Postal Paradise

Paradise...
the result of a whole month of swaps, giveaways & unexpected gifts is quite overwhelming. I have been spoiled rotten and it has been even better than Christmas! Very belated thanks to everyone for the all crafty goodness sent my way... now I must let all of you drool ;o)

Sonia of Cozy Memories sent me a wonderful surprise thank you package from France! The lavender-filled handmade strawberry along with some wonderful french soap infused the envelope with the most amazing smell! Claire loved the little unicorns too :o) If you click on the photo directly below you will be able to read notes on the photo...

I received a long-awaited package from my swap with Micol of RecycleMicol in Texas. The wooly acorns are amazing and I am still in awe of the handwoven purple ribbon! I also love the knitted dishcloths. I am not a knitter so I can't even begin to wonder how on earth she was able to knit a teacup into one of them! Micol also made a box of crocheted chocolates for Claire which I am trying really hard not to keep for myself! I am planning to do some stamping on the large white cloths that she wrapped everything in... my package was well-worth the wait! Click on the mosaic to see some more notes :o)

I also recieved a wonderful thank you package from my friend Francy of Matatabi. I buy most of my amazing Japanese fabric from her Etsy shop. We became instant friends after I met up with her at the Tokyo International Quilt Festival in January 2008. She is deprived of an oven (I wouldn't be able to live without one) so I have been sending cookie care packages every now and then! I never expected anything in return :o) The fabric, cotton crochet trims, buttons & tea are all adorable and exactly my style!! There are some notes if you click on the last photo in this set :o)

I must admit that my most recent cherished possession is this wonderful felt TeaHouse made by Anna of Lilla Lotta in France. She sent me so many wonderful goodies which you can find out more about if you click on the photo of the table full of crafty goodness!

I just love how the TeaHouse is always open for ME! I adore all the watercolour transfers and handmade ribbon details that went into making this piece... truly amazing! Now I have to work on my end of the swap. I think making up for all the wonderful things she sent me will prove to be quite difficult :o)

These wonderful heart stuffies were a totally unexpected surprise from Sandrine Deleuze in Belgium... the best Valentines ever! Yes... the mirror is their permanent home :o)

If that's not enough mail, I also won a giveaway for this sweet little birdie heart ornament made by Mervi also known as Memmu in Finland. Look at all the other extra little goodies she sent... I love her handmade card, Moo MiniCard and the Tilda ribbon!

Finally, the results of the Birds of Change Exchange that I was part of in January. I received my birdies at the beginning of this month and love every one of them! Thank you to Regina of Creative Kismet for organizing the mega-swap! Click on the photo to see from where my birds migrated :o)

Oops! That didn't count all the stuff I bought...

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

Books & Procrastination

Yup... that's what I have been so busy doing over the last month! I have just been having so much fun lately becoming totally inspired by everyone else's blogs & creations that I haven't had much time for my own but HEY! ...We all need a break from time to time :o) Thanks to all of you who left those little messages through my e-mail, blog, flickr & etsy telling me you missed me!

I have been sewing a bit here & there but not as much as usual because I have started reading again... yes, I haven't picked up a novel since before Claire was born (4 1/2 years ago) and I forgot how time consuming it can be... especially if you read two 950 page novels in two weeks! I admit I am a fantasy girl and have been utterly enthralled in the new television series Legend of the Seeker. This series is like nothing I have ever seen on TV! It's like one long epic motion picture. The film quality, acting, & special effects are all top notch. It is based on Terry Goodkind's Wizards First Rule so I started reading to find out what REALLY happens!! I find that books are always better that the film version! I have just started the third novel in the series.

During my break, I have collected a large number of photos in a folder titled "to blog about". It's been so long that I just can't go back that far to catch up in order so what I am going to try to do is every time I blog about something new, I will throw in something old that hopefully relates in some way!

This week I sewed some more Book Pillows. One of my bestest customers requested two smaller ones (6x8x2inches/ 15x20x5cm) and this time I remembered my rule to always make more than one! That means there are three extras in my shop :o) I was really happy with the label for the Beloved Poems book. I finished it off with a border of french knots and cotton crochet trim...

I also listed my tiny "teapot" wall hanging in my shop at the same time. The idea came to me while I was surfing Etsy and saw these long wooden beads from SupplyCandy. As soon as I saw them I knew exactly what I would make!

Don't you love how a little thing like a bead can inspire a whole piece of art?!

Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)