Mousy Brown's House-Creating, crafting and collecting. Enjoying Life.

A Perfect Vintage Swap.

I have to apologise to Sue that this post has taken so long to arrive.  Her wonderful package arrived here weeks ago now and I have been meaning to show you the contents ever since. Extra hours at work to cover exams, a Husband away in another country and prior commitments (don't forget today is your last chance to enter) have delayed this moment longer than I meant but I hope to make it up to her today.....

The theme of May's swap was 'vintage' ,which of course is one of my favourite things, so I knew I was going to enjoy this one!  Sue enclosed three wonderful books (full of ideas and inspiration)....

......a selection of the most gorgeous fabric and some fantastic buttons.....

....and the most beautiful hand-made pin-cushion and needle holder, both made from lovely vintage linen.

The reason I describe it as perfect in the title, is that Sue's parcel had a purple hue and in return I sent her a purple package of her own...

....with a pillowcase shopping bag....

....some magazines and a books....

 

...some bits of linens and lace....

 

....and a little bird she admired back here.

 

This was the end of my year of swaps and I have mixed feelings of sadness, that it is all over, but also excitement and anticipation at what will come next....I still have a few snails travelling over land slowly, so there will still be some swaps to show and I intend to get busy updating my Flickr group which has been a bit neglected lately.  Do pop over and give it a peek (and any of you swappers I would love to see some pictures from you join mine!)  I think you will all agree that it makes a lovely record of a year of Snail Mail Swaps, a year I will treasure along with all the beautiful hand-crafted items that bring me pleasure everyday when I see them around my home!

Last day of the holidays.

Oh my goodness we have packed lots in!  Not just lots to do but lots of not doing much at all as well.  Today is the last day of our Easter break and I am slowly trying to re-adjust my mind to the change of rhythm that will come with tomorrow.  The boys both have friends here for the day and Daddy went back to work this morning, so I am easing myself into my term-time mode around them, gradually organising bags, uniforms and 'normal' life.  

Bear with me for another day and I will be back on Thursday with more detail of what we were up to in our absence.  For now I am going to return to an afternoon of sunshine, gardening and no deadlines while I try and convince myself as much as the boys that we are ALL looking forward to going back to school tomorrow.....

January Papercut.

Showing you the papercut I sent to Jacqueline back in January, seems very appropriate today as I have spent a lot of time enjoying tea with very good friends while our children celebrated a birthday in a traditional manner.

This was only a small part of the swap, an added extra in a separate envelope - so far this is all that has arrived and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rest might get there soon!

I am off to enjoy the quiet aftermath of an exciting day with two sleepy boys but I will be back soon with Easter treasures from Sweden (my March swap) and the parcel I sent in return - both of which have, thankfully, arrived safely at their destinations.....

Swap or Blarter?

Today's post is for those of you wondering what is going on in the world of the Snail Mail Swap.  I know it is a long time since my last update and I wanted to reassure you that things are still crawling along!  January's package was sent off a little late in the month due to birthday celebrations and exciting visitors but still within the intended month.  Unfortunately the little snail carrying it to Malaysia is still slowly on it's way (well I hope so anyway!) so I can't show you what I sent....

February's snail has just arrived with the papercut above although the postal sevice in Crete, which is delightfully relaxed, has more to do with the delay than my snail!  My package for Julie is wrapped and ready to go but she has been busy travelling and I haven't worked out where to send it yet....

The post in this direction are being equally snail-like but I will show you the packages as soon as they arrive. In the mean time I have just a few finishing touches to make to my April swap and then I will be on the last month of my year of swaps, I can't believe how quickly it has gone...

If any of you are inspired to do a swap, a new idea by Molly of A Foothill Home Companion might be just the thing you are looking for.  Blarter is in her own words " a place where bloggers can post handmade items, vintage goods, craft supplies, or creative services they would like to give or receive through barter." I know I will be signing up just as soon as I have decided on my item to offer and what I would like in return...

Have a good weekend - I will be back next week with the winners of my two giveaways!

It's one of those funny days again.

I have pictures of my finished hat...

....and pictures of my finished socks.

Some pictures of things I can't show you.....

....and some I am looking for an excuse to share!

But today, the weather has got to me and I can't get my head to cooperate.

  It is telling me to sit by the fire...

....looking at the raindrops as they slip down the window (can you spot the heart shaped one?)....

....and hope that a good nights sleep bathed in moonlight will wash away the winter blues....

A patchwork post....

I have a whole list of bits to tell you and photos to show that don't fit together in any organised way.  So I have decided to do a patchwork quilt kind of post and to stitch them together in a wonderful colourful jumble....My first square (or hexagon if you prefer?) is a very talented papercut artist and the giveaway I was lucky enough to win at Christmas.

