Peacocks

The finery of these birds reminds me of the Royal Wedding in London yesterday.....

Did everyone see it? What a Fairy Tale. Can you imagine being the commoner who becomes the Princess and maybe the Queen? It is overwhelming to me.....and I am not British and don't really understand the whole monarchy thing. I am fascinated, though, and love a good love story.

Ahhhhh, the hats and the clothes - beautiful!

Jodie, I hope your birthday fit right in with the celebration around the country. Happy Day!

You light up my life.... you bring me joy!!!!

These are two lampshades I made recently from an old crochet tablecloth. I PVA'ed them onto forms with a lampshade fitting inset into the top. I had been keeping an eye open for some really round balloons - and whilst cruising Ebay found some at last. So that set me off making these. Think it's a great way to give a new lease of life to a beautiful handmade tablecloth. And it's now forever 'up in lights' !!!

Best wishes to you.

XXXXX

Jodie

my first stall in the local artist market

Hello Violets. On Easter Saturday in my small community I participated in my first artist market, an initiative I have set up with a friend. It was a beautiful little market with 15 local artists setting up stalls. I took a week off to make things and had a great time. I live on the seaside so it was a big weekend crowd-wise. Sold lots. Thought I'd post to share this experience. A lot of my stuff was made with vintage material and paper.

Jo

Inchies In Malmoe, Sweden !

If you´re wondering where the inchies are right now...

Oolie had made a great job with her inchies and now it´s

my turn to see how I can contribute to this lovely project!

Love

Becky

easter waffles and new easter trousers

Hope everybody has had a wonderful Easter!

Today I met with a friend who has a little girl who is a few weeks younger than Nora and we made some sweet little trousers for the girls. So Nora has a lovely new pair of Easter trousers, which you can see below. The gorgeous fabric was designed by our very own Pantry Violet, Jone! She sent me a beautiful pile of her fabrics for my birthday - thank you dear Jone!

And then this afternoon we headed to Becky's cottage for Easter waffles (with jam and vanilla ice cream, yummmmm). I am still full !

check THIS out!

I found this wonderful salad on someone's blog as I surfed through a few last night.....

Wish I remembered whose blog it was....

I just can't see a toadstool and not think about the Violets!

and edible, no less

tee hee

xo

Happy Easter!

Dear Pantry Violets-

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter....Happy Spring! I carry you all in my heart! LOVE- Oolie

repeats

Hey Violets,

Haven't posted in awhile so I am sending highlights from my other blog. That's my mom and I sitting on the chairs on the journal page. Looking forward to getting the stitching squares although I know it will be awhile.

I got this beautiful head in Seattle a few weeks ago and she is lucky enough to get to wear Danielle's bracelet as a crown. We are on Spring Break right now which is almost as nice as summer which I think officially starts for me in 5 weeks. Hope everyone is well.

xxoo

Taylor

nests

The other day I was in Curiosa delivering eggs and I found the most delightful nest that Shawna (the owner) had made. I had to have it! complete with three little blue eggs that she had sprinkled with tiny brown dots....sigh.....

Isn't it lovely?

So, then we had our creative group last Sunday and I made a couple myself:
I used delicate colorful napkins to decorate the insides, since we were decorating eggs anyway... .....hmmmm, guess I didn't take pictures of the eggs - oh well. Aren't the nests cool?

In these shoes! I doubt I'd survive ......

Here's a treat for the shoe fiends amongst you .... whilst in Lincoln last month we called in at The Hub, the National Centre for Craft & Design in Sleaford to see 'A Personal collection of Vivienne Westwood Shoes'

Here are pics of some of the exhibits - I loved the ones with toe shaped fronts:

together with some from the publicity available:

photographs below copyright John McIntire

Aren't they fabulous!! I love the pink books and the green platforms.

Oh that I had the legs to go with them - but my favourite shoes of the

whole exhibit will be on my tinkeringbythesea.blogspot tomorrow

- I simply fell in love with them and I could actually wear them too!

Love to All, xxDi

Sweet Snail

Dearest Di -

This little snail has wasted no time in exploring the garden and moving right in!

Thank you so much for thinking of me when you saw it.....it is perfect!

The colors are so subtle and soft and "he" has such a gentle spirit

(tee hee)
I believe I have fallen in love again.....and will think of you everyday when I see this little creature crawling along the way.....

xoxoxo

more eggs

well, first a wonderful scarf!

