Sunday snippets

Really?  Sunday again already?  One minute, I'm arguing with the alarm clock that it can't possibly be Monday morning again already and then here we are on Sunday night at the start of another week to come!  Madness, I tell you!  Ah well, it's been a lovely seven days and here are some snippets.... 

Crafting supplies for some Christmas goodies I'm working on... 

A trip to a wonderful Christmas barn...

... where I made a new friend!

Sorting and tidying of my writing desk

The best railings ever!  Cats!  Oh my.  

 

The little project my Dad was working on for me is now finished.  Aren't they beautiful?  I'm so pleased with how they turned out! 

 

Have a great week everyone and I'll try not to leave it seven days before I see you all again!  

Jo x

Sunday snippets

Hi all,
I hope you've had a good week?  Mine has been pretty busy but here's a little insight into my world this week...

I can't get enough of this time of year.  Crisp autumn days and the most perfect colours...

 

My first attempt at machine sewing some cushions.  They're not perfect by any means but I'm pretty chuffed!

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....!

 And speaking of Christmas, I'm preparing some little felt decorations for sewing together later this week... with only six weeks to Christmas now, I'm in full on festive crafting mode! 

 

Have a good week, Jo x

"Perhaps it has been buried for ten years," she said in a whisper. "Perhaps it is the key to the garden!"

She looked at the key quite a long time. She turned it over and over, and thought about it. As I have said before, she was not a child who had been trained to ask permission or consult her elders about things. All she thought about the key was that if it was the key to the closed garden, and she could find out where the door was, she could perhaps open it and see what was inside the walls, and what had happened to the old rose-trees. It was because it had been shut up so long that she wanted to see it. It seemed as if it must be different from other places and that something strange must have happened to it during ten years. Besides that, if she liked it she could go into it every day and shut the door behind her, and she could make up some play of her own and play it quite alone, because nobody would ever know where she was, but would think the door was still locked and the key buried in the earth. The thought of that pleased her very much.

Ever since reading 'The Secret Garden' as a child, I have held a fascination with keys and the possibilities they offer.  A rusty old trunk containing memories, a door to a secret hideaway, the unsurpassed excitement of owning your very own house; a key can offer so much to a dreamer like me!  

 

Now available in my Etsy shop

Jo x

Sunday snippets

As much as I love photography and try to use my 'proper' camera as much as possible, nothing quite captures the moment like an iphone!  Here are some little snippets from my week... 

A lovely tranquil walk by the river with my little furry friend .  She looks like butter wouldn't melt but two minutes after this photo was taken, she chased a moorhen into the river and then rolled in fox poo... delightful!    

Tea and cake at one of my favourite hangouts

Sweet flowers from my neighbour for puppy sitting

Nice lighting in a shop

My Dad working on a little woodturning project for me - ooh, I'm very excited about this!  

Inspiration for an upcoming papercut

The Christmas edition of Ideal Home plopping onto my mat!

 

Eeek, only 51 sleeps until Christmas!  

Jo xx

Weaving webs

Spiders and I are not on good terms.. but oh, what wonderful homes they make for themselves...

I could almost forgive them for being vile... 

Jo x

We are open!

The QueenieDot Etsy shop is now open!

I will be adding many items over the coming few days - feel free to have a look around!  

Jo x

For the love of mail

This weekend saw the annual Open Heritage weekend when lots of England's fantastic places that are usually closed or charge for admission open their doors to the public for free.  

As a lover of all things postal, I went along to the Colne Valley Postal History Museum which is a private collection of postal boxes and ephemera housed in a beautiful back garden in Halstead's leafy suburbia. 

The owner, Steve Knight, says it all started with the purchase of one post box at an auction fifteen years ago and from there the collection, and his fascination, grew and grew.  It's an amazing collection of post boxes throughout the decades along with a wonderful collection of post ephemera.  

From sweet memories of playing post offices with my Sister when we were diddy, sending postcards to friends from sun-drenched childhood holidays in Devon, through to long letters to penpals which have spanned many years, the love of mail has never left me and I hope it never does... after all, who doesn't love to receive a handwritten letter in the post?! 

Jo x

Repurposed packaging

I'm gearing up for a craft fair on Sunday so this week is being spent preparing stock, sorting packaging, labelling, advertising, working out the best way to display everything etc, etc.  I have a to-do list as long as my arm but am happily ticking off things as and when jobs are completed. 

This morning, I spent a lovely hour cutting up old sewing patterns which I use for wrapping some of my smaller items.

I love the slightly aged colour of them and the beautiful print and I'm pleased to be giving them a new lease of life.

Jo x 

Getting serious

When I haven't been travelling the country scoffing lovely food, I've been busy papercutting.  Papercutting is my big love and I'm finally in the process of turning it from a hobby into something more serious.  

This and others will be available to buy soon... more details to follow...  

Ignore the tab on the Z - that's just the last cut to do before it gets mounted and framed!  

Jo xx

Cambridge and copious amounts of cake

Last Friday my Husband and I went to Cambridge for the day to celebrate our official anniversary - the date we got together eight years ago and engaged four years ago. 

The day was a scorcher and spent in the best possible way; meandering, eating and reminiscing.  Our days out are always planned around food and somewhere I'd always wanted to visit was Bill's.  They have stores around the country and I'd heard great things about their Haloumi and Hummus burger... 

Oh my word, I was not disappointed!  

This was followed later on by a visit to Pattisserie Valerie which never fails to disappoint either!  

Almond croissant loveliess... om nom nom... 

 The obligatory shot of Cambridge, of course!

The following day, still in celebratory mood, we drove out to Tollesbury and visited this lovely little tea room.  I told you our trips out are planned around food, didn't I?!  

This little sailing loft houses the sweetest vintage tea room, selling delicious handmade cakes and speciality teas.   If you're ever in the area, it's well worth a visit.  In fact, if you're nowhere near, it's worth the trip anyway!  

Jo xx

Blogging, Birthdays and Brighton...

After a false start a couple of years ago, I'm now back to blogging. 
It was my Birthday a couple of days ago and my husband and I spent a lovely day in Brighton... here are a few of my favourite photos from the day..

 

.

I love being by the sea and ambling around The Laines... Brighton, I will be back to see you soon my love...

Jo xx