Christmas Mail From 'Down Under' ..

Hello my dear friends,

 I didn't have time to share this until now but about a week ago I found an envelope in my mailbox that came all the way from Australia and was sent by lovely Suzy.

I was actually awaiting it's arrival a little impatiently already and with a little worry too because I knew it was on it's way and the possibility of it getting lost in all the Christmas mail that gets sent around the world was there ... but it was here now and I am so happy.

After carefully opening the envelope ... 

... this is what I discovered!

Wrap carefully there was one of ...

... Suzi's beautiful and stunning handmade cards ...

... the neatest little thing about it is that she added one of the little silver flowers I had sent her for Christmas.

Even the inside has been embellished so nicely too.

So many little treasures just kept appearing ~ take a look ..

Stamped papers ...

... vintage postcards ...

... lovely napkins ...

... stamped strips of fabric ...

... beautiful lace ... it was like never ending.

Just look at this little vintage crochet pouch ~ so beautiful!

And last but not least ...

... a handmade gift tag with a little Christmas message ... again beautiful and a true treasure and keepsake just like the beautiful card Suzy had made for me!

Thank you so much Suzy for being so kind and making me feel like a little child at Christmas again in that moment.

I will be sharing a little more about Christmas in the next few weeks since I didn't get to do so in time, so if you have a few spare moments, do stop by sometime again.

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

Have a peaceful and creative day.

A New Year Brings New Things ..

Hello my dear friends,

it's a new year and this year I what I would like it to be for me is all about learning, trying out new things and using newly found supplies that I haven't used before when it comes being creative.

A while ago I had discovered the most beautiful recycled sari silk ribbon on Etsy that was being sold from a lovely lady in London, England. I was totally taken by it so I just had to have some of it.
It is just so pretty!

I bought two different types of silk ...

... one is a pure silk that is in a rich quality and in a lovely ivory color ...

 ... and the other one, was a thinner, more lightweight silk in a lovely shabby chic white color.

This silk ribbon is not made from old Saris but from the remnants of the Sari industry in India and Nepal that encourages women to earn a decent living. These companies are also Fair-Trade and no child labor is involved which is such a great thing.

Another new supply I had found was hemp.
 I had bought a pound bag of it over a year ago but never used it, so this is the time to do so.

Right now I am working on an idea or two of what I could create from this beautiful silk ribbon and maybe even with the hemp together. If things work out the way I would like them to I will share them with you soon.

I would love for you to come back some time and visit me again and see what I have been up too.

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

Have a peaceful day.

From Old Woolen Blankets ..

Hello my dear friends,

I had been so busy before and over the holidays and then one evening ... I couldn't believe it ... it was already Christmas Eve and again I was late with many things.

I still had presents to wrap and I had almost no time at all to be creative and or to even share finished creations with all you lovely bloggers. I think taking on the task of painting my living room and then the dining room and kitchen wasn't so good after all in a way and I am sure my poor body will agree with me on that but then again ... I am so happy I did it! Unfortunately our house didn't turn out to be very Christmassy in the end, the energy just wasn't there for it unfortunately.

Very early in the morning of Christmas Eve I did managed to grab a tiny bit of creative time whilst my Guinness cake was baking in the oven.  I had taken out an old  project that I had started over a year ago and never finished. (This seems to happen more often these days I have noticed.)

 I had felted old woolen blankets and my thoughts were with creating something from them for Christmas. I must admit that I was inspired somewhat by the Pottery Barn last year and their beautiful poinsettia pillow but in the end I didn't want to just recreate it but rather think of a creation of mine instead. I chose to make a stocking from the old felted woolens and embellish it with my poinsettia, which I have now turned into my music sheet poinsettias pattern.

Poinsettias have been made from felt since many, many years and in so many different ways too. I can remember my Aunt made poinsettia napkin rings from red and green felt when I was younger and they looked so festive on the Christmas dinner table.

Today I am finally sharing my Poinsettia Christmas stockings with you and I know it's already after Christmas but I really wanted you to see them.

