Tea and Cake

Everyone loves tea and cake or is it just me and my friends?

I purchased a lovely collection of fabric a while back and amongst it was a yummy collection of tea, coffee and cake fabric, the pieces of fabric were too small to really make anything with so I thought I would cut out as many cups of tea and doughnuts as possible then I sewed them onto contrasting fabric and made them into little lavender bags/keyrings.

They look almost as yummy as the real thing...don't you think?

Buttons..buttons and more buttons!

Can a girl ever have enough buttons??? Ok so I do have a problem but I am sure a lot of you crafters out there are exactly the same?!

Just before I went away for Easter I received a huge amount of buttons...I spent days drooling over the colours and deciding which colours would be the most sensible to buy (see I'm not all consumed), I love to make Button Bracelets and I use a lot of buttons on various sewing creations.

I started thinking even I won't get through this amount of buttons for a while so I've decided to share them! They will be listed on my websites over the next few days so you can indulge with me!

Bunting...bunting...bunting...

I have busy this week making bunting using some of the material which arrived from Japan... I have appliqued the Russian dolls onto the flags, which look good, I sold a set really quickly and thought I should probably make more...

Next I made Blue, red, yellow balloon bunting, I contrasted it with a deep blue which looks great...so good that when I was making it, wee mushy asked to have it in his bedroom, so that is where it is hanging!..yes I will need to make more...

Lastly I made pink and blue stripey bunting contrasting it with white..my thinking behind this one was that it could be used easily for both boys or girls, well I am helping to organise a friends baby shower for this weekend and yes you have guessed ...it will be hanging up in the room to decorate along with the blue and pink balloons!...Off to make some more!

The bunting can be purchased from my website.. www.mariefinlay.co.uk

Swap.....

As many of you know I have a "thing" about buttons, ok, ok I have an obsession with them...Well how delighted was I when this arrived in a wee parcel on Saturday morning.

I had joined my first folksy swap which Zoe http://www.folksy.com/users/jewelbox had organised.

I added my name to the list hoping I would "get in" and I did!

This arrived beautifully wrapped and presented ...it felt like my Birthday.

One of the first things I did was check out who "Mai" was on Folksy to see what other delights could be found in her shop... I wasn't disappointed and you won't be either.. http://www.folksy.com/users/CraftyLittleMia I feel I have found a new friend with an obsession too!( obviously in a healthy way!)

I have also found Mia here http://twitter.com/CraftyLittleMia and have been enjoying getting to know her a little better..I hope she doesn't feel I have turned into a stalker...I just like to get to know like minded friends a wee bit better.

Wee mushy has taken a liking to the bookmark too!

Creating for girls

If you look at everything I make you would think I was surrounded by girls, but I'm not......I don't have any daughters...... sadly my Mum passed away when I was in my early twenties.... I have no sisters.... no mother in- law (maybe that's a bonus) and no close female relatives.

What I DO have are some fantastic men in my life....my two brilliant sons, Mr.H, my brother and my Dad.

Creating brings out the girlie girl in me, I love being surrounded by lovely fabrics, buttons, ribbons it reminds me of my childhood, spending hours making dolls clothes from remnants of fabric and knitwear(my best friends mum worked for Lyle and Scott knitwear and used to bring all the cut offs back to us to use!). I also used to make houses and furniture for my Sindy doll from cardboard and fabric....There is light at the end of the tunnel I have a niece who is two and is showing signs of being a girlie girl...she won't wear trousers and LOVES dressing up...pity she lives 500 miles away!!!

Half Term Fun!

Ow I love half term holidays maybe it's something to do with teaching for years! It's great to stop that mundane routine for a wee while.

I love spending time with my boys... Wee mushy is home with me everyday, he is only two but Teen Mushy spends a lot of time at school and studying after so we don't have lazy mornings...days often.

Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday so any excuse to make pancakes!

Special Delivery

1. Cute Matrioshka dolls
2. 2.Vintage looking figures!

3. More Matrioshka dolls 4. A yummy mix

Oh I am sooo excited I just love when the postman arrives with a parcel for me....especially when it's FABRIC..all the way from Japan!
I do have plans for some of it but I am open to suggestions too?

I love the characters on some of the pieces they have a retro feel, as a child I had Holly Hobbie (does anyone remember that?) wall paper in my bedroom in shades of purple and pink which I loved, this has the same feel about it..