Swaps, Racks & Drains

Greetings dear friends & readers

Gosh that sounds like a fascinating post title don't you think??

There are quite a few mid-winter christmas swaps in blogland at the moment

Last year, two dear friends & myself decided we would do a little mid-winter christmas swap amongst ourselves

Well it only took us an entire year to actually get ourselves organised !!!!

This is what I made my two friends .... he is Rustic Santa, a very old pattern from the Woodcutters Daughter who now goes under the title of Theodora Cleave

I have a homemade Rustic Santa of my own (several christmas's old now) & just really adore him when he comes out each year at christmas time.

His jacket is made from quilted calico strongly dyed in parissiene essence ... his beard is some boucle wool & I added a few little embellishments such as a rusty tin birdhouse & a bunch of  artificial greenery, pip berries & scented cinnamon sticks tucked into his arms

I made his hat from an Op Shop jersey ... which was the princely sum of $6 but I happened to pop in on a "50% off all clothing day" so it cost me just $3.00 .... it has been used in many projects now

My friend Leeanne's parcel arrived this week - her timing was perfect as it was "one of those weeks" ... this is the amazing, generous package that Leeanne put together for me . . .

A wonderful array of goodies, a gorgeous stitchery wallhanging, teatowel, notepad, serviettes, rusty bell .... 
Oh there were some choccies in the parcel but Blackie must've sneaked in & stolen them !!!!!

I have a couple of Leeanne's stitcheries now - she does such beautiful fine detailed work, I just adore them.  
She especially loves winter-time so the snowman theme was appropriate.
Thank You Leeanne So much :-)

This magazine rack came home with me on my last trip down to Mums ... it had been $5 in her local Hospice Shop & was in immaculate condition but the lady told me, it had sat there for ages

I hauled it out this past week & gave it the wax candle & paint treatment ... I have been working on some painting projects in front of the fire these damp wintery days.
It actually took 4 coats to cover it well & I must confess, it was a fiddly darn thing painting between those slats ... but after the paint had hardened, I sanded it lightly to distress it ...
. . .  then the fun part ...   embellishing & "doiley-fying"

Goodness what IS that stuff shining in my bedroom windows .... Oh yes, its sunshine !!!!  
We just haven't seen any for awhile around these parts ! !

The doilies at each end got mod-podged onto the wood

Then I got to "try it out" to make sure it all actually worked okay !!!!

It is going for sale in my Cottage so will be useful to have some magazines in it, for those customers that will ask me "what do you actually use this for ???!!!

Poor Pippi has had a rough week .... I got her spayed last week & she was coming along well until she developed a nasty infection under her wound site
Back to the vets for more surgery & home again with two drains in her wound
(I promised her I would Not put any photos of her drains on my blog)

Needless to say there has been quite a bit of the above going on ....
And she has been getting away with doing pretty much as she pleases while I keep her distracted
Put it this way  .  .  .  we shall have a little bit of "retraining" to do once she mends

Helping Mum sort out her silk flowers

And as for Blackie  .  .  .

...  well he's being his kind, caring & understanding self ! ! !

Thanks so much for stopping by today dear readers
Gosh, where on earth did July slip away to I ask you ???
Have a wonderful weekend & I hope to be back real soon with a new painting project to show you 
(completed, hopefully)
with much love & friendship,
Julie, Blackie & poor wee Pippi Longstocking
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