A Bit of This & That

So here we are - Saturday again!! Treated myself to a bit of lie-in this morning (that can only happen when Joseph is away as he believes in early mornings - for everybody!!) and now feel ready for the day. Zach and I are going to watch The Kite Runner later this afternoon - I don't think I have ever seen a movie that was as good as the book on which it is based (although now that I think about it, Storm Boy might be an exception) but I can't "let go" of this story yet so decided to watch the movie straight away.

This week I finally received the latest Quilting Arts magazine so really looking forward to a good read of that sometime this weekend. I haven't been as thrilled as much as I normally am with Cloth Paper Scissors over the last couple of issues (probably just because some of the art doesn't appeal to me personally) but QA is consistently totally wonderful. So many things to try!

I also received this gorgeous vintage fabric postcard (or AMC as Simone calls them) from Simone Bamberg-Lemper, love it!And my arty US friend, Susan sent me a lovely surprise - the cutest ever little bird beads (which will have to become ear-rings over the course of this weekend), a great hand charm and some amazing sarcophagus shaped playing cards! I am dying (deliberate pun) to use them in or on something interesting.

I can't recall whether I have ever written about my love of old suitcases (and old rulers too) but when my Mum came up to stay with me in June she delivered a lovely old suitcase that my cousin Kay had decided needed to join my collection, despite its sentimental value to her. It was my paternal grandmothers and had been bought for her by Kay's mother and her brother (both were several years older than my father who was a "change-of-life baby") from their early pay packets (which would have been in the 1930s I think). The case is monogrammed with my Nanna's initials - BN. I just love this case, especially as it is from within our family - it is beautifully lined too. The sad side of the story though is that apparently my Nanna got very upset with her two offspring spending their hard-earned money on her! I have still to find the ideal spot for this case - it can't sit in this stack as they are all brown ones that I have collected or been given. Incidentally the graduated sizes are a fluke!

And now for some details about the collage at the top of this post - it is based around a transfer of a coloured picture which I enhanced with gold ink and then covered with several layers of clear utee to create a tile effect. It has been mounted on a piece of "leatherised" brown paper and is surrounded with Gold Rocs by JudiKins. I think this is the only time I have used them despite buying several colours at a stamping convention several years go! Perhaps I need to start some projects based around specific supplies.