Little Pebble Boutique... Pebbles Giveaway

Little Pebble Boutique a home based business in the UK  is  offering one of my lovely followers  a set off  gorgeous glass Pebbles that can be personalised for any occasion ,Weddings, Birth,Christening, Father's/Mothers Day, Birthday's, tooth fairies and more... The pebbles are 3.5/4.5cm length/width and each set will vary slightly. All presented to you  beautifully gift wrapped. The winner will be able to choose  from several themes.

Please note: Winner if not in the UK will be responsible for postage.

Customers who have already received their pebbles are saying.....

He loved his Fathers Day pebble and he said that the chocs were really lovely too. Came wonderfully gift boxed. This was a bespoke pebble, Little Gifts were more than helpful when it came to finding the right image, excellent service, would definitely recommend!

I have received my memorial pebble with miss you mum on it,the items are beautiful thank you so much xxxxx

Bought some beautiful pebbles from Maxine at Little Gift Of Love. The attention to detail was fantastic and the quality outstanding. Have recommended and will be back for more :)

Easy entry using Rafflecopter and a lucky winner will be choosen on the 14th Feb 2013 good luck

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Name is Finch and I like it...

My name is Finch - it’s actually my surname... everyone calls me it and I like it.

I live in Leeds in Yorkshire, not too far from the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.
I actually have no formal training in anything to do with sewing or my textile based work,Ive learnt everything myself.

Ive tried many areas creatively over the years and now I find myself sewing which I adore.
When I'm not making things which isn't that often I love to read and watch old movies. I collect,miniature metal chairs and love to hoard things in glass jars.
Ive called my business Mister Finch so its clear from the start that I'm a man and one that sews. 
We are a bit thin on the ground but we are out there!

My main inspirations come from nature and often I return to certain ideas again and again.
Flowers,insects and birds really fascinate me with their amazing life cycles and extraordinary nests and behaviour.
British folklore is also so beautifully rich in fabulous stories and warnings and never ceases to be at the heart of what I make.
Shape shifting witches,moon gazing hares and a smartly dressed devil ready to invite you to stray from the path.

Humanising animals with shoes and boots is something Ive always done and I imagine them to come alive at night. Get dressed and live our their secret night life maybe helping an elderly shoemaker or the tired housewife.
Making things has always been incredibly important to me and is often an amazing release to get it out of my system.
Its a joy to hunt for things for my work...the lost, found and forgotten all have places in what I make.
Most of my pieces use recycled materials, not only as an ethical statement, but I believe they add more authenticity and charm.
A story sewn in,woven in.

Velvet curtains from an old hotel, a threadbare wedding dress and a vintage apron become birds and beasts, looking for new owners and adventures to have.
Storytelling creatures for people who are also a little lost, found and forgotten...

.  The above  article was written by Mister Finch himself and he has plenty more to say, if you pop over using the links below,  you will see just what I mean.  All I can say Mr Finch is that you are one very talented artist, and I had a great time  in fact a  very long time indeed,  browsing through your fabulous creations All that's left to say now is, enjoy.....  Mister Finch Website and  Mister Finch Facebook and  Finch I hope this put's a little smile on your face.:)

Shirley Vauville Mixed Media Artist

Shirley works from her sky lit studio on the East Coast of Yorkshire and overlooks her garden on all sides, which is full of interesting textures and colour combinations and living just a mile from the sea makes it very handy for her beach hunting. I found Shirley's page yesterday and fell in love with her beautiful work. Lovingly handmade, and no two pieces the same, each and every item she creates is a delight to look at. Texture and patterns are embossed into the surface of her clay, Bisque fired, then coloured with under glazes and oxide then re-fired. Shirley finishes her objects with feathers, wave worn finds and vintage buttons.  Here's a few examples of Shirley's work and you can see more  on both her Facebook and her website. So go feast your eyes.

Elephants never forget.. This one did!

In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Louisiana State University .

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee, inspected the elephants foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away. Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter could not help wondering if this was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same fucking elephant.

This is for everyone who sends me those heart-warming bullshit stories.

This got me, read it right to the end.........

Personalised Monogram Cushion Cover Giveaway

Ever fancied your own personalised cushion cover to lay nonchalantly on your bed or favourite chair? then here's your chance. This giveaway is for a 40cm x 40cm 16" x 16" ( I can make a smaller one if preferred) cushion cover in white linen, you can choose from several colours for the monogram and I will discuss this with the winner. I have the full A-Z in this style with the rose so you can  choose any initial. Easy entry so are you ready... go and good luck. xx Value of giveaway €25 or approx $33 and is open worldwide and postage is also on me. If your not the winner this time then I am so sorry, but you can order your own, use this coupon code and you will recieve a 10% discount at checkout... Coupon Code " Monolove" 


We have a winner and it's Margot  and I will be in touch with you very soon. I had a problem with the rafflecopter displaying the winning  name, which has never happened before:( Thank you to all who entered and will be  doing another with a new design sometime soon. Congratulations Margot who has choosen the gorgeous sage green C for her cover.

Did I really Say That!

Well well well! once on a previous post on April 15th 2011 I wrote......."Plus, I want to say I did that! and not my machine ( anyway I don’t have one and probably never will)"... little did I know that in 18 months time I would be the proud owner of my very own embroidery machine. I could not wait to get started and well all I can say is that if my DH was not a computer whiz I would be sitting in a corner weeping. The machine comes programmed with many designs but it was the monograms I wanted and was not madly keen on the preprogrammed ones. So  I had to go find and buy some and download them in a Jef format and that's when all the trouble started for me, not only  do you have to download onto a usb key you then have to format them, resize, set the hoop size, and then add to your  card reader which then  goes into the machine, plus you also have to use a stabiliser for the backing and then technically your off. I am slowly getting the hang of it and have made a few bits and bobs and have already sold a cushion cover and lavender bag so that for me is very encouraging. I love using white and  Red as it gives it a fantastic vintage look especially using it on vintage linen. I will be doing a giveaway soon  and yes you guessed, it will be a monogrammed something but not sure yet what. But feel very justified in saying "I did that with lots of help from my DH". Happy New Year and must dash I have to go make a P.....