Awards

Many thanks Maureen for this award
www.maureen-maureensmixture.blogspot.com
also one from Jackie
www.dogdaisychains.blogspot.com/

I have to pass it on and will do my best, though the technical details of doing this usually confuse me!

"It is awarded to 5 people, 4 who are regular followers of your blog and one from a different country who is new to your blog. Also link back to the blog that the award came from."

I am passing it on to the following five bloggers :-

Kim at www.theweirdandwonderfulworldofkim.blogspot.com/
Sandi at www.blogger.com/profile/06544645551592602766
Dawne at www.blogger.com/profile/03163627309624975282
I can't get comments onto your blog Dawne so I hope you pick this up from here.

Ati at www.malinaplass.blogspot.com/
Kathleen at www.magikquilter.com/

Please all pass the award on to other friends who follow your blog.
Sorry I don't know how to make the simple click link from just a name - it's beyond me!

Today ......

...... two pictures I like .....
one by Renoir and one our garden - with snow in October!

..... and 'On my desk' .......

This week, alongside stitching for Christmas cards, I'm attempting to make four cushion covers to match new covers on a sofa and armchair. I haven't made any for years - it seemed easy then but putting in the piping edges is challenging me now.
Two are completed - they won't stand inspection for neatness but they look OK when they're plumped up a bit!

http://kootoyoo.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-my-desk-players.html

A tag for each friend!

I'm flattered to be tagged by mooneybeams - many thanks Kim.
Well I don't think there are seven very interesting facts about me and I would really like to tag all my friends - so please all save a roses tag, with my thanks for sharing such interesting blogs.
This link to Kim will explain the tag system:

http://theweirdandwonderfulworldofkim.blogspot.com/

"On my desk"

Today I joined this group - to post a pic of ongoing things on my desk each Wednesday. Well I'm hoping it will encourage me to tidy my workspace each week instead of about every six months!
This corner is reasonably tidy - what will Wednesday bring?

http://kootoyoo.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-my-desk-players.html

ATCs for Autumn

"Autumn Gold" & "Autumn Colours"
I haven't made an ATC for many weeks but made Autumn Gold this week to trade for Mo Cross's Autumn Colours.
She made the background on the embellisher and added the lovely hand embroidery.
I enjoyed doing simple stitching on cotton fabric.

Another Favourite Renoir

I don't know the title, but it's another favourite!

Les Parapluies

I have to save today's picture as it is one of my favourites - painted as Renoir was moving on from Impressionist style.
I like it so much that every few years I make up the 1000 piece jigsaw I have of it .... funny lady that I am!
Maybe I'll do it this winter when I feel like a change from crafting.

Our Old Hydrangea Bush!

Mosaic made in Flickr Toys.
Just one bush and all these colours on it at the moment!
Spring colours were a delight - Summer bracts were vibrant and now these lovely heads in Autumn. There are lots more on the bush. I hope that these I cut will keep colour as they dry out. The heads on the bush will eventually become crisp and brown and will protect new shoots from frost - to be trimmed off next Spring.
This has been in the garden for 40 to 50 years - it originally came from my mother's garden I think. What a wonderful plant!

Enjoyable Afternoon

My friend Sue called this afternoon - she has recently made these small quilted fabric decorations to sell at a Charity Fair. She gave me a strip of the fabric so I'll be stitching some soon!
We always have lots to chat about - we have been friends for many years - and we swapped fabric pieces, patterns and bits and pieces as we always do. Then, unexpectedly, a phone call from a 'newer' friend Maureen. We met on www last year and share a love of crafting and swap this and that too - another nice chat.
It's lovely keeping in touch with crafting friends - there's never time to be bored!

First Christmas Cards!

I have to start cards early as 50 must be ready at the end of November to sell for grandson Joseph's football team funds!

Ooops! Spelling mistake on poster - editing programme is picnik!

Playing on PC

I was awake very early this morning and found a different play thing - 'picnik' .....
..... so I edited this small Christmas picture painted with watercolour pencils long ago. I'm looking for new ideas for cards this year, maybe I'll use this or make other Christmas collages.

New Group on Flickr

www.flickr.com/groups/935777@N22/
(Please copy and paste - sorry I never know how to make a click on link!)

I've been busy for several days setting up this group.
It's called Flowers-photos,painted,stitched-my own work

I'm so pleased that it is bringing together aspects of my hobbies with friends old and new who share a love of flowers.

I hope anyone who loves flowers in art and craft will join.

Postcard 'October'

I've enjoyed making this fabric postcard this week - for my personal monthly challenge with Flickr 6x4 lives group. I kept to the same Autumn colours that I used last month as they are some of my favourites and it will be Halloween at the end of the month!
The pumpkin photo is one I took several years ago when grandson Joseph and I made the lantern - the glow is candlelight inside.
He is 10 now so quite capable of making a lantern himself this year if he so wishes.

A lovely bargain bouquet

I posted these pics yesterday and in a 'Senior Moment' this morning accidentally deleted them, together with kind comments from friends!
As they are so pretty - and bought at cut price - here they are again. The circle is made in www.dumpr.net

Gorgeous Flowers

My sister sent us a lovely bouquet as a thank you for arranging a family party when she was 80 .....
and I used one of the roses to make a pretty gift wrap for a friend's birthday yesterday. The gift tag is simply decoupaged from the wrapping paper.

Birthday Cards

Time to send birthday cards once more and I haven't designed any new ones for quite a time. So old styles, used before, come out again. One with paper punched flowers and beads and the other freestyle embroidery with Perle cotton, on card. The flower is finished off with gel pen. I just hope I haven't sent similar to the same friends before - though they will probably have forgotten just as I have!

Cross Stitch 'Christmas Roses'

I completed this cross stitch last week - it was started last winter.
I'm not sure whether it will be a special card, a small picture or a postcard - time will tell!

Vivonne

On Tuesday we visited Vivonne for lunch - the light was perfect for reflecting the buildings and trees in the water.
On the first day of our holiday our camera was shut in the car door by accident! So we had to buy a new one and experiment with it.
It seems to be fine, and it's really easy for a novice like me to use.

The end of Summer.

We had a lovely relaxing holiday in Poitou Charentes, France - staying in a delightful, peaceful rural area.
I'm wondering what the French for sunflowers is - I'll know when I translate this in babel fish!

...... it's tournesols,very appropriate!