More Secret Books and More Little Sheep

Spurred on by having so much fun with the Bunny Tails Secret Book the other day I have plunged into another one. This one is called Herbs and Teas. I love the artwork on the cover it is beautiful. You can always count on the Betterleys to do these things to perfection.

This is the back cover which I think is just gorgeous.

Inside....

Downstairs ....

Upstairs ...

Then it was onto the furniture. First the Tincture Cabinet. I think it is wonderful that the bottles are carved out in the piece of wood and not just a picture to stick in. They look wonderful, you cannot tell from this photo just how small this piece is and how tiny (and therefore difficult to paint!) the bottles are.

The bedspread has lovely sunflowers all over it. Here is the bed on an English two pence piece to give you an idea of scale.

All the furniture so far. Maybe at the weekend I will get chance to finish this lovely little project off.

I have also finished my Little Sheep of the month cross stitch. Just in the nick of time as the third one landed on my doorstep just as I was putting the last stitches in.

Little Eastery Things

First Easter mini is another little stall. This one is Eggstravaganza and sells Easter Eggs of course. the stall in the instructions is pale pastel green but Spring is so late this year that I felt in need of a bit of spring zing!

Here it is with all its wares.

My second Easter mini is another one of Robin Betterleys Secret Books. I was supposed to be making this one with a friend but they did not make it today afterall and having got everything out to start I couldn't wait.  This one is called Bunny Tails. The beds upstairs in the nursery have carrots for bed posts how sweet is that.

I am just putting the finishing touches to the rest of the furniture. Those tiny Easter Eggs need to be painted yet, to make a wonderful little egg decorating scene in the kitchen.

This is how tiny the chairs are - here is one on a two pence piece!

Here is the bedroom rug, so much detail and yet so small!

Lastly I have started on the second Little Sheep Virtues cross stitch pattern. This is the one a month club from Patchwork Rabbit. The first one was Hope and this one will be Love and it is such a totally sweet design, not that you can tell yet!

Hopefully tomorrow I will get to finish the furniture for Bunny Tails and post the photos.

Easter but Not Yet Spring!

 Spring is always my favourite season and so I tend to look forward to Easter. But I have to say this Easter has not felt quite right this year. The snow has been the worst we have had in quite some time - no chance of egg rolling. But I persevered with Easter crafts and made embroidered eggs. The pattern is from Patchwork Rabbit and is done on 40 count linen.

E is for Easter  

R is for Rabbit

S is for Spring

Also Lambing is going on all around us and we managed to get up to Brough Lea Farm to see how Margie and her family were getting on. Here is the first lamb! Totally adorable and so happy to be cuddled.

Then I went a bit 'off season' and made an acorn pincushion. Which I love to bits. I have had this kit for so many years I can't even remember where it came from. It is made from weeks dye works boiled wool felt and stuffed with wool roving.

The last craft thing I have been upto is weaving on an Inklette Loom. I got this one from The Compleat Knit where I am signed up to do a class on using it in a months time. But I couldn't resist having a go. It took a little while to work out how to warp it but once the penny had dropped it was a breeze. Starting with nice easy stripes!

I just love the way this loom looks warped up - not even taking the weaving of the braids into account - I just love it as it is!

 First braid done and finished within a few hours of starting!

 The tension and edges need a little work.

What better way to improve than warp it straight up again and have another go! This time I have been pulling the weft a lot tighter. This time with some springy bright colours in the hope to make it feel like Spring!

Then seeing as the view outside the window is not very spring like I regressed back into winter projects!

I have recently finished reading The Snow Child, which was a wonderfully magical book especially when surrounded by so much snow. It reminded me of the gorgeous Westfalenstoffe fabrics that are in the patchwork shop and so I have been cutting squares ready for a new quilt!