I'm back in production and it's so greyt to be creative and productive again. Have had requests for my latest ATCs and have also decided to start taking part in swaps again.....hoping this time that the Italian postal system will do its best to deliver my post to me and to my recipients....have had so much gone missing that it has become a real joke.

My friend had some beads held in Italian customs for six months !!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had things sent back to American senders ...as they've looked at the senders address and not the reciever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

have a greyt day

ciao

crafty Joan

Out of Hibernation

Hi everyone,

haven't updated this blog for ages........the summer months just sap me of all my strength., but here we are in winter and I've come out of hibernation and feel alive again.

Trust you are all keeping well and getting ready for the feastive season.

ciao

joan

A CAKE A DAY

I've been busy making these felt cakes from a pattern by JUST DESSERTS. They are really easy to make and also very addictive.

Doesn't the vintage silver spoon and lace from CapeCodCupboard look just greyt sitting prettily on the plate. ( see a prev post)

tata for now

crafty

FOOF-A-LIFE

Look what arrived in the post for me today..the new Autum leaves book FOOF-A-LIFE. There are 10 well known artists from the world of scrap who have collaborated with projects.

off to have a nice cup of tea, sit in a nice cool peaceful place and read the whole book .

ciao

joan

Vintage reigns ..yay

This is a vintage spoon and lace bundle that I bought on etsy, from the seller CapeCodCupboard. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and had to buy it, I was lucky as it was also on offer.

Well today the postman bought me this little package and inside....my etsy buy, a very quick easy international transaction, will definately reuse this polite corteous seller.

Isn't it just beautiful ......to actually have and hold in your own hands is a different thing than seeing it in the photo.

Something made by hand comes from the heart.....so support these artists.....if you like something they have done show your appreciation and buy something.....I know they appreciate it very much
ciao
crafty joan

Shabby Chic Matchbox swap.

LOOK.... what I've got......beautiful, isn't it?

This was from my partner Ginney of Twinkle Pink for the Shabby Chic matchbox swap that Natasha organised. I was admiring this matchbox on the swaps flickr group...so aren't I the lucky one.

The outside of the box Ginney used vintage paper and a lovely ballerina fairy...just gorgeous

and this is what was inside the box...............all these wonderful vintage items.

Thanx Ginney you made this a wonderful swap you were a perfect partner.

Also thanx to Natash for organising this....otherwise I would never have received these beautiful itmes.

Shabby Chic Matchbox swap.

Natasha burns is having a shabby chic matchbox swap, for details see her blog sign up date ends 15.06.2007 and posted out by 22.06.2007. I've just signed up and look forward to participating, there are a lot of swappers taking part from all over the world.

Guarda questa blog, Natasha fa un shabby chic matchbox swap. Iscrizione finisce 15.06.2007, spedizione entro 22.062007. Io ho fatto e ci sono molte persone chi fanno dal tutte parte del mondo.

tata 4 now

crafty joan

EMILIA'S BLOG

Please drop by and have a look at Emilia's blog it's F.A.B, she works wonders with rubber stamps and the cards she makes are just greyt.

The photo is taken from her blog, with her permission of course, aren't these topiaries wonderful...now these definately wouldn't die in my house... due to my lack of green fingers !!!!!

Please drop by and leave a comment, I know she would be over the moon, plus you can also see the wonderful ATCs she made for me.

Guardate questa blog di Emilia, i suoi lavori con i timbri sono stupende. Per piacere andate i guardare suo blog e lasciare un bel commento dal bel paese italia, lei sara contentissima. Potete vedere anche un po di ATCs lei ha fatto per me.

tata 4 now

Cherry pickin'

Hi there,
Hubby and I, oh and the dog went cherry pickin' on my friends abandoned old farm in the local hills nearby to where we live, once on his land you can also see the sea about 12 kms away.

In the photo above as the day was nice and clear you can see the Adriatic sea, photo below our friend's abandoned farmland.

Every year he lets family and friends go and help themselves, hubby luvs it as he's like an over grown child climbing up the trees, the dog our greyhound gets all excited as she can see the small furry hares running around and can't wait to get at them !!!!

As you can see from the photo there were lots of cherries to be picked....and hubby did pick.

Next pickin's going to be strawberries on the farmland next to where I live, everyday when there is a breeze you can smell the strawberries.

Have a greyt day

ciao ciao

crafty

NATASHA'S CUPCAKES

Hi there. Trust you are all well, here it's hot and sunny. Well I've gone crazy over cupcakes and can't get enough of them in any form whatsoever and have started to collect them. These are my first faux cupcakes I've bought, please don't use this photo it's copyright and I had to ask the owner if I could use them so please be kind enough to respect this.

I'm over the moon because my faux cupcakes from downunder ( Australia ) have arrived from Natasha Burns. I met Natasha via kari's spring tea party in March, she left me a msg on my blog wishing me happy spring so I returned the compliment, so glad I did because I have made a blog friend in Australia. Natasha also has Italian heritage and was here on holiday last year and she would love to come back, she used to speak Italian with her grandparents when she was young but has now forgotten most of it, maybe we can do a swap because I would dearly love to visit Australia.!!!!! I could brush up on my English and she could do likewise with her Italian.!!!!!! LOL.

Natasha is a very sweet person and above all a great artist I just love her work. The cupcakes I've received are just greyt,and in a fast shipping time too, the photo on her website doesn't do them justice, can't wait to buy more goodies from her...............next on my list faux sweets and lavender strawberries and the best thing of all they are all 0 calories !!!!!!!!!!!!.

Please drop by and give her a visit and leave a comment to let her know you passed by.

