Paper Pocket

Lori has a simple to follow video tutorial on her blog showing you how to make this paper pocket. This is only my second attempt. I have stuck in a few encouraging handmade bookmarks and a little note, and I added a ribbon to tie it all together. I'm sure you can think of a few people to treat to a little surprise in the post... go on...it's really easy.

One World One Heart

For this years One World One Heart Giveaway, I am offering Gerald the little owl pendant. Gerald is a cool little dude who likes to hang around with you wherever you go. If he can hitch a ride on a magic carpet, he'll make his way over to the winner - failing that, I'll send him by airmail.

I will be adding more giveaways to this post over the next week, so please pop your name and country in the comments section, and enter for a chance to win. I'll do my best to pop over and visit you if you have a blog. If you don't have a blog, then please make sure I have a way of contacting you. Thanks.

Winners will be announced on February the 15th at noon GMT.

If you have a few minutes, then make yourself a nice cuppa, and stay a while.

Thanks for visiting!
Love

Doda

UPDATE.... I'm now adding these little handmade rose earrings in the giveaway. So now there will be 2 winners. If I reach over 100 comments, I might just add another prize!

ANOTHER UPDATE...I've now reached over 100 posts so I would like to add this lovely heart necklace as a prize. So I will now be choosing three winners.

The giveaway is now officially closed...winners announced in this post.

Really!

Mum's not got that giveaway ready yet!

One World One Heart

I'll be back very soon with news of this years One World One Heart Giveaway.

Keep an eye out for it!

Bread Bag

I often make my own bread - the bread machine does the hard work. I tend to use it on dough setting so I can shape and bake the loaf myself. If I bake the loaf in the evening, I usually wrap a clean dish towel around the bread before I go to bed. So I thought, well why not just make a bread bag out of a nice dish towel. I chain stitched the letters onto it, and found a toggle from an old jacket and used a shoelace for a cord. Not the best photo I know , but my regular photographer (older daughter) is busy doing lots of studying for exams right now.

Now I'm thinking I need to make another bag for when the bread is nearly gone, I could embroider it with Not Quite So Fresh Bread! I think I'm only half kidding here! (The vintage bread knife was in a box of junk from my local auction - £1 for the box!)

Somebody was trying really hard to get into the bread bag picture.

new butterfly brooch

I recently finished this butterfly brooch. Wouldn't like to admit to you how long ago I started it!

It is hand drawn onto vintage cotton and then bonded onto felt and stitched. I used copper wire for the body, and little seed beads for his eyes.

Do you like this interesting fabric he is sitting on? I just bought it. It is in fact a cheap dust sheet from Lidls. I can't wait to make something out of it. It is backed with a soft plastic, so not sure yet what I am going to make, but the colours in it are just sumptious! There is even an occasional glittery thread in there.

Orange tip butterfly brooch will be in my Etsy store soon.

Treasure every moment...

A dear friend's husband died suddenly of a massive heart attack on Saturday. He was a friend too. Only in his fifties. A lovely man.

It was such a shock - so unexpected. No warning signs.

It has already been a reminder to many that we should treasure every moment with our loved ones. With our families, and our friends.

Don't let the sun ever go down on your anger, and don't get upset over silly little trifles. Life is too short on this earth to waste time with that kind of stuff, and none of us knows the exact number of his days, so please treasure every single moment, be content, and be thankful for all you have.