A Few New Makings ...

Hello my dear friends,

there is a lot going on here at our home right now. 

I am renovating my younger daughter's bedroom. She had old built in cupboards along one of the walls oh her room from the 1970's that I have now torn out. We found 1970's wall paper and shag pile carpet where the cupboards were which was a neat thing but it had to go. Stripping the wall paper, sanding walls and a new coat of paint is now done. All we have to do now is wait for the carpet guy to come before we can continue. Then day before yesterday we had new windows put into the front of our house. Two bedrooms (including my daughter's room) and our living room. I love the new windows and it is another thing of the never ending to-do list that I have and so I am happy about it.

Even though it is sort of busy all of the time, I have taken time to be creative too.
The weather was so lovely recently. The sun was shining and everything was green in our garden which inspired me to do some "kitchen sink dying". I decided to dye some seam binding again and this time some cotton quilt batting as well. Because of the what I was seeing outside, I chose the  colors green and yellow.



 I love using the hand dyes by DYLON. Their colors are so beautiful and I love mixing them to get shades of colors that I want to use. Dying with them goes quick and they are easy to use. The best of all is that you can do the smallest amount in a little bowl and that is what I do.

 It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish. Once done I hung everything outside in our fairy bush to dry in the wind and sun.

 The colors turned out so lovely which again made me want to make something either the seam binding or batting right away.  Why wait, right?! I wanted to make something that I could also use to embroider my little fluffy "in between" flower on and it had to be useful. All of those things together, made me make my newest creations ... embellished drop cloth needle books.

And these are my newest makings.

Make from my favorite drop cloth, I embroidered the first needle book it with two of my little dandelions on the front.

Stems stitched from strong thread and little leaves of sari silk ribbon together again create my little dandelions plant. As a final touch I added a small piece of old tatting. I used non dyed cotton batting for the pages inside it and stitched around them in strong thread for that little extra touch. A vintage button and some seam binding in a matching color of the drop cloth allow this little book to be closed securely

And this is my second little needle book. (This one is already spoken for though.)

Again made from that cloth I just can't stop using, I embroidered it with a dandelion plant as well but this time with only one yellow flower. The other flower was one of my fluffy ones and I love it!

 I used some of the dyed cotton batting for the inner pages. I chose two different shades of the green and they harmonize so nicely together.

When it comes to the back of the little drop cloth needle books, both of them are the same. Just simple and plain drop cloth but never the less pretty. I am so please with my newest work mainly because I enjoyed making them so much.

The first dandelion needle book I have shared in this post is now listed for sale in my Etsy shop. I am thinking of maybe making one or two more like this but I am not sure when I will have the time right now. I am going to have another 'kitchen sink dye' day soon. This time I am planning to go with shades of blue and purple and maybe green again. What I am going to make from what I dye, I don't know yet but what ever that will turn out to be, I will share with all of you for sure.

Thank you for stopping by today, it is always so nice when you do.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

That In Between Place ...

Hello my dear friends,

I have just finished a custom order for a Spring bunny that is embroidered with dandelions and needed another something little to keep me happy and busy other than renovating my younger daughter's room or working in our garden.

I am so smitten with dandelions right now!

 Not with the kind that does grow in my lawn but the ones that grow in my studio. I just had to do more with them so I did.

You know when the dandelion is in that in between place? When the lushes yellow flowers slowly transforms into the "blowy' flowers but isn't quite there yet. It is that flower, that I have worked on and in my eyes, I think that I have succeeded creating it. It is this off-white fluffy flower that is tightly wrapped in a short of green 'skirt' just before it pops open and becomes this perfectly shaped sphere made up of hundreds of tiny seeds, all of them just waiting for that breeze of wind to take them away.

I had some beautiful soft and fluffy mohair yarn/wool, in a off-white color my old tin trunk which was perfect for what I wanted to use it for. It didn't take me too long and my first little fluffy flower was done.

And this is my first attempt!

