GARAGE SALE FIND

I love this wooden truck that we just found at a garage sale on the weekend. It has a lovely patina and retro quality to it that makes it stand out from all of the regular plastic toys that we own. It takes one back to a simpler time where toys were powered by little hands and sound effects came from excited voices...

ROADSIDE FINDS

I simply can't resist anything with a "free" sign on it. We found this wonderful old wooden steam liner style chair at the end of a driveway on our very own road. All it needed was a clamp and it is actually quite comfortable to sit in. Now it needs one of my burlap pillow creations and it will be ready for a leisurely lay in the summer sun. (The bouquet of flowers was picked from my garden and loosely arranged in an old metal watering can - another free find)

TEA HAT!

This tea cozy is my latest creation using my previously mentioned favourite materials. I love tea and the ritual that surrounds it from warming the teapot to waiting in anticipation for the tea to steep and sharing it with a friend or family while chatting about our latest creative moments or upcoming summer plans.

I used burlap for the outer layer along with a layer of quilt batting and a faux bois (wood grain) fabric for the liner. On the burlap I designed another bird, this time sitting in his raffia nest awaiting his 'cuppa. As there was only enough space for the word "TEA", I used a 7 Gypsies clear old fashioned clock embellishment to represent the word time, thus - TEA TIME.

I really love how this project turned out. You can custom your own tea cozy to any size teapot (I think my big old "brown betty" is next). My son coined the term "tea hat" which is so endearing and actually quite relevant. Happy brewing...

LIVE SIMPLY

Another purposeful bag has been created, this time with a meaningful message - "Live Simply".

Again, coffee packaging and old burlap coffee sacks were used. As a family we try to live by this motto, omitting a lot of today's mod-cons by choice.

The latter photo is of my grandfather "Teacake" in his kitchen where he has lived happily for the last 70+ years! His little kitchen has all that is required to provide his basic needs. One is reminded that we don't need to fill our lives with "stuff" to live a content and healthy life.

BUBBLES AND BEES

Captured some nice images in the garden yesterday. I loved the effervescent quality of the bubbles as they glided fleetingly over the purple chive flowers. Shades of mauve were reflected back onto the passing spheres. The bees were just greedy for the pollen and kindly allowed me to be temporarily in their space as they went about collecting. I couldn't help but think of Jerry Seinfled's Barry the Bee character with his witty banter and purposeful quest as I witnessed them fly from flower to flower.

Every day the garden changes and the bubbles and bees made me stop for a brief moment to take it all in.

PLANT MARKERS

I was inspired by the plant markers that I saw on http://www.heavypetal.ca/ the other day. They ranged from cute to kitsch and all cost a pretty penny. My recycle light bulb went off and I decided to create my own from old coffee packaging (yes, again) and used Popsicle sticks (previously sucked thanks to my children).

To make the markers cut silver coffee wrappers into 1" by 5" strips, fold in half and sew down sides using a zig-zag stitch. Insert Popsicle stick and write plant name in an indelible ink. Pop into soil next to plant and enjoy!

I TWEET!

This is one of my latest bags using recycled coffee packaging and burlap coffee sacks. It features a crown- sporting blackbird declaring ,"I TWEET". Of course tweeting now possesses a new meaning worldwide and I like the double entendre this quietly dapper bird proclaims.

I free hand cut out the lettering from silver packaging and sewed onto the hessian fabric. The bird was also drawn free hand onto black coffee packaging and embellished with a coordinating crown, wing and tail plumage detail. His legs are grocery store twist ties and eye is a brad from my scrapbooking stash. (I'd really like to find a cell phone charm to really enhance the birds double meaning)