Both are made from two different felted blankets. Believe it or not but at first I wasn't too happy with my stockings. Something was just not right for me and I think it was the shape of the stocking that bothered me. It was a little too ornate for me even though I have made a stocking from it before but from an old pillowcase and I loved it. I have decided that whenever I create a stocking for this year Christmas, I think I would prefer a less ornate shape. Never the less the stockings is still very lovely.

Take a look! ... Combined together with lace, seam binding and pearls the old felted woolen blanket creations really look posh than rather tatty.

I actually took these pictures yesterday morning at about -20 degrees C (with the windchill) in our front yard. It was cold to say the least but I had to have my stocking pictures taken in the snow and I hope you have enjoyed them and my latest creations too.

There are a few more creations I didn't get to share with you before Christmas but those will have to wait now until this year's 'Christmas in July'.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me today here at Todolwen. It is always so nice when you do.
When you have a spare moment, do stop by some time soon again and see what I have been up to.

 I hope you are well and life is treating you kind.

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Practice Makes Perfect ..

Hell my dear friends,

practice makes perfect or so they say and I hope that will be so in my case because right about now it isn't happening for me.

I had seen this image on Pinterest ...

... and was taken by the beauty of the embroidered blossom.

And now I so want to learn how to embroider Bullion roses too. They are just beautiful and can turn a plain piece of  fabric into something just so lovely.

I found a great tutorial online and ...

... gathered everything I need to start so I began. 

Unfortunately as easy as it might look, it wasn't that easy for me. 

I tried and tried and almost every time something went wrong but I will not give up yet but try, try again until I have done it right even if it will take me weeks to master them but that also means that it might take me some time before I will be able to share anything that has to do with them. But it will happen because I am determent to learn how to make this lovely little blossom.

So do stop by from time to time and visit me here again at Todolwen and see what I have been up too.

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

Have a peaceful and creative day.

I Almost Didn't Make It ..

Hello my dear friends,

I almost didn't make the deadline to the lovely Vicki's yearly event ...

... 'Grow Your Blog'.

Again it is gong to be a big party, like a huge "Meet and Greet' where you get to know new people and maybe find new interests too. Not only that but there also might be a few giveaways happening too?!

When is this event? ... Mark you calenders for January 25th., bright and early and it is all day long!

Hope to see you there and maybe here too?!

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

Have a peaceful and creative day.

Winter Arrived Overnight ..

Hello my dear friends,

I am really sorry I have been posting very much lately, I just have been quite busy with all sorts around the house and other things, including a teeny tiny bit of creating which I will
share with you soon.

I can't say that I didn't know it was coming but it came over night ... Winter and with it finally snow and quite a bit of it too.

After we had a 'green' Christmas which not only I wasn't too happy with, last night the white glistening flakes started to fall and it hasn't stopped yet. On the dot at 7 am there I was all bundled up warm clearing snow from driveways with the help of my trusty friend, our snow blower. It didn't take too long and three driveways and paths were cleared but unfortunately our snow blower got damaged due to a large piece of stone that had been broken off a little stone wall by one of the city's sidewalk snow blowers. Some of those guys don't really care I think at times and just go for it. Oh damage ... it's not their property so whatever basically. (My little rant of the day.) Now my hubby will have to take a look at it and hopefully we can fix it for the next coming snowfall.

As you all know, the one thing I just love doing is taking photos of our backyard and critters that live or visit it and share them with you.

This is one of our little squirrels yesterday before the snow came, enjoying a few peanuts on our deck rail.

Maybe I should said our chunky little squirrel because he or she is very well fed as you can see.

This was our backyard first thing this morning just as it was turning dawn.

My camera picked up this amazing blue/grayish color of the cold morning outside.
(Or maybe my setting are just off?!)

Right now it is much brighter and it still snowing a lot and we actually had white~out conditions all morning. The  forecast is for every 12 hours we might get 8 to 10 inches of snow. So .. I think I am not going to head out anymore today. Maybe I will finally be able to be a little creative again, who knows?!

Here are just a few more photos I took earlier today ~ I hope you enjoy them.

My dear friends, where ever you are ~ please be safe.

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

Have a peaceful and creative day.