----------------------------------------------------------

Questi sono faux cupcakes che ho comprato dal Natasha Burns in Australia. Lei e una persona dolce e un'artista bravissima, ha anche parentella italiana parte dei nonni, era qui in Italia l'anno scorso. Vai i visitare suo blog i lasciare anche un commento cosi lei puo vedere un po di visitatore dal il bel paese Italia.

per piacere non usare il foto non è mio e anche copyright, grazie

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The Kiss

Here are some earrings that I was commissioned to make, I scanned the image from some vintage postcards I have and then downsized it to put into a round blank charm. The miniature hearts are silver as the silver earwires, a precious pink stone and semi glass bead drop smokey antique pink.
I hope they will be happy with them.

ciao ciao
crafty joan

SILLY GIRL DOLL

This is a doll I made for a very dear friend. It's from a free pattern by Missy Ballance, I think she came out just fine and I know my friend adores her.
Missy Ballance makes raggedy dolls, doll patterns and bears, over the years I have bought many of her patterns , go and give her a visit and please leave a comment, I know she'll appreciate it.

Una bambola fatto usando un modello gratis da Missy Ballance. Vai e vedere i suoi stupendi lavori anche lascia un commento per cortesia, lo so lei sarà contentissima di sapere avuto visitatore da il 'bel paese' Italia

ciao ciao
crafty Joan

FLOWER GARDEN CHARM BRACELETS

These are some bracelets I made Saturday evening, I actually made 8 flower charm bracelets.....going thru a fad of using these flowery beads. The one with the charm and vintage photo I actually made myself by using blank charms and vintage postcard images.
tata 4 now
crafty joan

Queste sono alcune braceletti ho fatto sabato sera, invece ho fatto un bel 8. Mi piace tanto questi tipi di ciondoli di fiori.
ciao ciao
crafty joan

HOT HOT HOT

Here in Italy today it's been very hot and sunny. I'm not one for hot weather, feeling hot and sticky for me is a horrible sensation, If I sunbathe I get burnt and get a skin irratation too.........time for me to hibernate !!!!! LOL.

Here is a foto of some flowers that I have made over the years. Some are made with beads using the french and victorian beaded methods. The others are made using the Ganutell method which is using very fine wire and rayon floss spun together and then worked onto a thicker wire. Ganutell is popular in Malta there is a wonderful lady called MARIA KERR, and on her website she explains the history of Ganutell and has some wonderful photos, her work is to die for. I hope one day to be even 1% as good as her.

These are the only flowers or plants that survive when I'm around........artificial ones..!!!!!!!!!! I don't have green fingers and nearly everything dies rather than be handled and cared for by me. How I admire all those people who photograph their wonderful flowers and plants in their gardens and then share them with us on their blogs.

Off to cool down
ciao ciao
crafty joan

Questi sono fiori di perline tecnica french and victorian beaded e ganutell fiore fatto con filo di ferro sottile e rayon. Questi sono l'unici fiori che non morire a casa mia !!!!!!!!! non ho pollice verde.
huga
joan

AATC

Hi there,

What's an AATC you are asking ?............ I call them Altered Artist Trading Cards. I made this PINK ATC last year and have never been 100% happy with it so last night I decided to alter it by adding some rubberstamped images. Feel a lot happier with it now.

Have to go as a thunder storm is on its way, everthings become very very dark.

ciao ciao

crafty Joan

Cos'è un AATC, io ho nominato loro ALTERED ARTIST TRADING CARDS. Questa ATC ho fatto l'anno scorso non ho mai piaciuto, adesso ho aggiunto un po timbri di ali e scritto di firecracker designs by Pamela. Adesso sono contenta con essa.
ciao
joan

Thanx Marilyn

These arrived in the post today from Marilyn Healy in the USA. I participated in a little competition that she held some time back and I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners.
My photography does not do justice to the items shown. The buttons are going to be used to make some costume jewelry. the ATC is so shabby chic, and the collage just F.A.B.
thanx Marilyn your greyt.
tata 4 now
crafty joan.

Holiday come and gone

Well the Easter hols have almost finished, as per usual mine never seems to be a holiday only cooking and cleaning and cleaning and cooking and kids at each others throats sreaming and shouting.............can't wait till they go back to school and I get get my days back for me, myself and I !!!!.

Yesterday I tried baking my very first CUPCAKE with a lemon frosted topping, must admit for a first try it wasn't that bad, I baked 20 and by early evening there wasn't one left, luckily I managed to photograph the last remaining ones to show here, only problem while I went to get the camera I left the cakes outside and as it was a hot day the frosting started to melt!!!!!

I have fallen in love with the faux cupcakes and cakes etc, I have found some wonderful sites in the USA and Australia, also on e-bay only problem ............the American postage rates are so high, to send something that more or less weighs 9oz, shipping ranges between $17.00 - $27.00. Just doesn't seem fair that so many people, sellers and buyers alike are being penalized............oh and in May the American postage rates are going up again !!!!!!!!!! Only problem here in Italy is many a time a lot of items don't arrive they just vanish into thin air...would love to know where they are going...........I've had a few items that have never arrived, also a lot of buyers don't send anymore to Italy due to too many lost items.

tata 4 now

craft-e

NEW BLOG

Hi there,
I thought I would start a new blog where I talk more or less about anything, not just my passion of arts and crafts. I've noticed that the older I'm getting also my personal tastes are changing, for example I never used to like the sector Shabby Chic but now I'm mellowing to it. I'm also missing my family and friends from London in the UK..........I think I'm becoming a big softie.
ciao for now
crafty joan