Free digital downloads!!!

My very talented friend Carrie has some wonderful FREE digital downloads on her blog.  She's played about in photoshop with photos her and her hubby took and they are stunning!

Please go and have a look at her blog!

Pay it forward

A couple of my crafty / blog buddies (Judith and Lesley) have this on their blogs.  I've signed up on both of them so I'm hoping I'll be one of the lucky ones.

The rules are simple - to send something handmade by you to five people before the end of 2011.  So we all have plenty of time LOL!!!  If you decide to enter you must 'pay it forward' and post this offer and promise to give something handmade by you to the first five people to comment on your own blog post. 

I solemnly promise to send something handmade by my fair hand (not sure what yet!) to the first five people who leave a comment on this post.  I really hope I get 5 comments.  I'll look a right billy-no-mates if I don't!!!

The dress

I've been to Hexham today for a little look out as I'm not too well.  I'm coming off some pills that take away neuropathic pain (which has been all but obliterated by my wonderful TENS machine), but the pills also help to stop spasms.  As I've come off them I've started to have violent and painful spasms which seem to make my entire body seize up.  They're completely draining me of energy so not feeling too good at the moment.  The doc has given me some new pills which will help but I am in the process of building up the dosage so I have to just wait until the spasms subside.

Yesterday Jo popped round for a cuppa and I had a spasm as I tried to get up off the couch.  I found the only thing that helps is if someone can push me back onto the chair and it'll break the spasm.  We had a really good laugh when Jo poked me in the shoulder and I landed back on the couch.  Its certainly a different way to spend the morning!!!

Anyway back to Hexham.  I was waiting for the lift in one of the shops when I spotted this dress.  Now its definitely NOT the kind of dress I would wear, but the trim on it is gorgeous.

There is this gorgeous beading around the neck which seems to be all one piece.

The shoulder pieces had 3 layers of lace, one vintage, one broderie anglaise and the third is made from the same lace as the main body of the dress.

The main body of the dress is made from a black lace fabric with a cream panel down the front and some broderie anglaise trim around the sides.

Once I take this to bits I'll be able to use it on so many projects (I hope!!), and all this for a fiver!!!

A New Years Resolution

Heres to a  Happy, Healthy New Year for all of us!!

I don't have much confidence in my art work.  Whenever I used to go to workshops at Graphicus (which has sadly had to close) I used to look at everyones elses work and compare mine to theirs.  Not in a jealous way.  Just in the way that when you're in a restaurant and someone gets a meal you'd look at it and think 'I wish I'd ordered that!'.

My good friend Lou keps telling me that I'm talented, so I decided this year to start as I mean to go on.  I don't usually make resolutions as I never keep them but this year I have and I've put it in my journal to remind me.

I'm sure that this is one resolution I will keep!!