in oil content - I noticed this in my rubbings - & the smell throughout the house is intense ... so I filled Lois's heart with it
Plus I filled the parcel post bag with bunches of rosemary (for remembrance) ... no wonder the man at the Postal Counter was looking at me oddly this morning when I handed it over !!!
I also completed an order for my dear old friend Margaret - she likes to keep a good stock of these padded coathangers on hand for gifts to give to her elderly friends in the retirement village
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| once again I used this years lavendar rubbings |
Continuing on with my "prim theme" from last post I dunked them in a heavy parisian essence mixture & made up some primitive hand-to-heart little wallhangers
not sure what my Dad would think ... no doubt shaking his head & rolling his eyes !!!
I had been watching this late soldier-poppy seedling poke its head through in the old tin bucket where I grow my red begonias & when I saw it flowering just yesterday morning, I tried to capture it ...
Finally friends I wanted to share a special book with you ... I really enjoy it when fellow bloggers recommend books they have read ... & it has often lead me to either borrow them from my library, or purchase them myself.
When I gave my son Kayne this book 2 christmas's ago & he opened the parcel ... he actually, honestly thought I had mistakenly given him the wrong gift & that this was a book meant for a child
But he has read it, loved it, & last week returned it to me as I had mentioned I would like to re-read it ... it is truely the most delightful story & one I would thoroughly recommend
Kayne had just returned it to me & I had been thinking to myself that I must mention it on my blog when I came across this post from Betty ... in which she recommends the book also.
Phew I have sure prattled on this post & jumped all over the show ... apologies if I have lost you along the way :-)
Wishing you sunshine & rainbows in your week dear friends & readers - thanks so much for your visit,
much love/hugs/friendship,
Julie x0x0x
Mmmm I can smell the lavender from here, I can come help you on one of your days where you want to get 'high' on the stuff!
ReplyDeletePearl bracelets for your dolls why not. The Angels for the fridge look sweet, the lace wings turned out nice, would rusty wire work too??
Your garden is looking pretty, but I bet the wind is causing problems. Have the kittens & mother cat moved on? I haven't read that book, but one called 'Dewey, the Library Cat'.
I have promised myself I am going to have days out at the lavender field I found last year just as soon as it re-opens this Summer. I have just finished the book and am on the follow up 'the world according to Bob' - your son is right, it could have been written for a child, but as you know, I particularly read childrens books so no doubt thats why I like it! I am having some difficult times at the moment and the simple things in life are keeping me going. Your posts are always worth sitting down with a cup of tea for. I like the heart you made your friend, it's really special - these would sell in your shop surely? it's the kind of thing someone wants to give to a friend but doesn't know until they see it! Betty
ReplyDeleteEvery year I tell myself I must get some french lavendar but never do - is this yours or from down the road? I love the tape you have sewn to the heart for your friend Lois - what a sweet person you are. Your teddies look quite relaxed strung out on the line (hehehe), I hope they all got ear massages when you were done though! Love your crafting projects and had a giggle with what you've done with the gloves - I've been making monkeys out of Dad's socks - not sure what HE would have said about that!!
ReplyDeleteLove your angel and her gorgeous dress - such pretty fabric. The pantaloons, bracelet and hankie make beautiful finishing touches with your special stamp on it.
ReplyDeleteThose angel fridge magnets are so sweet too - you really do have some great ideas.
How sad for Lois losing her son - he was too young - she will appreciate your kind gesture and knowing that someone out there cares about her.
I love my heart Julie - it is pinned to my inspiration board and I have a sniff every time I pass - thank you!
Well I keep telling myself to plant lavender so I can have a supply too... our vege garden has gone to rack and ruin this summer as my husband has been working on his boat!
You've inspired me to grow lavender there next year - then I won't have to buy it from the lavender lady at the Clevedon market .... hopefully! What variety and name are you growing?
Love those red poppies too - when I'm in France in June/July they are growing everywhere, self seeded all along the country roads and gardens.
They are planted at the soldiers memorial at the entrance to the village where my daughter live.
The book sounds lovely and now added to my list!
Hugs and enjoy your weekend.
Shane xox
You sound so light and relaxed in this post Julie.
ReplyDeleteI guess those "teas" in the afternoon help that mood ;)
It sounds like a vacation for the mind and body to sit out in the openness and take it all in with music.
Just wonderful, and I can smell that lavender from here, oh wait that is just the ones you sent me :)
Those tin angel wings are too genius!
It is funny cause one of my kitties came from a street cat named BOB that roamed my old apt building for years, his off spring were all over the neighborhood and then I ended up with one of his kittens when I went back there 13 years ago. So I would love to read this book and hear the tale of this cat bobs journey.
Amy
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteYour post was full of really nice stuff!!! Love the craft work....the angels are too sweet.
Isn't it amazing what you can do with garden gloves? Very clever.
Cheers, Anita.
I'm now inspired to make some Doily Dolls, and I want an angel wall and a pram planter and must grow some lavender this year and and and...I shall definitely need a helping hand. xx
ReplyDeleteDearest Julie, yes indeed this post was FULL of really nice stuff!! Reading through it really lifted my spirits when I first popped in a few days ago..perhaps it was the heady fragrance of all that lavender! The fabric looks perfect on the angel : ) What an excellent way to use up the doily off cuts..love the angel fridge magnets. I'm not surprised that you've never done anything with the cotton gloves before now...I find them entirely useless in the garden so your hand to heart inspiration is just brilliant! Golly, that's awfully close to home isn't it, the loss of a son like that...would you ever really recover I wonder. You dear kind friend. The next door washing line looked just like yours a few weeks ago as my dear friend Margaret went through washing all her soft toys & blocks in anticipation of a brand new grand-daughter soon. Much love & hugs Catherine x0x0x
ReplyDeleteI have been looking forward to a new 'Julie' post, and as always it is full of lovely things and inspiration! I love your coat hangers it's always nice to hang things on something so soft and pretty!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, such a lovely post as usual. Your angels, lavender, gloves and teddies all look gorgeous and your afternoon sounds delightful! The heart for your friend is such a lovely gift, I am sure she appreciated it. Hugs Wendy xx
ReplyDeleteHello dear Julie, wonderful post, it makes my day:-) love the angel, she is dressed beautifully as are all the dolls you make.I will definitely be around to get one of your angel fridge magnets, I'm in love with them.Aren't the red poppies delightful?Love, love everything you've made. Shirley
ReplyDelete