Secrets of a Butterfly

Christmas gifts from friends part 2

I love snowglobes,and this it turned out to be the only snow we had this year.It has been much milder and so far only one small flurry of snow a couple of weeks ago. I do think snow is pretty, and has a magic to it, but i do feel the cold, so i think this year at least, i would prefer it not to be as freezing as it has been the last few years.

I have a few further collages today, by way of thanks to my lovely friends for their gifts over christmas.

Keri-Anne sent me some of her beautiful blossom photos, and they are to signify the hope that i too will be blossoming in this new year. And a cd mix of her favourite tracks. When i listened to it on Christmas eve, i loved them all, and it felt almost like she and her little fairies were here visiting with me. thank you treasure, (i hope to do a further post about mix cd's later).

Louise sent me a butterfly box full of little treasures, such as a silver bunny, rose quartz from her crystal collection and a key, there was also a book of quotes and mini calendar. I was so touched by the collected things, all just for me. thank you so much sweetheart.

Paula visits Betty's cafe ( a famous tea/coffee shop in Yorkshire) and i always wish i could accompany her. Maybe one day i shall. But in the meantime she brought me back some goodies from there...a book and chocolate, and the sweetest butterfly pin. thank you my love, your thoughfulness touched me so much.

Last but not least a package from California, and my friend Cheryl who makes the most beautiful fairylike creations, here a little acorn pouch from liberty fabric (which i had given her earlier in the year) and some butterflies made into rings. Her daughter Maddy also is just so creative, and made the sweetest smallest rings into a paper garland. It would decorate a fairy's dwelling perfectly, and also looks so nice hanging upon my wall lights. Thank you treasure.

I hope everyone liked their gifts as much as i liked mine, i know i sent many of you the notecards i made from my photos, i was so pleased to be able to send something handmade. Hopefully i shall be making more things as the year goes on and then i shall be sending more parcels to you no doubt, love and many thanks for everything

love you!

Christmas gifts from friends

I wanted to give my thanks to those that swopped gifts with me this year, it was wonderful to recieve your packages in the mail. And so often they arrived at the time most needed. Christmas was no exception, your kindness kept me going more than you may know.
Above are a few of the wrapped presents that i sent out, i chose cath kidston wrap this year and used little red and white candy canes and east of india ribbon.

Here are some of the lovely things I received ...above is a butterfly cushion from Kate in scotland and a wrapped present from Frida who lives in Sweden, we have been penpals since we were 11 years old and are still in touch. (smile)

Below is the gorgeous stationery Eadaoin chose for me, from Whimsy whimsical and Susannah Tucker on etsy and a cute cute little bunny brooch!!...thank you so much honey, lovely surprises!

Dear Georgianna sent me one of her calenders of Parisian photos, and some pretty pretty stickers, along with a beautiful wintery christmas card and mini eiffel tower...thankyou so so much sweetie!

And Jeska sent these beautiful wrapped treasures to me, including a paper decoration, soap,and a running bunny cookie cutter, (i had sent her a kitten one earlier in the year so it was a lovey thought to get me one in return) thank you my love,

Beth and i have just lately got in touch, i ordered some of her prints, and we also chatted through flickr, she included some as a gift for me and one of her Merry Christmas lights cards, and i just love them all! Thanks sweetie!

It was such fun sending and recieving lots in the mail & sharing love, it makes christmas special to me.

I just want to thank everyone who comments and supports Secrets,as that is a huge gift in itself. I have part 2 of this post to share through the week,
love

Christmas gifts from my family

Hi lovelies,
i hope you have had a nice christmas and a pleasant start to a brand new year. I made up a few collages on my iphone to share some of my christmas.
It wasnt quite as i would have hoped because i was quite poorly. That said, the presents, love and supportive messages, made such a difference and kept me going through the holiday time.
My Mam & Dad got me the Dottie Angel book, which i am loving SO much. And also a Dottie Angel wall hanging which says "I do love all that you are" (smiles)
I also got a tiny silver butterfly ring by Alex Monroe and a Ganni dress,as i fell in love with the print.And the best of Secret Garden on cd.

Here are a few of the gifts my brother Neill and Tash chose for me, Australia on DVD and a lilac glass jewellery box, with butterfly design,and a angel plaque. This is a close up of my ring as well.

You can see the hanging here, its made of vintage fabrics and lace, though it needs a press before i place it on the wall(i'll show you when i do). And Mam did some lovely christmas biscuits. Gingerbread, from a new cookbook i got her.

I am finding my new iphone 4s, has a much better camera, making it super easy to take clear pictures, and i'm editing them through an app called magic hour. Its something easy i can do to keep my hand in creatively until i'm feeling better.
Hence I have a few more pics to do with gifts that i'll share in the coming days.
love and wishes,

A teacup or two

Hello lovelies,
today i am catching up on some posts that i have wanted to get together to share with you. This pretty package is my order from Susannah Tucker's etsy shop. Isnt her packaging so lovely.
Here is the photo block i chose of vintage teacups...

I love these blocks because they are so versatile, they go on the wall, or stand neatly on a chest of drawers or mantel shelf. For now, i tucked mine in beside the snowy owl (smiles)

Susannah is a lovely friend too, and also included a selection of her other pictures, including one of her mini prints sets, which are for scrapbooking or placing on inspiration boards. They are like fairy size pictures. I wish i had a doll's house and i could frame one for the wall there.

I am so inspired by her range and would love to develop my photography into little products to sell someday too. See Susannah's full range at etsy and her blog here.

Hope to be blogging about some christmassy-ness soon, i have been less well for a few weeks and things have been getting to me emotionally a bit at times. To help me, with not being able to get out over the christmas this year, i got a new pink tree and have some pretty pics of that to share soon.
love and wishes

Sent with love

Hello lovelies,

i had not intended on taking a break from posting last week, but it turned out that way as i have just been quite "out of sorts" and not feeling myself. I can't put my finger on why, but trouble sleeping is part of it. I just havent had my usual inspiration to share.

