BOXES

There is real pleasure and enjoyment  in stitching that special gift.... I share with you two birthday gifts stitched recently.

 

This is my birthday gift to Annette of California Stitcher and as she has received it and shown it on her blog I can now share the photos. We have a new bead shop here in Stratford and it was so nice to take my work in progress up there and match colours and  be able to select just what was needed to add to what I had in hand. I describe this as encrusted surface work  and I look forward to using this idea further.

 My second box is now on its way north and by the time you read this will have been received......

it is for my eldest granddaughter Rachel's 21st birthday gift, about 20 years ago I stitched a box for daughter Jan's 21st  to hold her birthday gift  and inside was also a stitched gold work key.. I have the box at the moment looking quite faded deep blue silk is bad for that! and missing the key.

At Jan's suggestion I made a box for Rachel, this time using silver embroidery as her preference is silver rather than gold, on the top of her box I stitched one of my beetles,
 

 and yes again a stitched key inside to represent the 21st birthday,

  lift it off and in the box I had tucked some special treasures, 

   the first was a silver locket that had belonged to her great, great grandmother and had been passed down through the generations. ( I dated the hallmark Birmingham 1902) 

  A little Owl, one of my treasures that Paul had bought for me some years ago and till now sat beside the clock by my computer, I wanted her to have something to remember her grandfather. 

and in a little fabric bag 21 coins to represent her 21 years.

My sister bought the lovely dark blue silk for me when she was overseas this year, and at the same time bought a beautiful deep purple silk ready for me to make Caitlin's box in the future.

Next up will be some Christmas stitching, thank to all who have visited my blog and left comments, I try to reply but as the computer now sends all messages to one file I keep getting lost to which ones I have replied to and which I still need to. Just know I love hearing from you and appreciated the time taken to send a message.

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FROM MY WINDOW

This lovely clematis with its delicate green flowers has been flowering by the window nearest to my chair and while I do not see all the flowers from inside I do enjoy seeing the visitors that come.            The small wax eye birds are not at all put off by the closeness to the window and are frequently there enjoying the flowers.

 
I have not a lot of stitching to share at the moment  but hopefully after the pieces arrive at their destinations I will be able to bring photos to you, meanwhile here are the pieces stitched for Stitching Friend's  challenge ... a scissor fob. and yes they have both arrived.

 Caitlin spent two days with me this week and we had a lot of fun creating Halloween decorations for Jan's dowel tree I will post pictures of them shortly on my other blog ... other side of the mountain here is the link   

These were a real fun project.

Still being bugged with computer problems however slowly I am learning to do more and more on the i pad and  hopefully  it will not be so long between postings again .