 

I discovered Smoothpebble studio while clicking randomly around Etsy one day...I was immediately captured by her beautiful paper art and started reading her blog shortly after.  I tried my luck when she offered an original as a prize and was totally over the moon to win a little while later.  The papercut arrived cleverly wrapped and the package also included a fab origami crane made from a map, two gifts for the price of one!  I'd encourage all of you to have a peek at her blog which is full of fantastic images and good ideas, I am always so excited to find a new place to visit for inspiration!

While I am talking about inspiration, my next square revolves around podcasts and was inspired by Kate at Marmalade Moon.  My parents bought me my first ipod for my birthday and I am having endless fun discovering all the exciting new technologies available to me.  Kate's blog is always the place I turn to when I want to discover what is happening in the digital world (and also when I want a post to make me think!) so I was keen to take a look at the philosophy bites podcast when she recently recommended it. I instantly loved it and was also hooked on the whole podcast idea....what you are interested in, no matter how obscure, available to listen to at your own convenience, what's not to like?  I have subscribed to the BBC Radio 4 food programme and the friday night comedy, to Stephen Fry talking and to Never not knitting....I'd love to know though of anything else you would not be without?  I walk Snap for an hour everyday and a bit of interesting listening while I walk is such a pleasure! 

 

While on the subject of ipods - Anne has been a treasure when it comes to games and apps, recommending a few brilliant ones to keep me entertained. So far my favourite find has to be knit counter - no more need for a pencil and scraps of paper that I can never understand when I return to them....any other suggestions you'd like to share?

 

Never not knitting leads me to my next patch....handmade gifts.  The first episode I listened to had a lovely introduction about how much handmade gifts (in her case hand-knitted gifts) mean to someone who makes things for others.  The time and effort of creating something appreciated and understood.  Alana also talks of how rare it is to receive something hand-knitted when you are a knitter yourself (surely you would just make it yourself if you wanted it?) and so how special that gift is when you do receive it.  So I do want to show you two very appreciated hand made gifts I received for my birthday from two of my non-blogging friends.  While I loved every single one of the presents I received these do have an extra special place in my heart and deserve a bit of showing off, I think you'll agree!

 

My final patch for today is a link to Twigandtoadstool which I discovered via Cheryl yesterday.  I joined in with my post about my camera bag to her 'taking care of Mama Mondays'.  What a wonderful idea looking after Mama is and one that I know a lot of us Mama's forget - why don't you go and check it out and join in with making that change this year?  I think my quilt has got big enough for today but I will be back soon with an update on December's Snail Mail Swap and some proper pictures of the cardie I knitted to wear to my party....if you are impatient to see you can get a sneak peek here.

Last minute making....

Things have turned very cold again here and outside is covered in a blanket of beautiful white snow.

 

Perfect weather for finishing off some long term projects.  I am ashamed to say that this pair lay forgotten at the bottom of my basket for so long that they have ended up taking nearly eighteen months to complete....but now they are parcelled up and waiting under the tree to warm up the toes of the big boy I promised them to all that time ago.

 

Perfect weather for a quick last minute make for a little one who suddenly rediscovered his passion for glove puppets and wondered if there was still time for Father Christmas to make him one for this year...luckily Mummy along with the help of this tutorial has managed to create a cute little mouse...appropriate somehow I think....

 

Perfect weather for a little time alone cutting a design for a card just in time to celebrate our Christmas Eve anniversary (can you guess which one?).

 

Perfect weather to cuddle up in the warm and enjoy all the love, family, food and traditions of this time of year.  So I am going to slip off for a bit to do just that and will be back like last year in time for the New Year with a medley of images of what we have been up to over the festivities.

"I wish all of you the happiest of times with those you love be it in person or within your hearts and a Christmas full of special memories and traditions old and new...."

Papercut Christmas gifts.

I have two new paper-cuts to show you today,  both of which have been created by special request. (I apologise up front for the slightly eerie blue light, it was the best I could do in a day where the sun barely showed it's face before giving up and going back to bed!)  On separate occasions as Christmas has approached both my boys have come to me with a wish to own a paper-cut of their own.  Sam wanted something with trees and nature and Jack asked for a castle with turrets, something like the buildings he had seen in this gift.  I loved the fact that they asked for these gifts and was determined to make them something special, that they could treasure.  Inspired by their requirements and the pet names we have for them I have made Sam this.....

 
 
 
...and Jack this one....