But i did want to come on and give a little update,just to let you know i was ok and everything. And also to share this lovely gift that Shanon sent me in the post last week, all the way from Minneapolis! A beautiful shawl...i love the soft cozy flannel fabric that she chose to sew it from. I have it wrapped around my shoulders a lot now, for that extra bit of warmth and comfort. I also use it as a mini blanket.(smile)

Thank you darling, its such a thoughtful gift, it shall always make me think of you and Graham and i shall treasure it,
much love

xoxoxox

A gift for Tash

I am just so happy that i was feeling well enough to do some crafting, and i made this collage for my brother's girlfriend. Tash is 30 today! Mam, Dad and i gave her some Lola Rose jewellery in the gemstone Blue sandstone. But its always nice to do something personal as well, if you can.

This is Tash with my brother Neill, on a trip to Scotland earlier in the year.

I have hopes to make some more of these collages for a few other occasions. But this being my first in quite a while, has made me really happy to complete.
Love and wishes

Whisper

Whisper, you are such a sweetheart.
I love you.

And i love making tiny "fairy" parcels to post to friends.

Here are a few ready for birthday's and thankyou's
The ones with cath kidston ribbon have cath kidston goodies inside (smile)

love

Amazonite delight

A special bracelet arrived in the post for me a few days ago. Louise who lives quite close by to me, made it from the soft green gem that is Amazonite. I really adore this colour and gemstone. Isnt it beautiful.

A big Thank you honey!

Mother's day blessings

 
 

 Thank you for all the lovely things you do......
 

Today in the Uk, it's Mothering Sunday. I want to say congratulations to the Mum's of 3 new babies that arrived within the past month. Keri-Anne and Mia, Toria and Alice and Shanon and her baby boy - born just yesterday. Sending much love to you all xoxox

These are the gifts i gave my mam Vickie, I made this canvas collage for her, you may recognise the style as its similar to one i did for Holly here.

I like combining old fabrics and papers with little accents. All in natural and pastel tones. I love to make things like this, and hopefully i can do some more when my energy level gets greater.

 

 

The butterflies on hearts were from Georgianna's free pdf file, that she featured at her blog in February. Thank you for these Georgi as they have worked really well, you know i like to have my butterfly touches in my art work.

 

Here is a photo of where Mam has it on the fireplace, the lovely angel candle was a gift from my friend Annie over the winter and i light it when we want to feel hope.

 

I also got a lavender filled pouch from the gorgeous Janey, through her website Sweet days and Roses...which i blogged about here  and also here. Its made from french linen and has vintage fabric and lace accents, along with a sparkling stone and a rose.

 

and my brother Neill dropped these cakes off for Mam yesterday, which he made himself as he's been getting more into baking and cooking lately. They are bannana and choc chip and are delicious.

 

Happy Mother's day Mam, love you SO much, i know things are far from easy for you right now, and i wish i could do more to make life better, but we know what it's like to come through hard times, and i know we shall, its just going to take the time it needs, and i'm with you, always xoxoxoxoxoxox

 

Believing in our dreams

 

Holly wrote a beautiful post from her heart, about the need to believe in ourselves and in our dreams.She included this photo, of the canvas collage i made her as a gift to celebrate her birthday & book launch.Its so special to see something you made arrive at a friend's home. I don't think i will ever tire of that lovely feeling {smile}

I loved the story Holly shared, of how as a child she wrote a little book, "Alana's wish" and made enough copies so that she could sign them and hand them out to the waiting queue of toys upon her bed {smiles}....and now her dream of a tour, and signing copies of her very own book has come true!!  (the full post is here)

Reading her words about how my parcel arrived at her house, it sounds like it was perfect timing ( also known as syncronicity), she was guided to go down and get it, despite no noise to say it was there waiting .. i had a few tears reading this.

For I know that feeling myself, when a parcel full of friends kindness arrives at my home at just the right moment after a really hard time. Its so uplifting that feeling of connection and care.
Seeming to have been delivered with an angels touch. (it happened to me this week with a package from Julie...more on that in another post)

 

The universe is so clever so orchestrated, it brings it home to me that I am never in this alone and that a million little things are always being done to assist me.

I think gratitude, recognition and appreciation of this type of syncronicity is what allows it to expand and occur more and more in our lives.

Who says the every day cannot be magical, we don't have to be a child at a theme park to feel wonder, awe and magic in the world.

Making this collage is something i have wanted to do for about a year. The illness i have (and the way i feel even though i am healing from it), is largely to do with exhaustion, so I wasnt well enough to do it till just recently. To create it, was my own dream coming true. I have so many ideas and things i's love to make and create and for so long these things have just been inside me or on bits of paper, or in notebooks. Waiting like little seeds without light and water or even soil. There are conditions that have to come together in order for dreams we hold dear to come about and the biggest of these is health. 

There is always a right time for them. Things i believe never happen by chance.
Holly living her dream of writing a book and seeing it in the homes of people around the world, is amazing and inspiring. It seems a world away to me, especially considering i feel soooo tired today. But it doesnt matter how big or small a dream is, it still takes the same magic to bring it about.

All dreams are worth believing in. They wouldnt be in your heart without there being a good reason for them to be.

Look for the little things, look for a hidden meaning that only your heart can whisper to you.
 I promise it's there.  Let the blanket of snow that covers these whispers just melt in the light, and see what treasure is uncovered.

The gift I gave Holly has a quote upon it to Believe in your dreams.
I believe in mine. I'm not alone, because i know if youre reading this, you believe in yours too.

Love & blessings