Just Can't Seem To Get Into The Mood

Hello my dear friends,

I can't believe it's been some time since my last post again! I have been so terribly busy that I haven't had much time to spend on blogging. I only just got half an hour a few nights ago to sit down and read some of your blogs which I haven't done in, what it seems, the longest time. You have all been so very busy creating the most beautiful things, making tutorials and having great giveaways and so much more. Right now I am sitting with a cup of tea with honey trying to get this post together feeling quite unwell ~ I am sick with a bad cold and/or flu (sigh) ... and I really don't need this right now.

I have so many projects in my mind that I would love to do but time isn't on my side these days and I can't seem to get into the mood of the season. I am not sure what it is. I know I feel worn out most of these days and my mind is with my Mom constantly. She is not going to get any better. Right now she is being kept as comfortable as possible so she has no pain. We are continuing to take everything day by day. I try and keep smiling and busy because that is all I can really do and I pray every night for her.

I was meant to be working on my "old/new" creation but sometimes things don't work out as fast as you would like them to (I recall my wee bird tutorial). I start designing it one way and then once I start the actual work, a different way of creating pops into my head and I start all over again! I am making myself crazy right now with this and I just can't seem to get it right just yet so I am going to put this one on the back shelf until I can make my mind up how I am going to finally do it. The little time that I have for creating I have used to start knitting again. It is what I need right now, something where I can sit down to an old movie, relax and do something creative. 

When I am not knitting I am still working on another project right now also with wool. It is something old of mine but with a new twist to it. I will share it with you as soon as I am finished with it.

And last but not least ...

...I would also like to share more new treasures that I have found a little while ago. I had gone out several weeks ago heading to the lake and on the way I always stop at all the little neat stores where I found these findings. Arriving home I took the bag and for an unknown reason I put them where I hide my Christmas gifts and then forgot all about them until the other day when I hid another gift and there they were.

Some vintage pearls ...

 ... an old spool with some even older very pretty ribbon...

... it is so neat!

And this ...

... was my great find!

A reel of vintage velvet ribbon. There are about 9 yards of it in a wonderful tan color and it only cost ...

wait for it ... 4 cents for the reel! I couldn't believe it!!

With this piece, I just fell in love. The simplicity of it was what caught my eye. I might hang this neat piece in the window of my craft room but I'm not sure yet.

That's all for today my dear friends. Make sure you keep stopping by to visit Todolwen.

Have a peaceful and creative day,

Karen B.

At Last ~ My Garage Sale And New Findings

Hello my dear friends,

I can't believe I did or rather didn't do this!! At last I had my garage sale on Saturday and ... I was so busy I didn't take a single picture to share with you!!! The only thing I can tell you is that it went very well and it was an interesting experience this time and  I was happy to pack the leftovers back into my garage after sitting in the hot sun for hours. Hopefully the next time I will be doing something like this I will remember to take photos!

But I didn't forget to take pictures of my latest findings from the past 2 weeks that I would like to share with you today.

These pearls are the most beautiful color of  pale tan.

Two more different coffin studs - this time flowers.

A few old spoons, maybe for more new pincushions - I haven't made any in a while!!

An old measuring stick!

 I have been looking for one of these for a while now and the price was great!!

A few old crystals from a vintage chandelier and an old draw knob.

 (this one is for a project I already have in mind)

And last but not least ...

this find is my daughter Caylagh's - lucky girl, she saw it first!

It is an antique miniature book with words from the bible for every single day of the year!!! It is only 2 by 2 1/2 inches in size! It is so beautiful and I have never seen one of these before - what a find!!

And I am ending this post with today's words for you my dear friends.

"I am with thee to save thee."

-Jer. 15.20

Have a peaceful and creative day,

Karen B.

New And Old Treasures To Share

Hello my dear friends,

I just love to share my treasures with all you lovely bloggers out there and I  love seeing all the wonderful treasures you find!!

Today I would like to share a few older findings and a few new ones. Most of them are vintage or antique and one of them is a new store bought item.

I am so lucky to have found these little Victorian coin purses ~ there are so many possibilies which I could use them for.

Do you like the little stars?

Can you believe it, these stars are actually sweet water pearls! ~ yes, I did say "pearls".

I found them at Michaels and I fell in love with them. They are "made" by inserting a piece of star shaped plastic into a clam and nature does the rest!!

.

I love old tarnished silverware ~ especially old small spoons!

It is the detail on the handles that captures me and makes me buy them!

Believe it or not but this is the ONLY pincushion I have ever bought so far even though I get such a buzz out of making pincushions ~ I don't really collect them.

Ah yes ~ you can never have too many baby shoes. These are one of my favourite pairs. I found them at an outdoor market last year and at first I had only found the one shoe and I was happy with it with the thought of turning it into a pincushion, but then the gentlemen that was selling them told me there was another one out there. I had to look through a huge amount of stuff stacked, packed and shoved onto and into shelves but I finally found the other shoe and now they are one of my treasures that I love to look at ~ and I am not turning them into pincushions anymore.

This is a little treasure I found over the last weekend. This little saltshaker drew my attention to it because the glass is so crisp and perfect where the top is completely corroded from the salt and just makes it look very special!

My final new find were these two little old tatty vases. I found them at a church sale I visited over the weekend. I love their shape and how old, tatty and tarnished they are and I know exactly what I am going to do with them ~ yes, you all know too!

I hope you have enjoyed my treasures and I will be on the lookout for all of yours when I head into blogland the next time.

And last but not least ....

... time is running out to sign up for my giveaway.

So if you haven't put your name in the basket yet ~ off you go!

http://todolwen.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-very-first-wee-giveaway.html

I hope all you lovely bloggers out there are well and happy.

Have a peaceful and creative day,

Karen B.

My Busy Weekend ~ Part 2 ~ A Shopping I Did Go!

Hello again my dear friends,

apart from yard work and staining my crochet flowers I did get a chance to go treasure hunting as well this past weekend. We decided to head out to the lake and on the way we always drive past a few second hand stores and antique stores where we always stop and look in.

And I am glad we did!!

I found this flag in a antique store in Parkshill. It will be a gift for my husband, who you know is British and a retired soldier from HM Forces. I am planing to frame it and it will go into his new office once it is finished. ( I hope he doesn't read my blog and see this!!)

I also found these old army buttons. There are from the Royal Canadian Air Force and are made from brass. I am not sure what I am going to do with them, but they are just something I knew I had to have and I will use at some time in the future.

My other find was this vintage dress form. It is my second dress form and to tell you the truth I haven't even finished my first one yet, but the price was so good that I just couldn't walk away from it!!

And my last find of the weekend was this spool of rusty wire. I am thinking of making birds nests when I look at this but I am not quite sure yet.

I spent the rest of my weekend in my basement sorting through boxes of things that I hadn't seen in a few years. I can't believe how much stuff  I can let go of these days without feeling a loss. If I were to do that a few years ago I think it would have been a little problematic for me.

That was my weekend in a nutshell! I am hoping to be able to do some serious creating done this coming week.

And last but not least ...

don't forget to sign up for my first wee giveaway if you haven't done so already!!

http://todolwen.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-very-first-wee-giveaway.html

Have a peaceful and creative day,

Karen B.