 
 
 

These were the last two gifts I had on my list that I would have been upset not to complete in time for Christmas, everything else from here is a bonus rather than a necessity and I think I have found a pattern for me that might have to get started soon!  The next job is to complete a special Advent calendar in time for it to begin next week.....I promise to reveal all once it is out of the secret bunker (my workroom) and on display.  Have a great Thanksgiving all of you who celebrate it! I am going to spend my weekend catching up with all the jobs I should have been doing that because of the present making have been sadly neglected - oops!

November Snail Mail Swap.

 

When I asked my November Swap partner for a bit more of an insight into what she liked, so I could plan what to make for her. I knew it was going to be a good month when this was the fabulous response!

"I'm 40 with interests as opposite as they could possibly be..

I love to craft and crochet especially,
I play World of Warcraft obsessively
I like dark industrial music like Nine Inch Nails but also love this new folksy stuff like 'Mumford and Sons'.
I love the idea of recycling and up-cycling (not sure what the difference is) as there's far too much waste in the world today.
I try to cook good wholesome healthy food for my family but I'm a bit too partial to crisps and smelly cheese.
I don't like films with happy endings.
I read lots and don't know why I've never read much historical fiction until recently because I've read so much historical non-fiction.
I always take one of my cameras with me where ever I go and have about 30,000 photos on my PC.
I love to travel...I'm sort of hoping that when all my children have left home I can afford to travel to some out of the way locations and have some proper adventures!!
Summer is my favourite season because I hate to be cold, but I love autumn for its glorious colours and winter when the sky is blue and the air is crisp and icy.
I love the way a song can transport you back in time instantly and how certain smells evoke precious memories.

Interesting and different are more important to me than expensive.
I love handmade because its more personal and most of all...
I love surprises!!!"

Knowing she was heading off to Tunisia I planned a paper-cut for my side of the swap...a handmade, hand-cut, surprise to welcome her home....

 

I am not sure it hits the spot with the nine-inch nails fan but I am hoping that a warm fire and cheery message will appeal to the girl who treasures precious memories and hates the cold!

 
 

I had been playing around with some different versions of my valentine garland  and I added this one, made using the Attic 24 little picot flower pattern  linked together with a simple chain stitch, as a bit of colour to cheer her up in the cold November days. Just in case you haven't been to visit yet please go and check out Em's gorgeous photos of the sun in Tunisia and you will understand why I thought she might need a big welcome to get her to come home!

Some new paper cuts - not the post I planned..

I had lots of ideas for the post I was going to write today but due to various reasons none of them were suitable when it came to it.  The one with the Autumn colour in Harold's wood involves me going out and taking photos but I have a little person at home sick and I won't be wondering around with my camera today....The one with pictures of my November Snail Mail swap need the parcel to have arrived at it's destination but again due to small poorly boy needing me at home the package is sitting in my bag waiting to be sent......The knitting I have been doing is a gift and the birthday hasn't passed yet....and the one looking at balance needs my head to be a bit more....well balanced and a night spent clearing up sick and stroking foreheads is not conducive to intelligent discussion. So instead I am going to take this opportunity to show you some of the paper-cuts I that haven't made it to this space before....I would love to know what you think.....

This first one might be familiar to those of you who have checked out my Etsy shop.  It was inspired by a doodle I did during a very tough pub quiz - we were hopeless at the (mainly sport) questions but we did get bonus points for good artwork!

 

This one is also listed in my shop and as I explain in the description, it was inspired by a post on a good friends blog.  I know she guessed which post it was but did you?  For those of you curious here is a link to Gardenmama and Nicole's lovely photos that gave me the idea.

 

This was a try at layering different papers and images and adding some colour - the butterflies were carefully cut out from some old used stamps I found at a market.  I love the depth that it gives having the two layers together and like the simple silhouette of the bush behind.  Do you think I should try some more?

 
The design here was developed after lots of long walks along the lane with Snap - do you remember this post from a couple of months ago?  I am very happy with how this turned out and am thinking about trying spoonflower to have some fabric made up as I can see it working well as a repeat pattern.  What do you think?

 
 

The last photo is of one of the ideas I had in my dreams along with the Be Brave papercut. I love it when the image of a design pops into my head fully formed and it is even better when the creation of the final piece flows naturally and realises my imagined picture beautifully (It's not so much fun when the idea in my head refuses to work in real life!) This was an enjoyable design to cut and I am thinking to keep this one for myself.

That is it for now, there is something else that I hope to be able to reveal next week (if I ever make it to the post office!) but I am off to do cuddles and carry on with a bit of gentle knitting for the afternoon.  Hope you enjoy a happy and healthy weekend, with lots of fireworks if you are here in the UK!