Letters to Mr. Knightley

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Recently, while pursuing a Jane Austin link, I discovered a blog called "Letters to Mr. Knightley." and I was immediately captivated. As the name of the blog implies, letters are being sent to Mr.Knightley's attention on various topics of life. Mr. Knightley (and sometimes Mrs.Jenings) replies to them in a warm, sensitive and pleasant manner that will not leave you indifferent.

Readers are also forewarned that the blog should not be substituted for actual therapeutic assistance. For those who avoid the warning and try to impose obligations on Mr.Knightley, he addresses them with the following: "Please don’t attempt to sue either Mr. Knightley or his Desk, as it is certainly beneath your dignity to do so. However, duels at dusk with either rapier or revolver can be organized in an honorable and timely fashion and in due course with the proper notification and paperwork. Thank you."

Here's the link if you want to read for yourselves.

Lariat in spring - Bloom Collection

As I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted some more vivid and expressive environment for the presentation of this lariat because I believe it is pity to confine it solely to the walls of our so called studio.

We spent the day out and after being tied to my computer for more than two weeks now I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed being out, sitting on the grass, looking at the lovely mountains and filling my batteries. I swear, one day freelancing is going to take its toll on me.

We also used the outing to take some pictures of the lovely beige and green lariat. It is quite long and can be tied various ways for a diverse look. Both ends are highlighted with assortment of different flowers, leaves and vines. There are also sets of flowers along the length of the lariat so that it isn't plain at all.



Well, that's it. Have a lovely Sunday everyone!

Let it be Earth day, every day

{Cork specially stitched to mark the day}

Today on Earth Day I might dare look behind and be content with what I've done to help save the Earth:

As a housewife I avoid buying cleaning/washing detergents that are harmful for the environment and revert to organic cleaning solutions. You don't know what good can baking soda do.
I try not to buy plastic. Have you looked around your house to see how many of your products come in plastic. Recycled plastic can be highly dangerous for both people and the environment. When I find a tip of how to make my own (good) organic shampoos and bath foams AND persuade my family to use them, I would get rid of those bottles too.
As a parent I have raised the 'protection of the environment awareness' to the highest level possible. My family sorts out recycables in a somewhat manic manner. On many occasions one can witness mountains of paper in certain corners of the house but it's not newspapers because we rarely buy any. Instead we read online editions and watch news on TV. We try to buy books made from trees of sustainable forests. You wonder how we know? Those books have that stated on the page with the publishing house's specifics. The paper we collect is mostly from community notifications and bills, old notebooks and magazines children receive in schools. We recycle it by making our own (handmade) paper ( but that is a story for another time), for art and craft projects, etc.
Wise use of electricity and water is the priority in this household. Do you know how much water is wasted while brushing teeth with the tap running? According to this article, an individual would let 684 gallons run down the drain in a year's time of brushing their teeth.

Beautiful Nature

As a teacher I have the privilege of influencing and raising the awareness of the impact modern living has over a wide audience and I have been involved in lectures about protection of the environment and Projects concerning the recycling of plastic, paper and used batteries.

Sustainable living

As a citizen of this country I am proud to say that the government funded project "Plant a Tree - Plant your Future" is making a phenomenal contribution to the preservation of the Earth. So far, about 20 million trees have been planted out of which about 7,5 million only this past November which shows the giant steps the project is taking.

This spring the Project provided all schools kids with ash seeds to plant themselves into pots, monitor and record the seedlings as they grow and when they grow sufficiently, plant them in designated places.


What do you do to help save Earth?
Know of any good ideas and links to share?

Join the cause!

Please Recycle!
Plant some trees!
Help save the Earth!

Happy Earth Day!

For a cheerful weekend

The picture that never fails to make me smile. I wonder if the sisters did this on purpose ;)
That would be quite wicked.
You can check my "LOL" board here

Spring lariat

My lovely model is on a three-day excursion hence the absence of modeled pictures.
This is one of my latest lariats for the Bloom collection. Will show more of it one day.

Dreaming of being lazy

There are times when I wish I could be lazy just for a tiny bit.
You know, be able to slouch on the couch in front of the TV and watch thrillers all day long, read some of the books that have been piling on the little table by my bed and dozing off .

But I can only dream of it. At the time being.


A stolen moment to enjoy the Easter holidays.

Shabby Apple Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway is: Emilee


who said: I follow Shabby Apple on fb and have been dying to win one of these giveaways.

Congrats Emilee and Thank you everyone who participated!!

Emilee, I am going to send your mail to the SA admin and they'll contact you with details how to claim your prize!

Shabby Apple Giveaway

Wow! When I was asked to host a giveaway sponsored by The Shabby Apple my heart simply skipped a beat!

Let me tell you a bit about them although I know many are in love with their collections!

They specialize in vintage inspired clothing and accessories.

As they say: "We started Shabby Apple because we saw a need in women’s fashion that was not being met. A need to make women feel feminine and beautiful for what they wear, not what they bare. We offer flirty, stylish dresses a woman can wear just as comfortably in the office, at a family dinner, or on a date. Shabby Apple is a fashion company for women, by women, and of women."


And what makes them even greater and special is that they devote a certain percentage of their net proceeds to charitable causes serving women and children.

Now about the giveaway. The winner will receive a $50 gift card to Shabby Apple and the exciting news is that this allows the winner to choose any item from the site.

{How to enter}

The only mandatory entry is that you must follow Shabby Apple on Facebook and "like" it!

Optional:

You can also follow them on Twitter or their blog.

Leave a comment by picking your favourite item from their website.
This giveaway is open only to US residents.

The giveaway shall be open until the 16th of April when the winner will be chosen.

There is something more. You are offered a 10% off coupon for anything Shabby Apple for one month. The coupon code, which can be entered during checkout, will be

thelittletreasures10off.

Good luck!

{Giveaway closed!}

Cork Embroidery Tutorial

This was my post prepared for Etsy. I hope you enjoy it.

In expectation of the Earth Day and to show awareness for the protection of our beloved Earth, I have prepared a cute, recycling project – consisting of stitching cork discs.

When embroidered, the cork gains an enriched and amazing appearance and the jewelry created with the little corks is extraordinary and truly unique.

So without further ado, find some used wine corks and let us start!

Materials needed:

* cork
* embroidery thread / floss
* embroidery needle
* thimble
* scissors

1. Types of Cork: Let me introduce you to the varieties of cork you may encounter. I have come across 4 types, and only one of these can be used for the project.

As you can see, they are all different. The one most suitable for embroidering is number 3. See how it is nicely defined with the little cell-like structure? That’s the kind you’re looking for.

The outer surface of the cork does not reveal the inside, so cut a thin slice to see if it is the type you need. Next, mark the cork for cutting. In my experience, the best width is 0.2” / 5mm. Thinner slices will break; any thicker, and you will hurt yourself.




2. Cut the slices of cork.


3. Thread a needle and tie a knot. You need a long, thin needle so that the cork stays intact while you work it. Insert the needle for the first stitch. Do not go too near the edge because the cork might break.

4. Make your first stitch. When you stitch, always keep the thread tense with your thumb for a neat job. Stitch close to the stitch you made before, unless you aim at a more “dispersed” look.

5. When I embroider, I most often use a wave pattern because I really like the way it transforms the cork. Stagger the stitches for this look.

{back}

6. When you get to the end, tie a knot and hide it beneath the thread by inserting the needle through the layers at the back.

{front}

7. Cut off excess thread, and you are done. Isn’t it beautiful?

8. For the back, you may leave it as is, cover it by stitching the bare part, or glue a felt piece over it.

I hope you liked it and you got inspired to make some your own.