Little Betty

I have been meaning to post a photo for a while of this little beauty that I received as a gift from my parents for graduating. It is a miniature sewing machine (which actually works by turning the handle!) with a tiny needle felted wren perching on top. I am especially fond of its name 'Little Betty' since Betty is also the name of my cat!

My house is full of trinkets and treasures which I have collected over the past few years - If I see something interesting or unusual at flea markets, vintage fairs or charity shops I can't resist buying them! Each piece has its own history and story and I like to imagine who they belonged to before me or who created them. To me these are the things that make my house a home, so I will go on collecting until I eventually run out of room!

Mosaic Woodpecker

I am creative because I have an equally creative Mother. She made this in just one day! She has been going to mosaic courses for a while and has made some amazing creations. Anyone who assumes that mosaics are tacky should see some of the beautiful things that have been created by my Mom, her class mates and tutor - they are works of art.

Pin of the week

How beautiful is this little chap? His feathers look a bit ruffled though..

Little Owl

Everyone needs to keep wrapped up warm in this cold weather!

Creepy or cute?

As a cat lover I have had my eye on this book for a while, but I can't decide whether it's creepy or cute! It offers a solution to clothes and furniture covered with cat hair - collect it all up and use it for all sorts of crafts projects such as tote bags, finger puppets and mittens! Shall I put it on my Christmas list or is this just going to officially turn me into a 'crazy cat lady'?!  For anyone who is interested the book is available on Amazon here and I have also seen it in store in Waterstones bookshop.

The Greedy Rabbit

A birthday card design for a special friend

The Good Deed Giraffe!

"Giraffes are like me - my head is in the clouds but my heart is in the right place!"

This was a popular story in the news last week that really warmed my heart - you may have also heard of it. 

A man in Scotland called Armstrong Baillie has been parading the streets in a giraffe costume handmade by his Mum, doing good deeds and carrying out random acts of kindness. He got the idea after noticing that everyone seemed a little downhearted and decided he wanted to make those around him smile. For his first good deed he returned to the hospital where he was born and handed out £10 Mothercare vouchers to new parents; he has also given away free bananas to marathon runners and provided cups of coffee to cold passers-by. 

Since his story has picked up and gained attention in the press, Armstrong has been flooded with offers to appear on the radio and television, as well as receiving invites to visit countries around the world to spread his good cheer. He has said that as long as what he is doing continues to make others smile then he will carry on. 

I love stories like this and I wish there were more of them in the news... Random acts of kindness no matter how small can make such a difference to someone's day - whether you are dressed as a giraffe or not!

Armstrong Baillie has his own blog where you can follow updates on his Giraffe antics: http://goodgiraffe.wordpress.com/

Wild Cockatoos - Leila Jeffreys

I stumbled across this project by photographer Leila Jeffreys today and fell in love with these cockatoos. They all have such character and personality! Their names are perfect too! Now I want a cockatoo for Christmas as well as a kitten and a whippet... Here are a few of my favourites:

Matilda

Rosie

Bob

Commander Skyring

Neville

For more cockatoo photos and other work visit www.leilajeffreys.com