 I am very happy with it because it turned out just the way I hoped it would.

I don't think that my pictures don't do this little flower justice really, it is just so lovely with it's little sari silk leaves.

 I am working on a few new pieces and one or two will be with this little flower. I hope I will be able to share with all of you in the next few days. Embroidering like this seems to be my newest favorite way to be creative. It is so relaxing and brings me so much joy too. You should try it maybe too! You never know what you might be able to create and enjoy until you try it out.

Last but not least before I end this post ...

A few days ago I was able to capture a beautiful tiny creature with my camera.

 

A tiny humming bird resting in a bush after visiting every flower a blooming bush in our garden.

My photos are a little blurry. I took them in a hurry through our dining room window but I am sure you can how beautiful this tiny feathered being is.

It was so nice of you to stop by and visit me here today and do come back some time again.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

My "Christmas To Come" Giveaway 2019 ...

Hello my dear friends,

it is a little later than usual but the time is here again!

It is time for my "Christmas To Come" Giveaway 2019!

 This year's giveaway will be my sixth one and for all of you that are first timers to this, this is what happens and why.

Let me start with the why I do this first ...

I love Christmas and I treasure the memories of Christmas when I was a little girl.
 I would wake up early and run to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning all excited to unwrap my presents. Oh, the joy of finding out what was hiding under that pretty wrapping paper! That is why I do this giveaway. I love to give someone that same feeling, even just only for a short moment, of being a child again on Christmas Day.

And now for the what you have to do if you wish to take part ...

Please follow me here at Todolwen and leave a comment on this post and this post ONLY.

 Then ... nothing for a while.

This July I will a winner and notify them.

The winner will receive a little gift for them to place under their Christmas tree, some time in late November/early December and just in time for Christmas Day. As in the past, the gift will be kept a secret until the winner has opened it on Christmas Day. This way the surprise will stay a surprise til the end.

Last but not least ...

What will the gift be?

As I am writing this, I myself don't even know what the gift will be. My past gifts have been creations I have handmade or just a collection of lovely bits and pieces to be creative with or both together. I

And now you all know how this works.

So feel like taking part? ~ You know what to do!
But please ensure you are not a "no-reply blogger". If you are, then make sure you add your email address to your comment otherwise I will have no way to contact you.

Thank you for visiting me today here at Todolwen and do come back some time again.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Please Do Not Do This! ...

Hello my dear friends,

today's post is not about something I have created but a plea to everyone!
It is a post that needs to be shared so we all get it right, so please do share this with your family and friends.

It is now nesting time and some people, who only have the best intentions and mean to only do good, hang out bird feeders stuffed with bits and pieces of yarn and wool. Their thoughts are for the birds to take some of it to make their nests soft and warm for their babies which is so sweet and kind but so dangerous for the birds.

Adult and baby bird's tiny feet can get caught and hooked in the fibers of the yarn which it can lead to injuries or even the bird's death because it won't be able to free itself! Other birds die because yarn gets stuck on their mouth and they can not get it out on their own.

 So please, please, please do not place such things outside!
They will do more harm and it will break your heart if you knew a creature died because of it. You are able to find what you can put outside to help the birds right here on the Internet or ask your local wildlife shelter.

I am sorry to say that I once did this years ago but after two days I took it back down because of what I had read back then but unfortunately never shared. Our local wildlife shelter and wildlife rehabilitators are trying to educate people about this more and more these days.

Please tell your local kindergartens and schools not to make these yarn feeders this with the children because they are teaching them something that isn't good for nature even though the best intentions are meant.

I have added a link to a website that has information for all of you that love to help the feathered creatures that visit your garden/yard.

http://www.ourherbgarden.com/safe-bird-nesting-material.html

Please, do share this!
Let us save some birds by being helpful the wrong way.

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit me here today at Todolwen.
I hope my post hasn't upset any of you. It is only meant to make everyone aware of something we are unfortunately doing wrong.

I hope you are well my dear friends and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day,.