My friend Cheryl had on the most wonderful scarf today...felted flowers in pinks and roses with embroidery and, well, it is gorgeous!

I almost took it right off from around her neck.

Time to pull out the old sweaters and shrink 'em down, cut 'em out and stitch 'em up..

And, then we took some eggs to Curiosa.....
This is not the best photo, but in person they are magical....I am very pleased with how they turned out. Might have to put one, or two, on etsy - if I can figure it out.....

TaDah...........!

Well Violets, it's about time I got this project finished and in the mail to Sweden! Thank you for your ongoing patience and welcome support along the way. I had such great memories flash thru my brain and heart as I was stitching and weaving away my inchies. What a lovely gift we are all creating for one another! LOVE- Oolie

Peek-A-Boo Eggs

Here are the insides of the eggs I am finishing up to sell at Curiosa. I am pretty happy with the way they are turning out. Each one is a little bit different, so everyone who purchases one will have a unique egg for their collection. If I could remember how, I would put some on etsy.....

".........if I only had a brain......"

(think Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz)

Busy around here - whew! Tomorrow I am teaching these eggs at Los Poblanos. I hope that it will be as fun as I think it will be....and that everyone will enjoy the class.

OOlie in Taos

Oolie and I were walking along and

LOOK what we found?

Sam's Shop!

I had to take a picture!

Happy Spring!!!

Just for Oolie

Thank you Oolie and Sam for your comments. It is a beautiful spring day here in Bath, so I have hung the bunting up in my wee garden to photograph it just for you. I suddenly feel a need for a cream tea with my best china. Love to you all HAPPY SPRING, at last it is here Joanna

Pantry Violets Creativity!!!!!!!!!!!

I have just woven my 17th heart (18th really because I have misplaced one.....don't ask!!!!!) and now will embark upon stitching the last 14 sets of lavender stems.....3 are completely finished!

YEAH!!!!!!! I will take one final photo before mailing the package on to Sweden! This photo is the cloth bag Jone embroidered this weekend when we had an unplanned and lovely Saturday together in Taos, New Mexico....just about an hour north of Santa Fe. I was in Taos with my family for a dear friend's birthday weekend and at the last minute was able to connect with Jone. We had a fine afternoon stitching and chatting away! She would like for everyone to add their stitched "bit" to the bag. I will add my "2 cents worth" when it returns because I am taking forever to get this project in the mail! I vote we give the bag back to Jone all stitched up as a very warm thank you for all she did to get this project off the ground (we had been discussing an inchie project for about a year!!!). I also plan to mail everyone a swatch of the exact fabric we are using so you can have fun designing your inchie, and work out all of the kinks. I managed to poke 2 nasty holes in my practice inchie.....not a good thing! I was also able to work out the number of threads per color, twists per French knot, length of treads, etc. which made things go quicker once I began on the real inchie's. I also saved my life by knotting only one end of the treads, and leaving an open end near the eye of the needle.....this allowed me to pull out mistakes without a big problem (and there were quite a few!!). I also used a 5" embroidery hoop with helped quite a bit. I'm off to do the lavender! LOVE- Oolie

It is lovely Indeed

It is lovely indeed

It is lovely indeed

A song to the sky

A verse for the earth

To celebrate each other

To dance in the world

It is lovely indeed

It is lovely indeed

A home for the bunting

Made by ladies whose hands have stitched

Have sewn their love into pieces of cloth

Who watched as the world came and went

Listened to the birdsong during births, marriages and deaths

Knew that together, these stitches made a song

That will stretch through the ages and make us all strong

It is lovely indeed

It is lovely indeed

I have finally made my bunting. For sometime I have been collecting old napkins and tablecloths and lace. It took a lot of courage to cut into them and I could hear old ladies scream somewhere far away while doing it, but I hope they will be pleased. Plus I put the box together to keep the bunting in and hope it will become a useful heirloom. Joanna

Inspired by Sam's blog

Thank you Sam for posting the blog on Mary Fray Foster, thought her work was beautiful and it inspired me to turn the beautiful fabric piece Oolie gave me into a necklace. Vintage fabric is so beautiful. The rest of it I have turned into a house, but it isn't quite finished, but now I wish I had those pieces to make more jewelry. Need a visit to an antique fabric sale! Joanna