swaps and general wonderfulness...

sorry I have been absent even longer than usual...putting my back out a couple of weeks ago has wrecked havoc with my normal fairly sedentary, fairly hunched over, happy existence. Apparently (or so the osteopath and physiotherapist tell me) in order to avoid more of the same excruciating indisposition, a body has got to exercise. Which really is not compatible with spending all one's free time crafting or blogging. Is downright inconvenient to be frank. But I'm doing it (through gritted teeth) I may now seriously have to consider giving up the day job (sitting in front of a computer is very bad for me you know) ...there simply isn't enough time in the week to do it all, work, craft and exercise too. Bah!

anyway...there has been much wonderfulness since I reported last...

doll swaps received...(swoon!)


a beautiful bag, containing my doll from from Emily at Ravenhill


Gorgeous isn't she? I have never seen a more charming tea lady in my life. She is currently guarding my precious tea stash and administering to my beverage requirements beautifully.

She was accompanied by a selection of vintage buttons and a doily...which just had to be put in one of my vintage china saucers as that is what you do with vintage buttons in the overmilkwood house (Ms. Reva's latest edict)



so now I can show you what I sent Emily too...most of these pictures are from Emily's blog as she takes a far meaner photo than yours truly. Her little daughter Lilly (isn't she the cutest?) seems to really like Ms Myrtle (yes, Ms M really does spell it like that, no-one knows why) which makes me very happy indeed


What fun I had making this, my first doll. I have plans for many more

The dress was made to be easily put-on-take- offable by a three year old, the cardi was a variation on the kimono cardi I knit a while back, and the books were made by Ms Reva and Ms Bester

In further swap extraordinariness I was the lucky recipient of these pieces of functional felted perfection...

made by Lisa at lilfishstudios who actually made the felt herself...I kid you not...you just wouldn't believe how beautiful, soft and tactile it is in the flesh (so to speak)...these came wrapped in tissue pattern pieces which was a small touch I loved...

finally, this weekend was the Reva Girl's 6th birthday (nope, I have no idea how that happened, seems like only yesterday I was marvelling at her tiny starfish like hands and skinny little jaundiced legs) and here is a taster of the sewing kit I put together for her

which was inspired by her recently developed passion for vintage buttons and the ilk (oh what a proud, proud moment that was for me, when I walked into our craftroom to find her marvelling at old glass buttons and rushing to the kitchen to find a vintage saucer in which to place them to best advantage)...I'll get the other photos of the little kit up during the week I hope...watch this space...