About time....

This is meant to be a craft blog which is why I haven't done a new post for a while. I haven't been doing any craft! However I still managed to make it to the top and near the top of 'Top Blogs by Crafters' so despite my absence there have been visitors clicking through to get me up there. Thank you.
I really couldn't do another 'nothing to show' post!
There has been an unfortunate incident since my last post. I used to describe our house as 'the house with balls' but not any more. Here they were one snowy day (scroll down) but now they've gone. Nicked, stolen, thieved, lifted, taken....and the same name always comes up in our village and no-one ever does anything about it.
Meanwhile I pass a garden every day where there are some cowslip seed heads and have to knock on the door to ask if I may pick one or two. Ah well everyone's different I suppose.
Anyway..thanks for all the lovely comments on the last post. I didn't get much replying done as my Mum has been a little unwell.......feeling down after the lovely week in Scarborough, so I've been a bit busy. And we had a lovely family party for Joe's 31st Birthday. A happy time to record here . A whirlwind two hours eating and laughing. Just enough!
So..onto the makes. I've had two 'areas' on the go. I had to make some brooches for the wonderful Found Gallery in Dunbar and they asked for some wall pieces as well.
During the brooch making I made a mistake with the thread for one brooch..I accidentally picked up this chocolatey-brown-shaded-to-cream instead of a tan and I am in love with the combination.

I have also made the nicest brooch I have ever made..I say that again..yes..I love the colours although not an obvious combination and its unrepeatable because I have none of that particular orange left and I'm rubbish at dyeing with accuracy so am unlikely to get it again.

This is it.

So..some gratuitous brooch pictures to make up for the lack of them recently.

(How do I stop white backgrounds looking pink? Yes I know its something to do with white balance but I don't know how to change it if anyone has any ideas with a canon powershot s95 I'd welcome them)
Now..I've also used different colours in a new embroidery. I don't know if it works but I thought I'd give them a go. I made the base with pre-felts on a mixed red/orange/cerise background

I like how this orange bit in the centre glows.

I enjoyed doing it. Its not miniature and its not huge just a nice 7- 8 inch square-ish. I haven't measured..just guessed.

I love working on the little hand stitched details.

then going back over a few areas with machine stitch.

I've got another one in the same colours in the pipeline.
I think I'm going to sew them to calico and stretch them over a card mount to keep any 'shipping ' costs low if I sell them. This has been a problem of late. Works which have been stretched onto frames have proved to be too expensive to send overseas with insurance. It didn't used to bother me but since the piece I sent to Australia didn't arrive it bothers me .
It will be quiet here for a while. We are going to squeeze in a week in Greece. Symi to be precise. We were a bit stuck for a dog sitter and then my son decided he'd like a holiday in our house here so all will be well. Hetty will have fun with Fin and friends.